Chrissy Teigen's Best Quotes on Motherhood

Many celebrities and influencers try to be as relatable and funny when talking about the roller coaster of parenting as Chrissy Teigen is, but we doubt any will succeed. We think that’s partly because the model, cookbook author, and TV host had years of honing her sharp, witty voice and her tolerance of public exposure before having babies. But it’s also because Chrissy Teigen is unapologetically, wonderfully one-of-a-kind. That’s why we’re taking this moment to celebrate some of her best quotes about being a mom.

Whether she’s posting to Twitter or Instagram about Luna and Miles or she’s pouring her heart out on Medium about her pregnancy loss, Teigen nails the experiences of so many mothers with her words and pictures. And when she sits down for interviews, she opens up even more about the sacrifices and joys of raising children.

In the years since the media mogul and her husband John Legend welcomed their eldest child, Luna, into the world, we’ve been treated to a whole lot of cuteness. The girl Teigen calls her “empathetic mini” is imaginative, sweet, opinionated, and already a pro at posing for the camera. While the candid mama says little brother Miles is a wild handful, we’ve gotten a whole lot of heart-melting content from him too — and we can’t wait for the couple’s rainbow baby to arrive in 2023.

Meanwhile, Teigen has never held back about what motherhood has cost her. She suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety with Luna, she underwent IVF treatments to conceive her children, and Miles was only a little over four pounds when he was born three weeks early. Teigen struggled with what her swimsuit model body looked like after kids and shared her insecurities with the world, and she remained open about how she got over them. She’s talked about how exhausted and depleted raising two children makes her. She’s real, raw, and honest about the joys and challenges of motherhood, and people love, respect, and admire her for that.

Teigen clearly thinks all the pitfalls are worth the sacrifice — she was willing to do anything to bring their son Jack into the world before he passed away in October 2020 about 20 weeks into her third pregnancy. Her openness after his death, like her openness with everything else, has helped other parents in similar situations realize they’re not alone.

“I knew I needed to know of this moment forever, the same way I needed to remember us kissing at the end of the aisle, the same way I needed to remember our tears of joy after Luna and Miles. And I absolutely knew I needed to share this story,” Teigen wrote in Medium of the intimate photos she shared of herself and Legend at the hospital after the soul-annihilating experience of losing their son.

We are beyond grateful for Teigen’s dedication to sharing the good, bad, tragic, hilarious, heart-warming, irritating, vulnerable, and relatable moments of being a mother and a parent. Here are just a few of our favorite quotes from her on the topic.

The Anxiety of Carrying a Baby After Pregnancy Loss

Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images.

When announcing her fourth pregnancy nearly two years after the loss of Jack, Teigen took to Instagram to write, “the last few years have been a blur of emotions to say the least, but joy has filled our home and hearts again. 1 billion shots later (in the leg lately, as u can see!) we have another on the way. Every appointment I’ve said to myself, “ok if it’s healthy today I’ll announce” but then I breathe a sigh of relief to hear a heartbeat and decide I’m just too nervous still. I don’t think I’ll ever walk out of an appointment with more excitement than nerves but so far, everything is perfect and beautiful and I’m feeling hopeful and amazing. Ok phew it’s been very hard keeping this in for so long!”
Making Sure Her Kids Feel Loved Before the Arrival of a New Baby

Image Credit: Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images.

“Had the cutest girls’ day with Luna this past weekend. She wanted to do a spa/escape room day while Miles went off with dad to the Rams game. Doing everything in my power to make sure these two know how special they are before (and after!) new baby gets here (we beat the escape room, too!)” — Teigen on Instagram
Teaching Miles to Embrace His Emotions

Image Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Variety.

During an interview with People, Teigen explained, “Miles is very emotional. He’s a lot like me too. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and we embrace that. I think more men should embrace their emotions. I think that’s really important in this world. That it’s okay to cry, and it’s okay to be upset about something or to be sad about something. We’re going to talk it through and it’s okay.”

She continued, “There is no ‘Be a man’ in our house. There’s no right way to be a man, and John is so good about showing them through how he treats me how to be a good man, how to be a good father. It’s wonderful to see.”
Pregnancy Brain Mishaps

Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

“just juiced my only lemon into the trash. babies really take your brain.” — Teigen on Twitter
On the Ever-Growing Size of Her Boobs During Pregnancy

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy.

“will name my baby with the letter my boobs stop growing at. looking like a g, maybe h.” — Teigen on Instagram
Embracing Her Inner Child

Image Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Quay Australia.

“Luna’s bringing out so much of my personality that I was too anxious to share in the outside world before. Now, I get to be goofy and silly,” Teigen told Good Housekeeping.
Being Annoyed With Her Kid for Not Smiling for Photos

Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images.

While Teigen, Legend, and Luna have huge smiles pasted on their faces, Miles is staring at the camera, deadpan, with his mouth hanging slightly open. The boy mom captioned the comical photo, “Yes miles give us nothing !!!!” — an annoyance every mom can relate to.
One Thing That Makes Postpartum Life Easier

Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Hulu.

“I can confirm postpartum life is 90% better when you don’t rip to your butthole. Baby boy: 1 point. Luna: 0” — Teigen on Twitter
Leading with Kindness

Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions.

“I’m an open, free spirit and I love kids to be kids. For us, kindness is such a big thing. When you meet our kids, they’re very warm and friendly. You instill those things in them, but for the most part let them be creative and wondrous and spirited and curious beings,” Teigen told People.
Instagram vs. Reality

Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Sharing two photos of herself looking gorgeous and ethereal, Teigen captioned the Instagram post, “This was yesterday. Today I have two sick babies and I’m coughing up blood! I love fall 🍂🍁🍃”
Approaching Parenting as a United Front

Image Credit: David Livingston/Getty Images.

Teigen told People, “You just have to be on the same page all the time, because it’s not fair when there’s one bad person [or] a bad guy. No one wants to be the bad guy, so it’s helpful when you’re all the bad guy. It’s important to be on the same page.”
The Humbling Reality

Image Credit: Lars Niki/Getty Images for POPSUGAR and Reed Exhibitions.

“No one told me I would be coming home in diapers too.” — Teigen on Twitter
Keeping It Real for the Sake of Others

Teigen told Good Housekeeping, “Every morning when I look at myself in the mirror, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, how did it get here? My baby was, like, four pounds and I gained, like, 60 pounds, and that seems off!’”

She continued, “But, you know, I think everyone’s body is just really different. That’s why, my posts of real mom stuff, and wearing the diaper, and having that mesh thing, and real postpartum business? I think as important as it is for people to see me do that, it’s also really important for me.”
The Importance of Being Fully Present

Image Credit: Rick Kern/Getty Images for Amazon Prime Video.

“One thing I have gotten very good at is knowing every single moment they want you to pause and pay attention to them is very important to them so you just gotta make it a moment because it’s just a moment but it’s THEIR MOMENT, you know? Give them a moment because it’s just a moment but it’s important to them. Right? I dunno. You get it.” — Teigen on Instagram
On Food Sensitivity During Pregnancy

Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images.

“I have lived the life of a spoiled rotten stomach. i could do ANYTHING to it – street meat, landlocked sushi, stuff that smelled off, 5 second rule floor food, ghost pepper contests, countless shots. And she was strong, my stomach. now, half of a single cherry tomato can take me down for 12 hours. But I am still so happy to be your rental home, little baby!” — Teigen on Instagram
How She’s Dealing With Her Kids’ Eating Habits

Image Credit: Quay/ MEGA.

Teigen told People, “[Luna] loves French fries, like, she’s a kid. I don’t want to deprive her. I don’t want her to not be able to eat French fries or not be able to enjoy a piece of candy. Everything is in balance.”
Grieving Pregnancy Loss Day by Day

Image Credit: iamKevinWong.com / MEGA.

“I definitely give myself permission to feel complete and utter grief,” Teigen told Good Morning America. “Every day is so different. So when people ask me how I’m doing I always say, ‘I’m OK — today.’”
Rebel Against the Pressure to be Perfect Parents

Image Credit: John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx.

“It’s important for us to come together and understand that there’s no perfect way to do something,” Teigen told SheKnows. “There’s a million different ways to raise a child, and that’s fine. Hearing that nine out of 10 parents felt like they weren’t doing a great job or they were inadequate in their parenting skills, that was heartbreaking to me because that’s a lot of people. And that one person, my God, who is that person?!”
How She ‘Does It All’

Image Credit: Demis Maryannakis/STAR MAX/IPx.

“My mom lives with us,” she explained to Yahoo. “I have hair and makeup people. I’m not getting up and doing all this by myself. If I’m not being done for something, I’m not going anywhere. A lot of hands go into it. We have help. It’s important for people to know that. I have the utmost respect for mothers and single mothers who go to work and come home and make dinner. I do all these things because I have help. Luna goes down at 6:30 and has a nurse watch her, and I can cook dinner.”
Trying to Understand Babies’ Resistance to Sleep

Image Credit: John Salangsang/WWD.

After becoming a mom, Teigen frequently mused about the role on Twitter, once writing, “My biggest parenting conundrum: Why is it so hard to put someone who is already sleepy to sleep?”
Choosing Embryos is Strange, Magical Science

Image Credit: John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx.

“I think I was most excited and allured by the fact that John would be the best father to a little girl. That excited me,” Teigen told People of why she chose a girl embryo when undergoing IVF. On Twitter, she later added, “I also picked the embryo with a taste for bacon, a knack for magic, and size 7 feet so she can always find shoes.”
Keeping It Simple for Lunch

Image Credit: Janet Gough / AFF-USA.com / MEGA.

“I’ve been looking up good lunches to put in my kid’s bento lunch box and while everyone’s lunches look cute, my kid will never eat this shit without me bribing, in person. Everyone’s stuffed olive tapenade pita cat faces can suck it. Say hello to pizza bagel.” — Teigen on Twitter
When Mom-Shamers Told Her Playground Slides Break Kids’ Legs

Image Credit: Rob Latour.

“Wish you guys would have told me about the leg thing earlier,” she commented on her Instagram photo of herself and Luna on a slide. “They broke. Both of them. And everyone else’s in the park broke too just from watching it happen. There are so many broken legs here (heads up photos are a one second in time, I was lifting her onto my lap).”
Sex After Kids

Image Credit: DP/AAD/STAR MAX/IPx.

“It doesn’t matter who you are — even if you’re a sexy R&B crooner or an ex-swimsuit model, you’re just tired,” Teigen told Women’s Health. “We still have that passion for each other, but are we doing it randomly in a dressing room? No! We’ll get back into it again. But it is funny: If he performs somewhere and I go, I’m like, ‘Oh, he’s sexy.’ We’ll probably have sex that night.”
On Realizing She Had Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Image Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA.

“I couldn’t figure out why I was so unhappy. I blamed it on being tired and possibly growing out of the role: ‘Maybe I’m just not a goofy person anymore. Maybe I’m just supposed to be a mom,'” Teigen told Glamour.

She continued, “Postpartum does not discriminate. I couldn’t control it. And that’s part of the reason it took me so long to speak up: I felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that I’m struggling. Sometimes I still do… I’m speaking up now because I want people to know it can happen to anybody, and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone.”
Children’s Personalities Are Unpredictable

Image Credit: John Salangsang.

“I thought [Miles would] be a little John, and I thought he’d be very chill, romantic and lovey — but no. He’s insane. You just never know!” — Teigen to Us Weekly
Thoughts on ‘Baby Weight’

Image Credit: MJ Photos / WWD.

“I’m not blind: I see my body, I see the difference in shape, I see that I gained weight,” Teigen told Good Housekeeping. “But I also see with those same eyes that I have a beautiful baby boy, and an amazing little girl, and I am very happy.”
Kids Drain Her Dry, Too

Image Credit: XPX/STAR MAX/IPx.

“I’m not the kind of person with energy. It’s like going to the grocery store when you’re full, right? Nothing is good to you. You don’t want to buy anything. Everything makes you sick. It’s really a difficult thing to deal with, because all [kids] want is your energy. All they want is to dance with you.” — Teigen to SheKnows
Why to Avoid Asking If Someone’s Pregnant

Image Credit: KCS Presse / MEGA.

“There are people who have trouble conceiving, and it hurts every time. I’m not pregnant but would be happy if I were. But I’m also happy.” — Teigen on Instagram
Whether She Should Write a Parenting Book

Image Credit: Stewart Cook/WWD.

“Girl, I got no clue what I’m doing I just take it day by day lol,” she replied on Instagram to a fan who suggested she write one. We’re all just winging it, but we’d totally read a book on how exactly Teigen wings it … you know?
On Always Being the Family Photographer

Image Credit: Chelsea Lauren.

“I never have pictures of myself because I am selfless and am the designated photo taker and keeper for my family and no one else seems to care to be thoughtful and take good photos of me. They merely click them off without paying attention to angles or lighting or general photo ambience. But it’s okay. Such is the life I chose.” — Teigen on Instagram
How She Views Her Post-Baby Body

Image Credit: MEGA.

“That changed with Luna, and really changed with Miles, where it took me a year to be comfortable with my new normal number,” Teigen told Glamour UK. “I do look at [my body] in the shower and think, ‘Arghhh, these kids.’ But I don’t take the aesthetics so seriously now. It’s very fulfilling not having that pressure of putting on a swimsuit and looking good for a magazine while running around a beach, which I did when I was modeling.”
Breastfeeding Has Consequences

Image Credit: John Nacion/Everett Collection.

“I really should have nursed out of both boobs (when I nursed).” — Teigen on Instagram. Pro-tip: Noted.
One More Time: She Has a Lot of Help as a Working Mom

Image Credit: Arroyo-OConnor / AFF-USA.com / MEGA.

“Girl I have HELP and a half. That’s it,” Teigen tweeted. “There is no way I could have done it without it. I’m so lucky to have it and I don’t know how anyone else does it. I have so much respect for all of you.”
Things Mom-Shamers Hate

“If they get a glimpse of the car seat there is a lot of buckle talk,” Teigen told TODAY. “Maybe for one half of a second, the strap slipped down. And TV is another big one. We have TV on a lot in my house. John and I work on television; we love watching television.

She continued, “Any time I post a picture of them holding ribs or eating sausage, I get a lot of criticism. Vegans and vegetarians are mad and feel that we are ‘forcing’ meat upon them at a young age. They freak out.”
Why She Posts Despite the Mom-Shamers

Image Credit: AP Photo/Michael Perez.

“Most of parenting is really funny and silly and annoying and insufferable, and it’s fun to be able to share those moments together,” Teigen told SheKnows.
Childbirth Can Be Brutal

Image Credit: John Nacion/Everett Collection.

“My vagina was ripped to my a—hole giving birth to Luna,” Teigen tweeted when Trump complained of the COVID-19 test swab hurting. “I had a vaga—hole. F—k your swab pain. They had to put a garbage bag at the end of the bed to collect my blood before stitching me up, where I then had to pee using a water bottle as a pain fountain for 3 months. so yeah. the swab, I bet it’s super rough.” She’s such a legend — pun not intended but definitely relevant.