Until very recently, I couldn't have told you much about Chrissy Teigen. I knew she was a famous model. I knew she was married to John Legend. I knew she was a serious foodie with a surprisingly good cookbook. And, of course, I knew that she recently gave birth to a baby girl. I only knew the last part because of the internet explosion that happened because she went out to dinner with Legend over the weekend — having the audacity to leave their newborn baby at home.
It was her cool response to the world's biggest non-drama that made me give Teigen a second look. The haters were vicious, but she just brushed it off.
Teigen has made her life an open book on social media, so I suppose it should come as no surprise that she's just as transparent when it comes to new motherhood. But the star wasn't always so sure how much she'd be willing to share. In March, Teigen told People that she didn't feel prepared for the internet's comments about her newborn and she didn't want to force her kid on anyone — but that she wasn't planning to hide her, either.
It's been a little over a week since Luna Simone Stephens entered the world, and while Teigen hasn't been oversharing by any means, she has posted several honest observations about her new life as a mom. First, she made a funny joke about Legend "healing perfectly" post-delivery. Then she admitted that she wasn't really sure what to tweet about now as a mom ("Does my twitter change? This is so awkward"). There have been posts about how she's basically wearing a diaper, too, and a hilarious tweet about her "push present." And of course, there have also been a few adorable pics of Luna sprinkled in for good measure.
As a mom who doesn't see much of herself reflected in pop culture (sorry, Kourtney and Kim), this openness is a gesture that I appreciate. Too many celebrities project a carefully crafted, unrealistic version of motherhood that makes most women feel like crap. Teigen's posts feel different to me; they seem sincere. With her massive following on social media, she has the platform to show millions of people what a woman's life after baby looks like. And if nothing else, she is getting people talking about what in the hell a perineal irrigation bottle even is. (I definitely didn't know before having a kid, and she's right, it's magical.)
All kidding aside, these are conversations that matter. They demystify motherhood and give women who want children a better picture of what to expect. They make people going through the experience themselves feel less alone.
Please don't get me wrong: I understand that Teigen is a famous person, and her version of being a mom will probably overlap very little with mine, or most people's for that matter. As down-to-earth as she is, she simply has more resources. But between the spit-up and the endless late nights and the explosive diapers, there will be overlap. Becoming a mom is the great equalizer in that way. And if millions of followers are seeing a no-holds-barred glimpse into everything that caring for a newborn entails and watching Teigen juggle family and career and her relationship and time for herself, it can only be a good thing.