Christy Turlington Burns on Going from Model to Maternal Health Advocate

In the 1990s, Christy Turlington Burns posed alongside icons like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelista as one of the world’s first supermodels. She retired by 25 before going to college, earning her degree, and getting married. Then came her first baby – and a life-changing birthing experience that would inform her future work and advocacy. 

In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Christy shares: 

• The benefits of her sister marrying her brother-in-law (hint: holidays are a breeze)

• Why she has “survivors’ guilt” about getting out of the modeling industry unscathed 

• Her thoughts on building a career out of being a supermodel 

• Her traumatic birthing story and how it led to the founding Every Mother Counts

• Advice on how to advocate for yourself in medical settings 

On Her Gratitude for Her Mom’s Protection Early in Her Career

Christy: My mom was really by my side from the moment that this became a possibility. She drove me to my jobs. She was there on set. She traveled with me to Paris and then came with me to New York. Eventually I found a way to get a little bit more freedom from her and have other people be responsible for me when she couldn't be with me because I had my two other sisters at home. But I think that made a huge difference. When I think about some of my other peers that I met around that time, some were a little bit older than me. They were already independent. But a few others that were my age or younger didn't have a parent around. And I think in that industry in particular, especially then that was a recipe for disaster. I feel very lucky that I had my mom. It also just sent a message to my agency and to the people that I was working with that someone cared. 

On Figuring Out Life After Her Modeling Career

Christy: I was starting to get a bit bored. There wasn't anything I hadn't done. I'd kind of gone to most of the places I wanted to go. I just was looking for a way to become more grounded and create really the home that I was calling New York for many years, but to really create that sense of home for myself. It wasn't like “Tomorrow I'm not doing this anymore." I was lucky in that I had two long-term, contractual relationships with brands. So it wasn't like I took a huge risk. I wasn’t walking away from money and walking away from this comfort. I had the good fortune to be able to do that. Go to school and also have this livelihood that I still am very grateful to have. It wasn't an overnight thing. But as soon as I started doing that other thing for myself, of course, it was hard to look back . It's never felt the same since. I think I've just been on a sort of forward moving trajectory ever since that time. And I would say getting my education was a huge confidence builder in myself. Being able to take that time to explore lots of different areas and interests that I had.

On the Conversations that Led to Every Mother Counts 

Christy: I had a really competent, caring, amazing group of people working together to actively manage my complication. And I came through it. And it wasn't until the weeks or so after I was home that I started asking myself the question of “did I do something to create that situation? How could I have prevented it?” And in talking about it out loud and sharing my story, I learned from so many other friends – really close friends – in fact that people had gone through similar or, as potentially life threatening complications as I had. Yet none of us were aware and none of us were sharing them. That was the very beginning of the work now that I do at Every Mother Counts. It was opening that dialogue, sharing our stories to better prepare other mothers for the experience, helping advocate for a range of options, so that people felt empowered in the experience and in the process of becoming a mother or a parent.

PS: A new episode of 9 to 5ish will be back in your feed next month. 

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