Jennifer Love Hewitt: “Bringing a Life into This World is Pretty Sexy”
Jennifer Love Hewitt posing for a Palmer’s Cocoa Butter campaign this week in Los Angeles. (Photo: Casey Rodgers/Invision for Palmer’s/AP Images)
You could say pregnancy agrees with Jennifer Love Hewitt. The actress known for her roles in Party of Five, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ghost Whisperer, and Criminal Minds wisely used Palmer’s Cocoa Butter throughout her first pregnancy, and made it through with nary a stretchmark. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the brand made Hewitt the new face (and belly) of their new pregnancy ad campaign — baby bump front and center. We caught up with the star to discuss her empowering new photos, feeling sexy while pregnant, teaching her daughter about confidence, and the mystery of pregnancy glow.
Joanna Douglas: I just saw your new photos and you look beautiful. When are you due?
Jennifer Love Hewitt: Oh, thank you! Not too long. We’re sort of at the end stretch.
Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl?
No, we’re not finding out. It is a surprise for everyone.
What made you want to show off your baby bump in this new campaign so everyone can see it?
I am a big fan of Palmer’s and I think it is important when we are given these platforms as actors to talk about stuff that we actually believe in. Palmer’s brought me a lot of peace and comfort through both pregnancies now. But it was definitely a vulnerable thing to say, “Hey this is what my belly looks like.” [Laughs] The only time my stomach really was ever shown was on the billboards for The Client List, which obviously was a very different thing — I was in the best shape of my life for that! To have both photographs out there in my 30s to sort of say “this is life” is really fun and empowering. I think women have worked very, very hard to get to a place where showing your pregnant belly is not controversial.
Many people say cocoa butter is the key to preventing and aiding stretchmarks. How do you think it helps?
Using amazing products won’t stop all stretchmarks —sometimes it just happens. But if you can be proactive about it and try to prevent some of the things that are beyond your control, you will definitely feel better and happier with the results during and after pregnancy. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter just works tremendously for me, so I didn’t get them.
Do you feel like you have that pregnant glow right now?
You know, the glow thing comes and goes. What’s great is you can glow anytime you want. [Laughs] There are some days where my glow is totally baby given and other days where I am like, “Where is my Stila glow because I need to put some glow on today.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt says her pregnant glow comes and goes. (Photo: Getty Images)
What other physical changes have you experienced?
Everything changes! [Laughs] It’s the most fascinating, crazy thing you will ever go through and makes you so in awe of your body as it changes and moves things around and then puts itself back together again.
Do you still feel sexy when you’re pregnant?
I do. It’s kind of like the glow — there are definitely some days when I am like, “I am rocking this and I feel pretty good.” Tomorrow I might be like, “Oh my gosh I am an Oompa Loompa and I am not going outside.” So, I think it just depends on the day. You sort of go up and down with hormones and as you run out of clothes that fit you appropriately and in the right ways, you may struggle with feeling good about that. But for the most part, to bring a life into this world is pretty sexy.
How does being pregnant and giving birth effect your emotions?
In every way possible! [Laughs] PMS looks like a sneeze compared to what happens right before and after labor. I think for your husband, too — you’ll see this look on your husband’s face. I remember after I gave birth he was like “Uh, I am just studying you.” And I was like, “What does that mean?” He goes, “You’re kind of different.” But you just had a human come out of you and you get all shaky and euphoric and tearful and then joyful and then so tired and then you’re sad. You know those flipbooks and you flip through and the faces change really fast? That’s what it’s like for the first ten days after having a baby. But it’s great, and if you have a good husband who loves you for that, and I do, then it’s fun.
I saw that you said pregnancy is “magical,” but some people say it’s awful. Is there a downside?
I really think it’s all in your headspace. I definitely had times where I was sick and didn’t feel well or you’re tired or things swell or you hurt everywhere — all of that stuff happens. I am not going to say it doesn’t. But for me, I get the opportunity to do this and I am always am very aware of the fact that there are women in the world who don’t get to do that. And so I feel very grateful and lucky, and when you come from that place negative doesn’t really exist. You just sort of go, “OK, this is a part of the process, so it is pretty awesome.”
You also have a young daughter. What do you hope to teach her about beauty and about confidence?
JLH: If I do my job correctly, she will never not feel confident or beautiful in who she is. I want to empower her to feel good about herself and to know that whatever it is that she looks like that that is beautiful, because that is what she looks like, and she doesn’t have to look like everyone else. Unfortunately you can’t really protect anyone from any one thing, but I will always celebrate her for who and what she is.
You grew up as a child star. Is that something you would want for your own kids if they were interested in that?
With me, there was no choice but to do this. I was very adamant to my mom that that was what I wanted to do and that was who I wanted to be, and so my mom let me do that and I think did a great job with keeping my life as normal as possible. When it comes to my kids, I would love for them to not get in as early as I did. I would like them to be a bit more developed as people and a little bit more confident in who they are before they get into a business that sometimes can tear that apart. But every person is their own being, so we’ll see.
Work wise, I heard you are taking a break from Criminal Minds. Do you want to focus more on your home life for a while?
That just became a timing issue. With maternity leave I would be missing quite a bit of the season, and it just made sense to not do that and give myself a chance to recuperate and get kids adjusted and settled and then I’ll get back into it.
Is there anything else you are doing right now that is really making you feel great getting through it?
Yeah, I have been working out five days a week with a trainer and doing a combination of kettle bell exercises in the pool — so that some of the weight has been taken off — and swimming. We’ve been doing boxing stuff and taking a lot of long walks. I am hoping to do that up until the big moment.
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