Mama Bird

When professional wrestler Brie Bella (E! Total Divas and Total Bellas) first learned she was pregnant with daughter Birdie, her initial thought was ‘Finally!’ But the new mom opens up to Mini about how motherhood has surprised her—from her unexpected birth experience to learning to slow down— and her future plans for further growing her nest.

MINI | We’re thrilled to have you on our holiday cover! Let’s dive right into your life as a mom. What does your morning routine look like?

BRIE BELLA | Birdie wakes up anywhere from 6 to 7 AM. We have a nice breastfeeding session then I change her into some fresh clothes. I make myself a cup of coffee and then take Birdie on a walk. After our walk, I catch up on emails while I watch Bird play in her play center then down for her first nap at 8 AM I love our mornings together! They are so peaceful and nice.

MINI | What do you think is the greatest challenge of motherhood, so far?

BRIE BELLA | The greatest challenge for me is functioning with no sleep. Jumping back into my career is what I wanted but I also want to be a hands-on mom. I didn’t realize that coming with that was no sleep.

MINI | On the flip side, what is your favorite part?

BRIE BELLA | There are so many things! I love when Birdie smiles and giggles at me. It melts my heart! I love when she’s super tired and rests her heavy head on my shoulder or the way she’ll pull my face in and give me a big wet kiss.

MINI | What surprised you most about motherhood?

BRIE BELLA | The love you feel. I get it now when mothers would tell me it’s a love you can’t explain. It’s literally the most powerful love I’ve ever felt.

MINI | How has motherhood changed you?

BRIE BELLA | It’s slowed me down in a good way. I now enjoy the quiet, peaceful times when I’m breastfeeding. I enjoy the slow, quiet mornings. It’s made me happy to step away from the chaos.

MINI | What is your greatest parenting worry?

BRIE BELLA | My greatest worry is the world she’s growing up in. You can only protect them from so much. I literally stopped watching the news because now, as a mother, it’s just too upsetting.

MINI | What were your first thoughts when you found out you were pregnant?

BRIE BELLA | Finally! I was so thrilled and I took 20 tests just to make sure it was truly real.

MINI | Tell us how you decided on your daughter’s name.

BRIE BELLA | My husband’s only request was that we name all of our children with B names. His whole family are B’s and I’m a B, so he really wanted our kids to be B’s. From there, we wanted a nature-inspired name and that’s how we decided on Birdie. Her middle name is Joe after my grandfather who meant the world to me.

MINI | How about your birth experience— Did Birdie’s birth unfold the way you thought it would?

BRIE BELLA | It was the complete opposite of what I expected. I wanted a natural birth and thought because I’m an athlete that it would be a quick, easy labor. Boy, was I wrong! I was ten days late and had to be induced. I thought I could labor naturally, but after nine hours, I couldn’t handle the pain. I then received an epidural, took a two hour nap, and was back in labor. I pushed for three hours straight and couldn’t get Birdie out. After 21 hours of labor, it ended in an emergency C-section. Birdie had a 14 inch head! Even though it wasn’t the birth experience I had in mind, I’m so happy Birdie came into this world safely.

MINI | Now that she’s here, what do you hope to instill into your daughter?

BRIE BELLA | I really want to instill confidence and strength. I want her to always follow her heart and stand up for herself. I want her to be an inspiring and empowering woman.

MINI | Tell us about your daily uniform. What can we find you wearing most often?

BRIE BELLA | A flowy bohemian dress or a cute sweat outfit. It’s all about comfort for me as I’m lugging Bird around all day.

MINI | Has your style changed since becoming a mom?

BRIE BELLA | It’s changed so much! I never had boobs before so I wore all these different types of hippie shirts. Now I’m a double D and those shirts make me look huge. I’ve really had to find a look that makes my body type look good and makes me feel that I’ve kept my personal style. I was never into showing cleavage, but I feel I need to show it to feel smaller [now]. I feel like I’m still searching for the perfect jean or the perfect top.

MINI | What is your wellness routine like right now?

BRIE BELLA | Counting calories is huge for me. There are so many apps that can help you stay focused with your eating. I started to do my workouts at night. Literally when Birdie goes down for bed, I either hit the gym, spin class, or hot yoga. I realized that nighttime is when I’m the weakest on snacking and indulging. I just want to plop on the couch to watch Netflix with snacks and wine. I figured if I traded that out for a workout then I’ll lose the weight quicker, which has proven to be true. Don’t get me wrong, I still allow for my Netflix nights once or twice a week.

MINI | You’ve just started another venture— Birdiebee! Tell us about the idea to start the brand and what it’s all about.

BRIE BELLA | My sister and I wanted to create a brand that walked the talk of women empowerment— a brand that globally could connect and inspire women. We wanted to create an undergarment line that makes you feel strong and confident. Fabrics were really important to me. I didn’t want a plain old shirt to have aspirational sayings, but a shirt with premium fabrics that felt like butter when you put it on. When we were thinking about names, we were sitting on the plane, talking about this brand for women and wanting to educate them on feminine health. My sister and I thought with undergarments and talking about our womanly bodies, why not call our brand Birdiebee? A cheeky nod to the birds and the bees. We have a huge plan for Birdiebee that is slowly rolling out. I can’t wait for the world to see what it’ll become.

MINI | What are your favorite Birdiebee pieces?

BRIE BELLA | I love the Bee Strong fleece sweatshirt. I love how soft it is and how the back is open. I wear a Bee Strong triangle racerback bra so it shows. It’s a nice, sexy touch! Then to wear to bed, I love the Bee Strong cheeky sleep shortie and low cut tank bra.

MINI | What helps you to juggle motherhood and career?

BRIE BELLA | Sacrificing sleep and having a supportive husband. I honestly, couldn't do it without Bryan. Every week, we sit down and come up with a plan of how we can take care of Birdie and thrive in our careers. Teamwork is everything!

ive husband. I honestly couldn’t do it without Bryan. Every week, we sit down and come up with a plan of how we can take care of Birdie and thrive in our careers. Teamwork is everything!MINI | How has your career shifted since having Birdie?

BRIE BELLA | It’s shifted a lot— I had to hang up my boots in wrestling. It was really hard because my sister and I were at the forefront of the Women’s Revolution at WWE. It was difficult to take a back seat when they were finally giving the women what they wanted, but in saying that, it also opened up many doors. There’s a lot of value to being a mother. It allowed me to grow closer to my mom fans and let them join me on my journey to motherhood via Total Bellas. It helped me use a voice I didn’t realize I had. I felt like I finally had more time to push Birdiebee and our wine, Belle Radici, and give both of those brands the attention they needed. Most importantly, I now understand the meaning of “when one door closes, another one opens.”

MINI | Since it’s the holiday season, let’s talk traditions! Do you have any holiday traditions you look forward to every year?

BRIE BELLA | I do! Our Drummer Boy Dinner! Every year, my large Italian family gets together to celebrate Christmas and my grandfather. We always do it the weekend before Christmas and it all started when I was a little girl. My grandfather would take all of us grandchildren around his house, in line youngest to oldest, and we marched to the Drummer Boy music and point to every nativity set he had. He then would have the kids sit at what was considered the adult table and let us eat straight off of the china dishes. My grandmother would make homemade pasta and meatballs and all of the adults would sit at the kid tables. We still do this tradition. Now the great-grandchildren get in line and we still follow behind them. This year will be Birdie’s first Drummer Boy and I can’t wait!

MINI | What’s on your holiday wish list this year?

BRIE BELLA | A spa day! I told my husband I’d love if Santa brought me a day of pampering! Massage, steam room, yoga and champagne! I birthed Birdie this year, so I should be on the Nice list.

MINI | Looking back to those very first days as a parent, what would you tell yourself?

BRIE BELLA | Enjoy not knowing what you are doing because you’ll only be a new parent once. Soak in all the breakdowns and tears and watch yourself slowly grow into a mother. I think we forget that as moms we are growing just as fast as the baby and if we blink, we’ll forget how innocent it all was in the beginning.

MINI | If you could give Birdie one piece of advice, what would it be?

BRIE BELLA | The same that my mother did— live with no regrets. She would always tell me that and because of it, I would take leaps of faith. I wasn’t afraid of failure but afraid of ‘what if.’ I don’t want Birdie to live with ‘what if,’ but with ‘I gave it a try.’

MINI | Are there more babies in your future?

BRIE BELLA | Yes, I’d love one more. Hoping to start trying in a year.

FAST FACTS

FAVORITE KIDS BOOK Ferdinand the Bull.

GUILTY PLEASURE Red wine.

FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE The Fox and the Hound.

LAST BOOK I READ The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

IDEAL DATE NIGHT Dinner and a movie.

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO Carla Bruni Radio on Pandora.

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE Veggies, hummus, pickles and cheese.

IF THERE WERE MORE HOURS IN THE DAY, I WOULD Sleep more.

TYPICAL COFFEE ORDER Pumpin spice latte with almond milk.

SIGNATURE SCENT Chanel Coco Mademoiselle.

BEFORE KIDS, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD Own my own wine and intimate line.

ON MY NIGHTSTAND Baby monitor, chapstick, hair tie, phone, and a glass of water.

SHOWS I’M WATCHING Netflix’s Cable Girls.

Photography and Art Direction Kimberly Genevieve

Hair and Makeup Eileen Sandoval