Even country stars need a little help when life throws them the wildest curveball of all: motherhood.
Lauren Alaina may be used to bright lights, big stages, and thousands of fans singing her songs back to her, but the “Road Less Traveled” singer admits nothing could have prepared her for becoming a mom. Alaina and her husband Cam Arnold welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Beni, in June, and while the joy has been overwhelming, the challenges have been just as real.
During a candid chat with Taste of Country Nights, Alaina opened up about leaning on one of her biggest country idols when the sleepless nights and nerves about hitting the road with a baby started to sink in. That rock-solid support came from none other than country legend Martina McBride.
“Martina McBride, actually,” Alaina revealed when asked if any country moms had reached out with advice. “She texted me a couple of weeks ago and talked to me about taking the baby on the road.”
For Alaina, who has to jump right back into touring life, those words carried weight. The new mom admits she’s anxious about taking little Beni out on the road. “I’m super freaked out to be leaving our home … and taking her on the road. I had no idea the world of being a mom,” she confessed.
McBride knows exactly what Alaina is going through. The powerhouse vocalist once toured with Brooks & Dunn in the mid-90s while pregnant, balancing the chaos of a music career with the equally demanding role of motherhood. That perspective, paired with her three decades of raising daughters Delaney, Emma, and Ava, makes her the perfect mentor.
Alaina even admitted she may have been a little overconfident before Beni arrived. “I was like, ‘Yeah, 12 weeks? We’ll totally be ready then to hit the road,'” she laughed. “And now we’re almost twelve weeks out and I’m like, ‘What was I thinking?'”
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Despite the nerves, Alaina is pushing forward. She’ll kick off a string of headlining shows on Aug. 28 in Evans, Georgia, before rejoining Rascal Flatts on tour early next year. The schedule might be intimidating, but with support from country moms like McBride and fellow artist MacKenzie Porter, who also shared her own experiences juggling touring and motherhood, Alaina isn’t walking this road alone.
“I’ve got a good community of moms around, actually,” she said, finding strength in that sisterhood of women who have done it before.
But it hasn’t all been encouragement. Alaina recently faced harsh online criticism after posting a lighthearted video about bottle-feeding her baby. Trolls flooded the comments, questioning her choices and shaming her for not breastfeeding exclusively. The singer quickly set the record straight, explaining that Beni has had trouble latching, so she’s been pumping and feeding through bottles.
“People assumed I’m not breastfeeding and they shamed me for it,” she said. “Which, by the way, if I didn’t wanna breastfeed my baby, that is my decision, so I don’t know why people thought they could come for me. People need to chill, like, who are you?”
Luckily, the backlash was drowned out by fans and fellow moms who flooded her page with support. Many reminded her that a “fed baby is the only thing that matters,” cheering her on for being open and honest in the face of criticism.
And that’s the heart of Lauren Alaina’s journey right now. She’s a brand-new mom trying to balance her superstar career with raising her daughter, learning as she goes, and leaning on legends like Martina McBride for guidance. It’s messy, it’s beautiful, and it’s as country as it gets, because the road may not always be easy. With family, faith, and a community of strong women around her, Alaina is proving she’s more than ready to travel it.
