Hilary Duff gave fans an intimate look at the birth of her daughter Mae. Photo / Instagram
Hilary Duff has given fans an inside look at her home birth with daughter, Mae.
The actress uploaded a series of intimate photos to her Instagram, saying that she felt "ready" to share the photos with the world.
"Feeling ready to share some photos of Mae Mae's birth day!!!" she wrote. "For me to feel safe during birth and get to where I need to go, it's crucial to have the right support system. "The perfect amount of space, counter-pressure, humour, stillness and people that support my power."
Duff and her husband, Matthew Koma, welcomed their second child on March 24, opting for a water birth at home.
The mother-of-three gave props to her husband, Younger co-star and doula Molly Bernard, as well as her mother who were all there to witness the birth.
"My hubby is the most calm anchor in the room when I feel like climbing the walls and my little Molly is an extraordinary doula who sat with me when I needed to be still and quiet," Duff wrote.
"She quite enjoyed the fact that I was sitting on doggy puddle pads as my water had broken hours before. My own Mama was there to make all the snacks and watch with a big nervous smile as her baby brings her a new grandbaby Earthside.
"The help that I have to support my other children while I am not able is maybe the most comforting thought of all. All hands on deck. Forever lol," she continued.
"This is hard work … every way a woman brings a baby in is.
"From getting pregnant, to C-sections, hospital or home births, the breast feeding journey (oy vey that one gets me every time) and raising these little beings responsibly to be stand up, confidant, kind citizens of the world. It's completely consuming.
"A tedious, magical, miraculous adventure … So cheers almighty mothers. You make mountains move daily."
Bernard spoke to ET in June about being with Duff for the birth, which she said "permanently" changed her life.
"I came to LA to be here for her birth," Bernard said. "It was amazing. She's the strongest, most graceful, fierce person I've ever met in my life. It permanently changed my life watching her do that."
Duff and Koma are parents to their two-year-old daughter Banks, with Hilary also sharing an eight-year-old son Luca with ex-husband Mike Comrie.
At 59, the Kiwi actor hopes to help shift the discourse around women's health.