BookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxFilledCheckBoxCircleBumpCheckedFilledMedical

Ali Wong Gets Real About Her Miscarriage and Body After C-Section

The mom describes how, after grappling with her scar, she’s now honoring her body for bearing her two beautiful girls.
save article
profile picture of Nehal Aggarwal
By Nehal Aggarwal, Editor
Updated October 11, 2019
actress ali wong opens up about miscarrigae
Image: Brian Bowen Smith / Getty Images

Ali Wong—best known for her two comedy specials, Baby Cobra, released in 2016, and Hard Knock Wife, released in 2018, as well as her role in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe—knows a thing or two about seeing the levity in life. But in a recent interview with Health magazine, she gave some serious insight into how she dealt with a miscarriage and accepted her post-baby body and what it’s like being a working a mom to her two young daughters.

Wong, who currently stars in ABC’s American Housewife, did both of her comedy specials while she was pregnant. She was pleasantly surprised to find that, instead of focusing on her gender or race, her audience was mostly interested in her pregnancy and how she spoke about her prior miscarriage.

While she wasn’t afraid to open up about her miscarriage, she told Health she did regret telling people about her pregnancy so early on. “I didn’t realize miscarrying was a thing that could happen. That’s why I told everybody,” she explained. “I told the lady who cleans my house, and when she found out I was seven weeks along, she told me I shouldn’t be telling people. Now I know why. It’s because then you have to tell everyone the bad news.”

Growing up in a very communicative household, Wong was taught to talk about her feelings. But even with supportive -in-laws, she was nervous to tell them about her miscarriage, worried they’d think “their son had married a bad seed,” she said. Luckily they didn’t, but others were not as understanding in their responses. “They will ask if it’s because you had sushi or you were performing too much. They want to point to some cause and don’t realize how bad that makes you feel,” Wong said in the interview.

Now, the mom of two is very open about asking for help when it comes to juggling work and being a mom—and dealing with the expectations of what a post-pregnancy body should look like. Figuring out how to embrace her body after two c-sections was a lesson Wong said it took her longest to learn, but she acknowledges that’s she’s learned to accept it for what it is. “If I am naked, you can see my belly is a little lopsided over my scar. I have a keloid thing that runs in my family. Some women will have scars that look like little strings of floss. Mine looks like a finger,” she told Health magazine. “It bummed me out for a while, until one day, I was like, ‘It is what it is. I got two beautiful girls out of it.’”

Wong’s first book, Dear Girls, which is written as letters from Wong to her daughters, is out next Tuesday, October 15. Her inspiration for the book was how she felt after her own dad passed away. “When my dad passed away, his friend gave me a letter that my dad had written to me. It was relatively short, and I realized there was so much more I wanted to learn about who he was,” she said in the interview. “He once told me a story about getting into a fight when he was a kid, and I loved that story so much because I could never imagine my dad getting into a fight. So my book is a lot about who I was before I had them.”

October is Pregnancy Loss and Infant Awareness month. If you or anyone you know is dealing with a loss, read our tips on how to support them.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

save article
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List

Next on Your Reading List

best books to read after a miscarriage and best books to read to your children after having a miscarriage 2022
19 Helpful Books to Read After a Miscarriage
By Amy Stanford
partners holding hands after suffering pregnancy loss
How Bodily Is Helping Raise Awareness for Pregnancy Loss This October
By Nehal Aggarwal
woman listening to her headphones in scenic outdoor setting
This Free Healing Meditation Library Wants to Support Grieving Parents
By Nehal Aggarwal
two women in cafe having a serious conversation
How to Support a Friend Who’s Had a Miscarriage
By Christin Perry
pages from a baby book honoring loss
This Baby Books Honors Miscarriage to Help Grieving Parents
By Nehal Aggarwal
Parent with children in matching clothes
28 Cult-Favorite Baby Brands Founded by Moms
By Stephanie Grassullo
naomi osaka and bobbie campaign
Naomi Osaka Returns to Tennis With Message for Moms Chasing Big Dreams
By Wyndi Kappes
work-maternity-clothes-HERO
Must-Have Maternity Work Clothes for Business Casual Moms-to-Be
By Nina Bradley
portrait of Emma Willis
Beauty Guru Emma Heming Willis on Her Self-Care Routines as a Busy Mom
By Lauren Kay
new mom pumps while on arctic expedition
New Mom Pumps Breast Milk While on Arctic Expedition
By Stephanie Grassullo
best belly bands-hero
8 Best Pregnancy Belly Bands to Support Your Bump
By Emma O'Regan-Reidy
How to Choose the Best Prenatal Vitamins-hero
How to Choose the Best Prenatal Vitamins
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
pregnant woman putting lotion on face
15 Best Tested and Reviewed Pregnancy-Safe Skin Care Products
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
pregnant woman applying stretch mark cream onto belly
10 Best Pregnancy Stretch Mark Creams and Oils, Tested by Moms-to-Be
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
pregnancy-safe-acne-treatment-HERO
The Best Pregnancy-Safe Acne Treatments for Clearer Skin
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
pregnant woman sitting on couch with swollen feet
Tips for Soothing Swollen Feet and Legs During Pregnancy
By Micky Marie Morrison, PT, ICPFE
close up of pregnant belly in bed
22 Empowering Affirmations to Recite During Pregnancy
By Nehal Aggarwal
woman touching her chest in pain
Why You Might Be Having Chest Pain During Pregnancy (and What to Do)
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
woman using a heating pad on her stomach while laying in bed
Is It Safe to Use a Heating Pad While Pregnant?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
pregnant woman lying down on couch at home
What to Know About Cramps During Pregnancy
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
Article removed.