Nicki Minaj shares her birth story and gets real about 'painful' breastfeeding: 'Women make this stuff look way too easy'
Nicki Minaj is marking her first holiday season as a mom — and opening up to fans about her experience with motherhood.
On Wednesday, the rapper, who welcomed a baby boy on Sept. 30 with husband Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, shared candid details about going into labor in a Twitter Q&A with fans. The 38-year-old star says she was “butt naked” and fresh out of the shower when her water broke. While Petty got “very scared,” Minaj says she was “weirdly calm.”
Yes. I was butt naked. Just got out the shower & I asked him to rub my back. As soon as I started scooting over to him in the bed I just felt the water start coming out. I was weirdly calm & I quietly said “omg, I’m about to be in labor” He was very scared & I was laughing @ him. https://t.co/2FGBnQOp3T
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) December 30, 2020
She went on to share that she was in labor “all night,” taking time to sleep until she had to push.
“The epidural didn’t hurt either,” she added. “They numbed me up real good.”
Well I was actually in labor all night but all they did was let me sleep until I dilated far enough to push. The epidural didn’t hurt either. They numbed me up real good. So I took my ass right to sleep 😴 https://t.co/E7xVNFSszc
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) December 30, 2020
She ended up pushing for two and a half hours.
Yes, natural vaginal birth w/epidural. I pushed for 2 1/2 hours. Only b/c first the epidural didn’t wear off enough for me to feel myself pushing. Once I was able to feel the pain I pushed him on out. https://t.co/gzN45j6V6z
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) December 30, 2020
Her new arrival — now 3 months old — also took to breastfeeding right away, she said, calming her fears that she’d have difficulty nursing. But Minaj did add that, while her childbirth experience went smoothly, being a new mom isn’t without its struggles.
“Breastfeeding is very painful,” she pointed out. “Pumping is too. Women make this stuff look way too easy. Moms [are] really superheroes.”
He had no problem breastfeeding. He latched on in the hospital which was very surprising to me. I was afraid maybe he wouldn’t. But breast feeding is very painful. Pumping is too. Women make this stuff look way too easy. Moms r really superheroes https://t.co/SdF9CXMdF3
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) December 30, 2020
Minaj also told fans that collaborator Ariana Grande sent her a baby gift, while pal Ciara has been very supportive as a fellow mom.
One thing the “Starships” singer hasn’t disclosed? The name of her child, whom she refers to as “Papa Bear.” When a fan asked if she’d be sharing the little boy’s name, she coyly responded, “YES.”
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