Kerri Walsh Jennings Is Planning Another Natural Birth — Would You?
Photo: PeopleThis Olympian knows no pain — not even when it comes to childbirth! The three-time Olympic gold medalist and mom to two boys is planning another natural delivery for baby number 3 in April!
Taking a cue from her own mother who told Kerri that, “labor kind of hurts, but you’re going to love it”, Jennings plans to welcome her third the same way she did her first two. She said of the natural birth, “Having a natural childbirth just feels right to me; it doesn’t feel like I’m forcing anything.” When her mom, who carried five of her own children and three babies for her sister, said that Kerri would love childbirth, Kerri at first “thought she was delusional, but she was right.” Sounds like mom really did know best, huh!?
And after the baby? Well, there’s the 2016 Olympic Games to prepare for! She says, “It’s always been my dream in life to be a working mom and have this amazing career” and there’s no stopping her — “My husband and I want to keep playing and go for the gold in Rio.”
We’ll be right there rooting her on!
Did you deliver naturally? Would you ever try it?
Plus, more from The Bump:
How Olympian Moms Bounce Back After Baby
Kerri Walsh Jennings Is Expecting a Baby Girl!
Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings Is Pregnant (and She Was When She Won Gold!)
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
I had a natural birth (water birth) with my son at home, and my god, MY GOD did it hurt SO SO bad. I honestly was pretty traumatized. I’m not sure we’ll do it again. I look at women like Kerri with a mixture of jealousy and just . . .????? oh well, what can you do.
I had 2 natural births, and YES IT HURTS! BUT…. the pain is overtaken by immediate love, awe, joy… for the life you just brought into this world. It is worth it and I would not do it any other way!
I had what I’d call a “quasi” natural birth, I really REALLY wanted an all natural birth, but literally 3 days into labour (my girl made me work for it!) My dr & delivery nurse suggested I have a dose of phentenol so I could actually get a bit of sleep. (Can’t really recommend trying to deliver a baby after nearly 48 hours without any sleep) I had that at 2am & my daughter wasn’t born until 11:11, so there wasn’t any of it left in my system. In the end while I didn’t have the exact delivery that I planned, but I was able to get some sleep & after I relaxed I finally progressed in my labour, so I think it was probably the right decision. I hope I don’t need anything next time though!
I just had my twins naturally. The doctors kept pushing the epidural stating if baby B turned it will be painful for me to have them go in there to turn him. After the most painful contractions i’ve ever felt less than a minute apart each they told me to push…it was the most relieving feeling i felt and i was so happy i was able to talk between pushing, you would have thought i did have drugs. The doctor was right about baby B turning but she went up there while i was holding baby A in my arms and crying with my husband, didn’t feel a thing in that blissful moment..
2 hours after having my babies our parents came to see us, i was bright eyed, alert and nobody could believe i just gave birth, forget about birth to twins. i felt so wonderful afterwards and will choose to have a natural birth again if i ever have the chance.
[...] mama, who opted for another natural birth (her third!), said that she and her husband feel “so blessed to have this beautiful new [...]