Pregnant Mandy Moore Says She Will Have Unmedicated Birth Due to Rare Blood Disorder
Mandy Moore and husband Taylor Goldsmith announced they’re expecting their second baby boy this fall
Mandy Moore revealed that she will have an unmedicated birth when she welcomes her second baby this fall.
In a Today Parents interview published on Friday, the This Is Us star, 38, opened up about not being able to receive an epidural during childbirth due to an autoimmune disorder called immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).
Moore and her husband Taylor Goldsmith are already parents to 17-month-old son Gus, whom she also delivered without medication due to the condition.
“My platelets are too low for an epidural,” Moore shared. “It was awful. But I can do it one more time. I can climb that mountain again.”
She continued, “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.”
On Thursday, the singer also shared a positive pregnancy update on Instagram.
“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 said, per Today. “But I’m all good. Everything’s good.”
According to Mayo Clinic, the disorder can “lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help blood clot.”
Pregnant women who suffer from ITP are at a “greater risk of heavy bleeding during delivery,” according to the clinic.
Dr. Ashley Roman, director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYU Langone Health, told Today that if an expectant mother’s platelet count is very low, then placing an epidural during labor can cause injury around the spinal cord.
In an interview with Today Parents earlier this month, Moore opened up about her decision to end her In Real Life tour early as she prepares to welcome her second baby.
“As it turns out, being on a set is worlds away from being on a tour bus. It was like trying to sleep on a wooden roller coaster,” Moore explained at the time. “Gus would be standing up in his Pack N’ Play while the bus was shaking — and I was like, ‘No, no, no. We can’t do this anymore.’ ”
“I foolishly thought ‘if I did it before, I can do it again,’ ” she continued. “But every pregnancy is different. This time, I was caring for a toddler. I was walking around feeling like an absolute shell of myself.”
Moore also noted that she was afraid her lack of sleep and busy schedule would negatively impact her baby’s health.
“I was scared I was going to adversely affect my [unborn] baby and his growth,” she admitted.
“I’d been looking forward to this for a decade and half,” Moore said of being back on tour after 15 years. “But ultimately, nothing trumps your health, and the health of your baby.”
Moore echoed similar sentiments in her social media announcement last month, sharing that being on tour was “too challenging” amid her pregnancy.
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“Friends, It is with a heavy heart and much consideration that I have to let you all know that I am canceling my remaining show dates in 2022,” Moore informed fans.
“It has been an honor and an absolute dream to return to the stage again this past month, performing for all of you. When we booked these shows, I wasn’t pregnant and although I truly thought I could power through, the way we are traveling (long hours on the bus and not getting proper rest) has caught up, taken its toll, and made it feel too challenging to proceed,” she continued.
“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. Thank you for all of your support along the way and thank you in advance for respecting my decision,” she concluded. “I can’t wait to get back out there soon to bring this music and show your way!!”
The actress announced on Instagram earlier in June that she is pregnant, expecting her second baby boy with Goldsmith this fall.
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