Mila Kunis appeared on today’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and she finally confirmed her pregnancy and talked about in some depth. The highlights: Mila says that she’s definitely due this year (I would say she’s due in late summer/early fall, but she’s not saying), that she and Ashton know the sex but they aren’t telling anyone. She says her cravings are “stereotypical” – she wants pickles and sauerkraut all day, every day. She says Ashton has been really great about her cravings (he has, like, a secret supply of pickles?) and he’s learned Russian so they can raise a bilingual child (Mila is fluent – English is actually her second language).
I guess the most controversial (??) thing she said was that she plans to have a natural birth with no epidural:
“We watched a couple of documentaries and we looked into the like the you know midwife aspect of it and things and spoke to my OB/GYN and realized that the hospital that I’m going to be laboring in does have a midwife, you know, Doula type of thing….So I’m gonna do it as all natural as I possibly can unless there’s an emergency or something [goes] wrong.”
You know my feelings on childbirth. I want to hork whenever I think about it. I admire women who can do the natural birth thing, but I also admire women who are like “F—k that, give me the drugs” and are honest about that choice. I don’t feel like Mila is judging or making a competitive-birthing declaration about what’s right for all women or anything. And it sounds like she’s going to give birth in a hospital, with doctors and drugs close by, but with a doula on hand too. Here’s the video:
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
While it’s cool that Ashton is learning Russian to raise a bilingual child, his overalls are not.
Looks like Broke Bank Account Mountain.
LMAO!
Too funny! This comment made my day!
thanks for the chuckle 🙂
Russian is such a beautiful language. I would love to learn it, but it seems hard. And I’m Slavic myself. I wonder how will Ashton do considering he’s from an English speaking background. And he’ll have to learn the cyrillic script, too.
I think it’s great that Ashton wants to learn Russian for her, her family and any traveling in Russia, but he won’t need to do it for the baby. He will need to stick to his English (or the nanny’s). My husband made the mistake of speaking to my kids in English(not his mother tongue) so he wouldn’t forget it which left them behind in his country (not a primarily English speaking one).
I like them btw so much better than Ashton and Demi. In fact, I always thought they should be together during That Seventies Show.
He’ll be the only one in the house that can read and write in cyrillic, because Mila can only speak Russian not read or write it. Fact.
Cyrillic isn’t that hard- the letters are based on Roman (like English), Greek (not too hard), and the admittedly less familiar Hebrew letters for a few common consonant combinations. When first learning Russian formally in college, I found it helpful to read Russian poetry just to get really familiar with the letters (not trying to understand the words). It’s pretty natural to me now since I’ve been translating scientific Russian for decades. Sometimes I forget which language when doing the reference sections and start transliterating what turns out to be an English citation…
I wouldn’t worry about the kid getting confused with two languages. That will sort itself out, and the mental flexibility gained from learning a second language early is so beneficial. It will make learning other languages easier also. But I doubt that the mom is truly bilingual – she can probably chat in Russian, especially about family things and generalities. But she came to the US very early (which is why her accent is American) and went to school mainly in English. So her Russian vocabulary is most likely much smaller than her English vocabulary. Won’t take much time for Ashton to catch up with her. She probably has an American accent in Russian- the intonation etc. can disappear very fast even with adults when they are immersed in another language.
The main man in my life is wearing a pair of those and looks great. He, however, is 1 year old.
I thought she was Ukrainian. Languages are very similar but not the same.
She was born when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union, thus learnt Russian at school so this was the language she took with her to America.
I learnt Hungarian for my man, its worth it to get to know the family and bond 🙂
I don’t understand why birth plans are controversial. There isn’t one right way to do it. I wouldn’t go through an epidural free birth unless I had to, but if she wants to, not my body, not my business. Good luck to her.
I felt really natural getting my epidural with all three births. Call it what you like, but I recommend it to anyone who ask me. I didn’t want to feel my “V” being torn here and there, no thanks. I choose to save all the tears and pain for their teenage years!
It shouldn’t be controversial, and it’s unfortunate that it is. Every woman/pregnancy/birth is different and whatever the mother feels most comfortable should be accepted and celebrated! It’s just an extension of the “mommy wars” epidemic.
Giving birth is one of the most grueling things in the universe. No wonder men don’t do it. If it was Ashton who was preggers he’d be hooked up to an IV starting yesterday.
Yeah, when I was pregnant with my second, my doctor strongly recommended a repeat c due to the circumstances of my first child’s birth. We are honestly both lucky we’re not dead. Of course, a “friend” chided me for scheduling my second’s birth. I was pissed. After the trauma of almost losing my first and knowing the same problem was likely to occur, I didn’t have any desire to experience that again. But I shouldn’t need a “good reason” to justify my decision about how I birth MY child, and I said so.
She sounds like she has an ideal but is pretty open minded.
I was the same way going into my birth. I ended up with an epidural and forceps shoved up my vagina. But hey, I have a gorgeous and healthy toddler(jeez it’s odd to not call her a baby anymore, but she’s one and walking so i guess she isn’t wah) and that’s all that matters
Mine is almost 2…and I still call her a baby! I’m in mad denial that she’s a toddler…
She’ll be 10 and I’ll still be like, “she’s 120 months old…”
My youngest is two and we all call her “baby”. My four year old will say “Baby is crying!” or I will say “Go give baby her cup”. It’s either this or have another and my husband is for sure not on board with that!!!
Natural birth? Er…good luck w/ that. :-}
I think you can put your mind to anything. I said my whole pregnancy no drugs and I did it, it was horrendous of course but in hindsight I am glad I went all natural. I personally would have been sad not yo experience the whioke thing. But in saying that, I respect that all births and mums are different. I don’t understand why a birth plan would be controversial. Just do what is right for you. We are not all the same and nor should we be!
I had a natural birth when I was 16 years old. When I gave birth, they didn’t routinely induce or give epidurals. I’m a doula now, and know that with loving care many women can avoid having their births medicalized.
There are more reasons than “bragging rights” and “proving yourself” to have a natural unmedicated childbirth. If it was a simple pain or no pain decision, I doubt there would be much controversy. it’s not just a side effect free, magic poke that turns off feeling. There are side effects and after effects like every other drug, positives and negatives. Many people have back pain for the rest of their lives at the epidural site. High risk of tearing (sorry poster down thread. Itraises risk of tearing because you can’t feel what you’re doing. Your stretching skin will tear if it’s going to, whether you feel it or not. Epidurals do not make you more pliable and stretchy.) And increased risk of requiring pitocin, which increases risk of needing AC section. Then there’s the question if whether or not it affects the baby.
I completely understand why you would want an epidural. It’s perfect for done who might be able to relax and give birth more effectively. It might not be for those that might do better with pain, and less added risk from an epidural, or who might have better control without numbness. That’s why it’s up to each mom to decide what’s best for her.
But let’s not continue the ignorant mind set that it’s a simple “pain or no pain” decision. There is much more to it than that, and it serves NOBODY when you make a medical procedure sound like this magical button to turn off pain, and “why wouldn’t you? Unless you’re a snooty show off…”
I had 3 nurses independently ask me if I had gone unmedicated, because my daughter was so alert and present immediately after being born. Out, tiny cry, big wide eyes, looking around, watching, just very “present”. I said yes, I went without an epidural, and every one of them said, “I thought so. You can always pick out which babies were born naturally and unmedicated.” That alone made me feel like I made the right decision for us. The fact that nurses can tell? it’s not blanket statement, epi means groggy baby, natural does not, because nothing is absolute. But that really stunned me.
It’s not called a cascade of intervention for nothing …
To each their own, but choices should always be informed and no woman should turn their bodies over to medical professionals without knowledge or caring – unfortunately many births in the US are done for the convenience of the medical staff and NOT for the convenience or comfort of the mother!
Sorry you’re wrong there. I had to have an emergency c-section due to a double uterus when I went into labor early; however, the nurses were so “amazed” at how alert and aware my daughter was. Actually looking around at people which usually does not happen at 1 day old.
I agree! There are benefits to an epidural for one who might not do as well with the discomfort of natural birth, but there are so many benefits to an all natural birth as well. Less risk of tearing, really fast recovery, no possible after-effects or complications from epidural or medication. I had an all natural birth at home. It wasn’t easy, 36 hours of labor, but it was still totally doable, and I was so much more relaxed and in control of myself and the process this way. I recovered so quickly, had no stitches or tearing, and both me and baby were so alert and energetic right away. My midwife said the same thing you did about the alertness of all-natural babies.
@mol.
I’m not wrong. Nurses said it, not me. as I SAID, it’s not black and white, groggy and alert. Some medicated babies end up aler, some natural babies areas bit sleepy. But if the nurses said they can tell and guess correctly, i’m not arguing. Why would they lie?
to agree, let the mother make her decision and other’s should back on. I had a friend who wanted a natural child birth but as soon as the pain started…GIMME THE JUICE. I’ve never had a child but isn’t all childbirths natural? just saying
Sounds like a great plan. I wanted the same thing. I still ended up getting the epidural both times but I tried to go naturally at first.
Same here. I gave it a go but ended up getting the epidural both times. Go with the plan and adjust as you need to. 🙂
Make all the plans you like… Birthing babies is an unpredictable endeavor.
Yeah, babies laugh in the face of your birth plans (particularly it seems when it is your first). I intended to go the natural-as-possible route and ended up with a failed induction and emergency c-section, c’est la vie! Good luck to her though.
Truly. Birthing them is unpredictable, their personality is unpredictable. Its all a crap shoot. Just focus on being healthy and get comfy for the ride.
Same here. LOL You go in with the ‘all natural’ plan and you see how it goes. I had an epidural, which was painless and a blessing. Looking across the table at my healthy, 16-year old boy and feeling gratitude.
Yep. My plan was to go naturally until I didn’t want to anymore. And that’s what happened. Making a birth plan is like making a weather plan for your wedding. Forces beyond your control don’t give a shit about your plans and, honestly, I think it sets women up to feel like failures on what should be one of the happiest days of their lives.
My sister had had an epidural all scheduled for her second child, but then her labor progressed really fast (she gave birth 2 1/2 hours after the first contraction) and they missed the window for the epidural and then she had natural childbirth against her will.
I think they gave her a Tylenol afterwards, LOL – “Oh, you just pushed a 7 pound baby out of your vagina, here have a Tylenol.” She was not happy! But her baby was healthy and beautiful so she couldn’t complain too much…it didn’t even have that smushed look that most newborn babies have, I guess because it came out so fast.
Ha, same here ! After the 8th hour of labour, I begged for an epidural, and the birth of my son is the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced… To each their own, but you never know !
Honestly this made me laugh. I had authorized epidural but ended up having both children with no pain killing drugs. Why when a celebrity does this is it such a big deal?
I can only speak to my experience, but like Mila I wanted a “natural” birth and was pretty confident about my pain threshold…I generally can tolerate a lot, etc. but whoo mama, once those contractions start, that is some UNREAL levels of pain. Shockingly, crazy painful…I cried uncle really quickly and got my epidural. I love to hear when women give birth w/out drugs – they are gods to me; no way in hell I could have.
+1. I definitely fell under the ‘F**k that, give me the drugs’ category. The pain was like nothing I have ever felt before and I give credit to those who can go through labor without getting the epidural, I couldn’t have. More power to her if she thinks she can, but she may very well change her mind once those contractions really get going.
My first birth I had an epidural-and I had complications from it. My second the epidural didn’t work at all. I remember yelling at the anesthesiologist “I’m not paying your bill-this isn’t working AT ALL.” For my next 2 births I decided since my labors were fast I’d go drug free. I think whatever works for you to get you to your end result: a healthy baby-that’s the way to go!
My mom did but I think it was living in Africa for a while that made her come to that decision. She was pregnant during that time and I suppose it changed her life(style). I don’t know about the birth because she died when I was very young but the few things I have heard is that she was always very strong mentally and physically.
I had a placental abruption and I felt the placenta tear away inside me. I can’t explain the level of pain this caused except maybe to say that I felt proximity to death. I would have begged for pain relief but I couldn’t stop screaming long enough to do so. I should have had morphine and I didn’t, and I don’t think I’ll ever recover from that experience.
So, good luck, Mila. I had a beautiful pregnancy too. No matter what we plan, in the final equation of woman vs nature–nature wins. Smart of her to do it in the hospital; that’s the only reason my child wasn’t stillborn.
That sounds awful. Bravo to you for going through that and admitting it affected you. I feel like as women sometimes, especially with childbirth, you somehow aren’t allowed to admit you had a bad experience.
IDK, I think it is all about baby positioning and some genetics. I had two natural births and I don’t feel like I have more pain threshold than anyone else (probably lower, I’m a bit of a wimp actually).
Labour was uncomfortable, but not unbearable My babies came after 20 mins of pushing for the first and only 5 mins for the second, so that helped. As an aside, the stitches without painkillers after my first was WAY worse.
To each their own, making an issue out of how a woman gives birth … or feeds her baby, is so ridiculous.
I got an epidural with all three. With the second it only worked on the right half of my body and I could feel everything on my left. With the third I just got it for my broken foot. I knew it would hurt like crazy for my husband to grip up on it while I was bearing down to push.
I think you’re right. My first baby was posterior and absolutely would not flip around. I had 30 hours of back labor. It was hell, and we were both in distress. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m just happy we both got out alive, cause we nearly didn’t. A csection doesn’t sound so bad when you’re afraid for the life of your child. Thank God I had her in a hospital.
I think some women think it’s going to be easier than people claim. I thought it wasn’t going to be too bad, but I’m a big baby so I already filled out my paper work saying that I wanted an epidural. Thank God I did. I was induced and that hurt enough, but when that first contraction hit, OMG!! I could not leave the house soon enough. Having my cervix checked in the middle of a contraction made me want to strangle the nurse. I got morphine and then my epidural a little while later, never had I been so happy. My friend went natural and said it wasn’t bad, but there is no way I could have handled it.
I was going to be an au naturel delivery. All I needed was my TENS machine and my yoga breathing, thought I. I wasn’t going to be one of those wuss mamas, I was going to do it as nature intended…
36 hours later with baby in posterior had me screaming for the drugs. Screaming.
I was going to go natural, too. And I did (not counting Pitocin) for the 12 hours of labor and 1 1/2 hours of pushing. Then my cervix regressed so I got the epidural to see if I could relax and progress. I’ve never wanted to scream at someone more than the anesthesiologist who was telling me to hold still so he can stick a needle in my back with full on contractions every 30 seconds. And then I ended up having an emergency c-section anyway. Ah… The best laid plans… Had I known that my kid was going to be 9lbs with a huge head, I just would’ve scheduled the damn c-section.
I felt the same way. I figured ‘oh, I’ve got a good pain tolerance, i’ll see how it goes but I bet i’ll make it all the way through without an epideural’. And then I had to get Pitocin since my water brokenwithout labor starting. YEEOUCH. When it finally kicked in I went into full transitional labor right away, and basically just had one long intense contraction. I immediately asked for an Epideural, but even then I apparently completely dilated in the time it took to get the anesthesiologist because baby went into the birth canal as he was putting the epideural into my back. I was SO PISSED! But even after a labor and delivery that wasn’t quite what I expected or hoped for, it was one of the coolest experiences ever.
I had my daughter at home with no drugs. When i would tell people my plan they thought i was crazy. I told them i knew it would be a tremendous amount of pain, more than i’d ever felt before, but that it was just for less that a day and i knew i could handle it and recover from it. Never during the 7 hours of labor did i ever regret my decision or wish i had drugs. My daughters first birthday is next week, and i can remember how incredibly painful it was but worth it. That being said i am not going to have anymore children. Once was enough:)
“That being said i am not going to have anymore children. Once was enough:)”
^this made my night. “It was amazing and I have NO regrets but NEVER again”.
I’ve always wondered why the “natural” vs. “unnatural” thing gets railed so hard. I got told if I ever gave birth and had an epidural, I was increasing my child’s risk “of Downs Syndrome by 1000%”. I told the lady, “I didn’t know epidurals injected an extra chromosome. Science!”. Or the “It’s chemicals in your body!” Spoiler alert: Everything is chemicals. Periodic Table.
Yes I’m a joy to have at parties.
Anyway, how about we just have happy and healthy alive kids and moms, eh? Eh? That sounds cool, right?
I hope that wasn’t a medical professional telling you that!
Nope, lady at a “Birthing Center” that later on got shut down because no one had a license for anything. I was taking one of my cadets from HS because she was pregnant but was scared of hospitals. I looked at my friend and said, “I think you just might wanna deal with the hospital if it’s these people.”
Healthy 10 pound baby (out of her 110lb frame) and an epidural with no Downs Syndrome. Like magic.
Wow… the things people will say!
My 10 year old never crawled. She scooted on her butt. I had a relative (who is a doctor) tell me that children who do not crawl have difficulties in school. Well, guess who was just selected to be in the gifted program at school?? My little butt scooter.
Again…. The things people will say. 😉
I never crawled. Straight A student and I’m in med school now. God, that was a lot of bragging right there :D, but where do people come up with these things?
My nephew didn’t either, he went from sitting to pulling up to the drunk toddler walk within a few months, and he’s gifted as well.
My oldest (now a teen) was a scoocher also. In our case, she did have sensory integration dysfunction and she needed a lot of OT. She is also super smart and wonderful. It can be a sign of other issues-but not always.
Brag away! Good for you!
@Tracy my 10 year old was a butt scooter as well, he never crawled. He scored in the ‘above superior range’ on his IQ test, rocked his state tests last year, and some of his academic abilities fall in the 11th grade range (he’s in 5th). We are waiting to hear the results of the test he took in December for the gifted and talented. Congrats to your daughter for making the program!
What is a gifted program? We don’t have them here. You can’t even skip grades in my country.
my boy scooted along on his tummy, never bothered to crawl, he just swam along the ground.
it was adorable but hard on his clothes!
@Tracy ok “butt-scooter” made me grin like a lot.
@Nicolette Butt scooters unite! Congrats to your guy on all of his accomplishments!!
I never crawled either (or at least, I never learned to crawl toward anything), and I still got plenty of awards at school. I don’t think there’s a correlation between crawling and IQ, but I do remember an exhibit at the Science Centre that children who never learned to crawl has lower than usual hand-eye coordination. I don’t know if that’s true for everyone, but I know I can’t catch a ball or even a frisbee if my life depended on it.
There’s good evidence that kids who skip from sitting to walking with nothing in between haven’t set down some important pathways in the brain and that can cause problems later learning certain tasks such as reading. I remember reading years ago about programs to help such kids with crawling exercises when they were school-age and the problems were obvious. My guess is that butt scooting is doing the same thing as crawling as far as development is concerned. So your doctor didn’t pull the idea out of nowhere, he just didn’t realize there are other ways to the same goal.
There’s a region in China infamous for developmental problems. They traditionally set the baby in a bag of sand to absorb waste and keep it safely immobilized while the parents go out to work in the fields. It doesn’t seem to be genetic but rather the lengthy periods of immobilization causes the problems. Children and teenagers seem to be in a use it or lose it phase of brain development, although young children are more flexible about making reassignments of areas of the brain when a crucial area is damaged.
I don’t get it either, to each their own.
And whoever told you that sounds like an extreme idiot.
I’d hang out with you at a party, you got the right amount of smarta-s.
I’ll get the liquor LOL.
Couldn’t agree more. Slow clap.
Wow, that’s some stunning ignorance. Good for you for trying to school her, because science.
Sometimes, people just talk out of their a**
I was once told that I should try at all costs not to have a C-section because children born that way don’t bond as much with their mothers.
And this was after I had already had one with my first child! A**talker.
I had an epidural but do still feel like not getting one is better if possible
Epidurals are common now but can have serious, long term risks and make pushing harder (I could not feel contractions and ended up with a forceps delivery). You’re more likely to need a csection.
Some women have lingering back pain. Bad migraines. It’s easy to forget that epidural are risky
While we’re talking about medical “experts” who dole out incorrect information, I gave birth to my third 7 weeks ago and was told by the labor and delivery nurse (in front of my husband) that he couldn’t be the father of our child because an A+ mother and an AB+ father could not have a B+ child. Spoiler alert, we can! Thanks nurse for causing a potential paternity dispute while I was in labor.
@MorticiansDoItDeader
Obviously your nurse was all kinds of not-so-bright. Even if she didn’t understand that “I(A)i” [A type] and “I(A)I(B)” [AB type] parents have 25% chance of having a B type child, which is something you’re required to know to pass high school biology. If she wanted to go the “parents with A type blood can’t have B type baby”, which is what she was obviously thinking, she should have questioned the baby’s maternity since you were the one with the A type alleles.
And considering you were giving birth at the time – like I said, all kinds of not-so-bright.
@Mort …I would’ve said, “My child just entered the world screaming and covered and blood and you’re about to leave the same way.”
@monicaQ, omg! I wish I had been quick enough to think of something like that!
@anne, exactly! I contributed an O and my husband a B!
I think the Down’s Syndrome yes/no ship had sailed about nine months before the epidural!!! Wonder where they got that one?
Yeah that’s strange. I know epidurals can have complications, but how on earth can it cause an extra chromosome? That makes zero sense.
I have given birth without drugs. It’s the norm here in The Netherlands. It hurts, but you can do it. It’s nice when the endorfins kick in though.
I admire you for being able to do that, you’re stronger than I am but I can honestly say it’s REALLY nice when the epidural kicks in too.
You don’t really get a choice here though. So it’s not really admirable.
Try having a root canal w/o anesthesia. Why, oh why would you do this to yourself!!!
Better living through chemistry!!! LOL
Epidurals are risky. Not everyone is okay with the possible complications which can last for the rest of your life.
Messing with the spine is always risky. It also results in moee csections.
To be honest, labor and delivery in the US is totally different from the rest of the world. I’m in Canada and there are way fewer csections. No planned, unnecessary ones. And no nursery for the babies. The baby stays with you from birth until discharge unless there’s a medical complication.
It is also pretty much assumed that you’ll breastfeed unless you specify.
The hospital also uses cloth diapers and had no formula samples which friends and family in the US were offered. Depeding on the hospital they were also given a free starter pack of pampers or huggies. Less corporate involvement from brands up here, at least in the 5 hospitals where friends and I delivered.
It’s also totally different though cause we actually get maternity leave so we have time to establish breastfeeding and stuff
There’s actually mixed research about epidurals and c-sections. My doctor always told me that epidurals can result in c-sections – IF they are administered at the wrong time in the process. However, given in the proper time frame, they rarely cause labor to slow down.
In addition, a friend who’s a midwife has told me that in many cases, evidence shows that epidurals can actually PREVENT c-sections. One of the major causes of c-sections is maternal exhaustion. If a woman’s labor is very long or hard, she can easily use up her energy getting through it and may be actually unable to push later. My friend always advises epidurals in the event of maternal exhaustion, you can get the epidural and sleep and then actually allow it to wear off later, if the mother wishes. It’s rarely as black and white as either side makes it out to be.
The reason I was told is the epidural makes it harder to feel contractions for pushing
This happened to me. My daughter required forceps and if they failed I would have needed a csection. I could not properly feel my contractions at all, a nurse had to tell me when to push
Oh, it is true that epidurals can lead to issues with pushing. But that is largely because of two issues: 1.) the epidural is too strong. If it’s done right, epidurals do not take away ALL sensation. A well-done one will still leave some sensation for the mother, supposedly. That helps a lot. If you were completely numb, the epidural was likely too strong. They are supposed to carefully give you the minimum amount your height and weight need. That’s why now they have “walking epidurals.”
My epidural was thankfully done right – it took the pain away but all the pressure remained, and that helped a lot. But your argument isn’t an argument against the safety of epidurals used as they’re supposed to be. It’s an example of medical staff getting it wrong and you having to deal with the results.
Right??? I haven’t had kids but I sure as hell would ask for those drugs. I hate pain. I can barely tolerate that one day a month when I feel like my insides are being put through a meat grinder and I assume contractions would be at least 100 times worse. At LEAST. I always tell my dentist “DRUGS” when she asks if I want to try without first. No, thanks, I’ll have that shot please.
I don’t see the point of being “natural” and in pain. Why is birth the only occasion where a person is celebrated for choosing the pain? Yes, sure, nature intended it that way but nature also gives us all kinds of batshit crazy conditions which we fight like hell.
It really drives me nuts when women are super judgy about others not wanting to be in that much pain. Not that Mila falls in that category but the fact that this has become such a THING … ugh.
@ Audrey: I would imagine epidurals are not risk-free. No medical procedure is. But … pregnancy itself and especially birth are pretty damn risky to begin with. I haven’t heard stories about epidurals gone wrong but I have definitely heard some horrible sh*t about pregnancy and birth. You have to weigh the pros and cons and “natural” would not even be an option for me.
I agree with you completely. I am not anti-epidural at all and actually had one.
I just dislike how epidurals are treated so carelessly now. Everyone should make sure they’re properly informed of the risks before having one.
That’s my only point. Epidurals are a risk, know that before you get one. Most women will be fine after having one but it still shouldn’t be treated so lightly
Oh always, yes. Talk to your doctor and, as I said, weigh the pros and cons. And then keep in mind that giving birth is not something that can be planned out entirely.
But unless there is a significant risk to my baby, I’d probably still end up on the pro side.
I simply don’t understand why this is such a topic of discussion to begin with. There are so many women’s health issues that seem up for discussion but rarely do you see that with men. They can do whatever the hell they want without judgment. Well, I refuse to be told what is best for me by people without a medical degree.
I’m about six weeks out from my expected due date with my first, and I’ve told some friends “I’d get the epidural yesterday if they’d let me.” I always make sure the person I’m talking to isn’t super wedded to the idea of a natural birth first, though. I don’t want to offend anyone and I don’t want a lecture, and I know for some people a natural birth is extremely important.
To me, though, it’s like a poster upthread said — “aren’t all births natural?” — and I also can’t see turning down pain medication for (likely) some of the worst pain I’ll ever feel in my life. I know the epidural has risks; my hospital’s preparing for childbirth class was really good about explaining them. But I’m still a fan of better living through chemistry when it comes to major medical procedures, and I do think of childbirth that way. One of my prenatal yoga teachers likes to say it’s a shame childbirth has been turned into this medical event instead of a beautiful, natural process, and all I can think is “when it was a beautiful, natural process, one in ten of us died.”
All that said, I do have a ton of respect for women who give birth without pain medication and I can see the upsides of that too (less recovery time, no chance of spinal issues after, etc.). It’s nobody’s business how you deliver your kid or how you feed your kid! Do what works for *you* and the kid. 🙂
I am happy for them BUT not happy about those overalls and hat. I hope it was a costume for something.
I went natural with my first and had an epidural with my second. No one gave me a trophy for not getting an epidural and both times I went home with a healthy baby. With this one, I’ll probably get another epidural. I don’t see why some women think they’re “better” for being in pain.
🌟
I still think it’s awesome to do it naturally. I couldn’t do it myself.
We had all 3 babies without EA cuz I was more freaked out about the possible sideffects from EA than my labor pain. Well, the good news was that babies all popped like corks from a bottle (1st labor was 4h total, 2nd was 2h and 3rd one tortured me for 6h) if it had been longer I bet I would have begged for EA and sideffects be damned.
I find it sad that hospitals feel like this conveyor system (even appointment with OB felt like that) where you don’t get time to really labor at your own pace but have to get done before nurse’s shift is over (yes, we were the home birthing loons with the last 2, but only cuz hospital is 10min from our home and our midwives live 5min from us)
good luck to Mila and I’d really like to hear Ashton speaking Russian(not cuz I like him, but cuz I think it’d sound funny)
But I agree. It’s not like they’re better moms for it. I wouldn’t and probably couldn’t run a marathon either. 5k yes, marathon no. I can say “great accomplishment” but it doesn’t mean they’re better than me because they did it.
Agree, more power to them but my daughter got stuck and would’ve died had I not been in a hospital so I’m glad I was at one. I needed emergency intervention. With my other two, I had drugs galore and my labors were over in no time because I was relaxed and not suffering like a poor 3rd world woman does in childbirth. No offense to those who do it this way.
It sounds like she’s thought about her options and this is what she’s most comfortable with. I couldn’t have an epidural due to the fact that I’ve got a bad back, but I took all the drugs they offered!!! Anyone who can do it without the drugs is a hero in my eyes! I hope all goes the way she wants and that she and the baby are both healthy
I’m young so I never really thought about birthing methods, but I have a very low pain tolerance, so I’d probably have drugs.
The thing that I don’t understand are home births, probably because they’re extremely rare in my country. Isn’t it dangerous not to have a doctor present, or at least close by?
I think if you have your OB on board with the idea ( as to risks/health of mom & baby), and a skillful and experienced midwife who knows if an ambulance needs to be called, you’re probably going to be okay. Mostly, because, once again- labor is unpredictable.
I would never have a home birth. I’m too paranoid. I don’t think I would have a midwife. They are skilled, but a doctor is a doctor.
Here’s the thing: there are risks implicit in having a hospital birth as well. There are many more interventions that take place in a hospital birth (many of which are elective) and with each medical procedure comes the higher risks as well. Hospitals in the US are also notorious for pushing women towards unnecessary C Sections, which do have higher risks as well. Just because you’re in a hospital doesnt mean that things can’t go wrong, amd in many ways it can mean that MORE things can go wrong. Women that choose a home birth must fit within certain parameters – healthy pregnancy, living within a certain radius of the hospital – and not fall within certain risk categories. Personally, I think the big thing to take away is this: there are risk factors in all medical procedures, including childbirth, and its important to inform yourself of your options so that you can make the best decision for yourself and be your own advocate. There is no ‘right or wrong’ option, and the most important part is to have healthy and happy babies and moms.
I’d like to hear from all these people that were supposedly “pushed into” unnecessary c-sections. I gave birth 5 years ago, know a lot of mothers, and have heard a lot of birth stories. I’ve never encountered someone who felt they had an unnecessary c- section. Even from the stories on this post, almost all the c-sections had to do with major complications or multiple babies. When I had mine my doctor exhausted every other option before a c-section was even mentioned. I know that apparently some people plan them, but again, I’ve only ever heard of that in real life in multiple birth or complication situations. Not because the doctor had a tee time or the mom had a manicure time.
So I had my first child in Sept 2013. I had a whooooleee birth plan, all natural blah blah blah blah blah BAM when I went into labor it all changed. I took my epi at 9cm (!!!!) the pain was so bad at that point I was crying like a newborn. My doula actually made me angrier than anything and according to my husband, I told her to get the f out of my face and kicked her out of the room. And then on top of it my daughter had to be vacuum-assisted out because she decided to get wrapped in her cord. And then I got 24 stitches.
Birth plans hardly ever work. There’s no point to have your mind set on one thing and then be disappointed afterwards, especially when you can’t control the situation. I was so upset for like a month afterwards because I had an epi, but now, 8 months later seeing my friends give birth, TAKE THE DRUGS.
That is one shitty doula you had if she angered you enough to boot her. Their sole purpose is to support the laboring mother, regardless of what mommy chooses or doesn’t. I’m sorry for your experience with her.
I think because I was so stressed and her whole ‘keep calm, remember to breathe’ thing just made me so testy. I was like at one point, I don’t need a breathing reminder. She was really nice, my sister used her with 4 deliveries but I guess I may be a bit crazy.
Poor you!! 24 stitches is a lot!!!
My plan was to not have a plan! Go with your instincts…
Next time plan is definitely NOT to have a plan hahah. I was fine after 4 weeks really, just needed to learn how to cope with the mental anguish of going to the bathroom.
I feel (a little bit- I only had 4 stitches) your pain, girl. I’d never given much thought to going to the bathroom before-it really becomes a sport of sorts afterwards, lol. You’re a trooper!!
24 stitches! Oh you poor thing.
I like this interview. Mila gives a great interview. She looks gorgeous too. As for the birth plan- it’s amazing how many people get upset with people’s plans. I wish her the best.
I decided very early on that I did not want the epidural with my babies. I did not trust myself to stay completely still while they administered them and I had heard that it could cause problems if they hit nerves. I didn’t have any drugs with my first and then I had Staydol (probably not spelled right) with my second. The staydol did nothing for pain but just made me so loopy that I swear I saw pink elephants dancing in the room.
well clearly he’s told someone the sex seeing as how Us weekly said they were having a girl like 3 weeks ago. But I guess she’s just going to keep ignoring all of his bS.
She sticking to mostly gender neutral stuff on her pinterest…greys, yellows, baby jungle animals (some girly things, some stereotypical boy things)…its cute…though I do find it amusing she pinned baby proofing on a budget stuff. Like, what? lol.
I think that’s great. When women say they want to have a drug free birth they’re often told that they can’t do it and I think that’s rude. Of course they can, unless there’s a medical emergency.
My first was an induction and holy hell that was pain. My third I went into labor on my own (vbac!) and it was so much different. It hurt but it wasn’t contractions right on top of each other. I didn’t get my epidural until about an hour before I had her. I could have gone without, but I really, really, loved that nap.
I loved my epidural. I felt so rested after.
Expectant first time mommies should be taught early not to put unnecessary pressure on themselves. The unpreditability of labor and an outcome differing from what was *planned* only adds to the tsunami of post- partum emotions, and I would think could easily contribute to post- partum depression. Being a first time mom is an enormous adjustment as it is.
Better would be to learn about all possible outcomes, and how to intervene and manage from a parental and patient perspective. Then just hope and pray for the best.
(from a mom whose first delivery crashed & burned {but baby fine after overnight in NICU}, and whose subsequent twin pregnancy worried the hell out of the ob, but ended up peachy keen with no issues at all. Go figure, you just never know)
Am I the only one they gets annoyed that Ellen always asks this of pregnant guests? I like Ellen enough but she knows exactly what she’s doing when she asks this and it aggravates me every time. It perpetuates this idea that one way is better than the other (although Ellen acts all coy and innocent about the whole thing) and that any of it actually matters. I didn’t have an epidural the first time. Maybe I will with my second, maybe I won’t. I don’t see why it’d be of anyone’s concern whether or not I took drugs. The people I met before I gave birth that did ask me what I wanted either had an epidural horror story or a natural birth horror story. You just can’t win. It’s ridiculous. My advice to women is it’s great to have a plan (I’m lucky mine worked out) but things change and you just try to do the best you can to have a healthy baby and stay sane while you’re at it.
I opted for the epidural with both of my kids; it was the best choice for me, but I don’t care how you give birth. I tell everyone who asks that both of my labors/deliveries were textbook, easy, calm affairs, because I like to try to balance out the craziness that people feel compelled to share with pregnant women. Of course, it helps that it’s true, lol, but it amazes me that people tell expectant mothers their horror stories with glee. It doesn’t help anything, and anxiety can cause problems when you’re in labor. It falls under the heading of “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” IMO. If mom is healthy and baby is healthy, that’s a successful delivery, and the details are between mom and the professionals assisting her.
You should change your screen name to “Common Sense” lol
I was astounded at the horror stories I heard! Complications, “ripping” and miscarriages!!? I always tell people how awesome and calm it was (it was!!) because I wish I had heard that more!
The way you want to deliver your baby is such a personal matter and I don’t think anyone should feel pressure either way. I didn’t get the epidural with either of my two deliveries but it’s not something I talk about much because I would hate to make anyone feel like they need to defend their decision just because of my choice. I delivered in a hospital with a midwife and my midwife told me it was rare for a woman to deliver without one. I think women feel like they won’t be able to handle the pain and so opt out early on, but the female body is capable of so much when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. I felt like I could tackle anything after going through with the labor and delivery naturally. It’s empowering and a testament to how amazing we are as a gender. Of course in order to go through with it I had to stay focused and do my best to relax with the contractions. I basically pretended like the epidural wasn’t there, and believe me the nurses offered it many times. I’m not going to lie, it was the worst pain of my life but overall it’s a very personal experience and decision. I really admire women in general who go through labor and delivery, even if drugs are involved! Pushing out a baby and recovering afterwards is no small feat.
I always disagree with this mainly because it only applies to birth. For personal reasons, I elected to have my wisdom teeth extracted with the absolute minimum of pain relief and to remain conscious the whole time. I elected to have an IUD insertion without any medications too – but for my own reasons. Nobody ever told me I should feel “empowered” or that I did a great thing by doing both either unmedicated or with the bare minimum. Most people thought I was nuts! But for some reason, giving birth without meds is supposed to be a hallmark of something great. I don’t get it. If you’d take meds for a headache or for a ton of other conditions, why is birth so special? I get that it’s not a “medical condition” per se, but that doesn’t change that the amount of pain you’ll feel will equal – or exceed – the pain of a lot of “medical conditions.” I just don’t get it.
You can get pain meds for an IUD? I had no idea! Mine was done without too. However, I needed to be unconscious for the surgical removal that later followed 🙁
Yes, seems like you can. I was advised to take painkillers for 24 hours beforehand and was offered a lidocaine cervical block (which involves getting an injection directly into your cervix – no siree). But yes, meds are available to me, I just opted for none. A lot of my friends say that you need to ask for them, but they are available.
Birth has an entire hormonal and spiritual cycle to it. Some people, like myself, do not plan to interrupt any of that cycle through medication. I don’t want my baby to have medication in him when he is born. I want to get through the authentic experience of naturally giving birth.
Alot of medical interventions lead to higher rates of Csection.
I’m hiring a doula, learning meditation practices, and educating myself about the history of childbirth. This is an experience I want to have, not one I want to numb my body and mind through. And there’s nothing wrong with that. You don’t have to judge any woman who chooses to give birth naturally.
Patricia, I don’t want to sound harsh or cynical, but here goes. Birth is not inherently spiritual. It’s a biological process. I know plenty of women for whom its a religious or spiritual thing, but that’s only for THEM.
But I still come back to the same question. Women seem to hold a really strong belief that birth is somehow unique in that the pain of birth needs to be experienced or felt, whereas the pain (often lesser pain) of anything else needs to be numbed or done away with. Frankly, I don’t see the difference. Pain is largely the same. Your body responds in the same way to pain, regardless of the context. I don’t get women who try to come up with some large or abstract concept for natural birth. I wanted a natural birth for one single reason – because I was scared to death of the idea of letting a person insert a large needly so close to my spinal cord. That’s it. No real higher purpose or anything. Just good old fear. Frankly, I find those reasons far more convincing. It’s not me being judgmental, it’s me trying to make some logical sense of the actual arguments.
First time moms always say they’re going to go all natural… because until you go through it, you have no clue what you’re talking about, haha. You learn after the first kid not to broadcast your birth plan. Rookie mistake.
You do realize plenty of women around the world do go without the drugs, often several kids in, right?
The vast majority of natural births in the world do NOT happen by choice. They happen because the moms are in situations where pain relief is simply not available or cannot be afforded. Natural birth by choice is a very new concept. Not everyone lives how we live. It’s very different situations.
I’m one of them. I’m just saying – don’t go around blabbing about what your birth plan is ahead of time – you don’t know what will happen!
I think we just need to stop judging each other. If you want an epidural, get one. If you don’t want one, then don’t. There have been plenty of successful births with drugs and without. Just as there have been unsuccessful births with both. So choose whatever you are comfortable with. Same goes for the hospital/home birth debate.
Agree totally
With all the information on childbirth out there I’m amazed how many still have kids. Very. Brave.
I had a “flexible” birth plan too. Like, this is what I want but we’ll deal with whatever comes up. Although, an epidural was a part of my plan for both kids. But HAAAHAAA to that because the epidural for my first didn’t work. I felt every bit of my 22 hours of labor/2.5 hours of pushing/stitching. For my second I was very excited to enjoy a pain-free birth. And again HAAHAA…I got to the hospital and they said “too late girl, time to push”. So again, I felt every bit of those 2 hours of labor/20 minutes of pushing/stitching.
It sucked at the time, but seriously, I survived, the kids are awesome, what does it matter at this point? It’s just fun to tell the stories.
Without make up, stylists and photoshop, this is one plain looking and at times virtually unattractive woman.
I’m pregnant and absolutely dreading labor. You’re damn right I’m having whatever drugs they will give me. And don’t give a poo what anyone thinks about my choices. If I could, I would pay thousands extra to have a C-section, but my OB has vetoed it…
Damn right you will and good on you for being honest! Actually the less pain your in the faster it will go. I’ve had 3 kids. Get it over and done with and don’t wait too long to get that pain under control. If the nurse asks you if you are in pain SAY YES even if it’s tolerable. It takes FOREVER to get pain medicine going in the ward of a major hospital cause they’re Fn busy ..this way you’ll be in queue before it gets bad, I learned the hard way once…remember It’s not a contest of bravery GOOD LUCK to you! XO
“I watched ‘The Business of Being Born’ and now I want a natural birth”… How about you make your own choices and not ones based on some movie.
I feel that it is no ones business how a mother chooses to handle her childbirth pain. I had an extremely long and painful ‘natural’ labor, followed by an emergency c-section. There is no prize at the end of your natural labor and no shame in accepting the medications. That is what childbirth has taught me. Good luck to her and I hope she remains flexible, as the only thing have matters is a healthy baby at the end of it all.
She is really smart to do the natural thing but in a hospital setting. As someone who wanted to try to do the same but then had a life threatening emergency with myself and the baby…all I can say is thank God we were in the hospital or we would both have died. No joke. If she can make it through the labor pain with no drugs then more power to her. I had to have an emergency C section and I vividly recall talking to my Mother after the birth and saying that I now admire women that have more than one baby! Personally, If things had not been so dire and I had a normal birth process I probably would have chosen the drugs to help with the pain. I really had no clue just how much and how intense the pain would actually be. And I worked in a hospital for 10 years. It was scary and thank goodness the hospital staff was amazing and my Mother was with me during the process. A NICU nurse told me that if my son had gone to term (he was 2 1/2 months premature) he would have easily been a 10 pound baby and that I probably would have had to do the C section anyway. Bottom line, every birth process is unique. Every Mom to be must make her own choices in line with her own beliefs. No judgment.
When did birth stories become so competitive? It’s so annoying. It doesn’t matter if you had a quick, painless, drug-free birth or if had a long hard labor. One isn’t more impressive than the other. As long as the mother and baby are fine that’s all that matters.
Am I hallucinating or am I the only one that heard her say “I’m doing It the right way” after she said she was going all natural?
And I thought they were going to keep their lives as private as possible? God, the hypocrisy drives me batty.
Recent statistics show that maternal death in the U.S. has risen to a rate of 1 in 2,400. That may not sound like a lot, but it’s about 42 times higher than the risk of dying during a sky dive jump, 3 times higher than dying on the job in construction, 2-1/2 times higher than being a police or sheriff, and slightly higher than being a coal miner. I don’t know why any woman would choose to give birth at home, away from medical help if needed. Is it some kind of social “accomplishment” like saying “I’m tougher/healthier than other women”? Is it pressure from churches or conservative groups that consider “women things” as belonging “in the home”? Seriously, I don’t get it.
Didn’t she once say when she has kids she will basically retire? Sounds awesome to me. I used to like her but no longer impressed. I actually like them as a couple though.
Blah blah blah I love her but all these first time moms always want a “natural” birth until they’re 1/2 way through labor and realize they’d slap their own Granny to get the severe and brutal pain of labor to stop—then they’re signing consent forms for an epidural pronto!!
I was amazed at the amount of pain even with the epidural. I thought it was a numb from the waist situation but they dialed it back I think so I could feel the contractions. I have no idea what all happened but it was still quite painful and I was amazed that the pain was mainly in the anal region but I guess it makes sense!
My doc said I could push an addl 45 minutes or get an episiotomy. There was no question in my mind and after the next push out she came!
Also – she is TINY and the baby daddy is huge. Good luck with all the natural stuff honey! I learned not to have any grand plans because so many things can turn your birth plan upside down that are completely out of your control.
It sounds like Mila has an open-minded birth plan, which is great! I had a water birth (in a hospital), and it was amazing, albeit painful (I don’t consider myself as having a high pain threshold at all!). If I had to do it over, I would still choose the water birth. My labor was pretty average, around 12 hours long, but I think if I had a grueling long labor, I maybe would have opted for an epidural. As long as the mother is educated on her options, whatever she chooses is her business. The ultimate goal is a healthy mother and healthy baby!
Oh wow wow wow. I just want to say, how refreshing it is reading this thread than the other one.
I don’t know if maternity wards are magically exempt, but hospital-acquired infection is a very serious and growing problem. Hospitals are full of sick people… And it’s often a losing battle trying to keep the viral/bacterial populations under control. Microbeasties’ antibiotic resistance is typically carried in circular bits of DNA floating in the cytoplasm, which can be shared even between different species. So if one species mutates to resist an antibiotic, others it encounters can pick up the resistance also even when they are entirely different species of bacteria. Hospitals are like country clubs for the microbeasties, letting different species mingle who might never meet in the wild.
In addition, medical personnel are not always scrupulous about the endless handwashing required. Remember that many women in the olden days died from childbirth because doctors didn’t think it was necessary to wash their hands between patients, and they gave the mothers fatal diseases. Doctors know better now, but it’s a royal pain trying to keep ahead of the microbes these days and they (and nurses etc) can get just sloppy enough to cause problems.
This is why a hospital is a risky place to be in for anybody and the more distance birthing centers can have from them, the better. I’m sure this problem is one of the reasons some people prefer a home birth if possible, but birth is such a common experience we need to focus on happy compromises to minimize infection risk while having access to life-saving equipment and personnel.
A doctor friend of mine washed and washed her hand so much, and still she said that the germs would die either from the wash or round down with so much scrubbing! either way they would be GONE!
tnks for those doctors!
Here in Florida we had a mother give birth and contract streptococcus and lost all four of her limbs, became a quadruple amputee. It was very sad. They wouldn’t even tell her how she got it as it would violate other patients’ rights and told her she would have to sue to get the information, which of course she did. She eventually settled out of court
Sam,
It’s empowering because through pain you gain so much. A new life and a new found respect for what you are capable of. I think any woman that delivers should feel empowered regardless of if they choose to get an epidural or not. The whole point of what I said was that it’s my opinion and this is how I felt about my own delivery. Many people experience pain with no reward. Getting your wisdom teeth pulled without meds is not the same thing as delivering a baby (and I don’t mean pain wise). Pain for pains sake is not the reason I delivered naturally so I don’t compare it to another form of pain because of course at that point I wouldn’t feel empowered because it just doesn’t have the same sentiment to me. Also if someone says that they feel labor and delivery is a spiritual process that’s their prerogative. Of course child birth is also biological but it definitely can be an emotional or spiritual journey as well and I feel many mothers would agree.
Liz, I’m sorry, but that doesn’t make any logical sense. Your whole theory is premised upon “look at what I can endure.” But that isn’t unique to childbirth. You went through a great deal of pain and are proud that you did it. But so did I. Endurance is basically the same regardless. Childbirth pain, scientifically, is basically EXACTLY the same as any other pain. Your brain reacts basically the same to both. Your body doesn’t recognize pain as different. It’s largely the same and your brain and body deals with it the same. Nothing you’ve said is premised upon science, logic or evidence. It’s just how you feel. And I don’t think the “reward” theory works either. I certainly got rewards for what I did – I got a few rotting teeth out of my mouth and was realized of the toothaches I’d been having. I was rewarded for my IUD insertion with 5 years of pregnancy-free relations. I don’t think the reward theory works either. I just think natural childbirth is nice (and don’t begrudge it to anyone) but most of the arguments in favor of it tend to fail when held up to scrutiny.
I went epi free for both of my live kids. I went totally natural with number 1 & had to have a smallish amount of Pitocin with number 2. Number 2 hurt WAY worse, but oh well. I had a stupid amount of drugs when I gave birth to my twins at 18 weeks. They actually gave me way, way too much & I kinda freaked out, but they were trying to be nice since I was losing them for sure. I HATED the lack of control which is why I opted out again for my daughter (born 8 weeks ago).
I’m glad that families are given more choice these days, I just wish that doctors were more forthcoming with options
I had an all natural childbirth. I went into labor Friday night and delivered my daughter Sunday morning at 11:30 am. Maybe the long labor is what made it possible to be drug free since the pain just built up over time and I adjusted to it. I didn’t even go to the hospital until Sunday morning and was too far dilated to even get an epidural if I wanted one. I also did not tear nor did I have an episiotomy and my daughter was 8lbs 9 ounces. I was a bit of a rebel though. My birthing plan included having a midwife. I delivered in the hospital of course but chose to have a midwife basically handle my pregnancy with occasional visits to the OB to check on the baby, etc. But my pregnancy was healthy so it was ok to continue with the midwife birth. Well I got to the hospital, was the only one who chose the midwife option so the one on duty gave me 100% of her attention the whole time I was in labor. She rubbed my feet, talked to me, helped me find the most comfortable birthing position and just made the whole experience better. Unlike the other birthing mothers who had to share the doctor on duty to deliver their babies.
Nobody’s talking about this but my guess is that she’s 6 months’ pregnant. That’s the amount of time she said Ashton has been learning Russian.
Her birth plan sounds like the one I had: Try to avoid drugs for as long as possible, but nothing was off the table, because I didn’t know what would happen. I wound up having a very long and hard labor, and taking everything they offered me. None of it worked, including the epidural.
After my daughter was born, I read about a study in Finland (I think) that showed that natural redheads can be up to 40% more anesthesia-resistant than other groups. Wish I’d known that before–and that I’d had a better anesthesiologist.
“I did this to myself, I might as well do it right.” Uhhhh, thanks, Mila. So those of us that have chosen to use modern medicine to relieve our pain, or more onerously, save our life, have done it wrong? I personally had an emergency C-section after I was induced for a week, my water was broken, and I still couldn’t physically dilate. What then? Is modern medicine suddenly acceptable? I just think it’s so hypocritical to say something like that. What is “right” is what makes the mother the most comfortable and ends with the healthiest baby, whatever path that may be.
Did you read everything she said? Where is she judging you for your emergency c-section?
“So I’m gonna do it as all natural as I possibly can unless there’s an emergency or something [goes] wrong.”
Yeah, good luck with that….I had rude awakening when I also wanted to have natural birth only to realize that my baby was breech all the way up to 39 weeks and had to have a c-section also I had a strong desire to breast feed only to realize that my milk would take up to 4 four days to come in after the birth not only that but had a low supply and not only that my child had trouble latching on….so you can plan all you want it never really happens the way you plan it…..but thank god my child is doing very well being born at 7 lbs 11 oz is now up to 9 lbs at only 1 month old
I don’t blame her in her case.
The staff at the hospital ask me at every visit if I have a birth plan. I keep telling them “no” and they love me for it, for some reason. I guess you could say I have a semi-plan – definitely an epidural if I have him naturally, but that’s because I broke my back many years ago and it’s giving me major problems. Apart from that – vaginal or c-section? It doesn’t matter to me. His safe arrival and my back are my only concerns and I’ll wait to see what happens on the day.
For some reason, I just don’t believe their really in love. I see Mila as his rebound from his marriage with that old woman, WHF…Demi. I don’t see this lasting.