Even if the name Jim Gaffigan doesn't ring a bell, chances are you know who this funny man is. He's been in lots of movies -- Super Troopers, Away We Go -- and TV shows -- My Boys, Law & Order, That '70s Show. Plus, he does stand-up and has been a talking head on those VH1 shows many times. He was recently on Late Night With David Letterman talking about home births. He's kind of an expert. His wife Jeannie had all four of their children at home. Yep, four times!
I love Gaffigan's deadpan take on it, telling Letterman that his wife wanted to make him as terrified as possible when asked why they chose home birth. He even jokes how it's a topic no one really wants to talk about and how his friends have told him that they had their babies in the hospital because they wanted the baby to live.
Of course, it's all for laughs. Let's roll the videotape ....
More from The Stir: Top 5 Myths About Having a Home Birth
It's great how he joked how they had a midwife because they believe in witchcraft. And then how there was so much screaming that he actually woke up ... it was like someone scored a touchdown or something. I also love how Dave is sort of uncomfortably laughing along the way. Oh Dave! But the topic of home birth on a widely watched TV show without all the seriousness and stuffy talk ... I think this is a total win for people to see home birth as natural and safe and beautiful and something to smile about. Even laugh about -- coming from a dad who has been there four times.
Gaffigan might be one of my new favorite "natural" parents. His newest comedy routine Mr. Universe, which you can get on Netflix, goes more into his home birthing experiences and also jokes about co-sleeping and breastfeeding. A must-see!
What do you think about Gaffigan's impressive home birthed family and his ability to joke about it?
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Kanye West is Gay?! 
Comments 24
anyone who can do a home birth or give birth without drugs has my praise. that said, I wanted my drugs. my sons birth was a horrible experience but that was due to the circumstances more than anything. But my daughters birth was like no big thing. Everyone was calm, I was in a hospitol, my water broke as they were trying to discharge me cause i was only 2 centimeters. I got my epidural, jumped from 2 to 10 the dr came in, and we had a baby. no surprises, no complications, only an epidural, no pitocin or anything. and my daughter didn't leave the room till i nursed her about 40 minutes after i had her while i was waiting for my food to arrive. I was in extreme pain from the pictocin for my son. i reacted badly to it and was lucky my uterus didn't rupture. His heartbeat was also dropping which is why they induced me in the first place. so i would have had to have him in a hospitol anyway. The pain free birth of my daughter let me enjoy her presence that much more and let me bond with her quicker
@guest - I am fully aware that having babies is a dangerous business and no problems thinking about it. And that's exactly why I had mine in a hospital with a doctor, not at home with a high school graduate who decided to call herself a midwife.
"The only thing you can do is what you think is best for your family and hope for the best." Hoping for the best is not good enough for me. I want to do everything that is humanly possible to increase my chances of having a good outcome for me and baby.
Guest, I think you misunderstood my comment. I never said that choosing a hospital ensures a safe delivery. I said it increases the chances of a good outcome, which is a completely different statement. My son was also born early (at 33 weeks and via c-section) and spent time in the NICU. I also didn't say bad things don't happen in hospitals, I'm sure they do. And, I don't feel my comment was any more judgemental than what most "homebirthers" say about those of us who deliver in the hospital, who need pain relief and who have c-sections. Many in the homebirth community feel that women like us are inferior or not real women. Unless you pushed your baby out of your hooha with no pain relief, you're not a real woman. I guess my frustration with that mindset showed in my comment. You are obviously not very familiar with the typical homebirth mindset, and I view that as a good thing. I wish I wasn't, either.