Natural Birth, Epidural, or C-section?
How celeb moms prefer to give birth
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Lisa Bonet
Lisa Bonet — also known as Lilakoi Moon — had such a good natural birth experience the first time that she opted for it again with baby number two. Bonet delivered her daughter, Lola Iolani Momoa, at home alongside husband Jason Momoa in 2007. Two years later, Bonet gave birth to a son, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa, and while the Life on Mars actress has kept mum about how the baby was delivered, natural childbirth is probably a safe assumption.
Read the latest on Lisa -
Busy Philipps
The Cougar Town star took it one step further and helped out with her own natural birth in 2008. After the baby's head and shoulders cleared, Philipps pulled the baby the rest of the way herself. “I didn’t even know my midwife took this picture of me with my hands pulling my daughter out and then right onto my chest,” Philipps told Babble. “It was an incredible experience.”
Read the latest on Busy -
Cindy Crawford
After having two children via natural birth in 1999 and 2001, Crawford became such an advocate of it that she created webisodes detailing her experience on Mybestbirth.com, a website owned by Ricki Lake.
Read the latest on Cindy -
Gisele Bundchen
No mom has incurred the wrath of her fellow moms quite like this supermodel. After having a drug-free water birth for her son, Benjamin, in early 2010, Bundchen told Brazilian television that the birth “wasn’t painful, not even a little bit.” Even her recovery was easy. “The second day, I was walking, I was washing dishes, I was making pancakes in the kitchen,” Bundchen said. If only every mom could have it this good.
Read the latest on Gisele -
Miranda Kerr
After giving birth to her first child in January 2011, the Victoria's Secret model and wife of actor Orlando Bloom blogged, “I did natural birth too, no drugs or pain killers!!!” Is this a supermodel thing or what?!
Read the latest on Miranda -
Ani DiFranco
When VenusZine readers asked the singer why she chose a home birth back in 2008, DiFranco stated: “I believe that women in hospitals are prevented from being able to have normal, healthy birthing experiences because of the intimidation of being on the clock, being pressured to take drugs to make it quicker, being inhibited in their movement and activities, and alienated by a sterile, fluorescent lit, feet-in-the-air type environment.” Tell us how you really feel, Ani.
This mom wanted a home birth so badly, she broke the law -
Ricki Lake
The former talk show host had natural births for her son, Milo, with a midwife in a birth center in 1997, and her son, Owen, in 2001. She supported the process so much that she made a documentary about it: The Business of Being Born. In an interview with The Today Show, Lake said: “Being pregnant isn’t being sick. So it made sense that, as a healthy 27-year-old woman, I wouldn’t need to be medicated to bring my baby into the world.”
Read the latest on Ricki -
Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba used hypnobirthing techniques to keep the 2008 birth of her daughter, Honor, drug-free and “really zen.” The actress told OK! magazine: "The labor was more like meditation. I did yoga breathing. I was focused."
Read the latest on Jessica -
Maria Bello
Stating that she "can’t imagine giving birth in a sterile environment like a hospital," actress Maria Bello gave birth to her son, Jackson, in her own home in 2001. Bello’s 22-hour labor involved "a midwife and a thunderstorm, with nothing more than an aspirin,” she told People.
Read the latest on Maria -
Nicole Richie
Richie had a labor experience easy enough to make any mom envious. “The birth was mellow,” she told reporters. “I don't know what time I went into labor but I pushed for 10 minutes. Three pushes and [daughter Harlow] was out."
Read the latest on Nicole -
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Patricia Heaton
The Everybody Loves Raymond actress admitted on Oprah that she’s had four C-sections — and the effects on her body are anything but glamorous. "Giving birth four times has taught me that a plastic surgeon is a girl's best friend,” Heaton said. "Having a C-section every two years makes your stomach end up looking like one of those cute Chinese Sharpei dogs that have all the folds and skins hanging off them. That's not cute.”
10 things you should know about a C-section -
Kate Hudson
Hudson originally planned to have a vaginal birth, but she went the C-section route when doctors told her she would have “a really long labor” with son, Ryder, back in 2004. And then there were the paparazzi. The Something Borrowed star told reporters: “It was such a pain ... to get in the hospital because we were being stalked by people, and so we went in at midnight. I did not want to go home and decided to have a C-section and make it happy. I got drugged up! I couldn't do anything for six-and-a-half weeks.”
Read the latest on Kate -
Tiffani Thiessen
The former Saved By the Bell star originally planned on a natural birth, but after facing complications, Thiessen underwent an emergency C-section when giving birth to daughter, Harper, in 2010. “First my water didn't break; they had to do it for me," she told ContactMusic.com. "Then the baby wasn't descending, because the cord was wrapped around her neck. Once she was finally out, I didn't even get to hold her before they whisked her away ... The whole thing was very surreal."
Read the latest on Tiffani -
Victoria Beckham
When the former Spice Girl and wife of soccer star David Beckham opted for multiple C-sections for her sons, the internet buzzed with rumors that Lady Beckham was “too posh to push.” Whether she’ll factor a C-section into the birth plan of her future baby girl is still up in the air.
Read the latest on Victoria -
Britney Spears
A C-section was the first choice for the queen of pop. Spears told Elle magazine in 2005 that she preferred C-sections, but if it wasn’t possible, "I'll be like, 'Epidural, please!' ... I don't want to go through the pain." Despite the admission, Spears never discussed which route she ended up taking for either of her sons.
Read the latest on Britney -
Christina Aguilera
Spears isn't the only pop star to opt out of childbirth pains. Just before giving birth to her son in 2008, Christina Aguilera told Hello! magazine that she requested a C-section: "I'd heard horror stories about tearing. I really wanted a calm and peaceful environment. I didn't want any surprises."
Read the latest on Christina -
Angelina Jolie
After Jolie's first biological child, Shiloh, was born via C-section in 2006, Jolie told Vanity Fair: “I had a C-section and I found it ... a fascinating miracle of what a body can do." Jolie and Brad Pitt's twins, Knox and Vivienne, were also born by C-section two years later.
Read the latest on Angelina -
Tori Spelling
Spelling told Us Weekly about her reaction when her doc, who also delivered Angelina Jolie’s baby, Shiloh, told her he needed to perform an emergency C-section: “I asked Dr. Rothbart if he’d do a good job, and he said, 'Well, Angelina didn't complain.' So I was like, 'If Angelina let him do a C-section in Africa, I am OK.’” We guess Spelling was happy with the results, since she scheduled a C-section for her second baby! No plans have been announced for baby number three.
Read the latest on Tori -
Kelly Preston
After losing their son, Jett, Kelly Preston and hubby John Travolta celebrated the birth of their son, Benjamin in 2010. Preston said the birth was both a C-section and a silent birth — in keeping with the rules of Scientology.
Read the latest on Kelly -
Toni Braxton
The Grammy Award-winning singer had a C-section for the births of both of her sons in 2001 and 2003. Though Braxton is fairly mum about whether or not the surgeries were planned, she has stated that she was thankful to deliver happy babies.
Read the latest on Toni -
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Helena Bonham Carter
The eccentric actress told Time Out New York she was “rather looking forward to the epidural” when giving birth to daughter, Nell in 2007. Post-birth, she sang her praises to reporters: “I worship at the altar of the person who invented the drug, because you go from a life-transforming pain to just this blissed-out state.”
Read the latest on Helena -
Kate Winslet
Winslet wanted a natural childbirth for her second kid, Joe Alfie, in 2003 like she did her first, Mia Honey, in 2000, but she resorted to an epidural after 14 hours of labor. “"It was an amazing feeling having Joe naturally, vaginally,” she told The Orlando Sentinel. “Fourteen hours with no drugs at all, but then I had to have an epidural because I was so tired. I honestly thought I’d never be able to do it. It was an incredible birth. It laid all the ghosts to rest. It was really triumphant."
Read the latest on Kate -
Tina Fey
Fey was short, quick and to the point when writing about her daughter’s birth in her memoir, Bossypants: “For the record: epidural, vaginal delivery, did not poop on the table.” No word out yet on her plan for child number two.
Read the latest on Tina -
Laila Ali
Ali hadn't planned on using medication to get through childbirth, but when complications forced her to consider the epidural, she went for it and never looked back. “What I felt after I had [the epidural] was, ‘This is why women get the epidural,’” she told reporters. “No wonder women just keep having babies and want an epidural; they don’t have to feel anything.”
Read the latest on Laila -
Katie Holmes
While Holmes received an epidural for relief from the pain of giving birth to little Suri in 2006, according to reports, she did maintain the Scientology practice of silent birth. Her husband, Tom Cruise, called her “a champ” for it. (We agree.)
Read the latest on Katie -
Bethenny Frankel
The reality TV star planned to have an epidural for the birth of her daughter, Bryn, in 2010 right from the start — and also knew she just wasn’t cut out for a home birth. "I'm too neurotic to give birth in my bathtub," Frankel admitted to Us Magazine. "I'd be like, 'How are we ever going to clean this mess up?' In the middle of labor, I'd be telling my assistant to get Brillo pads."
Read the latest on Bethenny -
Melanie Brown
The singer formerly known as Sporty Spice had two different experiences with epidurals during the births of her daughters. “With [12 year-old] Phoenix, the epidural wore off, so I experienced pain, and not by choice,” Brown told Hello! Magazine. “I was laughing the whole time when I delivered [3-year-old] Angel. So having experienced both, I am opting for no pain and as little discomfort as possible.” Unfortunately, that's all the former Spice girl would say about her plans for baby number three, due later this summer.
Read the latest on Melanie -
Kourtney Kardashian
This Kardashian sister made waves when she invited cameras into the birthing room of son Mason Disick in late 2009, medication and all. When asked why she chose to televise it, Kourtney told reporters: “I was so terrified to give birth. Everything I've seen on movies, everything I've seen on TV of births has been so negative ... so that's why I wanted to show that [giving birth] can be [calm].”
Read the latest on Kourtney -
Alana De La Garza
No word on what the Law and Order star's exact birth plan was for her first and only child, Kieran Thomas, in late 2010, but she did tell Pregnancy that she wasn't against medication. “I’m gung-ho for any woman that can do it naturally, but there’s no shame in saying ‘I need an epidural,’” de la Garza said. “And if I’m getting cut down in that area, I don’t want to know. I want to enjoy the process as much as possible.”
Read the latest on Alana
I’m curious about Christy Turlington’s birth experience since she is such an advocate of maternity health. http://www.everymothercounts.org/
Melanie Brown was Scary Spice, not Sporty Spice.
How nice for most of these fortunate women to have been able to have their dream birth experience. I planned for my fabulous natural birth, only to be denied any such thing due to my son’s breech presentation. Hence, I was cut. Not good times.
I really despise seeing the term “natural” birth being used to differentiate between giving birth vaginally with or without pain medications . I believe I have given birth twice. The first birth was with an epidural and the second was without any pain medication. I believe both births were natural. My babies were born into this world through my vagina, weren’t they? I think it would be much better to talk about “natural” birth as medication free birth instead. Natural has such a diluted meaning anyway. Just think about how it is used by the food and cosmetics industries. Why not be more accurate?
Bethenny Frankel had a c-section, this article has several errors. It needed to be researched and fact checked more appropriately.
Kate Winslet’s first birth was an emergency c-section. Not a natural birth as stated here. The quote from her would make much more sense without that error.
Seriously Babble the slant on this article is so obvious its pathetic. “Natural” childbirth mom have amazing transforming experiences with no recovery time while C-section mom wind up scarred and traumatized , and are lazy and shallow to boot.
Does anyone else find the intro “how celeb moms PREFER to give birth” a little odd? I am sure that not everyone listed under the c-section or even the epidural section “preferred” to go that way. We may have a preferred way to give birth, but I can say first hand it doesnt always work out that way. I wouldn’t want someone to think that becasue I had a c-section, that was what I “preferred”.
Wouldn’t that make Lisa Bonet’s baby #2 and #3? Or did her daughter with Lenny Kravitz disappear?
Why should I give a flea-dipped flop in hell how celeb moms prefer to give birth? Generally speaking, natural birth with no intervention is best for ALL mothers, celebrity or no. But sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. Sometimes the pain becomes unbearable. Sometimes there are complications and a c-section is necessitated. The best birth method is the one that will best serve both mother and baby. Women should listen to their own bodies, and to their health care providers, not to the opinions of a bunch of overpaid, overexposed celebrities.
That’s the best aenwsr of all time! JMHO
You?ve got it in one. Couldn?t have put it bteter.
Great post with lots of imoptrant stuff.