Jesse McCartney says being a NICU parent “can definitely cause a little PTSD” as he prepares to welcome a second child with his wife, Katie Peterson.
The “Beautiful Soul” singer, 39, spoke with TMZ at Los Angeles International Airport on October 8. The outlet published the interview on October 11.
Their son, Archer James, spent 70 days in a neonatal intensive care unit after he was born on May 7, 2025, approximately three months premature.
The couple are now expecting a daughter, and McCartney said he was excited to experience raising a girl.
McCartney Says They Are ‘Cautiously Optimistic’
McCartney described their approach as “cautiously optimistic” and said the pregnancy was progressing well, with Peterson staying healthy.
He joked that another boy could have prompted them to try for a third child, but having a son and a daughter might be enough to complete their family.
Katie Was Hospitalized While McCartney Was in Boston
Peterson’s first pregnancy required approximately two weeks in the hospital before she gave birth because of preterm labor complications. McCartney was in Boston when he learned what was happening and caught the first available flight back to Los Angeles.
During that hospitalization, he slept on an inflatable mattress in her room. In an October 2025 interview with PEOPLE, Peterson said having him beside her meant everything. Their attention was on their baby, and she felt they were facing the situation as a team.
The couple relied on their immediate family while keeping much of the ordeal private from friends. Peterson explained that they were still trying to understand what was happening themselves, making it difficult to describe the situation to others.
Katie Described Losing Track of Time in the NICU
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In a July 20, 2025 Instagram post reflecting on the hospital experience, Peterson used the informal term “hospitalitis” to describe how completely it had disrupted her sense of time.
She remembered leaving the neonatal unit without knowing whether the sun was up or down. Hospital visits made the days feel repetitive, while uncertainty about what might happen next brought fear and anxiety.
Seeing Archer breathe ordinary room air became a milestone worth celebrating. Peterson said the family had learned to value developments they had never expected to think about before becoming parents.
Peterson also offered encouragement to other NICU parents, describing the experience as frightening and hopeful and emphasizing that they were not alone, according to E! News.
McCartney separately told PEOPLE that doctors had described Archer’s progress through neonatal care as textbook. The couple held onto those assessments while taking the situation a day at a time.
Archer Came Home to a Crib Without Hospital Machines
Archer was discharged on July 15, 2025. After navigating heavy Los Angeles traffic, his parents brought him home and celebrated with pizza and a glass of wine.
McCartney recalled spending the evening watching his son sleep in his own crib, without the medical equipment that had surrounded him in the hospital. He called packing up the car and taking Archer home the “greatest day of my life.”
McCartney began playing the piano for Archer when he was restless and noticed how closely the baby listened. He also adapted James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James,” which his own father had sung to him, changing the name to “Sweet Archie James.”
They Have a Family Name in Mind for Their Daughter
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The couple announced the pregnancy on October 1, sharing family photographs and ultrasound images with a caption introducing Archer’s upcoming role as a big brother. They said the baby is due in March 2027.
In an October 5 interview with PEOPLE, Peterson said they were fairly certain about a middle name honoring her grandmother.
McCartney said they had yet to choose a first name, joking that they had plenty of girl names in mind when they were expecting a boy but were now second-guessing those choices.