Emily Ratajkowski has opened up about her pregnancy in a joint interview with author Lisa Taddeo for ELLE, explaining why she was relieved to give birth to a baby boy.
“I wanted a daughter initially, but when I found out I was having a son, I was so relieved,” she told the publication.
“Because I think that it would bring up—I want more children, so it might be something I deal with later—being sexualized way before puberty and being aware of it,” she continued.
Emily gave birth to her first child Sylvestor Apollo, whom she welcomed into the world with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in March of this year.
The model has never shied away from her experiences being sexualised, particularly from a young age, and it’s a topic she’s set to explore further in her upcoming book, My Body. The highly-anticipated release is a very personal exploration of feminism, sexuality, and power.
Throughout the interview, Lisa Taddeo (author of the best-selling book Three Women) also spoke candidly about motherhood, and the way its changed her outlook on the male gaze.
““My daughter is six, and I sometimes see the way that men look at her,” she said. “I’m so hyper-aware of it, because of having experienced my own stuff in the past. I’m always staring at my daughter, looking to see where the danger might be coming from. That is such a frightening thing, that I’ve now put the male gaze on my own daughter. It haunts me,” she told Emily.
Towards the end of the interview, Emily and Lisa discuss motherhood and child birth in greater detail — and how it will be explored within the pages of Emily’s book.
“I was unsure if I wanted to end the book with motherhood, because I hate the idea that you become a mother and everything changes. It’s something I talk about in the book: You go from child to sex object to mother,” Emily said, when asked if motherhood has changed her relationship with her body.
The model then reflected on her experience giving birth, explaining that she had to really trust in herself, as only she knew what her body was capable of.
“But it was one of the most powerful physical experiences. Being in a room and trusting my body—even though there are people around me who say that they know it better than me or that they have a right to it in some way—was hugely impactful… I say no, my body responds to me saying no, and I give birth to my son.”
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