“All I ever wanted was to be a mom, but when you’re actually experiencing that, it’s a shock.” Gisele Bundchen admitted this while putting forth her experience and feelings after being momma of three, including Jack (Tom Brady’s first son with his ex Bridget Moynahan). She even mentioned that during that phase she suddenly felt–“I couldn’t do other things and that was very hard for me.” However, she navigated through all the challenges and became a strong woman, who is now independent and loved, besides being the blessed mother of three – Jack, Benjamin, and Vivian.

Therefore, when her oldest and bonus son’s birthday arrived on August 22, 2024, the supermodel was quick to send an emotional birthday wish for his 17th big day. In a recent Instagram story, Bundchen shared two pictures of Jack Brady. One of the pictures was a vintage photo of mother and son from their early days, in which they can be seen sharing a beautiful moment, hugging each other. Bundchen wrote, “Happy birthday to this sweet peanut!”

In continuation of the previous story, Bundchen shared another picture and message, where she can be seen clicking with a grown up Jack. In this she wrote, “Who turned into a beautiful, kind and incredible young man. We are so lucky to have you in our lives! Love you so much!” with a red heart, cake, and balloon emojis. The love and bond between the two in the picture can be seen as unparalleled as Bundchen herself called Jack her “bonus child” in an early interview.

In addition to that, during a sit-down interview with Robin Roberts this March, Bundchen opened up about her relationship with Tom Brady’s son Jack. She informed that the two met when he was only 3 months old. The 43-year-old said, “I got to experience how it is to feel, to be a mom before I was even a mom. To be a bonus mom. So I got to experience how my heart could feel that love and just expand in ways I never thought were possible….I raised him like. I love him.”

But it’s important to note that Gisele Bundchen’s early life of motherhood wasn’t that easy as she faced multiple struggles while navigating through that phase.

What struggles Gisele Bundchen went through after being a mother?

Being a mother is not easy at all! Tom Brady’s former wife, Gisele Bundchen, literally faced this. Bundchen’s path to motherhood was not that simple. Imagine stepping into a relationship where your partner already has a child–it’s not easy, right? For Gisele, it was a “rollercoaster.” She admits that it took over a year (after Jack was born) for her and Bridget to finally talk. It was a tough, “sticky” situation, but through it all, Gisele learned that love really does conquer all. She didn’t just step into Jack’s life; she embraced him fully, calling him her “bonus child.”

Later, with the former Patriots QB Brady, the supermodel welcomed Benjamin and Vivian into their lives. But motherhood transformed Gisele in ways she never expected. Once in an interview, she openly shared that she always wanted to be a mom, but the reality was “overwhelming.” She even told that how a piece of her old self seemed to fade when she became a mother, and the guilt of juggling work, relationships, and parenting sometimes felt too much for her. Bundchen admitted, “I sometimes felt torn, since I knew I had so much more I wanted to create in the world,” as she also wanted to live for herself besides being just a mother.

Yet through meditation, self-reflection, and pure love for her children, she found the strength to keep going. And now that her all three children have grown up, she feels lucky and blessed to live her career besides being a momma!

Besides this story, tune into our Dual Threat Podcast with BG12 to dive deeper into the world of pro football, and find out Chris Gronkowski’s take on his NFL journey, and other things there.