As I’ve said many times before, I actually sort of like Lauren Conrad. She’s the most basic of all the basic ladies, but she sort of owns that. She revels in her basicness. She profits from her basicness. She’s made a legitimate career out of being CEO of Basic. LC covers the new issues of Fit Pregnancy and Baby and Parents magazines. I keep forgetting that she’s pregnant – she’s expecting her first with husband William Tell, and she recently announced that they’re expecting a boy. This interview is as uncontroversial as it gets. You don’t even know – The Mommy Wars are a real thing, and women will fight to the death about birthing plans, pregnancy cravings and pregnancy weight, and yet LC manages to breeze through these “controversial” subjects like it’s nothing. Basic 101!! Some highlights:
Waiting to get pregnant: “I always thought, ‘Someday, I’ll have a family.’ But it wasn’t until I was married that it was a real conversation. I think your 20s are about figuring out who you are and finding a career. Then once I got married, William and I wanted a couple years to ourselves. When you’re a mother, you’re no longer your own top priority, and that idea was a little scary to me. But we’re ready for a baby now.”
Pregnancy cravings/weight: “I must have been eating more cheese and wine than I realized, because I’ve really been missing them. I haven’t had crazy cravings, but I’ve had some food aversions. For a while I couldn’t eat meat. Early in my pregnancy I was nauseous all day and having difficulty putting on weight, which was funny because I’ve never had that issue in my entire life! My mom told me to start drinking milkshakes and my doctor said to go for it—to have a daily milkshake.”
Birth plan: “Last night I ordered a book on putting together a birth plan. My main concern is doing whatever’s right in the moment. My friends have said, ‘Have a plan, but don’t be so committed that you’re unwilling to change if you need to.’ I’m not worried about the pain that comes with giving birth. Maybe I’m just naive, but it’s pretty low on my list of concerns. I feel like women have been doing this forever.”
Maternity leave: “I’m running my own businesses, so it’s difficult to give myself maternity leave. But I’ve put things into place so I’ll be able to spend time recuperating and adjusting after I give birth. I made a big effort over the last two years to build a team that I trust, knowing my end goal was to be a mother. I’ve gotten to the place where I feel confident that I can step away for a minute and everyone will be able to carry on.”
Thrilled to have a boy: “I’m thrilled to be having a boy. I really wanted a boy. My husband kept saying, ‘We just want a healthy baby.’ And I’d say, ‘But a boy would be nice!’ I was a wild little tomboy, so I think I understand boys. My mom always told me that nobody loves you like a son does, especially when he’s young.”
The thought of giving birth makes me break out in hives, so I have no concept of LC’s general shrug towards the pain of childbirth. As for her pregnancy weight… a milkshake a day is something I could get on board with, just generally speaking. I’m sure Gisele would tell LC to stop treating her body like a “garbage disposal” though. As for wanting a son… that’s the only surprising thing here. I would have thought that LC would want a daughter. A daughter named something very popular, like Emma Isabella.
Photos courtesy of Fit Pregnancy, Parents.
Because she’s never given birth.
I thought the same thing and was mentally cackling!
Yes, that’s the exact term for what I was doing as well, lol. I remember checking into the hospital to get induced, and there was a woman screaming at the top of her lungs down the hall. My husband and I just stared at each other – that was the exact moment that sh*t got real.
hahaha exactly
85% of women tear during birth. That’s your genitals ripping like overripe fruit, lady.
Eh, I’ve had two vaginal births, one requiring emergency forceps and an episiotomy and the other I tore right down the old episiotomy scar. While it isn’t a picnic, in terms of most painful experiences in my life they weren’t the worst. It’s not something you can control so I too never saw the need to worry about it too much. Baby’s had got to come out so what are you going to do?
LOL! I tried to go with it the pain with my first baby, then had to be given something towards the end. I learned with my second–planned for an epidural and enjoyed the whole birth.
Exactly. I planned to be dewy and glamorous in a beautiful robe holding my perfect baby. Ha. I was tired and a sweaty grumpy mess. Go with that dream Lauren. Ignorance is bliss.
My mum had 4 natural births and told me her experience was fine – we were all quick easy labours – max was 7 hours from first contraction to baby in arms. She said she’s had worse back pain than the pain of her labours – she described it as pain with a purpose – unlike an injury you’re getting something good at the end of labour so she could concentrate on that instead. I too don’t really fear it… it could be awful its true but it seems silly to become preoccuiped with fear about theoretical pain. I’d be more afraid of the tiny human I have to then care for at the end of labour!!!
That’s great perspective, Sarah. It sounds dumb now, but I was so focused on pregnancy and delivery issues, that I gave very short shrift to what was going to happen when I actually had to care for an infant. 😳
Truth. I’m pregnant with my second. Labor pain is the least of my worries. (And I had third degree tearing.) However, I wouldn’t mind an epidural that lasted from 30weeks of pregnancy – 6 weeks postpartum.
The real fear is that first post partum poop.
Im terrified of the newborn stage again, cracked nipples, a jealous toddler, and losing my mind.
Its not super surprising considering Lauren was always a guys girl. Not surprised she would want a boy.
I find it interesting that 3 of the 4 hills ladies are pregnant and Heidi and Lauren are having boys. Makes you think what if…
heidi is pregnant??
Yup, heidi, LC and Whitney are all pregnant
Yep announced it on Us
I love love love this girl. From day one! She’s normal. Always loved her, always will.
I have also.
I wasn’t terrified about the pain as much as the idea of cutting or ripping in my vaginal area.
You know, I think there would be many fewer episiotomies and tears if the standard position was in a squat, relaxing pelvic floor muscles and working with gravity rather than on your back, working against it.
The doc turned to get the tool to cut me when my son decided to kick off my rib and bungee jump out. All jokes aside he did crack my rib during labor & delivery and the doctor had to catch him instead of reaching from the tool. He yelled, “Oh crap!” I was so freaked out already since Camo was almost 6 weeks early.
I never thought about what you’re saying saying but it makes perfect sense. I ripped in a starburst pattern. The Dr told me he always did small stitches so there was less scar tissue and it healed faster but he stopped counting at 56.
i know “basic” is a bad word, but this seems like such a breath of fresh air from the motherhood industrial complex of late. i mean, naivety about the pain aside, she just sounds like a sensible reasonable human who isn’t treating this birth or her pregnancy like SHE IS THE FIRST PERSON EVER TO HAVE A CHILD OR BE A MOTHER.
Yeah. You wait.
And god help you if you have a back to back labour like mine,
Genuinely thought I was going to die at some points.
This may be judgementsl, but I cannot stand women who are too committed to their birth plan that they put their life in danger. Just because you hoped and prepared for plan A, does not mean you will get your way. Especially during childbirth. That is a wildcard. Also, her interview was fine until the end. No one will love you like a son does? Really weird.
I agree with you about no one loving you like a son. I’m sure she she meant nothing by it but it irks me when people say these sort of things because its total b.s. Imo .
As a kid, and still as an adult, I’m a mommas girl ; always have been , my brothers are closer to my dad…not to say I don’t love my dad , but I have a more closer/special bond with my mother , and my daughter is the same with me. 🤷♀️ Anyway I wish LC a safe labor and happy healthy baby.
I adore both my kids, my son is a blessing and a sweetheart. But my daughter and I share things that my son and I obviously can’t.
Totally! There’s an amount of “rolling with the punches” that needs to be accounted for, and it translates into motherhood too. You might have something planned down to the last detail, but a kid can throw a wrench into it instantly without a care for your “plan”!
If you think that’s crazy I was asked if I was OK with the neonate staff nasal feeding my 6 week early newborn with formula? I said sure, especially since I’m a geriatric mother and my milk didn’t come in for 7 days. My baby was starving. I said I obviously didn’t want him to starve and what not.
The nurse said some idiot mothers refuse formula and put this babies life at risk because they are so anti formula. She then said the hospital actually has to get court injunctions to legally go ahead and nasal formula feed some babies in their care …. as in to keep them alive. WTF.
She’s not worried about the pain, huh. Mmm-hmm. *chuckles*
Ha! Not worried about the pain?! She definitely has never given birth. After 14 hours of pain and torture, my baby finally came out. Worry about the pain, Lauren. It sure doesn’t tickle
“It sure doesn’t tickle.” That genuinely made me laugh out loud.
For me it was more the aftermath. The only reason I didn’t pass out on was the thought that my dad and (newborn) son were the only ones in the house with me and I couldn’t imagine my dad finding me passed out on the toilet.
When my twin gave birth, I had a little freak out as I saw her dealing with powerful contractions. I was in a panic. I told her something like, “OMG, you have to go through with this! It is coming out, one way or another!”. I felt TERROR for her. I’ve never felt such fear in my life. I felt a need to protect her from something that I had no control over. I think I was just sleep deprived because we went to the hospital in the middle of the night. I’ve never felt so unhinged.
In hindsight I feel so very bad about my freak out, but it was almost like it allowed her to be the strong one. She looked at me calmly and said it was going to be ok.
What’s the point of worrying about it though? Then you suffer twice. Deal with it when it comes.
Haha it’s best not to worry about the pain- all the worry in the world wont change it. Might as well go in confident and optimistic. Being scared won’t help! I had a “natural” labor/birth and did classes and all. It was terrible. Eff that. Epidural for me next time!
I’m with you on this. I’m currently 35 weeks pregnant and trying not to worry about the pain. That doesn’t for a second mean I don’t think it’s going to be painful – I know it will be, and probably to a degree I can’t even imagine right now. I just don’t want to expend my mental energy worrying about something that I have zero control over. I’ve done classes, I know my options for pain relief, I’ll worry about it when it’s happening.
Long time lurker, first time poster. Hello all! I wanted to comment because this made me laugh. Lauren is super nice (grew up in the same area as her, have only ever heard good things even back in high school) but this is one of those “oh girl, you wait and see” moments. I went in with no expectations when I had my first a few months ago and ended up in labor for 32 hours, most without an epidural because I was at home not progressing. I wish I would’ve spent a little more time preparing for the god awful experience that is labor!
Hello !
I’m glad to hear this because I’ve always loved LC. I know she’s a bit of a *nothingburger* amongst celebs, but she just seems so cool and grounded.
That’s so nice to read… I’ve always had a soft spot for Lauren ever since the Laguna Beach days and have really admired what she made of herself! She’s low key, but very savvy! As a fellow Lauren, my nickname became LD after LC’s rise to fame and sometimes Lo too, so I’ve always felt a weird connection.
I think this is a refreshing article to read, even how she talks about how she’s positioned her business so she can have a baby. Us regular folk have to do the same thing.
And yes please to the milkshake a day! I might even use that in my pre-pregnancy phase too.
Oh Lauren. You sweet little thing. Birth pain is so painful you’re actually shocked and stunned at the time about how unprepared you are. I think it’s because the contractions start off so mild. You’re like “this is ok. I’m all good. I can deal!” Then it’s get worse and worse and worse and literally doesn’t stop getting worse until the baby eventually comes out. Bless the epidural and bless the moment the babies come out. (I’ve had three. I know, I’m insane)
Maybe she meant she doesn’t want to focus on it, the pain associated with child birth. If I was pregnant and started really focusing on what is involved, then researching how you can literally rip your private areas (my sister had to be sewn after her pregnancy , I’d drive myself insane! Sometimes it’s essential to focus on the bigger picture so as to save yourself hours/days/months of worry. Come on ladies give her a break, 1st baby… would you be happier if she said she was scared to death on how much it’s gonna hurt??
Yeah that’s what I was thinking. Though I understand all the Moms here being floored by Lauren not worrying about the pain.
I love LC too and she is a great role model. Also holy cow her husband is doppelganger for her brother.
That’s how I took it too. She’s probably putting it out of her mind as a coping mechanism lol.
” I feel like women have been doing this forever.”
Best quote I’ve ever read in my life
Yes, I cannot even comment on the stupidity of it ( except I just did).
I can barely handle period pain so I don’t know how all the ladies out there did it. I’m in awe.
I’ve had 2 and the part about being flexible is so true! After 34 hours I wasn’t dialaying so had to regroup and have a c-section. I’m with Lauren in that I never even thought about the pain part as I was always anticipating how not to f^<k up the parenting part. I guess I'm in the minority because I didn't focus on my wedding either it was all about what comes after….
But once the contractions start, oh my, my.
She’s so likeable and She lives such a charmed life. I think she has a life that most aim for…grow up in a loving home, with loving parents, dream career, own home, financial stability, marriage (for some) and then a family (for some). She keeps upgrading in life. It’s nice to read she is still doing well.
This made me laugh out loud! They call it labor for a reason- its work! Wishing her a smooth delivery and healthy baby! Any name guesses out there? Thinking something popular- Jaxon?
Kristin Cavalarri has a Jaxon, so I bet she will stay clear! I think she will go with more of a Warren or Johnny.
I wasn’t really worried about giving birth…I spent a lot of time worrying that I would have to have a section honestly
That’s how I was when I had my first and I still feel that way. The pain is intense and its not something I want to experience again but its pain with a purpose. It’s not identical to… for example… the pain of having your legs broken in a car crash. That’s pain, that’s trauma, that’s serious, that comes with a massive wallop of fear and recovery. Childbirth pain is for the delivery of a human being out of a very small space and while it does come with its own inherent dangers and fears and traumas… in the majority of cases it’s a controlled, purposeful pain. It doesn’t have the same edge as injury or disease. It HURTS though. It HURTSSSSSS. But Im sure she knows that.
Eh, not everyone is terrified of childbirth (pain).
I’ve had 3 kids, the inevitable pain didn’t scare me because I was quite open to getting an epidural if I couldn’t endure. Loved the epidural with my first, did it natural with my next two…..I was lucky, my labors were very quick which made it manageable.
Feel free to mock.
KBeth, I was the same way. I also have a high pain tolerance, so I felt like I could handle it. Everyone mocked me and thought I was crazy for not having a birth plan or that I didn’t want drugs (unless it was necessary). I was lucky – I had an easy pregnancy, short labor, and delivered my son in 45 min.
She always came off as easygoing and would be happy with or without fame. Good luck to her.
It is just one day, give or take, of your life, but it’s so intense. Both my vaginal births were pitocin goosed, so I’ve never had labor contractions occur naturally. But god, contractions in pit. Oh my god. But I did the second one without an epidural. Labor is weird.
I understand what she’s saying. Pain wasn’t something I was worried about either. I knew it was going to happen (obviously), but it didn’t make me nervous or scared. I figured I would take as at came and act accordingly, which is exactly how it went down. When it got too bad I got an epi and it fine. A lot of women are ok with pregnancy but are super scared about giving birth and pain. It’s nice that she can feel relaxed about the situation and take it in stride.
I had two vaginal deliveries with my kids. The first was 7 hours and laughing gas right at the end. The pain was ok – as in manageable right up to the end, but I still ended up with a 3rd degree tear on top of the episiotomy. My second was born in 1.5 hours (first contraction to born). That was excruciating! It was horribly intense and there was no time for an epidural even if I had wanted it. Ended with an episiotomy, 4th degree tear and my little one was bruised all over her face, capillaries broken and a burst blood vessel in her eye. She was fine otherwise, thank goodness. My doctor called it precipitous labour. If there’s a third baby, it has to be a c-section, because I’m not risking baby’s health or mine, and I’m not going through that hell again.
I never worried about pain with my first cause my mom told me they were going to shave all my pubic hair and give me an enema and since i was built just like her, it would be for nothing, I’d end up with a c- section. I was terrified of having horrific diarrhea the entire labor in front of my boyfriend. It gave me something to focus on instead of pain I guess. I remember the nurse laughing and saying oh we don’t do that anymore. Why didn’t I ask in labor class?
I have three kids and three very painful deliveries (like a lot of women have). Everytime I have screamed at the hospital staff that I’m not going to make it (during my second delivery I actually screamed I was going to jump out the window because I would rather die then to continue with the labour).
Still, I have never worried before giving birth. What’s the point? You have to get through it anyway. I rather just suffer that they then suffer AND be worried sick for nine months.
Denial in this case is a probably a good thing, many women I know, including myself, have had some pretty dramatic stories involved with one of their labors, e.g premature labor, preclampsia, laboring for 36 hours and then a c section. ( In my case 18 hours of throwing up related to food poisoning which led dehydration despite intervention and subequently 48 hours of labor 6 weeks early)
You lose control to a degree you can’t imagine going in even with a “normal” delivery.
One would think there would be more pstd related to this but you are so focused in the outcome, the child, that people tend to quickly forget.
Well, I remember I was mortified by the idea of pooping during delivery more than the pain itself. So yes, there are other things to worry about.