Russian supermodel and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova has said that giving birth to her first child at age 19 was considered normal in her home country.
Speaking in an interview published by Russian celebrity magazine 7 Days, the 44-year-old fashion icon reflected on early motherhood after welcoming her sixth child, a baby girl born on September 2.
Vodianova noted that in Europe, where she currently resides, becoming a mother at age 19 was viewed as an exception. Looking back, she acknowledged that she was very young when she had her first child, but explained that many of her female friends in Russia had done the same thing.
Because early childbirth was in the order of things in her homeland, Vodianova said she did not feel special or unusual at the time, adding that she has never regretted having her child at 19.
Motherhood in Later Life
Vodianova contrasted her early experience with her latest pregnancy at age 44. She explained that experiencing motherhood at her current age feels entirely different, stating that choices are made far more consciously and that one perceives everything in a new light.
The newborn girl is Vodianova's sixth child overall and her third child within her marriage to French businessman Antoine Arnault. Arnault is a senior executive in the luxury industry and the son of Bernard Arnault, the chairman and chief executive of global luxury giant LVMH.
Raised in Nizhny Novgorod, Vodianova grew up in modest circumstances before being discovered as a teenager and rising to international fame as a high-fashion model. Beyond her runway career, she is widely recognized for founding the Naked Heart Foundation, a charity created to build inclusive play parks and support families raising children with special needs.
Maternity Photo Shoot
Her latest comments follow a high-profile maternity campaign released earlier this month. In September, British eco-brand Cou Cou Intimates published photographs of a pregnant Vodianova posing in underwear while expecting her sixth child.
Cou Cou Intimates, a London-based fashion label specializing in sustainable organic cotton lingerie, shared the campaign photos online prior to the birth of her daughter.
While Vodianova has spent much of her adult life living in Western Europe, the model emphasized that her early path to starting a family remained rooted in the cultural expectations of her birthplace.
