Mila Kunis often forgoes the celebrity party line in favour of the unvarnished truth – and one thing she isn’t afraid to speak openly about is motherhood.

The actress has two young children (daughter Wyatt and son Dmitri) with partner and former That 70s Show co-star Ashton Kutcher, and has previously said that “children are f***ing crazy”.

She has also defended her right to breastfeed in public, and observed that it’s in both her and her kids’ interests for her to be a “happy, fulfilled woman” with a successful career (here, here).

In a recent interview, Kunis gave another insight into her experience of motherhood. Speaking to People magazine, she said that she won’t be having any more children – because she doesn’t want to feel overwhelmed.

“I will only have two,” Kunis said. “I have heard [moving from] two to three is the hard [jump].

“[It’s hard] when they outnumber you,” she continued. “Right now, we’re fine. One hand, one hand. One eye, one eye. Two people, two kids.”

The Friends with Benefits star mused that perhaps once her offspring were old enough to keep themselves entertained, it would be easier to have another baby.

“People that have two kids, [they] grow up and they’re 10 and eight and play with each other and take care of themselves,” she said.

Kunis’s transparency surrounding motherhood is refreshing. She chooses not to portray a ‘super mum’ image, openly admitting that in her opinion there is “no such thing” as women being able to have it all. In 2016, she questioned the ideal of a work-life balance for working mothers.

“Simply put, the idea of balance doesn’t exist,” she told The Cut. “You have to be OK with one thing not getting the attention it needs at any particular time. It is your work or your kid, but you can’t balance it.”

The actor said the only real solution was to ask for help with balancing childcare and work commitments.

She added: “A happy woman, a fulfilled woman, will only make a better mother. And at the end of the day, I have to be happy with who I am and what I do.

“That is the only way I’ll be able to be a good mum for my daughter.”

Of course, each mother’s situation and personal ambitions are unique, and everyone will have a different definition of what it means to achieve ‘balance’.

But it’s encouraging to hear a high-profile woman acknowledge that children make a huge impact on your life – and to recognise that our decisions about motherhood are ours to own.

Images: Rex Features