Thoughtful Parenting Quotes From Lauren Conrad

Lauren Conrad doesn’t shy away from discussing motherhood.

The fashion designer and television personality has two sons ― Liam and Charlie ― with her husband, William Tell. Throughout her pregnancy and parenting journey, she’s been open about messes, work/life balance, grandparents and more.

In honor of her birthday, here are 17 parenting quotes from Conrad.

“A lot of parenting is gross, and you just adjust to it really quickly. I wasn’t expecting that, and then I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m just going to be cool with this now.’ So yeah, taking care of a tiny person is a little messy.”

“I’m going to have to figure out how much of motherhood to share on social media. Obviously you want to protect your child in every way you can. At the same time, my brand is based on being accessible and sharing the milestones of my life, and I’m so excited about it all. I’ll find a middle ground.”

“For the last six months of my pregnancy with Liam, I just had terrible heartburn every single day and it’s really rough. It was the hardest part of my pregnancy. So I’ve been drinking celery juice. A dear friend of mine said that she tried it and then it worked. So I was like, ‘I’m going to try this.’ But I didn’t know if it was working until I didn’t drink it for one day last week.”

“I think it’s a really important thing to talk about. It affects a lot of people, whether you’re already a parent or you want to become one. People are really hesitant to talk about the struggles of becoming a parent.”

“I always thought, ‘Someday, I’ll have a family.’ But it wasn’t until I was married that it was a real conversation. I think your 20s are about figuring out who you are and finding a career. Then once I got married, William and I wanted a couple years to ourselves. When you’re a mother, you’re no longer your own top priority, and that idea was a little scary to me. But we’re ready for a baby now.”

“Our parents did pressure us for grandkids, in an emotionally playful but persistent way. They would team up on us, which could get intense. My parents were young when they had babies ― they had me at 25 ― and they loved it, so they encouraged us to do it sooner rather than later.”

“Aside from William, the first person I told about my pregnancy was my best friend, because my initial reaction was to freak out ― in a good way. I wanted to be able to tell our parents later in a calmer, celebratory fashion. But my girlfriend has known me since we were in elementary school, so she was my choice for a freakout.”

“I’m thrilled to be having a boy. I really wanted a boy. My husband kept saying, ‘We just want a healthy baby.’ And I’d say, ‘But a boy would be nice!’ I was a wild little tomboy, so I think I understand boys. My mom always told me that nobody loves you like a son does, especially when he’s young.”

“My main concern is doing whatever’s right in the moment. My friends have said, ‘Have a plan, but don’t be so committed that you’re unwilling to change if you need to.’ I’m not worried about the pain that comes with giving birth. Maybe I’m just naive, but it’s pretty low on my list of concerns. I feel like women have been doing this forever.”

“I’m running my own businesses, so it’s difficult to give myself maternity leave. But I’ve put things into place so I’ll be able to spend time recuperating and adjusting after I give birth. I made a big effort over the last two years to build a team that I trust, knowing my end goal was to be a mother. I’ve gotten to the place where I feel confident that I can step away for a minute and everyone will be able to carry on.”

“I’m still learning and figuring out what I’m doing. You know, we talk about favorite strollers or things like that. I think that we’d like to be more of like a support system than someone giving advice. There’s a lot of advice out there. I think there needs to be more, ‘you’re doing great.’”

“After experiencing pregnancy, I went to my husband and I was like, ‘Our mothers get jewelry this year! They get nice jewelry.’”

“I’m really fortunate so I’m still able to be with him every day. I was back on email within a week. I can’t stay away. … Fortunately, between families and my husband, I have so much support, so I’m able to get back to work at this point. But yeah, it’s a new kind of juggle.”

“A lot of married couples do start trying to get pregnant relatively soon after they tie the knot. But that is definitely not always the case—and it’s never a fair assumption to make. Keep in mind that the decision to have children (both if and when), is an extremely personal one. And any questioning, pressure, or even hinting about it usually just makes the couple uncomfortable. … You also never know if someone may be privately struggling with fertility or has suffered through a recent miscarriage. In those cases, asking someone when they are going to have kids can be a major trigger question.”

“I’m taking the pajama trend really literally. I’m not really going into the office right now, so I’m wearing a lot of kimonos. But when I do leave, I actually dress up more because it feels like a special occasion for me … I’ve also tucked all my dry-clean-only pieces to the back of my closet.”

“It’s important to separate things so that you can really focus. You don’t want to be spending time with your kids while having one eye on your phone. You want to be able to have undivided attention with them.”

“It’s been great! Honestly, it’s exactly as everyone describes it. It’s the best and hardest thing you’ll ever do. It’s amazing. You fall so in love with your tiny person — it’s a whole new life.”