Mom-to-be Mila Kunis, who is expecting her first child with fiancé Ashton Kutcher, announced that she has decided to give birth naturally.
The couple and former That ‘70s Show costars, Kunis and Kutcher have been able to keep their relationship and Mila’s pregnancy hush-hush for quite some time.
The 30-year-old actress told Ellen Degeneres on an episode of Ellen that the couple was able to keep their engagement private for two months, stated CNN.
“I think everybody assumed we’d been engaged for so long, that I was wearing the ring in public for two months and nobody commented on it,” Kunis said.
Like their engagement, the couple made the baby news a public announcement. Kunis explained on the Ellen show why she decided to go au naturel for her pregnancy.
“We watched a couple of documentaries and we looked into the... the midwife aspect of it and things, and spoke to my OB/GYN and realized that the hospital that I’m going to be laboring in does a midwife, you know, doula type thing.” Kunis continued, “So I’m gonna do it as all-natural as I possibly can unless there’s an emergency or something.”
According to Us Weekly, Kunis opted out of an epidural as well.
“I mean, I did this to myself--I might as well do it right,” Kunis added.
Natural childbirth is beneficial for the baby for many reasons. The American Pregnancy Association stated that natural birth allows the baby to come when it’s ready, gives the baby lowered risk of respiratory problems and allows the baby to get all the protective bacteria from the mother’s birth canal.
Additionally, natural birth great for the mother, who will recover quickly and stay at the hospital for a shorter amount of time. Not to mention, mothers who choose natural birth, like Kunis, have a lower risk for scarring or tearing.