Entertainment
For whatever reason, there are some people out there who buy into the myth that giving birth via Cesarean section is somehow less authentic or natural than a vaginal delivery. As my hilarious OB-GYN once told me, “it doesn’t matter if the baby comes out of a hole made by man or God, you’re still giving birth.” And I believe that, too, especially since I had my son via C-section. If you’re feeling like you’re in the minority or you’re just a little curious, you might be interested to find out there are quite a few celebrities who had C-sections.
As with most things in the world, there are pros and cons to any birthing method. Whether your child is born in a pool your home, or a delivery room; with or without any medication — it all tends to end with the same result, which is a beautiful baby. So you can ignore the haters and passive aggressive advice-givers and be encouraged by the fact that even famous women have had a cesarean section. So if you’re wondering which celebs are part of the C-section club, wonder no more. Check out some of these celeb moms who have given birth via C-section.
1Victoria Beckham
According to The Telegraph, Victoria Beckham delivered all four children via C-section. Though some have criticized her for it, there’s insufficient evidence to suggest cesareans are worse than vaginal deliveries.
2Amber Rose
In a story all too familiar to so many mothers, Amber Rose told Us Weekly, “my ideal birth plan went down the drain.” Though she had wanted to have a water birth and was even prepared with a doula, complications arose and an emergency C-section was deemed necessary.
3Christina Aguilera
In an interview with People, Christian Aguilera discussed her C-section saying, “I didn’t want any surprises.” So she chose to have an elective, scheduled cesarean section.
4Tori Spelling
In an interview with People, Tori Spelling revealed she had a C-section. In the interview, she said, “one of the biggest misconceptions is that celebrities have C-sections because it's easier. If I had a choice, I would not have. The recovery was much worse.”
5Angelina Jolie
In 2006, Angelina Jolie had a C-section with John (Shiloh) Jolie-Pitt in Namibia, according to Vanity Fair. “I had a C-section and I found it fascinating," Jolie said in the interview. "I didn't find it a sacrifice and I didn't find it a painful experience. I found it a fascinating miracle of what a body can do.”
6Britney Spears
In an interview with MTV, Britney Spears said she wanted a C-section because she didn't, "want to go through the pain.” That’s totally understandable since childbirth is universally acknowledged as being a physically exhausting experience.
7Pink
Similar to Amber Rose, Pink intended to have a water birth at home. "I was really looking forward to the whole rite of passage — giving birth perfectly present, unmedicated, in the way nature intended," Pink said of her C-section with her daughter in an interview with People. "But she was in the frank breech position, which is head up with her legs up by her head in a pike position." Sometimes, despite all your best efforts, the universe simply has other plans.
8Kate Winslet
Echoing the sentiment so many mothers feel when things don't go as planned, Kate Winslet shared why she lied about her C-section. "I've never talked about this - I've gone to great pains to cover it up," she told The Daily Mail. "But Mia was an emergency C-section. I just said that I had a natural birth because I was so completely traumatized by the fact that I hadn't given birth. I felt like a complete failure."
9Jennifer Lopez
In an eye-opening experience, attending her sister's birth, Jennifer Lopez talked about her C-section experience in an interview with Wonderwall. "Because I had twins and was recommended for me to have a C-section, and there was a part of me [that] thought, 'I didn't get to do it the way that everybody else does,'" she said. "But when I saw my sister pushing that baby out, I was like, 'Maybe this was all right! Maybe this was a better out.' So that was an experience."
10Denise Richards
Though she originally had her delivery scheduled, Denise Richards' early labor resulted in a C-section, according to People. Talking about their previous plans, Richards told People, "we like to plan things. But Sam [her daughter] had plans of her own. Sam's telling us you can't plan anything. Go with the flow." A solid life lesson from a newborn.
11Camila Alves
According to People, Matthew McConaughey's wife, Camila Alves had a rough pregnancy which resulted in a C-section. "I had strong pains and kept telling the doctors, no one could figure it out," she said. "I told the doctor right before I went in, ‘Once I’m there just take a look, because I know something is wrong.’ We ended up having to do a C-section. The recovery has been extremely hard." You can't deny a mother's instincts about her child's well-being.
12Bethenny Frankel
In an interview with People, Bethenny Frankel discussed her early labor and unplanned C-section. "All I wanted was a bagel and the doctor [told me] I couldn’t eat," she said. "But after some 30 hours of labor, doctors recommended a c-section to deliver baby Bryn. She came out like a little doll, it was amazing."
13Marcia Cross
Preeclampsia is not to be taken lightly, and clearly the doctors understood the situation. In an interview with Easy Living, Marcia Cross revealed she had an emergency C-section due to complications with her twins. "I didn’t have time to be scared. It all happened so quickly," she said. "But it worked out and I love being a mother. It’s a miracle I have these two daughters.”
14Kate Hudson
Sometimes your body just doesn't want to cooperate, as many mothers know. According to The Orlando Sentinel, Kate Hudson had a C-section due to her own body's complications. "I was going to get induced because the baby was so big," she said. "Then my hips weren't opening and I wasn't dilating. I was in labor. I was like: 'I am not going home. I just don't want to do this again. Let's just have a C-section.'"
15Jenny McCarthy
Proving that every woman's experience is different, in an interview on The View, Jenny McCarthy discussed her C-section saying, "it’s horrible, it’s horrible — it’s hard when they have you strapped down because you’re like, ‘I just want to hold my baby!'" But thankfully her baby was born happy and healthy in the end.
16Brooke Shields
In an interview with People, Brooke Shields discussed having two C-sections with her children, Rowan and Grier. "I had to go through 24 hours of labor with Rowan, only to need an emergency C-section in the end," she said. "Grier's scheduled C-section, on the other hand, went exactly as planned." Even the same person can have two entirely different experiences when having C-sections.
17Gwyneth Paltrow
According to People, Gwyneth Paltrow had a C-section with son, Moses, after her experience of having a delivery that took over 70 hours with her daughter, Apple. Again, it doesn't matter who you are or what you've already experienced, giving birth rarely follows a person's plans.
18Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley's C-section couldn't have gone smoother, according to People, which noted that her procedure was, "both swift (one hour) and tidy (the incision was made just below the model-mom's bikini line)."
19Tiffani Thiessen
In the "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" section of Us Weekly, Tiffani Thiessen said of her C-section, "even after 30 hours of labor and a C-section, my daughter's birthday, June 15, 2010, was one of the best days of my life." Good to know.
20Molly Sims
In an interview with Fit Parents, Molly Sims discussed the complications which led to a C-section. "I had a velamentous cord insertion [when the umbilical cord inserts into the fetal membranes rather than the middle of the placenta, causing a higher risk of rupture]," she said. "I had a scheduled C-section to protect the cord, which was necessary, but disappointing."
21Jessica Simpson
I know plenty of friends who had to have a C-section with their second pregnancy solely because they became pregnant less than a year after their first pregnancy. And according to Us Weekly, Jessica Simpson also had a second C-section with her son, Ace, when her daughter, Maxwell, was just a little over a year old.