Model Lauren Scruggs has welcomed her first child, a baby son, with husband Jason Kennedy, just over a year after they announced they were undergoing IVF having faced more than four years of infertility struggles.
The 33-year-old influencer and model, who famously lost an arm and an eye in a horrific plane propeller accident in 2011, shared the news about their bundle of joy in a sweet Instagram post on Monday, revealing that they have named their son Ryver Rhodes.
Lauren posted a series of sweet photos taken inside the hospital shortly after Ryver’s April 3 birth, including an intimate snap of herself and 40-year-old former E! host Jason proudly cradling their newborn son.
Speaking to Access Hollywood about Ryver’s birth, Jason said the experience of seeing his son for the first time ‘felt like a movie’, while adding that both mother and child are ‘doing great’.
Model Lauren Scruggs has given birth to her first child with husband Jason Kennedy, a son named Ryver Rhodes, born on April 3
The 33-year-old model shared several sweet images of her newborn son on Instagram on Monday, while revealing the newborn’s precious name
Former E! host Jason, 40, also posted some photo of his newborn boy, while telling Access Hollywood of his arrival that it ‘felt like a movie’
‘Trying to come up with words to fully process the last 48 hours aren’t possible,’ Jason said of his first hours of fatherhood
‘Trying to come up with words to fully process the last 48 hours aren’t possible,’ he told the outlet.
‘Seeing my son for the first time felt like a movie, I kept closing my eyes and finally realized it was true. We love this boy so much and are so thankful for this time together. Lo and Ryver are doing great.’
As well as posting several images of his bouncing baby boy on Instagram, Jason also shared a video of the newborn carefully swaddled in a hospital blanket, which he set to the Leon Bridges son ‘River’ in a nod to his child’s name.
Although Lauren and Jason did not share any further details about Ryver’s birth, the new mother previously opened up about her desire to do a natural birth, revealing in a previous blog post that she was practicing ‘learning how to open your body and rest into waves of discomfort’ to get through childbirth’.
‘It takes practice to avoid tightening your body during pain,’ she wrote. ‘Sinking into it allows your body to innately undergo a smooth delivery.’
She admitted that she initially thought she’d give birth in a hospital with an epidural, but after she began ‘not feeling totally comfy with my OB,’ she turned to midwifery and met with a doula.
‘First of all, midwives are just incredible. they take the place of an OB in the pregnancy and our two midwives will replace the nurses and doctors at birth,’ she said.
Proud dad Jason shared a video of his newborn son on his Instagram Stories, setting the sweet clip to Leon Bridge’s son ‘River’ in honor of his baby boy’s name
Lauren shared a final photo of her baby bump on March 31 (pictured), three days before she welcomed son Ryver
Lauren (pictured in March), who famously lost an eye and an arm in a 2011 plane propeller accident, announced that she was pregnant in September, after struggling with fertility issues
‘Our doula is an angel on earth, and she teaches us about birth for about two hours a week — she covers everything from the physical happenings to the mind/body connection, and everything in between.’
‘Our doula has helped me replace fear with the beauty of birth, letting go of control, accepting support, and sinking and opening into the pain because the joy is ahead,’ she said.
She added her favorite part is that Jason ‘has a major role the entire time instead of feeling slightly helpless on the sidelines cheering me on.’
Lauren added that she had been preparing for her natural with ayurvedic treatments, prenatal lymphatic drainage treatments, prenatal chiropractic care, and pelvic floor therapy.
She also began drinking raspberry leaf tea ‘to tone and strengthen the uterus,’ eating up to six dates a day ‘to soften the cervix,’ and sitting on a bosu ball to ‘open [her] hips and strengthen [her] back.’
The new mother has not shared specific details about her labor and birth experience, however it looks as though she ended up delivering Ryver in a hospital, with images showing the new family of three cuddling up in a bed inside a private room.
Lauren was quickly flooded with congratulatory messages in the comments section of her post, where sweet sentiments poured in from a host of high-profile friends and followers, including Jenna Bush Hager, Heather Dubrow, Derek Hough, and Liana Liberato.
The pair revealed in January last year that they were undergoing IVF in order to help them conceive, having battled infertility for several years
Lauren revealed that she was planning on a natural birth, and had been practicing ‘learning how to open your body and rest into waves of discomfort’ to get through childbirth
Although Lauren (seen during a check-up) shared her desire to have a natural birth with a doula, her birth announcement suggests that she delivered Ryver in the hospital
‘Yay!!!!!! Congrats! Welcome to the world beautiful Ryver,’ Today host Jenna wrote, while actress Liana chimed in: ‘My heart! Congrats you two!’
Lauren and Jason first announced that they were expecting in September, a thrilling development after years of infertility and IVF treatments started early last year.
‘PREGNANT!’ Jason wrote on Instagram at the time. ‘So many of you have prayed for us and wished us well on this 4 1/2 year journey. Our hope is that this news encourages anyone going thru IVF or any fertility struggle.’
‘It’s always tough when a doctor tells you you can’t have kids naturally and you keep running into complications, but we didn’t sit and wallow in that. We were really blessed to meet with some amazing doctors and specialists,’ Kennedy added.
‘And one time Lauren had to be rushed to the ER because of unbearable pain a few days after the egg retrieval. Not to sound cliché, but it really has brought us even closer together because we have never been through this before, and it’s been really special supporting each other.’
Kennedy said their faith helped.
‘There is an overall sense of peace because of our faith in God, and then it just comes down to our incredible friends and family who walked closely with us through it all,’ he said.
Lauren shared multiple pregnancy updates on social media, showing off her baby bump in a series of photos ahead of Ryver’s arrival
In January 2021, they started IVF, and in March of that year, Jason discussed Lauren’s egg complications on social media
They also shared that Lauren’s twin sister — they were both conceived with IVF — was the first person they told they were expecting.
It had been a difficult journey to parenthood, with the couple starting to try to have a family four years after their 2014 nuptials.
In January 2021, they started IVF, and in March of that year, Jason discussed Lauren’s egg complications on social media.
‘Well this one right here gave me a scare last night,’ he posted on Instagram. ‘A trip to the ER for severe pain post egg retrieval but our doctor assured us this morning that everything will be ok.
‘She’s STRONG and will be back on her feet in no time. This is where nurse Jason steps in with that 24/7 love and care. Oh and slide 2 is bunny, she requested he stay close at all times.’
In July 2021, Lauren told People that it was a ‘blessing’ to have IVF.
‘I’m committed to this journey, and it’s a blessing, no matter what, because this could result in something so incredible,’ she said.
Scruggs’ happy news comes just months after the ten-year anniversary of her horrific plane propeller accident, in which she lost an eye and an arm. She is seen revealing her facial scars during an appearance on NBC in 2012
The model climbed out of a two-seater plane (similar is pictured) at Aero County Airport in McKinney and walked into the propeller
After the crash, Lauren opened up about how she was learning to use a prosthetic arm, which she continues to wear
‘It’s such an amazing method of enhancing your fertility and having a sweet baby come into the world … [I’m] really just trying to make the best of it by being grateful and flipping the script and just embracing it fully.’
Scruggs’ positive attitude has helped her through trials before.
In 2011, she had climbed out of a two-seater plane at Aero County Airport in McKinney, Texas, after a flight to see Christmas lights when she walked into one of the plane’s propellers, which was still running.
She suffered a fractured skull, broken collarbone, and brain injuries, and lost her left hand. Two weeks after the tragic accident, doctors decided that they had to remove Lauren’s eye.
After the terrifying incident, she started blogging and she wrote her first book, Still Lolo: A Spinning Propeller, A Horrific Accident, and a Family’s Journey of Hope in 2012.
She also wrote a second book, Your Beautiful Heart, which was published in 2015.
She now heads up the Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Foundation, which raises money for girls and women to ‘receive cosmetic silicone coverings for their prostheses, with the hope that they will experience both physical and spiritual restoration and healing.’