Malibu Joe/ / AKM-GSISurprise!
Alanis Morissette is expecting her second child with her husband, rapper Mario "Souleye" Treadway. Married since 2010, Morissette, 41, and Treadway, 35, are already parents to son Ever Imre Morissette-Treadway, 5. The singer-songwriter did something extra special to break her pregnancy news to Treadway by recording a song with Guy Sigsworth "on the sly" before her son's birth in 2010. Once the song was completed, Brendan Huza animated a music video that she said "helped tell our story in moving pictures, bringing us up to this sweet moment." As Morissette wrote on her official website Friday, "May this song take on ever-deepening meaning as each year goes by."
Morissette's rep also confirmed the pregnancy to E! News.
Meanwhile, in her column for The Guardian Friday, Morissette responded to a mother who confessed motherhood has made her feel "like a prisoner" in her own home. The "Ironic" singer offered her reassurance, writing, "One of my pet peeves is when people say mothers 'have to take care of their needs first,' using the oxygen mask on a plane theory. The commitment you have made to being at home to raise your children is beyond commendable. It will afford them security as they continue to develop, but it does not leave room for much else on your list of priorities right now."
"This is a gift you are offering them that they will carry with them through every stage of their development. But at each stage I hope you are availing yourself of something vital: community. In her book Mothers and Others, the anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy examines how different configurations of caregivers (of different genders and ages) yield incredibly connected children," Morisette wrote. "Doing it all on your own only leads to burnout. I hope you are able to rely on friends, family, neighbors and support groups. Ask for help: even if it is just someone coming to watch your children for an hour while you shower (luxury!) or eat something nutritious."
"Even with support around me, I found the post-partum period challenging," the singer continued. "If reaching out to a therapist or doctor offers support for you, I highly recommend that as well. You are about to enter back into the fray, threefold. As a twin with an older brother, my heartstrings are pulled for you: I don't think my mother could have done it alone. Know that it is perfectly appropriate for you to have a dusty, messy, cluttered home for a while—and your psyche may feel the same. Your priorities are breathtaking, and if anyone takes issue with your laundry, they are welcome to fold it for you while they make your dinner."