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With her husband Seal recently confirming that the couple are expecting their fourth child, supermodel Heidi Klum graces the cover of the May 4th issue of Us Weekly and opens up about her latest pregnancy.
Due in mid-fall, Heidi reveals how she is including her daughter Leni, 5 next month, this time around, her thoughts on losing the baby weight — the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is filmed in November — and whether the family is hoping for a girl or a boy!
Click below for the full interview!
Did you sense you were pregnant?
“Yeah, I kind of knew. You feel your body change and I’ve done it three times before. Then I got the proof from the doctor and it was wonderful. Seal had the biggest smile. He said, ‘Here we go, one more time!’ Because all this time, we’ve said, ‘Okay, one more and that’s it.’ We said that after Leni and Henry. When Johan was born, I still didn’t feel like I was done. When we looked around the table, it was like one person was missing. So we’ve been, you know, having fun as a couple. And that’s how No. 4 came about. But that will be it.”
Do the kids understand what’s happening?
“Our children each have beautiful black-and-white photos of me being pregnant with them in their rooms. They’ll say, ‘Here is when I was in Mama’s belly!’ But because Leni is 5 [next month], I’ll show her an ultrasound and say, ‘This is the nose, these are the arms.’ I’ll explain how they put jelly on the belly and have a machine to look inside. And she’ll say, ‘They cut the belly open, Mama?’ ‘No, they can see through the belly!’ I’m definitely going to take her along next time! It’s a very hard concept for them. It’s like being on a car ride and asking, ‘Are we there yet? Are we there yet?’”
Do you want a girl or boy?
“We’d be happy with either, but it would be a lie if I said we all weren’t hoping for a little girl — especially Leni because she would love to have a little sister. She’ll say, ‘I hope it’s a girl so she can be in my room, and I’m going to help you and I’m going to change the diapers and I’m going to be a really good sister.’ I don’t think the kids are jealous that a new one is coming. My kids are buddies, and they’re used to new additions. Still, I don’t know if we’ll find out the sex beforehand. In the past, we did. I’ll have to check with my husband. He always says there are so few surprises in life. This is one of them.”
Any chance of twins?
“No. We don’t have any twins in our families, so it would be very unlikely!”
Do you like being pregnant?
“I do. It’s the most wonderful thing that your body goes through. It’s producing another human being! What a miracle. It’s never boring. Not old hat like, ‘Oh, I’ve done it three times.’ Every time is a new first time and I love it. Then the birth is just an amazing experience.”
You make it look so easy. Any advice for other pregnant women?
“I would say to cherish these moments and think of what you have in the end as a mom. You have made a child. You created a new life all in your amazing body!”
Speaking of which, what about losing the baby weight?
“I honestly don’t think, ‘Oh, my God, when I get bigger, what am I going to do with the weight after?’ People write crazy things about me, like I put vinegar on salad leaves so I have no appetite. It’s not true! I trust my body. My stomach can stretch out to the most enormous place, then it goes back with exercise and eating right. I have good eating habits. Being a model, I had to learn and change my lifestyle. In Germany, a lot of the food that we ate wasn’t healthy. A lot of things are fried with creamy sauces. But I’ve been very healthy over the last 12, 13 years. Besides, my husband always says that I’m sexy as I am. That’s what I care most about.”
Will you return to the Victoria’s Secret Runway?
“I don’t know. The birth will be very, very close to when the show is [in November]. I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk in my underwear quite that fast! We’ll see.”
You were pregnant with Leni when you met Seal. How did you know he was The One?
“I knew right away he was my dream husband. I had been married before [to stylist Ric Pipino], and I didn’t have that feeling. I had a different man before [Leni's biological father, with whom she has no contact, race-car mogul Flavio Briatore], and I didn’t have it. But when I met my husband, I knew this was the person I would spend the rest of my life with and have a family with. He is absolutely the best dad. He is loving and caring and would do anything for his children. He’s patient and does not mind being the bad cop at times who gets things done! I’m sure it’s not always easy for him because, as a singer, you have to rest your voice and sleep. And these screaming children are bouncing on his head 24/7! But he loves it. They make him feel good and vice versa.”
Did you always want a big family?
“I think it’s something every girl dreams about. You know, having a big wedding with a white dress, the perfect husband, the perfect house with the white picket fence and the dog. I always hoped for a big family, but I never really put a number on how many children would be there. So I’m very lucky because I have the perfect man and lovely kids and the house in L.A. with a garden, a tennis court, and pool.”
How do you keep the romance in marriage?
“Your kids are happy if you’re happy. And if your love is happy, then everything works. I think a lot of people think once the children are there, it’s all about the children. But you can’t forget about your best friend, your lover, your husband. We’ll run off for a weekend in Paris. We went to India. Last year we went to Venice, [Italy] together. That was the last time I slept in. As wonderful as it is to be up with the kids in the morning and having breakfast at 6:30, it’s amazing to sleep in until 10. It takes getting used to. The first few days you still wake up early and hear the kids even though they are not there.
For our anniversary [May 10th], we always go to Mexico and say our vows again on the beach, like our wedding. Nothing is written down or rehearsed; it comes from the heart. I tell him things that happened in the last year and the journey that we’ve been on that year. Then we have a big three-day party with our friends and family. A great band, lots of food, and a special theme. Some people may think it’s silly, but we love it. It was an important moment in our lives and I think it’s important for our kids to remember those moments as a family. We’re very big on family values.”
Are you big on discipline as well?
“We want our kids to have good manners. When we walk onto a plane with three small children, I know we get dirty looks! People roll their eyes and think, ‘Oh no, this will be a fun 12-hour ride from L.A. to Germany.’ But we do Crayola Color Wonder activity books and watch movies and play games. I buy small toys for the plane. A lot of people compliment them on how well they did. Sometimes they do run up and down the aisle; they can’t sit. But they’re troopers. We’re all jet-lagged, but you can’t be mean to them because what do they know? If they’re up at 2 a.m., they’re up at 2 a.m. They want to be entertained. So you get up and do things with them.”
Do you have help?
“We do have three nannies, two on at a time. They are a part of our family. It’s not like the staff is in a different place and we can’t be seen together! We eat together and watch TV together.
I say television, but I mean Kaleidescape. It’s this great television system. TV can be violent. I don’t want the kids to see anyone shoot each other. We haven’t started with Nintendo games or anything. We’re trying to get them to be creative, like paint and play games.”
What’s mealtime like?
“Our children eat really well. No special meals for them. What we prepare for us and is on the table is on the table, and if they don’t like it, the kitchen is closed. So they eat! Then I think it’s okay to give ice-cream for dessert. If they were bad eaters, I would not give it to them. And of course, if we drive by McDonald’s, they never say no to chicken nuggets and fries with barbecue sauce.”
Do you speak German to your kids?
“They’re bilingual. Completely. You owe that to your children if you have the ability to speak another language. But Leni definitely has an American accent. School has changed her. She picks up things that you know is not one of your things. ‘You know, we really have to get a compactor for our food.’ Like, what does she know about a compactor?”
Do you talk with the kids about having a biracial family?
“If being biracial ever comes up in school, then we would definitely talk about it. And I do think they see the different colors. Leni did this wonderful painting hanging in our kitchen of our family. It’s Seal, who she painted really dark. Then me, kind of white with a sparkle dress on. And she made herself exactly like me, and she has a crown on with a sparkle dress. And then is Henry, who is not as dark as Papa, so she chose a different brown pencil. And there is Johan, who has a different brown pencil. So it’s not like she says, ‘Oh, they are different,’ but I see that she sees it. I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
What’s the secret to balancing work and motherhood?
“For me, my No. 1 priority in life was to always have a family. If I had not been able to work anymore, then that would have been it. I would definitely choose family over career. It’s really great that my field has allowed me to work and let me do things that a woman does naturally. When you’re so driven, and I’ve always been driven to be successful, and that was all I used to think about. Then I realized that having a husband and kids is what really fulfills me. If my career ended tomorrow, I can still be a good mom and teach them what I know and have them grow up to be good children.”
Source: Us Weekly; May 4th issue
– Anya
I love that family !!!
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