Thomas Rhett Welcomes First Son Brave Elijah as He Reveals Recent Hearing Aid Use
Country singer thomas rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, announced on February 27 that they have welcomed their fifth child—a son named Brave Elijah Akins—while the singer has also disclosed a separate health development: he recently began wearing hearing aids after losing much of the hearing in one ear. Both announcements landed within days of each other, placing family milestones and a personal medical adjustment at the same moment for the couple.
Brave Elijah Akins Joins Family of Six
Akins shared that Brave Elijah was born last week, arriving nearly two weeks early and weighing nearly 10 pounds. The new baby joins four older sisters: Willa Gray, Ada James, Lennon Love and Lillie Carolina. In her Instagram post, Akins described an emotional delivery in which Rhett helped deliver the baby, was the first to see him and announced, tearfully, that it was a boy.
The public pregnancy announcement came the previous summer, and the couple had shared glimpses of the family preparing for a fifth child during the months that followed. Akins’s post captured both the scale of the new baby—nearly 10 pounds—and the family reaction, saying the girls are "smitten" and the parents are "over the moon. " The timing of the announcement—made on a Friday evening, February 27—followed the birth by less than two weeks, underscoring how quickly the family moved from anticipation to arrival.
Thomas Rhett’s Hearing Update and Daily Impact
Around the same time as the baby news, thomas rhett spoke about a separate health concern on the That Sounds Fun podcast: he is "kind of deaf" in his left ear and has had hearing aids fitted. He described wearing the devices for about a week and being surprised by how loud routine household sounds suddenly seemed. That realization prompted a candid exchange at home—his wife told him that the amplified sound was her usual day-to-day experience.
Rhett detailed experimenting with the devices’ settings, mentioning features such as noise cancellation on his phone, and said that removing the hearing aids restored what he considered "normal" volume. He also noted the broader logistical pressures the family faces: they do not have regular outside childcare, and while he has been off the road he is eager to schedule performances again, even floating the idea of booking dates in March.
What This Means for Family Life and Work
The cause-and-effect is straightforward: the loss of hearing in one ear led Rhett to obtain hearing aids, which in turn revealed to him the extent of ambient sound his wife endures and altered his perception of daily life at home. Simultaneously, the early arrival of a nearly 10-pound newborn has immediate practical effects—four young children under 11 and a newborn will change household routines—and places new demands on a family that currently manages without consistent outside assistance.
What makes this notable is the convergence of a major family expansion with a health adaptation that could influence how Rhett balances performance commitments and parenting. He has publicly acknowledged both the physical sensation of newly amplified sound and the emotional intensity of helping deliver his first son, signaling a period of rapid change for the household.
In the coming weeks the couple will be adjusting to life with Brave Elijah while Rhett continues to adapt to his hearing aids and consider the timing of any return to public performances. Akins’s announcement framed the arrival as a joyful, if accelerated, addition to a crowded home; Rhett’s candidness about his hearing underscores the personal side of managing health alongside a high-profile family life.
