MSN's 12 Sexiest Moms

She had a choice between a fashion-design apprenticeship and a modeling contract, and the rest is history. One of the most famous supermodels, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, actress and creator/host of the award-winning reality television show Project Runway, Heidi Klum had an estimated income of $16 million in 2009—and is also the very hot mother of four.

Actress Jessica Alba, who consistently appears on lists of "sexiest" and "most beautiful" people, gave birth to daughter Honor Marie in June 2008. When not acting or caring for her daughter, Alba is active in charities and causes ranging from Habitat for Humanity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Alba loves motherhood so much that she has said several times that she wants to expand her family—but this time she plans to adopt.

Still gracing the catwalk at age 47, Aussie Elle Macpherson was one of the first “supermodels” in the early 1980’s and holds the record for five Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue covers. She parlayed her acting talent into numerous film and television roles (remember her as Joey’s sexy roommate on Friends?) and this gorgeous mother of two boys is also the host of Britain’s Next Top Model.

A former beauty contestant and Bond girl, Halle Berry won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (she was also executive producer) and a Best Actress Oscar for Monster’s Ball. She works for political and environmental causes she believes in, has her own fragrance for Coty, and is a long-time spokesmodel for Revlon cosmetics. When she was 42 (and shortly after she had her baby), Esquire magazine named her its “Sexiest Woman Alive.”

The first Indian woman ever to become a top international model, Padma Lakshmi turned her initial success into a career as an actress and cookbook author. Lakshmi received an Emmy Award nomination in 2009 for her work as co-host of the reality television program Top Chef. In February 2010, Lakshmi gave birth to a baby girl named Krishna Thea Lakshmi.

At age 33, when most competitive swimmers would have been retired for a decade or more, Dara Torres won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. At age 40, she broke a 50-meter freestyle record that she set when she was 15. Age is clearly no barrier for Dara Torres, who’s also a mom, sports announcer and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.

With her wholesome, All-American beauty and sense of humor, actress Jennifer Garner is a talk-show favorite. A self-described former “girlie-girl,” she tested herself by performing many action scenes in her hit television series, Alias, and met hubby Ben Affleck while filming Daredevil (he impressed her by performing real-life rescues during stunt filming). A perennial celebrity tabloid favorite, Garner and Affleck have two daughters.

Kate Winslet's classic beauty and sexy curves are coupled with a formidable talent, which has made her "the best English-speaking actress of her generation," as New York magazine once described her. Winslet won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in The Reader and is also the youngest person ever to accrue six Academy Award nominations. Winslet's other starring role is as mother to Mia, her daughter with first-husband Jim Threapleton, and Joe, her son with director Sam Mendes.

Consider a few of Lisa Leslie’s basketball stats: Four Olympic gold medals, eight-time WNBA All-Star, first WNBA player to dunk the ball in a game, and the first WNBA player to reach the 3,000-, 4,000- and 6,000-point scoring milestones. Then consider that this 6’ 5” mom is a sports reporter, actress and model, and you have to wonder:  Is there anything she can’t do?