A perilous pregnancy. Jessica Simpson was hospitalized with severe bronchitis while 34 weeks pregnant with her third child, Birdie, in 2019.
“Her oxygen levels were dropping,” the actress, 41, told Bloomberg Businessweek on Wednesday, January 5, of her then-baby-to-be, noting that she was on a breathing machine. “I couldn’t breathe. I was 260 pounds. She was a very big baby. We were like, ‘Just take her out.’”
Birdie was fortunately stabilized at the time, with Simpson giving birth via C-section in March 2019.
When the singer released her Open Book memoir in February of the following year, she revealed that she suffered from four rounds of bronchitis while carrying her youngest child. (The Texas native is also the mother of daughter Maxwell, 9, and son Ace, 8, with husband Eric Johnson.)
“This was kind of the pregnancy from hell,” Simpson wrote in the 2020 book. “When I wasn’t being hospitalized for bronchitis … I was breaking a toilet seat leaning back.” Because Birdie was “so big,” the Employee of the Month star’s C-section was scheduled one month ahead of her due date.
While celebrating Birdie’s 1st year in March of that same year, the Newlyweds alum called the birthday girl “pure light”, writing via Instagram: “You have created in me a healing purposeful life to live most fully and love most deeply. With you my soul has been set free. … You guide me to shine because your heartbeat connected me to mine. Sweet baby girl, you have illuminated all of our worlds with your bright mystical star-bursting smile. I am forever yours, you are forever mine.”
The toddler chose to start preschool in September 2021 — a decision that left Simpson “in a bit of shock,” she told her Instagram followers at the time.
“Little Miss Birdie is the BOSS,” the former reality star wrote. “She says, ‘I want school right now please.’ We say, ‘Ummm you are only 2 Bird.’ She says, ‘I want my teacher.’ We say, ‘Well … who is your teacher?’ She says, ‘Mama she is at my school silly, you funny. OK let’s go now.’ We say, ‘Birdie let’s wait a little bit longer.’ She says, ‘I not a baby, I go to school now.’ We say, ‘Well you are our baby.’ She says, ‘No yous [sic] are my babies, let’s go,’ and off we went sprinting to catch up.”
Simpson shared sweet shots with herself and Johnson, 42, saying bye to Birdie amid the “emotional morning.” She has been married to the former professional football player since 2014.