Bush: Mother’s miscarriage shaped pro-life views

President George W. Bush will  join Matt Lauer for a live sit-down interview on TODAY on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

Former President George W. Bush’s pro-life views were shaped by an incident in his teens when he drove his mother to the hospital while she held a jar containing the remains of her miscarried fetus, he writes in a revealing memoir in which he shares personal stories, offers advice on the U.S. economy, and admits mistakes on Iraq and Katrina.

1. Related stories
   1. Bush: Mother’s miscarriage shaped pro-life views
   2. Excerpt: Bush in his own words | Watch the hour
   3. More on the NBC interview
   4. Bush: ‘Hope I’m judged a success’
   5. Web-only video: Bush's childhood home
   6. In book, Bush strongly defends use of waterboarding
   7. 'Decision Points': Bush reflects on key choices
   8. Putin to Bush: My dog is bigger than yours
   9. President Bush reads Bible, news on iPad
   10. Memoir: Bush considered attacking Syrian compound
   11. Pivotal moments in the Bush presidency

Bush writes about the miscarriage in his book, "Decision Points," publicly disclosing it for the first time after receiving permission from his mother to do so. He sat down with Matt Lauer for his first one-on-one television interview since leaving the White House.

When Barbara Bush miscarried at home, she had young George drive her to the hospital. In her lap, Barbara Bush held a jar containing the remains of the fetus, George Bush said.

“She says to her teenage kid, ‘Here's a fetus,’ ” the former president told Lauer. “No question it — that affected me — my philosophy that we should respect life.”

Recalling what he saw in the jar, Bush wrote, "There was a human life, a little brother or sister."

1. More from TODAY.com
   1. Hit the road with TODAY on its Great American Adventure
      

      Producers are on location, scouting out the very best things to see and do in Hawaii, Yellowstone, Chicago, Orlando and th...

   2. Father, daughter reunited after separated by military service
   3. Bill Hader steals the show in starry 'SNL' sendoff
   4. Beatles guitar auctioned off to tune of $408,000
   5. Town throws dream wedding for triple amputee Marine

While the incident influenced his strong pro-life stance, Bush says it also had a big impact on his relationship with his mother.

“The purpose of the story [in the book] really wasn't to try to show the evolution or the beginning of a pro-life point of view; it was really to show how my mom and I developed a relationship.”

More: Bush admits mistakes, defends decisions

When asked by Lauer what he learned from the experience, Bush explained, “She trusted me … and what I learned was she's a straightforward person.”