When it comes to celebrity births, most people have a strict plan in place. From the location to the level of pain medication, executing a birth when you’re in the public eye can be especially tricky when you’re trying to stay away from prying eyes.
For Mandy Moore, the birthing experience has been complicated tenfold by her autoimmune condition, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which prevents her from receiving an epidural for pain relief.
“My platelets are too low for an epidural,” she told TodayParents, adding she was unable to have an epidural during labour with her son Gus, who was born in February 2021, for the same reason.
Dr. Ashley Roman, director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYU Langone Health, told TodayParents that the two main risks associated with ITP during pregnancy are excessive bleeding during birth and low platelet counts for the mother and fetus.
“The antibodies that cause the low platelets in the mother, can cross the placenta and affect the baby’s platelet count as well,” Roman said. “In really rare cases, the platelet count in the fetus can be so low that it leads to bleeding problems in the baby.”
“I wish medication was an option – just the idea of it being on the table is so nice. But we’ll just push forth like we did last time,” she explained.
“It was awful. But I can do it one more time. I can climb that mountain again.”
Last month, the 38-year-old was forced to cancel the remainder of her highly-anticipated US musical tour, citing concerns over the health of herself and her unborn baby.
“Friends, it is with a heavy heart and much consideration that I have to let you all know that I am cancelling my remaining show dates in 2022,” she wrote on Instagram.
“When we booked these shows, I wasn’t pregnant and although I truly thought I could power through, the way we are travelling (long hours on the bus and not getting proper rest) has caught up, taken its toll, and made it feel too challenging to proceed. I know that I have to put my family and my health (and the health of my baby) first and the best place for me to be right now is at home.”
On Thursday, Moore shared an update on her ITP with her Instagram followers.
“I am fine. I just have to continue to get my blood checked — my platelet levels checked — throughout pregnancy. They’re low, but they’ve always been low,” Moore explained in part. “But I’m all good. Everything’s good.”
As always, Mandy has handled the distressing situation with grace and poise. We can’t wait to meet her little boy later this year.
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