Miranda Kerr’s anti-epidural comments outrage mothers everywhere.
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Miranda Kerr probably didn’t know what she was starting when she opened up about her decision not to have an epidural during the delivery of her son, Flynn Bloom. The 29-year-old Victoria’s Secret model, who’s married to Orlando Bloom, made the comments in the August issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK. She explained why she opted against having an epidural during her son’s birth.
Miranda explained that she decided to deliver her son naturally after watching baby-bonding videos. She claims she saw that babies born without an epidural come out and go straight for the breast. With the children born with an epidural, she says that didn’t happen.
“Then they showed ones [babies] right after the epidural, and that didn’t happen,” Kerr said. “The baby was a little bit drugged up, and I was like, ‘Well I don’t want that.’ I wanted to give him the best possible start in life I could.”
On one popular parenting blog, Café Mom’s TheStir.com, mothers are taking Kerr’s comments to heart, saying, “Being a supermodel doesn’t make you an expert” and that she should “choose her words more wisely.”
“The reality of the situation is there … is no concern of epidural anesthesia on a newborn baby,” said Dr. Deborah Stein, who practices obstetric anesthesiology at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York.
Kerr is not alone in her stance, as one blogger says, “The babies are drugged up when you receive an epidural … do your research.”
“Most studies suggest that some babies will have trouble ‘latching on,’ causing breastfeeding difficulties,” according to the American Pregnancy Association’s website.
“I don’t care if you had an epidural, if you had it naturally, a water birth, at home or in the hospital,” said Mary Fischer, a writer for TheStir.com. “Women just need to respect each other.”
I think that last line says it all. At the end of the day, women DO need to just respect each other. What’s right for one person may not be right for another. No two deliveries are the same, and I happen to know that babies born with epidurals DO grow up to be completely fine, healthy children. To each their own!
Tags: celebrity, Flynn Bloom, Miranda Kerr, model, NYC, Orlando Bloom, Victoria's Secret
July 9th, 2012 at 9:41 am
But she didn’t say anything disrespectful.
July 9th, 2012 at 9:47 am
I didn’t see how she was being disrespectful to mothers who chose epidurals. She was answering a question about why SHE chose not to. Not just spouting judgment.
July 9th, 2012 at 10:22 am
I think certain women feel judged when comments like hers are made. I agree with both of you – she was just saying what worked for her. People are too damn sensitive these days. Get offended over someone stating their own opinion? JEEZ!
July 9th, 2012 at 10:44 am
“I wanted to give him the best possible start in life I could” is judgemental, imho
July 9th, 2012 at 11:05 am
oh good lord. what can you say nowadays without an outrage?
miranda kerr had her fair share of not so clever stuff but this isnt offending. if she attacked mothers who used it i could understand it but here she just calmly explains her decision.
July 9th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
I just wanted to say that I had an epidural and my baby latched right away. I know other woman who did not have an epidural and were not able to breastfeed. It IS different for everybody (whether she was being disrespectful or not).
July 9th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
I think what was upsetting was the inferences behind her comment: that mothers having epidurals are possibly willing drugging their babies. And that she’s accepting that as fact. I’ve delivered a ton of babies, and it IS different with each delivery (and each labor is different). I think respecting each other is important, if we don’t, who will? And worse, this negativity is much more harmful to our children than an epidural.
July 9th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
I don’t think what she said was disrespectful. However, I had one child with an epidural and one without. My epidural baby latched easier thn my natural baby. And my epidural baby was not drugged at all.
July 10th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
I could post links to medical journals but I don’t have time but it is proven 100% that the drugs woman take during labor does go into the blood stream and into the umbillical cord and does infact reach the baby. So yes they say that babies born after the mother is given drugs, specially if its a quick birth or drugs are given close to birth do infact have issues latching on and even some with thier breathing tests right after birth. Normally babies are awake for an hour or do from the adrenaline during birth and then they are sleepy for many hours. Drugged up babies are sleepy from the get-go so you don’t get those beautiful precious moments right after birth, its an amazing bonding time for mother/father/child.