Ali Landry Gets Real About Expecting Baby #3
The Bump: Did anything surprise you about pregnancy the third time around?
Ali Landry: During my other two pregnancies, my skin glowed. But this time around, I got melasma [aka the mask of pregnancy]. I learned it’s really important to have a great sunscreen and protect your skin as much as possible. I wear a hat whenever I’m outside with the kids now.
TB: What are your best maternity fashion tips?
AL: Part of me wants to wake up in the morning and throw on a big pair of pants — probably my husband’s — and a sweatshirt. But when I do that, I look in the mirror and I just don’t feel good about myself. So I really try to pull it all together, and I do feel so much better. It’s important to get a great pair of maternity jeans. Right now, skinny jeans are all the rage, so find a pair that’s flattering and really comfortable. I buy a lot of non-maternity tops that look stylish with my skinny jeans. This time around, I got some shirts that button down for easy access for nursing, so I can get plenty of wear out of them after the baby arrives. A well-fitted maxi dress with a great statement piece of jewelry is always really comfortable — and it looks flattering and put-together.
TB: We heard you’re working on something to help moms find the best products. Tell us about it.
AL: Yes! What people really want to know when they’re buying something — myself included — is “What is your favorite product?” I want to know what your ultimate favorite thing is, so I can go out and make an educated decision and possibly buy it. I’m always putting together emails recommending all of my favorite things to friends and asking them what great products they’ve found, so we can learn from each other. I wanted to create a seamless way for people to do that. So my business partner and I created Favored.by. It’s a mobile app that lets you poll people on their number one favorite booster seat or jogging stroller and sort those results by either a community or people you follow, maybe like-minded people or celebrities. Eventually, we’ll expand beyond parenting and include a wider range of products.
TB: Are you nesting for the new baby?
AL: We’re in the process of putting our home on the market and buying a new one, because we’re bursting at the seams! My kids, Marcelo and Estela, are sharing a room, and I want all the children on the same floor as me. I have a feeling the nesting is going to come in when I’m packing and unpacking. Fortunately, I know that this baby is a boy, and I’ve saved everything from Marcelo, so I’ll be able to reuse a lot of his things.
TB: We heard you can install a car seat professionally. Why is car seat safety so important to you?
AL: I’m certified as a child passenger safety technician by Safe Kids Worldwide. Going through the course opened my eyes, and now I want to shout about car seat education at the top of my lungs. It’s not necessary to move your child up to a larger seat or a booster as quickly as many parents want to. I know all parents want the safest option for their child, but when you don’t educate yourself, sometimes you make bad choices.
TB: How was it filming the movie Little Boy when you were nine months pregnant?
AL: It was hard. We shot the movie in Mexico, and they actually had to have a helicopter waiting just in case I went into labor, to fly me to a hospital in San Diego. And I had pregnancy brain. I couldn’t remember my lines to save my life! I was very emotional. I had a crying scene — it was very easy for me to cry.
TB: And what was it like wearing maternity clothes from the 1940s?
AL: It was hilarious. I wore a skirt that had a cutout for my belly and tied at the top. The lengths of the skirts were all in the wrong places. Maternity clothes have come a long way in the last 70 or so years!
TB: Are your kids ready for the new baby?
AL: I think Estela’s ready because she already has a little brother, so she knows what she’s in for. We were at the doctor’s office, and the doctor said, “How do you like your little brother?” She said, “He pulls my hair.” Then the doctor asked, “So what do you think about having a new brother?” And she’s like, “I’m going to be bald.” So I think she knows that double-trouble is coming. Marcelo might be tougher to get ready. He wants to be with me all the time, and he’s very much still a baby. When I’m around, he clings to me. I might have to call in some of my expert mommy friends to help navigate our way through this.
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