Motherhood isn't for the meek. It's a dog-eat-dog existence, where only the strong survive, and if you aren't careful — it will chew you up and spit you out.
Despite the many challenges that come with motherhood, there are those brave women who choose willingly to walk the parental road alone. Have a look and check out all these female celebrities who are single moms, by choice.
When Minnie got pregnant, she chose to keep the identity of her son's father a secret. "We weren't together and he wasn't directly in the business, so I chose to protect him and not have a rain of publicity," Drover told E! News.
Sheryl Crow and cyclist Lance Armstrong split because she desperately wanted to have children and he did not. After a lengthy battle with breast cancer, Crow decided to adopt her first son, Wyatt. In 2010, she welcomed her second son Levi into the family.
"The loves of my life are my children and my mother,” she told Mom.com. “I don’t feel as if I need a man. Don’t get me wrong, I love men…I have kids and my work. That’s fine with me."
Most parents have a hard enough time chasing one kid all around the house, but can you imagine if you had to do it eight times over?! I think I'd probably go insane within the first week.
Meg and fellow actor Dennis Quaid were together for the bulk of the '90s. Together, they share a son; Jack Quaid. Although Jack is all grown up now, he spent the majority of his childhood in the company of his single mother.
Although she's happily married now, there were many years when that wasn't so. Britney would say that striking a balance between work and family can be challenging, but that she was so grateful to be able to live through life with her kids at such a young age.
Katie had no choice in becoming a single parent. When her husband, Jay, died of colon cancer in 1998, Katie was forced to take on the role of mother and father in order to help her children through their grief.
“I think somewhere in the back of your mind you think maybe one day you won’t be a single parent,” she told People. “Then, eventually you realize, I think it’s better. I’m no longer hoping for someone."
Although Padma spent most of Krishna's childhood as a single parent, she said that it never felt that way. The Top Chef host was quick to commend her incredible family, as well as all her friends who've supported her.
Kate told Contactmusic.com in 2013 that life is incredibly difficult for single moms. She explained how often she felt judged by society and that there were moments when she felt as if she was barely getting by.
Connie adopted her newborn son, Yoby, from Ethiopia. Britton told More that being a single mom means having to endure a lot of stress and plenty of sleepless nights, but in the end, it's all worth it.
Halle told CinemaBlend.com that one of the most challenging aspects of being a single mom is dealing with what she refers to as "mom guilt." She explained how at times, she found it almost impossible to leave the house.
Mindy was 37 when she decided to have her first child and only did so after she felt as if she'd amassed enough wealth that the child would want for nothing. She explained to Yahoo Life how she wouldn't be able to do it without the help of her nanny and her father.
Sandra is tired of society making single moms feel as if they aren't the complete package. Bullock proclaims that she is more than capable to look after her children on her own and doesn't need a man to validate her.
When asked to comment on being a single mom, Elizabeth told Us Weekly, "It's ludicrously hard to try and do. We all try. We all succeed in places, and we often feel like we failed in places."
