Every year nearly 500,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States, and can suffer from a range of short- and long-term health problems like apnea, jaundice and anemia. Although delivering, caring and sometimes even losing a premature baby can be a trying experience, many celebrities like Sherri Shepherd, Celine Dion and others have been open and honest about their experiences as parents of preemies. Here are 15 celebs who’ve given birth to premature babies.
Source: WENN
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Shepherd’s son, Jeffrey, was born 15 weeks early, weighing just 1 pound, 10 ounces. Doctors doubted that Jeffrey would ever be able to run – and while he does have some developmental delays, he’s progressed much further than was initially expected. Which is exactly why recent accusations of Sherri being a neglectful mom by her ex-husband are especially shocking.
Source: Vogue
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s daughter, North, was born 3-5 weeks premature after medical complications forced Kim to be admitted into the hospital. Despite her early arrival, the now 11-month-old looks to be happy and healthy, and is definitely cute as button!
Image Source: Tumblr.com
Phaedra Parks and Apollo Nida
Last year Phaedra gave birth to her second son, Dylan, three weeks early while on a business trip in Augusta, nearly 150 miles from her home in Atlanta. Although little Dylan arrived early Phaedra reported to US Weekly that he was still a healthy 7 pounds, 9 ounces at birth.
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Bethenny Frankel
Bethenny Frankel’s daughter, Bryn, was born one month early at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. After returning home from the hospital Bethenny declared her love for her daughter on Twitter, calling baby Bryn a “tiny beautiful peanut.”
Source: WENN
Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace gave birth to twins, John and Lucy, eight weeks early via emergency C-section. At birth, her son John weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce and daughter Lucy just 2 pounds, 15 ounces. The babies were each kept in NICU for three weeks and six weeks, while Nancy also remained in the hospital for a pulmonary edema.
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Faith Hill and Tim McGraw
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s daughter, Aubrey, was born eight weeks premature after a check-up revealed that Faith’s amniotic fluid was almost gone. Aubrey was kept in NICU for three weeks after birth while her lungs developed.
Source: WENN
Oprah
Before becoming a media mogul, Oprah (who was just fourteen at the time) gave birth to a premature baby that died in infancy.
Source: WENN
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts’s fraternal twins, Phinnaeus and Hazel, were born nearly two months early at just over 5 pounds. Luckily, neither Julia nor the babies suffered any complications.
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Ne-yo and Monyetta Shaw
Ne-yo and Monyetta Shaw’s first child, Madilyn Grace Smith, was born two months premature, but still healthy. After the birth of his daughter Ne-yo tweeted,
“Welcoming that lil’ girl to the world last night defined for me what ‘willing to kill and die for’ truly means. My world, my life, all hers.”
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Celine Dion
In 2010 Celine Dion gave birth to premature twin boys, Nelson and Eddy. Two years later she recorded a video on World Prematurity Day to raise awareness about premature births in an effort to put an end to them around the world.
Image Source: WENN.com
Nadya Suleman
On January 26, 2009 Nadya Suleman gave birth to eight premature babies weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces and 3 pounds, 4 ounces. At birth, all eight babies were reported healthy, though two required a ventilator and another required extra oxygen. One week after their birth, the babies became the longest living octuplets in United States history and Nadya set the Guinness World Record for Most Children Delivered at Birth to Survive.
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Kate Gosselin
Reality TV starlet Kate Gosselin gave birth to her twins five weeks early in 2000, and her sextuplets 10 weeks early in 2004. Although prematurity is common in multiple births resulting from fertility treatments, Kate recently revealed in her newest book that she was actually pregnant with seven babies, but miscarried one.
Source: Duggar Family website
Michelle Duggar
19 Kids and Counting star Michelle Duggar delivered her 19th baby 15 weeks early via emergency C-section after suffering preeclampsia. Josie, who is now 3, weighed in at a mere 1 pound, 6 ounces at birth.
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Anna Faris
Scary Movie star Anna Faris and her hubby Chris Pratt (from Parks and Recreation) gave birth to their baby, Jack, nine weeks early. Jack, who is now nearly two years old and healthy had to spend one month in NICU before going home with his parents.
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Brooke Mueller
Actress Brooke Mueller gave birth to twins, Max and Bob, seven weeks early after suffering preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
