Hilaria Baldwin is speaking out after receiving some criticism over having a nanny. The wife of Alec Baldwin is a writer and yoga instructor, and she is currently pregnant with her fifth child.
The 36-year-old has been attached to Alec ever since they met at Pure Food and Wine on Irving Place. According to Alec, he was there with a friend when he spotted Hilaria and fell in love at first sight. "My friend, @bocartist and I sat down (outside!) and as I turned to my left I saw a woman who would change my life. Entirely. 8 years today," he once stated on Instagram. "Thanks for all you've given me. You are a gift."
Having one child is difficult. Having four, with one on the way, slightly more so. So Hilaria isn't here for the criticism over having a nanny help take care of kids Carmen, Leonardo, Romeo, and Rafael. And that's exactly what she got after an appearance on a podcast called Mom School. She, herself, has a parenting podcast as well, titled Mom Brain.
During her appearance, she noted how careful her family has been in regard to the virus. "We are super, super paranoid about getting sick," she said, per People magazine.
"They always say over 60 you've got to be worried and [Alec] just turned 62 and I'm pregnant and your immune system is not great when you're pregnant," she said. "I had to go [see my doctor] with a hazmat suit on — literally, my hair is covered, goggles; I am the oddball." She also mentioned that her doctor told her she might have to go into labor wearing a mask.
But she also mentioned that she has a nanny — which could, unfortunately, be risky during a time like this. Especially since all of Alec and Hilaria's kids are under the age of 7 and might not be the best at social distancing. Everyone needs to have a lot of trust and faith in the people they choose to be around.
"It's so interesting with the whole nanny conversation," she told the podcast. "People will write to you and say, 'Ugh, she has a nanny' — but that doesn't mean that you don't take care of your own kids. It literally means I am also working. I work every single day."
"And for people to make you feel badly about that is not fair," she added. She noted that she doesn't have family close by, and neither does Alec. "Right now, my youngest kids are 2, 3 and 4, and I have a 7-year-old," she said. "It is okay to accept help, and there is no shame that other people should give you because of that."
Hilaria is a good reminder that every household runs a little differently. There's often no right way to do things — moms are mostly just trying to survive. Hilaria's new baby is expected in September, and it's a bittersweet moment. Mostly because she suffered from two public miscarriages prior to this current pregnancy.
"What happened last year changed me in terms of focusing on certain things," she said. "I loved focusing on the sex of the baby. But right now I am going very slow with this experience and being very cautious." While it's possible that Hilaria and Alex know already, she has been promising big sister Carmen another girl.
And she hinted that if this baby happens to be a boy, they may even try again. "Hey, you know what, if we're gonna have another boy, then I owe my daughter a little sister," she joked. To help her cope with the losses, she admitted that therapy was a great resource.
"There is nothing to lose by going to someone and talking," she said on Instagram, per People. "I said it from the beginning: I wasn't ok when it happened, but I knew that I would be and I wanted to be." There's no shame in talking your feelings out with a professional, and it's great that Hilaria used the resources available to her.
All in all, it's pretty obvious that Hilaria is in love with her kids, and she is fascinated by their growth. Even if she happens to have a nanny, that doesn't mean she's not spending any time with her family. "They're such little blessings," she said on the podcast. "With the heartache that I experienced and even before that, I had this gratitude that I live with every single day for how lucky I feel I am."
She's also admitted that even though things can get stressful sometimes with having so many children close in age, she knew what to expect while going into it. "I chose to have all these kids really close together," she said. "I take responsibility for it. It's hard, but I am enjoying it so much. It is never a burden for me."
As for Alec, he seems to love his family — but he's admitted that it's been a little more challenging, as he's older than Hilaria. "When my kids graduate school, I'll be 85," he said to People. However, he was quick to joke about the perks that an age gap like that can bring.
"As my friends say, when your kids are climbing out the window and they're going to do really, really bad things when they get older, when they're in their late teen years, you'll be deaf anyway so you won't have to hear it," he said. "Let's see what happens."
Alec also has an older daughter named Ireland with his ex-wife Kim Basinger. Born in 1995, she's currently 24 years old. In 2013, she started her own career in the spotlight. But instead of acting like her dad, she's focusing slightly more on modeling, despite having a few film credits on her résumé.
It's unclear as to whether or not Ireland also helps babysit her younger siblings, but with the nanny in place, Hilaria should have things covered — for now. It seems like she has a fully booked schedule. So having someone help lend a hand is probably a job that's in high demand.
