Jessica Alba has a new interview with Elle Magazine, and The Huffington Post has the highlights. She compares labor contractions to bad period cramps, which will surely make a lot of women bristle, and she also attributes her post-baby figure to wearing a girdle. Alba does admit to working out hard ahead of her Campari campaign, in which her very small hips were airbrushed out anyway, and says that she hasn’t worked out since:
-On giving birth: “Contractions aren’t that bad. If you’ve ever had bad cramps? That’s what they’re like. But that moment when they put the baby on your chest – that’s deep. It’s a deep experience.”
-On snapping back into shape so quickly after giving birth: “I did it for the Campari job. [The workouts] were horrible. I cried. And I haven’t worked out since.”
-Her secret to looking slim after giving birth: “I wore a girdle. Eight weeks after my girlfriend had her baby, you could see her six-pack. She told me to put an elastic band around my waist – any kind of band or girdle works. She was like, “I slept in it.” I didn’t recover as fast as she did. I don’t have a six-pack – that’s just not my body at all.”
-On having an exotic look: “Anyone who’s part of pop culture is going to be sensationalized and spun into something, some one-liner. Also, there aren’t many other stars, besides Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez, who most people in the world can related to. We look like people of the world – I can kind of mix in with girls in Asia, South America, Europe.”
[From Elle via The Huffington Post]
Jessica’s trainer was pretty open about the routine and diet she followed after she had Honor last Jine. He said she did an hour workout 5-6 days a week and was on a reasonable 1700 calorie a day diet. He claimed she burned 600 calories in her workout, which means she was probably working her butt off. That guy must have been a drill sergeant. It’s surprising that she doesn’t exercise now, though, as she used to go to the gym all the time before Honor was born.
As for Alba’s claim that contractions are like period cramps, I’ve never had a monthly visit like that before and I would never want one. I did one of those non-medicated births and my labor wasn’t awful or anything, just way more than regular cramps. It’s probably a lot different if you get an epidural. She sounds kind of dumb the way she explains it, like labor and pushing are not so bad, then “it’s deep,” when you get to see your baby for the first time. Maybe I’m judging her from my experience, which was pretty intense. Maybe I’ll get an epidural next time if makes it feel like bad period cramps.
Jessica Alba is shown out with her daughter Honor on 1/28 and 1/31/09. Credit: WENN
or maybe she had an epidural? I did, and labor was “uncomfortable” but dealable. I even slept during parts of it until it was time to push.
Yes I meant to mention that! I will edit that, thanks Caitlinsmom.
^^^ oh, but I’m not defending her or anything… I still think she’s a twit… and that’s when I’m feeling charitable….
My aunt had 4 girls in under an hour, and her contractions were like NOTHING.
My poor mother on the other hand, was in labor with me for 72 hours. And she was a small 95 lbs and I came out a BIGASHELL 8lb 11oz baby. Oh, and back then, no epidurals. Weren’t as safe as they are now.
Note: my mom and my aunt had children the same time.
And my aunt had it remarkably easy. The kids beat the DOCTOR to the hospital. HAHA
Also, I’ve had friends who’ve had debilitating cramps during their periods. Just gawdawful. So it’s possible.
Yes but I guess I was kind of amazed at how blase she was about the whole thing, like “no biggie – then it’s deep!”
-edit: Annie I hadn’t read your comment yet and was referring to Caitlin’s!-
I had natural child birth and have always compared it to a bad intestinal bug. So kind of the same as cramps.
period cramps are nothing like labor cramps, and a lot of those people who usually say big deal, had some kind of medicine to help with the pain. I have had four children and i would not want to feel the pain without the demerol
Well, I suppose you have to define “bad” cramps. if you have cramps that are painful enough for you to go woozy to the point of passing out and even the “mild” ones means you can’t think straight for hours…
All I can say is that they’d best replace all of my blood with whatever drugs are in that epidural.
When I was a teen, I used to get cramps so bad that I would throw up, and feel like I was going to pass out. So yeah, I could see how with an epidural it’s similar.
I think the experience of actually having your child overshadows the pain so much that moms forget just how bad the pain was. I don’t have children so I can’t say for sure, but when I was in nursing school I assisted with some births and good lord were they horrific…
Yeah, I suppose it must be different for everyone, because my labor pains were BRUTAL. Holy shit, I thought I was going to f*cking die. But maybe I’m just a wuss.
Everyone has different kinds of labor. Some of us have excruciating back labor for days, while others barely feel a thing before the kid crowns.
I wouldn’t call someone a liar if they have natural childbirth and don’t feel horrible. My cousin barely got to the hospital in time b/c she simply didn’t feel the labor and she was already dilated to a 10!
Well, I had an epidural but there was a “window” so it still felt like someone was trying to yank my uterus out through my spine (if that makes any sense). Also, I got pitocin so maybe that’s partly why is was so painful. At any rate, its diff for every woman. I’m still amazed when I watch birthing videos and the women are so calm and quite. WTH??? WOW, I have much respect for them.
I get the impression it differs from person to person. Some people have comparatively easy births, while for others it’s hell.
Alba probably still hasn’t processed it yet or those hormones that make you forget how painful birth was have kicked in big time.
BTW – I love that last pic. Turn that frown upside down little ladybug!!! :0)
I have heard women describe it as period cramps times 100.
I felt like my whole body was seizing up and turning inside out. But then I got the epideral and slept until it was time to push. All I felt was pressure.
I remember her dad saying it was an all natural birth which confused me. Did he mean just vaginal or with no medication??
she said bad cramps not regular ones
Everyone’s different and every labor is different. My first took 6 hours and I remember thinking during it that “this is fun!” Second took 2 hours, there wasn’t time to think. The third took 25 hours. You just never know.
I always thought the early stages were like an intestinal flu, with the belly cramps and sickening feeling.
Well, sort of…maybe in the beginning it feels like cramps. Give her a good transition phase next time and she will sing a different tune!
yeah, it feels like really bad cramps, when the contractions are still ten minutes apart.
I went the not-even-a-tylenol route with my two girls…
my husband said toward the end of each, I was concentrating so hard and making weird quiet gutteral animal sounds, it totally freaked him out! LOL! To each her own, I guess.
I would strongly advise a first-time mother to do it with an epidural.
Before the medication works, she’ll have enough time to figure out if it will be bearable without epidural next time. When she has already an experience of what she’s supposed to do while giving birth.
I had pitocin for my 3 babies, somehow my body is unable to start the birth on its own – no contractions, nothing, even post-term.
For the 3rd one I declined the epidural. I yelled so much, the poor nurse was really willing to give me anything to shut me up. And then, you know what, the baby’s born and the pain stops instantly and you feel so good…
Until it starts again for the placenta. And then there’s the stitches (9.0 pound baby)
But hey, if you’re really sure you can do it, you’ll have a really good story for the next time you’ll be with your girlfriends and a male tries to intrude.
Prissa: pitocin has indeed much to do with extreme pain – very strong contractions, the measurement thingie was saturating.
I have to agree with Miss Alba here, I have given birth to 3 children…and all 3 of them were virtually pain free, quick and NATURAL! SO quick in fact that one of my kids was born unattended at home.
Some women experience labour differently, some bodies can handle pain alot easier?
Maybe she did something like Hypnobirthing. I took the classes and thought it was an awesome concept. Yeah it sounded like bullshit but if there is anything worth bullshitting yourself into believing, it is that kind of birthing experiencing. If going natural is what a mom decides to do, I think hypnobirthing is an awesome way to do it.
I ended up with c-sections for my 2 youngest (the first of those was an emergency and guess what, epidural failed as soon as she was delivered, there is no kind of hypobirthing/bradley/lamaze whatever that will help you cope with the pain then.
Sounds like she had a pretty positive birthing experience. I don’t particularly like her but good for her.
yeah, the f*cking stitches are loads of fun.
Why is it that people don’t like her anyway?
Mom to 3: I agree. My mother has next to no pain at the dentist. I was near passing out, just looking at what was going on in her mouth, and she was totally cool.
Still, she agrees that giving birth is the nearest thing to torture for her.
Zoe: 1rst kid (9.1lb), they put non-absorbable stitches in the lower part of my vagina. Then 5 days after that they removed them.
I asked for a big pack of gauze and I bit it as hard as I could. Couldn’t sit afterward, I would have fainted. They kept me 2 more hours and gave me a free meal.
2nd and 3rd kid were born in another hospital.
Right. So since we’ve all posted that these kinds of things can vary, I actually have to vote we lay off Jessica. lol.
Yea, she says really asinine things sometimes (ok, most times).
But in this instance, it may have been that simple for her. And if it was, it still doesn’t take away from the miracle of childbirth.
All I gotta say is this:
I’m getting my ass DOPED UP. My mom said it was the best course of action. For the first three my mom had (there are 4 of us total) with the last one, my mom was like “DRUG ME.” Because by the time my little sister was arriving (we’re 12 years apart), drugs were much safer for the baby.
My BF’s sister was trying to take the high road on her first (born 7 months ago! YAY!) and was all “Oh, I’m strong, I don’t need drugs” and by hour 3, she was SCREAMING at everyone. “GIVE ME THE DAMN DRUGS!!!” (Actually, truth be told, it was much more colorful than that, but you get my point.
Moral of my tirade….it’s different for everyone, cut her some slack.
Not that bad? She must have had an instant epidural.
Eek. I am glad it was like period cramps for her– where can I get some of that? My first 3 were born with epidural, but because I had serious problems with epidural, I had my 4th baby natural. So sure with epidural it was a cake walk, but natural the experiences were so different I can’t begin to compare them.
On the flip side maybe she has really horrendous periods. I had some large ovarian cysts before and when I would have my periods the pain was so intense I would sometimes faint, my doctor had me use pain medication, until the cysts were done being zapped.
It’s different for everyone, not just a pain threshold thing. I used to do ballet and would perform on a sprained ankle if need be so I thought labour would be a breeze, because I can clearly handle pain. BUT there’s something wrong with my anatomy making each and every contraction from the first to the last, feel equally painful…for 46 hours. It was shear hell.
My mom on the other hand, compared it to cramps. It’s different for everyone.
Oh yeah, the stitches! After my first birth, I stupidly thought I was done after he came out. But then, the doc starts stitching me up Rambo-style (without anything to numb, or at the very least, dull the pain), and my tear was quite large, so it took forever. At least when my second son was born, I knew it was coming.
She might just be one of the lucky ones. My mom had my older sister in just over 1 hour and she had me in just under 45 minutes. It’s a good thing she never had a third child because she never would’ve made it to the hospital.
She also said her contractions were nothing.
my vagina just instantly slammed shut reading these posts.
Ow. It’s not the labour, but. The stitches. ow ow ow.
ow.
Does the medicine they give to induce make the pain worse? I’ve heard rumors but I only have one child (induced labor) so I have nothing to compare.
My contractions were right on top of each other no time to re-group for lack of a better word.
I’m due with my first baby in 10 weeks and I’m SO scared of labor!! The epidural is sounding like a good way to go…
Some people with “bad cramps” from menses actually have stage 1 labor cramps. So don’t be so sure that you know what she dealt with. If she came from one of those families (in which women can’t even walk when they have menses), her labor wasn’t THAT different.
lunachick,
I tried to see if I could deal with the pain but then opted for the epidural. It is good to see what your pain threshold is as it is different for everyone. I had an emergency caesarian in the end so I was glad I had the epidural. It is hard to know whether jessica, clarified her statement by saying she knows that it is not the same for everyone and that she is one of the lucky ones !
I have to chime in that I, too, am someone that had three natural childbirths and it wasn’t anything more than cramps ramped up a bit with a lot of that “pressure” feeling thrown in at the end. My doctor said that he would be out of business if all women had that kind of birth experience. So, yeah, I am sure that she is NOT lying, she just made the mistake, as I did, to talk about how easy the birth was, most women DON’T want to hear that, they are not happy for you, I learned that the hard way.
rosanna, I come from one of those families. Forget trying to walk I barely get to roll over. I completely got what Alba said. My mom described labor the same way. Bad cramps. I havent had a child yet but if thats anything near labor I can deal with that. Have for years.
Jessica must have had an easy labour
Just remember, there’s ups and downs to epidurals. They are, after all, sticking a NEEDLE in your spinal canal. Sometimes (VERY rarely) there are complications – difficulty walking for a period after, numbness, not having the feeling like you need to push (those contractions are there for a reason). Fever sometimes, which means your baby may have to stay in hospital for observation to make sure they’re not infected (not related to the epidural itself, but because they might not want to assume the fever came just from having an epidural!
The plus side: less pain, easier to push for some people, and faster recovery from what I’ve seen.
Just make sure you read up on it (from a reliable website like National Institutes of Health or other research or academic center) before you have one.
Three kids, no drugs. But I know my pain threshold is higher than a lot of folks.
Just remember, there’s ups and downs to epidurals. They are, after all, sticking a NEEDLE in your spinal canal. Sometimes (VERY rarely) there are complications – difficulty walking for a period after, numbness, not having the feeling like you need to push (those contractions are there for a reason). Fever in mom sometimes, which means your baby may have to stay in hospital for observation to make sure they’re not infected (not related to the epidural itself, but because they might not want to assume the fever came just from having an epidural!
The plus side: less pain, easier to push for some people, and faster recovery from what I’ve seen.
Just make sure you read up on it (from a reliable website like National Institutes of Health or other research or academic center) before you have one.
Three kids, no drugs. But I know my pain threshold is higher than a lot of folks.
I have endometriosis as does my friend. I have had miserable cramps off and on since high school. They got worse when I had ovarian cysts, like kill me now, I know what a miscarriage must feel like cramps.
My friend just had her first born two weeks ago and she said that it was like bad (endo) cramps. She did have the epidural. So, gives me hope that I too can survive the pain of childbirth.
Mother of three. And, while completely worth it, all three birthing experiences (vaginal births, and medicated) were very, very painful.
I tore a lot and the stitches… ugh, still makes me cringe!
I had an epideral and had pain in my back for about a week after. I was worried that I had messed myself up by getting but thankfully it went away. It actually may have been my body adjusting to not having so much weight out front. I could barely walk during my 8th month.
I think it’s kind of funny how she cried during workouts but she says that “contractions aren’t that bad” It’s ridiculous.
And while I do believe that she is genetically lucky when it comes to her body, I don’t believe that she has quit working out.
Why can’t more celebrities admit that they diet and work out in order to look hot?
I agree with her, but would like to add onto her “bad period cramps”. At first they were exactly that. I had asked friends what labour felt like and they had all said they didn’t remember it, they just remember feeling the baby in their arms afterwords.
I had been in labour for 48 hours without realizing it, getting mild period cramps. It wasn’t until we went to the doctor when the contractions were 5 minutes apart. He then broke my water and the contractions increased ten-fold. They were THE WORST period cramps I have ever felt. Walking in circles seemed to be the only thing that helped because the thought of keeping my feet moving kept me from the direct pain I was feeling in my lower abdomen.
Birth itself was a different story, ripping and tearing and getting exhausted from pushing. But I completely agree with her, that the first stages of labour feel just like cramps. Your body is doing what it does every other month, it’s just a lot more intense.
Well like everyone’s already said, birth and labour are different for everyone. I’m sure for some it’s like bad cramps, for others it’s like the worst pain ever. I’ve never given birth so I can’t say. Jessica can only speak from her own experience, but people will hate her for anything she says, so she can’t win.
Didn’t she had a scheduled c- section?
She doesn’t know what going into labor is.
I can’t speak from experience, but from what I’ve read (that one popular baby book and a lot of baby magazines), some women do describe labor pains as really, really, ridiculously bad menstrual cramps. I had some pretty debilitating periods growing up so that’s why I think I might be able to handle it. Then again, I’m sure everything goes out the window once you’re actually in that moment of pain, so who knows.
Speaking of which, anyone seen that Ricki Lake documentary, “The Business of Being Born”? I’ve always wanted a natural child birth and that movie confirmed it for me. I know all natural isn’t in the cards for everyone, I just hope all of you that are pregnant really think through the whole epidural thing. Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time, pain-management free. Be strong, you CAN do it ladies!
P.S…Sorry if I’m being too preachy, I don’t mean to offend anyone who has gone that route, or anyone that chooses to go that way.
@whatevs – check out the documentary “Pregnant in America”, too! It’s a good one as well.
Nah. “bad cramps” would have been a walk in the park. I have two kids (both natural births with no medication) and i swore i would never do it again. It’s more like your body tearing in half – she must have had epidural – try all natural Jess….
The “hard labour” phase of my childbirth experience (drug-free) was 10 hours of intense, incredible, excruciating pain. I’ve never experienced menstrual cramps like that before! But some women are lucky. When my mother-in-law was nine months pregnant with my husband, she says she felt kind of “off,” so she went to the hospital. The nurses took one look at her and said, “Obviously you’re not in labour yet, but let’s just check you out” — and promptly discovered she was 8 cm dilated. Unreal.
I am now scared to have a kid after all that about stitches. Thanks a bunch ladies! 🙁
I was worried of cramps being as painfull as calf cramps, but they are less to me. I must say that the pain is going crescendo so you get use to it. My baby didn’t wanted to go down despite of the contractions and hours of labor so I had pitocin and non stop contractions. Because the baby wasn’t moving down and that his heart beat went down to 60 (b/c of fatigue due to contractions), I had a C-section (after 20 hours of labor). Thankfully I had chosen to get an epidural, not only because of the pain, but because of that possibility… I was really happy about my decision that day.
After reading all of your posts its clear that every woman really does have a very different birth experience.
I had natural childbirth and it did really feel like bad period cramps, for me it really wasnt all that bad. Except for the 1 second when my dd’s head was coming out….OMG…..now that was awful.
lynxie: don’t fear, well made absorbable stitches are OK, just wash often and blow dry with a warm hair-dryer (or else it’s hell) and you’ll get pain medication. Not everybody needs stitches anyway.
lunachick: definitively peridural if you’re afraid ! You’ll be able to rest, and to focus only on your first rendez-vous with Baby. Good birth !
whatevs: all-natural with no pain medication is a bit risky for a 1rst kid imho. After one childbirth, you have an idea of how your body will behave, pain-wise.
Selena: endometriosis is no fun from what I’ve heard, and I’m sure you’ll survive the pain – it’s a lot shorter than what you’re already dealing with.
Ana: they say the contractions are much stronger than normal ones with induced labor. I don’t know, I’ve only had induced labor. I’d be willing to do it again, with no peridural – the big pain is over in 2 hours for me, and the pushing really short, I can stand that. The one living a real ordeal was the nurse, so used to quiet peridural births.
Ter: sorry some women were harsh with you. You’re very lucky and I hope your progeny inherits this luck. For ladies who have suffered, it’s our only big pain story with a lovely ending… I for one love telling it around !
OK, I shut up now 😉
Oh, Lynxie, the stitches aren’t so terrible. Yes, it’s sore, but it’s nothing you can’t deal with, you just have to sit a little more gingerly than usual, and try to sit on soft surfaces, and it feels great to sit in a hot bath, and in a few days it’s gone. Some people have complications and have to have a lot of stitches, some have few to none. Never be afraid of having a baby. In spite of the horror stories, it’s a fantastic experience.
Agree with Syko, ice helps also.
During labor with my first child I swore I would never go through it again….but I had 4 more children.
Most of the women I know ‘forget’ the pain of labor once they hear their little baby crying with their first breath. That emotion is exhilarating.
The happiest times of my life was having my children.
Nothing has topped it so far…..
My stiches weren’t that bad. I felt the pinching when he put them in but afterwards they didn’t bother me at all. I was cut not torn. But I have heard some horror stories. Just pray for the best!
Oh god, you guys are making me cross my legs!
I was in labor for 20 hours, much of it back labor. Plus I had very narrow hips pre-baby and though they spread throughout pregnancy, there was definite pain associated with them spreading further during labor. On top of it all, there was a chance of complications so my doctor would not let me have any drugs whatsoever. During contractions the pain was so intense I was punching the walls in the delivery room.
I’m jealous of Alba. I wish labor could be so easy for all of us.
You know, I was thinking about this earlier (Ya, I can’t believe I was thinking about this in my free time either) but I’ve seen pictures of her working out before. I saw pictures of her working out earlier in the first months of her pregnancy so I find it hard to believe that she doesn’t work out.
What is it about celebrities and models…why do they want to act like they never work out. Nobody believes it.