Jennifer Love Hewitt bares her bump, talks stretch marks

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Jennifer Love Hewitt is sporting her very first crop top at age 36, while very pregnant!

The actress, who is mom to 17-month-old daughter Autumn with husband Brian Hallisay, recently spoke with BabyCenter about her second pregnancy, stretch marks, and her go-to belly moisturizers from Palmer's.

Sharing she's "feeling good" leading up to her June due date, the former The Client List star told us this pregnancy is "definitely" different than her first.

"I think that's because it's a different person," she explained. "People, once we grow up, we're all really different, we need and want different things and move around differently, so I think it's to be expected that it would happen. And also chasing around a 17-month-old while you're pregnant is very different!"

Opening up about her love of Palmer's range of pregnancy products she shared, "I try to use it in the morning and the night. I like to use the stretch mark cocoa butter and the skin therapy oil together. The oil gives you that nice glow. I also feel like the two paired together really lasts a long time during the day, which is nice.

"It's been a great thing for me during both pregnancies, and even in between pregnancies. It really brought my skin back to life after labor, when you're going through all the hormone changes and everything. I could consistently count on it through both pregnancies."

When asked about stretch marks Jennifer Love Hewitt told BabyCenter with a laugh, "I missed out on those, and I'm very grateful."

She continued, "I know that that won't be the truth for everyone, there's no magical solution, but there is a proactiveness I think to going 'OK, I'm pregnant. This is a possibility, how do I try to combat this from happening?' Both times that I found out I was pregnant -- literally the day I found out -- I was like, 'OK, Palmers does not leave me. We stick together,' and it's worked beautifully both times."

Jennifer added she finds it "very empowering" to see photos other moms out there have taken of their stretch-marked postpartum bodies.

"I wish social media was used more for really positive things like that than some of the other things it's used for," she elaborated. "I think it's really empowering for people to celebrate all things that the body goes through in life. It's all really beautiful because it's all a part of your journey."

Naturally we were curious what baring her belly for the cameras was like, and while Jennifer said the experience was "great" she also admitted to feeling "vulnerable."

"There was a moment that kind of hit me what I was doing," she told BabyCenter. "I showed my stomach for the first time in my whole life on The Client List billboard and that was a big deal for me, and it struck me during the shoot that the first time I'm wearing a half-top is with a gigantic pregnant belly. What is happening here?!

"But it was so nice. Everybody was really complimentary and it felt good. It felt good to embrace it and own it and show. I've worked really hard on this bump -- I've earned it and it won't be there for much longer so it was nice to celebrate it in that way. And doing the photos to for a product I actually really believe made it that much better."

Jennifer and Brian are once again choosing to wait for a delivery room surprise rather than finding out baby's sex ahead of time.

She explained, "It's kind of fun to drive people crazy, because your relatives and friends are constantly like, 'What is this one?' and you're like 'I don't know!' And not knowing is bliss sometimes. It's like one of life's last great surprises, isn't it? It's kind of special that way. It's fun and feels a little old-school."

The star, who we're proud to call one of our many BabyCenter fans, is looking forward to having two children under age 2 even if it's a little "crazy."

"I think it'll have it's crazy moments but also it's pluses," she shared. "I'm glad that they're going to be really close, and because of Autumn's age she won't ever really remember a time when she didn't have a sibling. So that'll be sweet and nice and it'll be really fun to see them together. Brian and I feel really lucky to be building our family and having such fun with it."

Join the conversation

What has your experience with stretch marks been like?

Photos: Jennifer Love Hewitt for Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Stretch Mark by Casey Rodgers/Invision for Palmer's/AP Images

 

How do your stretch marks compare? Check out some our brave BabyCenter moms, who photographed their pregnant and postpartum bodies:

Jennifer Garner's no-nonsense approach to public tantrums

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck may be used to red carpets and celebrity status, but they're determined to keep their three kids grounded in reality.

The hands-on mom insists her children don't just get whatever they want. They live by the same rules as everyone else: They have to pick up after themselves, do their chores, have nice manners. And like most kids, sometimes they're not too happy about it!

"They have boundaries and they have rules and they throw fits," Jennifer, 43, admits of her kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel.

Being famous may have its perks, but it doesn't seem to mean much when it comes to parenting.

The Dallas Buyers Club star tells US Magazine how she dealt with her 3-year-old son's recent public meltdown.

"Yesterday, we were at a bike store getting their bikes serviced and getting new helmets that fit and... my littlest one [Samuel] saw something he wanted. I had just said, 'We’re not buying anything,' and he threw a fit. The people at the store said to me, 'Please let us just give this to you' because he was so unhappy. And I said, 'I’m sorry that he’s throwing a fit in your store and you’re so sweet to want to give this to him. And thank you for asking me first. But he’s going to have to throw a fit.' I said no. No is no."

"I said to my girls, 'What do I mean when I say no?'" she adds. "And they were like, 'She really means no!' So you just have to do it. It’s not pretty. I don’t think that I’m always the best at it but I try my best to be consistent and for them to know what they can expect from me."

I love that she admits that sometimes "it's not pretty." So true! When your child has a massive meltdown it's hard not to get a little panicky yourself. It's hard not to worry that everyone around you is silently judging you. The thing is, kids have tantrums! Even kids of really great parents.

Jennifer, who last year confessed that three pregnancies left her with a permanent "baby bump," also shared some words of wisdom to all the moms out there who are already dreading swimsuit season.

"Take [pressure] off yourself. Nobody can take it off for you. And don’t be on [social media]. You don’t see me on Instagram. I have an official Facebook page but I’m not reading what all my friends say on Facebook about how great their lives are because it makes you feel bad," she tells Yahoo! "I want to talk to my actual friends on the phone. I love seeing pictures and occasionally I will go through and look at all [my friend’s] Instagram photos but if you are not in a fantastic place — if you’ve just had a baby — don’t look at your friend’s hot beach picture... just don’t do it."

Jennifer's latest project veers away from Hollywood productions, focusing on something much closer to home. She's paired with Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft to launch a line of craft kits called We Made It, with partial proceeds from sales going to Save the Children. Click here to check out some of the family-friendly projects.

Have you had to deal with public tantrums, too?

Don't miss this post: Mom-of-three Jennifer Garner on feeling like a failure

Even the biggest stars have down-to-earth mommy moments. Here’s the proof, in pictures…

Photo: PR Photos

Wiz Khalifa: "I would just die" if Sebastian does as I do

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Wiz Khalifa hopes to pass a lot of things on to his son Sebastian, but not everything. The musician, who is dad to the 2-year-old boy with estranged wife Amber Rose, has opened up about his own mother and the one thing he hopes his kids doesn't follow his footsteps into.

“When stuff happens, I’m like, ‘Oh man, this was definitely me,’ ” he told People while speaking about seeing his younger self in Sebastian, whose nickname is Bash. “This is what my mom was going through.”

Sharing he's passing on “pretty much everything” he learned from his own mother to his son, the 27-year-old dad elaborated, "All the simple stuff, you know, like using his manners and getting potty-trained. He’s a good boy, though. He uses big words and explains everything!”

It's hard to look at Wiz Khalifa and not notice his ink. Although a tally of his work is hard to come by, Ranker reports his tattoos include the area code 412 across his chest, a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. on his stomach, a Polynesian design on his leg and his son's nickname on his forehead -- and yet he hopes Bash won't get a single tattoo of his own.

“I look at him and how handsome he is, and I would just die if he got tattoos like me,” Wiz said with a laugh. “Please do not — just listen to me — do not touch your skin!”

Do you it's common for parents to feel that way?

I know my parents did, but they don't have a single tattoo between them. My husband has five and I have two, although we carefully placed them so you wouldn't really know unless we showed you, and that's the kind of thing I hope my kids listen to. I don't plan to tell them not to get tattoos at all, but I most certainly advise them to think long and hard about what to get as well as where it goes.

Recently a Facebook friend of mine posted photos she took of her daughter getting ink on her back for there 18th birthday. That's right, she was right by her daughter's side as it was done. Talk about being a supportive parent! We're still eight years off from our eldest being of age, but I kind of think I'd do the same.

Weigh in

Do you have tattoos? How do you feel about your child someday getting some?

Photos: PR Photos

 

Cool dad tattoos shared by our BabyCenter Facebook fans:

Lisa Loeb to women nearing 40: I hate to say it, but...

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Lisa Loeb has something to say to women out there who are waiting to have kids that might not be easy to hear.

"I hate to say it because I want women to be able to do anything whenever they want, but if you want to have your own child, it's something that you really do need to focus on -- the sooner, the better," the singer says in a clip from a new Oprah: Where Are They Now? episode.

"I have friends who are getting into their later 30s and they don't have kids yet, [but] they want kids," she goes on to explain. "I say, 'Sometimes you need to make decisions about how you're spending your time.'"

Lisa, who is now 47, welcomed daughter Lyla at age 41 and her son Emet with husband Roey Hershkovitz a few years later.

"I'm really lucky that I was able to have two really healthy, beautiful children in my 40s," she went on to say. "Unusual, but true."

"It wasn’t until I was in my late 30′s when I realized how late it was," Lisa Loeb said in a previous interview with A Child After 40. "Up until then, I heard the doctors telling me that I was where I was in my relationships and would have kids when it was time, and then I turned 38 or 39 and heard that it was time!"

Sharing what she enjoys about being an over-40 mom Lisa said "the perspective on life I have." She continued, "I’m not sure what’s bad about being over 40, since that’s just what I am (see, I’m okay with the way things are). I’d like to have more time on earth with my husband and kids, and not sure what nature will have in store for me.  My health and energy level seem pretty great now."

It's interesting to hear from a later-in-life celebrity mom who is telling others not to wait too long, since it's the after-40 pregnancy success stories that most often make big headlines. Come to think of it, I can't recall the last time a female celebrity opened up about trying for a child later on and it not working out.

One of my college friends is now 34 and is feeling the weight of what Lisa is saying immensely. Part of her is considering going into parenthood on her own in the next couple of years if she doesn't find a relationship that works, but she's nervous about that -- as well as waiting too long without making any decision.

Share with us

If you were single in your mid-30s and wanted kids, what do you imagine you'd decide to do?

Photo: PR Photos

 

More later-in-life moms, who may or may not agree with Lisa Loeb's advice:

Celebration or censorship? See ELLE's breastfeeding cover shot

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

At first glance it seems like a step forward for breastfeeding advocates: A model on the cover of a popular women's fashion magazine openly breastfeeding her baby boy.

The striking image has sparked cries of censorship, though, due to the fact that it never actually made it to the newsstands.

Model and mom Nicole Trunfio graces two separate covers of the June issue of ELLE Australia: The first, sent only to subscribers, shows the 29-year-old holding her four-month-old son Zion to her bare breast. The second, for sale to the general public, shows her fully clothed, her baby sound asleep in her arms.

See the subscribers' cover here. And see the newsstand version here.

Both are gorgeous, but it does spark the obvious question: Why was a separate shot used for the sale version of the issue?

"Shameful that the store issue cover didn't have this image. C'mon Elle!" one disappointed reader wrote on the magazine's Facebook page. "I will never purchase your magazine, a mag pretending to empower women, you have placed us back 20 years by your fear and censorship. How sad you were not brave enough to use the image of a women's body at its most beautiful on all of your mags. Shame on you Elle!" added another.

Some other celebs who have spoken out about breastfeeding…

Justine Cullen, the editor-in-chief of ELLE Australia, explains that the original intent of the shoot didn't involve breastfeeding at all, saying, "This wasn't a contrived situation. Zion needed a feed, Nicole gave it to him, and when we saw how beautiful they looked we simply moved her onto the set. It was a completely natural moment that resulted in a powerful picture."

Happy with how the photo turned out, they decided to use is as a "beautiful bonus" for their subscribers. "Outside of normalising breastfeeding, it's about not judging women," Cullen adds. "Whether it's for breastfeeding in public, or for not breastfeeding, or not being able to breastfeed."

As for the model at the center of the controversy, Nicole Trunfio wrote on Instagram, "I'm so proud of this cover and for what it's stands for. I obviously don't look like this while I am breastfeeding but this stands for all women out there, whether you breastfeed or not, we gave birth, we are women, we are mothers."

I think it would have been great had ELLE chosen to use the breastfeeding image for both subscribers and newsstands, but the fact that they didn't doesn't seem to me to be a step backwards in the fight to normalize breastfeeding. After all, they could have opted not to use the photo period. Instead, we see a major women's magazine featuring a stunning image of a mother nursing her baby. It may not have reached the grocery stores, but it did reach hundreds of thousands of people, whether subscribers or via ELLE's various social media outlets. And now millions more, thanks to the massive media coverage.

It may not be perfect, but I think we're slowly moving in the right direction.

Comment

What do you think of the ELLE cover controversy?

Don't miss this post: See Olivia Wilde's glamorous breastfeeding photo

Celeb moms confess their craziest breastfeeding moments...

Photo: REX USA

Chris Pratt suspects he'll face a test of fatherhood

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Chris Pratt seems to just be hitting his stride in Hollywood, but nonetheless may take an early retirement. The actor, who is dad to 2-year-old Jack Pratt with wife Anna Faris, has opened up about fame and fatherhood in the latest issue of GQ. Check out a peek of what the hunky star had to say...

Chris Prat on Anna finding fame first: “I’ve had those moments, where I was like the guy holding the purse at events and people just looked right through me. And, you know, actors come up and just blatantly hit on my wife in front of me and don’t even look at me. I’m like, ‘What the f–k, dude?’ I can think of exactly who they are, too, and I hope they f–king audition for Guardians of the Galaxy. Producers and studio people now who will come up to me and treat me the same way that they were treating Anna. “They’re like, ‘I always knew…’ I’m like, ‘Is that right? That’s interesting, because you f***ing stared right through me the last time.’ “

On the possibility of more kids: “I had siblings, so did Anna—we both dream of it. Jack should have the gift of a little person to push around, whether we have kids or potentially have a surrogate or adopt kids. He was premature, and Anna’s 38, so the idea of going through that again—that was tough, and I think, like, that’s something to truly consider.”

On fame and fatherhood: “I have a feeling I’ll be tested and I’ll have to prove to him that he’s more important to me than show business, and I feel I’ll be ready to pass that test…If it means turning down a big paycheck so that I can go camping for the weekend, being difficult with my contract so that I can be let out, and it means the quality of the film goes down because I’m not there to give everything, then so be it. And if it means retiring early and getting a ranch somewhere and just bird hunting, that’s kind of what I secretly want to do anyways, so that’ll be sweet.”

I'd never thought of the struggle to fit both parenting and a career into one life as coming to a head with a test before, but now that he's said it I can't quite shake the idea.

There are times my husband and I don't feel we're doing very well at parenting, to be honest. Over the last couple of years it's become apparent we're both inclined to be workaholics and have dreams of accomplishing a lot. The drive would be great if it weren't for the 10 and 8-year-old boys who still need so much of our attention, and I'm sad to say we get frustrated easily with their interruptions.

On the plus side, I suppose the good news is we're aware we're focusing too much on work and not on our family, but what to do about it remains puzzling. Making small changes and managing our way through is an option, but it recently occurred to me doing things very different is too. We're actually considering shaking things up completely.

I won't go into too many details just yet, but we're playing with the idea that now, when our boys are nearing their middle school years, might be the worst time to try and do a lot with our jobs. It seems common to think of working very hard while you're raising kids and then once you're an empty nester relax a bit and vacation more, but we're thinking the opposite way. What if we spent our mid-30s mellowing out and investing in each other more, then allowed ourselves to be guilt-free workaholics in our 40s?

What actually comes to pass remains to be seen, but in this very moment I'm feeling what Chris Pratt is saying. It feels like a choice, a test, is being presented to us.

Join the conversation

Do you also feel there'll be a time your tested as a parent?

Photos: PR Photos

 

Josh Duggar comes clean about child molestation past

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Josh Duggar is opening up to speak for himself as it surfaces he was accused of molesting five underage girls as a teen.

In a statement to People the 19 Kids and Counting reality star, who is currently expecting his fourth child with wife Anna, said Thursday:

"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends. I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life."

In response to the incidents coming to light Josh has resigned from his position at the Family Research Council.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are standing by their son's side, with this to say on the matter:

"Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives. When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.

Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God. We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles every day. It is one of the reasons we treasure our faith so much because God's kindness and goodness and forgiveness are extended to us – even though we are so undeserving. We hope somehow the story of our journey – the good times and the difficult times – cause you to see the kindness of God and learn that He can bring you through anything."

If you're like me, you're probably wondering when Anna first found out. According to her, he told her about what happened when he was 15 two years before he proposed.

"I can imagine the shock many of you are going through reading this. I remember feeling that same shock," she explained. "When my family and I first visited the Duggar home, Josh shared his past teenage mistakes. I was surprised at his openness and humility and at the same time didn't know why he was sharing it. For Josh, he wanted not just me but my parents to know who he really was – even every difficult past mistakes."

For his part, Josh also shard, "I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions. I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God's grace, mercy and redemption."

To be perfectly honest, I'm completely shocked by this whole thing. I saw the reports start to fly yesterday (some claim the abused are his younger sisters) but didn't pay them much mind. Today I'm surprised not only that they're true, but that the family is owning up to them completely.

My stomach hurts for them all. It hurts for Michelle and Jim Bob, for the girls who were molested, for Anna, for their children, and even for Josh. I can't even imagine what it is like for any of these people, who say they worked hard to move on years ago, having this brought into the public eye. Already the comments are flying in across the web, calling the entire family disgusting and irresponsible for not having taught their children more about sex, and some even suggesting Josh's children be taken away. And, of course, many feel TLC ought to cancel 19 Kids and Counting.

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What (if anything) do you think should happen in response to Josh Duggar's past coming to light?

Photos: REX USA

 

More Duggar family stories that have made headlines over the years: