Mandy Moore has two young boys with husband Taylor Goldsmith. Their names are Gus, age two, and Ozzie, one. While celebrities have different levels of exposure for their kids being in the public eye, Mandy has always been pretty open with her children’s lives when it’s in the context of her motherhood journey. She’s outspoken, but not to the level of overshare. Mandy’s talked about not feeling good enough as a mother, having two under two-year-olds being overwhelming, shared her potty training journey, and more. Honestly, most of what Mandy shares is pretty relatable.
I didn’t realize this but at some point, doctors told Mandy that she may not be able to get pregnant. They suspected that Mandy possibly had endometriosis and was planning on getting surgery to “fix” it so that she could get pregnant. But as the Universe would have it, Mandy ended up getting pregnant before her surgery happened.
Mandy Moore thought she’d have a difficult time getting pregnant before conceiving her two boys. On Tuesday, the actress reflected on her uncertain road to motherhood and being told she had a “slim chance” of conception in a candid Instagram post.
“I’ve always wanted to be a mom. Before bringing my two boys into the world with my love, @taylordawesgoldsmith, I was a mom to many many cats and at times, just as many dogs,” she began alongside a throwback video of her much younger self sitting on a couch with a cat under each arm.
“But there was a time when I thought I might not be able to have kids,” she continued. “I remember when the doctor told me there was a slim chance of getting pregnant… and then lo and behold to our surprise, I became pregnant with Gus.”
The “A Walk to Remember” star, 39, went on to call motherhood a “beautiful, messy, sleepless gift.”
It turns out that Moore, who shares her boys, August “Gus,” 2, and Oscar “Ozzie,” 1, with her husband, Taylor Goldsmith, prepared for her real-life role as a mother through her “This Is Us” character of Rebecca Pearson.
“Playing Rebecca on #ThisIsUs actually prepared me for it a bit — like changing a diaper for the first time and running around set with ‘triplets,’” she wrote in the vulnerable post.
“Being a mom on This Is Us to triplets at various stages of life and now being a mom to Gus and Ozzie, well, I’ve learned that as hard as you try and as good intentioned as you may be, it is impossible to ‘get it right’ all of the time.”
She wrapped up her candid note with a touching quote from the Pearson family matriarch.
“‘It’s my job to keep standing there with my arms wide open, waiting for you to maybe someday fall inside if you needed it,’” she wrote. “And if you do, I’ll love you. And if you don’t I’ll love you too — because that’s what it means to be a parent. You’ll see one day.’”
Moore enthusiastically concluded, “And to that I say, Rebecca, I see it!”
Moore previously opened up about the shock she felt when she learned she was pregnant in a 2021 interview with Romper. She revealed at the time that she had planned to get surgery to “fix” her “uterus issues” and potential endometriosis before learning of her pregnancy.
“Because of this issue with my uterus, I was very hesitant to believe it and put any stock in it,” she recalled. “I sort of was holding my breath until 12 weeks.”
After hearing her reproductive backstory, I’m so happy for Mandy. I know so many women who have had issues getting pregnant, but managed to do so despite the odds. Both of my SILs needed Clomid and my best friend went through several rounds of IVF, one of which resulted in an 11-week loss that almost broke her. She delivered to term two rounds later. If you’ve experienced difficulty getting pregnant and/or a loss, I’m so sorry. Please know that you aren’t alone.
I did love it when Mandy said, “I’ve learned that as hard as you try and as good intentioned as you may be, it is impossible to ‘get it right’ all of the time.” Say it louder for the people in the back, Mandy! I try to be open with my children when I make a mistake, which is not something I saw older generations in my family do. I want them to understand that I’m human too and that I’m making the best decisions I can regarding the situation and the information I have. Some scenarios may repeat but as they get older, there will be new ones that we’re all figuring out together. I think that’s the one thing to take away from life in general, that we’re all in this together.
Photos credit: IMAGO/RW / Avalon, Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon and via Instagram
I always liked Mandy back in the pop princess days. Trying to get pregnant and all the infertility shit sucks. So happy she was able to have her kids. Hugs to all those trying to conceive as the journey is long and tough for so many.
I have PCOS and I was told I needed IVF to get pregnant. I found out before starting the whole process that I was 5 weeks pregnant!
I am very pro science and respect doctors but there is also so much that is unknown about the human body. Sometimes it just does its own thing ❤️
That’s such a lovely story. My friends went thru years of stress, saving up for IVF, etc. Went on holiday and got pregnant, which I know isn’t an uncommon thing to happen. They were very lucky.
I was told I’d have trouble getting pregnant because I had a ‘male-shaped’ pelvis (curved inwards not outwards). Still, I stayed on birth control because I appreciated having regular periods. The ONE time in my life (I was off the pill because I’d been celibate for a couple of years, so was using a diaphragm) I didn’t use birth control..ONE TIME…and I got pregnant. I’d only known the fellow for 6 months (3 of which he was away on an oil rig, but our letters were very passionate). He turned out not to be the man I thought he was and abandoned us before my son turned 2.
My point is the medical profession doesn’t always know everything. I also made many mistakes raising him alone. One does the best they can with what they have. That’s all anyone can ask for.
I had always wished to prove the doctors wrong. I did finally have my son after 7 IVF attempts and a second trimester loss of twins. I’d never wish the pain of infertility or pregnancy loss on anyone.
I did 3 IUIs, Clomid, 2 egg retrievals & 2 transfers, more shots and blood drawls and tests to count, but I have twin boys from Barbados Fertility Clinic! That’s my rec for those in the US, it’s cheaper than most clinics in the US and flights are comparable to Mexico. Just before my boys’ 2nd birthday and with a broken ankle in a boot I ended up pregnant. Only natural pregnancy in 9 years😅Hubby is now fixed 🤣 my heart is with any in the infertility weeds, you are worthy just as you are and I wish you luck!
I’m there with you – struggled for years to fall pregnant with my son and ended up needing a bunch of intervention to conceive. Had a horrible pregnancy and he was born 5 weeks early so I thought “well, clearly pregnancy isn’t for me and my body understands this.”
Had unprotected sex one time in 2022 and BAM. Baby girl went full term, zero complications.
My husband is also now fixed 🤭