It’s long been said that it takes a village to raise a child, but Chrissy Teigen reveals that when you’re a star it takes a village to shed the pregnancy pounds.
The model-turned-cookbook author—who is always one to keep it real—recently spoke to the Today show about being a mother in the spotlight and how her life has changed since she and husband John Legend welcomed their adorable daughter Luna Simone a little over 7 months ago. One thing she wants non-famous moms to know? That celebs who quickly drop the weight post-baby have definitely had a lot of help.
“Anyone in the public eye, we have all the help we could ever need to be able to shed everything,” she said. “So I think people get this jaded sensation that everybody’s losing it so quickly, but we just happen to be the ones who are out there. We have nutritionists, we have dietitians, we have trainers, we have our own schedules, we have nannies. We have people who make it possible for us to get back into shape. But nobody should feel like that’s normal, or like that’s realistic.”
(Gifts: The 100 Most Influential Images of All Time)
And while Teigen has spoken out about social media “mommy shamers,” who have called her out for everything from her little girl’s car seat to holding her too close to the stove, she says she wished that people would focus more on some of the more serious impacts that motherhood has on many women. “I think a lot of the mood stuff that happens afterwards isn’t really talked about, whether it’s postpartum depression or really just, for me, some days, I wouldn’t know how to cope with work and juggle things and still have time for a husband life,” she shared. “And that was really tough for me, and I think just the mere act of losing those endorphins, I think I was slightly cursed by having such a great pregnancy and being so happy and having so much energy, that just the decline of all those endorphins, and all the prenatals and everything I was on and how healthy I was, naturally made my mood change. There were periods where you get super dark.”
But all in all, the 30-year-old model and author wouldn’t trade being mom to Luna for anything in the world — even though she might not be her daughter’s favorite person. That honor happens to belong to her singer hubby. “Whatever this father-daughter relationship is, it starts so quickly, because I thought they grew into being daddy’s girls,” she said. “No, it was the second she came out.”
(Gifts: The 100 Most Influential Images of All Time)
Just another reason why we truly love Chrissy Teigen.
This article originally appeared on InStyle.com
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com