James Van Der Beek Posts Photo Of Daughter Gwendolyn's Placenta In A Mixing Bowl

James Van Der Beek gets candid about welcoming another brood to the growing family with a graphic photo of his new child still attached to her placenta.

Home Birth

The Dawson's Creek alum welcomed daughter Gwendolyn on June 15 via home birth and only recently shared some private details about her birth. In an Instagram post on Monday, Van Der Beek shared a photo taken shortly after the baby's birth. The actor cautioned that the image is graphic and may not suit those who are squeamish.

The actor was not joking. The photo shows Van Der Beek on the floor chest-naked as he cradles baby Gwendolyn to his chest. The newborn is still attached to her umbilical cord. One detail that can't be missed is the baby's placenta placed in a metal bowl near the actor's feet.

"Placenta in a mixing bowl (I warned you)," Van Der Beek captioned the photo.

The photo depicts a scene right after childbirth. There is an old towel crumpled on the floor, plastic sheeting underneath old bedsheets, and an unused green vomit bag on the bed. The inflatable birthing tub is also in the room and Van Der Beek's only son dressed in Spider-Man pajamas was there to welcome his little sister.

A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) on Jun 18, 2018 at 2:26pm PDT

The Pose actor said that his wife, Kimberly, was in the shower when the photo was taken. Everything went smoothly with the home birth.

"Happy, healthy baby. Happy, healthy mom in her own shower right after giving birth," the actor wrote alongside the image.

Reactions

Fans of home birth and the actor and his family were quick to comment on the post. They congratulated the couple on the birth of their new bundle of joy. Commentators appreciated that Van Der Beek shared a glimpse at Gwendolyn's home birth.

"Absolutely love this raw photo. It's so beautiful - what a wonderful experience for your older babies to share with you," one user wrote.

"Wow your wife is Super Woman...that is amazing," another commented.

Van Der Beek later shared a beautiful photo of Kimberly cradling Gwendolyn to make up for the graphic image he shared.

 Because the last pic I posted had a placenta in a bowl. A post shared by  James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) on Jun 19, 2018 at 7:40am PDT

The actor announced the birth of Gwendolyn with photos of the kids and his wife fawning over the little girl. The 41-year old is already a proud father to three daughters, Olivia, 7, Annabel Leah, 4, and Emilia, 2. He has one son, 6-year old Joshua. Gwendolyn is the fourth daughter and fifth child.

A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) on Jun 17, 2018 at 12:49pm PDT