Shay Mitchell spoke candidly about the societal pressure for mothers to bounce to their pre-baby weight back after having children.
The Pretty Little Liars actress, 36, credits motherhood for making her think more critically about the societal expectations placed upon women before and after having children. (She and partner Matte Babel share daughters Atlas, 4, and Rome, 1.)
“As a woman in this day and age, it’s tough,” Mitchell said in a Byrdie cover story published on Tuesday, December 12. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel that pressure. However, I’ve always said I can’t snap back. I can only snap forward. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I put the old version of myself aside, and a new chapter began.”
Mitchell’s new chapter includes instilling determination into her two daughters and wants them to know they can achieve anything they set their minds to. “I want them to see me and know you can be extremely independent yet still rely on others for support,” Mitchell explained. “I want to instill a strong work ethic in them. My parents always said if you get something on your own, nobody can take that away from you. So I want them to know if you believe in something, you can attain it.”
Mitchell credits Babel, 43, with helping to raise their daughters in a multicultural household with room for them to be curious about their identities. “There are a lot of different questions you have as a parent like, ‘Am I doing this right?’ or ‘Is this the correct way to teach her this?'” Mitchell notes. “Having a sounding board is so helpful. We share the same morals, and I’ll forever be grateful to be in a healthy relationship.”
Mitchell and Babel began dating in January 2017, although the Toronto natives have known one another for years. The couple have long kept their relationship private, but glimpses of their romance while Mitchell was pregnant with Atlas were shown in her 2019 documentary series, Almost Ready.
This isn’t the first time Mitchell has candidly talked about motherhood. In October 2019, shortly after announcing Atlas’s birth, Mitchell attended Drake’s birthday party and she faced online backlash for attending the rapper’s party.
At the time, Mitchell went on Ashley Graham’s podcast, “Pretty Big Deal,” to talk about being mom-shamed. “How dare you make a new mom, who’s already going through a lot of doubt and guilt when she leaves for the first time, [feel guilty]?” Mitchell said “That should be something that’s celebrated. You’re living your life, as you did before and as you will continue to with your child.”
