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Kylie Kelce is in the final days of her pregnancy with baby girl #4. She starts this week’s episode of her podcast Not Gonna Lie by warning listeners that she could go into labor at any time and jokingly urges the baby to “get out.” Kylie has been very candid about pregnancy and parenthood. Since this week’s ep may very well be the last one she records before giving birth, Kylie decided to talk about one last pregnancy topic: birth plans.
As you know, women have to put up with a lot of sh-t in life, including judgment and unsolicited opinions. This week’s topic came about because Kylie saw women in TikTok comments sharing some of the offensive things they were told after giving birth via c-section. Well, Kylie, who gave birth vaginally the first three times, has some words for anyone out there poo-pooing women for their birth plans, especially if they opt for an epidural or a C-section. That message: GFY.
Kylie Kelce is not mincing words when it comes to critics of other moms’ birth plans. The pregnant mother of three, who is just days away from welcoming her fourth child with husband Jason Kelce, took a minute to get candid on the topic on the Thursday, March 27 episode of her Not Gonna Lie podcast.
While discussing her own birth plan, which she said included an epidural — “I just want a fat needle in my back,” she said — Kylie, 33, shut down critics of moms who opt for a medicated birth.
“People who dismiss birth with an epidural as being not a true birth experience, I can promise you from the bottom of my heart, I felt every part of labor,” she shared.
She also took a moment to call out those who claim that moms who have C-Sections “did not experience birth.”
“I’m trying to be nice,” Kylie began before adding, “No, never mind. Go f— yourself. You can kindly f— right off.”
She added, “The person you’re speaking to just grew a human being and for whatever reason that little baby needed to come out the front, not the bottom. You know whose business that is? Not f—— yours.”
“They just had massive abdominal surgery. Abdominal surgery to get out the human life that they just built. I can’t believe that people say that. That is horrific. I dare you to say that within earshot of me,” she continued.
While she acknowledged her stance was “aggressive,” she said she’s “standing by it.”
“I said what I said,” she added.
After previously sharing that she was a particularly large baby who was delivered via C-Section herself, Kylie quipped, “You think that when I was 12 pounds, one ounce and I had to come out the front in on my 5-foot-2 mother that she didn’t experience birth? I will kick your ass in honor of [my mother] Lisa.”
As for her own birth plan and labor essentials, the Philadelphia native noted that she has “such a short list.” Kylie said noting that she doesn’t listen to music during labor.
“I watch shows while we’re waiting for the baby to descend,” Kylie, who is mom to daughters Wyatt, 5, Elliotte, 4, and Bennett, 2, explained. “I do what is advised by the medical staff in the hospital because I truly believe that labor and delivery nurses are angels that have descended from heaven and landed on Earth.”
“The person you’re speaking to just grew a human…You know whose business that is? Not f—— yours.” Amazing. I love how Kylie is such a girl’s girl who stands up for what she believes in and isn’t afraid to tell someone to F off because they are wrong. Women supporting women, y’all. She’s right, though. A woman’s birth plan is between herself and her healthcare provider. There is no need to steamroll someone with your own opinions or get all judgy about someone else’s choices. The goal is safely delivering the baby. This also goes for other decisions, like breastfeeding. When it comes to these things, only give your opinion if you’re asked for it. And even then, listen and be respectful.
Also, I am so freaking impressed that Kylie is able to watch TV while she’s in labor. I got an epidural with my older son, but was too anxious to do anything other than marvel at how wonderful it felt, nervously play on my phone, and stare out the window as I waited for the Pitocin to do its thing. I wish I’d thought to bring a laptop and pop on Netflix. With my younger son, I was medically unable to get one because my platelets dropped suddenly. I’m pretty sure I left my body in between contractions, lol. Anyway, Kylie is a fantastic advocate for women. I love her and am so grateful that she’s out there, spreading the word and hopefully making a difference.
The infection risk and scar tissue for C-sections are also a concern. Whether delivered front or down, women’s bodies suffer during childbirth.
And you know what kind of pain management you get after a C-section? “Alternate Tylenol and Advil for a few days!” It’s insane.
Yeah I was horrified when I spoke to a friend years ago and she explained how she felt when she got home from the hospital with nothing but paracetamol!
I had a c-section in 2021 and they sent me home with hydrocodone. The nurse told me “Don’t try to be Superwoman, take them if you’re in pain.”
Note: It was a limited amount of the medication I was prescribed, maybe 1 or 2 weeks worth- no issue with addiction.
Same
Same when I had a c-section I’m 2016. I took a limited amount but it helped me function the first week after my c-section.
I have had an epidural which did lessen the pain some but it wore off right before delivery and the screaming in agony began. I had the second birth without epidural because the catholic hospital did not do epidurals. The staff of nurses were also nuns who were greeted with some very foul language because of the pain I was in. Child birth is child birth no matter if it’s epidural or c-section or natural!!!
How odd. Is that still the norm? Religious hospitals want women in pain?
I gave birth in a Catholic hospital; they certainly do Epidurals. There might have been a different reason your hospital did not.
Why is mom shaming still a thing? Love her response.
And by other moms no less.
I had a young female coworker once who thought that a woman shouldn’t give birth through C-section. I don’t remember how the conversation came about, but I said I am surprised any woman would prefer natural birth. She got angry and heated about this. I said, there is no way I am gonna be awake and push a whole human baby out of my body. She was saying how that means you won’t be a real mother because of c-section. It is honestly weird a lot of women buy this. If men gave birth, they would do it with zero pain and get one year paid parental leave just for the trauma. Women judging other women and expecting them to feel the worst pain for the principle are the worst. Good for Kylie for talking about this publicly!
As someone who just went through a c-section 3 months ago, I also want to tell these women to eff right off. I laboured without epidural for 18 hours. Then asked for an epidural because the pain was unbearable, as I couldn’t move positions due to my baby’s heart rate inexplicably dropping when I did. When I failed to progress past 7 cm, and my baby’s heart rate was still a big question mark, I had to have a c-section. Turns out the umbilical cord was wrapped around her ear and over her shoulder. Basically, I never would have been able to safely v- deliver her. And after c-section, you’re in a lot of pain and have to take a lot of precautions because it is major abdominal surgery. And some a-hole is going to turn to me and say that I didn’t experience birth? Yeah, I’ll punch them right in their ugly face. I despise women who judge other women for crap like this. Trust that every mom does what is best and safest for their baby. I still cry when I think of what could have happened if we hadn’t proceeded with the c-section when we did.
Sending hugs. My BFF and a neighbor had similar experiences – were in labor for what seemed like ages, and then moved to emergency c-sections. Like you, they got the worst of both worlds. A planned c-section is completely different (emotionally, physically) than an emergency c-section. I hope, if you have another child, you have a birth experience that is trauma-free.
The narrative of the tabloids in the 90s and 00s was to publicly shame women who planned c-sections such as Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Naomi Watts etc. This was all part of publicly body shaming women in general.
They were labelled as mothers who didn’t want to push as they wanted their vaginas to remain attractive after giving birth. So it was to please their partners who may not have wanted loose vaginas after a vaginal birth.
So I blame the patriarchy and misogyny of the tabloids.
” Like you, they got the worst of both worlds. ”
That is how I felt about my delivery. in the end I had a beautiful, healthy baby, but I was induced, it didn’t work. I never dilated beyond a few centimeters and they kept this whole dance up where they’d up the meds, and her heart rate would go wonky, they’d lower the meds, for quite awhile. Dilation never progressed and eventually they had todoa c-section. She was over 10 pounds and an L&D Nurse on my case later said “I knew you weren’t going to deliver vaginally”.
I recovered very well from my c-section and was fine with it. But I did feel a bit like “gee, if only they didn’t torture me for 2.5 days before deciding to take that route!” It did feel like “worst of both worlds”.
Obviously, even mom’s with a scheduled C-Section are then new moms to a newborn while recoveringfrom major abdominal surgery. That is also hard. But if it is scheduled, the lead up is a lot smoother at least.
It’s wild to me that any woman is going to judge others on how the baby got here.The important part is they GET here, and raising them to be healthy, happy and productive.
My first birth was similar, 11 hours unmedicated with front AND back labour before I “gave in” and got an epidural. I had extreme pain from the contractions which I literally blacked out from at one point right before they shoved that giant needle in my back. I only made it to like 2cm dilated before they did an emergency c section after 27 hours of labour.
Second birth was an elective C section and it was great. Went in at 7am, baby cut out at 8am, went back to my room and chilled out for 5 days in a private suite, happy and high as a kite on painkillers. 5 out of 5 stars, highly recommend haha.
WTF?! I’m sorry you had to hear that! “Won’t be a *real* mother…”?? If I didn’t have my c-section, I would have been a dead mother.
The hate some women give other women always astonishes me.
Same. 12 hours of labour and then an abruption meant an emergency c-section. Both could have died otherwise.
Second was an elective because I did not want that trauma again. Baby came out so chubby the doctor said there was no way I’d have been able to v-deliver.
I side eye anyone who thinks c-section is not birth.
Forgot to add that it took a resident 4 tries to break my water. This was before the epidural.
If you’ve been listening to this season of Something Was Wrong, you know how a lot of those natural birthing centers like Origins treat their “patients” and I put that in quotes, because these women are paying customers.
We don’t have kids so maybe that’s why I find the judginess of these online Mom communities so bizarre but man oh man am I happy I’m not part of that world. It sounds like a competition for women to prove how worthy they are of motherhood based on how much pain they’re willing to endure. So toxic. And don’t get me started on all the SM influencers and cottage industries that are popping up to cash in on this obsession with natural birth. I will never understand why women do this shit to each other…..
Good on Kylie for shutting that shit down and giving women permission to have an epidural and I can’t believe I just said that but that’s where we are, folks.
I am not a mom- but i just Love Kylie’s whole vibe. The podcast is funny and sharp and endlessly relatable. She has also had a really impressive guest list on her podcast of women, as she says, “i have no business speaking to”.
She and Michelle Obama talking about being 5ft 11 in hs and how male athletes lie about their height, then gaslight tall girls like no you can’t be 5ft 11 b/c i’m 6ft 2 and we’re the same height.
It was deepy funny.
It is the one podcast i listen to every week.
Plus, she caps the podcast at 45 minutes b/c women don’t have time for all this crap.
Back when I had mine this thought process started being vocalized. I recall how I felt less than. And then my mom set me straight. Fk to anyone who says it. It’s not right and people should keep their mouth closed. Bad enough the trauma the body goes through psychologically and physically and then have to be a functioning mom, hormones crazy and then we hear stupid shit like this.
I guess I’m still annoyed by it all these years later but how women – moms can tear other women down is Effing crazy to me. I tell all expecting moms to not take everyone’s advice and if they feel they need help to go get it. Nothing wrong with it at all. A strong momma is what the baby needs. And yes I see the irony that I’m also giving advice.
I stand with her. Good job!!!
I remember being in the “new moms group” I joined when my son was an infant, and there was a woman there with an almost one year old who desperately wanted to get pregnant again because she had to have a c-section with her previous child, and wanted to “prove” that she could give birth vaginally. I remember being shocked that she would have another child just to soothe her own ego. The shame was severe.
I’m so grateful that I had such a supportive OBGYN. He said “Women should be able to choose how they give birth. I strongly believe that.” I was already prepared for a planned c-section because my daughter was breached and then at 38 weeks, bam she flipped over. I had been through soooo much just to have her: Multiple miscarriages, infertility and two IVF transfers. My doctor said most of his patients who had been through IVF chose planned C’s. I had had enough uncertainty and devastation: I Just wanted to know when, where and how I’d give birth to her. I will never regret my decision. Thankfully, I’ve never encountered anyone putting me down for it.
I hope Kylie empowers other women to adopt her take-no-prisoners attitude. She so clearly is comfortable with her decisions — it’s beautiful to see.
‘You know whose business that is? Not f—— yours.” I’m stealing this line for sure!!
My daughter’s OBGYN recommended a c-section after finding the baby’s head in the 98th percentile. Was there an additional reason? Possibly but I’m the grandma and this is what I know. After the baby was born every nurse who came in asked her why she had a c-section. It was with a bit of an accusatory tone making her feel defensive. I don’t know why each nurse asked the same question. Any ideas?
Does having c-section make nurses’ schedule busier? I mean, you need to stay longer if you had c-section instead of natural birth, since it is a significant operation, right? I remember people talking about how women in USA stay in the hospital longer than in Europe after birth because they or their doctors choose c-section more frequently. Still, it shouldn’t be anyone’s business, but the woman who literally made the baby with her body for months.
Had the same experience, also outside the hospital. Despite being very confident with my decision, I hated this question. It had underlying hostility in my perception- almost “explain yourself”. Like somebody wanting to validate if my reason was good enough and it felt like I had to answer with “I almost died and they had to do a cc”. I had cc because I wanted to be a mom and nothing terrified me more than spontaneous birth. For many reasons. But I rarely share this because of the judgement, and the problem is that I will gladly say “go f yourself” to a stranger but not to my nosy, but otherwise friendly neighbor, with whom I want to be on good terms.
Good for Kylie! I had my c section nearly 20 years ago because I had had uterine surgery in 1997 and the doctor did not want to risk a rupture. No one ‘accused’ me of not really giving birth, but if they had they would have received a long cold blank stare. I was older (41) at the time I gave birth and had long lost any effs to give over anyone’s judgement, and that also includes the big breastfeeding hoo hah. What is important is that the mom and baby are alive and healthy, the baby is well fed and loved. Thank goodness for modern medicine.
Breastfeeding is my second favorite. This is what I thought was doing “right”, but it turned out not right quite quickly haha! For the first 3-4 months it was cute for everyone, then it stared: you are STILL breastfeeding? She just ate, are you going to breastfeed AGAIN? Are you going to breastfeed HERE?! I can go on. Basically once you see two lines on a test get ready to be judged all the time. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. You are going to have a baby? Cool! When is another one coming? Only one? So self centered! Third? Do you know what contraception is??
I had a C section because I didn’t want to risk a traumatic vaginal birth. I absolutely loved my planned, calm, completely pain free birth (recovery is not pain free but honestly I was just really happy my vagina lived to see another day). Very happy, 10/10, would C section again.
I had both my kids with unmedicated hospital births, and what Kylie says has always been my stance. I think you should do whatever is the medically safe option you want.
I didn’t do an epidural because I am terrified of spinal needle things, and as a red head, doctors have never gotten pain meds right on the first try with anything I’ve done. And with my first labor, my sister in law had just experienced a birth where the epidural only affected half her body, which sounded like literal torture to me. My first birth was a beating (36 hours, 4 pushing) and I tore pretty bad, but still the biggest pain of recovery was wrenching my shoulder during pushing at the end. Second baby was two pounds heavier and was like 5 pushes 😂.
Anyway. Duck the patriarchy, have the birth you want or need, fed is best.
Maybe I’m naive or run with the right people, but I’ve NEVER heard anyone criticize C-sections as not-real birth. I’m appalled that that’s even a mentality others have. How could anyone think that? And CB community – many of you have come across this? I’m gobsmacked.
Team Kylie.
That is such a strange thing to shame other mothers for. I was born via C Section because I turned on my side at the last minute and there was literally no way my mother was able to push me out in that position. What do those women think should be done in a case like that…? Just keep pushing and hope for the best? What a dangerous way to think.
I’ve had one of each, and both were difficult in different ways (for me, that is). I found VB difficult during the actual birth process (painful, exhausting, unrelenting), but the recovery quick and mostly pain free. I found the CS easy during the birth, but the recovery was a doozy! Felt like I’d been hit by a truck 😖
Just the process of getting a baby out, either way, can be a very difficult experience.
Nuance: First off, a C-section is a birthing experience. It may be different from a VB, but it makes you a parent, end of. I and my children would not be alive without emergency C-sections, and I’m incredibly grateful that they were a healthcare option: a hundred years ago or in different circumstances, we’d be dead. A CS is not going to stop you from feeding, caring for or raising a child! Not to mention adoption?! Kylie’s awesome for calling this out!
Next, there are far more health consequences short and long term that are connected to C-sections for both the mother and the child. Operation complications, recovery, problems in subsequent pregnancies are fairly obvious. Long term possibilities include autoimmune disease, adhesions, etc,…children of C-sections also have a higher risk for certain diseases, allergies, and asthma and this can affect them longterm. I don’t think it’s judgy to question unnecessary C-sections at all.
In the Netherlands ( where I live), the rate of this surgery is about 14%, but in the US (where I’m from) almost one out of every three births are via C-section! That is crazy high, and it looks like a major healthcare failure.