“Queen of Ordinary Women” talks about raising 8 children on a remote farm, giving birth without pain relief

A Mormon mother dubbed the “queen of ordinary women” is speaking out about her life on a remote farm raising eight children, where she milks cows, cooks from scratch and gives birth without painkillers.

Hannah Neeleman, 34, was an aspiring ballerina studying at New York’s prestigious Juilliard School when she met her now-husband Daniel, 35, who insisted they get married and start a family before she graduated.

The couple now live with their children, Henry, 12, Charles, 10, George, 9, Frances, 7, Lois, 5, Martha, 3, Mabel, 2, and six-month-old Flora, on a 328-acre farm in Utah. .

Neeleman hit the headlines earlier this year after competing in a beauty pageant just 12 days after welcoming her youngest child, and she has amassed more than nine million followers on Instagram, where she shares curated photos of her home life.

The content creator has been called an “ordinary woman” – short for “traditional woman” – a term that refers to a woman who has proudly eschewed a career in favor of domestic duties such as cooking, cleaning and raising children.

But Neeleman told The Times of London that she doesn’t “identify” with the label, as she has established her own lucrative career as a content creator, meaning she still effectively works while growing her large bosom.

“We’re traditional in the sense that we’re husband and wife, we have kids, but I feel like we’re blazing a trail that hasn’t been paved before,” she said.

But being a household diva means Neeleman — who is a devout Mormon — feels she is “absolutely” politicized by other people.

“We try so hard to be neutral and be ourselves and people will put a label on everything,” she explained. “This is just our normal life.”

In addition to resisting the trad woman label, the mom also refuses to refer to herself as a feminist, saying, “There are so many different ways you can take that word. I don’t even know what feminism means anymore.”

Traditional women have gained widespread attention in recent years, with TikTok accounts and Instagram feeds full of stay-at-home moms who say they’re content without a career.

The lifestyle has become coveted among some working mothers who feel increasingly burned out by the juggling act of raising children and climbing the corporate ladder.

However, critics say the women trades harmfully promote regressive gender roles, with the long-term aim of stripping women of their rights and freedoms by confining them to the kitchen.

Others say the lifestyle is largely unattainable – even if women want to stay at home – as most families now need at least two sources of income to pay for the high costs of housing, utilities and food.

In other words, businesswomen are not being honest about the financial reality behind their glamorous Instagram images and are promoting an unrealistic fantasy unattainable for most people.

Case in point: Neeleman’s father-in-law is billionaire businessman David Neeleman, who founded JetBlue Airways.

“If I had as much generational wealth as Hannah and Daniel Neeleman, I’d be at home with my kids baking sourdough with a stupid, expensive stove,” wrote one reviewer at X. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t in cards for me.”

However, the couple do not live in abundance – and their reality is far more grueling and less glamorous than their stylish Instagram account implies.

Neeleman and her husband do not employ any nannies and take a hands-on approach to raising their children.

Mom buys all the family’s groceries and makes every meal from scratch. Meanwhile, Daniel helps with the housework and washes all the children’s clothes.

While the pair declare they are “co-CEOs,” Neeleman often reveals that “she gets so sick from exhaustion” that she “can’t get out of bed for a week.”

And as for having more children, the 34-year-old says she’s not sure because she feels “old and tired”.

And while millions may be pouring in on her rich husband, cute kids and gorgeous farm, Neeleman has sacrificed her passion—and perhaps, a career—in ballet.

“My goal was New York City. I left home at 17 and I was so excited to get there, I just loved that energy. And I was going to be a ballerina. I was a good ballerina,” said the Juilliard dropout.

“But I knew that when I started having children, my life would start to look different.”