Kate Upton Says Breastfeeding Daughter 'Was Sucking the Energy' from Her: 'So Much Pressure'
"I realized I needed to calm down, to allow my body to recover," Kate Upton tells Editorialist in a new cover interview, out Friday
As someone who has been a mama for 14 months now, Kate Upton has seen many of the ups and downs that come with new parenthood. One of those? The intense weight moms feel to do everything exactly right.
In a cover story for Editorialist, out Friday, the 27-year-old supermodel dishes on how her life has evolved since she and husband Justin Verlander welcomed their daughter Genevieve in November 2018.
“Having VeVe has changed my life in such a wonderful way,” Upton says, going on to recall how there was “so much pressure” after her baby girl was born “to be doing all these things, like breastfeeding on the go.”
“The reality, for me, was that breastfeeding was sucking the energy away from me,” she reveals. “I realized I needed to calm down, to allow my body to recover.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Upton has made it a priority to focus on living in the moment with her Houston Astros pitcher husband, 36, and their daughter — so much so that they are keeping close tabs on their technology habits for the sake of Genevieve.
“I think my husband wants me to throw my phone away. We talk about it in the house all the time: ‘Let’s have a phone-free dinner,’ ” she says. “We don’t want [our daughter] thinking being on the phone is all that life is.”
“I want to be enjoying my life, enjoying my family, not constantly trying to take the perfect picture,” the mother of one adds.
RELATED VIDEO: Kate Upton Pregnant With First Child
Outside of how she presents herself to her daughter, Upton tells Editorialist that she also strives “to be a positive influence” when it comes to inclusivity in the modeling industry.
“There’s definitely movement toward being more inclusive, representing a more diverse model and not having a definition of what a model is anymore. But obviously, there’s a lot more that needs to be done,” she says, noting, “I’m not doing this [job] just so I can play dress up.”
Additionally, the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl has no qualms over last year’s annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show being canceled, saying, “You know what? We’re sick of seeing the same body type.”
“Every woman needs to be represented,” Upton added. “Otherwise, it’s a snooze fest.”