Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom have named their baby* and released the first photo of him on Koraorganics.com.
According to People magazine:
It is indeed a son for Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom. Baby Flynn arrived on Jan. 6, weighing 9 lbs., 12 oz., says the model on her Kora Organics Web site on Tuesday, confirming widespread speculation. She also posts a photo of herself nursing “our beautiful little son.”
“I gave birth to him naturally; without any pain medication and it was a long, arduous and difficult labour, but Orlando was with me the whole time supporting and guiding me through it. I could not have done it without him,” she adds. “We are so happy and are enjoying our time together as a family. He is our little ray of sunshine. Thank you everyone for your beautiful well wishes and your lovely thoughts.”
I am thrilled for them. How interesting that she released a breast-feeding photo. I’m sure that will attract much comment. I think it’s a beautiful thing. That dreamy look on Miranda’s face is one I know so well and envy….there really is nothing quite like it…….
A TANGENT: While I do not want to take away from the loveliness of the news etc, there is a line in the statement that I wish wasn’t there:
“I gave birth to him naturally; without any pain medication and it was a long, arduous and difficult labour…..”
I know that when you are that famous, people are interested in how your baby came out. Whether it was vaginally or via the sun-roof. But I will be so sad if the declaration of whether or not you had drugs becomes a standard part of birth announcements.
Am I being overly sensitive? Picky? Defensive? Am I imagining and implicit criticism when women talk about not having drugs? Maybe I am. In which case, ignore me. This isn’t really about Miranda. Certainly not personally. I think she’s sensational.
To explain where I’m coming from: I understand this is an incredibly fraught and contentious area for many women. I’ve heard too many stories of too many women feeling like ‘failures’ for having pain medication. Whether or not you had drugs does not in any way make you a better or worse mother or make your birth a better or worse experience.
I had one of my three births without an epidural (because it wasn’t available no matter how much I begged) and I can honestly and PERSONALLY say it was the toughest and least enjoyable of my births. For me. Some women find none of their births enjoyable no matter how much pain medication they do or don’t have and that’s fine too. Means nothing in the scheme of things. Births are merely a blip on the parenthood journey. The first 6 weeks? Now that’s something a whole lot more significant that’s rarely discussed.
Any way, after my drug-free birth, I was complaining to a girlfriend about the lack of epidural and how I had to go through it without. And she said “But don’t you feel a little bit smug?” and I was taken aback. I didn’t feel smug at all. I’ve never believed She Who Gives Birth Vaginally Without Drugs Wins.
She who gives birth to a healthy baby in the best possible way for her wins.
Clearly, having no drugs was important to Miranda or why would she include it in her statement. So I’m happy for her.
So anyway, congratulations to Miranda and Orlando and baby Flynn. As I said in my post about Nicole Kidman yesterday, it’s a beautiful day when a baby is born, no matter how it comes into the world.
Do you think there is judgement about HOW a woman gives birth? Have you experienced it either in yourself or from others?
*Yes, yes…..I know this is another ‘fluffy’ piece about a celebrity and a baby and there will be a few predictable comments about Mamamia turning into Woman’s Day and covering too many celebrity stories this week. I know, what with the Golden Globes and Nicole’s baby news there has been a lot. But you don’t always get to choose when stories break, awards ceremonies are held or babies are born. As I mentioned in a comment on another post, to keep Mamamia relevant, we have to sometimes shelve our planned posts for the day and react to stories spontaneously. We try to balance the fluff with other stuff. And most days and weeks, we do! This week has just been particularly…..busy on Planet Celebrity.
Also though, I think it’s worth noting that often, a ‘celebrity’ story is actually just a way into a wider issue. Take a look at where the Nicole Kidman post went yesterday, into some fascinating (and contentious) conversations about infertility. And this Miranda post is no doubt going to turn into something more than a supermodel who has just had a baby….
Top Comments
Sounds like people are not confident in their own choices. Miranda was proud of her decision to partake in natural birth and I applaud her for that. I also applaud her for breastfeeding despite it not being "trendy."
If you feel offended by positive societal views on natural birth or natural breast feeding, then you probably have a bit of guilt inside of you that you're doing something wrong.
Regarding the breastfeeding, the comments which suggest that bottle feeding and breastfeeding are equal and interchangeable are simply not correct. I urge women to actually do their own research, and not to simply take advice from people you know. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence regarding the benefits of breastfeeding for both mum and bub. To name a few: it is easier for babies to digest, reduces risks of infections and allergies, and promotes correct facial development. For mum, it aids in returning your body to its pre-pregnant state (internally and externally), and reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Bottle feeding has it's place, but it is NOT an equal substitute. Few women are actually unable to breastfeed, and few women are correctly educated about the milk production cycle and how to promote this, but many of us are told that it is pretty difficult and to just 'give it a go'. I beg new mums out there, trust your body, persevere! Seek help, because you are not alone, the ABA and private lactation consultants are just a couple of the resources available to you.