Having never produced a human, nor given birth to one vaginally or via caesarean section, I can't speak from experience, but I'm pretty sure child birth is one of the most painful, arduous, and exhausting experiences a woman ever has to go through. So kudos to literally anyone that does.

But this might explain why Kate Hudson's comments about caesarean births have ruffled a few feathers, after she recently told Cosmopolitan that having a 'C-section' was one of the 'laziest' things she's ever done.

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A cesarean section (or C-section), is an operation to deliver a baby through a cut made in the lower abdomen and womb, you can read more about it on the NHS website.

The procedure is described as a 'major operation that carries a number of risks' including blood clots, excessive bleeding, and infection, with one in four-five pregnant women in the UK having the operation due to medical complications, or out of choice.

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During a C-section, a 10-20cm cut is made across the lower stomach and lining of the womb, before the amniotic fluid is suctioned out through the opening and the foetus is pulled out.

The whole process takes approximately 40-50 minutes, with the recovery time taking far longer than the delivery, and often resulting in three to four days in hospital post birth, as opposed to one to two after a vaginal birth.

Mothers who read Hudson's comments around the procedure have fired back at the actress calling them 'offensive' and 'ill-informed'.

However, others have come to the star's defence. Firstly, of course, to say that Kate's comments were said in passing and an attempt to make a little joke at her own expense, rather than to comment on the experience of others. But also to point out that she may have been referring to the fact that her C-section wasn't for medical reasons, rather a lifestyle - a choice every woman is entitled to.

The news comes weeks after a pregnant Chinese woman reportedly killed herself after being refused a caesarean section, prompting universal condemnation of the country's strict surgical laws.

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Katie O'Malley
Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.