For years, before having her first child with Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively had multiple interviews speaking in-depth on her dream of one day becoming a mother. Now, she is living her dream as a mother of three: Inez, Betty, and James.
Now that she has officially entered the realm of motherhood, Lively has been kind enough to share her knowledge and understanding of the practice of motherhood in both interviews and social media for all of us aspiring parents to hear. For those who want to learn all about what motherhood is like before officially entering it themselves, look no further than the words of Blake Lively.
10 Not A Massive Change
For those fearing that their entire lives change forever (perhaps for the worst) after entering motherhood, Lively assures us that it isn't a big change, at least not a drastic one. In 2015, shortly after giving birth to her first child, she told People Magazine that she did not think it was a "massive change" to becoming a mother.
Mostly because rather than thinking of the change itself, she preferred to just "enjoy this moment." "I’m looking forward to how one baby influences the other, and to my family as a whole, to every single chapter," she adds.
9 It's A Learning Process
One thing that all future and aspiring parents need to understand is that parenting is a learning process. None of us were born to be parents and none of us receive an all-knowing life manual on how to be a parent. No one knows what they're doing, but that's okay. Parenting is a learning process and we must learn from those around us. Just ask Blake Lively.
"So do I know how to be the best parent for a daughter? No, I have no idea," she admitted to HuffPost. "all I can do is share what I’m thinking―and learn from others."
8 Be An Authentic Example
All parents should thrive to set a good example for their children during their learning stages of development, but when it comes to molding kids into authentic people, this is especially important (and hard) for celebrities.
"There’s this awareness of what they’re going to be exposed to and what they grow up seeing," Blake Lively explains to Refinery29. "For me, it’s important for my daughters to know that it’s not real life. They’re seeing me dressed up in all this hair and makeup, but they also see me without that. I want them to see both sides because there is never just one side."
7 It's OK To Be Greedy
They say that greed is one of the almighty sins - probably because it is, in a biblical context at least - but Blake Lively points out just how normal and okay it is for moms to be a little bit greedy, specifically on a day like Mother's Day. She brought this up while attending the Baby2Baby and Shutterfly Mother's Day fundraising event.
"I feel so fortunate that my kids have more than what they need. On Mother's Day, you start to get greedy—'What do I want for Mother's Day?'—and I have everything I need and then some," the actress admitted. "It's so important to think outside of ourselves."
6 Expect The Unexpected
The expecting/unexpecting part of motherhood does not just begin and end with pregnancy. Parenting a small human being takes a lot of time and effort and more often than not, there are speed bumps and surprises that pop up when we least expect it.
"You never know when you’re gonna get crapped on or when you’re gonna get a big smile or when that smile immediately turns into hysterics," Lively mentions one of the most unexpected parts of parenting to the LA Times. Seems like most of these unexpected parts have to do with potty control. "It might be like living with a drug addict."
5 Spit 'Em Out
Two months before Blake Lively announced her first pregnancy in 2014, she spoke to Marie Claire about the possibility of motherhood being in her future, and clearly, at the time, she was already eager to produce as many children as possible. "If I could spit out a litter of kids, I would," she told the publication.
Judging by the fact that she then proceeded to have an additional two children (so far) in the later years, she might be seriously trying to have her own litter box of kids. Don't be surprised if the Reynolds-Lively family turns into a rat pack by 2027.
4 Why Pregnancy Is Perfect
Speaking of pregnancies, let's talk about the pregnant era of Blake Lively for a sec. Pregnancy is obviously the most essential part of transitioning into motherhood and it does have its downsides, but Lively let it be known at the Angel Ball in 2014 how expecting mothers can make it an upside.
"It's the perfect way to get what you want," she said at the event. "You can exploit it if you want." By exploit, of course, she means to get people to wait on her on hand and foot, and also get whatever kind of food she wants.
3 Always Crying
You thought babies were the only ones who cry in the family household? Think again, especially when it comes to mothers during the first few weeks of dealing with a child. Blake Lively would certainly place herself in that department. There is a lot of change to get used to and that means a lot of crying to get through as well.
"Everything is different," she reiterates on Live with Kelly and Michael. "Everything is just heightened; we're crying all the time for no reason."
2 Perks Of Being Pregnant Again
During that exact same aforementioned Kelly and Michael interview, Lively also went on to profess that there are some perks to going through the pregnancy routine a second time. Namely, how that whole process becomes much easier to go through during the second go-round.
"It's a lot faster." the actress assured the two talk show hosts. "You get bigger faster, too, which has been nice to try to fit into clothing strategically." For anyone considering entering motherhood a second time, this is reassuring to know.
1 Protect The Child's Privacy
A celeb can't shield their privacy from the paparazzi, but such a job becomes even more difficult when a child is at stake. Just because their parents are famous, children - unfortunately - find themselves under public scrutiny far before they understand what's happening.
"[Her daughter] should have her privacy until she chooses not to have her privacy, just as I got to choose and my husband got to choose," Lively told Allure in 2015. Wise words that shouldn't go unnoticed.