On Thursday, retired sprinter Allyson Felix, the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history, announced she had given birth to her second child. The 11-time Olympic medalist and her husband, Kenneth Ferguson, welcomed a baby boy, named Kenneth Maurice Ferguson III, on April 10.
After a challenging childbirth experience with daughter Camryn -- who is now 5 years old -- where Felix had severe preeclampsia and needed an emergency cesarean section at 32 weeks, she expressed her gratitude for a healthy delivery this time.
"I was blessed to have the unmedicated VBAC [vaginal birth after cesarean] that I wanted so badly," Felix wrote. "Instead of sharing the usual challenges and traumas around birthing, I get to share the most beautiful, powerful, ridiculously hard yet insanely rewarding experience. My heart is bursting with gratitude because, this time it's a story of joy and healing."
Since Camryn's birth, Felix has become a fierce advocate for Black maternal health, speaking to Congress about the challenges experienced by Black women in childbirth and writing columns around the issue for media outlets such as Time magazine.
In an interview with People this week, Felix provided more details about Kenneth III -- the family will call him Trey -- and his delivery.
"As a Black woman who already had been through a traumatic life-threatening delivery with my daughter, I desperately wanted a joyful birth experience I could celebrate," Felix said. "I'm so grateful I had a doctor who saw me, heard me and made me feel safe.
"I had a doula who supported, guided and believed in me. ... My birth experience inspires me to continue to advocate for Black maternal health and the outcomes we can achieve when we listen [to] and support women."