Kate Hudson posted this Instagram ^^ of herself and her 13-year-old son Ryder this week. Kate shaved her head/got a buzzcut more than a month ago, and she did it on behalf of some sort of “secret project” with Sia. I still don’t know, nor do I care, honestly. I’ve actually been sort of a Kate Hudson apologist this whole time – she’s one of those celebrities who doesn’t really annoy me, and I find her attempts at “realness” to actually come across as real. But I’m not going to defend her about this. Kate is the cover girl for the latest issue of Cosmo, and inside the magazine, she did one of those fill-in-the-blank questionnaires. The laziest thing she’s ever done? Well…
Kate Hudson is feeling the wrath of mothers after implying that getting a cesarean section is taking the easy route when it comes to childbirth. The 38-year-old mother of two appears on Cosmopolitan’s October cover — and found herself facing controversy when she answered “Have a C-Section!” when asked to name the laziest thing she’s ever done. Hudson gave birth to now-13-year-old son Ryder via c-section.
Social media users have been sharing her answer and criticizing her response.
“Hey #KateHudson – please tell me which part of major abdominal surgery is “lazy”? The procedure? The heal time? The 9 months of work prior?” tweeted one reader. Another wrote, “Hey #KateHudson c sections saved my sons’ lives….sorry you define that as lazy #GetAClue.”
Another mom wrote, “Yeah, #KateHudson, having my daughter by c-section instead of letting her die was really “lazy” of me. Lost so much respect for you there.”
Hudson’s rep didn’t immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.
Hollywood women have such bizarre ideas about work, laziness, fitness, diets and all of that. Since Kate hasn’t explained this since it became a controversy this week, my only guess is that she was talking specifically about herself, that she had an elective C-section with one of her sons and that she still thinks of it as the “lazy way out.” You know me – I’m happily childfree, but if I ever needed to give birth, I would have gone with ALL THE DRUGS and an elective C-section too. I would want to be completely knocked out for days. That’s not laziness, it’s fear of pain. Stop judging women who have elective – or medically necessary – C-sections, and stop judging women who make other birthing plans. There is no “lazy” when it comes to childbirth, for the love of God. It’s all a horror show, just my opinion.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.
I have to be honest the elective c section I had was pretty easy and the recovery time was virtually zip…the emergency c section I had to have for my earlier pregnancy was not however. Pretty damn horrific experience.
I had an emergency c-section with my first, now pregnant with my second and going for an elective so this is comforting to read because i was a MESS for a long time after the first and wouldn’t wish an emergency surgery of any kind on anyone.
Hi Rose, I’ve also just had an elective after a previous emergency c-section, and it is like night and day. So much less stressful, I was also so traumatised the first time. Wishing you lots of luck!
Thanks Cas, that’s also great to hear. It’s taken 4 years for me to come round to the idea of going through it all again, hopefully more prepared now 🙂
I had an emergency c with my first and elective with my second (well kind of elective – they are 20 months apart and the rule here is more then 18 months and you can try VBAC, but my babies are huge so my OB and i agreed not to try. She was 9.4 with a giant head, so i stick by my decision) and it was so incredibly different for the second. So much easier, less pain, i could move no problem. Still take care of yourself and don’t push yourself too hard after. It is easy to think you can do more then you can since you feel better then last time, but you are still recovering from surgery. I was so terrified that it would be as bad and it was nothing compared to the first one. I guess being in labour for 3 days before the first really took its toll on me LOL. I hope you have a similar experience i did for the second.
Good luck with your delivery!
The women commenting on her c-section are overly judgmental in assuming she’s talking about every woman who ever had a c-section. No, she’s only referring to herself. SHE took the easy way out. Their reasons for having a c-section are completely different and therefore, their comments are irrelevant.
Right, but even though it was easy, doesn’t make it lazy. It made it the best decision for you and your baby.
Oh exactly! It has nothing to do with being lazy!
Agreed! I had to have a planned Csection and I was so scared. It was “easy” by comparison and my girlfriends have been unanimous in saying this as well.
She certainly is no blonde, and I went natural all the way when having my 2 children. OUCH!!
Yikes…. an elective c section is not a good choice in my eyes!!! Cutting through your stomach doesn’t sound like a way to avoid pain. You then have stitches and a scar across your gut that have to heal…???
I’d heard it’s not easy to get a doc to do an elective c-section for those reasons, but Hollywood’s probably different.
She bugs me, she always has. But I’m guessing she threw out that answer with very little thought and regrets it now.
Totally agree with all you said she gets on my nerves for some reason
Me too. Don’t find her talented. If it wasn’t for her mother, we probably wouldn’t know her name. Maybe with that buzz, she’s going to do Private Benjamin II. Lol
13 years ago it was pretty easy; ACOG came out strongly against those a few years back.
It’s not an easy or good choice to make if you don’t need to do so. Scheduled c-sections are a bit easier because the stress factor is not there as much. But, most of the women I know that have had c-sections have not had an easy time afterwards. Most end up with an infection where the cut was made. Plus, for most they want you to not do a whole lot the first 6 weeks.
Yep. I’ve been through a 48h labor begging for no c-section, I wanted to avoid surgery if not absolutely necessary, and I’m happy I did. C-section isn’t lazy or easy at all.
I do not agree that it is not a good choice to make. It’s not an easy choice, but there can be difficult circumstances when giving birth that can make it a good choice. even if not completely necesseray but just an option. I.E. the size or the position of the baby, the mother being exhausted after long labour, not ideal if not critical heart signals from the baby or levels of oxygen, etc.
From my view it does not even have to be medical criteria to make it a good option in some circumstances.
Also, I think it is really untrue, that most cases of a c-section “end up with an infection” etc. Procedures are often very good nowadays and can lead to fast healing scars and wounds and fast recovery. Depending on the birth, also faster recovery then vaginal birth.
Really – every birth is difference, every vaginal birth and every c-sections. Statements that its generally not a good choice are from my perspective, ignorant.
“Most” women do not end up with an infection afterwards. Who are these women and which hospital did they give birth in???
It can happen but a lot can happen during vaginal delivery as well. In my opinion, neither is a great choice for your body but that’s how you have a baby so that’s that.
@littlemissnaughty & @tenniswho- I said most of the women I KNOW. Both my daughters had infections and a friend of my had a huge infection. The hospital my daughters gave birth in is one of the best in the area that I live in.
@tenniswho – I also said it’s not a good choice IF YOU DON’T NEED TO DO SO. If there are good reasons to do a c-section by all means that is the way you should go but if it is not necessary then I don’t know why you would want to do surgery when not necessary.
@ swak – thanks for your reply. Interesting that the three women you know who had a c-section all had an infection. I still think though the sample is way to small for you to make these kind of generalizations and write about it like that.
Also about what is necessary: Maybe we just define “necessary” differently – but the difference between our stances see, to be, that I think there are good reasons, even if they are not reasons that make a c-section totally necessary. Because that really bothered me after my c-section and I think that is one stigma of c-sections many have to deal with: people doubting if it was really necessary. What does necessary mean? Is it necessary to try vaginal birth until the indications are really bad or unnecessary to “give in” when it might be still possible that the baby comes out, but you are scared of signs worsening to a critical degree or you feel too exhausted for finally pushing the baby out?
Yes the secondary infection rate is higher than for V births, but still only about 5% of women who have a C section get an incision infection. Certainly not most.
I had a c-section with my first that wound up getting infected and that was such a f-ing horrific experience, I went for a VBAC with my second. I can firmly attest that both ways are challenging!!
I give, again I said of the women I knew. And there are many more that I knew also had infections I only mentioned 3. You are interpreting my words incorrectly. I did not say it was true for all women – only the ones I knew.
@tenniswho – it is between you and your dr as to whether the c-section was necessary or not. I am not one to say what is necessary (and I didn’t in my comment). But from what Kate Hudson said, she simply had the C-section for no other reason than it was the more convenient. My one daughter had a VBAC after hers and the other couldn’t. If you were upset because of my statement, I’m sorry that was not my intent.
Well I DID get an infection and it was damn nasty. Two days after the C-section I had a temperature of 104 and ended up in the hospital for 10 days. I couldn’t feed my baby and was on so many antibiotics it was crazy. I got so sick that I went into the hospital with an extra 35 lbs and 10 days later I had lost 33 lbs. of it all. Not a great way to lose the baby weight. People were shocked when they saw me.
It goes nowhere near your stomach.
I think she meant the informal stomach, i.e., abdomen.
I’ve always heard from friends getting rid of the C-section “pouch” is a bummer.
Well, Kate. That was a dumb thing to say publicly. I mean, unless you want the spotlight and controversy is the only way to keep it rn. So did she say it on purpose or did she have a stupid moment?
Surely she is allowed to have her own opinion on her own experiences and choices?
Not when everyone takes things so personally.
She annoys me but is being honest about her own experience. It’s a rich person’s thing to pay an OB to give them an elective C-section for non-medical reasons but they usually don’t share it with the masses. Just like they don’t share their starvation diets and instead talk about losing weight simply from working out.
Seriously. So much projection in people’s responses. “Should I have just let my child DIE??” She was talking about herself, FFS, not c-sections in general and certainly not about random women on the internet.
@megan
Of course she is, at no point did I say she didn’t.
In fact, what I said was that it was stupid to express it publicly. When you are a public figure, expressing that one of the two methods of birth is lazy isn’t a smart choice if you are looking to avoid controversy. This isn’t smart PR.
She was dumb in making a comment that attacks the choices of the minivan majority even though she does have a right to that opinion. Even yesterday on CB some posters freaked out when some others said that home birth is riskier and then we had the “how dare you attack the home birth that I did for my kids and everything went great and I am not a bad mother etc etc” comments.
That is her personality. She doesn’t edit, and it gets her in trouble all the time. She isn’t as calculating as maybe she should be. lol
I think it was a stupid moment. She doesn’t strike me as very thoughtful. OTOH, context is everything, and maybe she meant a numb surgical delivery versus going through full labor- contactions, tears and more.
Disclaimer: my fist was induced and delivered with vacuum extraction after one failed epidural then another which worked too well (dropped my blood pressure & made breathing difficult- put on a 100% non-rebreather oxygen mask) 30+ hours long in total, teetering on emergency section due to baby’s deceleration. Three years later, my twins were caesarian because the baby in blast off position was breech. Recovery from the twins was a was a breeze in comparison, but anyone else’s mileage may vary .
The ironic thing about Kate’s comment is that a lot of people do believe that C-sections are the easy way out. When a celebrity gives birth, there’s always a lot of snide comments about how the mother opted for a C-section to avoid pain or wanted to do it so that it would fit their schedule.
I guess she was probably kidding but I can promise her I wasn’t laughing when the doctors told me my son’s cord was being pinched and all of our interventions weren’t working so they needed to get me into an operating room for a c section to ensure he was delivered safely. I sobbed for a solid 5 minutes before I composed myself enough to get on with the prep because, you know, major surgery and my baby was in trouble. And don’t get me started on the time I dealt with the insinuation that I didn’t actually give birth. So I don’t think it’s a very funny joke Kate. But maybe I’m just being overly sensitive lol
Edit: my story aside, I think my issue with this is it gives crazy mommy shamers ammo. “Well, Kate Hudson agrees”
I do not think you are being oversensitive – I had the same experience you had: this “insinuation that I didn’t actually give birth” after having this terrible situation of being scared for your baby’s health and suddenly having to be cut open.
@tenniswho and hello sunshine-
You two certainly have encountered some assholes in life. Sorry to hear about that.
She said it’s the laziest thing SHE has ever done, wasn’t a broad statement opining about women who have c sections. Jeesh.
Agreed. People are all so quick to jump on others. When did we all become so thin-skinned? Every persons statement in the world is not about you and your experience. It’s about their own personal experience. This happens all the time on this site and it drives me insane. People need a big dose of suck it up buttercup.
She’s saying for her that it was a lazy choice. I had friends who scheduled c-sections because they were afraid of labor pains and didn’t want to deal. Their choice their experience, right?
It happened yesterday with the home birth v hospital birth in the KM post. Suddenly mentioning that home birth has more risks meant a personal attack of those who went that route. And also that they were horrible mothers even though none of that actually is said.
@Kcat: well said!
I think we were always this thin-skinned. We just amplify the number people with whom we can “internet.”
Agreed! She is talking about herself and her own choice.
She by no means implied that emergency C-sections were a walk in the park.
Cool it down. If your experience of a C-section claims universality, so does Kate Hudson’s – and therefore, none deserves the status.
Absolutely agree. If you’re talking about yourself and your own experience only, why should you have to censor yourself constantly in fear of what every thin skinned person on this planet is going to turn it in to? I stopped hanging out with a friend of mine because she took every single thing I said about myself, or the world in general, as an insult and direct criticism levelled against her and her way of life. It had f*ck all to do with her and wasn’t even said in a negative light! Talking to her was like walking a mine field where I eventually just sat silent from how preposterous it was and eventually said “so what DO you want to talk about”??? Exasperating.
Exactly, everyone who’s offended by this should look up “How To Get Offended – Ultra Spiritual Life episode 52” and “How to Make Everything About You – Ultra Spiritual Life episode 69” on youtube, it’s pretty accurate. (The channel name is AwakenWithJP )
@D: I LOVE AwakenWithJP! I stumbled upon his channel when I was looking for funny yoga videos. He is awesome!
Your friend sounds like the kind of person who thinks anyone who disagrees with her or argues with her is “abusive” or “gaslighting” her. Those folks are toxic as hell (and usually have some serious mental health or trauma issues that need professional support), the more so because they minimize the experiences of people who really are abused or gaslit.*
*Note: when you read that most recent viral definition of “gaslighting” online that defines it as “having your perceptions challenged,” full stop, back away (and maybe go back and watch the actual old movie). EVERY disagreement, argument or debate is about challenging each other’s perception! Think about it for two seconds. Gaslighting is way more complicated and insidious than that, for the love of everything progressive, ugh.
My sister in law’ sister is like that, and it is work to be around her. She tags along with my brother’s family all the time, and I wish she wouldn’t. She takes the way I parent personally and is fixated on me since I am the MOST offensive to her fragile feelings. I am a vegan, and somehow I am guilting her about meat eating when I haven’t said a word to her. I don’t do preachy vegan because it is annoying.
Why she likes to hang out with my very laid back liberal ex-hippie stoner brother I don’t know. Her lifestyle is traditional, conservative Orange County California, but she likes to come to my progressive sometimes radical left family gatherings but gets huffy because she is a Republican.
But we are all supposed to change for her.
@godwina, yeah, I don’t think she’s a toxic person at heart, but the last few years she’s fallen into some kind of perpetual victim trap. It probably doesn’t help that she’s hung out with a group of friends that are just as single minded as she is on certain topics, and who kind of despise anyone with a dissident opinion.
I once told her of a friend of mine (a guy) who was robbed at gun point and beaten up badly and got very traumatised from it. His family was trying to get him help because he had a hard time leaving the house, and I was basically making the observation that it was very hard for young guys to get help because they were generally met with the attitude to just “suck it up”. This was somehow translated into me not having enough sympathy for women who were victims of domestic abuse, and who were the “real” victims of violent men. I think it’s perfectly possible to have sympathy for both groups at the same time and I don’t see the point in playing “who’s the biggest victim” with everything. My guy friend who was robbed is a person too, not just some statistic over the “evil of men”, or some anomaly in that statistic. It doesn’t negate her or other women’s suffering at all in my world. I just don’t get it.
I agree with you to a point. She may think it’s the laziest thing she’s ever done. That’s fine. However, some people are making a mountain out of a molehill. But as someone who has had 2 (medically recommended) caesareans, I can understand why people are offended.
1. Recovery is a shit storm. I had complications post-surgery 2nd time round, I could barely move for a week, couldn’t pick up my toddler for 2 months (couldn’t even have her on my lap which was so difficult emotionally), my scar got infected etc etc. PS: gastro two weeks post surgery is no cakewalk!
2. People feel they have the right to judge your ‘decision’ and say you aren’t a real woman because you took the ‘easy’ way out. I copped it double because I was incapable of breast-feeding. I actually had someone ask me why I bothered to have kids if I was going to take the easy road at every step.
I think some women are getting offended due to the guilt trip many people give mums who have caesareans. It’s not a choice for some women and they’re still shamed/judged for it. Having a Hollywood celeb who has a life of luxury and could have picked a million other things with which to answer that question, it may feel like an attack to them because they’re used to being attacked for it and are defensive as a result.
I totally understand that. My personal opinion is no one should be made to feel ashamed over having a c-section, wether elective or not. I’m sorry you had a difficult recovery! I also don’t think anyone should be shamed over regretting having one though. My guess is Kate Hudson felt like she did it for the wrong reasons, and I know two women who feel the same way. At the time they had their babies, elective c-sections where sort of in vogue where I live and the medical establishment were pushing women who were having their first children in that direction. One of the women I know had severe medical complications from it as well, so I guess she questioned wether it was really necessary in the first place (in her case). Everyone just has a different experience. My mom gave birth to me without any kind of pain killers and boy did she regret it! I also know women who were very happy with that choice. Doesn’t mean anyone is “better” or “worse” on the mom scale. Whatever works for you individually is the right choice I think. Maybe for Kate Hudson she felt it was the wrong choice for her.
@Twohearts
Come on…. She most likely scheduled a C-section and never even tried to give birth naturally which is what all rich people do in certain milieux. Let’s not pretend she is saying otherwise. If people judge other people because blabla it’s another conversation. She was trying to be cheeky and failed.
@slowsnow
That is exactly what she is saying. It is for convenience so that it doesn’t interfere with their schedules and plans.
Yes, I must have missed the part where she said, “every woman who has had a c section is lazy.” From where I sit, she was talking about her own experience, which she is allowed to do.
👏🏻
She’s not holding a banner denouncing mother’s who chose a C. I was determined to have a natural birth but went “studio 54” (drugs please) at the hospital after 3 day labor, back birth etc. Maybe drugs were my personal “lazy” but it enabled me to push him out, and I may not have been able to etc. I like her look, BTW, best I’ve ever seen on Kate.
I’m all for calling out assholes, but I also think the outrage culture needs reigning in. Almost everything these days gets interpreted as shaming or shade – omg, a celebrity’s opinion on her own experience doesn’t seem to validate my personal choice/experience, release the hounds. Riling people up with misplaced outrage makes us less sensitive to the real issues, I think. There’s only so many f***s I can give.
I understand why she would think that…if it was an elective c section and she didn’t even try to do the vaginal birth. I know a lot of people who have had c sections thinking that it would be the easy way out and regretted it. I’m sure she doesn’t mean it’s lazy for people to have emergency sections, no need to criticize her. Bit of over reaction coming from some people.
Hear hear.
agree. And maybe she means that she thought it was the easy way out when she decided to do it, until she did it and realized it really wasn’t.
I find it so interesting how people tell themselves that birth in general can be easy or rather not terrifying. I mean a human being has to somehow leave your body. There is no way for that to happen without some awfulness. In my opinion. A head (small, but a human head) has to come out one way or another. The thought alone … no.
So to me, any woman who decides to do this is obviously crazy. I’m kidding. Well, maybe not entirely. They are certainly not lazy though.
Ha, well said!
I am childfree and i say mad props to any woman who has to give birth, vaginally or through a C-section, it’s no joke either way. it’s seriously insane that people get judged for having a C-section. My mom had two and was often told by her mother-in-law that she hadn’t actually given birth to us. so awful! People could stand to be less judgmental
Yesssss, goddamn it! I love the responses on this particular comment. THANK YOU.
That’s all; no matter what way, you got the human out safely, it ain’t lazy.
I did not plan on having a c-section but my giant baby had no possible exit through my snatch so my wise and extremely experienced OB said, you will have this baby in a surgical theatre. I had about 3 days between that revelation and it happening. It was awesome but it was such a trip.
And +1 to the previous poster who had a c-sec and couldn’t breastfeed; me too girl. me too. People were so lovely with their comments (not) .
I don’t care for Kate Hudson, I think her career is completely based on nepotism with no real talent or variety and this comment definitely didn’t make her anymore likable to me at least, but let’s not get all trigger happy and burn her at the stake. She’s just a tone deaf moron.
I’ve actually never heard of someone being told they didn’t actually give birth if they’ve had a C-section. When @HelloSunshine said that, I could feel my jaw hitting the desk. Never would I think of accusing someone of not having given birth because they had surgery. I would be so embarrassed for the person that said it. Really sorry you had to put up with such garbage, all of you.
I agree. Plus she doesn’t go into the experience or the aftermath (my section for breech recovery was “aftermath.”). She may have chosen it from a lazy place; doesn’t mean the experience was!
Totally agree
so effin stupid to put this in print. Sometimes I really have to question the common sense of some celebrities.
I have twins and the doctor recommended c-section as the safest option due to weight issues in my kids. It was scheduled and there were no surprises. The pain was severe though and I was terrified! I don’t understand this whole craze about natural birth vs. not. It’s a personal choice. Nothing wrong with it. And cutting your tummy is not lazy. You are on drugs after for the pain and if you don’t take them regularly it’s awful. The five days after are also terrible due to pain. It’s lazy to blame women for their choices.
I don’t understand this at all, bc it took a week after my csection for me to be able to get out of bed without pain, even with pain medicine.
Also, no one ever warned me my child could get TTN. I know two other csection babies that got it and all three babies spent a week in the NICU.
I think a lot of women don’t realize how tough recovery from a c section can be. My sister had an elective section because she was terrified of the idea of vagnal birth. She regretted it after seeing how quick my recovery was from vaginal birth…she couldn’t get out of bed for a week after her section and had pain for months afterwards. I was out of the hospital the next day and completely recovered five weeks later and able to have sex again.
As someone who is also happily childfree I agree with you – a horror show. I remember when I was in school and they showed a delivery video and my only thought was “nope,nope,nope”, it was excellent means of birth control lol.
It was a stupid thing to say but is this one known for being bright? Still, some of the moms took it as a personal insult which is a bit off the mark, imo.
Ugh I’m so sooooooo tired of all the outrage! from mommy to mommy 🙄
Maybe it WAS the laziest thing she’s done. Because 1- she didn’t have to “think” about delivery
2- she had a tummy tuck after (instead of killing herself to lose the weight after like she did with Ryder)
3- she had people, family, wet nurses, assistants, friends and night nurses at her beck and call after and she could just luxuriate in bed with pain meds and / or mai tais.
She’s not saying getting a c section means YOU or your bf or your sister or who ever is lazy. She’s saying in HER situation she FELT like it was a lazy choice.
Is it a potential hot potato? Maybe. But this is someone who lives in LA. And grew up around celebs who did in fact pioneer the elective c section.
Doesn’t anyone remember Victoria Posh Beckham?! “Too posh to push”
Ugh the mommy brigade just needs to stop!!!
Honestly, I’ve heard recovery from a C-section is much harder than a vaginal birth. Especially if you labor before and they have to do an emergency one. You have all the swelling and pains of laboring, plus the additional pain and recovery from major surgery. I’ve had 3 children and they were all vaginal so I don’ t know what recovery is like with a C-section, but I’ve had friends that did, and it looked hard and in no way lazy. They have much respect from me. There is no judgement from me on how anyone delivers. Whatever it takes to have a healthy and safe delivery and do what’s best for mom and baby is all that matters.
Well said, GreenBunny.
I have no problem how a woman wants to deliver her child/children. But I think it is wrong to say that a c-section is the lazy way out – because it truly isn’t, scheduled or emergency.
I had an easy recovery after mine (32 hours of labor then c section) and it still sucked. I couldn’t lift things except my baby, I couldn’t sing to my baby because my muscles were too weak, couldn’t go up the stairs comfortably, etc. It’s frustrating and painful and difficult. Obviously, I can’t compare to a vaginal delivery but my friend who has had both said the recovery from her vaginal deliveries was easier for her at least.
This! My “scheduled emergent” section was in no way a lazy way. There is no universally easy way to birth a baby, there just isn’t.
I think every woman recovers differently from giving birth, whether vaginally or via c-section. I had two c-sections because both my children were footling breech. I wanted to leave the hospital after 24 hours, but they made me stay for 48. 2 days after we got home I drove both my children to the pediatrician (I was not taking any narcotics and I felt fine). Within 5-7 after both c-sections I felt 99% normal.
My biggest complaints about having c-sections are nausea/vomiting from the anesthesia used, temporary shoulder pain from trapped gas, and having my feet/legs swell up from all of the IV fluids given.
Giving birth is kind of a crapshoot and recovery can’t be predicted based on type of delivery. I have heard horror stories about both c-sections and vaginal deliveries (extreme tearing, bladder damage, eventual incontinence, uterine prolapse, etc).
What a thoughtless comment. Nearly 25 years ago, I had an emergency C-secction to save my daughter who had the umbilical chord twisted around her. This was after a previous pregnancy loss at 5 months and a miscarriage. The recovery was rough[ 28 staples] and I was 40 at the time. I am sure there are many, many stories like this. I once read that there is a kind of phenomenon of otherwise reasonable celebrities “losing it” in interviews. Perhaps that is the case.
i don’t think it’s lazy, but it’s unnecessary UNLESS there’s a medical reason for it. if both you and your baby had a healthy pregnancy and no problems, a normal delivery is usually a better idea (and you can do an epidural and feel no pain, so it’s not a pain thing it’s just a trend).
You still feel pain with an epidural. No epidural while your pushing that baby out is allowed!
no, you do not. if you still fell pain you can ask for a top up, until you don’t feel pain.
I had an epidural the whole time I was in labour and pushing for two hours. I had the little button you push when you need more. I still felt pain and pressure. It doesn’t eliminate the pain of pushing something giant out of your vagina completely. (My daughter was nearly ten pounds at birth)
@ M. i’m sure every experience might be different, but i literally know lots of women who had epidurals telling me they felt pressure and contractions, felt the baby come out, didn’t feel pain for the baby coming out vs women who didn’t get an epidural who told me it was excruciating when the baby popped out *shrug*
LOL. I can personally attest that you can feel pain while giving birth while having an epidural. And I can attest that my miserable nurse would not consider upping the dosage or giving me the bolus.
I had an epidural both times I gave birth. The first time it was pretty much worn off by the time I was actually delivering, felt every bit of it. The second time I was completely numb from the waist down, didn’t feel a thing. It really does depend. I will say that labor was way more intense and moving along a lot quicker the second time. I was screaming for drugs!
@ell – it really depends on the anesthesiologist and your placement. Sometimes they just won’t take. For some women the anesthesia doesn’t work. Sometimes only one leg. There’s no guarantee.
I should also clarify – the pain I felt was in my back, not “down there.” It was still very very painful…
There could also be a psychological reason that doctors do not recognize as a strictly medical reason, like an intense fear of giving birth that ends up complicating the birth and resulting in an emergency C-section after a very stressful and painful experience. In any case, women should be given the choice.
totally agree
women should be given a choice, but making a choice doesn’t make you immune to criticism just because you’re a woman. like, i really don’t get this faux feminism. supporting women’s choices =/= agreeing with everything every woman does.
also psychological reasons count as medical reasons, too. that’s why i made sure to mention it.
I dunno about this. Surgery is becoming safer and recovery times shorter every year. In the near future having surgery will likely become as painful and invasive as filling a cavity. With those circumstances, why not extend the benefits of easier medical procedures to women giving birth? Because ‘natural motherhood’ is better? Please! Bring on the streamlined births and the gmos, I say 🙂
do you work in the medical field? given what you’re saying i.e. surgery is safer than natural, i take it you don’t.
there are several risks to c-sections and everything that entails, and conditions allowing it, a natural birth is simply better and safer and nothing to do with bigotry or ‘natural motherhood’ as you call it. you might not like it, but these are the fact. you should look into it.
Yeah, no. You can’t change the fact that a fetus is emerging – with an average circumference of 13+ inches and a small incision, they can’t really fix that surgery much further. The “bikini incision” is a huge improvement over the old vertical one (which is still sometimes used in the direst of emergencies).
ell, statistics on safety in this case are skewed by emergency c sections, i.e. ones where the mother is at risk of dying before she has the procedure. The statistics on c sections vs. vaginal birth change when its elective.
Of course we do have a ways to go on surgical advances, but this ‘natural is better’ line is a logical fallacy. It particularly hurts women in third world countries who need better access to medical facilities and interventions to improve maternal morality.
Betsy, well we may be able to grow babies out of the womb soon enough, so we’ll see, I suppose lol
A clean C-section is not particularly safer than a vaginal birth. It’s still a major surgery. It still involves invasive technique. Post-operative infection is always a risk. Healing complications can extend recovery time, especially if the woman injuries herself in a way that can rip stitches/staples. Blood clotting is risk for certain patient populations. Blood loss is inevitable, worse in some cases than others. Some people have severe reactions to anesthesia. Etc, etc.
Our methods have gotten better, and our sterility is improved, but there is always a danger in placing foreign instruments inside the internal cavity. I don’t care if women want to do it, but I wouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking one is necessarily easier than the other. (Frankly, I think losing sight of that is how some people got it in their heads that forcing women to carry to term is acceptable.) I agree that the “nature is better” argument is dumb when it’s unavoidable in many situations, but thirdworld prenatal care is a more complicated issue related to an overall lack of resources for prenatal care than a specific c-section.
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t it healthier for the baby to have a vaginal birth? You want the baby to get covered in all that yummy stuff to help get good bacteria in?
Well, I’m NOT a Kate apologist and I think her answer was insensitive. Even if it was elective (I don’t know, was it? Sounds like it may have been) and she regrets it is no excuse. A woman’s birth plan is indeed personal but giving birth, no matter the method, is never lazy. Smh
She’s saying it’s the laziest thing she ever done…not anyone else. That’s her own truth. People are taking what she said and getting personally offended by it.
If I think someone’s truth is shallow and stupid, I’ll call it shallow and stupid. She’s being flippant not vulnerable.
Both Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn can be goldmines of startlingly arrogant quotes. They’re up there with Natalie Portman.
-Also, I really want to call Kate Hudson’s tone glib but Tom Cruise has forever ruined that word for me.
But honestly, if that’s ‘her truth’ that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Picking up takeout instead of cooking is less lazy than having surgery? Spending a day in your pjs just because is somehow less lazy than surgery?
I think it was just a dumb comment. People are reading into it a bit more than needed, but even at a base level it was just dumb of her.
Exactly @NatalieS and @Erinn
Having never had a c-section myself I’m not personally offended, I just think it was insensitive and, yes, dumb.
I took it as for her it was the lazy choice, she wanted to avoid labor and just get it over with. She felt lazy and didn’t want to do the work of laboring? I dunno, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, it’s her journey and only she knows why she chose to have a c section! She wasn’t saying all women who have a c section are lazy.
The only time elective c sections bother me is when women like Christina Aguilera say ignorant crap about wanting to spare their vagina, dont put yourself and your baby at risk for a major surgery that isn’t necessary just to save your vagina, your baby is more important! Besides, it goes back to how it was before in most cases, I swear mine is even better, lol. If your partner is pressuring you about it being stretched out or ruined then you need a new partner, not a c section.
I agree Jess. She wasn’t making any sweeping statements about c sections. I think she meant lazy in the sense of avoiding the hard painful work that is labor and delivery, nothing to do with recovery at all.
Former labor and delivery nurse here, my biggest fear was needing a c section!! (I had 3 vaginal deliveries)
Agreed…not sure why people are taking this so personal. She said it’s the laziest thing she’s done, not that every one who does it is lazy. I was also terrified of a c section. After being in labour for hours, I remember begging for a section just to have it over with. My delivery nurse said no way, she said you don’t want to do that after you’ve come so far. She pushed me to keep going and I’m so glad she did. Hats off to you and the work you do!
Isnt that what people who had vaginal births always say? ‘yeah mine is totally the same! its better!’…Yeah lets hear what your husband thinks, sister.
(If you’re going to judge Christina for choosing to keep her sex life intact, then im allowed to judge you too haha)
Have you ever given birth? Everything goes back together, it doesn’t ruin your sex life. Do your kegals before and after and everything will be fine.
C’mon i think we both know that’s not true, the vagina never goes completely back to the way it was, no matter how many kegels you do. The elasticity and shape is never the same again. Tears, loss of elasticity,nerve damage, incontinence (which is common after childbirth)…why do you think so many female OB/GYNs choose c sections for themselves?
Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion but i’d never judge a woman for getting a c-section to preserve her sex life and sanity.I think in the battle to try and increase natural births and decrease c-sections people often embellish natural births and women come out of them with incontinence and other life long side affects they never knew were going to happen and are devastated . Jmo.
Well in my experience I will tell you, I have no nerve damage, definitely no Incontinence…I had very minimal tearing and my daughter was over nine pounds. My sex life is great and my husband would agree. I used to have some pain during sex until after I gave birth, I enjoyed it more and wanted to do it more often. I had my kids when I was in my early twenties and everything is great.
I’m not judging anybody for their choices, I’m just telling my experience. Not everyone is ruined after giving birth or we wouldn’t be doing it anymore.
Have you ever given vaginal birth or are you just assuming life long incontinece is the price you pay?
The biggest problem with this argument is the thinking that women’s vaginas are here to please men. The problem is not that it might change, because it might, but that your supposedly loving husband will never be able to adjust. Vaginas are for baby’s and sex. They are not to give men the perfect version of what they want. If your sex life with your husband can’t handle a birth, than you need to evaluate your relationship, sexual and otherwise.
And, also, most people have plenty of great sex after birth.
@KP. You said it perfectly
I only know my experience and from what most women say it goes back to normal. I never really did kegels before I gave birth so it’s definitely tighter now, it doesn’t look the same as it did before though, my clitoris is a little bigger but that’s beneficial to my orgasms! My sex life is better for multiple reasons, age, confidence, and a different partner. The father of my daughter left when I was 7 months pregnant so he can’t really vouch for my pre birth vagina, but I’m happier for sure.
‘Yeah lets hear what your husband thinks, sister.’
what a nasty assumption.
Clover, what ghastly internalized misogyny you have. I hate to cite Ina May Gaskin at you, but a vagina is not a cheap pair of nylons with the elastic shot the first time it’s stretched out.
And many vaginas are improved after recovery from delivery.
You are dead wrong. I have had all vaginal births and yes I do Kegels because it does help with labor, but my husband isn’t complaining. He is too much the other way sometimes, but the fact is my vagina is mine. It isn’t a sex toy for men.
@ M
Thanks for sharing! I’m small down there, always am a little uncomfortable during sex unless I have it more often! You gave me a huge sigh of relief for when I’m ready to have children! Look, we our allowed to be vain about our vaginas, but I trust women to tell the truth after child birth. Some who weren’t the same, bet you they weren’t tight to begin with lol.
These days C-sections are no more dangerous medically than natural births.
nah, not true. most people in the medical field would tell you that a natural birth is preferable for many reasons, conditions permitting it.
Lord almighty, yes, they are less safe than vaginal delivery.
Uh, as a pre-med, I can tell you that is most definitely not true. It’s a major invasive surgery with risk of complications, same as childbirth. Each method may have different risks, but they are still risks. Right now, there’s actually a push to extend the time for labor before jumping into a C-section. It not only carries longer recovery period, but it’s more expensive because the mandated post-op hospital stay is three days rather than the 1-2 days following an uncomplicated natural birth.
I should have said that I was speaking about elective c-sections. I’m not a medical student but I did a lot of research on this before the birth of my first child. My obstetrician also confirmed it to me. And an elective c-section avoids other risks associated with a natural delivery like trauma to the baby from forceps, etc., if things don’t go to plan, tearing, prolapse, incontinence, etc. Neither is risk-free, obviously.
http://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/11/02/new-research-finds-lowest-maternal-mortality-rate-elective-cesarean-delive
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/720648
Whether your partner is insensitive to say so or not, things are not the same as before and that’s without the possible complications of second and third degree tears which are curiously not being mentioned here.
My emergency c section for my twins was terrifying and the recovery took months. It was one of the most awful experiences of my life. I don’t know how people write it off as an easier option.
I think alot of people who choose the elective section don’t realize how tough the recovery can be compared to a vaginal delivery
It’s true. Many women thought they’d lay on a table numb and the baby would be easily delivered. The reality is pretty gross-lots of pulling. Imagine trying to pull a baby out of a small incision. Those babies are the ones who have the most breathing and feeding problems, because their lungs and bellies are full of amniotic fluid (vaginal delivery squeezes most of it out)
although, she irks me to no end..I think she is talking about herself and she probably could have had a vag birth but just chose to get it out thru her stomach instead. like too “lazy” to push kinda thing.
Oh stop. She was being cheeky. And referring to HERSELF only. I usually can’t stand this woman, but come on. People need to get over themselves. Not everything is an attack. It’s really getting to be a bit much.
This. The people are just looking for excuse to jump someone for no reason at all. I am not her fan but come on. She was joking and talking about her self. While this is not the choice I would make and did not make, it is every woman’s decission. And while I am too not a fan of her, it is sort of brave of her to admit that because women are judged all the time for their choices especially when it comes to kids.
Really. She’s just blabbing. I kind of like the haircut on her,
@minx
I’ve been very surprised at just how good she looks with her head shaved. Although, I’ve always thought she was beautiful and could pull off most styles.
As for her comment- it was insensitive, but people are getting way too worked up about her statement about HER experiences, IMO
You guys wanna know the laziest thing I’ve ever done??
Had a doctor remove my poisonous, damaged appendix when I could have just “rode it out naturally” and let it poison my system and give me sepsis.
I kid, but seriously, everyone’s situations are different. I hope she was referring to an elective c section and not a medically needed one, but even if so, these celebrities need to be careful what they put out there. It sends the wrong message to those people out there that are clearly misinformed and take celebrity opinion (or reality television idiot) as fact.
I know you’re joking, but surgery for appendicitis isn’t elective, c-sections can be.
I suspect that she’s talking an elective c-section here, not medically necessary/emergency.
People jumping for her on for recounting her own experience, and thinking she’s denigrating them for having a medically necessary c-section are going overboard.
I don’t think she’d consider having a c-section after 24 hours of hard labor taking the lazy way out, or having one if she, and/or the baby are in distress as taking the lazy way out.
And where I work we do have women who want a c-section because they didn’t want to go through labor, it was explained to them that this is surgery, not an easy way out. And you get pts who had to have c-sections and don’t want another another one but can’t VBAC for a variety of reasons.
Yes. A joke. Thank you for the lecture.
I’ve had a couple c sections myself so the lecture was a little remedial. Thanks again.
I’m surprised that someone who has actually gone through a c-section is saying that. Usually it’s a person who has no idea.
Hopefully she’s simply grappling with her own reasons for going the c-section route. Mine were emergency ordeals…plummeting heart rates, undescribable torturous pain, buckets of blood loss, basically the very horror show pregnant nightmares are made of. And even if they weren’t, lazy is the last word I’d use to describe extricating a human being through an incision where the downtime and recovery aren’t hours, maybe a day or two, but weeks. She’s a tool.
As far as I know, most doctor’s do not allow for a completely elective c-section. There has to be some sort of reason even if it’s not an emergency- a very large baby or previous c-section for instance. Maybe in Hollywood completely elective is a thing though.
My original plan was to have a natural birth (as needles and surgery terrified me) and I had a medical emergency that necessitated a c-section so I wouldn’t bleed out and die. Guess what? It was actually fine and changed my tune about natural birth. However, it was still a major surgery! And it was very medically necessary. Lazy is the opposite of the word I’d use for it.
Also, for the love of god, can we stop with the mom judgement. I assume she meant this as a light-hearted joke, but seriously, this is a big publication not brunch with a few girlfriends, things don’t go over the same.
yeah, but she’s hollywood so her doctor probably allowed it on that basis alone.
Not true at all. At least not for private insureds here in Virginia. I can’t speak for all states and insurers.
I have United Healthcare in NC and I can assure that ‘elective’ c-sections are very discouraged ethically. Can you find an OBGYN to do one? Sure. That doesn’t mean that they’re the norm or common or encouraged.
I work in women’s health and they’re not common but not rare per se.
😉
for what it’s worth, UHC can be a real pain getting things approved, paid for and to be accepted by several docs around here.
And I assure you I’m not being snappy it’s just matter of fact in my job, could be diff in NC.
Ok, that’s your prerogative. My comment was not saying anything against it, just that I don’t think the notion that most c-sections are ‘elective’ is accurate.
It generally also irritates me when people talk about my c-section as being necessary and therefore, ok. Like, if I want to have one the second time because I found it to have many positives, that’s not ok?
My main point, is that nothing about motherhood is lazy, so let’s putting stigmas on any of it.
My prerogative? What? Obviously you must have confused me with other posters. I was just replying to your “most doctors don’t allow elective c sections” comment. I can’t speak for all, but many do, at least in my life and work experiences. No snark. Insurance can get hinky, thus my clarifying comments.
As for judgement on c sections, I had two myself, and if I were having a third (birth) it would undoubtedly be a c. Clearly, I attach no stigma! I reread my posts and I don’t see where I was negative about c sections, elective or not.
You changed your original second comment. Your original comment said you’d had two elective c-sections. That’s what I was saying was your prerogative. Don’t act like my comment is confusing. I’m not arguing with you either or implying you were judging.
The laziest thing she’s actually done was to answer that question without thinking.
Best answer.
Bravo.
Wow. The level of public misinformation is dire. Undergoing a c section is always riskier than a vaginal delivery, unless there is a specific medical indication as to why one requires a c section. This is related to necessity of anesthesia, higher risk of complications (intraoperatice and postoperative), etc. The most significant risk to the child involves respiratory issues. An “elective c section” is a way for people to “plan” their delivery, however if you speak to any OB worth their credentials vaginal delivery is ALWAYS first line if you don’t have any reason to not have one. Why? Because of respiratory complications. When the baby passes through the vaginal canal, it effectively not only coats the baby with normal healthy vaginal flora which is beneficial for the immune system. It also acts to functionally “squeeze” the fluid out of the baby’s lungs and allows the respiratory units (alveoli) to function normally. Vaginal delivery has significantly less complications for the baby as well. C sections should only be first line when clinically indicated.
Also, yes, c sections are generally more painful to recover from. Your incisional site can become infected, people often experience neuropathic pain related to c sections, and there are many more reasons for this.
thank you!! reading comments saying c-sections are as safe as a vaginal delivery is making me understand how misinformed many women still are over these issues. it’s not really about choice as such, there are medical reasons to make a choice over another.
I think we need to be careful of the word, “elective” here. Elective in c-section land means, “well, you’re high enough risk that you’re an edge case. We won’t say you have to do it one way or another.” B/c a healthy 26 year old with no complications and a previous vaginal birth does NOT get to walk in and say, “hey, c-section me, I don’t have time for this.” Not only is there not an insurance company in the world that’s going to pay for that, but the hospitals and medical associations won’t support it, either!
This infuriates me. I have had two C-sections, and both were due to medical circumstances beyond my control, plus that both of my pregnancies were high risk due to I suffered preeclampsia both times. There was absolutely nothing easy about it. The feeling I experienced the first time I was made to stand up after my first is something that is burned in my brain. I felt as if my stomach was on the floor–that’s the best way I could describe it. My husband had to change my bandages and clean the incision for me daily, not to mention help me up and down onto the toilet every time I had to pee…and had to assist in, ahem, wiping (which I know was loads of fun for him). It was almost 2 weeks before I could walk with any normalcy again. My belly was tender for a good 6 weeks. And to this day I have areas of my abdomen that I have lost all sensation in–parts of my stomach are literally numb years after the fact. Screw you Kate Hudson.
I’ve had both a horrific unplanned csection, followed by a planned csection (due to complications from first csection) I was in labour for 42 hours with first baby, and literally pushed until I had blood vessels popping in my arms and eyes. I had to have an unplanned bladder surgery during my second csection, as it had been cut during first section and had adhered to my uterus. They couldn’t see that until I was opened up the second time. I have severe scarring both internally and externally. I can’t have a full bladder without a very uncomfortable feeling; I can no longer do sit-ups like a boss without white hot pain…
Emotionally it’s much easier to walk away from a planned section. However it’s still a serious surgery. I find her words naive, insensitive, and upsetting. Women who have to undergo emergency csections have a very rough healing time. New baby, high emotions, lack of sleep! I could go on and on…
My first was an emergency, I was young and didn’t know shit all. The baby and I would have died. Recovery wasn’t so bad, I had a friend who did a vaginal shortly after and her stuff was alllllll messed up-no bladder control, episiotomy, and I could sit far faster than she could.
Tried for a vaginal with my second due to pressure from an incredibly insensitive (HE wasn’t the one facing the pain, and my doctor had to snap at him to stop when he got too eager for me to begin giving birth during a kidney infection) partner. By this time, I knew that every friend and acquaintance I had who had pushed hadn’t had a fun time, and I was worried about my uterus rupturing (cause everything else was going to hell), and I wanted the section. I got the section. My doctor was concerned for many reasons and she isn’t a doctor who “takes the section way”. It had to be bad. Was there pain? Yes. Was it brutal? No. The ones who have brutal section recoveries are HEROES.
My third baby was elective. I didn’t even want to think about experiencing pushing something out of my vagina. One awful bathroom trip at 7 months put me quite against the idea. That was as much pain as I ever wished to experience. He was the easiest birth and recovery was literally 12 hours. I was up, walking, and didn’t need pain meds.
As for this laziness…I’m lazy about many things. I couldn’t care less who doesn’t like it. To me, having a baby isn’t a Tough Mudder competition.
Since when does Kate Hudsons words matter? Why do her words require the tales of unrelated birthing stories? It’s not like the silly tart is regulating your choices or laws regarding your choices. I don’t mean to be rude but also I don’t care if it’s taken that way either.
They don’t. But unfortunately this whole idea that C-sections are the easy way out has been shared by mom-shamers over and over again. So to hear a celebrity gleefully imply that having a C-section was a lazy course of action only perpetuates that stigma. If you’ve endured a C-section, it feels extremely belittling.
All I can tell you is to learn to tell shamers of any sort to go eff themselves. Someone is always gonna say or think something you don’t like. There isn’t anything anyone can do about that fact. There is power in these following words: who asked you? People shame you for stupid crap? You say, “who asked you?” And go about your day.
I had one natural and one C-section and neither was a walk in the park. I see where Kate may look back and regret her choice of C-section and why SHE chose to have one. I have regrets and wish I did things different with both of my labours.
My babies were 10.7 and 10.2 no way I was getting those out the old fashioned way. Necessary not lazy, sorry Kate.
A c section for a baby over ten pounds isn’t really necessary, it’s very possible to have a vaginally deliver with a large baby. But that being said, more power to you…the idea of pushing out over ten pounds of baby is terrifying. Doctors estimated my daughter would 8.7…two hours of pushing later and out comes 9.12 pounds of chubby baby. I was shocked that I could possibly do it. I asked the nurse if she was the biggest baby in the hospital at that time…a lady had given vaginal birth to an 11 pounder the day before.
Isn’t the heal time longer for c-section, elected or not? Not sure how either option is lazy though.
I’ve birthed both ways and my personal opinion is that vaginal births are “lazier” if you factor in heal time and ability to bond with/take care of your baby afterwards. Surgery is not lazy.
My take on her comment is that she was trying to be funny and it came off badly in print…as in to say she’s not lazy.
I guess you didn’t learn from Kate Hudson’s mistake…
First of all, I didn’t realize doctors did elective C/sections. To me, an elective c/s is when you want your baby out on a certain day without inducing and for no other reason. Do reputable OBs do this?
I had an emergency c/s with my first and would never call my other two elective. They were planned for medical reasons. My OB didn’t do VBACs. I would have had to change doctors, and even then there was no guarantee that it wouldnt have ended in a c/s anyway.
It sounds like Kate feels guilty. I was horribly disappointed for weeks after my first c/s, but I made peace with myself because it was for the baby’s safety.
Although they’re more common all the time, I don’t think any doctor can tell you to have VBAC. I can understand why some docs won’t do them.
I wasn’t willing to take that risk with my second one either, although my doc did give me the choice to try.
I think it’s pretty rare for labour, delivery and anything to do with having a baby ever goes the way the mother wants it to. I was lucky to be able to give birth vaginally after a long labour, but unfortunately my milk never came in. I had breastfeeding consultants and took natural things that were supposed to stimulate milk production. But it just never happened. It’s hard not to be disappointed when things don’t go the way you expect.
For a while, yes, it seemed like scheduled, elective C-sections where a thing for the riches. In Brazil, the rate of C-section became so high in private hospital (something like 90% of the births) that new regulations were put in place. Part of why it became a popular thing came from the OB/GYN; it’s much more simpler to book elective c-sections: no late-night calls, rooms are easily booked in advance, you know when you’re going to leave the clinic and how many deliveries you’ll make that day. Bonus points: you and your partner know when you’ll need take time off and schedule your work/social life accordingly… Yeah, that’s a bit weird.
Things have changed, the WHO for instance became pretty concerned and more and more people from the medical field started to speak out about such practices. C-sections can be life-savers but, yeah, they aren’t exactly a walk in the park and there are benefits to a vaginal birth for the baby’s microbiota that are now taken into consideration (you can also slap babies born by c-section with some of the vaginal fluids to compensate, I know it sounds weird, but that’s how scientists in that field deal with it now!).
Hmm…I just gave birth to my second child in June…a repeat c section. My first was an emergency c section to save my daughters life…the second I elected to do. May I just say, my first surgery was painful…the recovery was quick but it was still a traumatic and painful experience. The second was way worse but I got through it and by 4 weeks I was feeling like myself.
To say a c section is lazy by any means or even easier or whatever you wanna say as less work or effort than vaginal birth is absolutely crazy… wow. Just wow
I believe back (early 2000s) then if you had herpes you had to have a section. No vaginal deliveries bc that could badly affect the child. Hence, most Hollywood stars had sections. To me, that was always a dead giveaway of STD infection – see also, Jessica Alba, which is sort of common knowledge. I think now there are improved meds, and moms can try for a vaginal delivery even if they have herpes.
Please someone correct me if this sounds wrong.
Just confirmed above per March of Dimes website: There is no cure for genital herpes. If you’ve had it before, your provider checks you carefully for any signs of an outbreak during pregnancy.
If you had your first genital herpes outbreak during pregnancy, or if you have outbreaks often, your provider may treat you with an antiviral medicine called acyclovir (also called Zovirax® Injection or acycloguanosine) during the last month of pregnancy. This medicine may help prevent an outbreak around the time you give birth.
If you don’t have signs of an active infection, it may be safe for you to have a vaginal birth. But if you have an active infection, you usually need a cesarean birth (also called c-section). Having a c-section may help prevent you from passing the herpes virus to your baby. Cesarean birth is surgery in which your baby is born through a cut that your doctor makes in your belly and uterus.
Kate scheduled an elective c-section bc she has the herp. She can pretend it was bc she was lazy all she wants.
Now c’mon! Back in the early 00’s, elective C-sections were popular amongst the riches mostly because it was sold as convenient for the doctors and the soon-to-be parents. This way you were sure to be able to book the OB all the stars were raving about, you could schedule your work/social life according to the date chosen and it seemed so easier than going through natural birth. Things have changed.
Also, there’s no need to shame people who have genital herpes/STIs. It’s shameful not to do anything about them (not getting tested, not using the proper medication, etc.), but getting herpes or any other STI is more a case of bad luck than anything else. And there isn’t anything wrong with having it and dealing with it responsibly. It is true that since you are getting immunosuppressed while pregnant, flares are more likely to happen and therefore, c-sections would be suggested if you had ongoing flares in your last month of pregnancy up until good antivirals came on the market (which was in the late 90s). Nowadays, you are given Valtrex/Famvir/Zovirax in as prophylaxis for the last 4 weeks and can easily have a vaginal birth. What KH said is a bit silly/insensitive, but so is your comment
Arpeggi – That’s not entirely true. Use condoms consistently and avoid sex with people you don’t know well, you are not going to get herpes. It isn’t really a matter of random luck.
But yes, I was shaming her for it. I don’t care for her, what can I say? Anyway, it seems every other poster is shaming her for the lazy comment, is shaming her for having an STD so much worse? Your call.
That was a stupid thing to say!
I had a c-section with my twins. everything was going along good until my last sonogram, they couldn’t see my daughter, she was behind her brother and wasn’t getting food.
C-section is harder, for me it was.
I mean, it’s her experience and hers to describe however she wants, but my first thought was, “OH MY GOD SHE’S IN TROUBLE FOR THAT ONE.” My only real problem with her statement is that it overlooks the reality that a C-section is very much an invasive surgery and takes months (or even years in complicated cases) to fully recover from it. Most mothers do not have the ability to sit around for two months doing basic recovery while hired help does the bulk of the house and child care labor.
Just here to say that she literally owns an activewear line and appears to be wearing boxer shorts for her workout. Get it together woman!
Bummer.
CANCELLED
Pretty sure she casually left out her C-section was planned. And the aftercare she already had planned out. Guess her Pitt connection ran out so she has to go to pissing off moms everywhere.
Yeah, I agree. Wimen should just keep their mouths and opinions off other women and their choices on all things dealing with mitherhood. That should include when they have their kids, how they decide to have their kids and whether they decide to breastfeed or not. It gets ridiculous after a while.
Agreed!!! Just do whatever works and stop judging other people. I have had two elective c-sections. The first was because they thought my son was 12 pounds. He turned out to be 10.
I assumed she was joking – like that is what people say is the laziest thing… but since she hasn’t defended herself she probably wasn’t joking
First, this comment is obviously absurd. Second, I think we all know that the laziest thing she’s ever done was Fools’ Gold.
I really think everyone needs to calm down. She is not attacking women who give birth via c section, she is talking about herself. I am guessing she had the “too posh to push” elective c section that is common in Hollywood. Rich women will schedule an elective c surgery well before their due date because they don’t want to feel any labour pains and they are tired of being pregnant and the weight gain and they want to get it over and done with as early as they can. Then they combine it with a tummy tuck/lipo/Plastic surgery because they want their perfect body back ASAP. That’s why she called herself lazy.
Zero to say about Kate Hudson and C-sections but flippancy-wise, it reminds me of when people learn I adopted and say, “You did it the easy way!”
Yes, because waiting months or years for a child and having your house and life turned upside down with background checks and interviews to prove you’re a decent human being is so easy. Pfft!!
PS. My husband and I are trying to adopt and it’s very daunting.
Exactly! Plus the fees for services (which =/= ‘buying a child’), travel if international, medical reviews, and dealing with insensitive comments — each one of which takes just that little bit of energy and patience away when you need it for your child. People, if you know people pursuing adoption, repeat after me:
“How lovely! So excited for you!”
“I want to help!”
“What kinds of support will you need?”
“I am going to read about adoption/your child’s
home culture so I can understand”
“I’ll celebrate your special days with you!”
“I’ll bring you casseroles.”
“I will help you with the baby/child.”
“Looking forward to meeting the new addition!”
“I will babysit.”
“What size is he/she?”
“Give me a list of names for a shower!”
“Can’t wait to take them to the playground
together!”
“I have some fabulous baby things to
hand down!”
“I have some beautiful clothes to
hand down!”
“I know a great pediatrician specializing
in international adoptions”
“I can research great pediatricians
specializing in international adoptions”
“I know a great pediatrician and can
ask her to get you in the practice!”
“Here’s the recommended immunization
schedule to keep your child healthy!”
Zip it for:
“What a lucky baby”
“Your child is so lucky”
“Couldn’t you have a baby naturally?”
“Why did you go to X when there are so
many children here needing homes?”
“Why did you choose X instead of Y?”
“Why did you [make a very personal
decision for very personal reasons]?
“How much did it cost?”
And of course,
“You did it the easy way”
Also please refer to these parents and children as parents and children, not as adoptive parents and adopted children. And hey – adoption is a 1-time act. They WERE adopted. It’s not a personal characteristic or a trait; it’s an aspect of their personal history – their story to share or not as they see fit. But it doesn’t explain everything about them anymore than being delivered by vaginal canal or C-section explains everything about a person.
My personal favourite: “I knew a family that adopted. She was a model child until she became a teenager and then she [basically turned into a heinous sociopath]”
However, stick with it, you’ll find that more often then not, people are supportive and want the best for your child and your family — it’s just that adoption has gotten too bad a rap in our society, and we turn into roving ambassadors. Adoption is a wonderful way to make a family. As is said in a different context, love is love is love is love. Good luck!
JFC people actually say that to you? *eye roll*
Now, THAT I would find offensive.
Won’t get on Kate for sharing her experience although I can see why it would be annoying to women who have had C-sections.
On another note, this thread was horrifying and I’m never coming back.
Sincerely,
Child-free and Extremely-Squeamish in Boston
Yeah thanks Kitten, JFC people actually said that to me. And that was a dear friend who works as a clinical social worker. I guess it was on par with the dear friend who works as a clinical psychologist who, after asking why we wanted an “older” child (in adoption terms, that means post-infancy), said matter-of-factly, “You’ll have problems.” Hey, thanks! Years later, her non-adopted child developed psychiatric problems and I held my tongue. Yes, I stayed friends with these people and yes, I should have said more at the time – but when you’re vulnerable you tend to stay quiet. They’ve been great otherwise, fully accepting of my child, but I will never forget those ‘moments.’
There have been a string of other stupid and insensitive remarks, usually from women. My understanding that any time do you something outside the norm, including parenting outside the norm, people just say stupid things – out of ignorance, discomfort, whatever. I’ve probably done it myself in other contexts without awareness. My friends who have special needs children, they deal with this too in different ways.
See above for my recommended list of things to say. : )
I’d adopt all over again, and if we were younger and richer, we’d adopt some more. Most families we’ve met found it to be so positive and rewarding that they did it again. That’s not to say easy; there are special considerations, but biological descendants can have at least as many special considerations – there’s no guarantee with any of it.
Laughing about the horror of it. Yeah, I adopted by choice, not eager to go through it myself, and I had such a compelling feeling about the available children needing homes.
I heard some radio show last month with a woman who wrote about extreme birthing, something like that. She actually said- I kid you not – she wanted to do without the drugs etc etc because she wanted to “experience the full intensity of it.” What kind of a world is it when teenagers and women are dying in childbirth or from septic abortions and women who actually conceive and deliver by choice and have access to clean hospitals and trained doctors want to do this to themselves?
I was in a hospital with good medical care, but I also did want to do it without drugs because I wanted the full experience. It remains, for me, the greatest experience of my life.
@who are these people. I went to the hospital saying I didn’t want any of the drugs, I could handle the pain. After my induction was started the doctor did a membrane sweep…I was begging for the drugs after that …what an intense pain.
Every time I come to these types of threads I am amazed that people have said so many cruel things to women. I can’t understand why someone would say that to you.
My adopted cousin is special to our family because he was so wanted and such a blessing for my Aunt. We had a party when they brought him home from Israel.
I have friends who are a married gay couple, and they have adopted twice, everyone was happy for them. We had baby showers and treated them just like any other set of expectant parents because that is what they were.
They are better parents than many who give birth because their children were planned, and they focused on being good parents and don’t mind the sacrifices. Everything they had to go through was painful sometimes but when they got their first baby tears all over the place.
I admire people who do it and are willing to go through all the waiting and vulnerability it takes.
Your children are lucky in having you. You are thoughtful and intelligent among other positives that are evident in your comments.
Thanks so much magnoliarose for your response. Very happy for your family and friends. Your observations mirror our experience, for the most part. In the end, raising a child is raising a child. I hope in the end ours feels lucky for having us as her parents for what we uniquely gave her and despite our imperfections, not because she lost her first family and first home and wound up with us.
I am sure she will feel lucky. You are welcome, but I speak the truth. I take from what you wrote she came from a tragic background. That is wonderful that she is safe and loved now.
Like my cousin always says “They could have chosen any baby in the world and they chose me.” That is how I see it too.
For the most part, all the adopted adults I know are very protective of their parents and love them the same as any other children except there is another bond shared between them.
There is much too much importance placed on blood connection when the real work is raising children not giving birth to them. They always make these dramatic movies about it, but from what I have seen it is brave and extraordinary.
Le Chaim tovim u’lishalom 🙂
Those comments are absolutely maddening to anybody who knows just how lengthy and exhausting the adoption process really is – not to mention horrifically callous in the face of couples who have no other option due to biological obstacles (infertility, chronic health problems, reproductively incompatible gay couple, etc.).
I had a c-section with my twins (first babies) and it took me 5 years to come to terms with it. Just the medical treatment from the doctors, physical pain after and the mental and emotional toll was a nightmare. Not being able to hold your babies or not breastfeeding due to pain is a horrible feeling. A c-section is a mind f$$k to a point and it wasn’t until I had my son; a homebirth vbac 5 years later; did I finally accept my first birth. Being in charge of my body was healing.
Lazy is not the term I would use for my c-section.
I actually have a decent C-section story. My aunt was prepared by her doctor and friends to see an ugly, gooey, squished-up, reddened baby after what she presumed would be a normal vaginal delivery. She felt ready. As it turns out, she needed a C-section (this was 50 years ago) and when they showed her the baby, she was horrified and asked “What’s wrong????” because he was all clean and well-shaped and pretty.
I think lazy was the wrong word to use. Also it’s her personal experience and every one has their own experience when it comes to child birth. My personal opinion after having 3 kids vaginally and without an epidural is that there is a reason labor and delivery are two separate words that mean two separate things. Labor is well… labor intensive. There’s no denying that it takes hours to go through labor before the delivery vs having a scheduled c section where you don’t even have one contraction and are medicated before during and afterwards. Now this isn’t taking into account emergency c sections which are extremely scary or the women who have actually gone through hours of labor and then have to have a c section as well. Theres no way to label something across the board in these situations. Now from my personal experience just the mental preparation alone to go through the amount of pain in the typical drug free labor is overwhelming and is a constant thought throughout the entire pregnancy. I suppose many mothers could feel similar emotions before going into the operating room to have their baby. On the other side of things I know plenty of mothers who have had a scheduled c section and are chill as cucumbers because it’s really no big deal for them. Heck they even put on a full face of makeup before it’s time. To have these same people post a picture to Facebook afterwards and have people praising them for looking so great after “labor” is somewhat insulting to how awful a lot of women look after hours of contractions and pushing. To me on the regard of time, stamina and pain I don’t think the two (drug free labors and scheduled c sections) are comparable, and if you tear and need stitches the recovery can be brutal. Like I said earlier, this isn’t across the board, this is just my opinion based off my own experience and what I know of elective c sections. That being said, I know many women have had horrific c section experiences (my own mom included, it was an emergency and in a different country) and I’m not trying to white wash anything, just wanted to give context for what Kate Hudson might of been thinking of when she made that comment (which is still insensitive, especially since she didn’t explain further). I think in the end all that matters is that the baby is healthy and mommy is alive and if you have those two things then it doesn’t matter how you got there. The end result should always be about the baby.
Well I’ll be the one to defend her cause she isnt saying that all c-sections are lazy or all people who get them are lazy. She is talking about her own personal experience with one. For all we know she had a scheduled C-section that was stress free and her recovery time was easy. To her (especially since how fitness obsessed she is) maybe it felt like the lazier option to her. *shrugs*.
It strikes me as more indicative of her economic privilege more than anything, honestly. A clean, complication free C-section can happen for any woman. The reason it was a “lazy” option for her is because she had paid help to maintain her children and home while she was on bed rest.
Good God. The responses above are seriously disturbing. So much for the intelligent, aware readership that this site apparently has.
I love that pic of her and her son.
PS. The increasingly cynical click-baity nature of so many of the post headers on here is really disturbing and so not in tune with the so-called educated readership that this site likes to promote and bask in the (personal) glory of:
A reminder – http://www.celebitchy.com/544287/celebitchy_named_4_site_with_most_educated_readers_by_quantcast_thank_you/
Honestly? I thought her acting performances were the laziest thing she has ever done.
LOL and a slow clap for BoobooLaRue. Kate really IS a terrible actress. I respect her right to feel the way she feels about her birth experience. I’ve ALWAYS hated and disrespected her so – called acting “skills”.
Oh, FFS, this is so sure subjective.
Oh course it’s not lazy when there is a long recovery or it saves your child’s life. But maybe she isn’t afraid of the pain and she could have delivered naturally, but she just couldn’t be arsed and she thinks that’s lazy.
She is definitely not saying that all C-sections are lazy, so chill out peeps.
I think she meant her choice was lazy. She chose it out of laziness. Everyone else is not lazy, who needs a section to live, because of how their state laws are or any other reason. Social media makes it too easy for us to project our own experience on what’s being shared with us, I think.
My abortion @ age 19 was mentally traumatic and I still grieve @ 58. My 1st son would have died without a C section and my 2nd son was born 18 months later, also by C section. Both recoveries were long and awful. We all have our unique experiences. Didn’t hate on Martha Plimpton for celebrating her abortion and not gonna hate on Kate for feeling this way about her C section.
It was a bit odd to me. That would not have been my first choice to say as something lazy I’ve done but to each their own. On a personal note, I just had a C-section this April and it was not for a baby but a huge fibroid removal. It was not fun and I struggled with recovery every day. I got sick from the pain meds they gave me and 1 week after recovery had a hematoma which is this blood blob that seeped out of the incision. After being cut open again to fix it I just can’t imagine doing all of that again. I still have a hard time looking at the scar that is still healing. But everyone is different and recover differently. 🙂
Big deal my sis in law and aunt have told me the same thing.
I don’t get offended at stuff like this, it’s like the ladies who say you’re lazy if you had an epidural – I just don’t care. I had one. Whatever.
I only get offended (well freaked really) when people try to tell you How/where ALL women SHOULD give birth because that kind of zealotry can affect women’s agency and birth choices.
It’s all a horror show, just my opinion.
This is where I’m at Kaiser. I’m 41 and sometimes I ponder what it would be like to have a child but that right there is the MAIN reason, I’m child free. I’m also single for the first time in 22 years so it definitely ain’t happening.
I’ve had overly crunchy moms judge me because my second son was induced. The reason he was induced was because I’m 5’2″ and have small hips; the doctor said he was simply getting too big. Now, at almost 10, he’s almost as tall as I am and his dad is 6’4″ so I wasn’t particularly surprised. But omg some people acted like it was the most horrible thing in the world *eye roll* If my doctor had said I needed a c-section I would have had one. From two births, my experience is once I get to 9 months I’m like, idgaf just get him out and keep us both healthy. I’m like an ideal patient in that way LOL
I’m going with another catty, gossip-site-worthy subject here. She looks so different without her usual halo of perfect blond hair. I don’t think that buzz cut looks good on her AT ALL. But I’m biased because I’ve never thought Kate is a good actor, and she’s only where she is because of the Great Hollywood Nepotism Machine.
why do people these days take things SO personally? if she thinks that *she* was taking the easy way out, then that is her opinion of *herself* and not a commentary on anyone else. people need to stop making other people’s experiences about themselves, it has reached the point where no one can share anything anymore without disclaimers a yard long.
What a ridiculous comment… and not at all surprising coming from her.
Seriously? If SHE says it was lazy of her, than it was! So many women these days lapping up the current med-trend. Newsflash, women are built for birth, it’s not that big of a deal and certainly doesn’t ALWAYS require intervention. She wasn’t asked ‘what is the laziest thing a woman could do?’ She answered candidly about HERSELF. ugh