Becoming a mother is transformative in amazing, wonderful, indescribable ways. But, as with any transformation, it means leaving some aspects of life behind—a prospect that was daunting to even Jessica Alba.


“I feared I would lose my sense of self in becoming a mom, but it’s actually made me more true to who I am,” the soon-to-be mother of three told Good Housekeeping.

In fact, it was the birth of Alba’s first daughter that inspired her to start The Honest Company. As she told Inc in 2014, “I founded The Honest Company on this idea: Everything that touches you and your family—everything in your home—needs to be nontoxic, needs to be effective and beautiful to look at, and needs to be affordable.”

Today, that little company is valued at roughly $1 billion. As sweet as that is for any business founder, Alba says the meaning for her family is worth even more.

“It’s good for my girls to see that I have an opinion,” she told Good Housekeeping for the latest issue. “Hopefully some of what I’m doing will rub off on them.”

While Alba’s business has grown, so has her family—with her third child, a son, due soon. Or, as she put it at her baby shower this past weekend, “He’s gonna fall out of me anytime now, so this is good that we’re doing this.”

The high tea-themed event looked like a beautiful gathering of friends and family. Complete, of course, with some delicious treats—because, as her successful management of work and life demonstrates, Alba clearly knows a thing or two about a healthy balance.