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Motherhood
Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland Wants You To Know Motherhood Doesn’t Take Away A Woman's Sex Appeal
30 November
Kelly Rowland is proof that you can be both a mother and exude sex appeal. The singer is a mother to two boys, Titan, 7, and Noah, 10 months, and she keeps looking better and better.
Kelly broke the internet the week of November 2, after she posted a seductive video of herself wearing a leopard print dress while making flirty gestures to the camera and who can forget her look at The Harder They Fall premiere in Los Angeles when she had the viral moment with Jay-Z.
The chocolate goddess is debunking the theory that mothers can’t be sexy one photo at a time and she also spoke about it with Access Hollywood. The “Ice” singer is promoting her new holiday film Merry Liddle Christmas Baby, in which she stars in and she spoke about being a sexy mama.
“I’m continuing to understand and know myself and I think that that’s a blessing,” she said.
“It’s so funny because a girlfriend of mine told me that a man told her ‘make sure you have your babies way later in life because after you have a baby you won’t feel sexy.' And I was like, you should never say that to anyone.”
“J. Lo, Beyoncé, like all of these different women having children and they’re thriving, they’re gorgeous, they’re stronger than ever. So, that no longer needs to be anywhere in a discussion at all,” she concluded.
It also looks like her sons may be following in her footsteps. During a recent interview on the “Today with Hoda and Jenna” podcast, Kelly revealed that Titan is singing. "Titan actually has perfect pitch and I do scales with him,” she said. “The girls do scales with him when they are over to the house."
The girls in question? You guessed it, her Destiny’s Child bandmates, which she also refers to as “his aunties.”
Keep scrolling for 7 more times Kelly proved she is one "sexy mama":
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After previously saying that she was in the process of adopting children, Tiffany Haddish is putting motherhood on "pause." The beloved comedian grew up in the foster care system and originally wanted to be a foster mom, but with advice from her lawyers, she decided that adoption would be best. However, it looks like we won't see her with a child anytime soon.
"I had to put a pause on that [adoption] process because my business has picked up, and I feel when you take a child [in], you really need to be able to focus on them," she told Us Weekly.
While she may now have the money to take care of a child, her busy schedule says otherwise. "I want to raise it. I want to raise the child. I want to give the child my knowledge and my love," she said.
"So I want to finish up a few more things so that I can really focus. It's one thing to have a dog and a garden and take care of that. But to have another human being that needs me and that I'm responsible for. I want to be present. I want to be all the way present. I don't want somebody else doing that work."
The Last Black Unicorn author was placed in foster care at the age of 12 following a car accident her mom was involved in that affected her brain.
During her 2019 appearance on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, the actress described what it was like to be a foster child.
"You're dropped in these strangers' houses, you don't know these people, these people don't know you, you don't know if they're gonna hurt you, if they're gonna be kind, you don't have a clue what's going on," she said.
Because of her rough experience in the foster care system, Tiffany wanted to help kids who were in similar predicaments. In June 2021, the Girls Trip star revealed to Entertainment Tonight that she was taking parenting classes for adoption.
"First of all, especially after this pandemic, there are so many children left without their parents. There are a lot of people that need to be loved," she said.
"I want to get somebody that's five and up. You know, already knows how to use the restroom, already knows how to talk, already knows how to communicate. All I want to do is pour knowledge in … get them ready for the big, bad world. That's what I want to do."
Although her journey to parenthood has taken a backseat, she is still looking forward to adopting.
"Sharing everything that I know and pouring it into them and watching it manifest through their actions and their abilities," she said to Us Weekly when discussing what she is looking forward to when having kids.
"Also having somebody to watch TV with and laugh with that thinks I'm cool. Even if it's only for a few years, kids are thinking for just a little while. Also, somebody to teach all my recipes to and to be able to share this life, share this journey, with. [Somebody I can] be a beacon for and a safe place," she concluded.
Featured image by Rich Fury/Getty Images
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Gabrielle Union is not here for the label stepparent. While she became a stepparent after marrying Dwyane Wade in 2014, that doesn't mean that she wants to be defined by it. The actress spoke about the dislike of that term during her appearance on Glennon Doyle's "We Can Do Hard Things" podcast.
Dwyane is a father to three children, Zaire, Zaya and Xavier Zechariah, who Dwyane had with Aja Metoyer after he and Gabrielle took a relationship break. The former Miami Heat player also takes care of his nephew Dahveon Morris and he shares Kaavia James with the LA's Finest actress.
"The stepparent label was put on me by the kids' school because you have to describe yourself: Who are you if you're not their mother?" She said. "It's very annoying. It's not a word that I use."
Rather than being the stepparent, Gabrielle wanted to just be the "additional adult" that the kids will have in their lives. "I wanted to make sure I was consistent in their lives. Whatever personality I was trying on that day, or whoever I was, I just needed to be consistent so they can get used to me. They've already gone through so much upheaval, moving states away, not knowing anyone, having gone through a divorce. I knew I needed to be consistent. I just didn't know what my role was," she shared.
"I knew that when I married him, I was married to them. What I realized very quickly is you will never, ever, I don't care if the other parent is dead, you will never be able to replace the other parent. Don't try to replace the other parent. That is not your job. Your job is to be consistent. If you're a disciplinarian in your own life, continue to be that. Just be consistent so they know who you are… and kids adapt."
This isn't the first time the Do You Have Anything Stronger? author has spoken about being the additional adult in Dwyane's kids' lives.
During an episode of Red Table Talk, Gabrielle sat down with Jada Pinkett Smith to discuss what it was like being a "bonus mom," a term Jada uses with Will Smith's son, Trey Smith, who he shares with Sheree Zampino.
"It is a master class of staying in your lane while at the same time as being a consistent presence," she said. She also touched on the challenges that come with that such as not always being able to give your opinion. "It's just your job to love them up whether the parent is involved, not involved, deceased; that parent is a presence in their life forever."
Featured image by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Gucci
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Celebrity News
Sydel Curry-Lee Shares Her Journey To Becoming Pregnant Following Infertility Issues
22 November
Former volleyball star Sydel Curry-Lee is basking in her pregnancy following a long, tedious journey of trying to get pregnant. Sydel, who is the sister to Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, married her brother's teammate Damion Lee in 2018 and they began trying to get pregnant three months later.
"We were like OK, 'I love you, you love me, and we've spent a lot of time together even before we were married, so let's just try and have a baby,'" she said on her YouTube channel in June.
However, it wasn't that simple. After eight months of trying naturally, Sydel became pregnant, but she unfortunately miscarried.
"I would test multiple times a day every day, and when doing that, I noticed my positives kept getting lighter and lighter and just ended up disappearing, and so that was kind of heartbreaking. My progesterone levels wouldn't stay high enough to have viable pregnancies, so I ended up losing those embryos in the early stage," she said. "That's what a chemical pregnancy is, like an early miscarriage."
Due to a number of unsuccessful attempts, the couple decided to do IVF treatments and they documented the journey in a three-part video series.
The couple started IVF in November 2020 and after two rounds Sydel finally became pregnant. "Finding out by myself and then surprising my husband was really really special to me. We were really excited, really proud of ourselves, and very thankful," she shared.
Following the IVF series, Sydel documented sharing the exciting news with her family, including Steph and Ayesha Curry, her doctor appointments and the couple's gender reveal (they're having a boy!) In late October, Ayesha threw Sydel an elegant baby shower with an adorable teddy bear wall.
Thanking her sister-in-law, she wrote, "This day! I can't express enough how much love & support I've felt through this journey. The thoughtfulness put into this day as we get close to meeting baby boy was so special! Thank you @ayeshacurry for loving on me and your nephew 🤍 I left that event feeling grateful for the tribe of women that I have here in California and I'll never take that for granted."
It looks like Sydel is ready to give birth any day now. Just last week, the podcaster shared a black and white image with hubby and captioned it, "Finish line 🖤 with you @dami0nlee."
Congrats to them!
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Celebrity News
‘Insecure’ Star Christina Elmore Chose An All-Black Birthing Team To Deliver Her Baby
10 November
Yes, the actress who plays Condola on the hit HBO show was pregnant in real-life! Insecure star Christina Elmore's character Condola has ruffled a lot of fans' feathers over the last two seasons for getting in the way of Issa Dee, played by Issa Rae, and Lawrence, played by Jay Ellis, rekindling their relationship and (spoil alert) became pregnant with Lawrence's baby.
This past Sunday's episode, "Pressure, Okay?!," showed Condola finally having the baby and how uncomfortable co-parenting can be if the parents don't communicate.
While the episode gave a realistic view of life after having a baby, Christina also gave a realistic view into her decisions as a Black mother birthing Black babies. The actress, who also stars in Twenties, opened up to Women's Health about why she chose to have an all-Black birthing team deliver her baby.
Already having a four-and-a-half-year-old son, Christina was preparing to have another son and while her first delivery experience with an all-white midwifery team went well, the world around her was different now due to the pandemic and police brutality and she wanted to be more intentional about how she went about her second birth.
"I found out I was pregnant on the day that George Floyd died," she said. "And it was a weird feeling. I was mourning and rejoicing at the same time. It was a really hard time to be Black in America. I would choose to be Black every time, but it was hard to see that this country wasn't made for us."
"I was bringing another Black life in this country, and I wanted the experience to be different for him. I wanted him to be caught by Black hands that would be able to give me the care I deserved."
While it wasn't easy, she found an all-Black midwifery team in Los Angeles and she expressed that she immediately noticed a difference in her care.
She started experiencing hypertension toward the end of her pregnancy and while it's common, it can still be dangerous.
"So, my midwives jumped into action. They came over to my house every morning and evening to check my blood pressure. They also started connecting me to other Black providers, including an acupuncturist who was able to do cupping to help calm me and bring my blood pressure down a little," she revealed.
"There was such a difference in my holistic care. This was a group of women who just heard me. I didn't expect to have that in the medical field—it felt so unique and special."
The delivery felt even more special as she said she felt "safe" looking across the room at women who resemble her mom and aunties.
Christina isn't the first Black woman to turn to another Black woman to assist in her birth. Reportedly, many Black women are looking into having home births due to the pandemic and the risks they as well as their babies face when giving birth.
Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth in comparison to white women and Black babies infant mortality rate is twice as high as white babies.
Featured image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET
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While snapping back quickly after having a baby has become something celebrated in pop culture, many celebrities are beginning to speak out against it. Celebs like Beyoncé, Tia Mowry and more have opened up about the pressure to shed their baby weight fast and get back to their pre-baby body.
While there is nothing wrong with having that goal, it could be dangerous if you do it too quickly. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) lists when you can exercise after giving birth.
For example, if you had a C-section, you should wait at least six weeks before exercising again and if you had complications with your pregnancy, you should also hold off on exercising until your doctor gives you the green light.
However, societal pressures and social media can make one feel like they have to lose the baby weight ASAP and while there have been women, celebs and non-celebs alike, that fell victim to that way of thinking, here are four women who simply said nah.
Tia Mowry
Tia Mowry has spoken about feeling pressured to snap back after giving birth to her two kids, 10-year-old son Cree and 3-year-old daughter Cairo, on more than one occasion, but more recently she shared an Instagram post where she called out "snapback culture" and celebrated her body before and after birth.
"Pregnancy was such a special time in my life and I loved it and my bump! I also loved my body before pregnancy," she said.
"We're led to believe we should love one over the other. But it was important for me to be super proud of BOTH bodies instead of feeling pressured to be a part of the snapback culture."
"I think instead we can look at our bodies and love and acknowledge them for keeping us alive and keeping our babies alive! Mamas, we can allow our bodies to just BE while we nourish them (and our little ones!) with good things, instead of buying into the snapback culture.💗"
The Sister, Sister star has also detailed her weight loss journey on Instagram.
Beyoncé
In 2018, Beyoncé wrote a piece in Vogue about how she approached getting her waist snatched with each pregnancy. In the essay, the "XO" singer revealed that after she gave birth to her first child Blue Ivy, she actually pressured herself to lose the baby weight in three months, but when she had her twins Rumi and Sir, she put her health first.
During her pregnancy with Rumi and Sir, the singer had toxemia, which causes high blood pressure and can be dangerous for the mother and the baby, and she had to get an emergency C-section.
After that traumatic experience, the Grammy award-winner decided to sit still and enjoy motherhood while also embracing her fuller frame.
"After the C-section, my core felt different. It had been major surgery. Some of your organs are shifted temporarily, and in rare cases, removed temporarily during delivery. I am not sure everyone understands that. I needed time to heal, to recover. During my recovery, I gave myself self-love and self-care, and I embraced being curvier. I accepted what my body wanted to be."
Kelly Rowland
While Kelly Rowland's body has been looked at as "motivation" for many women to hit the gym, the mother of two shared a real look into the body post-pregnancy.
After giving birth to her second son Noah at the beginning of the year, Kelly revealed that she had diastasis recti, which is a separation of the abs that meet down the middle. She also opened up to Billboard about being a mother of two boys and not putting pressure on herself.
"I still don't know how to be a mother of two, exactly, but I'm figuring it out. It's going to be a unique experience -- Titan's not like anyone else's on this planet, Noah's not like anyone else on this planet. I'm still navigating myself through motherhood."
"So the less pressure I put on myself and allow myself grace -- because I'm not going to get it right every single time – I think it's only fair to just breathe and use your instincts to navigate your way through. But I've learned not to put so much pressure on myself and to let my creativity flow."
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington was very adamant about having downtime after giving birth. When speaking to People, the Scandal actress recalled an upsetting rumor about her working out a week or two after the birth of her son Caleb.
"It was rumored somewhere that I was working out a week or two after he was born and it really upset me, actually. I never talk about rumors in the media, but I was really sad that somebody printed that because I felt like, 'Oh, that makes women feel like they have to start working out' — like, 'Oh celebrities work out right away.' And I was like, 'No way!' "
The Emmy-nominated actress said that her doctor required that she not partake in any physical activity for six weeks and she followed the doctor's orders.
"It was really important to me to have that downtime and then start working out slowly, which I'm still doing, I am still slowly getting back into it."
Featured image by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Variety
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