As Sienna Miller awaits the birth of her second child — another baby girl! — there’s one thing she wants to leave behind: putting pressure on herself to be perfect. The British and American actress opened up about motherhood and the expectations we put on ourselves in an intimate new interview with Vogue.
Motherhood Pressures
The North Star actress revealed that she hoped to have a “natural” birth with her daughter Marlowe, 11, who she shares with ex Tom Sturridge. However, she had to be induced and experienced “27 hours of grueling labor,” according to the outlet, followed by an emergency C-section.
“It was like a horrible trick of the universe,” she told Vogue. “I was like, This can’t be what my sister felt at home in her birthing pool.”
She continued, “It was so essential in my mind that I got it ‘right.’ And so emblematic of the kind of mother I would be that I didn’t. But I know in retrospect that was just the demons of new motherhood.” This time, she explained, “I just don’t think I’ll put that pressure on myself.”
Good! There is enough stress around labor and delivery on its own without adding in unrealistic expectations. No childbirth will be perfect, just like parenting itself isn’t perfect, and it’s better to give yourself a break. You’re doing great!
Miller also shared that she feels more prepared for baby number 2. “I spent so much time preparing for the birth, and absolutely no thought was given to what happens when I’d get home with a baby. At least now I’m aware of what that’s like,” she continued.
Insecurities
In her interview, the Anatomy of a Scandal actress opened up about her own insecurity. “I’d love to get to a point where I didn’t feel the need to make a joke of my being older and having a baby to show I’m in on the joke,” she told Vogue.
Miller also shared how “nervous” she was about showing her bare baby bump at Vogue World in September. “I was nervous about the idea of it,” she said, “but once I had it on, everything else felt boring. I was like, I’ll have that photo for the rest of my baby’s life. It’s kind of fascinating to fight your own prejudice against yourself. I’m constantly doing that.”
Confidence
The 41-year-old is expecting her second baby and first with boyfriend Oli Green. In the accompanying video with Vogue, she shared that she is expecting a baby girl.
When the interviewer asked if Marlowe was excited to have a little sibling, Miller responded, “To have a sister? A baby sister? Oh, gender reveal by accident. I’m having a baby girl.”
Hopefully one thing she can pass on to both daughters is being comfortable and confident in themselves, like Miller has learned to be.
In a 2018 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Miller shared how much she has grown throughout the years. “With age comes wisdom and a sense of self that’s really relieving,” she said. “I was a little bit at sea in my twenties. I had an amazing time, but I had no roots – well nothing grounded. I got pregnant at 29 and had a daughter at 30 so it all kind of collided in the most fantastic way. With every year that passes I feel more comfortable in myself. That’s not to say I don’t still have existential crises, but I have a way of navigating them that I didn’t have before and I’m aspiring to get even better at that.”
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