Y’all know that I can barely tolerate the competitive-birthing stories from mothers. I think it’s fine that so many of you have these crazy stories about your children’s births, but so many of those stories make my lady parts want to close up shop permanently. But this story isn’t like that. This story is from a father’s perspective as his wife gave birth in the lobby of their New York apartment building. Seth Meyers and his wife Alexi Ashe welcomed their second child, another little boy, this week in New York. Alexi started having contractions and they were on their way outside of their building when the baby started coming (this entire video is amazing):
Poor Alexi really did give birth in the lobby, and Seth talks about how the residents of the co-op were getting blankets and warm towels for them and that an EMT cut the cord and so much more.
Seth Meyers‘ baby boy made a dramatic entrance into the world in the lobby of the comedian and wife’s apartment building on Sunday. The Late Night with Seth Meyers host, 44, welcomed his second child, son Axel Strahl, with Alexi Ashe on March 8 and regaled the audience with the incredible story of his birth just a day later. Meyers, who also has son Ashe Olsen, 2, told his audience Monday that his newborn son Axel, couldn’t wait for his parents to make it to the hospital to make his debut.
The host thanked the New York Police Department, who arrived just after the baby did and helped cut the cord, and his neighbors who put towels in the dryer to keep the baby warm with until more help arrived.
“I called 911 and over the course of a minute conversation, I said, ‘We’re about to have a baby — we’re having a baby — we had a baby,” Meyers said.
The proud new dad began to cry as he spoke about his wife but attempted to play the tears off by joking, “I’m getting choked up thinking about how brave I was.”
Meyers explained that his son’s middle name honors Ashe’s grandparents who met in a hospital in Austria the day after they were liberated from a concentration camp.
The lesson here – if Seth and Alexi decide to have a third – is that as soon as she’s feeling like they should probably go to the hospital that day, they should just go to the hospital right then and there. Because this poor woman has a birth canal like a slide. Also: the Uber driver CHARGED Seth!!! F–k him.
Screencaps courtesy of The Late Night.
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What a thing to say.
That Uber driver makes a lot less than Seth Meyers.
I don’t think they took the Uber to the hospital so they were charged despite not riding.
The Uber had to drive to their place anyway. Also, Uber always charges, unless you cancel in time.
It’s the last thing he says… he’s clearly using paying the Uber driver as the punch line of the crazy story. I’m 100% sure he doesn’t actually care about paying and understands why he was charged.
yeah and it’s not like it was the driver who personally chose to charge him, it’s how the app works, you get charged for a no-show. the driver has no control over that.
Oh for god’s sake lighten up. He is a comedic presenter he is playing it for laughs! It scares me that we are living in a world where we may shortly be unable to take the piss about anything!
wow amazing. and. I love the naming part of the story too.
I watched it twice this morning on YouTube because it was such a great story. His wife is tough, she just rolled with it through all that pain! Mad respect. Glad she and the baby were fine.
Me too!!!!! It put me in such a good mood while I got ready for work this morning.
“But this story isn’t like that. This story is from a father’s perspective as his wife gave birth in the lobby of their New York apartment building.”
So because the father is telling this ordeal it is ok? Problematic take.
Or you know, she meant because it wasn’t an absolutely harrowing, complicated birth, and it was more of an amusing/lighter story.
She used the phrase,”competitive birth stories” so no, I don’t think that was the intent. Just reread the first sentence!”Y’all know that I can barely tolerate the competitive-birthing stories from mothers.”
Which is followed by this clarifying statement:
“I think it’s fine that so many of you have these crazy stories about your children’s births, but so many of those stories make my lady parts want to close up shop permanently”.
@DTrain, much anger in you there is.
I would also charge him if I were the uber driver. I feel like Uber’s and taxis deal w these kinda emergencies on a daily. Why should it be a free ride?
Otherwise congrats to Seth and Alexi. They’ll have fun retelling the sh*t outta this story in the years to come
They didn’t take the ride. They were in an ambulance. They didn’t receive a service. Why should they pay? And also, as most Uber drivers drive their own vehicles, he should be thankful a woman didn’t give birth in his.
Because the Uber driver had to drive to where they were and probably wait around for several minutes before getting the whole story and realizing they didn’t need a ride. I would guess at minimum they wasted 15 minutes of the Uber driver’s time. I would charge, too!
You still have to pay if you don’t cancel the ride in time. The Uber driver got there and could have been giving a ride to someone else.
Seth has the money. The driver had to pass up other paying customers to come and wait for them.
So it’s reasonable to have a kill fee — that’s what we call it in my work when I spend a lot of time setting up and starting a translation job and the client cancels. They still have to compensate me for my time even if not a single translated word has been typed (preliminary setup of the source (including proofreading/fixing ocr of pdf/hardcopy source, setting up figures and tables and keys and references and other formatting) for translation and research can take many hours). Plus like the Uber driver, I have to turn down other jobs while they are on the schedule. Clients who won’t pay a kill fee get on the “never again” list.
It’s not up to the driver anyway. Uber determines the pricing.
Perhaps they should have a policy for emergencies. It’s not like they “chose” to cancel the ride. I understand how it works but Uber likely does not wish to charge people who have no control of circumstances. Forget what Seth is worth and concider that this could happen to someone without the extra cash laying around. It’s not a solid policy.
Mazel Tov to both of them!
Cool name, but they have an Alexi (mom), Ashe, and Axel. Good thing his name doesn’t start with A.
Awww, I love Seth. He’s such a good egg.
Same! This 10 minute video made me laugh and cry, I love it.
Agree. He’s one of the one’s I’d be SO disappointed in if something bad came out about him. I just genuinely believe he’s one of the few good Hollywood guys.
Seth is such a great storyteller.
And being so emotional about this made it his best story! His show doesn’t air in my country but I YouTube it most days while I make dinner.
Love this! For anyone that doesn’t know, his wife Alexi is a human rights attorney who specializes in sex trafficking crimes. Just watched an interview with her the other day discussing SESTA, and I thought she looked quite pregnant.
I love everything about Seth and this story! He comes across as such a devoted husband and father. Mazel Meyers!!
Second babies come fast, but third babies are usually more civilized. They’ll be fine.
IME, third babies come even faster. I know two women who had very fast 2nd babies and both were induced for their third because they feared they wouldn’t get enough lead time to even make it to the hospital.
This. I begged for an induction with #3 and start to finish the whole thing was three hours. My OB said if I have a fourth, have another induction or I would have a baby in the car on the way.
Huh. My 2nd took 45 minutes and my third 3 hours. That’s been consistent with my friends’ experiences too. My OB said that was typical.
We won’t have a third, but my 2nd that came in June was quick! My mother-in-law seemed to take forever to get to our house to watch our other daughter and I thought I was going to have the baby in the car.
I’d be afraid of what would happen with the 3rd!
I wouldn’t use the term “competitive birth stories”. It’s just that it’s one of the most profound experiences as an adult (not a commentary on parenting or procreation, but it is a big deal to produce a person from your body) and one that so many women share.
This. It is such an utterly enormous and transformative event that even when it’s completely mundane, it’s a big deal to a woman and her partner.
I teared up when he mentionned his wife’s grandparents.
I really like Seth and, let’s be clear because it seems to have gone over some heads, the Uber thing was said in jest to lighten the mood. I really don’t see Seth going on a crusade against Uber!
Exactly! It was part of the joke, especially where he says the driver should be grateful they didn’t use the ride. I’m kind of amazed how many people didn’t see the humor in the story.
I totally agree I am gobsmacked by people trying to twist this lovely story into some sort of vendetta against Uber!
Agree on all points. As happy as I am this worked out, and both baby and mom are safe, just wow on the grandparents story.
I love this whole story – good people, good storytelling, a good outcome, good neighbors, a beautiful story about her grandparents… this plus Cohen’s Office getting searched is giving me all kinds of secondhand happiness.
Aw, glad everything turned out fine. Mazel tov!
Sweet story, and I love the history behind the name.
What a great story.
Usually if women have quick births, they are induced before their due date so they will give birth in the hospital. Thank goodness it was an uncomplicated birth.
Cute story, I’d hate to be in her position though
Congrats, Seth. I love him and his wife sounds amazing.