The more I read about Miranda Kerr, the more I like her.
Last year, the 29 year old supermodel from Australia who is married to actor Orlando Bloom refused to cave in to pressure from the anti-saturated fat lobby by publicly professing her love of coconut oil with the following statement:
“I will not go a day without coconut oil. I personally take four tablespoons per day, either on my salads, in my cooking or in my cups of green tea.”
Mmmmm, let’s see. Shall we listen to fat, unhealthy looking doctors with expensive vacation homes and yacht payments telling us to avoid coconut oil because it will give us a heart attack who are incidentally getting kickbacks or special perks from drug companies on the amount of cholesterol lowering prescriptions they write, or …
Shall we listen to a woman who is sharing her secret for shiny hair, trim figure, and clear skin which has been used by attractive, healthy Polynesians for centuries who suffered virtually no heart disease whatsoever?
Kerr: Epidurals Result in Drugged Babies
Now, Ms. Kerr has once again stirred up a hornet’s nest with her comments about the dangers of epidurals published as part of her interview in the August 2012 issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK.
Miranda states that she decided to forgo an epidural with the recent birth of her son after observing in baby bonding videos that babies born to mothers who had epidurals did not instinctively go for the breast and appeared out of it and “drugged” unlike babies born to mothers who had not submitted to pain medication who went straight for the breast and were alert and looking around:
“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.”
Dr. Deborah Stein, who practices obstetric anethesiology at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York, fired back by insisting that there “is no concern of epidural anesthesia on a newborn baby.”
Yeah right, doc. A little concerned about those yacht payments are we?
Mother and parenting forums also blasted Kerr saying that she should more carefully choose her words. Mary Fischer who writes for TheStir said that “women just need to respect each other.”
Give me a break. Isn’t the health of babies a lot more important than, sniff, mommy’s feelings (does anyone have a hankie?).
The reality of the situation is that epidural babies are drugged and if a woman can possibly avoid these medications (of course, sometimes she cannot), it is indeed giving her baby a better start in life. At the very least, a natural birth gives baby and Mom a better shot at a successful breastfeeding relationship with a normal latch and suckle more likely from the start.
Good for you, Miranda, for sticking to your guns and showing once again that a supermodel isn’t necessarily just a pretty face and can be a force to be reckoned with in this age of false and misleading health propaganda from those who are supposed to “know” the most!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source: Miranda Kerr’s Anti-Epidural Comments Incite Backlash
What ever she says is okay by me. She is quite photogenic.
I agree! There is no safe drug, but at times we need them. I don’t like going to doctors and hospitals the most. I hate drugs! I had my first child by c-section. I was in labor for 38 hours with water broke from the beginning and my cervix did not open a bit all this time. I did not want any drugs, but had to try some induction. When they checked me 30 hours later on induction and there was no change, I cried and my husband and my mom did too along with me. I knew I needed surgery and all those drugs that come with it. With second pregnancy I decided to go with WBACK and hoped for better outcome. Well, it was not so. Yes, I had successful VBACK and everybody were impressed in that hospital. Not many women have successful VBACK. But I got through a hell. My water broke again, my cervix was closed, but I was in labor. My midwife did not want to wait to long knowing my previous problem. She put balloon to open my cervix manually and it was really painful. This made me so tense that I could not relax fully, but I tried my best. It worked and I got in to full active labor after 20 long dragging painful labor hours. 24 hours later I felt like throwing up and could not talk, shaking like crazy. I hoped I was close to the end. Well, I was only 5 cm. There is no way I could go any longer without pain relief. I needed some sleep too. I was not progressing because I was not letting my body to do it’s job. I could not relax. Once they gave me epidural, I fell asleep for a couple of hours and woke up from bad pain in my back and I was ready to push. …. What I want to say here is that you can believe and strive for natural and best outcome, but never be so sure. Labor is unpredictable thing and it may go in totally wrong direction then you expected. I was very disappointed with my first labor. I felt like a failure. The second time I just said to myself: “I will fill great if I have VBACK no matter what I have to do.” But I would be fine if that did not work. It’s great to have it the way you want without drugs, but be flexible in case things go wrong. Just do your best.
Your stories illustrate why birthing without an epidural is so difficult for many women. The first way to avoid an epidural is to LET LABOR START ON IT”S OWN. Water breaking does not mean that labor has started unless there are also contractions. Basically, your labor was induced both times. This is the first step to an unnaturally painful labor, and probably preventable c-section. Some research suggests that a posterior baby often breaks the “forebag” of water before labor begins. Many doctors count this as the start of labor and immediatly begin measures to “speed up” the process, when the reality is that the baby is not in a good position and needs a mobile mother to turn into a better one for birth.
The most important part of labor is NOT dilation, but the descent of the baby through the pelvis. Common sense would tell us that this is most easily accomplished without and epidural, but of course this wouldn’t make the hospitals, anesthesiologists, and OBs nearly as much money, plus they wouldn’t look like the saviors when nothing went wrong and mom birthed without any help from any of them.
Sara r. I know what you mean, but I had broken water for hours with first labor and nothing was happening. My baby was not moving down and cervix was shot close. I also was 40 week pregnant. With second labor I had pretty strong contractions at home for two days with little brake the second morning then water broke. Again 70% effaced as the first time. But this time I had strong close together contractions. I allowed only local induction stimulating and softening cervix with 1st labor after 12 hours after water broke and used balloon the second time when I got in to a hospital. I researched a lot about labor and was so convinced that bad things do not happened to strong women. And I can tolerate very strong pain. I treated my teeth without pain relive, had only one time strong pain relive drug after c-section, never took a single pill from pain after pulling couple of teeth. I was sure I did not need pain relive during labor. I was so arrogantly sure about it. The first labor last 38 hours without epidural (I did not really had labor) and the second labor was 2 days at home virtually with no sleep plus 29 hours in the hospital. Small percentage of women died during labor in the past. Of course doctors misinform and scare women about labor all the time. I think they are scared of it themselves or they would allow women to labor without early interventions. I had midwives both times and actually fired one midwifery group when I was 6 months pregnant because they were more like doctors and were controlled by doctors. My friend has a friend who had home birth. She turned gray literally after that. Her labor was very long and painful. She could not get epidural and for what ever reason the could not go to a hospital. She said she would never do it again.
my god-daughter had her baby at home. i coached her on the phone and she had a midwife present. they couldn’t understand why she was not progressing – it wasn’t until they actually went in an LOOKED that they discovered a scar running around her cervix. they thought at first it was from a cerclage or maybe a nuvaring she’d forgotten to remove at some point but she didn’t even know what those are. when her baby was born, he had a distinct ridge around his head where his skull had been jamming up against the scar.
and yet, she delivered without pain relief stronger than extra strength tylenol; the baby was lusty and loud before he was even out all the way; she required *zero* stitches; and the very next day walked to the mall to get diapers. midwife said without that scar interfering, active labour would’ve probably been less than half an hour – as it was, it took an hour and a half.
now, you KNOW what would have happened had she been in the hospital – it would’ve been an emergency c-section before she could blink.
I had my 1st baby at 18 and did what I was told – they used twilight sleep on me and I bottle fed her – but I figured out it wasn’t good and my next 3 were breast fed and had natural birth with the next 2, the 4th one, turned wrong – needed an epidural to prevent a c -section – we keep learning and it’s great to have this community to open our eyes to better ways – it’s a real blessing and hope for our future. Much appreciated, Sarah!
Agree w/ Kristine!! Difference of opinion doesn’t mean we hate or are racist of the other peoples opinion. Thinker skin is a perfect way to put it;)
i think the same (being one who has a talent for putting the cat among the pigeons) – i sometimes feel like there’s this “accepted style forum” manual that i’ve not been made privy to, the number of times i’ve been accused of being confrontational when all i did was state an opinion that didn’t toe the fluffy pink party line.
i also think it’s a mark of how self-centred so many ppl are, that they think every post is about them, personally.
me, if someone does something knowing it’s the best option for them at the time – rock on. i don’t care if it’s epidurals, bottle feeding, induction, early potty-training, whatever. if it’s what is NEEDED so the entire family can function at its best – knock yerself out.
what gets me going is “oh – i couldn’t breastfeed – i need my sleep”, or “oh, no, i had a c-section – who wants to end up with a cooch like a deflated balloon, hurh, hurh” (YES, i know someone in actuality who had an elective c-section so she could keep her youthful vaginal tone! it’s not all just hollywood, folks!)
THAT is when my nasty side comes out bec clearly *someone* has to think about that baby!
How is what she said not respectful of other moms? She may be a supermodel, but she is allowed to have her own thoughts, no? Just b/c someone may believe something that I don’t believe, that doesn’t mean that person is disrespectful of me when expressing said belief. We need thicker skins in mommydom, I think.
I had epidurals 10 and 12 years ago and my babies didn’t suckle or latch on well and it was a very, VERY rocky start to breastfeeding, which I did exclusively the first 9 months and 7 months of my boys’ lives. However… if I knew then what I know now… I would do things very differently. I wonder if my youngest son’s diagnoses of ‘failure to thrive’ didn’t first start b/c of the drugs in childbirth. Then we had reflux issues and medications that I am certain stunted his growth. He is thriving now because he is off the drugs and eats a traditional diet, but again, if I knew then what I know now…
Thanks for writing this response. I, too, love this blog, but could do without some of the snideness and sweeping stereotyping that is more ranting than on message (not to mention it undermines credibility). Don’t get me wrong — one of the reasons I like this blog is the non sugar-coated, “get real people” attitude. And I keep coming back because I have a high tolerance for this tone, but every once in a while I just get that ick-factor. My hope is that this feedback is taken constructively, not defensively, since the messages behind the rants are so important and necessary. Lord knows we all need to rant about this screwed up world and say nasty things out of frustration, but I can’t help feeling that some of this should be saved for friends and family around the kitchen table. And then maybe by the time the writer gets back to her computer to post, some of the edge will be softened.
bluewaters_14, thank you; everything you’ve written here is exactly what I was thinking. I’m feeling very ambivalent recently toward this blog, and “ick-factor” sums it up pretty well. I really appreciate the work Sarah does to bring us informative content and practical information we can all use to improve our health. On the other hand, the sweeping and short-sighted generalizing and stereotyping that run rampant here are truly beneath the dignity of thinking adults. Anyway, “thumbs-up” on your comment.
“Give me a break. Isn’t the health of babies a lot more important than, sniff, mommy’s feelings (does anyone have a hankie?).”
Seems like you are not showing respect for others who may choose to do things differently than you.
Respect for child abuse? If I smoked marijuana while I was in labor CPS would take my newborn away from me. After doing the research, I consider that a much safer alternative to epidurals. I know it is difficult. I had my first in the hospital, was dilated to nine after 12 hrs. of hospital labor with a posterior baby when I had pitocin and an epidural forced on me, by threat of a c-section. Even though it was insanely difficult, I would have endured had the hospital staff let me. After that I came home and had two natural labors, where my midwives used exercises to turn my babies anterior. They knew what to do when the hospital staff had been ignorant. Then I had a posterior NINE pound boy that wouldn’t turn. Several hours more labor than my others, and he came posterior. NO pain medications. It was so painful that had I been in the hospital I would have asked for a epidural. I recently had a nurse comment that I “must be made for easy births” since I was so willing to do it at home. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is, it’s the hardest thing I have to go through, BUT I am adamant about doing what is best for my babies. I say all of this because I can UNDERSTAND what women go through, but I do NOT respect the decision to drug ourselves and especially our babies to make life easier for a few hours.
Love Miranda…
MIRANDA IS CORRECT USING THE COCONUT OIL…I STILL USE IT EVERYDAY ON ENDS AND OUTER LAYERS OF MY LONG HAIR and for a finishing shine …IT PROVED THE BEST REMEDY EVER ON ALL THE LONG HAIR I TREATED (COSMETOLOGIST/SALON OWNER) AT MY FORMER SALON IN THE HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE, HONOLULU.