Anna Faris confesses she ‘couldn’t stop searching for answers’ after her son Jack’s premature birth

Anna Faris has been using her platform as a celebrity to help raise awareness about premature babies and children in need of specialized care.

And on Thursday the actress spoke candidly about her experience, both before and after, delivering her son Jack, whom she shares with ex-husband Chris Pratt, seven weeks before his due date back.

While serving as a featured speaker at the virtual fundraising effort for the nonprofit organization Global Alliance To Prevent Prematurity And Stillbirth (GAPPS), Faris revealed how she ‘couldn’t stop searching for answers’ after Jack’s premature birth in August 2012.

Opening up: Anna Faris confessed to being ‘in shock’ when she learned she was going to give birth to her son Jack prematurely in August 2012; she is pictured with her newborn son

The Scary Movie star, who was 35 at the time, revealed that she felt ‘happy and healthy’ during her pregnancy, which her OB-GYN called a ‘geriatric pregnancy.’ 

‘I was surprised that for my first pregnancy I was somewhat energetic and I didn’t experience any nausea,’ she told the virtual audience.

‘So when I woke up in the middle of the night in a small puddle of fluid, I truly didn’t have any idea what to do.’    

After being rushed to the hospital, the Mom star confessed to feeling ‘in shock’ when she was told that she wouldn’t be leaving without giving birth.

The Moms actress, 44, shared about her experience giving birth to her son, seven weeks early, as a featured speaker during the virtual fundraising effort for the Global Alliance To Prevent Prematurity And Stillbirth (GAPPS) on Thursday, May 6

The Moms actress, 44, shared about her experience giving birth to her son, seven weeks early, as a featured speaker during the virtual fundraising effort for the Global Alliance To Prevent Prematurity And Stillbirth (GAPPS) on Thursday, May 6

After a week of bedrest in the hospital, Faris went into labor and she quickly realized ‘my baby was coming seven weeks early.’   

Faris went on to talk about how her son was born at just ‘three pounds and 10 ounces’ and that she ‘was able to hold him very briefly’ before he sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he spent a month.

During that time, Faris went into an ‘almost robotic-like state’ worrying about what the future might hold for her boy.                

‘The day came when I got to take Jack home, and the first years were filled with doctor’s appointments, five surgeries, physical therapy, a lot of laughter — because Jack was and is the most adorable cutest thing I could ever have imagined,’ she added.

Beaming: The Moms star, 44, shared a previously unseen photo of herself and her son Jack following his premature birth in August 2012

Beaming: The Moms star, 44, shared a previously unseen photo of herself and her son Jack following his premature birth in August 2012

But then, once things began to settle down at home, Faris started to have an internal debate with herself about why her son was born so early.  

‘My mind would constantly return to the why. Why did my water break? So of course I tried to look for answers,’ she said. 

‘I asked my doctor if my dream could have caused my water to break because I remember having a pleasant sensation right before I woke up. She laughed and said no. I asked her if the baby’s nails could have torn the sack, I asked her if my sack was lacking something, if I ran too much, if I ran too little. I did gain 60 pounds — I was up to 160, and my doctor suggested at one point that I ease up on maple bars.’ 

She continued: ‘I couldn’t stop searching. I was asking her if the geriatric thing had something to do with it, if the cold cuts that I ate… I couldn’t turn off my own hamster wheel in searching for answers.’ 

On a mission: The actress confessed she 'couldn't stop searching for answers', both internally and with experts, following her experience with Jack's premature birth

On a mission: The actress confessed she ‘couldn’t stop searching for answers’, both internally and with experts, following her experience with Jack’s premature birth

After asking herself and the experts question after question, Faris came to the realization that ‘in many of these cases, we have no idea why this happens… GAPPS’ No. 1 goal is prevention. And in order to prevent premature births, we need answers.’    

In the wake of her personal experience, Faris has been serving as a board member for GAPPS.

And in the weeks leading to Thursday’s virtual fundraiser, she took to Instagram and shared an adorable photo of herself holding newborn Jack, who was wearing a feeding tube at the time.  

GAPPS also shared a rare photo of mother and son on its Instagram page ahead of the event.  

Both Faris and Pratt, who filed for divorce in December 2017, have been using their social media platforms to raise awareness about premature babies and GAPPS.           

United front: Both Faris and ex-husband Chris Pratt have been using the platforms as celebrities to bring awareness to premature births; the former couple are pictured together in April 2017, eight months before they filed for divorce

United front: Both Faris and ex-husband Chris Pratt have been using the platforms as celebrities to bring awareness to premature births; the former couple are pictured together in April 2017, eight months before they filed for divorce