Carrie Underwood reflects on how 'God’s plan' shaped her family

Carrie Underwood’s journey to becoming the mother of two boys wasn’t easy.

After the birth of her first son, Isaiah, in 2015, she planned to have another child soon afterward.

“We, initially in our lives, kind of wanted our kids a little closer in age,” the singer tells People. “That didn’t happen, because God has a different plan sometimes.”

In 2017 and 2018, Underwood, 36, suffered three miscarriages. For several months, she mostly stayed out of the spotlight, grappling with those challenges, and also healing from a fall that resulted in a broken wrist and stitches to her face. Underwood later channeled those struggles into creating her 2018 album "Cry Pretty," she told the publication.

In early 2019, the singer and her husband, former hockey pro Mike Fisher, welcomed their second child, a boy named Jacob. Now, she told People that there are some perks to her children being four years apart.

“Being almost five years old, [Isaiah is] just so helpful, and he looks out for his little brother,” she said in the People interview.

Underwood adds that after the birth of her second son, she was worried about getting back to her pre-pregnancy body.

“After having my first kid, I felt like I bounced back fast. And then with Jake, it was like my body took a minute to get back to me,” she told the publication. “It was frustrating, because I’m like, ‘Why wasn’t it like the first time?’”

She goes on to say that she had to learn to give herself some grace.

“I’m still working hard, wanting to be the best me possible, but cutting myself slack and just thinking, ‘Be kind to yourself,’" she told the outlet. "It’s amazing what we [women] do to ourselves."