As if carrying a child inside isn’t hard enough, a woman also welcomes her first child into the world and starts a brand-new chapter in parenting. Being a first-time mother can feel amazing and miraculous, but it can also be quite overwhelming. Post-baby bellies take months, if not years, to deflate and postpartum women are just as likely to be wearing diapers as their infants.
Because of this, we are extremely appreciative of the way that celebrities are rejecting false myths about postpartum perfection and choosing to embrace the imperfect authenticity of being a new mother. Because of these contemporary mothers, the rest of us are seeing pop culture representations of our own experiences, which reassures us that we’re not alone.
Celebrities are often questioned about their early days, weeks, and months as mothers; some of whom are open about their personal life, while others may prefer to keep their private affairs secret. Thankfully, many celebrities have decided to be really honest and reveal their down-to-earth experience of being first-time parents.
Here’s to all the famous mothers who are keeping it real while wearing girdles, hospital gowns, and mesh underwear.
#1 Anne Hathaway
Source: @annehathaway
Given that there is no certainty that our bodies will ever be the same as before, being a new mother might be a moment when we experience body shame or simply plain discomfort with our bodies. Anne Hathaway used a pair of scissors to deal with her own concerns about her postpartum body! Along with a picture of a pair of her trousers that she had just converted into shorts, she said on Instagram, “There is no shame in gaining weight during pregnancy (or ever),”
“If losing the weight takes longer than you anticipated, it’s okay (if you want to lose it at all). The jean shorts from last summer are simply too short for the thighs of this summer, so there is no shame in giving in and making your own. Bodies alter. Body growth. Bodies contract. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise; everything is love.” Yes, I agree!
#2 Halsey
Source: @iamhalsey
It’s always vital to have this conversation, and singer Halsey has written movingly about the difficulties of having to “bounce back” after having a kid. We also value the candor with which they have discussed juggling work and motherhood, another difficulty for first-time parents. They admitted to Extra in December 2021 that it was “It’s definitely difficult to find balance. I think that’s a common thing working moms share, no matter what your job is,” something that all working mothers, regardless of their line of employment, have in common. I want to put forth a lot of effort to make him proud, but I also want to spend every waking moment snuggling him.
#3 Hilary Duff
Source: @hilaryduff
Actress Hilary Duff, a mother of three, has been honest about the fact that even seasoned mothers might feel overwhelmed when they have a new baby at home. In May 2021, she told People, “I have help, but babies just want their mom,” There is a learning curve with adding a newborn to the mix. Many people have said, “That third kid really gets you.
#4 Kim Kardashian
Source: @kimkardashian
Even if Kim Kardashian may be extremely wealthy and (likely) employ an army of nannies, she nevertheless has the normal problem of feeling overburdened to the point of wanting to give up on motherhood. Non-parents, she claimed in her cover story for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue of 2022, don’t get how “challenging” parenthood can be.
She acknowledged that there are times when you simply think, “There are nights where you just are like, ‘I don’t want to do this; I don’t want to adult anymore,” That could be the most relatable thing she’s ever said: “This is really hard. Every kid is crying, and no one will go to bed.'”
#5 Sandra Bullock
Source: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for MTV
Sandra Bullock spoke on her love for her children and the deep sense of protectiveness that new mothers frequently experience for their kids in her acceptance speech for the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards. She shouted out to her children, saying, “You are my first thought in the morning. You are my last thought at night. I was put on this earth to protect you.”
#6 Chrissy Teigen
Source: @chrissyteigen
Chrissy Teigen occasionally receives criticism for oversharing on social media, but we value the fact that she has consistently been open about how she feels about her body as a new mother. That includes the fact that she found it difficult to gain weight after giving birth, especially when it happened as a result of postpartum depression.
#7 Beyoncé
Source: @beyonce
Since many of us frequently admire Beyoncé, it’s kind of sweet that she thought the most highly of herself after becoming a mother for the first time. After giving delivery, she said to Vogue in 2013, “Right now, after giving birth, I really understand the power of my body. I just feel my body means something completely different. I feel a lot more confident about it,”
Yes, being a new parent is difficult, but we all expect to experience the sense of being a superhero for surviving the pregnancy and delivery.
#8 Amy Schumer
Source: @amyschumer
Amy Schumer is renowned for being brutally honest in her comedy, and she continues in this vein while discussing the difficulties of pumping and breastfeeding as a new mother. When she spoke on the 2019 episode of the podcast Informed Pregnancy Project, she discussed the reasons she turned to formula. “Some people just absolutely love [breastfeeding] and I’m so happy for them, and it was just bumming me out,” she said, explaining why she decided to start tapering off after about a month. “It is not for me and I didn’t want to do it.”
#9 Cardi B
Source: @iamcardib
Although Cardi B is well known for her stunning curves and self-assurance, that doesn’t mean she didn’t have any difficulties with the physical recuperation that is required after childbirth, which can be difficult when combined with lack of sleep and taking care of a newborn! She stated in a 2019 Vogue interview that she was taken aback by how difficult it was.
“I didn’t anticipate that my body would need so long to recuperate. I figured six weeks would be sufficient. No, sir; this baby broke my ass, and I’m sorry “She spoke. “I was going on a tour with Bruno Mars in the largest venues, and I didn’t want to go on the tour and not be able to dance or perform well or execute choreography because my body is so weak at the moment. Just so weak. You guys, the postpartum s—- is actually genuine.”
#10 Blake Lively
Source: @blakelively
If there aren’t feces in an unexpected location, is it really new motherhood? Blake Lively was honest when she said that even famous new mothers poop. She ostensibly stated to the Los Angeles Times in 2015, “Having a child is like living a life of perpetual surprise. You never know when someone will poop on you, when they’ll smile broadly or when that smile will suddenly turn into hysterics. Like cohabiting with a heroin addict, perhaps.”
#11 Serena Williams
Source: @serenawilliam
Sadly, the terrible mom guilt is another inevitable emotion that seems to go along with being a new parent. Even Serena Williams said that she was susceptible in an Instagram post from last year:
“For me, last week was not a fun time. I was not only dealing with some difficult personal issues, but I was also down. I primarily felt like a bad mother. If postpartum feelings are not addressed, they can continue for up to three years, according to various publications I read. The best is when we communicate. My parents, sisters, and friends helped me realize that my feelings were completely normal by listening to us talk things through. Feeling like I’m not doing enough for my child is completely normal.”
#12 Ali Wong
Source: @aliwong
Let’s be honest: There are times when new mothers just want to run away to Target and spend some priceless alone time. When Ali Wong, a comedian, reached her breaking point, she did that. “I didn’t anticipate feeling so at ease leaving my child with a babysitter without learning any of her details. I put my infant in her arms as soon as she got to my house and we headed to Target “In 2016, she recalled to Paste magazine. “A week later, she presented me with her driver’s license. Since you handed me the keys to your house and your child, you should surely have my address, she said. Oh, yeah, that’s probably a decent idea, we said.”
#13 Olivia Wilde
Source: @oliviawilde
Even the most stunning and well-groomed celebrities are amazed by how put-together royal mums may look on their first public appearances following a baby. Watching Meghan Markle introduce her son Archie to the world in 2019 brought back memories of her own new mother’s days when she was wearing an ice diaper and drinking all the crusty milk, as Don’t Worry Darling star Olivia Wilde tweeted.
#14 Ashley Tisdale
Source: @ashleytisdale
Dealing with emotions of sadness, disappointment, or even shame when breastfeeding doesn’t go as planned can be one of the most difficult aspects of being a new mother. Frenshe, Ashley Tisdale‘s personal site, features an open discussion on that. She remarked, “I wish someone would’ve told me how hard breastfeeding really was,” “You observe how simple it appears to be for your friends who are new mothers to feed their infants. But nobody ever tells you just how difficult it is. Although it’s untrue, I believe there is pressure placed on people who breastfeed their children to be the best mothers.”
#15 Gwyneth Paltrow
Source: @gwynethpaltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow has maintained the reality that each child’s first-time mothering experience can be very different. She revealed on a 2018 episode of her Goop podcast that she experienced postpartum depression after the birth of her son, Moses, but not after the birth of her daughter. “I had terrible postnatal depression,” the woman said, “which I think was really shocking to me because I never thought I would be a person who got postnatal depression.” “I was overjoyed when Apple was born and thought Mosey would follow suit, but it took some time. I went to a dim location.”
