Regardless of what careers they’re in, women have to contend with a lot. There’s not getting equal pay, they have to deal with harassment, not getting the top roles – the list just goes on and on. It’s hard for a woman to get to the top of their chosen career. To be career-orientated is one thing. But many women also have aspirations to start families. That means putting your career on hold. After giving birth, it’s then tough to get back into the swing of things. The majority of parents want to spend every waking moment with their babies. A lot don’t have a choice and can’t afford to hire help. Celebs don’t have that problem.

All those on this list are millionaires. The women made brave decisions to take some time off from their careers. A lot chose to take time off after giving birth too. Even now, even that some of their kids are a bit older, they’re still not working as much as they used to. They want to spend as much time as possible with their kids. But these celebs want to be doting mommies, and in Ricky Martin’s case, a doting daddy. They want to be involved in every aspect of the children’s lives. Some though want to resume their careers as soon as possible. They’re just far too busy to do absolutely everything parenting involves. So, they get in some hired help. They can afford the best care for their kids. So, they employ nannies to ease the workload and strain of parenting. These are 10 celebs who rely on nannies for parenting and 10 who parent on their own.

RELIES ON NANNIES: HEIDI KLUM

44-year-old Heidi Klum has led one eventful life. She’s a bit of a Jill of all trades kind of woman. Heidi is famed for her modelling but has tried her hand at various different things. She certainly doesn’t have a lot of space to spare on her résumé. Aside from her modelling credentials, Heidi’s also a businesswoman, fashion designer, singer, television producer, author, actress and TV personality. She’s been in the industry since 1992.  For the vast majority of her time in the limelight she’s had a lot on her plate. As the years have rolled on, she’s become more and more famous. This has resulted in her trying to juggle an even greater workload.

Amazingly, somehow in the midst of all of her success, she’s found the time to pop out four kids. It wouldn’t surprise you to learn that Heidi uses nannies. She’s good but she’s not superwoman.

We know she uses nannies and that she takes them everywhere with her and the kids. We know this because she actually rescued them from a riptide when they accompanied the family on holiday to Hawaii in Easter 2013. This incident was well-documented around the world, outlined by sources such as The Daily Mail.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: REESE WITHERSPOON

Reese Witherspoon is someone who’s never used a nanny. The thought hasn’t even entered her head. Reese has talked her baby daddies around to her way of thinking too.

Reese didn’t use nannies when she was married to Ryan Phillippe. She doesn’t use a nanny to help parent her youngest child who she had with Jim Toth. Neither Reese nor Ryan have any regrets about not using a nanny.

Ryan has been particularly vocal about being a hands-on dad. He's said as much to Female First. Sure, it must have been tough. There must have been those bury your head in a pillow and let out an almighty scream moments. That’s the case for every parent. But they found it incredibly rewarding. Seeing their kids grow and develop into the perfect little children has filled them with joy. They believe it would have been different had they had the input of a nanny. Now Reese is able to get help raising her little one from her daughter. Ava is 18, so she lends a helping hand now and again.

RELIES ON NANNIES: JESSICA ALBA

There’s plenty of conjecture as to whether or not Jessica Alba relies on nannies. She’s changed her tune a number of times. Jessica Alba has three kids with hubby Cash Warren. Initially, she did use nannies. Actually, she used one nanny.

After having her first child, she was at a loss as to what to do. She needed a nanny to show her the ropes. She hired Nanny Connie, who she claims was fabulous in helping her parent. Connie taught Jessica an awful lot, and Jessica was extremely grateful.

She gave the nanny a shout out in an Instagram post. Jessica has been pictured over the years with her kids and nannies. But what she prefers to do is get family members to help her out. By hiring family, she can get help on the cheap. She's also told Workingmother.com she likes getting adolescents to give her a helping hand. But sometimes, hiring a nanny is the only option.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: TAMARA ECCLESTONE

Tamara Ecclestone is known for being the daughter of former chief executive of the Formula One Group, Bernie Ecclestone. But over the years she’s become famous in her own right. Tamara has become a socialite, a reality TV star, and an all-round TV personality. She’s a big name in reality TV, especially in the UK. In 2013, Tamara married Jay Rutland. The next year their daughter Sophia was born. We know because of her reality TV show, that Tamara’s absolutely obsessed with her daughter.

The millionaire heiress has also told The Sun that she is an obsessive mother. That means she’s always by her daughter’s side. She’s also very security conscious after the family had to deal with kidnap attempts. She doesn’t want the same to happen to her daughter. Therefore, Tamara is always with her daughter. She’s said that she hasn’t been away from her daughter for more than six minutes. She even co-sleeps with her toddler. Tamara might be rich, but even she doesn’t hire a nanny for those six minutes she’s apart from Sophia.

RELIES ON NANNIES: MADONNA

59-year-old Madonna’s longevity and desire to still be at the top is truly remarkable. While a lot of celebs who’ve been in the industry for that length of time have failed and faltered, Madonna’s remained strong, has remained in the limelight. That’s not to say that Madonna’s had it easy. The superstar singer has faced many trials and tribulations over the years. Looking after a brood of six kids at home couldn’t have been easy either. Madonna might look amazing for a woman in her late 50s. But even she’s not superwoman.

With her busy schedule, looking after six kids without hired help would be an impossible task. Madonna’s had many nannies over the years.

Angela Jacobsen is one of them. However, as she told The Telegraph she was let go because she couldn’t speak French. She therefore couldn’t interact with David. Madonna’s a busy woman and so delegates everything. This includes parenting duties.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: MILA KUNIS

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher want to cherish every moment with their kids. Kids grow up seriously fast – blink and you’ll miss those childhood days. That’s why they want to be in their kids’ lives as much as possible. At the moment, as their kids are young, that means pretty much all the time.

The duo have been very vocal about how they don’t use nannies. They have a number of reasons too. The main reason is they just want to know their children. They believe that can’t happen if a nanny’s in the picture.

They also don’t want to be one of those parents who has a nanny at their beck and call all the time. Some parents, if their child can’t stop crying, they call on a nanny to calm the baby. Mila told Ellen DeGeneres on her show she doesn’t want to be like that. She wants to connect with her kids on an emotional level. No nanny means all hands on deck in their household.

RELIES ON NANNIES: VICTORIA BECKHAM

In a day where celebrity couples seem to be getting divorced left, right and center, the Beckhams have remained strong. David and Victoria got hitched way back in 1999. They’ve remained solid ever since. It’s refreshing to see a celebrity marriage lasting that long. It is a rare occurrence. Over the years they’ve added four kids to their family. Over this period, Victoria’s life has become increasingly busy. After starting out as a singer, she’s transitioned into a fashionista and a businesswoman. David’s soccer career has come to an end. But that doesn’t mean he’s playing househusband and is a stay-at-home dad.

Victoria hires help for her family. She hires nannies and has been hiring them since she became a parent. She has revealed she has nannies and assistants to make her family run smoothly and help with the demands of parenthood.

Some of her nannies over the years haven’t worked out, though. Their former nanny tried to dish the dirt about what was happening in the Beckham household behind closed doors. It made headlines around the world, and was reported on by publications such as The Guardian. Unsurprisingly, she’s no longer employed.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: EVA MENDES

While hubby, Ryan Gosling’s career has been blossoming, Eva Mendes’s career has been very quiet in recent years. In fact, ever since she became a parent, her time in the limelight has begun to fade. Not that Eva is preoccupied with fame and fortune. Now that she’s a mommy to two kids, the only thing on her mind is being a top parent.

Eva told Hello Magazine, "I'm a very hands-on mom; I don't have a nanny. No matter how tired I am, I just do it."

Eva regularly wakes up at 4 AM in order to get herself sorted and start her parenting duties for the day. That’s one committed mom. But Eva wouldn’t have it any other way. Although she doesn’t use nannies, on occasions she does get help. But she prefers to keep childcare in the family. Eva and Ryan rely on family support a lot. Whenever they need a babysitter, someone’s on hand.

RELIES ON NANNIES: CHARLIZE THERON

In the recent movie, Tully, Charlize stars as an overwhelmed mom in desperate need of some help. Sure, parenting is tough for Charlize in real life. But she gets help by hiring nannies. In real life, the nannies aren’t evil either. Actually, Charlize might have something to say about that. Evil might be a too strong a word. But she certainly wasn’t happy when one of her kids’ nannies decided to speak out. We know she has had help from nannies because some have divulged what Charlize is like. One nanny who remained anonymous said to Star Magazine that Charlize had strange demands. For example, she wasn’t allowed to look or talk to Charlize while she was performing her duties. One of her duties was to record everything going on in her kids’ lives. She had to write it all down. If this nanny is spouting the truth, Charlize prefers her nannies to be seen and not heard.

PARENTS ON THEIR OWN: BLAKE LIVELY

Mom of two Blake Lively didn’t take much time off after giving birth to her children. She was back to work pretty soon after giving birth. That’s not to say she uses nannies. She doesn’t, has never used a nanny, and is never planning too. Blake just doesn’t need one. Her hubby Ryan Reynolds is more than happy to help out with the parenting duties.

Together the duo have embraced parenthood. They’ve found a system that works for them that doesn’t involve the use of nannies.

Reynolds has said to The Daily Mail, “I have no problem waking up five times in the middle of the night and changing diapers, and as exhausted as you get, I have this stupid grin on my face all the time. And that’s not because I have a nanny or something like that. It’s just us right now, and I love it.” But the couple aren’t with their kids 24/7. Whenever they need help, they call upon their own mommy and daddies. The kids’ grandparents give them plenty of help. It’s how she’s been able to juggle motherhood with her acting career.

RELIES ON NANNIES: JESSICA SIMPSON

American actress, singer and fashion designer, Jessica Simpson, has been in the limelight for around two decades. During this time, she’s had peaks and troughs, as most celebs do. She’d love to say that one aspect of her life was stable. But she can’t even say that because she’s faced plenty of issues in her personal life too. But her two kids being born certainly wasn’t a problem. Understandably it was a joyous occasion. She might regret hiring nannies to take care of them though. A couple of years ago, tabloids and site such as Hollywood Life reported that Eric Johnson, Jessica’s hubby, had been betrayed her with the nanny. Whether there’s any truth to that, only they’ll know. Since the rumors broke in 2016, Jessica hasn’t stopped with the hired help. But other reports have stated that Jessica now hires people who she deems to be unattractive nannies. She doesn’t want her hubby being attracted to them in the slightest.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: J-LO

J-Lo doesn’t have a nanny? A lot of people would find that incredibly hard to believe. J-Lo is one of the most influential women on the planet for a reason. She’s always flitting about, exploring various ventures. How she can do all of that without the help of a nanny is anybody’s guess. Well, guess no more. J-Lo can’t stand being away from her twins. She loves them to pieces, and spends as much time with them as possible. They’re her incentive, her world.

J-Lo has admitted that she had help from a nanny for a brief period. But that whole nanny business wasn’t for her. She didn’t feel comfortable relying on a nanny. She wanted to be a hands-on parent to her twins.

She told Hollywood Life she doesn’t leave them for more than 24 hours. When she is away, she gets help from family and close friends. Her mom, cousin, and best buddy are those she relies on.

RELIES ON NANNIES: KIM KARDASHIAN

For years and years, Kim was desperate to have a baby. She’d seen her older sister pull out three of her own. But Kim herself was going through some issues. At one point she didn’t think she’d be able to have kids. Now they just keep coming. Kim’s got three kids with Kanye and counting.

We know that Kim and Kanye are extremely busy individuals. They’ve got a big family and could rely on family help when it comes to parenting. They do this from time to time. But their families are also super busy. So, their only option is to rely on nannies.

Just imagine what it must be like working for Kim and Kanye. There are plenty of incidences that show that they must be a nightmare to work with.  According to The Daily Mirror, the couple have three nannies. They go everywhere with them including on family holidays. But unlike their other staff, the nannies stay out of the limelight.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: CELINE DION

Celine Dion has led one eventful life. She’s been active since 1980 and has become one of the greatest singers of all time. She’s got this iconic voice, one that’s sang some the world’s most memorable songs. Someone who helped her get to that level was her husband René Angélil. He was also her manager. The duo were hitched for 22 years before René’s untimely passing. But his name will live on through his kids. He had three kids with Celine. Celine was overjoyed when she had twin boys. She’d gone through a tough time trying to get pregnant. Celine went through six rounds of IVF treatment. Even then it was a high-risk pregnancy. So, when it finally happened and she gave birth, Celine vowed she would do everything herself.

She told French mag France Dimanche, "I didn’t have these children to not take care of them. I am changing diapers and [nursing] and that’s something where no one can take my place. It’s tiring but an intense joy.”

Celine does get the odd bit of help from her mom and sister, but she doesn’t hire any nannies.

RELIES ON NANNIES: JULIA ROBERTS

50-year-old Julia Roberts has been ruling the roost in tinsel town for decades. She’s one of the industry’s most loved actresses. Her star appeal hasn’t diminished over the years. Along with her sensational career, she’s balanced being a full-time mother. Now, most people would deem a full-time mom to be someone who’s there with their kids 24/7. Julia must have a different definition. She does a lot for her kids in terms of helping to raise them. She doesn’t just palm off the responsibilities on hired help. But she does use nannies. She’s said when her kids were young, she used to have to go off and shoot at odd times. Her hubby was a massive help. Her family helped a bit too. But Julia did also rely on nannies.

PARENTS ON HIS OWN: RICKY MARTIN

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin is known and always will be for that hit single, "Livin' la Vida Loca." He achieved worldwide popularity off the back of that song’s success.

Ricky’s always wanted to start a family. He was with Mexican TV host Rebecca de Alba. The two came close to getting married. They had discussed starting a family. But after 14 years they went their separate ways. Ricky then had numerous other relationships. He eventually came out and is now married to painter Jwan Yosef.

In the midst of his dating life, Ricky was still desperate to start a family. He had twin boys in 2008. They were born via a surrogate mom. Ricky was so desperate to have kids for so long, he didn’t even contemplate using a nanny.

As reported by The Mirror, he’s said, "I'm doing this on my own because I don't want to miss a moment. I'm the one who changes the diapers, the one that feeds them, the one that bathes them, the one that puts them to sleep." When he’s on the road, they accompany him. They’re his road babies.

RELIES ON NANNIES: COURTNEY LOVE

Courtney Love hasn’t had an easy life. She’s gone through plenty of trials and tribulations. A lot of which have been her own doing. Her relationship with Kurt Cobain was toxic. It was fuelled by addiction problems. After Kurt’s passing, Courtney went off the rails. She’s been in a downward spiral. Judging by some of her recent antics, she’s still suffering. Courtney hasn’t yet snapped out of it. One good thing that came out of Courtney’s relationship to Kurt, was her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain. But she didn’t exactly take on all the parenting duties. That’s just as well judging from Courtney’s state of mind at that point. It’s just as well she used nannies for parenting. The Daily Mail has reported that some have spoken out about what it was like to work for the duo, and it does not sound pleasant, to say the least. They were in the middle of Courtney’s life, and while trying to take care of Frances, they often got caught in the crossfire.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: ELLE MACPHERSON

Elle Macpherson has led one eventful life. Most people would know her for her modeling exploits. Not only has she done a number of steamy shoots, she’s a regular on TV, and is an actress and something of a businesswoman too. The 54 years old has been seriously busy, ever since her rise through the modeling ranks in the 1980s. It’s a miracle she found any time to pop out two kids, let alone raise them. Elle’s kids don’t really need a nanny, or their mom’s constant presence now. But when they were younger, Elle was around all the time. She told Stellar Magazine she didn’t even think about using a nanny.

The Aussie supermodel has mused, “I’m very hands-on when it comes to parenting. This approach has allowed me to participate in all aspects of my children's lives."

She doesn’t regret it one bit. It’s resulted in Elle being really close with her sons. They have a tight bond, a super-relationship.

RELIES ON NANNIES: LIZ HURLEY

Look at British model and actress Liz Hurley, and you wouldn’t in your wildest dreams think she’s 52. She’s certainly got the secret to remaining young. Liz is truly an ageless beauty. If you didn’t know so already, a lot of people wouldn’t even believe she’s got a son. Her figure doesn’t suggest she’s given birth. But yes, Liz has a son. Damian Hurley is 16 and is already following in his mother’s footsteps. He’s gotten involved in acting and modeling.

Perhaps one reason why Liz has remained so youthful in appearance is because she got help when Damian was younger. She was a single mom but had hired help to ease the strain of motherhood. Not that she used them all of the time. She enjoyed a lot of mother-son time. But when duty called, Liz called the nanny. According to The Standard, Damian had lots of nannies over the years, but is now all grown up and can look after himself.

PARENTS ON HER OWN: SARAH JESSICA PARKER

Sarah Jessica Parker is regarded to be one of the humblest people in tinsel town. She’s remained humble and grounded throughout the years. What you see is what you get with Sarah. And what people see is very good. Just going on her general persona, you can imagine that Sarah’s a great parent. She wanted so badly to have other kids after her son, but it just didn’t happen.

Eventually after her publicized fertility issues, Sarah’s daughters were born via a surrogate. They were so precious to her that she decided to do everything. Having twins must have been a massive workload, but she loved parenting.

Sarah has said that being an older mom helped her when it came to raising her little ones. She had a greater level of patience, had more experience. Sarah’s said to Vogue that she has had no help from nannies. She certainly doesn’t have any live-in assistance. Occasionally she hires a babysitter, but that’s as far as things go.