10 Actresses Who Made A Comeback After Getting Preggers (And 10 Who Disappeared)

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The joys of pregnancy can be so overwhelming for some that they don’t want to return to their day job. They would rather set their sights on their new job becoming a good mother. With the joys of pregnancy also come the cons of pregnancy, the weight gain and your body bending out of its regular shape. Hollywood can put a lot of pressure on all its actresses to be back in shape soon after the birth of their children. Why? The jury is still out on that one. However, these actresses do not let that faze them one bit. All of them have better things to focus on, some on motherhood and some on finding a balance between working and motherhood. If you work on several sets after having children, it can become difficult to jump back into the work pool and leave your newborn for weeks at a time. However, there are comprises that can be made some actresses take their children on set with them. While others decide, the set is not worth it and leave it behind. After giving birth to a child Hollywood can sometimes become more critical of the performances. They want to see if the passion of being a mother will interfere with their passion for work. Almost as if it is a competition but for these ladies there is not competition family comes first, but there can be time to work as well.

Comeback: Megan Fox

Dark-haired bombshell Megan Fox was not ready to give up the big screen when it came to going back to work after she gave birth. The actress currently has three children, Noah, Bodhi, and Journey with husband Brian Austin Green. Fox took a two-year break after having first son Noah Green, but she came back with as April in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The 32-year-old actress made it clear in an interview with E News that her family is a priority. Despite putting her family first, she has still made time to work on movies and is currently working on multiple projects, including the new movie Zeroville.

“It’s exhausting, but it’s amazing and you can’t, until you have kids, you can’t imagine how much you could possibly love a human being. It’s really intense and really overwhelming and amazing.”

Fox also gives credit to her husband of eight years saying that he helps her with their morning routine and making sure there is food on the table, especially while she is filming. The pair are said to have opposite parenting styles and that can cause chaos at home. While the model prefers a “free-spirited” parenting style and doesn’t like them watching television or in front of screen, while dad would like to have more structure and rules in place.

Comeback: Anne Hathaway

Much like her character in Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway did not let pregnancy slow her down from hitting the big screen. In 2016, the Oscar winner and husband Adam Shulman had their first and only child a son named Jonathan Rosebanks Shulman. When did the Alice in Wonderland actress have time to have a child and work on several projects. Since the birth of her child she has sparked a new interest in advocating for parental rights, such as paid maternity leave and gender equality. Hathaway has loved every moment of motherhood saying, “I don’t need to be a perfect mom to be a good mom.” Even while pregnant the star continued to work, she starred in the film Colossal in her earlier stages. She has been very private about her son and his photo being circulated, she shared the first photo of Jonathan almost a year after his birth. Shulman has been by the actress’ side since they met in 2008. Hathaway gushed to Elle magazine about her jewelry designer husband and how he changed her life saying,

“He changed my ability to be in the world comfortably. I think the accepted narrative now is that we, as women, don’t need anybody. But I need my husband. His unique and specific love has changed me.”

Hathaway does not plan on slowing down anytime soon, she is currently working on two named movies, Serenity and The Hustle. “We’re all dealing with balance, but I just don’t want to feel guilty,” she stated an interview with People.

Comeback: Kate Winslet

Actress Kate Winslet is not letting Hollywood go, at least not yet. The Titanic star is currently married to Ned Rocknroll and has three children, Mia Threapleton, Joe Mendes, and Bear Winslet. Her first child, daughter Mia, was born in 2000 and that began Winslet’s trend of working while parenting. The Divergent actress only has one child, son Bear, with her current husband so she has had to learn the balance between not only working and parenting, but also throw in co-parenting with ex-husbands. Sometimes when co-parenting with an ex things can get a little hectic but with Winslet and her exes she only says,

“We’re grown-ups at the end of the day, and however hard it’s been for me, it’s been equally hard for him. And we have a child together who we both love — and raising him together, jointly and without any conflict, is absolutely key.”

Although she is no newbie to the balancing act just six weeks after her youngest son, Bear, was born she began filming Divergent and just a few months after that, she was working on Triple 9. When it comes to finding a balance between work all the Oscar winner had to say was, “There’s something really empowering about going, ‘Hell, I can do this! I can do this all!’ That’s the wonderful thing about mothers, you can because you must, and you just do.”

Comeback: Kate Hudson

Blonde bombshell Kate Hudson did not let pregnancy stop her mission of moving up in the ranks of Hollywood. The Bride Wars actress has two sons, Ryder Robinson and Bingham Bellamy, and is currently pregnant with a daughter from current boyfriend Danny Fujikawa. Hudson is no amateur when it comes to motherhood, her oldest is Ryder is already 14 years old. Despite having two children, Hudson never wavered in her effort on screen. After having Ryder in 2004, she continued with filming of Skeleton Key, You, Me and Dupree, and other projects which came out the following year. Since then, she has been a constant face for Hollywood. When it comes to her parenting style the actress makes sure to keep it polite and kind. In an excerpt from her book "Sometimes I Feel Like a Bad Mom," she confesses how she helps her children with their homework but she would much rather be watching The Bachelor and how she sometimes finds herself hiding from her children. Despite having those urges she pushes that aside and tries to instill good values in her children, when it comes to motherhood the actress said,

“It is the best job ever.”

Hudson has had some problems in the past with a custody battle with Chris Robinson the father and her eldest son, Ryder. They currently have joint custody and it was alleged he wanted sole custody.

Comeback: Mila Kunis

She may have starred in a movie called Bad Moms but that couldn’t be further from the truth for this beauty, Mila Kunis. The brown-eyed beauty is a mother of two, a daughter Wyatt Kutcher and a son Dimitri Kutcher. After the Golden Globe winner had her eldest child, in 2014, she jumped back into the open arms of Hollywood. When it comes to finding a good balance, this Jupiter Ascending actress has the loving and doting support of her husband, Ashton Kutcher. He has taken an active role when it comes to helping out around the house. The '70s Show star said,

“I think the one thing that you realize the minute you become a parent is that character is the one thing you can give them as a parent.”

Parenting is an important aspect to both stars but they manage to continue to work. The Black Swan actress struggled with how to cope with the balance of work and home life after having Wyatt saying that, “I think that when I got pregnant with Wyatt, I put so much pressure on myself to figure out how am I going to balance work and life, and I realized it’s impossible. I think it literally ate me alive.” Despite her reservations, she has still graced the screen with a steady stream of movies, and continues her work as Meg Griffin on Family Guy.

Comeback: Kerry Washington

Our favorite actress in the White House, Kerry Washington, has been gracing our screens through both of her pregnancies. The Scandal star has been married to ex-NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha since 2013 and the pair have two children Caleb and Isabelle, together. Having children as no problem for this fixer because after giving birth she continued to not only work on her hit series but also to work on hit films like Django Unchained. Washington has been very quiet about her relationship with 36-year-old husband she flaunted her pregnancy over social media and the red carpet. When it comes to getting back to work and being a mother the Golden Globe nominee says,

“You know it [motherhood] just turns your world upside down in the most beautiful way.”

Washington made it no secret that she breastfed her children, even during an interview with The Edit. Although the Scandal era has come to an end the actress still has her production company Simpson Street and several endorsements to keep her busy until she works on her next project. "I can be covered in spit-up on a conference call while I'm pumping and that's okay, because this is my perfect."

Comeback: Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana and Italian husband Marco Perego are parents to three boys, a set of twins Bowie and Cy, and Zen Perego-Saldana. The Guardian of the Galaxy star has not let the joys of motherhood stop her from enjoying her work as well. Saldana has given much praise to those around her for their helping hand in raising their three boys.

“Our assistant, our nanny and our housekeeper. They are literally raising our children with us. It’s because of them I am able to rip myself away as long as I can, and my husband as well, to do what we do.”

And when it comes to being away to make blockbuster movies such as Star Trek. After the birth of her twins in 2014, the Avatar actress began filming for Star Trek six months later. She confessed in an interview with People that her first week back she spent most of her time in her trailer crying when she wasn’t on set. She went on to confess the challenges she faced with her post-baby body saying, “You’re not as sturdy as you believe yourself to be and I wanted to give my body time. I didn’t want to force myself into anything.”

Comeback: Olivia Wilde

House actress Olivia Wilde and longtime partner Jason Sudeikis are proud parents to two adorable children, a daughter named Daisy and a son named Otis. The two have been together since 2011 where they met at a finale party for Saturday Night Live. Wilde has had several interviews on how having children has not only changed her body but her morning routines as well. Everyone like a little extra shuteye when the time allows it especially if you are as busy as an actress as Wilde. However, the Tron actress now has other feelings on moorings saying,

"I wasn’t a morning person until I had kids — then you have to be a morning person because the action starts early. My kids wake up between 6:30 and 7, so that’s when everything begins."

With actor husband a pretty hot commodity himself they do not let their work come before their children. So, when it comes to doing the balancing act between family and career they have both mad great efforts to be a part of both worlds. Horrible Bosses actor has said, “I think staying around is the trick. Being present is a good quality.”

Comeback: Emily Blunt

You may recognize her from her Golden Globe winning movie Gideon’s Daughter but some call her mom. Emily Blunt has been gracing the big screen since 2003 when she guest starred in several series. Blunt has two daughters, Hazel and Violet Krasinski, with actor husband John Krasinski. The acting couple have been married since 2010. When it comes to being a mother in Hollywood, Wilde has talked about how it has changed her into a different person.

"[Being a mum] changes your world completely. You become a different person, because you look at your choices from a different perspective.”

The Office actor gushed about becoming a father and how it has inspired him to take different acting roles. Blunt admitted that during her second pregnancy she would sometime forget that she was pregnant. Between keeping up with Hollywood and chasing her children playing the juggling act can get bit tiresome. “It’s quite a juggle with children, especially young children who are now able to vocalize, ‘Please don’t go.’ I don’t want to feel torn.” She may be feeling torn but she has kept Hollywood interested.

Comeback: Emily Deschanel

Bones actress Emily Deschanel is more than an extremely intelligent forensic analyst but she also a mother of two sons, Calvin and Henry Hornsby. The 41-year-old and husband David Hornsby had their first bundle of joy in 2011. This was six years after the actress began her hit show Bones. After the birth of her first child Deschanel did not slow down on taking on new projects and continued to film her hit series Bones.

"It's incredibly difficult to balance work and raising a child. It kills me every day. I struggle with it every day.”

Because of that Deschanel is ready to slow down now that they have wrapped up the series show. When it came to working, she back to it only months after giving birth. They worked her pregnancy into the show so that she could continue to film. Even when she got with second baby Calvin she wanted to continue to work so they worked it into the script where her on-screen romance has their second child. Hornsby has also taken to fatherhood and made it a main priority as well. When it comes to juggling his career, and being a dad he said, “I wish I didn’t have to sleep.” The actress finished out the final season of Bones and has not made it quite clear that she need some time before starting with anything else. After 12 years as a main character on the series hit, two children, and a husband, a break is what we all expected.

Disappeared: Blake Lively

Our favorite Upper East Sider Blake Lively has settled down into motherhood and married life. This Gossip Girl actress has been married to actor Ryan Reynolds since 2012. The gorgeous couple had their first protégé in 2013, a daughter named James Reynold. After the birth of her daughter Blake Lively took a step back from the Hollywood spotlight and decided to focus on motherhood. It wasn’t until 2015 when the blonde bombshell graced our screens again with romance movie Age of Adaline. It was the first movie she worked after giving birth for the first time. Although the actress took on a couple of projects over the years, her main focus has shifted away from the television screens. Lively may not be constantly active on the big screen but she has been making sure to take time to do things she like managing a lifestyle website where she showcases her cooking and decorating skills. When it comes to being a mother, The Shallows actress confesses, “All my eggs are in one basket, and that’s my family. That’s where my heart is. That’s where my everything is.”

Disappeared: Halle Berry

Role mode Halle Berry may have disappeared from the acting world but she is far from the minds of Hollywood. Berry has two children, a daughter, Nahla Aubry, and son, Maceo Martinez. Although the 51-year-old got divorced in 2016 from Olivier Martinez, father of Maceo, she has still managed to make sure her children a priority. We were all surprised when Berry announced her first pregnancy with daughter Nahla because the actress was over 40 at the time. However, when asked about why she waited until later in life to have children she simply answered,

'I'm a much better mother at 46 than if I were like, 21 or 25.”

She has no reservations or regrets about waiting. Six years after the birth of Nahla came her son Maceo with husband Martinez. While the Swordfish actress may have taken a step away from the screen she was still a prominent face for Revlon and remained an active face for them. When asked about future children the Oscar-winning actress said, "I'm surprised I had the one I just had! So I doubt God is going to bless me again, I think I'm done!" Despite the actresses doubts there have been women conceiving children up to the age of 58, so there’s still time for another surprise announcement.

Disappeared: Poppy Montgomery

Australian actress Poppy Montgomery may be slowing down on the movie front but has found happiness in raising her children with husband Shawn Sanford. In 2007, the Without a Trace actress she gave birth to her first child, Jackson Kaufman, with boyfriend at the time actor Adam Kauffman. After the birth of her son, the actress decided to step back from the limelight and step into motherhood and spend more time with her son. “I had just had my son. I had been away so much for the first year of his life,” she explained as her reasoning for leaving television. When it comes to the decision to take a break from the big screen it was an easy decision for the Unforgettable actress. However, just because she has put her acting career on the slow track doesn’t mean that being a mother isn’t fulfilling.

“Sometimes I think being a full-time stay-at-home mother is harder than being a working mother because you never get to go away and get a breather. It’s more full-time than a full-time job,” Montgomery said when asked about being a mother of three.

Although she may not be hitting the screens as hard she does make sure we don’t forget her face as she has appeared in supporting roles. Boyfriend Shawn Sanford and father of her other two children, Gus and Violet, has been a supporting role in the actress’ life. He has two other children, Haley and Braydon Sandford. Despite them having different children in different places Montgomery describes running her blended family as "beautiful, blissful, magical, and completely overwhelming.”

Disappeared: Rhea Wahlberg

She may not have captured our hearts on screen, but Rhea Durham Wahlberg has captured our hearts on the runway, and on the arm of one our favorite actors, Mark Wahlberg. Durham has had a family of five with actor husband. The pair have three sons, Brendan, and Michael, and two daughters, Ella and Grace. The former model traded the runway for diapers. She first gave birth to eldest son, Michael Wahlberg, in 2006 after being together for five years and tying the knot in 2009. Durham was a known model that has walked in several big shows, such as Victoria Secret fashion show, since 1995. She has also taken on other campaigns up until the birth of her first child. After she gave birth, she turned in the heels to be a full-time mom. Although she turned her full focus on her family she shares the pieces of her personal life with everyone on her blog. From her blog, you can see where she shares tender moments in motherhood and how much she enjoys being a mother of four. When it comes to Ted actor and being a dad he just can’t get enough of it. Marky Mark has gushed about fatherhood every time he gets a chance.

"I just want affection. I want to kiss them and hug them and I usually do it at the most inopportune times, school functions, ball games, things of that nature.

But, you know, my intentions are good."

Disappeared: Jamie Lynn Spears

Nickelodeon teen star Jamie Lynn Spears took a different route than one would expect. Instead of rising to fame, this 27-year-old rose into motherhood. Spears had her first daughter Maddie Aldrige in 2008, in what turned out to be her last season of hit show Zoey 101. The teen star faced a lot of backlash and harsh judging because at the time she was only 17 at the time. However, because of that and the Hollywood spotlight shining brightly on her, she decided to step away from the spotlight and take on the role of mom. No matter what the media may have speculated about the singer she stood firmly saying,

“I put myself in an adult situation, so I needed to handle it like an adult. My age was never an excuse for me — because, you know what, my daughter didn’t ask for that.”

Since the birth of her first daughter she has married Jamie Watson and they had another daughter together, Ivey Watson. Despite not being in the spotlight of the screen anymore Spears has found happiness in singing and song writing. Having a second child has made the country singer more confident not only in her work but in her home life as well. She attributes this happiness to her support system. “If you don’t have a supportive partner, it would be a different story. That’s been the biggest adjustment: finding that balance to where both kids have exactly what they need.”

Disappeared: Hilary Duff

We watched her grow up in front of our eyes, Hilary Duff and ex-husband Mike Comrie have one little bundle of joy together, Luca Comrie. Their son was born in 2012 just two years after the pair tied the knot. The Lizzie McGuire actress was a teen sensation before she settled down and decided on a quieter life. Duff has taken not only to motherhood but also a singer career as well. The singer began making music not long after her son, Luca, was born. Although her music career has not been chart topping, she has still found much success and has been able to live a quieter life with her son. When it comes down to her priorities, there are no reservations where her loyalties lie.

"I'm a mother first, so he's always my number one priority. And then my decision-making process is like, 'Hey can I make this work? Is he going to get enough of what he needs from me?'"

Although she got divorced from Comrie in 2016, the parents have an amicable relationship. They have all been spotted out on family outings and have celebrated his birthday together as well. When it comes to finding a balance between being a mother and being a woman the singer had to say, "I started to feel less guilt about taking time for myself, or you know, maybe not putting Luca to bed one night and going out with my girlfriends and having a fun dinner,"

Disappeared: Elizabeth Hurley

The Austin Powers babe, Elizabeth Hurley, has taken a significant step back from the shinning cameras of Hollywood and looked into a new world. The world of motherhood. Hurley had her first and only child Damian Hurley in 2002 with ex-boyfriend Steve Bing. After the birth of her son, Damien, the actress began to slow down on work and focus on being a mom. In an interview with People, the star confessed,

“After having my son, I decided that I would no longer travel from one place to another, to be away from my home two or three months.”

And she stuck true to her word as she only took on small projects and roles until 2015 when she began working on The Royals. It wasn’t until her son was a teenager that she felt she was comfortable enough to leave home without it affecting her parenting. She is currently focusing on The Royals and stirring up controversy because of her fashion choices around her son. Recently, at his 16^thbirthday celebration, she posted a photo wearing a foxy maid costume. The pair have a close relationship and they have had one since his earlier years, we have seen him grow up by her side via social media. No matter what spectators may say about their relationship, Hurley simply says, “He still thinks I’m fabulous! I know it could change at any second and he’s changing in other ways.”

Disappeared: Molly Sims

Blonde beauty Molly Sims gave up Hollywood for son Brooks Stuber in 2012. Bringing in her son with husband Scott Stuber, Sims has decided that her place was beside her children and not on the screen. Following the birth of her eldest son, she had two other children, Grey and Scarlett. After the Las Vegas actress stepped into motherhood, she came up with a set of rules to make sure that everything runs smoothly at home including having one bath time. When the model starting having children she had all three within a 5-year span, and she has no regrets.

"When I was single, it was all about me, but as a wife and mom, I have certain responsibilities. And I’m now mature enough to realize that there’s no such thing as perfection. I think now I’m able to focus more on what really matters, which is building successful relationships,”

she said in an interview with Guideposts. She still has an amazing support system with husband Stuber taking an active role in her and their children’s lives. The mother of three has confessed that the thing she feels guilty most about is spending an equal amount of time with each of her kids. When you have three little ones it can be tiring but sounds like Sims is ready to chase after her dreams and kids as a mother.

Disappeared: Eva Mendes

Cuban-American actress Eva Mendes and husband Ryan Gosling have two daughters, Esmeralda and Amanda Gosling. The first pregnancy, with daughter Esmeralda came as a surprise for us all, almost as shocking as the gorgeous couple’s initial announcement they were together and getting married. Although the Last Night actress has given up acting since 2014, she is still in the public eye for other reason, the main being her fashion sense. Mendes has settled into a domestic life with Gosling and their two children and it is satisfying to say the least. When it comes to parenting, the couple have been adamant about keeping their children out of the public’s eye. They want their children to grow up in as normal an environment as they can and because of that they limit any special treatments that come with their names. Mendes is currently working on clothing collection for New York & Co. which allows her to be home more but still splits her time with the children. However, she has support for the La La Land actor and he views his family as ideal.

"And in my situation, Eva's the dream mother, and they're dream babies, and it's like a dream that I'm having right now.

I'm dreaming it all. So I feel so lucky."

Disappeared: Stacy Keibler

Stacey Keibler is one mother you do not want to mess with. After years of performing on WWE and other television series Keibler welcomed baby girl, Ava Grace Pobre, into the world. The wrestler got married to Jared Pobre in 2014, the same year Ava was born. Once seeing what motherhood had to offer the Bubble Boy actress was all in and did not want to spend more time away from her daughter than necessary. It was reported by People that the couple did not want to hire a nanny in order to help with the newborn. According to Kiebler,

“Being a mom is the most important job I’ve ever had, but being a full-time mom means more to me than anything in the world right now.”

She does not have any regrets leaving the screen behind to become a full-time mother and she has the support of the businessman. She gushes, “Until I started dating Jared, the idea of being married and having a family was never on my radar. I was just hoping that the right love would find me.” The model has been keeping her family under wraps since she made the decision to give up the big screen. Not only has she kept her family under wraps but she also has given up social media. When you become a supermom none of that seems to matter anymore.

References: people.com, cosmopolitan.com, enews.com, vanityfair.com, elle.com