As a soap opera actress, Alicia Minshew was used to heavy doses of daily drama. What she wasn't accustomed to, however, was drama in her own life.

Minshew, who plays Kendall Hart Slater, the strong-willed daughter of Susan Lucci's Erica Kane on "All My Children," got a shock in August 2009 when she was six months pregnant and found out that the cast and crew were relocating the show from New York City to Los Angeles.

"We panicked when we got the news because my husband (Richie Herschenfeld) and I lived right around the corner from the studio in Manhattan and we had lots of family on the East Coast to help us out with the baby," the actress tells ParentDish. "Our master plan quickly went south."

The couple's daughter, Willow, is now 9 months old, and one month after returning to the set, Minshew, 36, shares why her real-life role as a mother played a huge part in her decision to move her family across the country.

PD: You play Susan Lucci's daughter on the soap opera. Did she give you any advice while you were pregnant?
AM: Yeah, she did. We were talking about working while you were pregnant and what to do when you get tired, nauseous or just need to put your feet up. I asked her what it was like to work once the baby arrives and she gave me great tips on balancing the two. Matter of fact, my very first day on the set almost nine years ago I got slapped across the face by my TV mom. Welcome to daytime TV and the start your new job. (Laughs)

The fiery, outspoken, table-flipping Teresa Giudice from the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" makes one thing clear: You shouldn't mess with a girl from Jersey.

On the show, Giudice is the extravagant, stylish mom who throws outrageous parties for her four daughters: Gia, 9; Gabriella, 5; Milania, 4; and Audriana, 11months. But Giudice's wave came to a crash when she and her husband of 10 years, Joe, filed for Chapter 7 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newark, N.J. According to court documents, they owe nearly $11 million to creditors.

Teresa chatted with ParentDish to talk about where it all went wrong.

ParentDish: How did you prepare your kids for being on this TV show?
Teresa Giudice: Gia knew what was going on and she likes to be in front of the cameras. To her, this is fun. Every time the camera is on she loves to act. Milania was only 2 years old and Gabriella was 3 years old, so they were really young and not as aware.

PD: Now that season two has wrapped, do you and Joe ever sit down with your children to get a sense of how they feel about being on the series?
TG: Yes, and they tell us they like it. When I asked them, "Would you want mommy to do the show again if there is a third season?" they all said yes.

PD: With all that has been written about you and Joe filing for bankruptcy, what have you told your children?
TG: They don't know what is going on because it is summertime and they are not in school. But school starts in September so we will see what happens.

From Doritos pitchwoman to designing mom, Ali Landry's career -- and life -- is all about perseverance.

The former Miss USA 1996 is happily married to director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and mother to their 3-year-old daughter, Estela. She's also celebrating the one-year anniversary of her children's clothing line Belle Parish, which will be featured for the first time at New York Fashion Week next month.

Landry, 38, has worked hard and endured public heartache to get to this place. In 2004, she wed longtime boyfriend Mario Lopez, but the pair split after two weeks of marriage. But, as Ali tells ParentDish, "That horrific ending got me to where I am today."

ParentDish: How has becoming a mother changed your outlook on Hollywood?
Ali Landry: Before I was going about my business and now it is all about Estela. Now I make more conscious choices since my work is an extension of me. I think about my legacy and think: Will Estela be proud of me and what can I teach her?

PD: You have been quoted as saying motherhood is a humbling experience. How so?
AL: With a child you deal with so much stuff. I remember when we were in public and she was in her hitting phase or when she was teething and she took a good chunk out of my shoulder. There was even the time she threw up on my clothes. You have to just let it go and live.



PD: How has Estela changed you as a person?
AL: Everything in my life changed once I became a mom. When you have a child, the focus has (to) become all about them. Estela has also taught me how to embrace my insecurities. For example, I enjoyed putting on weight when I got pregnant and letting my body do what it needed to do in order to have a healthy child. I actually cracked jokes about it, looking at myself in the mirror. I also didn't push myself to quickly lose the weight because I was more focused on enjoying her.

PD: Insecurities? You have insecurities?
AL: I go to bed every night thinking about a million things, the same things as everyone else does, so, yes, we all have them. I think about the fact I am getting older and does my skin look OK? I know I can't eat ice cream and cupcakes in bed anymore because I have to put my diet in check. But because of Estela I have gained a whole new level of confidence.

PD: You were briefly married to Mario Lopez and, unfortunately, that relationship had a horrible ending. How did that have an impact on you?
AL: That was a terrible situation and it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I have never been betrayed by someone like that. But, I will say, even though I never got an apology from him, it was the absolute best thing that happened to me because now I have a great husband who has the same values and the same morals as me. We walk on the same path and, as an added bonus, we have a beautiful daughter.

Candace Cameron Bure might be best known as D.J. Tanner from the popular sitcom "Full House," but now she's a very much grown-up wife and mother of three with a full house of her own.

After the series wrapped in 1995, Bure, now 34, left her well-known character and married professional hockey player Valeri Bure in 1996.

When her daughter, Natasha, 12, was born, Bure decided to focus on her family, which grew to include sons Lev, 10, and Maksim, 8.

ParentDish caught up with the busy mom, who recently returned to acting with a role on ABC Family's "Make It Or Break It." An edited version of the conversation follows.

As a woman who still does cartwheels down the catwalk, designer Betsey Johnson won't settle for a quiet birthday dinner.

So, to celebrate her 68th birthday, Johnson threw a lavish bash at her Soho Boutique in Manhattan, complete with cocktails, cupcakes and, of course, lots of dancing. But before Betsey boogied down, she took a moment to chat with ParentDish about her favorite things in her extraordinary life.

ParentDish: Happy birthday! What does turning 68 mean to you?
Betsey Johnson: It means O-L-D. Old but feeling happy and young!

PD: What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment?
BJ: Stayin alive!

PD: Aside from your success in the business world, you are also a devoted mom. Why is this role so important to you?
BJ: It's the most important thing in the world. My daughter Lulu and my grandkids (Layla & Ella) are everything. Having my family are the best things in life.

PD: It makes you feel that special?
BJ: You don't really know till you're a mom and when you are. It's a trip, it's beyond a MasterCard moment! It was more important to me to have a kid than a career.

PD: How has living in the same apartment building as your daughter and grandchildren strengthened your relationship?
BJ: I love to have them there to have coffee in the morning. As for the grandkiddos, I love having them come up and sleep with me at night.

PD: What do you like to do with your grandchildren when you are not designing something fabulous?
BJ: We go the park and they love to walk Lucy, my Maltese dog.

PD: Would you ever consider creating a children's line?
BJ: I would love to! I did before (back in April 1975, the same time her daughter was born) and I want to do again.

Related: Betsey Johnson Unveils 'Eloise' Suite at the Plaza

At age 11, Jackson Murphy has become one of the country's youngest movie critics.

An only child from upstate New York, Murphy is known as Lights Camera Jackson and does movie reviews for CBS's "The Early Show," plus a newspaper and radio station in New York state. In April, Murphy became the youngest recipient ever to win an Emmy Award in the category "On Camera Talent: Commentator/Editorialist." ParentDish caught up with the busy tween to discuss.

Padma Lakshmi has a lot on her plate.

In addition to being a best-selling cookbook author, host of the Bravo series "Top Chef," creator of the spice line Easy Exotic and a jewelry designer, the model and actress also is a new mom.

In February, Lakshmi gave birth to daughter Krishna and, as she describes it, has been floating on a cloud ever since.

Lakshmi, 39, was in New York Aug. 6, judging a Hillshire Farm sandwich making contest at a BlogHer event, and ParentDish caught up with the famous mama to see what else she's been whipping up.

ParentDish: Has becoming a mom changed your views about cooking?
Padma Lakshmi: No. I have a lot of children in my family and we always try to have the kids eat similar foods to what adults eat right away. The only difference is, we just make them a lot less spicy and a lot less fatty.

Forget the single and carefree Bethenny Frankel you grew to love on "The Real Housewives of New York City." It's time to get to know the new Frankel who married Jason Hoppy back in March, and gave birth to their daughter, Bryn, four months ago.

That's right: The savvy Manhattan businesswoman who created the Skinny Girl brand is now shifting her attention to changing diapers and tending to her baby.

And, along with her new starring role as Mommy, Frankel has partnered with Ameda breast pumps to kick off the company's "I Breastfeed Because ..." campaign, created in honor of World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7.

The reality star chatted with ParentDish about the joys of parenthood and why her decision to nurse was a no-brainer.

Being famous comes with a lot of perks but there's a downside, too. Just ask Anthony Field, from the popular kiddie group The Wiggles.

Ever since Field, best known as the blue Wiggle, helped form the band back in 1990, he started touring with his cast mates. And while performing on hundreds of stages eight months out of the year was fun in the beginning, that all changed when Field became a father. Now, in an exclusive interview with ParentDish, the father of three reveals how tough the road can be for a dad.

ParentDish: You and your wife of seven years, Miki, have three children.
Anthony Field: Yes. Lucia is 6 years old, Maria is 4 years old and Antonio is 3 years old.

PD: How do you explain or what do you say to your kids when you are getting ready to go on tour?
AF: I explain things to each of my children based on their age level. With Antonio, I say I am going over to the states to find some toys for you. Lucia has grown up with this so she understands Daddy is going off to work and because of Daddy's job, she can live in a nice house and go to school.

The Wiggles need to make a little more wiggle room inside the big red car.

Sam Moran, the yellow Wiggle and lead singer of the kiddie group, became a dad earlier this year.

Moran and his wife, Lyn, whom he met in 2003 when she played the lovable Dorothy the Dinosaur on the show, welcomed daughter Eloise Isabella Moran on Jan. 18, in Sydney, Australia. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces and, like her famous father, Dad says Eloise came out singing.

Moran, who hits the road July 28 with rest of the Wiggles to embark on a 26-city American tour, spoke exclusively with ParentDish in his first U.S. interview discussing the birth of his baby girl and the impact parenthood has had on him.