Hayden Panettiere Says She Almost Died During Childbirth

The birth of my daughter Kaya nearly turned deadly for me, actress Hayden Panettiere has said. She shared that her pregnancy went smoothly but the situation changed sharply during childbirth, when serious complications made the delivery life threatening for her.

Hayden revealed that the birth experience was so severe that she almost did not survive it. Thankfully, her daughter was born healthy, but Hayden's recovery afterward was emotionally and physically challenging.

She later went through strong postpartum depression, which made daily life very hard even though everything around her looked positive from the outside. She explained that despite having a healthy baby and a stable life, she struggled with sadness and could not feel happy for a long time.

In an interview on CBS Mornings, with Gayle King, Hayden Panettiere said, “I had a wonderful pregnancy. I worked throughout my whole pregnancy. I had a really rough birth to the point where I almost didn't make it through. Then the postpartum depression started. I am with this beautiful, healthy baby girl and this very fortunate life. I could not be happy. I was so depressed and I just couldn't find my way out.”

“I had all these ideas in my head of what I wanted to do as a mom, as a parent. I think I was also though at the same time scared because of what my mom did to me that I might do that to my child.”

Hayden Panettiere shared that she still shares a strong bond with her daughter Kaya, even though they live in different countries. Kaya stays in Ukraine with her father, but Hayden makes sure to stay very involved in her life. 

She travels to see her daughter whenever her schedule allows and also keeps in regular contact through video calls. She said that despite the physical distance, their relationship remains close and she feels grateful that they are able to stay connected in different ways.

Kaya, whom Hayden shares with her former fiance Wladimir Klitschko, is now 11 years old.