Jenna von Oy Talks Motherhood, Breastfeeding and Charity
The former child star discusses having her second child, and more.
— -- In the past three years, Jenna von Oy has given birth to two daughters. As a result, she's gotten a crash course in all things motherhood, including the hardships.
"Raising children is difficult and expensive," she told ABC News, "and yet, it's the greatest joy ever."
Von Oy, 37, said that because of her job as an author in Nashville (her new book, "Situation Momedy" is scheduled for release later this year), she has the benefit of being able to stay home with her girls, Marlowe, 3 months, whom she's still breastfeeding, and Gray, 2.
However, to help mothers with babies in the NICU who need breast pumps – and the environment to boot, von Oy signed on to be an ambassador for Medela Recycles, a newly launched campaign developed in response to a petition on change.org that allows mothers to recycle breast pumps. All pumps recycled through the program will go toward a donation of new pumps for mothers at the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
"My life is very mommy-centric these days and I like it that way, but the campaign really spoke to me because it combined a trifecta of things I believe in: breastfeeding, recycling and charity work," she said. "To help parents who are in a position where that expense is more overwhelming than anything else is just a beautiful thing."
The Nashville-based author is a huge proponent of breastfeeding, calling the health benefits "unparalleled" and the bond that it forms between mother and child, "profound." However, breastfeeding didn't come easily when she had Gray, so she relied on her former "Blossom" co-star, Mayim Bialik, for help.
"Not everybody knows that she's a lactation consultant, so when I had my first daughter, I had a lot of difficulty in the beginning [and I called her]," she said. "She's my go-to guru!"
Marlowe, the younger child, "latched on immediately," von Oy said, which reflected the personality differences between her and her older sister.
"Gray is definitely my spitfire -- she's gonna be a tough teenager," joked von Oy with a laugh. "She’s my very keen observer, and she’s incredibly inquisitive. She’s very unafraid to state her opinion."
By contrast, von Oy said Marlowe is "my easy-going, laid-back baby" who lights up when she sees her older sister. Gray, in turn, is equally obsessed with being a big sister to a newborn.
"They have such a bond that is really unbelievable. I wouldn't have expected it at this age," she said. "The first thing Gray says in the morning is, 'I need to hold Marlowe.'"
Because of her experiences, von Oy, who always knew she wanted children, said that she and her husband are open to a third child. However, they're really enjoying life now with her two little ones and five dogs.
"It's neat to finally be where I've wanted to be," she said. "We'll see where life takes us!"
