Carey Mulligan knows a thing or two about the chaos of parenting.
The Oscar-nominated actress and her husband, Marcus Mumford, have a daughter, Evelyn. and a son, Wilfred. Since becoming a mom in 2015, Mulligan has opened up about her experience, from breastfeeding to body image to bedtime drama.
In honor of her birthday, here are 12 quotes about motherhood from Mulligan.
On How Parenthood Has Changed Her
“I used to talk down about myself a lot... you know, ‘Ugh, I feel so gross today, I feel so fat today. I look ugly today.’ And I just don’t do that anymore because I don’t want my children to feel or talk about themselves that way.”
On Leaking Breast Milk On A Couture Dress
“Back in the day, I would have been in the bathroom in tears. I would have been trying to leave. But it was just kind of funny. It was so ridiculous. I thought, ‘If I’ve got breastmilk coming out of my dress, then that just shows what it’s like to be a working mother in the 21st century. Whatever.’”
On Doing Theater As A Parent
“It’s great because you get all day with [the children]. But you miss bath time every night, and putting your kids to bed is the best thing. I mean, it can be a total nightmare, but it’s also a lovely thing.”
On The Difference Between The First And Second Kid
“With a second child, you’re a lot less paranoid, and I definitely felt I was ready for new challenges this time around.”
On Filming While Pregnant
“The biggest challenge was the night scenes. Towards the end I was seven months pregnant, driving around London all night and the baby was just going mental, kicking and mega uncomfortable!”
On Her Fear Since Becoming A Parent
“[I’ll] have a huge mortality crisis and get terribly upset that one day [I’ll have to] leave my children behind. That has crippled me a couple of times since I’ve had kids: the notion that one day they’ll have to be without me.”
On The Transformative Power Of Motherhood
“What does motherhood change? Well, your whole life ― it’s undeniable ― it changes everything.”
On Postpartum Body Image
“Yes, I think all that stuff has got easier. Your body has a totally different function. I’ve always been funny about my legs and I won’t wear anything above the knee. I hate my thighs ... [but once a baby] was sitting in my lap and I thought, ‘If my legs were really bony and skinny, that would be really uncomfortable and actually it’s quite nice for this baby to have a comfortable place to sit.’”
On Being A Working Parent In Hollywood
“I don’t think being a working mother in our industry has been made that much easier. It’s incredibly difficult. Childcare is so expensive. I’ve never, ever been on a set where they have childcare, but I’ve been on lots of sets where lots of people have very young children ... I had my daughter on the set of ‘Mudbound’ and ‘Wildlife’ and loads of the crew had kids, but they had to arrange childcare. It’s always incredibly complicated. [Childcare on set] would make it possible for a lot of talented people to come and do their job.”
On Making Her ‘Collateral’ Character Pregnant
“I wrote to [the series creator] and said: ‘You’ll never guess, but I’m pregnant again. So can I do it pregnant?’ He said: ‘I don’t see why not.’ ... I loved that he didn’t rewrite my character, that he just didn’t make a fuss about it. It felt more real to life, because when you’re pregnant you do just go about your life.”
On Filming A Miscarriage Scene
“I’d played mothers before without having ever known what it’s like to have your own child. My daughter was eight months old when we were filming so it was the first time I felt so connected in that way. It felt so much more intense, knowing and experiencing those emotions.”
On Why She Couldn’t Be A Stay-At-Home Parent
“It’s too hard work, it’s unbelievably hard work to be a stay-at-home-mum.”
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