Marie Claire The Motherhood Issue

There’s an unspoken truth we don’t like to admit in America: Motherhood is broken. One of the many issues, women are being sold a false narrative that they have to choose between their families and their ambitions. But as most moms will tell you, their reality is somewhere in the middle. Motherhood isn’t so singular. It’s complicated, dynamic, beautiful, exhausting, empowering, messy—and it’s time culture caught up.That’s why I’m so excited to share Marie Claire’s Motherhood Issue with you, which includes our first-ever Power Moms List, guest edited by Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First, and mom to two incredible boys. I’ve known Reshma for years, introduced to her by another very important mom in my life, my sister Lola Ogunnaike. Her belief that America’s 85 million moms deserve paid leave, affordable child care, and the ability to move in and out of the workforce without penalty is inspiring. She advocates for a world where moms and their labor are valued, and where leading with motherhood isn’t seen as a weakness, it’s a badge of honor. “For too long, society has tried to make us feel like embracing and leading with motherhood is a mistake,” Reshma shared with me as we worked on the Power Moms List. “But the women in this issue reveal that motherhood shapes us, transforms us, and demands to be seen and honored.”It’s true. In the below stories, you’ll meet a diverse group of actors, activists, business leaders, and artists—including our cover stars Kali Uchis, Gabrielle Union, and Deepika Padukone—who, despite dominating different arenas, share one powerful belief: Motherhood isn’t a limitation, it’s part of their legacy.We’re also here to honor women who may not be moms themselves (like me), but who stand with mothers, and believe in a world where caregiving and ambition go hand in hand. And to Meena Saujani and Elizabeth Ogunnaike, our own moms: Thank you for everything.

The Mother of All Parenting Platforms

Amrit Tietz and Lauren Levinger, co-founders of the website Spread the Jelly, are bringing radical honesty to the parenthood experiences nobody talks about.

Your Definitive Guide to Pregnancy-Safe Skincare

Navigating what to expect from your skin when you're expecting can be an overwhelming process. Understanding what products are okay to use to treat those concerns can be, too. To help, we asked experts to share the beauty items that got them through every trimester.

Erasing My Mother’s Face

How a decade of beauty treatments have both honored—and altered—my resemblance to the woman who taught me to love myself.

13 Books That’ll Make You Want to Call Your Mom

From moving memoirs by literary icons to heartwarming novels about generations of matriarchs.

table of contents

When It Comes to Parenting, Gabrielle Union Says Bring It On

Letter from the Editor

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Nikki Ogunnaike

Kali Uchis On Her Hopeful, Heartbreaking, Harmonious Year

The Mother of All Parenting Platforms

Deepika Padukone Is Living the Dream

Introducing the Power Moms Class of 2025

Alex Cooper lorem ipsum sit dolore

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quiarosta quis quam es dolor sit amet, set consectetur, adipisci velit.

doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, ipsa quae?

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quiarosta quis quam es dolor sit amet, set consectetur, adipisci velit.

doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, ipsa quae?

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quiarosta quis quam es dolor sit amet, set consectetur, adipisci velit.

doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, ipsa quae?

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quiarosta quis quam es dolor sit amet, set consectetur, adipisci velit.

doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam?

Introducing the Power Moms Class of 2025

Meet the women re-shaping the culture of motherhood.

Hoda Kotb Had Her Dream Job—Then Decided to Walk Away

For the TODAY show co-anchor, turning 60 changed her perspective of what was possible personally and professionally.

Reshma Saujani

GUEST EDITOR

Nikki Ogunnaike

EDITOR IN CHIEF

13 Books That’ll Make You Want to Call Your Mom

Erasing My Mother’s Face

Your Definitive Guide to Pregnancy-Safe Skincare

Hoda Kotb Had Her Dream Job—Then Decided to Walk Away

Are These Stylists the Secret to Leveling Up Your Career?

Golloria George Will Always Be An Influencer

An Inside Look at 'Marie Claire’s Power Moms Event

The celebratory soirée was one to remember.

An Inside Look at 'Marie Claire’s Power Moms Event

13 Books That’ll Make You Want to Call Your Mom

From moving memoirs by literary icons to heartwarming novels about generations of matriarchs.