A Kansas mother has melted the hearts of viewers on social media after showing her toddler’s wide-eyed reaction to the accidental home birth of her baby sister.
Posted on August 25 under @bella.thieme, the short TikTok video has amassed over 1.2 million views and more than 257,000 likes to date. The post features a carousel of images, beginning with Bella Thieme holding her newborn in her arms. In the next, her husband looks on lovingly while their toddler gazes at the baby with joy, curiosity and awe.
“Late night finds but it’s my toddler’s reaction to watching her sister be born at home accidentally,” an overlaid text on the video read. The caption added: “Don’t ask me if I’ll ever get over it because I don’t think I will, the best experience I’ve ever had.”
Thieme, 23, told Newsweek that the birth happened without medical assistance and with her toddler unexpectedly present.
“It was an unassisted birth,” she said. “My daughter’s face shows pure joy and I can tell you that is exactly how she was in real life during the birth of her sister.”
Though unplanned, the experience left Thieme feeling grateful.
“I didn’t plan for a home birth, nor did I plan for my toddler to be present, but I’m so happy it turned out the way it did,” Thieme said. “She was so excited after she was born and kept saying, ‘baby, baby, baby.’ I do feel like this was a positive experience for her whether she remembers it later on in life or not.”
The video’s popularity on TikTok sparked a wave of comments that were both emotional and lighthearted, with viewers praising the toddler’s joyful reaction and the authenticity of the family moment. Many described the images as heartwarming, noting how rare it is to see such a candid and tender moment shared so publicly.
“I’m very surprised my post went viral but very glad it did because I feel like we live in a society where birth is seen as scary and traumatic, but that is so far from the truth for so many of us,” Thieme said. “Birth can be empowering and beautiful!
“I love how positive the response was from the public on my post.”
She added: “Birth is a beautiful thing, and I personally feel children can benefit from being present, even if they don’t actually watch the birth happen.”
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