Inside The Emotional Home Birth That Hayley Erbert Calls 'Primal' And 'Sacred'

Hayley Erbert is opening up about one of the most transformative moments of her life. One month after welcoming her first child with husband Derek Hough, the dancer shared an intimate look at her home birth experience. 

From raw labor moments to deeply personal reflections on motherhood, Erbet described the journey as powerful, emotional, and sacred. 

The couple's shared video and heartfelt words offered fans a rare glimpse into the strength, vulnerability, and love surrounding their daughter's arrival.

Hayley Erbert and her husband marked one month with their newborn daughter, Everley Capri Hough, by sharing an emotional Instagram video documenting her home birth. 

Their baby girl was born on December 29, and the video featured brief clips of Erbert throughout her entire labor and delivery. 

Several moments showed her in a pool during the water birth, while Derek sat beside her, offering quiet support throughout the process.

The video ended with tender scenes of the new family of three cuddling together, smiling as they held Everley. 

The deeply personal footage gave fans an unfiltered look at the intensity and beauty of the experience, showing the 31-year-old's physical endurance and the calm presence Derek maintained by her side during the birth.

Alongside the video, Hayley Erbert shared a powerful message reflecting on motherhood and what childbirth revealed to her. 

"I've gone through a lot in this lifetime, physically and emotionally, and thought I understood my own strength. Until childbirth, and now motherhood, revealed a depth I had never known," she wrote. 

She described the delivery as one of the most challenging things she had ever experienced, adding, "Yet my body and my baby always knew exactly what to do."

Despite the intensity, she emphasized that fear never overtook her. "Even in the most intense moments of labor, I never felt fearful. I felt held. I felt supported. I trusted the strength moving through me," she said. 

Erbert added, "Every sensation was a reminder of the power my body carries." She also expressed pride in herself and awe at what women are capable of.

Erbert went on to describe the emotional and spiritual weight of the experience, writing, "There is something so incredible about the surrender of birth, remembering what women have done since the beginning of time." 

She described Everley's arrival as "raw, wild, primal, vulnerable, transformative, sacred."

"In the most sacred space, my daughter arrived earth side, just as she was always meant to," Hayley shared. 

She also addressed the question she has been asked repeatedly since giving birth, noting, "I have been asked many times if I would do it again, and without hesitation I would do it a million times over again." 

Hayley Erbert highlighted Derek's unwavering presence throughout the birth, writing, "He had unwavering belief in my strength and was my anchor through it all." 

She continued, "He held so much space. He showed up with presence, with a calm strength. The love and connection I felt from him was beyond words, a feeling I will hold onto forever. I love you so much."

Derek echoed that sentiment in the comment section, describing the childbirth as the most powerful experience he had ever witnessed.

He also noted that he was in awe of his wife and all women who endure bringing life into the world.

Erbert also thanked her birth team for the love, care, and steady presence they gave through the many hours of labor, acknowledging the collective support that surrounded her during the experience.

Erbert concluded her message with a loving note to her daughter, "Happy one month of life, my beautiful Everley! You changed me. You changed us forever. I love you infinitely." 

The couple, who married in August 2023, announced they were expecting their first child together in late July 2025 with a sweet Instagram video. 

In the caption, they revealed that they couldn't believe "the biggest thing" to happen to them could "be so small." 

On January 5, they shared the first look at their newborn with a black-and-white photo of their hands cupped around Everley's feet. 

"December 29, 2025, Everley Capri Hough," they wrote. "Every step of our lives has led us to you. Our hearts have been cracked wide open, and our world is forever changed."

The road to this moment followed immense hardship. In December 2023, Erbert underwent an emergency craniectomy for a cranial hematoma and later received a skull implant. 

In October 2025, the couple revealed they had suffered a miscarriage earlier in the year. Derek later credited "Dancing With the Stars" for helping him survive those dark periods. 

"This show," he told Us Weekly through tears, "literally has saved my life."