On September 6, Kourtney Kardashian Barker shared a photo from a hospital bed to her 224 million-strong Instagram, clasping the tattooed hand of her husband, Travis Barker. For many, it was a scare: Kourtney, at 44, is seven months pregnant with a longed-for child, as has been revealed in The Kardashians, the reality show about her family that’s now in its fourth season, a continuation of Keeping Up with the Kardashians that broadcast twenty seasons on E! in the US. “It was terrifying. I feel that sooner or later I will go into detail because I hope that it could help others, but I don’t feel ready yet because it was really frightening,” she says when we reach her on the phone. Those who follow the show know this: of all the sisters – Kim, Khloé, Kylie and Kendall – she has always been the most ambivalent about how much of her life to reveal, an ambivalence that has often been a source of tension. The sisters also each have different attitudes towards work. This perception, however, has come under question recently as Kourtney, like Kim, is also having success as an entrepreneur. Following the launch of the wellness site Poosh in 2019, she launched Lemme in 2022, a brand specializing in vitamins and supplements. Another reason is the fact that her wedding to Travis in Portofino by Dolce and Gabbana, after ceremonies in Las Vegas and Santa Barbara, became the topic of a good part of The Kardashians and even a spin-off in the form of the documentary Til Death Do Us Part. “Travis and I haven’t yet talked about whether and how much to show the baby”, she says, now almost at the end of her pregnancy, which, despite the fear of a month ago, is now progressing happily.

How is this pregnancy different from previous ones?
«Physically, I feel great. I like being pregnant. I’m obsessed with the idea of being pregnant! But this time, unlike the other three, I was followed by a different group of doctors, who gave me many restrictions in the first months. No workouts, no Pilates, no caffeine and no plane trips. Even no sex! I think all this caution made me a little afraid because, in the past, I never had to be so careful. It took me a while to let go of the fear. Right after the surgery, I reached the point where I let myself go and I stopped worrying. Now I talk to the baby every day, have a positive mindset, keep my head straight, and say a lot of prayers. I feel really lucky and grateful. I have a lot of gratitude. Not that I didn’t have it before, but perhaps since it came easy to me, I took the pregnancy for granted

There have been negative comments online about your age, even though today there are many women over 40 who get pregnant naturally.
«Those comments don’t affect me. To those who make them, I just say: “How could you question God’s plan?”. Because that’s how I see this pregnancy. It arrived when both Travis and I no longer even thought about it, and when I had stopped fertility treatment»

On that matter, you were very honest about how debilitating it was, both psychologically and physically.
«The decision to try assisted fertilization was almost a non-choice, in the sense that I was pushed towards it as if it were the only option. The truth is, I felt like I was doing something that wasn’t right for me. My intuition was telling me that it wasn’t suitable for me – I don’t even take medicine, imagine – that it was working against my body rather than for it»

We women need to listen to our intuition more.
«I knew deep down that it wasn’t the right thing. I kept telling Travis: ‘If we’re meant to have a baby, then it’s just going to happen.’ And that’s how it was. When we stopped forcing the process, then it happened»

Are your children happy?
«Very. They’ve been asking me for another baby for a while. When they go to school in the morning, they touch my belly, kiss it, and say goodbye»

Has your relationship with your body always been positive?
«I have always loved my body. Khloé always told me that she wished she had an ounce of my confidence. At home, I’m always naked, and whoever comes around is warned. As a teenager, I was pressured, like everyone else, to be thinner and fitter, just as I was after having children: I was pressured to get back into shape immediately, as if there was a social expectation asking how long a woman would take to get back to how they were before»

Recently, your sister Kylie Jenner has been self-critical regarding certain beauty ideals. The Kardashian family might also has some responsibilities.
«If I think about it now, I understand it. I have participated in covers with that tone, like ‘Look how quickly she got back into shape.’ Today, I think that idea is unhealthy, because every woman’s body is different. After my third child (Reign, born in 2014, ed.) I refused to do them, I took my time, but I had already started a wellness journey during pregnancy and after the birth of Penelope (in 2012, ed.), I wanted to convey a more positive message, without rushing anyone, least of all myself. I remember at the time I couldn’t wait to start training because it made me feel good in terms of mental health. I had a lot of anxiety at the time, I was separating from the father of my children, and training really helped me»

Judging by the photos, it seems that pregnancy has made you even more confident in herself.
«Feeling life grow inside me is a truly special and incredible experience. It’s like a superpower, but at the same time it’s a very vulnerable time, and I think when you’re vulnerable, your truest self is even more powerful»

You and Travis started out as friends, and now you’re basically the perfect couple. How did it happen?
«Really, we always knew we were more than friends. And those around us knew it too: everyone always told us that we were meant to be together, including Kendall, Kim and Kanye. Travis himself said it, but I kept him at a distance for a long time, even though during the pandemic we spent a lot of time together, us with our children. It’s as if we both always knew it, but we were afraid»

Afraid of being happy?
«Afraid of something real. I remember one time Travis invited me to the cinema to see Bohemian Rhapsody. I said yes and then panicked. I was terrified. I remember talking to my therapist about it. She asked me: ‘What’s wrong? Why shouldn’t you go?’ And I was just terrified»

What do you like most about becoming a mother?
«I love experiencing life through their eyes and doing with them all the things I did as a child. Going to Disneyland or even just touching sand for the first time. I love creating traditions and memories and making everyday things feel special and magical. Being able to do that now with Travis is a dream come true»