LilSugar

15 Celebrities Who’ve Given Birth at Home

Rebecca M Gruber — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 04:38:30 PDT

Home is where the heart is, and where the birth is too these days. According to recent statistics, the home-birth rate increased 20 percent between 2004 and 2008 after a 15-year slide, and the delivery method is appealing to a wide range of women. Credit Ricki Lake for that. Her Business of Being Born book and documentary have turned a new generation of moms-to-be on to the movement. Check out 15 celeb moms who've opted out of the hospital experience to give birth to their lil ones at home.

Gisele Bundchen Felt Safe While Giving Birth; Did You?

babysugar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:34 PST

Gisele Bundchen isn't done talking about her birthing experience. The supermodel shared more information about baby Benjamin's December debut in the inaugural post on her blog. After telling reporters that the water birth in her Beacon Hill bathtub didn't hurt a bit, the new mama is now writing about how safe she felt delivering at home:

Giving birth was the most intense and life-changing experience of my life. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to deliver at home, surrounded by love and where I felt safe. It was a really great experience. I never felt so vulnerable, but so strong at the same time.

Maternal safety has become a hot topic following a report that showed California's death rate directly related to pregnancy as higher than that of Bosnia and Kuwait. Safety is also cited as one of the reasons for the increase in homebirths over the past five years.

Did you feel safe during your birthing experience?

Homebirth Rate Jumps Sharply

babysugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:30:00 PST

It looks like Gisele isn't the only mama-to-be opting to bring her lil one into the world at home. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control shows that after a 15-year decline, homebirths have risen 5 percent over the past five years. The period of study, which predates Gisele's at-home water birth and Ricki Lake's homebirth advocacy flick, found that the average woman who chooses to have a non-hospital birth is a non-Hispanic white woman over the age of 25 who already has a child at home. She is most likely to have a midwife attend the event, with 61 percent of births attended by these professionals. Expectant women who live in Vermont and Montana are also more likely to choose a homebirth, as their states had the highest percentages of deliveries outside a hospital. Have you considered a home birth? If so, why?

Source

Does Star Power Make You Want to Watch My Best Birth?

babysugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:06 PDT

The Business of Being Born has brought more attention to the film's star and co-producer Ricki Lake than she may have ever imagined. The former talk-show host made it her mission to birth her second baby naturally and document the experience to release to the public. She and co-producer, Abby Epstein revealed facts about epidurals, C-sections, and inductions.

As an encore, the bubbly girl from New York is back with another documentary due out this Fall. Based on their book, the new movie is called My Best Birth. It focuses on the American maternity-care system and has famous moms like Laila Ali, Melissa Joan Hart, Kristy Turlington, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley giving snippets of their own experiences. Cindy Crawford kicks off the series of four webisodes tomorrow. The videos will air each week for the next month, detailing how the women chose their midwifes, did prenatal yoga, and the lessons they learned. Watch the trailer and tell us if you'll be tuning in.

Would You Consider a Homebirth For Your Baby?

babysugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:00:55 PDT

It is estimated that of the 4.1 million babies born in the U.S. in 2004, 7,000 were born at home without a midwife or doctor. Planned unassisted home-births, similar to those advocated by Ricki Lake in her The Business of Being Born documentary, are on the rise across the country, with women wanting the ability to control the birth process and have loved ones surrounding them during the birth. Many mamas-to-be believe those aspects outweigh the risks.

Until the 20th century, childbirth was the leading cause of death for women, with approximately 1 in 100 mothers dying in the early 1900s. Today, that rate is closer to 13 in 100,000, due to better prenatal care, medications and the option of cesarean sections when necessary.

Source

Business of Being Born, Again

babysugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:58 PDT

Yesterday was not only the festive tequila filled Cinco de Mayo. It was also International Midwives Day. Coincidentally, Ricki Lake's movie, The Business of Being Born was released on DVD.

For those of you who are considering a natural or home birth, check out the $28 flick for an up close glimpse at the process. The former talk show host shares her personal home birth in the film inspiring women to reevaluate their birthing plans.

Lil Links: The Case Against High Heels in Pregnancy

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:32:46 PST

Does Jessica Simpson need to ditch the heels while pregnant? - The Stir
Is Maddox Jolie-Pitt taking flying lessons? - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Why Elizabeth Banks chose surrogacy - Celebrity Baby Blog
Surviving cancer and your first trimester - FitPregnancy
Tips for handling baby's first 100 days - Parenting
Fun things to do with baby indoors - The Bump
Homebirth advocate dies after giving birth at home - Momformation
Help kids understand static electricity with these fun activities – Tecca
Celeb moms are open to their kids' gay, straight, transgender lifestyles - Yahoo! Shine
Why kids lie, cheat, and steal! - Real Simple

Lil Links: Evangeline Lilly Opens Up About Her Planned Homebirth

LilSugar — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 05:36:49 PDT

Evangeline Lilly sets a great example for breastfeeding moms - The Stir
How much do you know about heart health - Health
Kourtney Kardashian is weirded out by seeing her son in the tabloids - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Alyssa Milano shares her mommy essentials - Celebrity Baby Blog
A recipe for child-led living - FitPregnancy
DIY costumes for babies - Parenting
The most ridiculous baby Halloween costumes - The Bump
How to nurse in public - Momformation
17 baby toys made out of trash - Babble
Is distance the key to a happy marriage? - Yahoo! Shine

Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany Step Out With Baby Agnes in NYC

Molly Goodson — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:26:37 PDT

Jennifer Connelly walked with son Stellan as her husband Paul Bettany carried their newest addition, baby Agnes, during a family walk in NYC yesterday. Agnes Bettany, who was born in May, made her public debut just last week out on another school run with her parents and brothers. On Tuesday, Jennifer made her own splash, debuting her postbaby body, in a sexy-sheer top on the red carpet at the Every Woman, Every Child UN reception. Jennifer was inspired to work with the UN's initiative that helps women around the world get better access to health care after experiencing a homebirth with Anges earlier this year.

Jennifer Connelly Steps Out For the First Time Since Baby Agnes's Arrival in a Sexy, Sheer Top

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:59:38 PDT

Jennifer Connelly attended last night's Every Woman, Every Child UN Reception in NYC, along with 50 Cent, Deepak Chopra, and several other celebrities and philanthropists. The evening out marked Jennifer's first red-carpet appearance since giving birth to her daughter Agnes in late May. The actress looked chic and sexy in a peek-a-boo top at the party, where she told reporters she had a midwife assist with a homebirth this time around. She even said the experience prompted her to be a part of last night's charitable event and the Every Woman, Every Child initiative, which helps mothers around the world receive better access to health care. Agnes is Jennifer's third child and her second with husband Paul Bettany. She and Paul have a 7-year-old son, Stellan, and Jennifer also has a 13-year-old boy, Kai, with her ex David Dugan.