Jenna Bush Hager Reveals Sister Barbara Froze Her Eggs, Had 'Decided to Have Kids on Her Own'

Barbara Pierce Bush gave birth to her first baby, daughter Cora Georgia, with husband Craig Coyne in September

Published on November 2, 2021 11:56 AM

Barbara Pierce Bush made arrangements to become a mom on her own terms prior to meeting now-husband Craig Coyne.

During her conversation on Hoda Kotb's podcast Making Space, her twin sister Jenna Bush Hager revealed that Barbara, 39, had decided to freeze her eggs and planned to become a single mom if necessary.

Jenna says, "One of the things that people assume too is, like, why hadn't she had kids? Barbara actually had decided — before my grandmother died, she had a conversation with my grandmother where she had decided to have kids on her own, and she talked to my grandmother about it."

"My grandmother said, 'I think that's a really good idea.' So Barbara froze her eggs and was planning, if she didn't meet somebody, to go ahead and do it, and then hopefully meet somebody else," she continues. "I know that was her plan and she was so encouraged by our 92-year-old grandmother."

Barbara gave birth to her first baby, daughter Cora Georgia, with husband Craig on Sept. 27. They wed in 2018.

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Jenna — who shares three kids with her husband Henry Hager: Margaret "Mila" Laura, 8; Poppy Louise, 6; and Henry "Hal" Harold, 2 — adds that she "can't wait to watch" Barbara blossom as a mom.

Celebrating the birth of her niece in September, Jenna wrote on Instagram sharing photos from the hospital, "Dearest Cora Georgia, Today is the day I got to meet my most beautiful, precious, feisty, niece (a bit earlier than we expected!)"

"I witnessed in awe as my dearest, toughest @barbara.p.bush became a mama," she continued. "And today is the day I fell in love! Some cousins are anxiously waiting to play with you, but not just yet love. Xx auntie j"

On their birthday last November, Jenna honored Barbara on Instagram, writing at the time, "Happy birthday to my partner since birth. I don't know life without this beautiful, giving gorgeous soul — and wouldn't want to. I'm the luckiest to be born walking through life side-by-side with the small girl with the largest heart. I adore you @barbaritabush!"