Katherine Heigl Shares Topless Pregnancy Photo While Detailing Son's Dramatic Birth

Former Grey's Anatomy star shares unseen photos of her newborn son hours after his difficult delivery a year ago

By Meg Swertlow Dec 20, 2017 9:25 PMTags

Happy birthday, little guy!

Proud mama Katherine Heigl took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a topless pregnancy photo, taken right before her cesarean section last year, as well as to detail, through words and photos, her harrowing delivery of son Joshua Kelly Jr., who is celebrating his first birthday today.

The Unforgettable star began the lengthy post, "At 9am one year ago today I had @joshbkelley take this photo of me so I could remember how incredibly pregnant I was right before we left for the hospital and my 12pm scheduled cesarean."

Heigl explained that the unborn boy "had been in the breech position for over a month and had still not moved an inch a week before his due date."

She said that's when she made the decision to have a cesarean, adding "I was incredibly nervous and a little scared this time last year."

The actress, who has been married to singer Josh Kelly since 2007, said she was afraid at the time because she "had never been hospitalized or had ever had any kind of surgery" before.

In addition to the topless photo, she shared a photo from "right before" she went into surgery, joking that she was, "Trying to look cool, calm and collected!"

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At 9am one year ago today I had @joshbkelley take this photo of me so I could remember how incredibly pregnant I was right before we left for the hospital and my 12pm scheduled cesarean. Joshua Jr had been in the breech position for over a month and had still not moved an inch a week before his due date so I made the decision to have a cesarean and was incredibly nervous and a little scared this time last year. I had never been hospitalized or had ever had any kind of surgery and had no idea what to expect. The second photo is right before I went in for surgery. Trying to look cool, calm and collected! They numbed me up, gave me some morphine and opened me up. My doctor struggled to get him out because he was really wedged in there and not quite ready to leave the womb. When she finally pulled him out at exactly 12:33pm he didn’t start breathing and they worked quickly to get oxygen in him and start his tiny lungs. @joshbkelley was standing with them when he finally took his first breath. That day, as I slowly came out of the morphine haze and clutched my tiny man to me I thanked the heavens for his breath, his life and for making me a mother three times over. As evening settled in Josh and I got cozy in my hospital room, found one of my all time favorites #SweetHomeAlabama on the tv and just relished in our perfect newborn son. He was so tiny and new, so fragile and tender. As I lay him down to sleep that first night in his very appropriate “welcome to the world” sleep sack I thought the moment would last forever. Yet here we are, a whole year later and it’s only the photos that remind me my brute of a boy was ever so new and small! Now he’s 26 ponds of rolling, tumbling, grasping, giggling, shouting, curious, jolly energy! He is everything and more than I could have hoped for and he has brought our family even more joy, love, laughter, abundance, bliss and yes, exhaustion and exasperation too! It’s been a hell of a year and I could not be more grateful for it or him! Happy Birthday to my little man! Maybe I can make this next year go a little slower!

A post shared by Katherine Heigl (@katherineheigl) on

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The 39-year-old, who has two other children, explained that once in the delivery room, "They numbed me up, gave me some morphine and opened me up."

But things didn't work out as planned. "My doctor struggled to get him out because he was really wedged in there and not quite ready to leave the womb. When she finally pulled him out at exactly 12:33pm he didn’t start breathing and they worked quickly to get oxygen in him and start his tiny lungs," she wrote. "@joshbkelley was standing with them when he finally took his first breath."

 

Flash forward a year later and Heigl says her baby boy is filled with so much life she says she can barely remember the early days.

"Here we are, a whole year later and it’s only the photos that remind me my brute of a boy was ever so new and small! Now he’s 26 pounds of rolling, tumbling, grasping, giggling, shouting, curious, jolly energy!"

The doting mom continued, "He is everything and more than I could have hoped for and he has brought our family even more joy, love, laughter, abundance, bliss and yes, exhaustion and exasperation too! It’s been a hell of a year and I could not be more grateful for it or him! Happy Birthday to my little man! Maybe I can make this next year go a little slower!"

Check out all the adorable pics...

Top It Off

Hours before her cesarean, Heigl posed for this topless photo to illustrate just how pregnant she was.

About to Pop

The expectant mom took this photo right before she went in for delivery.

Nice to Meet You

The Unforgettable star shakes her little man's little hand.

New Man

The star shared a photo of her newborn son being looked at by doctors soon after his birth.

Home Sweet Home

Cradling her newborn son in her arms, Heigl watched one of her favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama, while at the hospital.

Lil' Mouse

Joshua Jr. had quite the little hat on soon after his harrowing birth.

Wrapped Up

Heigl shared a cozy photo of her then-newborn son.

Little Animal

A year later, Joshua Jr. is all giggles.

Daddy Time

Husband Josh Kelly dotes on his newborn son, Joshua Jr.

Baby Love

The actress shares a photo cooing over her newborn baby boy.

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