Gabrielle Union on the importance of self-care as a mother.

Gabrielle Union, as you no doubt know, is a delightful person. And she's pretty fun as a parent, too (some evidence of this: an adorable video with little Kaavia (opens in new tab) and a lovely tribute she and husband Dwayne Wade paid to their daughter, Zaya (opens in new tab)). As People reports (opens in new tab), during a recent appearance on Katie Lowes' Shondaland podcast "Katie's Crib," she discussed her fertility challenges, her surrogacy experience, and her parenting journey. In addition, Union stressed the importance of prioritizing self-care as a parent and resisting the societal pressure to "give every part of yourself to others." And if you struggle to give enough time and attention to your own needs, I urge you to heed her advice.

"We are super-conditioned not to center ourselves in our own stories.

"When we give less than all of ourselves, every part of ourselves, to another, we become selfish women, bad mothers, bad wives, and bad friends. [It is OK to center ourselves and our needs, advocate for ourselves, be the center of our own story, and be our best selves for ourselves. We say "We all we got" in our families and in our crews. But that includes the asshole in the mirror. Start with yourself first."