Mandy Moore’s plans for a home birth have been squashed after her pregnancy took an unexpected turn. According to Yahoo! News, the pregnant actress opened up about her birth plan during an episode of Informed Pregnancy Podcast with Dr. Elliot Berlin. The This Is Us star explained why she originally wanted a home birth but quickly had to adapt as things progressed.
"We were very intentional and excited about this prospect of being at home for the birth,” Mandy began the interview. The 34-year-old said she hoped her husband, Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith, would prepare a playlist and even perform for her live while she was in labor. She explained they had planned for a magical experience, even going so far as to recruit a team of doulas and midwives for the big day. Mandy added she was inspired to have a home birth after watching the 2008 documentary The Business of Being Born.
Unfortunately, however, after the actress received news that her platelets had dropped, she made the difficult decision to opt out of a home birth. “[They] fell below the threshold that would make it possible for me to do a home birth," Mandy explained during the interview, PEOPLE adds.
Of her current birth plan, the star says she plans to go to the hospital when her labor has progressed far enough. "[I will] labor at home, and then at a certain point in early active labor to go to the hospital and actually have the wonderful opportunity to deliver with a midwife at a hospital, which I know is not the normal experience," Mandy explained.
Earlier this month, Babygaga reported that Mandy opened up about her dropping platelets on her Instagram Story. In early February, the starlet shared a photo taken at a hematologist appointment. Though she didn’t provide many details, she said the results of testing had “altered my birth plan.” Only now has Mandy confirmed she’s had to reconsider having a home birth.
Platelet count tends to lower in pregnancy, however, if it drops too low, it can develop into a condition known as gestational thrombocytopenia. Medscape explains this condition affects 7-12% of pregnancies. Symptoms include nose and gum bleeding, blood in urine and stool, and sometimes jaundice.
Yahoo! notes that Mandy is due to give birth to her first child any day now. Last year, the A Walk To Remember star opened up about her struggles to become pregnant. She’s also been honest about her uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms. In her first trimester, she started losing weight after she struggled to keep food down. Months later, when she entered her third trimester, she admitted the morning sickness had developed again.
This will be the first child for Mandy and Taylor. The couple has confirmed their little one on the way will be a boy. After becoming engaged in 2017, the couple wed the following year in a Los Angeles ceremony.
Sources: Yahoo! News, PEOPLE Magazine, MedScape,