Eric Mabius discusses helping to deliver his son

Ugly Betty star Eric Mabius, 36, appeared on The View this morning and discussed assisting in the birth of his son Maxfield Elliot, now 10 months.

You know, it was just the doula — we were at St. John’s in Santa Monica — it was just the doula and my wife, and myself. It was just the three of us, I was there in my shorts and flip flops, helping her push, and then the doctor comes in, just as the head started to crown, and said, ‘Are we going to do this?’ and I said, ‘Yes’ and she said, ‘Get your gloves on.’

I didn’t know what she meant. She said, ‘Do you want to pull him out?’ I said, ‘Ahh, yeah. Sure, why not?’ And I was standing there and I got completely freaked out. I said, ‘I’m going to drop him. I can’t do this.’ She said, ‘You’re fine.’ It’s essentially trying to hold a greased bowling ball, more or less. I was so afraid to drop him — I just put my chest right up against [him] and pulled him in to me.

Did your spouse assist in your child’s delivery?

Comments

How sweet

- Ana on May 3rd, 2007

My husband helped deliver all 3 of our children. He helped ease their heads out and helped me lift them onto my chest and cut their cords. For a while he imagined himself as a midwife and wanted to tell everyone the details of the births and even had suggestions for other expectant couples…lol..dear sweet man!

- Kresta on May 3rd, 2007

For my second child, who was born in October, it was just my husband and I at home. My first child was born at home with midwives, and we had worked with a midwife and planned a homebirth throughout the second pregnancy, though I had thought a lot about doing the birth unassisted. As it was, we called the midwives while I was in transition, and they arrived just after my son was born. It was really great — though my husband was a bit freaked when it became clear the kid was on its way out! He said he concentrated solely on not dropping the baby. He guided the baby out onto the bed and then I turned over and brought the baby onto my chest. People were really impressed when he told them he “caught” our baby, but he is so sweet, he always says, “But my wife did all the work!”

- ode on May 3rd, 2007

Eric is a brave soul to have done that. He has some gonads on him, for sure. I don’t know if I could talk the father of my child into doing that, let alone see him compelled to do such a thing. But it’s sweet that Eric got to do that. I think that might’ve cemented his bond with his son even more, knowing he helped bring him into the world in more ways than one.

- FC on May 3rd, 2007

Well with my husband, I was lucky he was even going to be in the room with me because even though he’s this big tough guy, if he sees one drop of blood he’s on the floor lol..so when I was having our first baby, I was floored when the doctor asked Mike if he wanted to help ease Connor out and he actually said yes! I was more focused on him not passing out then on myself, I kept telling him “it’s okay honey, just keep breathing” haha. He turned completely white, but he did it! However, with Kaelyn and Sean (our twins) he just stuck to staying next to me lol…but good for Eric!

- Lauren on May 4th, 2007

Good for you Eric and all the other fathers who “delivered” and was active in their baby’s birth!! THAT IS AWESOME! My husband, being the big bad Marine that he is, swore up and down he was not going to be at the birth and stated over and over how disgusting it was. Well, he ended up going to every Bradley class we had, was my coach in which we were absolutely in-sync with each other, touched our daughter’s head when she was being born, cut the cord and now swears he will deliver our second child, (when we decide on having another one). That’s the way it should be…the Dads are just as important as the Moms when it comes to having a baby…they shouldn’t be kept in the waiting room or pushed aside. Their roles are just as vital.

Way to go guys!!!!

- brass on May 4th, 2007

No way! My husband was there with ME and *I* did the birthing and *I* did the delivering and no way would there have been somebody pulling a baby out of me for no good medical reason. I lifted the baby up to my chest each time as well.
My husband cut the cords though. And two of our kids were born in the caul, so he helped peel that off!

- Bev on May 4th, 2007

Eric is such a great guy!
I got the privilege of meeting him this past Saturday (see attached URL for a picture) He was so amazingly sweet and congenial.

- Rosemary on May 7th, 2007

I labored and delivered at home, outside in a hot tub. My Husband was in the tub with me and caught our baby. he was so great helping me figure out where to push. And an hour later Miloe Reef was born. I am truely lucky to have such a great guy, one who supports me and wanted so badly to be VERY involved in our sons birth. 7 months later he is still the same way.

- Mayan on May 11th, 2007