Pink Was ‘Looking Forward’ to a Natural Birth
 Baby As Art |
Pink and husband Carey Hart thought they had it all planned out when it came to welcoming their first child.
“We watched Ricki Lake‘s documentary The Business of Being Born early on. It was so enlightening and empowering,” the new mom tells PEOPLE.
“We took all kinds of classes and decided to work with midwives at The Sanctuary … I was really looking forward to the whole rite of passage — giving birth perfectly present, unmedicated, in the way nature intended.”
However, that was before daughter Willow Sage made her own agenda known, arriving on June 2 via a Cesarean section following two nights of labor.
“She was in the frank breech position, which is head up with her legs up by her head in a pike position. We tried everything to turn her around,” Pink, 31, reveals. “Turns out this little girl had other plans — she is my daughter, after all.”
“It all turned out perfectly in the end, even though it wasn’t what we intended, because she is healthy and happy and so am I,” the singer adds. “We’ll go for our natural birth next time, for sure.”
Deciding on the name Willow Sage for their newborn was particularly heartfelt for Pink, who turned to her love of nature for inspiration.
“The willow is my favorite tree. I grew up near one. It’s the most flexible tree in nature and nothing can break it — no wind, no elements,” she explains. “It can bend and withstand anything. I love that sentiment. I want that for her.”
“Sage is cleansing and sacred,” the Grammy-winner continues. “And it sounded great together. It doesn’t hurt that her last name is Hart — flexible cleansed heart.”
Settling in as a family of three, Pink admits things have gone surprisingly smoothly — despite the initial bumpy start.
“We had one major meltdown the first night home. Carey couldn’t figure out who to comfort first. It was pretty funny, actually,” she laughs. “Poor guy.”
“[Willow's] been amazing. Everyone gives you this terrifying picture of no sleep at all, bickering which leads to divorce … they made it sound like waterboarding,” Pink notes. “It’s not that bad! I think I’ve cried more than she has and that’s just because I’m emotional and a little nuts.”
And just as Willow, now 4 weeks old, is flourishing, so is the love between the happy new parents.
“Carey is a natural. He calms her down like only my boob can,” Pink jokes, adding that the doting dad wakes for every feeding and diaper change. ”I knew when I met him he’d be a great father, but watching him fall in love, watching him nurture her, I’ve never been so in love with him in my life. He keeps thanking me for giving her to him. It’s a beautiful time.”
 Baby as Art |
– Anya Leon with reporting by Marisa Laudadio
