'There's Nothing Gorgeous About It': Ashley Graham Won't Sugarcoat The Reality Of Giving Birth

In an era where social media is rife with claims that child-free women are victims of brainwashing and propaganda, we're grateful to have role models like Ashley Graham being honest about the reality of motherhood. Having had three sons, Isaac (born in January 2020) and twins Malachi and Roman (born in January 2022), Graham has experienced the highs and lows of parenting, including the near-death birth of her twins. "... there's nothing gorgeous about it," she told Marie Claire in May 2026. "It's the worst pain you'll ever feel in your life. When it starts coming, it doesn't get any better; it gets worse."

The model and podcast host, known for encouraging fans to stop comparing themselves to unrealistic beauty standards, revealed that her home birth started off well, with Malachi arriving even before her doula had made it to her home. But severe hemorrhaging, which saw her lose blood by the liter, caused her to black out. "And they didn't want to tell me that the vein in my arm kept collapsing and they couldn't get the needle in for the Pitocin, so they'd had to put it in my hand," she wrote for Glamour in May 2022. "I looked around the room, saw blood literally everywhere, and let out this deep, visceral cry — an emotional release from the chaos I had just experienced." Ashley Graham's motherhood mindset is a testament to the women who came before her; she focused on how the women in her life all got through their birthing experiences, and credits this with helping her survive the ordeal.

Graham recalled in her Glamour essay that it was a week after the birth before she could walk again, and two months before she left the house: "Malachi and Roman's birth was incredible, but the aftermath was deeply overwhelming."

Never one to sugarcoat, Ashley Graham has also opened up about her postpartum experience, which has been filled with relatable moments that make other moms feel seen. Speaking to The Cut in 2022, she likened her mom schedule to a marathon, explaining that she's up at 6 a.m. and on her second coffee by 7 a.m. Usually, she prepares two kinds of oats for her son, because she's not sure what he'll feel like, and then she stretches her body in preparation for the rush ahead while her twins are still sleeping. 

Graham revealed that her confidence also took a hit after giving birth to her sons, which was particularly tough because being confident is so closely interwoven with her public image. Not only did she lose lots of hair, but it took her time to adjust to the other physical changes in her body after having kids. Now, Graham is still working to understand her new body after having kids. "I'm living in a different body and it's been hard to get to know her," she wrote for Glamour in 2022. But despite the struggles, she has also opened up about how much she loves her sons, and how every challenge has been worth it. 

"In the beginning, I was like, an alien is taking over my body and I am getting larger and larger by the moment," she told Net-a-Porter in 2021. "Then this alien popped out and I was like, 'Oh my God, I love you.' And you just don't care." She told the outlet that becoming a mother has given her a new outlook on life, helping her to gain perspective and stop worrying about trivial things. Surviving her home births has also shown her how strong she is, and that she's capable of just about anything.