Karlie Kloss Champions Physical Journey of Motherhood in New Coterie Campaign: 'Surreal What Our Bodies Do'

When Karlie Kloss invested in Coterie, a direct-to-consumer diaper company that's a favorite among new moms for its products made with cleaner, more sustainable ingredients, in 2023, the self-described "data nerd" did her research.

"As an investor, something that I am always thinking about is how can I invest in products or companies that are better for you and for the planet — that's always led my lens when I look at the kind of partners I want to be in business with," Kloss tells PEOPLE. "For me, teaming with Coterie was a no-brainer as it's so authentic to not only the chapter of life that I'm in as a mom, but I also felt really inspired by how they're solving this problem in the market for a more high-quality product that is accessible and made with integrity so parents are able to worry just a little bit less."

Kloss and her two sons — Levi Joseph, 2, and Elijah Jude, 7 months, who she shares with husband Joshua Kushner — front Coterie's new campaign, rooted in normalizing the physical journey of motherhood and championing self-compassion for what the body endures.

"I'm so proud to be a part of a company and a campaign like this," the Kode with Klossy CEO shares. "Coterie is all about supporting parents and helping you feel slightly less alone. This campaign is all about finding self-compassion and respect for what our bodies go through."

"I'm seven months out of my second pregnancy, and it's just surreal what our bodies do, both pre, during, and post. I am so proud to be here and to talk about it."

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Below, Kloss gets candid with PEOPLE about pregnancy, postpartum expectations and the value behind a "mom tribe."

Your sons are your costars in this campaign. What's the secret to wrangling two kids under 3 on set?
"Let me tell you — it was chaotic, to say the least. Many, many snack bribes were involved. It's amazing how far you can go with a bag of Goldfish. But we got through the day — it was fun!"

Did you show them the finished product?
"Actually, my husband just texted me a picture of the campaign billboard that just went up in our neighborhood, and I showed it to my son before I got on the call with you. He was like, 'Who is that?' It doesn't make sense to him. His butt in a diaper, a mile high in our neighborhood, it's such a surreal concept, and it's so amazing and special to me, to just have this full circle moment with my boys."

When did you first learn of Coterie?
"From my close friend Ashley Graham, who was one of my first friends, really, that I saw go through becoming a new mom. She was just such an amazing ambassador for the brand, and I learned about it by way of her before even having children of my own. So when she came to my baby shower before I even had my first child, she came bearing gifts of Coterie diapers!"

How have you embraced the pregnancy journey more the second time around?
"I was definitely more prepared for what was going to happen through the pregnancy process. But even still, there's something so profound about the whole experience, and that's what this campaign is really celebrating and normalizing in a lot of ways. It's all backed with data and science — I'm such a science nerd. When you're pregnant, your rib cage extends two to three inches. Your heart is pumping 50% more blood. I mean it's crazy when you really understand just how much your body is doing by nature. There's something so profound about just the whole experience, and that's what this campaign is really celebrating and normalizing in a lot of ways." 

How about the postpartum experience?
"I've tried to practice more self-compassion. I'm also using my voice alongside Coterie to elevate the conversation around paid leave and why it matters that we support mothers in the postpartum period in all ways — be it the work environment, being supportive with mental health resources, having paid leave policies in place. That was something that I understood in theory, but your perspective evolves when you have children. A stat that I learned is one in four women have to go back to work after two weeks postpartum when in reality, your body has just started to heal. It's surreal to really think about that."

What did your return to work look like?

"I wouldn't say I rushed back to it on the modeling side. The first thing I did back after this past pregnancy was I spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative on a panel about reproductive rights. And for me, that was really, really important to stand up for and speak about the work that I'm involved in, and trying to support so many who are doing important work on that front. I was two months postpartum and I was pumping before I went on the panel. Even more than ever, I appreciate just how important this choice is to me. My belief is that an individual should be able to choose when they're ready for this journey. For me, that was an important moment to show up for."

What has surprised you most about motherhood?
"I feel like I always find myself saying the most cliché things, but the truth is you don't get it until you're in it. And one of the things that I couldn't have appreciated before being in it, is the value behind a mom tribe — just how important that is. Both the matriarchs in my life, my own mother included, who of course were so important in this journey, but also it's really about the tribe around you that you're going through it with. I feel really grateful that so many of my friends have been in this early motherhood chapter around the same time. There's so much that you're just trying to get through — it's a day-by-day mentality. And that's why being able to trust a brand like Coterie, trusting that they're going to source the best ingredients, that their wipes are going to be made with integrity, that the diapers are going to be high-quality, just that you can have that one less thing to worry about or think about to me is key."

We know you can turn a red carpet into your own personal runway - but what's Karlie's Mom uniform?

"Oh, girl. It's a wide spectrum! I was just at a conference last week wearing a head-to-toe Gabriela Hearst suit and feeling all chic. And then I am sitting here today in my Adidas sweatpants, and maybe feeling slightly less chic, but just getting as much, if not more, done. We do what we can. I have to say, being able to work remotely is something that I also never appreciated as much as I do now. I'm in my Adidas sweatpants and hoodie because I love to walk or bike my son to school. I'm that mom with the kid's seat on the back of the bike. I'm biking him to school, and on a conference call, and doing the best I can. But I definitely am enjoying my working mom life — sweatpants some days, ball gowns other days, but making it work."

Are the boys in the kitchen with you yet?
"Yes! My 7-month-old is just starting to eat foods now too. Just before I called you, I picked him up from school and was sitting and having lunch with both of them. And it's a really special chapter of life — it's just getting more interesting by the day."