Hailey Bieber is the woman behind what might be Hollywood’s most highly-anticipated pregnancy — odd as that may sound — and she is keenly aware of it.
The Rhode founder, who since marrying husband Justin Bieber when she was 21 in 2018 has been marred with unrelenting criticism of the two as a couple and persistent rumors of divorce, kept her pregnancy a secret until the six month mark, though she did consider hiding it until the very end.
She eventually announced the pregnancy with a photoshoot featuring her husband that she shared on Instagram, and has since then continued sharing adorable bump shots documenting the road to becoming a mom for the first time.
Now, speaking with W Magazine, Hailey has also opened up about what pregnancy has really been like for her, including the fact that as she and Justin expand her family, she’s grown more distant from her own.
The model is the youngest child of Stephen Baldwin, Alec Baldwin’s brother, and his wife Kennya Deodato Baldwin, who also share daughter Alaia Baldwin, 31; Alaia recently made headlines after she was arrested for assault and battery over an altercation at a Georgia club.
“I’m not super close with my family at this point in my life because I feel like I’m very independent,” Hailey confessed, adding: “I’m my own individual now, and I’ve built my own family.”
Still, she has fond memories of her relatively “normal childhood.” She was born in Tucson, Arizona, and was later raised in Nyack, a village by the Hudson in upstate New York, before moving to New York City when she was 17 to pursue her modeling career.
MORE: Hailey Bieber’s 15 best pregnancy style moments
MORE: Hailey Bieber glows in new photos showcasing her growing baby bump
“Obviously, I come from the family that I come from, and I always recognized that that was different,” Hailey noted, before adding: “But when I look back on my childhood and how I grew up, I have very fond, beautiful memories.”
© GettyFurther reflecting on her pregnancy, Hailey also said: “You see so many stories — traumatic birth stories, traumatic experiences — and I know that that’s very real,” though emphasized: “I don’t want to scare myself.”
MORE: Hailey Bieber just bought back this Y2K scarf styling hack
© Getty“I probably could have hid it until the end,” she further shared, noting how she didn’t have too large of a bump until about half way through.
MORE: Hailey Bieber showcases her growing bump in black romper suit as she enjoys shopping trip
© InstagramStill, despite the intense criticism and speculation she has grown used to dealing with, finally sharing her and Justin’s happy news also brought a sense of relief. She said: “I didn’t enjoy the stress of not being able to enjoy my pregnancy outwardly. I felt like I was hiding this big secret, and it didn’t feel good. I wanted the freedom to go out and live my life.”
As for how her and Justin’s relationship is about to change after six years of marriage, she confessed: “In the beginning [of pregnancy], it was super emotional for me. Like, ‘I love this human so much. How can I possibly bring someone else into this?'” and maintained: “I’m trying to soak in these days of it being Justin and me, just the two of us.”