Pregnancy isn't always an experience filled with sunshine and rainbows; growing an entire human is hard work. For many expecting mothers, including some of the most famous celebrities, the pregnancy-to-birth journey can be uncomfortable and filled with bumps in the road. While you may think you know a lot about these stars already, you'll be surprised to find out there are tons of details they've kept hushed around their experiences with motherhood. From giving birth in a lobby to their bodies becoming unrecognizable, keep scrolling to read these stars' bizarre stories around birth.
Kourtney Kardashian Used a Hands-On Approach While in Labor
Kourtney Kardashian is a mother to three children, and with each pregnancy, Kourtney experienced a strange impulse. She was urged to reach down and pull her own kids out as she gave birth. She even shared that when she gave birth to her first son, she had no idea she would react that way! But when it was time to deliver her other children, she knew she wanted to do it again. It was definitely a hands-on approach.
Kourtney embraced every part of pregnancy and birth. She even allowed cameras in the hospital when she delivered her baby, Penelope, capturing this iconic moment on camera. But if you think this is shocking, just wait; these celebrities' stories get even stranger.
Katie Holmes Had to Obey by Scientology Rules While Giving Birth
There are many rumors surrounding Katie Holmes's relationship with Tom Cruise since he follows Scientology. One of them pertains to the way in which she gave birth to their daughter. As a Scientologist, you must have a silent delivery to allow the baby to be born in a peaceful environment. Therefore, Katie had to remain quiet while in labor and immediately went home the next day without time for recovery.
Of course, all pregnancies and birth stories are different, but this sounds like an uncomfortable experience for Katie. Hopefully, it was as special as it sounds!
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Lost Their Baby
Having a baby can be an exciting experience that changes your life, but pregnancy is no light feat. Although celebrities seem to have it easy, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have had a particularly traumatic time. Chrissy got very candid once, sharing that when giving birth, her body was quite literally ripped open as the baby came out. It took her over three months to recover, but that wasn't the worst.
She and John were expecting a baby again when she faced life-threatening complications. Unfortunately, this resulted in the birth and loss of their baby boy on the same day.
Mariah Carey Played Her Own Album in the Delivery Room
Mariah Carey gave birth to beautiful twins with Nick Cannon in 2011. But would you believe what happened in the delivery room? Most people hear the sounds of the doctors and their loved ones encouraging them, but while Mariah was giving birth, she requested something extraordinary. She insisted Nick play a live version of her hit song, Fantasy. This way, the babies knew exactly who their mother was the moment they came out.
Now that's one weird birth story. But hey, whatever makes you comfortable while you're literally giving life to other humans!
Kate Winslet Used Her Acting Skills to Get Through Pregnancy
Kate Winslet may be an acclaimed actress, confident in taking on any role. But when it came to motherhood, she was unsure. The pregnancy wasn't exactly easy and breezy. She expected to feel confident and sexy yet described herself as a "large red London bus." Pregnancy is described as a time to feel powerful and glow, yet Kate was left feeling horrible throughout it. So how could her acting skills help her get through it?
Well, acting like she was okay throughout and enjoyed her pregnancy felt like a performance. Therefore she was able to fake it without anyone suspecting it!
Seth Meyers Had a Baby in a Lobby
Seth Meyers, the host of his show Late Night With Seth Meyers, was expecting a baby with his wife, Alexi Ashe, when things suddenly took a turn. They hoped to drive to the hospital when the time came to have the baby, just like most people. They called an Uber and headed towards their apartment lobby when Alexi suddenly said the baby was already coming. They could've never anticipated what would happen next.
Before they knew it, Alexi started going into full labor in their apartment lobby. The NYPD, firefighters, and other building residents all came to help deliver their baby boy!
Sterling K. Brown Found Wife Giving Birth in Their Bathroom
This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown and his wife, Ryan Michelle Bathe, were expecting a baby boy, but the way the baby was delivered was a shock to the core. When Sterling retold the story, he described the moment his wife crawled out of the bathroom, insisting she was going into labor. He's unable to decipher if this is real life or a dream for a few minutes before he realizes it's really happening.
In their home, right on their bathroom floor, their son couldn't wait any longer to enter the world. Just like that, they were new parents.
Tia Mowry Had Morning Sickness Every Day
Some women breeze through their pregnancy and feel stronger than ever, while others aren't as lucky. Tia Mowry wasn't exactly the type to have a seamless pregnancy. Although she powered through, she shared that there were moments when she hated it. Every day, all day throughout the entire pregnancy, she was sick and nauseous. Though from her social media, you would never be able to tell she was having such a rough time!
Bringing a child into this world can be a miracle, but feeling sick for nine months straight every single day doesn't sound like something most people want to experience!
Jessica Simpson's Pregnancy Symptoms Made It Hard for Her to Walk
Pregnancy is not for the faint of heart. When it came to Jessica Simpson's pregnancy, she was struggling. She didn't sugarcoat anything and admitted it was horrible! Jessica experienced intense sciatica pain, weeks of Bronchitis, and anxiety. Her feet and ankles were often so painfully puffy and swollen that she couldn't even wear shoes or walk. She had to endure an intense experience that was definitely not for the weak.
Though she made her dreams come true of expanding her family, pregnancy was not easy. She never wants to go through all the weight gain and pain again.
Teyana Taylor's Fiancé Caught Her Baby in His Hands
It's incredibly common for women to have at-home births in favor of feeling comfortable in their own space. However, sometimes these home births aren't exactly planned. For singer-songwriter Teyana Taylor, she wasn't expecting to give birth in her own bathroom. Iman Shumpert, her fiance at the time, ran in just in time to catch the baby with his bare hands. A traumatizing yet beautiful experience that one would never expect to happen to them.
Clearly, her baby was ready to make an appearance because she was already born by the time the ambulance arrived. Teyana shared that her daughter didn't even cry during this whole ordeal!
Hilary Duff Had Intense Pain While Pregnant
Plenty of women genuinely enjoy being pregnant, but this wasn't what dreams were made of for Hilary Duff. Your entire body changes, and for her, it was hard to recognize herself in the mirror. It's incredible what a woman's body can do, but some of the side effects are unbearable. She frequently had strikes of sudden pain that would make her double over, and she shared it was really scary and shocking.
Although Hilary loves her kids, pregnancy is the last thing she ever wants to go through again. The constant pain is not something she's ready to face anytime soon.
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi Said Birth Was Disgusting
Nicole Polizzi might be better known to the world as the infamous Snooki from Jersey Shore, but her days of partying and drinking are over. Now she's a mother to three children and got honest about all of the struggles she encountered while pregnant with each child. Nicole even wrote a book dedicated to unveiling the truth about how gross pregnancy can actually be, the things most people never admit.
She stressed the whole process could be pretty disgusting, with various bodily fluids leaking out of you. Peeing herself was a common occurrence throughout each pregnancy!
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Had Many Fertility Issues
Kim Kardashian wasn't shy to admit her hatred for pregnancy which might seem confusing since she has four kids. While she was pregnant, she absolutely hated it because her whole body hurt. Her first child was born over a month early, and after the first two pregnancies, she had so many complications that she needed five post-birth surgeries. It could've been life-threatening for her to become pregnant again, so she had kids via surrogate.
Overall it was a complicated and scary experience for Kim and not something she would advocate for unless you know your body can handle it! Who knew Kim K went through so much?
Amy Schumer Was Debilitated by Her Pregnancy
Amy Schumer may be a comedian, but her pregnancy was no joke and not funny at all. She experienced a severe form of pregnancy-related nausea called hyperemesis gravidarum. This usually affects only around 2 percent of pregnant people. It's rare and left her debilitated and weak. Violently throwing up every day of a nine-month pregnancy sounds absolutely brutal, yet the moment she gave birth, she forgot all about it.
The struggle for her was real and intense, ultimately making her pregnancy experience unfortunately unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Of course, you wouldn't suspect a thing through her happy selfies.
Mayim Bialik's Toddler Watched Her Give Birth
The actress Mayim Bialik in The Big Bang Theory has had quite a unique experience giving birth. She prefers home births and shared one strange story in particular. She was ready to go into labor at home with her youngest son, and her older son sat and watched the whole thing. Apparently, he was sitting in a high chair and eating granola the entire time. Watching your mother give birth is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Some may think that's unusual, but she insisted on giving her son a choice to be a part of it, especially since it would take place in their home.
Kate Hudson Spent Her Pregnancy in the Bathroom
Kate Hudson was a fan of pregnancy the first time around, so it came as a surprise when she was pregnant again, and it was suddenly so uncomfortable. She thought it would go smoothly like before, but she was wrong. Kate complained she felt sick all the time and faced horrible morning sickness, acne, and even hair loss. It's exhausting to spend your days with your head in the toilet!
Kate wanted to keep her pregnancy hidden, but it was too hard to pretend she wasn't sick every day. With all that suffering, it's no surprise she wouldn't be a fan of pregnancy anymore.
Kelly Preston and John Travolta Kept a Silent Delivery Room
When Kelly Preston and John Travolta welcomed their youngest son into the world, people were talking and speculating about some weird things they heard that went on in the hospital room. Kelly eventually cleared the air and talked all about her experience and how her Scientology faith contributed to it. She believes in silent births, where no words are spoken at all, and little noise is made. She believes it helped give her kids calm personalities.
It's hard to imagine a silent delivery room, but apparently, Kelly and John made sure it happened for each of their kids!
Jaime Pressly Felt She Was Going Crazy From Her Hormones
Being pregnant can be wonderful, but it wasn't at all for Jaime Pressly. In fact, she's talked about how it was the worst time ever. She hated gaining weight and the constant change in her hormones; it drove her crazy. So despite loving her kids with all her heart, the pregnancy was absolutely terrible. Understandably, when your body and mind change, you dread it! Jaime won't be having any more babies from now on.
No matter how much she wanted to have her children, it was not something she would go through again or boast about. No pregnancy glow for her!
Marilyn Monroe Wanted so Badly to Have a Family
Marilyn Monroe was a sex symbol in the 1950s and 60s, but behind the scenes, she struggled with something much more important. She never had any children, but she was pregnant multiple times. Allegedly she had fertility issues, and in all three pregnancies, she miscarried. Though some people rumor that she had abortions, it's believed that she couldn't carry to full-term because she had terrible endometriosis. Between the fertility struggles and constant public criticism, it was devastating.
She tried to keep the news hidden from the world, but her life was inevitably always in the public eye. It seems the claims about Marilyn will live on in infamy.
Porsha Williams Was Haunted by Her Miscarriage
Porsha Williams is a successful star on the reality tv show Real Housewives of Atlanta, yet her reality with pregnancy wasn't so clear-cut and enjoyable. She became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy girl in 2019. But this was terrifying for her. The truth is six years before her daughter; she had a miscarriage. It was so traumatizing for her that she wasn't confident she'd even be able to carry her daughter to full-term.
The loss she experienced before still haunted her throughout her pregnancy, making it unbearable, filled with anxiety and fear until the day she gave birth.
Christina Perri Had Back-To-Back Tragic Pregnancy Experiences
Christina Perri may be a mother to one kid today, but her past surrounding pregnancy and both were heartbreaking and tragic. The singer candidly opened up and shared the dark details of her experience on social media. She and her husband suffered a miscarriage, and she became pregnant again and then had a late-stage miscarriage, ultimately having to give birth to a stillborn baby. This all happened in less than a year and traumatized the couple.
She wants to continue speaking about it to help change the stigma around miscarriage and feeling shame. Despite it being hard, she continues to have hope and even got pregnant again this past year.
Beyoncé Heard the Heartbeat of a Child She Never Had
Beyoncé may be iconic and idolized, but just because she's a huge celebrity doesn't mean her pregnancy experiences have gone according to plan. Before she had her daughter and set of twins with rapper Jay-Z, she actually had a miscarriage. It was shocking for fans to learn and clearly more traumatizing for her to experience. Hearing the heartbeat of her child and then discovering there was no longer one was devastating.
The only way for her to process was to go to her studio and write the saddest song she's ever written. Her life didn't feel like a dream anymore after that point.
James and Kimberly Van Der Beek Were in Shambles After Their Miscarriage
Kimberly Van Der Beek was quite a fan of pregnancy, and she and James loved having a big family. They were pregnant with their sixth child when they were hit with heart-shattering news. Kimberly had a miscarriage, and they were devastated. They happen much more frequently than people know, yet it can feel taboo, so James decided to reveal the news on Dancing With the Stars and danced in his wife's honor.
They used their platform to help bring some awareness to this painful issue rather than keep it hidden despite the loss, still feeling very fresh.
Jessica Alba's Baby Was Covered in Something the Doctor Had Never Seen
Pregnancy and childbirth are often intense, and anything can happen. When Jessia Alba gave birth to her daughter with Cash Warren, they could have never expected what would happen. Their baby girl was born still in the amniotic sac, which is incredibly unusual. The sac burst after the baby came out, and everyone was astonished. Jessica had an unforgettable birth experience that she will tell for the rest of her life.
It was a very dramatic and rare birth, but the actress is grateful that her daughter is healthy regardless and that it didn't become a significant complication.
Alanis Morissette's Pregnancy Journey Was Painful
Singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette revealed to the public that starting a family was not an exciting ordeal for her as it is for most people. She had many struggles, which became a grueling and painful process for her. Alanis said she had a bunch of miscarriages and a molar pregnancy when a tumor grew on the uterus, which made having children feel impossible. It was undoubtedly a difficult time in her life.
Despite all the struggles, she didn't let them get her entirely down and kept trying, and eventually, she was able to have children successfully.
Whitney Port Hated Every Moment of Being Pregnant
Whitney Port was once a star on the MTV show, The Hills. Although life for her today looks very different. She has a son named Sonny, but the pregnancy process was exhausting. She shares a sentiment similar to other celebrities that although pregnancy is supposed to be a beautiful thing, she hated it. She felt gross all the time and had too much pressure to pretend she was excited to be a mom.
She suffered a miscarriage before her son, and she was constantly sick throughout her pregnancy. This isn't the glamorous and perfect life that people always assume celebrities live.
Carrie Underwood Didn't Think Having Kids Was in Her Future
It seems that miscarriages are more common than we actually think. Country singer Carrie Underwood admitted that she had three miscarriages before successfully getting pregnant and giving birth. This constant loss made her angry and traumatized. She thought she would never be able to have children and was losing hope. It was an anxiety-inducing situation when she had her first kid; she felt she had come so far and couldn't believe it had worked out.
Even when she had a successful and smooth pregnancy, she was haunted by past losses. Carrie attributes her faith as what helped her make it through.
Gwyneth Paltrow Almost Died From Her Pregnancy
You can add Gwyneth Paltrow to the list of mamas who hated being pregnant because of the unbearable sickness and nausea. She had two children, and during both pregnancies, it was really rough for her. Eventually, she got pregnant with a third child but had a miscarriage. That last pregnancy put her life at risk, and the actress said it nearly killing her. Rightfully so, she thinks having another kid is territory she doesn't want to enter.
Gwyneth hasn't had very lucky or smooth experiences when it comes to having children, so it's no surprise it's of no interest to her anymore.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton's Relationship Was Almost Ruined
Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his wife Hilarie Burton had a son in 2010 but decided they wanted to try for a kid again. After a long year of hoping to become pregnant, she did. But soon after suffered a miscarriage that left her mental health and relationship in shambles. It caused them to become distant, and she had unbearable guilt. Despite fame giving them access to resources most might not have, they struggled.
Though pregnancy is unpredictable, her infertility issues were traumatic for the couple and only left them scars they are still trying to heal.
Khloé Kardashian Struggled for Years Before Getting Pregnant
Khloé Kardashian discovered she had fertility issues when she was trying for a baby for years and remained unsuccessful. She had to see a specialist, receive injections, and do regular ultrasounds and testing. The process left her in agony, but eventually, it was successful. Although physically and emotionally, the pregnancy was draining. However, she was told if she tried to have another child, it would be high risk and potentially kill her.
Her life on television and social media may appear glamorous and perfect, but this very real and scary experience is something she constantly struggles with.
Zoe Saldana Had to Hide Her Pregnancy
Zoe Saldana has graced the movie screens and is known for starring in Avatar. Though when she became pregnant, it became a huge problem. Thankfully for her, it had nothing to do with the pregnancy itself but her career. Most people didn't know she was pregnant because she had to hide it for so long. She was told that the production companies were upset and ready to write her off her projects.
The actress was ultimately not dropped from any movies because of it but learned a fundamental lesson that pregnancy will never be convenient timing. Who knew her career was almost ruined because of it?
Kristen Bell's Voice Completely Changed While Pregnant
Kristen Bell is another celebrity who experienced weird things during pregnancy that people would assume don't happen to people like her. The overload in hormones caused her voice to lower. She was doing voice recordings for the film Frozen before and during her pregnancy. However, she had to return and re-record lines after giving birth to match her voice from before the pregnancy! Who knew that was even a thing?
Thankfully for Kristen Bell, who is well into motherhood, her voice returned to how it usually sounded before the pregnancy.
Melissa Joan Hart Says Pregnancy Is the Worst Thing Ever
Melissa Joan Hart is a mom who, despite loving motherhood, absolutely hates the process of carrying a child. She does have three sons, but the pregnancy never got easier. The worst part for her was that she had to change her entire lifestyle and eating habits. She loves kids so much that she even admitted she would have dozens of babies, but she can't because it's such a difficult process.
You might think that for celebrities, it's different because they're rich, so they can access whatever they want to ease their struggles. However, it's not easy for them either.
Tamar Braxton's Skin Was Unbearably Itchy
Tamar Braxton is outspoken about not enjoying pregnancy at all. She compared it to feeling like your body is invaded! Although it can be beautiful, she experienced a weird side effect that made her skin itchy. Every single day of her pregnancy, her skin was unbearably itchy, and she never felt satisfied. It was so uncomfortable that it was enough for her never to want to experience being pregnant again.
Now that's one rough time. You hardly hear about an experience like this, so it's no surprise that she was utterly fed up with pregnancy altogether.
Busy Phillips Pulled Her Baby Out of Herself
Busy Phillips had one unique childbirth experience. Although she gave birth to her daughter, Birdie, in a hospital, it felt very sacred for her. Apparently, she was squatting and pushing while her doctor actually suggested she help pull the baby out. So she reached her hands down, pulled her baby out, and plopped her right onto her chest. This isn't something that most women experience, so it was shocking for many to learn.
Busy also admitted the physical changes are so intense when she's pregnant that her breast grew three sizes, and it started to affect her day-to-day life.
Meghan Markle Broke Barriers by Speaking of Her Miscarriage
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, talked very openly and explicitly about her struggles with pregnancy and her miscarriage. People weren't used to having a member of the royal family speak so openly about a taboo subject. But she admitted that before having a second child, she had a miscarriage. She remembers holding her first baby in her arms when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and knew something tragic was happening.
To this day, that experience haunts Meghan and Prince Harry, and though they're ecstatic with the kids they do have, it's something they never want to experience again.
Lily Allen Still Thinks of Her Stillborn Baby
Singer Lily Allen has had some intense and long battles surrounding pregnancy and children and hasn't hidden them from the world. She had a miscarriage in 2008 that scarred her, yet two years later, she became pregnant and thought it was a do-over. However, the unthinkable happened six months into her pregnancy, and the baby passed. She had to give birth to a stillborn son and said it changed her as a person.
An unfortunate and tragic thing like this is something you'd never wish on anyone, yet it's more common than people realize. Celebrities are thought to have perfect lives, yet this happened.
Ellen Pompeo Didn't Want to Take Maternity Leave
Ellen Pompeo is known for her iconic role on Grey's Anatomy, and she was so committed to this career that even throughout her pregnancy, she continued acting. They had to get creative and only film in a way that never exposed her pregnant belly. Then after giving birth, she refused to take her maternity leave. She shared she felt like she had to work and hardly took four weeks off after delivering her baby.
Her dedication to her career showed throughout her pregnancy and immediately after the birth. She's lucky she was well enough to work and didn't feel affected by the baby at all.
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Won't Stop Having Children
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin have always had dreams of a big family and enjoyed the process, but when they were having fertility issues, it was tragic for them. Hilaria wrote an essay about her back-to-back miscarriages and how much they destroyed her and Alec. Despite the constant pain, they never gave up. Even after experiencing so much loss, they kept trying to get pregnant for years and are expecting their 7th child this year.
They have been criticized for trying to have so many kids despite the struggles, but they genuinely think it's worth it and say parenthood is the best journey ever.
Zooey Deschanel Had to Hide Her Baby Bump
Zooey Deschanel was doing really well in her career and starring in her hit show New Girl. However, during the filming of her show, she became pregnant. She had to find a way to disguise the pregnancy and continue working, so the producers used props and camera angles to hide her bump and rewrote the script! Who knew that during her pregnancy, she was still acting? The show must indeed go on.
It's impressive that Zooey could still work full-time and continue her acting career while pregnant since most women experience intense and uncomfortable symptoms.