Goldie Hawn may be one of America's most popular moms. Even though kids Kate, Oliver, and Wyatt are grown, she still makes a point to spend time with them and share her adventures on social media.
But while it's all fun online, Goldie admits that there were moments of parenthood that were less than ideal. One was the day that Oliver was born. While Goldie and her husband at the time, Bill Hudson, were anticipating their new arrival, there were complications at birth that made Goldie fearful that she wouldn't be bringing her baby home.
Oliver was born on September 7, 1976. While labor and delivery nurses and doctors have a lot more resources and knowledge now than they did 45 years ago, it's still a reminder that giving birth can have unintended consequences.
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Goldie told the story on the podcast Sibling Revelry, which is hosted by Oliver and sister Kate Hudson. In the episode, she talked more about the time when Oliver was born. Oliver was Goldie's first-born, with Kate following a few years later.
Goldie gave birth by cesarean section. "I learned that my baby might die," she said. "You had a 40% chance of living. They wheeled me into my room, and it was dark, and all the hallways were dark, and they put me in my bed and the doctor came in and he was very upset."
While the doctor acted concerned, he was trying to stay positive for Goldie's sake. "He said, 'He's going to make it. He's going to make it,'" Goldie said. But, that moment is a terrifying one for every new mom. And, it's something women can't control.
Goldie said that Oliver had meconium aspiration syndrome. That means that during delivery or right before, Oliver had swallowed some meconium and it had gotten into his lungs. It's something that can happen in any delivery, and usually, the baby is immediately rushed to the NICU.
Eventually, Oliver recovered — and that's when Goldie was finally able to see him. The moment was still scary, as she had lingering thoughts of what could have happened. "I was so afraid I would see you, and I would fall in love with you, and you would die," she said.
The moment also impacted Goldie's mother. Aside from her being upset that her grandson was sick at birth, Goldie shared that her mother once lost a newborn to SIDS, and the moment made her remember those tragic and traumatic moments. The early moments of Oliver's birth also stuck with Goldie in ways she didn't think.
Years later, Goldie attended a charity event that was held at a newborn intensive care unit, and she had a panic attack remembering the first moments Oliver had on Earth. It was a lot to overcome, and it's something that many moms can relate to. The NICU can be a wonderful place for newborns who need help, but it often makes new moms feel like they somehow failed.
The attack surprised Goldie. It was something she didn't realize she was still processing. "I had to get out," she said. "It was just visceral, in my being. These things, whether you're conscious or unconscious, they do matter."
But luckily, everything turned out OK — and now, Oliver has kids of his own. Oliver married actress Erinn Bartlett in 2006, and they have three kids together — Wilder Brooks, Bodhi Hawn, and daughter Rio Laura. Earlier this year, Oliver told Us Weekly that while he's very close to his sister Kate, the two seem to have different rules when it comes to parenting.
"There's a core for sure of just wanting our kids to be good human beings, be polite and understand that they're very lucky people to be born into the sort of family we're born into," he said. "But it's sort of the way that we go about doing things. What we let our kids watch, the freedoms we allow them. We're different in that way."
While Kate is open to have more kids, Oliver is set with his three. "I've reached the max with my three kids, and I don't want to throw a newborn into the mix," he said. "But every time I look at videos, it’s just that nostalgia. It's bittersweet."
It's yet another sentiment that all parents can relate to. "It's so cute and amazing to see them at that age, and then at the same time, it's depressing," he continued. "It's like, we'll never get that back. It's over, it's done now, they're huge!" As Goldie probably knows, Oliver will always get to relive those baby moments if his three decide to be parents themselves some day. And, just like Goldie, Oliver would make a fantastic grandparent.
