COUPLESKourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Recall Baby Rocky Undergoing 'Terrifying' Fetal Surgery
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker recalled the 'terrifying' fetal surgery Rocky underwent during Kardashian’s pregnancy.
Aug. 13 2026, Published 12:59 p.m. ET
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker opened up about the scary prenatal crisis that led to emergency fetal surgery for their son, Rocky, before he was born.
"It was terrifying going in for the surgery," Kardashian said.
She continued, "He canceled four shows, and he just came and laid with me in the hospital and made sure that everything was OK."
Kourtney Kardashian discussed the emergency fetal surgery doctors performed after discovering fluid filling Rocky’s lungs.
Kardashian was seven months pregnant when doctors found the problem. Barker said they drained the fluid from the lungs with a needle inserted through her stomach.
"I was touring, I was actually in Europe," Barker shared in his Hulu documentary, Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear.
"She says, 'Trav, I went to my doctor and the baby’s lungs are filling with fluid,'" the Blink-182 drummer recalled.
Travis Barker Canceled Shows to Be With Kourtney Kardashian
Travis Barker recalled canceling four shows so he could stay with Kourtney Kardashian during the frightening pregnancy surgery.
Kardashian and Barker previously experienced a miscarriage during the first trimester of a pregnancy six months into their relationship.
"When we lost the baby, we were devastated," the media personality and socialite recalled in the documentary.
She continued, "We just laid in bed and cried for days. All we wanted was to have a baby together."
Following the loss, Kardashian underwent five IVF attempts over eight months. She later described the experience as physically and emotionally difficult.
"It felt like my body was shutting down," Kardashian explained.
She added, "Each time we would try it, it just felt so disappointing. It really did something that messed with me mentally. I remember crying to Travis, 'I can't do this anymore.'"
The couple eventually conceived naturally and welcomed Rocky on November 1, 2023.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Faced the Pregnancy Scare Together
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker reflected on the difficult journey that preceded Rocky’s birth, including their pregnancy loss and IVF attempts.
The experience came as Barker continued navigating his own history of trauma.
The drummer survived a 2008 plane crash that killed four people and suffered third-degree burns over most of his body. For years afterward, he struggled with the idea of flying.
"I was dark," Barker told Men's Health in 2021.
He continued, "I couldn’t walk down the street. If I saw a plane [in the sky], I was determined it was going to crash, and I just didn’t want to see it."
Kourtney Kardashian Gave Travis Barker Hope to Fly Again
Travis Barker discussed the support he received from Kourtney Kardashian while reflecting on his recovery from the 2008 plane crash.
Kardashian eventually supported Barker in his journey.
"Falling in love again, my wife gave me so much hope to where I ended up flying again and believed that I could do it and now my kids fly. It's just insane," he told E! News.
After their frightening pregnancy journey, Rocky became another chapter in the couple’s story of perseverance.
"The power of love is amazing," he said.
"My kids were my strength from the time they existed," he concluded.
