Blake Lively On The Perks Of Being A Mother: 'I Feel Incredibly Settled'

Following their marriage in 2012, Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds had their first daughter James in 2014. At the time, the actress claimed it as the greatest period of her life, and she couldn't believe she was about to become a mother.

After having a second daughter, Inez, two years later, Lively and Reynolds had their third daughter, Betty, in 2019. The actress and her partner took on greater obligations with the arrival of their girls, a responsibility they have handled admirably considering that they have still managed to juggle parenthood with their acting commitments.

Lively, who has been a mother for eight years and counting, recently disclosed a big benefit of her situation, stating that motherhood has helped her feel more "confident" and "settled."

Speaking with Forbes, Lively revealed how motherhood has come with great changes for her, a lot more than she could have expected at the onset of childbearing.

"Once I had children, that just became even more profound because my time was even more precious, but also I think having children for me made me feel so much more in my skin," she said.

"I never felt more myself or at ease in my own body or more confident — not to say that there aren't a bevy of insecurities coming at me a million times a day, but I just feel incredibly settled."

Her most recent revelation contradicts a remark she made months after giving birth to her first daughter. At the time, Lively's self-consciousness about her figure pushed her to start an exercise program coupled with dieting in order to feel comfortable filming a movie scene in her bikini.

However, all that seems to have changed going by her statement to Forbes, and the actress now hopes to continue to experience the benefits of motherhood.

While Lively's decision to extend her family further seemed to have helped her overcome her past self-consciousness, it did come with some sacrifices on her side. The "Gossip Girl" actress had to make some tough career decisions following the birth of her third kid in 2019 just to do what was best for her family.

One example is her choice to reject multiple film opportunities so that someone could be there for their children, which Reynolds has also followed in doing. In an interview with E! News in 2020, she reaffirmed her view, saying that she would only take on a part if she were completely smitten with it.

"I guess I really have to really, really, really, really love it, because I'm just obsessed with my kids," Lively said at the time. "So, yeah, I think it's gotta really be worth it to take me away."

Back in November 2021, Lively confessed to People that she had a fresh perspective on her parent-child relationship. She remarked that while she appreciates seeing her children in her motherly position practically all of the time, she believes it is equally necessary for them to see her in other roles.

"I want to be as present of a mother as humanly possible, and I want them to feel my presence, but I also think the best way to be the best mother is to show them that you can have a life and have a passion and have an identity outside of just being a mother," she said.

"I mean, being a mother is completely all-encompassing, and that doesn't mean there are a lot of mothers who don't have the opportunity to work as well, but just having your [own] identity is, I think, very important."

Lively last starred in a film in 2020, staying true to her words about being very particular about her future roles due to her family commitments. Her last two features were in Paul Feig's "A Simple Favour," taking on three characters in the film, and in the action-thriller "The Rhythm Sector," in which she portrayed a prostitute turned spy Stephanie Patrick.

Fans wondering when Lively will return to the silver screen are in luck as it was recently announced that the actress will feature in a sequel to "A Simple Favor." She would once again share the screen with her co-star, "Pitch Perfect's" Anna Kendrick, who played the role of Vlogger Stephanie Smothers, and "Crazy Rich Asian" star Henry Golding.

According to Deadline, the sequel is spearheaded by Lionsgate and Amazon Studios. Though, it is still unclear if the upcoming film will debut on the big screen or premiere on Amazon's streaming platform Prime Video. Paul Feig is back to direct and produce alongside Laura Fischer. The script is being written by Jessica Sharzer.