This story is in In Touch, so who knows if it’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised. They’re claiming that Jessica Simpson was enrolled in Lamaze classes to prepare for the birth of her baby in April (I still can’t believe she’s only six months along) but that she dropped out and scheduled a c-section. Jessica’s sister Ashlee was in labor for 3 days, which In Touch claims heavily influenced Jessica’s decision to say “screw it” and not bother trying for a natural birth.
Jessica Simpson has dropped out of… Lamaze… She was taking the classes with her fiance, Eric Johnson, but after a few lessons, she decided to skip natural childbirth and schedule a C-section instead. Jessica’s younger sister, Ashlee, was in labor for nearly three days, and going through the Lamaze classes reminded Jessica, 31, of what Ashlee endured. “Jessica can’t wait to become a mother, but she quickly decided that giving birth the old-fashioned way just wasn’t for her. So she is planning a C-section in late April,” a friend says. “She’s already booked a $2,800 suite at Cedars-Sinai hospital in LA.”
[From In Touch, print edition, January 23, 2012]
I’ve mentioned before that I had my son in a birth center without medication, but I did it due to a fear of doctors and hospitals, not for any noble reason. My husband and I took Bradley Method classes, and I dropped out about 1/2 way through as the classes were boring and I totally thought I had it down. I was so wrong. Labor was calm and fine for me, but when I got to the pushing part I was unprepared for what a total bitch it was. I never should have ditched those classes. Maybe Jess saw some birthing videos or read some materials in class that made her realize it wasn’t for her. To each their own when it comes to such a personal matter and I don’t blame her. She didn’t go into it thinking she was too posh to push, she just realized it before it was down to the wire.
Also, people may think that a $2,800 suite is excessive, and it very well may be. The birthing center I went to cost $5,000, but that included everything and my insurance covered it. That’s just for the birth and 12 hours of convalescing. They don’t even have a doctor there, it’s all midwives. After 12 hours they kick you out, but a midwife came to visit me at home the next day to make sure that the baby and I were fine. If you have an emergency during delivery they just transfer you to the hospital next door. It’s expensive to have a baby.
Jessica is shown on 1-6-12 and 12-3-11, credit: WENN.com and KM/FameFlynet Pictures
Ha! I totally believe it.
I don’t believe anything that comes out of In Touch.
OMG you guys what’s the different. It’s all about baby so who cares if it’s natural birth or c-section or they are going to get out the kid through her ear. It’s 2012 woman has right to choose the method and does whatever she wants.
Probably so she can have a tummy tuck right after. Wish I did.
I was in labor for three days, too. It’s no joke. Thank God for my epidural, which I got after 50 hours of labor. Best decision I ever made. Hopefully #2, due in five weeks, is more eager to get out.
Holy hell, woman! You deserve a medal for going so long without the little extra help. You must have loins of steel. I hope your next one is a little smoother!
I was in labor with my first for 24 hours, doctor did an emergency c-section.. good thing because he was 10 pounds 2 ounces… lol.. my second of course was c-section because of the first one..
I was in labor for 48 hours and they only gave me the epidural about 6 hours before the birth of my son. It took me 40 minutes to push him out. Three years later I had my daughter and I only pushed her 3 times and she was out. So much easier…
Me too, Molly! 72 hours-epidural halfway through, 2 hours of pushing, had to use a vacuum (ouch-the epi had worn off and he was on an emergent call, no painkillers for the actual birth and episiotomy). Placenta would not come out, just a horror show. I almost died. Then I had this gorgeous girl in my arms…
Anyway, the second time was a relative breeze. 19 hour labor, epidural halfway again, two pushes and popped out an almost 9 pound boy. easy peasy.
Have faith!
Second baby is way easier! I was so pissed because my mom had two 4 hour labors and I was so sure I was in for easy labors. Nope.
Wow, your birth story is interesting- I’m so glad I live in Canada. I can’t imagine wanting a c-section- unfortunately I had to have one at the last minute and I really hope don’t need one for my next baby. But natural birth doesn’t sound that enjoyable either (I laboured through the contractions but never got to push).
“never got to push”… never HAD to push.. lol … it’s not something you missed out on, trust me! My epidural wore off riiiight near the end. So fun.
Yep-mine too! My cousin who was due 6 weeks after me called me and asked to explain what it was like and I said “Imagine pooping out a watermelon….” lol
Every time I hear anything about American style medicine I am glad I live in Canada too.
Ummm, it’s no better in Canada. We lived there for two years and what a pain in the butt the health system is. I still have my health card.
I’ll take American hospitals any day. At least you don’t have to wait as endlessly. And the Dr’s actually examine you when you have an appointment.
I almost died from a missed strep throat and shingles up there. And that was with a prestigious Doc who caters to the stars!
Ha ha! That’s the first thing that popped into my head: “So glad I am Canadian!” My L & D was really good and the staff at the hospital was terrific. Healthy baby, no meds, and a short labour.
I always thought once you had a c-section you are forced to do the same for your next children because it is unsafe otherwise? Not sure .. not a mom myself just what I heard.
Now they do VBACs and it can be very safe.
Vaginal birth after C-section. VBAC, just in case you hadn’t heard that term before.
VBAC depends on a lot of factors, like what direction the incision was, how big the next kid is, etc. Not to mention a rare but possible uterine rupture if it goes badly. But if you’re planning several kids, you do get scarring inside after the surgery and the adhesions can be a nightmare for the OBs at the next delivery. Plus anesthesia. Women are taking these surgeries way too lightly, there is a certain percentage of complications from all surgeries, epidurals etc. Who knows, maybe Jessica has to have a section, she looks too big to delivery vaginally already!
Oy CB- do you have any idea what a shit storm you’ve created with this post? lol Please people don’t get on here and start bashing people who choose C-sections…I beg you. I had my child naturally, but I respect anyone’s decision to do what they feel is best. Its a personal choice! With my first baby, she was so big at 24 inches/ 8lbs 10oz, she broke her collarbone coming out and probably should have been c-section. Studies also show that its less stress on the baby vs. natural. But its all in what its best for you and only a mother knows what they need/want.
I honestly think everyone will be respectful about this issue. People are at this point! I totally agree with you that it’s a personal choice and tried to make the story reflect that. 😉
I hope so! You know best. 😉 I’ve come across SO many woman who get flat out IRATE when they hear about mothers getting c-setions or not breastfeeding their kids. Nothing like making mothers feel inferior for their choices.
Ain’t bashing c-sections for the proper indications, like a huge baby or a pelvis that isn’t big enough to birth it. Just please realize folks, it’s a surgery and all surgeries have risks. Also, you need to know that babies born by cesarean do have a slightly but significantly higher rate of breathing difficulties at birth and a higher rate of transfer to the neonatal intensive care nursery (even controlling for other risk factors). Due to the incision breastfeeding is also more difficult. Are you willing to risk that for “convenience”? If you are taking these risks for your own convenience, you need to think about whether you are really ready to parent.
Going to the hospital is not like ordering at a restaurant, it ain’t a la cart and it drives hospital personnel crazy when patients act like it is. There is more at stake.
Sorry, sore subject.
Trashaddict, while u are entitled to ur opinion on what is best for urself, don’t assume to know what is best for other women. I’m sure every pregnant woman takes the issue as seriously as u do, enough that they do their own research and consult professionals on what is best for their own situation. Don’t assume that u and ur limited knowledge entitles u to be making negative generalizations about women u don’t even know, particulary on a celeb gossip site. It’s not that it is a sore subject, but it is inappropriate from ur end.
Vesper, it’s a sore subject for a reason and you shouldn’t make assumptions about what my knowledge level is. My “limited knowledge” is backed up by the medical literature. And nowhere was I generalizing about anybody, nor bashing c/sections when done for the right reasons. Obviously they can be lifesaving. I was posting to ask people to do exactly what you are describing: research, and make these decisions carefully, not lightly.
My little niece broke a hip because she got ”stuck” in the birth canal and the doctors had to pull her out. Harsh. That should probably have been a c-sec too.
Poor baby! My daughter came out with one arm over her head. I had to STOP pushing to keep from breaking her collar bone.
OMG! I hope she’s okay! My niece is three now and she’s just the cutest! We even share birthdays! Needless to say we are close 😀
Could she be having twins?
She is definitely big enough. I had twins and at 6 months I looked 8 months…just like Jessica does. I was also told I was due in April and had them in early March. Sooo…you never know. Although I think she would scream to the heavens if she was going to have twins. lol
She is massive(ly cute)! I think each one of her boobs is big enough be another lady’s belly.
I hope the above doesn’t sound disrespectful. I don’t really care for her as a public figure but I think she’s handling her pregnancy with a lot of class (side-eye at Beyonce!)
Oh, yeah she looks great pregnant. It suits her very much. But she is huge. Damn. That has to be uncomfortable.
What does the $2800 cover? My unplanned csection and three day hospital stay was $16,000. Thank goodness my insurance covered all but a copayment.
I’m Canadian, so really have no idea, but it reads to me like the @2800 is just for the accommodations. not the medical services or the birth itself.
Cedars maintains private celebrity suites. She’s probably booked it for the aftercare. That’s the celeb norm. Side-eyes Bey…
Cedars has all this kind of stuff. It’s pretty amazing, never seen a hospital with as much special stuff as they have!
I didn’t take any Lamaze classes. I have always done yoga/Pilates and practiced my kegels religiously, so i figured, eh good enough. But i do agree on the pushing part, i wish i hadn’t got an epidural because it was hard to feel the muscles i needed to isolate when i couldn’t really feel them. But on the other hand i had been in labor for 48 hours and hadn’t really slept or ate so the epidural did give me an 8 hour nap and IV.
Same here. I’ve always done a lot of exercising and I found pushing to be like one big resistance pilates session.
People actually practice kegels?
Yes, for many reasons. The only one I can really think of just now is it may help avoid incontinence, which can be caused by even one pregnancy.
Smartest thing this woman has done. Screw the “breathing” and bring on the drugs*.
*I realize some women want/like natural childbirth so props to them. But as someone one said, tweeze an inner hair out of your nose and then multiply times a million. Do that for 16-32 hours and get back to me.
Or pass a kidney stone! LOL.
Lets just say, when I had one, and they doped me up in the ER, the first thing I said to my freaked out husband was..
THANK GOD FOR C-SECTIONS!
pfft.. I didn’t take the classes. Had natural births with both my girls, in hospitals – AND epidurals (and that doesn’t make me any worse a mother than you ladies who had your kids with midwives in your bathtubs at home with your whole freaking family watching like its the superbowl).
I don’t think the classes would have given me anything the books I read didn’t.. I felt prepared and it all went as well as it can go.
That being said, I’m NEVER doing ANY of it again…
( I meant this as a general comment not a reply to either of you ladies 🙂
I’ve done the kidney stone thing- that was hell. I figure I’ll manage birth after that haha.
I don’t think $2800 is excessive if you can afford it. Maybe people don’t pay much attention to their hospital bills when insurance pays for it but a room in a hospital with nothing but a bed and nurse can be $300-500. When you add in babies, doctors, machines, etc etc it gets very expensive.
I imagine if you can get a nice suite to have some peace and quiet when you’re about to push out a mini melon (or have it cut out) is a good thing. Blocking off an entire floor however is not.
$2800 is covering JUST her room, that does not include the doctors fee, the surgery fee, and everything else, it is just for the suite. An average stay is 15k
Gang before we get into the c-section vs ‘natural’ childbirth fight, I just want to point out this..
As long as Mother and Baby are healthy, does it really matter how it happens?
As someone who is very grateful for the lifesaving c section that saved both me and my son, yes, it does matter. Some women have easy deliveries whether they’re natural, totally drugged, or surgical, some have it hard no matter what, but major abdominal surgery as mode of arrival is not trivial, and though both modes of arrival have risks, there are many more with c sections. I only hope that Jessica – and really any woman having a baby! – have the healthiest happiest birth they can have.
Well said. I think that people lose sight of the fact that a C-Section IS major surgery. Layers and layers of skin, muscle, fat and uterus tissue must be surgically reattached. It is nothing to mess around with and shouldn’t be some kind of lifestyle choice like choosing soy milk over homogenized milk. It should only be done if it is medically necessary. Period.
I agree..if the Mother and baby are fine at the end it does not matter how the baby came out. I had a dysfunctional excruciatingly painful labour. Only had an epidural after 15 hours when they tried to speed things up. After 21 hours there were no contractions, baby was in a strange position and I was half dead with the flu – time for an emergency c-section. My midwife came to me the next day and said my little girl and I would have both been dead had it not been for the surgery. So I was just glad they got her out. If I have another baby I’m having another c-section, no doubt.
Birthing centers are much cheaper than hospitals, althought that is changing now with many states passing laws requiring stricter insurance for the midwives and upping the price.
My friend wanted to give birth at a birthing center, when she found out she was pregnant with her second child, but chose the hospital after her insurance company told her the hospital copay was $0 and the birthing center copay was $1200!
Interesting. The birth center where I had my son ended up being WAY less expensive than a hospital would have been. Must be an insurance thing
a) I have a friend due at the end of April and she is JUST getting into a nice little bump now…I cannot believe they are due “at the same time”. I know every pregnancy is different, but this is such a drastic difference.
b) I just can’t get down with people scheduling c-sections because they don’t want to deal with labour. COME ON. You are putting your body through major surgery unnecessarily in lieu of doing something your body was actually built for. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.
PURLEZE all medical practices and intervention are unnatural by the laws of nature but we still do it, so if people are to posh to push or whatever, so what?? we have choices these days.
I realize that, but I think these interventions should be in cases of medical necessity only, in order to save lives. I’m not trying to be preachy, and I understand people have choices and respect those, mostly*, but I think we should help our bodies do their thing in the most normal way possible…nature knows what it’s doing.
*I live in Canada, so I do think with publicly funded healthcare people have a responsibility to make healthy decisions, otherwise you’re asking everyone else to pay for your poor ones – and that’s just rude and selfish.
If Jessica saw what her sister went through (and I dare anyone to say that 3 days of labour is “natural”), then I don’t blame her one bit.
We also don’t know if her doctor might have recommended a c-section, her baby could be a big baby once it’s born.
Not only is 3 days of labour not natural it’s not good practice and everyone saying they’re in labour for days should feel free to sue their OB/GYN up the wazoo!!!!
Labour does not start until you are 3cm dilated and are making steady progress of length and intensity of contractions resulting in a dilation rate of 1cm per hour min. If this doesn’t occur, a c-section is indicated for “Failure to progress” Pushing should take no longer than 3 hours MAX and that is really taking a big chance by the practitioner.
Therefore no-one should have more than a 10 hour labour. Any hours irregular contractions leading up to that 3cm do not count – yes, those contractions might be uncomfortable but they do NOT constitute labour!
Oh, and I’m glad I’m not pregnant cos this bullshit would scare the bloody life out of me!
1 cm per hour is total bs.that is how the US has such a high c section rate, because doctors are scared they will get sued.
and when you get an epidural, it slows down your progression. as does anxiety.
It doesn’t constitute labor until 3cm? Wow.
I guess I ought to be pissed my doctor put me on bedrest and in hospital to stop my non-labor when I was only 7 months along.
Oh wait. I ended up having a healthy baby girl at term because he realized I was in pre-term labor before I reached active labor. I’m so glad I had a doctor who had done deliveries for decades and knew that labor starts well before 3cm.
I love birthing stories! @Celebitchy, mine was much the same, attended by midwives, no drugs, out a few hours later (7 hours later the first time, 5 hours later the second) with regular home visits by the midwives for the next 4 weeks. No tearing! (tmi?) It was very good. I’d do it again the same way. It’s Canada though, so it was walk in, walk out, no money exchanged hands.
More stories people!
Oh yeah, and same with labour and pushing. Labour’s fine. Pushing’s always a bitch.
I totally agree. First time around I breezed through labor, was at a 10 within a few hours of my water breaking. Then I pushed for 3 hours: ugh! At that point I didn’t care what the doctor had to do to get the baby out. The next 3 times (I know, I’m a glutton for punishment) I went with out drugs and the whole process was really quick-just had to push a few times. But I absolutely concur that NO one tells you how strenuous and painful the pushing can be.
For some women, it’s the opposite. Being able to push is a relief. I’ve heard both. Personally, I don’t relish either. Just hand me a healthy baby.
It was the opposite for me: I was in labour with b!tchin, painful contractions for 25 hours and wanted to die. I pushed like a mofo for 50 minutes and it was all over after (except for the 3rd degree tear but it’s bound to happen with a 9.5 lb baby).
Not for me. The pushing was a relief! (10 minutes of pushing for Baby #1 and 4 for baby #2)
But the labour! It’s like waves of pain crashing through your body from the tips of your toes to the ends of your hair.
Says someone who’s obviously never had 18 hours of back labor. Each pregnancy, labor and delivery is different. Just because it was a breeze for you, doesn’t mean that it’s like that for other women, or that you’re hard or some kind of super woman.
Birth centers rock. I delivered two babies in one (in the same room, actually), with midwives. First labor was about 36 hours with a posterior baby, but I only pushed for 10 minutes. Second labor was 4 hours with about 15 minutes of pushing (lucky that way) — I had no idea how far along I was when I got to the birth center; I delivered an hour later. Funny enough, the second labor was almost more difficult than the first — not having breaks between contractions was ROUGH.
Natural labor is so much healthier. It just is. I certainly understand the desire for pain meds, but the ability to move around is vital (I delivered the first on my hands and knees, the second in the tub — neither would be options with an epidural). With #2, I was up and ready to go home within two hours. Besides the lessened chance of complications with a drug-free, mobile, low-stress labor, the recovery time is incomparable. Although labor is by far the hardest thing I’ve done, I can’t imagine ELECTING to have major surgery requiring my uterus to be cut open and weeks of recovery.
(And no, I’m not superior. I am hesitant to undergo another natural delivery because my last one was so painful. But I am a very practical person, and natural delivery just makes sense.)
Exactly!! I had my son in a birthing tub with no drugs & while it wasn’t an overly pleasant experience, I’d do much rather to that than undergo unnecessary major surgery. Not all c-section are unnecessary, of course.
We loved the birth center & I am so upset that there isn’t one in our new city.
And we used our tax return to pay the part that insurance didn’t cover 🙂
Okay we don’t know if this story is actually true or if her doctor said lets do a c-section because the baby is too big.
but hey, its a gossip blog, fight away.
Since when do you get to choose? I thought a C-Section was only scheduled when there was a problem with delivering naturally. I personally wouldn’t want the extra recovery time with a C-Section.
I don’t know about other countries, but here in the U.S. elective c-sections are quite common. So much so that it’s becoming a problem. It’s usually unnecessary, and much more expensive than labor and delivery the old fashioned way. Personally, I would rather walk around and be able to lift and hold my baby the first few days after birth instead of recoving from an unnecessary, elective surgery.
Yeah, I’ve heard that elective c-sections are pretty common in the US now. It has always confused me though. I would never begrudge any woman her right to deliver the baby however she feels is best, but I’ve never understood how hospitals can book the c-section so far in advance. I have this belief that the body knows when the baby is ready to see the world and for some people, that may be a week or two after the original due date. Though I assume the doctors check the baby’s development and everything the best they can before the operation just in case. I mean, lungs develop in the last couple weeks. That would be majorly concerning for me.
I’m just so glad I live in Canada where I don’t need to worry about the exorbitant costs of medical services. In fact, my province will even cover several sessions of insemination and sperm donation for my wife and I when we’re ready for kids in a couple of years. (They do that for infertile couples too.) When that time comes, I would like to think I could handle a natural birth for my own reasons, but my mother was apparently in labour with me for 48 hours. If I have a similar experience I will undoubtedly be screaming for the epidural.
Dorothy, that is why they are called ‘elective’ c-sections…
Lee, but what about those babies that need assistance i.e. needing early birth or problematics during the actual pregnancy…the body certainly doesn’t know best when these babies are being delivered as they may not survive if delivered when the body chooses the babies time to see the world…
Thanks to medical intervention many babies lives are saved and they grow into health adults which is fantastic and that is not becuase the body decided the baby was to come out when it was ready
I don’t mean to offend, but I think you are a little naive worrying that a c-section would be performed at a time (unless emergency) that would in anyway be carried out prematurely .i.e. before the lungs are developed. If that was the case I’m sure sections would be banned!
@Lee – Most OBGYNs don’t schedule C-sections that far in advance. My OB & I scheduled the surgery at one of my last appointments (I went in every week).
I ended up having an emergency C-section after 36 hours of labour because little one decided to put in an early appearance and I had some life-threatening complications.
And yes, you are VERY LUCKY you live in Canada. I got a $250K tab from the hospital.
Wow, Bellaluna! That’s ALOT of money! I didn’t know you had to pay that much in the US. Dayum! I have a whole new appreciation for free healthcare now!
Sorry about your bill, Bella.
I think our Canadian friends have our system pegged wrongly though.
I have had surgeries, two babies, have been helicoptered off a mountain and stitched up (15k bill) and only ever had to pay a 100 dollar co-pay for the ER visit on the helicopter. Insurance paid every dime of everything I’ve ever had done. I am EXTREMELY familiar with billing and most of the time, most people don’t pay, they pay a small co-pay. It’s not really any different than Canada, expect for the separate prescription coverage, which always cost me up the wazoo up there. Don’t make assumptions about other countries until you have lived there and experienced the medical system for yourself.
So far, the US is looking good. The UK is super expensive, Holland not so much, Canada is fine, just different. You pay more in your taxes for that coverage, we pay it in insurance and co-pays.
I have a family member that is Canadian as well, his Father is a Doctor there in the West, while my experiences in Canada are in the East.
@RubyRedLips – I’m well aware that there are many instances where things don’t go perfectly and c-sections save lives, I just meant that scheduling a c-section months in advance sounds dangerous. But I understand better now that Bellaluna has explained it doesn’t work that way. I was mostly speaking from the recent experience of my sister in law who delivered her 6 lbs baby girl 2 weeks late and while she didn’t appreciate the extra time she spend in discomfort, the baby just wasn’t as far along as they originally estimated.
and for the record @Tiffany, my mother has lived in the US since I was 10 years old and I’ve had plenty of experience with the US system. It’s great that many of you can afford adequate insurance or have it provided by your jobs, but not everyone falls into that category. We pay more sales taxes here, but as a student who doesn’t make a ton of money, I get impressive refunds on my income taxes and don’t need to bother with co-pays or claims when I need medical attention. On the other hand, I will undoubtedly wait a lot longer for services. There are pros and cons to both systems. My personal politics mean I prefer the Canadian one; that doesn’t mean I’m ignorant of the US system or naive about the failings of my own.
Lee, what province do u live in that covers sessions of insemination and sperm donation? That is definitely NOT the norm in Canada.
You’re right that it’s definitely not the norm, but I live in Quebec and they try to encourage as many babies as possible.
I figured so. Quebec is ahead in many ways. I’m in Eastern Ontario.
Thx for responding.
Yeah. My co-pay for the OBGYN was $400 (and that was just for office visits & delivery, I think).
Then there were the co-pays for the lab-work and ultrasounds. And then…the birth!
After I FINALLY got out of recovery and into a room, the hospital kindly sent someone to my room to collect my $100 co-pay.
A couple weeks after my release (after a week-long hospital stay) I got a bill for what was dubbed “my portion” of my ER hospital birthing adventure: $10K.
Oh, would that we could legally migrate to Canada or France.
@Vesper
No Problem. 🙂 And yeah, I grew up in Manitoba and if I ever need to pick up a prescription while I’m back to visit family it costs me twice as much. My brother, who just had a baby, is back in Manitoba too and they get way less maternity/parental leave and get a smaller percentage of their income during that period than we will here in Quebec.
We’re very lucky in Qc when it comes to social services. Although that’s not to say there aren’t still many problems; I’ve never experienced more red tape and bureaucratic nonsense than I have in Quebec.
and @ Bellaluna
Yikes! Certainly worth it for a healthy little bundle of joy, but that’s a lot of money! They should cut you a rate for subsequent births. 😉
Maybe someone finally told her HOW babies are born, and that changed her mind!
Seriously, good luck to her and all expecting, hope everyone is happy and healthy.
I had an emergency Csection after 2 days of labor (should have been done sooner), but I had no issues. I was terrified, but it was easy breezy.
Well I’m bored of the Beyonce conspiracy theories, so let’s make one up about Jessica… she’s actually due any day but will debut the baby in April when she’s had a chance to lose all the baby weight. And/or she’s scheduling a c-section so she can get the c-section/tummy tuck combo a la Posh Spice & Mariah…
haha- kidding! But you never know.
Her dress looks really tacky. Pregnancy and tight fitting dress with sequins ….that’s a little over the top. I’m not saying that someone should hide their pregnancy, but that just looks scuzzy to me.
Those birthing videos can be brutal. I remember when the lights came up from one of them, half of us moms were crying, some were pale and shaking, and one woman got sick in the bathroom.
Hah, I remember in my Bradley class, the video shifted to a graphic depiction of a C-section without any warning. About half of us jumped out of our chairs. Not prepared to see that!
True story-am working in my surgical rotation, doing a gallbladder removal and into the next room comes an emergency C-section. I get to go watch and wham! Bloodiest and scariest thing I ever watched in the OR! So much blood on the emergencies.
You never see that much blood in surgery, only the C’s.
Most surgery is pretty bloodless with suctioning and stuff.
LOL! totally agree, I remember watching the birthing video with the whole class and my hubby went pale, turned his head towards me and said,” I am really sorry, what have I done to you?!!”
cute story I can picture him saying it lol 🙂
I also had natural births, but only by default, not for bragging rights. I begged for drugs with my first, but the doctor said my labor was progressing so fast that I would probably have the baby before they took effect. That really didn’t make me feel better when they realized that she was face up and stuck and they couldn’t turn her, so he grabbed the forceps to help pull her out. My second was born pretty quickly, too. I was already half-way dilated and they induced labor when I got to the hospital. Luckily he was smaller than his sister (under 7 pounds) but then again he was three weeks early…
I though the Lamaze classes were totally useless. I also closed my eyes through the c-section movie they showed us. I think the best thing you can do is have a labor doula, and listen to your l & d nurses-they absolutely rock. The doctor shows up at the end. The nurses (and my doula) were constant and really helpful.
Yes! All Lamaze (first baby) does is make you hyperventilate. I used Bradley with my second, and it was much, much more effective. Third baby, I said “Ah, screw it; I know what I’m doing.”
Having two 10lbs children myself I can sympothize with this. Two things I tell pregnant women to remember…EPIDURAL…and no mirrors.
I only had a 5 pounder the first go around, with an epidural, and I swear, it FELT like twice that. I only pushed for 28 minutes, and it wore me out! I was induced, though, and I hear the pitocin makes it a little harder to handle. I will not be induced this go around, and I’m going to try really, REALLY hard not to have an epidural.
Samigirl, I had pitocin twice. My first I kept going into pre-term labor, so they finally induced me. My second baby was sitting on a nerve in my back and I was on bed rest in horrible pain, so again with the inducing.
Makes your whole labor like the last hour intensity. AWFUL!!!!
I wish to God I hadn’t had to be induced, I think that’s why my first birth was so hard. She was 2 weeks early and not ready to make her appearance yet. 3 days of pitocin. They should have done a C-section with her. I really believe that’s why I had so many problems. They even broke my water to speed me up-19 hours of that, so I was running a fever to boot by the time I was delivered. Then they wouldn’t let me breastfeed because of that. That’s when I went crazy on them and demanded my child to nurse.
Sami, honey, tell them NO IV this time. Let them put in a shunt, but tell them NO.
That’s what I did with my 2nd, and they listened. (Of course, I had a mid-wife.) I also told them no internal fetal monitor, since my first was presented to me with a scab on his head from the internal monitor.
Pitocin seemed to be de rigueur in those days (17+ years ago) but I really hope that’s changed. It’s not MEDICALLY NECESSARY.
pfft.. I didn’t take the classes. Had natural births with both my girls, in hospitals – AND epidurals (and that doesn’t make me any worse a mother than you ladies who had your kids with midwives in your bathtubs at home with your whole freaking family watching like its the superbowl).
I don’t think the classes would have given me anything the books I read didn’t.. I felt prepared and it all went as well as it can go.
That being said, I’m NEVER doing ANY of it again…
I can’t imagine for those who got labor for days so I understand for those who wants a c section or epidural. I was one of the lucky one. Everything went so fast for both of my babies I didn’t even get the time to get epidural. I got advice from my mom not to just stay still and to always try to walk a lot when pregnant ( I rarely take a car and mostly walk or take subway to work since I live in the city) and I guess maybe that’s why it went easy.
There’s no such thing as natural childbirth. lolol God bless her.
Um, yes there is. I had my son naturally. And childbirth is the most natural thing there is
You don’t use sarcasm much, do you? Lighten up. Two ‘natural’ drug free childbirths here.
Oh, that was sarcasm? It doesn’t translate well in writing, especially on blogs. And I’m trying to lighten up, I’ve got 50 lbs of baby weight to get rid of
Me too! Good luck
I had csections – one emergency, one bc you can’t VBAC twins. Hubs is an obgyn, and of all his friends and co-workers, I’ve only known one who schedules sections bc of choice. JS may have a low placenta or something – which means she would HAVE to have one. There are several of reasons that one could be medically necessary, and these could be known ahead of time. My original Ob told me in the beginning I would never deliver my first daughter vaginally – my doc who delivered her had me try. Fifteen hours of labor, and baby’s heart rate dropped – csection
As far as size, I was HUGE w my singleton. I’m short like JS, and baby can only go out. I’m 5’3″, and everyone kept asking i was sure I just had one baby. When I had my twins at 35 weeks, my belly was 44 inches around (we measured for fun). Everyone carries differently.
Am I the only one who found pushing to be way, way easier than labor? First child was 15 minutes of pushing, second was only 3 minutes. My body was literally bearing down and pushing without my willing it to… but the last 20 minutes of labor I was sweating and moaning and writhing around like I was possessed (at least during my second labor, which was unmedicated). But I lucked out with short labors — I was already 7 cm dilated by the time contractions started, set off by an exam.
Nope, I did too. Pushing was actually a relief (after 17 hours labour with the 1st; 9 1/2 with the second) and took 10 minutes of pushing for my first baby and 4 for my second.
Youngest was the hardest, I think. 36 hours of labour; 3 weeks early; ER C-section; uterine abruption; and a week-long hospital stay for my recovery & getting my BP under control. Oh, and the little matter of the $250K hospital bill. (Yeah, there’s a K after that $250.)
But baby was healthy and fine! (And 8lbs 9oz, even 3 weeks early!)
@Rachel: Nope! I found pushing to be a cakewalk compared to labor. I only pushed 4 times with my 1st, and didn’t push at all with my 2nd–it was also like my body was possessed and forced her out all on it’s own in 7 minutes. And they were both 9 1/2lbs. I have bad back labor, so even tho both labors were only 6hrs combined it was pretty much non-stop excruciating pains. Never even had a chance to get epidurals.
My husband wants one more and everytime I think of giving in I remember how violent my labor with my daugter was (and all the stitches) and think that 2 kids is plenty!
Pushing was a cakewalk for me too. My body wanted to push so bad three pushes he was out. Put him on my tummy, I said hi. Then I needed a nap:-)
You lucky bitches. All of you. My doctor kept saying, “Hold your breath, and push while counting to 10!” I was like…I can do 6…can we compromise? I literally just couldn’t push hard enough. My body pushed for me. Then, after my sweet little boy was here, he wasn’t breathing and got rushed away, and I had to wait another 3+ hours for my damn placenta to detach, because no way in hell was I having a c-section for the damn after birth after I just vaginally delivered my child. Oh that one, my body just pushed too. I physically didn’t do anything for either…my body just did it on it’s own. Thank goodness, bc I didn’t want to be cut open!
A mother-to-be cannot “choose” to have a C-section. It has to medically deemed necessary or the doctor will be subjected to malpractice review. This story is nonsense.
Bella, what century are you living in, of course a mother to be can request a c-section – why do you think elective c-sections are called elective???? Doh!!
Or what country?
In Canada you can’t choose. C-section only if needed.
Before i had my first i thought a section was a great idea, but then i had it the old fashion way and the recovery was really fast compared to my sister and her c-sections. i could take care of my kids right away (3 total)and it was great.
everyone has their own story though.
Personally, I think it’s a bit foolhardy. While I’m a huge advocate of natural birth, I totally stand by a silane decision when she is fully educated on the risks of all of it. That said, you never know what is going to happen.
I speak from experience. My epidural failed. In the middle of my c/section. You may have a sudden precipitous labor far and away from the hospital. Like many women, you may have difficult having anesthesia placed and could benefit from pain management techniques (believe it or not it helped me during my failed epidural as feeling came back over several minutes, no one believed me, it helped me from panicking)
My epidural only worked on one side (with my second son). Felt everything on the left side.
I didn’t bother with any Lamaze classes. When I was in labor it was just like second nature to breathe through the contractions. I had a huge baby as well and pushed for 2 hours. If I wasn’t able to get him out, they would’ve definitely done a c-section. I had a nurse standing over me at the 2 hour mark, ready to push on my stomach. Thankfully, I was able to push him out without her help. But I was also really big like Jessica Simpson at 6 months so she could be expecting a very big baby.
My first was OP (sunny side up) and I pushed for 3 1/2 hours. My OB told me he wanted to perform a c-section after 3 hours of pushing, but I begged him for another 30 and I was able to push him out (with the help of vacuum suction). Even with the 3 1/2 hours of pushing I only labored 7 hours total (and 5 hours total with my second, who came out in 3 pushes).
Its totally up to each mother how they wish to have their baby, natural, drug free, drugs, planned c-sect – it really is nobody else’s business
Its up to JS how she has her baby and if she wants an elective c-sect then why not !!
To all you who critise other women’s choices please mind your own – its nothing to do with you and your opinion dosen’t make you right over others differing views!!
Sorry for the rant 😉
No offense, but this is the Xth comment I’ve read referencing the *natural childbirth zealots* however nobody has been dictatorial about choices at all on this thread. Granted I’ve only read to here but everyone has been respectful about choices, opinions and imperatives. Nobody’s being nutso-ish so we don’t need to pretend we’re fighting a comment battle here.
Me, I think ‘elective’ ceasars are a bit short-sighted, ie not for me, but it does the baby no harm. Limited difficulty for the mother. So, whatever! Ha – if you’d asked me while in extremis I would have taken it! If I recall correctly, I asked for a knife so I could do it myself at one stage during labour.
this is a prsonal decision and whatever she shooses to do is what is best for her.
I don’t have kids but the birthing center sounds totally serene and nice.
I didn’t go to birthing classes either. I was considering it until I saw it was $175 for 3 classes. I was 6 days late, went to the hospital to get induced, ended up back at the hospital about 4 hours after I left. All in all I was in labour for 15 hrs and my baby girl was out after pushing for 20 minutes. I think it is a personal decision. I never considered a c- section but I knew I wanted an epidural. My friend wanted her birth to be natural, a co- worker already knew she was going to schedule a c- section.
Whoo-whee! That’s a belly. That’s how I looked that far along with my twins. She is not porky all over, she is boobs & belly. I looked like an apple with legs ( how a friend described me- big change from 5’5, 135#) by the time my c-section date came up ( baby ‘a’ was breech, ‘b’ was not). I have read some speculation somewhere about her possibly having twins. That would be all kinds of cute.
U don’t find her “porky” (to use ur words) all over? I think she is huge all over, and has gained far too much weight. I find her ass is almost as big as her belly. Maybe it is the dress.
Although I have never had a baby or done research, a pregnant acquaintence told me a woman only has to gain 30 lbs to have a healthy baby, and that many pregnant women are so large because they overeat. Has anyone else heard or read this? Just curious.
There was an article in a woman’s magazine that C-sections have really increased over the last several years for several different reasons. (So they could plan the time off, not go through an episiotomy, pain, and/or vaginal stretching.) Even many female OB/GYNs admitted they got C-sections.
What I loved about my OBGYN is that she is a very petite woman, and she had a frank conversation with me. She told me she had both of her daughters via C-section, and that she saw no reason for women to go through the pain of labour and delivery if they so chose.
However, she had an absolute, set-in-stone policy of not scheduling a “planned C-section) prior to 39 weeks.
Having the right OB makes all the difference, doesn’t it? I switched OBs at 36wks with my 1st pregnancy because the OB treated me like an idiot. The second OB I chose was awesome and made me so much more comfortable and relaxed. With my 2nd labor I was in so much pain but was determined to do it ‘naturally.’ My OB said, “You don’t get a special prize for going thru all this pain.” My guilt immediately disappeared and I asked for an epidural. However, baby came too fast and I never got it. LoL
It really does. I had such an awful experience with my first baby (I was very young & it was a military hospital on a base that shall remain nameless) that I wanted them to “CHAMPUS me out” to a civilian OB with my second.
They told me no, so I went to the head of OB (told him if it wasn’t my Whopper my way, I’d just have the baby at home & dial 911) and I ended up with a wonderful (!!!) mid-wife, right there on base. And it was a much better experience.
My happy little surprise came 2 years age, and I stumbled upon my wonderful OBGYN via my insurance provider, if you can believe it!
Ah, I love being Canadian. Giving birth is FREE!!! I walked out only having to pay $13.00 for the phone in my room. .. And I did it naturally the third time around, giving birth to my ten pound daughter in an hour. It’s different for everyone, but it’s how nature intended (medical emergencies or complications not included).
France is the same 🙂 Paid nothing.
Yo guys DO realize you pay in taxes and that in the US most women also have their babies for free. Didn’t cost me a penny, either time.
Australia too – you can go private if you want (and have insured privately) but the public system covers everyone. Except for a TV and phone, if you want it! Main reason to go private is if you want a specific OB or single room after you’ve birthed (which I got anyhow under public system). Not trying to be a prat, but hearing people talk about the US medico system makes me shudder. I like that people an get their medical needs seen to even if I have to pay for it in my taxes.
So, just to clairfy: Canadians are so dumb, they don’t understand the concept of taxes and furthermore, they need to be educated about the intricacies of their own health care system by someone who didn’t live in the nation in question for very long at all? You have a broader perspective than most, true and interesting, but you DO realise that you’re not conversing with a nation of mouth-breathers, right? I don’t want to come off caustic, but what in creation could have given you the idea that we’re that thick? You like your system, the posters are talking about the positive experiences they’ve had within theirs, fine–but this axe you’ve been grinding all through the thread is approaching insulting status, even if you don’t intend that.
I am insulting Canadians? Where? How many posts have ragged on the US medical system on this thread? How many have ragged on the Canadian? None, including me. I have called no one a mouth breather.
I merely am mentioning for all those posts saying that the US is so expensive and wrong, and all these other countries are wonderful.
No. All countries have bad and good about their medical systems. I am just defending our own system, which is wrongly characterized as very expensive.
Considering I lived there for years and we are employed by a Canadian country where we get international insurance and I still hold a Canadian healthcare card and live with and have my children in the Quebecois school system, I think you have me pegged wrongly. Every country has it’s own good and bad medical problems.
Everyone loves to state how some other countries are free, so maybe they don’t realize if you balance out the extra taxes with the insurance costs in the US it is about the same. I know, I pay taxes in both countries.
That is all, I am not attacking you or your system, and call yourself a mouth breather if you like, but most Canadians I know are quite wonderful people. I’m just trying to say the systems are not as different as everyone thinks. We have a troupe with peeps from 22 nations with us and everyone has agreed, it is easiest to get medical care in the US. I didn’t say the best…I wouldn’t call anyone’s country the best, there are many excellent medical systems in the world, Canadian, Aussie and US included.
Although our healthcare, for the most part, is free, most Canadians will agree that health care experiences do depend on where u live in Canada. My doctor is always complaining about less funding going to Eastern Ontario and the Eastern provinces (excluding Quebec). Obviously, urban areas are better equipped.
As for taxes, yes, many Canadians do pay more than US citizens, but it does depend on ur situation. Those earning more income pay more taxes, those who earn less or have no income (the unemployed, disabled, students, etc.) pay far less or no taxes yet receive the same quality of health care. From that perspective, Canada is far superior to the US.
Vesper, have you used both systems? Just curious. Most people of student age are coverable under their parents insurance until 25. We also pay less the less we make in taxes. Also, if you are poor there is medi-cal (free medicine for the poor in CA) and for older folks there is medicare. And you never have to wait for services.
I lived in Quebec, both Montreal and Quebec city and Toronto, while my family member was a Doctor in BC.
I would not call one system superior, I think that if you listen to the politicos and the news, they like to spin it that so many people are in need of healthcare, but the truth is that most people are covered.
Most people pay much less taxes the less they make. We pay about 35% in taxes, while here in the UK, where I am living at the moment we are paying 50%. That makes healthcare not so free, you know?
I have had the privilege of living in many countries and truly have not had trouble getting good care any where. I just don’t see the superiority of one system to the rest. They are just different. But no healthcare is free, someone is paying.
I truly don’t think the US is deserving of the brush we get painted with. Like I said, I have had so many accidents and two kids in the US and never paid.
Cirque gives us great international insurance. It’s great, they even pay for 10 of any treatment you want per year. Massage, chiro, acupuncture, etc.
It works all over very well. And we have to pay taxes in every country we live and work in, so I am pretty familiar with the tax situation. Last year we paid taxes in four countries, three for this year.
And just for the record, I am aware that some people, like myself with pre-existing conditions are uncover able except through work, so yes it is not a perfect system, but then, whose is?
Original Tiffany,
When I meant the Canadian health care system was superior I was thinking mostly of the people who are disadvantaged (marginalized populations) – the unemployed, homeless, mentally ill, students of certain circumstances (estranged from family or have no family, over the age of 25) and anyone else who falls thru the cracks.
Although I have travelled frequently to the US, I have never had to obtain health services, but I do have Canadian friends who work in the US thru Visas (nurses, addiction counsellor, social worker) and thru them I have heard of or come across many people who are disadvantaged and are not covered either because they don’t have insurance and/or because they have a preexisting condition (so common in disadvanted populations).
I have come across others who take menial, dead end jobs they don’t want where they earn far less than they can live on, yet they take those jobs because they need health coverage.
The US health system is two tier depending on one’s socio economic status. In a system where access to the best doctors depends on how much money one has, and the average person’s health insurance stipulates which service providers are covered by their plan is, in my opinion, a second rate system. I’m not saying Canada has a perfect system, far from it, but at least access to health care is not based on how much one makes.
Vesper, I am totally NOT arguing with you, hopefully just discussing:)
While I agree mostly about the cracks in our system. Everyone has a two tier system, even Canada, even though most of you don’t want to hear that.
MANY Canadians who don’t want to wait on line for services or surgeries either go private or Sometimes even go to the US for care because they can afford it.
Even our Doc in Canada was a “private” doctor who I would say was a top their kind of guy catering to Cirque. I never waited a minute, was shown to the celeb suite while I was there, they totally kept us away from the general masses. So, there are ways of getting around systems where it is public and they want you to wait for treatments, you go private.
We do mostly cover our indigent and mentally ill because they make no money, you are right-it’s the honest poor middle class that can’t qualify for government assistance and who can’t afford insurance and so are forced to take jobs. Yep, it totally happens.
I admit we have some failings, but by and large, MOST people are covered. It’s a different system.
Believe me, the docs hate it too, the billing and hoops to jump through are tough for them as well.
Like I said, many systems in the world are good, I am just defending ours by saying most of us are covered. My mom has tons of preexisting and quit her job, she gets full coverage through disability and gets a monthly check as well. We are not as left out in the cold as some think.
ha-cold. I just saw the forecast for Quebec City, my old home! COLD!
I’m kinda loving Jess pregnant. She’s pretty and it seems to suit her.
Natural birth, epidural, c-section – it’s her choice. No judgement here.
Whatever camouflages the dumb.
my mom was in labor with my older brother for 32 hours…idk if she had an epidural but she delivered him naturally…like she did with the rest of her kids. i remember on the show the doctors there was this debate on which delivery method was better health wise or something. when i have kids, i dont care how i deliver them, as long as they are healthy and thats what matters. but in all honesty, c-sections scare the sh*t out of me because im afraid of surgery and stitches…i know, weird phobia right??
she is so beautiful pregnant!
Jess is not a tall woman, and her fiance is huge. That may be playing a part in her decision, and good on her if that’s her choice. I wish her & her baby well.
I am a tall woman, and hubs is a rock solid 6’5″ (I call him “Tree”) so I chose a C-section with our little one. One of the nurses at my OB’s office asked me why I wanted a C-section. I looked at her and said “Have you seen the size of his HEAD?!” while pointing at hubs.
” One of the nurses at my OB’s office asked me why I wanted a C-section. I looked at her and said “Have you seen the size of his HEAD?!” while pointing at hubs.”
Brilliant!!! 😉
Hand to God, I couldn’t even believe she had the audacity to ask me that question with him sitting right there in the chair next to me!
My 2 live (prior) live births were fathered by a 5’11” man, and they were 8lbs, 5oz and 8lbs, 13oz, respectively.
WTF do you think is going to be the result of a 6’5″ “Tree” and me (5’10”)?!?
(Spoiler alert: a scheduled C-section baby. Who decided to put in a 3 week-early appearance via ER C-section, and still managed to weigh in at 8lbs, 9oz.) 😀
How can she go until April, she looks huge, like she’s about to burst.
People were shocked to find I was only 6 months along when I was having my daughter. I was HUGE like Jessica. I’m only 5ft4 and have slim hips. You should have seen me by 42 weeks. Baby only ended up being 7 pounds 14 ounces. Emergency c-section was needed to get her out though. Luckily we have free healthcare in my country, so we didn’t pay a cent.
I wonder…will implementation of universal health care in the U.S. limit a woman’s ability to request a non-medically required c-section? That is, make elective c-sections cost-prohibitive to most people by denying them coverage? I wonder…
That’s a really interesting and astute question, so now I wonder…
Probably. The US gov’t just LOVES to tell women what they may and may not do with their bodies, so I’m sure the gov’t would make it as difficult as possible for women to obtain “elective” health care. (The “care” is only included to appease people.)
Im in Canada and this is my crazy birth story! I was in labour for 48 hours, and they didnt put my epidural in right so it kept running out. I was pushing and because they messed up his due date, his head was already forming. So they stopped me from pushing and I had to wait 3 hrs with no pain meds for the next avaiable doc to do the C section. All that matters is that he came out healthy. And birth can be so unpredictable, and any way the baby comes out so be it.
Dear God, I hope his head was crowning, not forming! They are pretty formed by then:)
My epidural wore off with my first too. What was more painful the vacuum/forceps or the stitching. Hmm, forceps. Definitely the forceps. I can still feel that and it was 14 years ago.
OMG, the STITCHES! I kept inching up the table, and the Dr. said “You need to stop moving!”
I said “Then you need to stop doing that!”
And he said “You can feel that?”
And I said “No shit! You think?”
I likened the episiotomy-aftermath to being repeatedly kicked in the nethers with steel-toed boots. NEVER. AGAIN.
(No episiotomy with the 2nd. And you know what? The only place I tore was along my episiotomy scar. Go figure.)
I can remember having a panicky period during my pregnancy when I thought “Can’t I just have a C-section?” My college roommate, an osteopath, recommended I read every Ina May Gaskin book I could find. One is nothing but birth stories, another is half birth stories (no repeats from the other book) and half midwife wisdom.
When I felt informed I felt more comfortable with it. That said, Original Bellaluna has a point – Jess is teeny tiny and her husband is enromous. C section may be practical, and is certainly understandable.
I <3 Ina May's books! I read them over & over & over & over… lol
Lol. I call it labour jitters. Every woman has it i suppose. It’s her decision, whatever she wants. I laboured for 7 hours with my first and, it wasn’t fun. Though pushing was a piece of cake compared to the actual labour in my experience.
I think she’s carrying twins and I think that’s the reason for the C-section. Medical necessity probably, rather than simple convenience.
So stupid! Who cares how they give birth just so long as baby is healthy. I’m on hospital effing bedrest and if I dont need an emergency csection, I’m going with epidural for sure!!
You don’t care how NICE a birthing suite is hooked up. When you are having a baby you can careless about a FLAT SCREEN!! Get this baby out of me is what you care about. I had my baby in 3 hours, 3 pushes and he was out(that was the worse 3 hours of my LIFE). I skipped Lamaze, the doctors said my next one would be in the parking lot if I didn’t get there quick(no more babies for me that pain was too much)!!!
Haha totally true, nobody warned me about the vomiting with labor. Even with easy labors, I cared nothing about the outside world, just psyching myself up for the next contractions. That’s why “birthing plans” crack me up.
LOL…..love the stories …my youngest is forty so all my babies came before that eppie thingie in the back….the only thing we got was to suck on that happy gas durning the worst part of the pain then the nurse would take it away….by the time the baby got there the pushing was the easy part….for me at least just like passing a big old log…..all back and belly…..last one had me begging for them to get it out by hour 23 in stage two…I would have crawled to the OR room if they had told me they do it….but after it was over I forgot the pain….just like you all did the moment you looked down into your babies eyes for the first time..Nice day ladies
Meh, it is a decision to be made by Jessica and her OB. Not anyone else.
I am due in a month, and I have NO IDEA* how my baby is getting out. Serious design flaw! LOL!!
Luckily, the military is paying for the birth, which is good because I am giving birth in a foreign country (Germany), and I have received excellent care here.
*I KNOW how the baby is getting out, I just don’t want to imagine it!!!! LOL!!!
I never considered getting a c-section ever. Women have been birthing babies the NATURAL way since the dawn of time. I wasn’t about to wuss out and have my abdomen cut open….which sounds WAY worse to me than birthing them the normal way. 🙂
Sure they have, but childbirth (or complications from that) was the number one killer of women in the 19th century (the one I’m most familiar with). So, while lots of things have changed, let’s not be too celebratory of ‘the natural’ as if there are no risks at all. And in the interest of full disclosure, I had twins and complications and thus a c-section. In the 19th century and early parts of the 20th, I’d be dead.
Novarean– get over it! You dont need to brag about having a natural birth and its so incredibly annoying and rude to remark that you’re not going to “wuss out” by having a csection. Thats why people cant stand other people talking about birth, they get so irritating! Grow up!!
Some of us, and our babies would be dead now if we hadn’t wussed out and had our abdomens cut open. Where I live c-sections are only performed for clinical reasons. To those of you who can have an elective c-section and choose to do so,that’s your choice and others should not judge.
Totally agree. well said
Can you please do a story about ALL the crap Jessica eats while she is pregnant?
on Extra the other day, she mentioned that she eats a whole box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese every day with Lawry’s seasoning salt.
She mentioned on Rachael Ray that she eats toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, take a bite of the sandwich and then licks salt from her hand.
She also told People magazine she eats cantaloupe with salt poured all over it.
Pop Tarts with butter, Captain Crunch, Froot Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Chocolate covered potato chips etc.
This is why Jessica is SO huge is because of all the crap she’s been eating while pregnant.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2085328/Jessica-Simpsons-high-calorie-pregnancy-cravings-revealed.html
Oh my gosh. I don’t know if that’s a craving thing, so much as a taking advantage of being pregnant thing. My biggie craving with my son was red meat. I’d eat browned ground beef with salt and a big glass of milk. 3 steaks a week. It was bad. With the little lady right now, pickles (totally cliche) and shrimp and sushi. Sometimes all together. 🙂
Yes! This! All I wanted with the first one was red meat and dairy. I’d get home from work and hubs would ask what I wanted for dinner. Steak was my default answer. And cheese and milk.
I usually love sweets, but they made me throw up when I was pregnant. I still gained an enormous amount of weight, and the day I hit my goal weight I found out I was pregnant with number 2. I cried.
Then I was happy, but first tears. I had just lost 75lbs…that I put right back on and the second time it took forever to lose the weight, having had two in a row like that.
What on earth would the human race do if it were not for the “weaker” (hahaha) sex!
When I was pregnant with my boy I wanted steak and cheese! I ate Mexican food from my favorite resturant daily. Steak meat wrapped in a tortilla and covered in queso. And orange juice and lemons!
While part of me wants to commend her for not being all “partially vegetarian” and admitting to cravings & just generally enjoying being pregnant, another part of me is worried she will develop gestational diabetes if she doesn’t slow it down a bit.
Know that, been there. Had GD and was eating CRAP. Went on a diet while pregs, reversed the effects, slowed the weight gain and entered back in my old jeans 2 weeks later.
funny story about cravings. when my friends mom was pregnant with her, her mom DRANK salsa. no lie!! i was like, “O.O” but she does look like she carrying twins or she could be having a big baby
My mom said she ate a jar of pickled beets every day. Yuck!
I love pickled beets! But a jar a day… I don’t know :/
@asli, maybe that’s why I don’t like beets! Had my lifetime fill in utero.
Lol! That’s probably why I H.A.T.E tomatoes. They are my kryptonite. My mom? She loves them. Eeeeek!
That’s disgusting. Goodness knows what her doctor must think. Good work, Diabetty.
I feel sick to my stomach after reading that. I can understand giving into cravings, but everyone on this thread mentioned healthy foods — red meat, shrimp and sushi, cheese, beets, tomatos, lemons, salsa, milk, orange juice. The food, if u can call it that, that Jessica eats is all heavily processed. Doesn’t a pregnant woman have some responsibility to her baby to eat healthy.
No wonder she is so huge. Seriously, her bust, ass, and stomach are similar in size.
It’s funny to read that her goal is to look like Jessica Alba after she gives birth. Not very realistic imo. It’s not like she was in shape before her pregnancy.
I did Bradley, too! 3 babies, no meds! And it was because I was more afraid of the epidural needle than I was of the contractions…..
That’s why I didn’t want an epidural or a C-section. There was just something about someone I don’t know sticking a NEEDLE in MY SPINE that freaked me the F out!
Even after labouring with #3 for 36 hours, bleeding and with blood pressure so high they thought I was going to stroke out right there, I was begging them to let me try natural delivery. (“Unequivocally NO” resounded in chorus.)
I was PETRIFIED over the idea of a needle in the spine plus having an epesiotomy after (they used to cut you at your opening so as not to risk tearing it during birth.) But I have to say that after going into labor and feeling the contractions, NO OTHER PAIN could possibly register on my pain-o-meter because the labor pain was way worse and masked it all.
As for C-Sections, I had a natural birth but shared a hospital room with a woman who’d had a C-section. She wasn’t allowed to eat until she had a bowel movement. It seems to me that she went without food for a loooong time, while I was horsing down on a nice meal! Then, she couldn’t get up on her own to go to the bathroom and was in pain, while I was feeling great and getting around shortly after the birth. Plus I got to leave in a few days; she didn’t. Made me glad I’d been able to do it naturally.
Petunia: YES. I hate it that people think you have it easier with a c-section. In my experience women who have them take longer to heal, experience more long term pain and carry the weight longer.
Vaginal birth + breastfeeding, your body will “bounce back” faster.
My second time giving birth the anesthesiologist had trouble placing the epidural catheter and the epidural only worked on one side. I’m 9 months postpartum, and I still feel a “weakness” in my mid back (at the site of needle insertion). I’m almost certain the weakness is associated with having received a crappy epidural. If we try for a 3rd, I will go natural since half of me already knows what it’s like (so now the fear is gone).
The csection thing is so true! I was on a liquid diet for 3 days (positive I was going to be back down to my baby weight after I left the hospital. I was wrong.) But all they wanted was for me to pass gas. Which I couldn’t. I ended up in the bathroom crying with my 3 year old screaming at the nurse that “Momma has a booboo!” 🙁
I’ve had an epidural and a spinal and my back is very weak. Sometimes when I lay down I have minor pain and can’t get comfortable. I can only imagine what it’s going to feel like when I get older. If I have another I hope to have a drug free VBAC. Providing I don’t have another 9 lb 6 oz baby.
OH—and i love how she’s so concerned with the “ordeal” of labor….doesn’t she realize she’s having MAJOR surgery that has a long and painful recovery that lasts WAY longer than “3 days.”
Can you say “c-section with lipo?”
C-Section followed by tummy tuck lol
Yeah, I’ve gotta laugh at the folks who think they’re getting off easily by having a C-section because after you’ve had the baby, you’re in worse shape than those who had it naturally. Plus you end up with a scar. Nope, not worth it to me, unless it’s a medical necessity.
the scar is really small and very low — let’s just say you don’t really see mine at all and leave it at that.
Duplicate
It also depends on how the ‘natural’ birth goes…some women end up taking just as long if not longer to recover than a c-sect.
Agreed about the scar, its barely visible and so low that u can wear a bikini if you wish.
Yup, make that c-section with a liposuction. How much better for that Weight watchers contract.
There is just no way that she’s only six months pregnant. Like, at all.
Oh gawd cravings! I remember with my second child, we were at TGIF and they messed up my order, I actually burst into tears.
Been there. Once with my first baby my mother in law gave away my box of Cheerios. I cried.
Then my husband didn’t understand, so I got angry.
*Reading all of these posts and thinking that the decision to remain childless was a REALLY good one!
DITTO!!
Haha! Oh sweetie, if you really want one it’s totally worth it. So cliche but true!
But since you don’t, yea it’s a plus! 🙂
@Ziggy Mariah didn’t have a tummy tuck she wasn’t eligible because she had toximia and gestational diabetes among other complications and she could’ve had a stroke because of the toximia. Jessica may need one because she’s petite and the babies head maybe too big to pass through the birth canal. and besides with twins like Mariah had c sections are more common because complications more oftenn happen and Mariah’s twins were 5 weeks early and in the nicu for 2 weeks while she was still being treated for post op complications and she wasn’t gonna leave the twins even if she could’ve
Well, 5’4″ is actually the typical height for an American woman. She’s not that small. And newborn’s skull plates move to allow their heads to pass through the birth canal. It’s pretty atypical to actually have a baby “too big” to birth naturally. Now, women with aymmetrical pelvises may have problems, but there, the size of the baby is irrelevant. I’m 4’10”, have had two average-sized babies naturally; my midwife told me, “I’ve seen Guatamelan women smaller than you drop 10 pound babies with no problem.” IMO, the Western notion of a baby too big to be born naturally is basically a myth (with the obvious exception of gigantic diabetes babies).
It also has to do with the “tilt” of the uterus. Mine tends to move towards the back when I’m pregnant, resulting in a more difficult delivery.
I had my twins at 36 weeks vaginally. The labor was induced, doc thought it was best, one baby bigger than the other. I was TERRIFIED, but I knew that labor helps squeeze out fluids is good for baby.
Got an epidural. First baby came out easy. 2nd came an hour later, no epidural, tearing and a $hit load of pain. She was all banged up b/c she came out sunny side up.
That said, I’m having my 3rd and plan on doing natural vaginal (no drugs). The epidural had a nasty side effect — couldn’t pee for a week. Imagine having a catheter in your vagina after 2 babies and totally swollen?
I honestly think that labor is not supposed to be painful. Society has created a lot of fear around this. I firmly believe the labor will be easy and joyful even. Meditation has helped a ton..
Agreed on the meditation. Everybody loves telling their birthing stories, don’t they? My first was two hours to go time and five hours of pushing. He was stuck, obviously. But quiet chanting (seriously) and something akin to self hypnosis got me through with virtually no pain–no meds or epidural, by the way. Not bragging, just the way it had to be that time around. Geez, the chanting was so corny, but it did the trick.
Natural vaginal birth only works, imo, if it’s a normal pregnancy and uncomplicated. Otherwise, drugs/meds/surgery are probably all a good thing=)
She is NOT 6 months along. She’s doing a Beyonce and fudging on the due date.
She revealed her pregnancy for Halloween with that “I’m going to be a Mummy” dressed like a mummy. She was VERY round and looking 5-6 months then. There’s NO WAY she was 3 months pregnant in that reveal. Please.
She’s due in late February if anything. Maybe early March. But so not April. No later than March 1.
Can you say ‘Tummy tuck’they are gonna cut that baby out and flatten her tummy lift up those boobs and suck out those thighs. Its the perfect cover. She’s huge..she’s been eating for four or she’s due in a few weeks…
Yup. I’d imagine she’s trying to avoid the worst of the stretch marks by going in a little bit earlier, but I don’t know (or care, much).
Celebitchy – did you deliver in the States? Sounds just like the birth center in Bryn Mawr, PA.
Personally I feel that Jessica should at least attempt to have a natural birth. However, it’s her body and she can do what she wants with it. I do think her decision is made out of ignorance but I don’t want to be the mommy police about it. I know how I felt when I told people about my choice to give birth at home with a midwife and being told it was an “irresponsible” decision. I’m not going to judge someone for making a decision I disagree with. What’s right for one person is not right for everyone. And I don’t blame people like Jessica for choosing c-sections either, I blame the doctors and the medical industry for allowing a c-section to considered an option for birthing. My opinion is that it should only be done under emergency circumstances and/or medical necessity.
The hospital where I live has a special program that is in cooperation with the local university’s midwifery program. Provided you have no risks you can give birth with a midwife in the hospital or you can give birth at home or at a birthing center. It only cost me $2500 for my daughter to be delivered at home (and it was covered by my insurance since I had a qualified midwife) and I was in labor for about 21 hours. I found labor no more painful than intense menstrual cramps but I feel that being relaxed in my own home was helpful and less stressful. I found it to be a very wonderful and interactive experience the midwife was mainly there for support and to check on me medically. My husband was the one who caught our daughter. I can’t imagine it would have been the same in the hospital. It was the type of experience I would encourage every woman to have when giving birth, but that may mean different methods for different people.
I developed pre eclempsia and had an emergency c section. The pain is terrible afterwards. You cannot use the bathroomand walking is almost impossible.
My first I gave birth to naturally– I didn’t know I was in labor, but I was leaking merconium and went to the hospital to get it checked out. They told me I was 3cm dilated and made me stay at the hospital, and all the while I argued with the docs that I wasn’t in labour because my contractions felt like Braxton Hicks more than anything else. Cue 3 hours later and 10 minutes of pushing and my girl was born. This was in England, one midwife (who was younger than me, and I was 22!) , and all paid for by the NHS.
My son was breech, I had actually scheduled the C Section for his due date. I had Thanksgiving/Birthday dinner the next day, I was feeling really good, I woke up at midnight to go to the Black Friday sale at Target and my water broke! Ten minute drive to the hospital, and half an hour and an emergency c section later my son was born. That birth was in the US, and was $12000 — thank God my insurance covered the lot.
I’m currently preggo and due in May, I’m hoping to deliver naturally because I had a much better recovery experience than with my C Section. I’m also hoping the birth is as easy as the previous ones!
Yay! A May-baby (we are the best, ya know) Good luck, hope it all goes well 😀 As goes for all you amazing pregnant women on this site!
Go, Taureans!
I hate to point out that there is no such thing as a “free” delivery in Canada or anywhere. You pay through higher taxes. You just don’t pay at the hospital. Doctors cost money. Everything does and it comes from somewhere 🙂
Good luck to Jess and everyone else about to have a baby. Hope its a nice smooth process no matter what you choose to do.
It would be so much easier if America had free health care. $5000 to have a baby in a centre, and then only allowed to be there for 12hours afterwards. My sister was in hospital for three weeks, living in England, she didn’t have to pay a penny. ;o
Jessica is massive for just six months! Jesus.
um it’s possible for the babies head to be too big to pass through her pelvis especially if she has gestational diabetes like Mariah did when she had her twins last April. besides on a petite person like Jessica who is 5ft 3in she’s gonna show bigger and could be carrying extra amniotic fluid twins at her age are unlikely though it’s been rumoured she used fertility treatments to conceive
I think that it’s rather silly for Jessica to not even try a regular birth. Just because her sister had a difficult birth does not mean she will too. Heck, just because you had a difficult first birth doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a difficult second labor.
I had vaginal delivery with an epidural with my first and a scheduled csection with my second. The vaginal delivery was so much easier to heal from. My csection scar still itches, and it’s numb so I feel like I can’t scratch the itch. But my dr did tell me if I had my son naturally I probably would’ve looked like I had a csection down there. He was 9 lbs 6 ozs and his shoulders were wide. I imagine he would’ve gotten stuck. I had no idea he was that big. And according to the NICU nurses he was probably early at 37 weeks.
My first, vaginal birth probably cost 6-10,000 dollars.
My csection cost about $30k. Plus about $35k for my son’s stay in the NICU. I lucked out because before I found out I was pregnant, the law changed so that my mother was able to cover me under her insurance. My first birth was covered under Medicaid. My second under my mom’s insurance and I’m currently paying on a $200 bill for tests. That’s it. No copays during dr visits or the hospital stay. Although the stupid insurance lady tried to get me to pay 15% of $30,000.
It is expensive. But I’d like to add that my first was an induction with an epidural, and a two day stay (had my baby at 4:18 in the morning and had to stay another 24 hours for observation) which adds to the cost. My second was a csection with a three day stay. I was released by about 3 in the afternoon but I didn’t leave until 11 that night because my son was still in the hospital and they charge me for the room until that night anyway. I lived an hour and a half away from the hospital so driving back & forth was a pain. Literally from my incision. The dr bill from my csection was $3000. That is just for him doing the surgery.
My son also had TTN from having a csection. When babies are born vaginally the fluids are often squeezed out. So he had breathing trouble in addition to his other minor issues. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I imagine his NICU bill was fairly cheap considering his stay was basically for observation for the last 2 or 3 days. The $200 I’m currently paying on are for tests run while I was pregnant.
I feel like I got off fairly cheap, just having to pay $200. I’m glad I didn’t have to use Medicaid this time. Hopefully the law will stay the same and I’ll still be covered under my mom’s insurance if I decide to have another baby before I turn 27. But there’s an election coming up and many aren’t in favor of the Health Care reform. So I may lose my heath insurance. I hope not. It’s the first time I’ve had it since I was 19. If I do get to have another baby I hope to have as little intervention as possible.
Someone said upthread that ‘most Americans’ have their babies for free. But your story (@Isa) suggests that you weren’t hugely flush and yet the charges were there, esp on baby #2 though you got in on your Mum’s insurance. So how does it work if you are uninsured? Would Medicaid have covered #2 if you’d been uninsured? Sorry to be nosey, I’m just interested how people get by.
If you are indigent and meet the requirements you are usually given medicaid, or are covered by your state’s program like Medi-cal. Very rarely does ANYONE actually pay the bill they get. It is the most jacked thing about our system, in order for the hospitals to make money they charge enormous sums to the insurance companies for reimbursement.
It’s really the people that fall into the cracks that have a hard time. People who have other conditions, whose job doesn’t cover them or they make to much for public aid. We would have gang members run up 6 figure bills all the time, it just gets turned over to medical in the end. The hospital knows it isn’t getting 100K from a gang member, so they find a way to get their money back.
MOST women don’t pay more than a co-pay to have their children. I’ve spent 22 years in hospitals, and doing the billing in clinics when i worked in small places. Many times if there is something wrong and you fall in the cracks, you’ll get a great doc who will help you out and the hospitals help you out too. They want to get paid and a regular person isn’t the best way for them to get their money, insurance or government/state is the way they get it.
My comment disappeared but there are other options. You can go to a midwife (wish I would’ve done that.) or to a health clinic for your check ups and then to an ER when you go into labor.
Then you set up a payment plan for your bill. You can pay $20 a month if you need to. If you’re lucky they’ll write it off. I probably wouldn’t have been able to get pregnancy Medicaid. I had a helluva time getting it the first time even though I was really poor.
Hi Tiffany and Isa, thanks for your explanations. It’s different hearing ‘real people’ perspectives to media.
I had to be induced (pre-eclampsia) and it took a week of labor that went no where. Holy Smoly! That was the worst week of my life save for the sweet babe they threw in my arms when he finally made it out. My poor husband got the brunt of my anger. If I knew then what I know now I would have demanded a c-section (it ended up that the cord was wrapped around my sons neck – he was blue when he came out – Scared the crap out of us).
It wasn’t a pain I ever forgot. I have only one child. That same sweet babe who now just shrugs at me when I ask him a question – id-n’t life grand!?!? LOL!
If you’ve got the option for a c-section go for it!
Oh what a surprise, once again Jessica takes the easy way out with something. She’s already as big as a Buick; I can’t wait to see how fat she gets because we all know she’ll never take the weight off.
Probably she would have ended up needing a c section anyway! At the rate she’s going, that kid is going to be half grown when it’s born!
I had a c-section and a natural birth and I’d take the natural birth any day!!!! I had some complications so I had to have a c-section for my first baby and because of how the baby was sitting they had to cut through the muscle and when they do that your abs are never the same…it is also painful recuperating from it. I had my second and was in labor for 2 h 41 minutes and the baby was born…I went home the next day and was out and about. I don’t understand why woman would have a c-section.
THIS. Everyone I know who has had both says the same thing.
I wish Jess would get healthy and research her options.
(I love pregnancy threads on CB, this one really took the cake 🙂 )
I totally agree. I didn’t need pain medication after my first birth. 16 hours that I slept through and it was over! I spent a week on meds after my csection. The only time I didn’t feel pain was when I was laying flat on my back. The nurses in the NICU could tell I had a csection because by the time I got up there my face was white from the pain. It’s been five months and it still feels numb and itches. I hate it.
Isa, love, I hate to tell you this, but 2 years later I STILL have numbness and itching along my C-section area.
I was wondering if the on-call doc did something wrong!
Of all my births, the 2nd (NO episiotomy) was the best. One of the gals who shared my room (there were 4 of us – military hospital) thought I was an orderly or a nurse because I was walking so fast!
Thanks for letting me down easy original bellaluna. 🙁
I can buy this story. The woman is an idiot. And a c-section is no joke either by the way. (I speak from experience, I had to have an emergency c-section with my baby).
I can’t believe how much it costs to have a baby in the USA. It is free in NZ. Although as we know having kids costs plenty of $ AFTER they are born :-\.
Giving birth is unimaginable pain. Mothers deserve serious respect.
if she’s having a c-section it’s becasue that baby is a frickin elephant! My first reaction when I saw the top pick was wahowza!
It makes me like her more, seeing her all puffy and massive like that!
If there weren’t any C-Sections, many women would die in childbirth, just as it happened for centuries before modern medicine came around (even though Cesarean Childbirth was already performed in Roman times).
That being said, I do think that this method of giving birth should be performed only when it is necessary, due to complications and/or danger to mother or child.
When a woman chooses to have a C-Section because she wants to have the baby for convenience or vanity reasons, then it certainly rubs me the wrong way. Putting yourself and your baby at more risk from a major operation WHEN IT IS NOT NECESSARY just reeks of selfishness.
Sorry if I offend, but to every debate there are two sides 😉
And for the record I had my two children vaginally and with a bit of Epidural. Just enough so I could still feel the contractions and push when necessary. The labour pain with the first child was rough, but with the second I was ready and knew what was coming. Made it much easier.
So my births weren’t completely “natural” either.