Motherhood in the age of Instagram looks pretty different compared to when our parents were doing it. And it's giving women all over the world a new outlook on career and parenthood...
Have you ever looked at the Instagram feeds of modern, social media-savvy mums and wondered how they make motherhood look so…. good? While you’re busy battling with breakouts and sleep deprivation on the baby-wrangling frontlines, some Instagram mums out there seem to have their sh*t totally together. They live in monochromatic homes, make fresh baby puree, go for regular facials, and still keep their plants alive. Meanwhile, you’re over here brushing your teeth at noon and contemplating which processed cereal is less damaging for your tot.
And yet, we can’t help but follow these inspirational Instagram mums. They’re like the cool girls you went to school with. They all grew up, had beautiful babies, and they do all the cool things that we wish we had time for. But they’re not all about flouting their seemingly ‘perfect lives’. Some are super hardworking mumpreneurs, while others show the ugly side of motherhood (AKA, reality). There are even Instagram mums that share all the tips we need on making our lives easier (in any way possible!).
So, we’ve rounded up the coolest Instagram mums that you really should be following – both local and international. These women are powerful, aspirational, and they help to inspire us daily, one picture-perfect post at a time…
The top 16 coolest mums on Instagram that you really should follow
1. Cordelia Daphne Low, AKA @c0rde
Cordelia Low is that Singaporean ‘it’-girl whom you secretly wish you were friends with. In 2013, she was the 2nd runner-up of Miss Singapore, and later started Anticipating Diva – a talent management that dominated the whole entertainment scene of Singapore. From Ultra Music Festival to the Singapore Yacht Show and even the opening of your local shop, you’ll spot Cordelia’s talent all across Singapore. We’ve even caught a glimpse of Cordelia herself running one event while directing another over the phone, and we we’re not quite sure how she did it. She’s also an emcee, an event host, a beauty expert, and an entrepreneur.
But that’s not all. She then threw motherhood into the mix, along with two other businesses. Cordelia now manages kids’ playground Little Bear House and The Acai Collective. She proves that nurturing small businesses and a small human simultaneously 24/7 is all within the realm of possibility. This mum boss definitely has her hands full, but she sure looks like she’s having a ball. Don’t believe us? Take a look and give her a follow.
2. Anabel Chew, AKA @anabel.chew
Here’s a note to self: the next time we start to default towards the sweatpants and tees section of our wardrobes (using motherhood as an excuse), we’re going to snap out of it and take a peek at Anabel Chew’s Instagram feed. Because damn, if she isn’t a well put together mum, we don’t know who is. Not only that, but she’s also a mum-of-all-trades. Business owner and mother-of-one, Anabel Chew always keeps it real for her 12.4k Instagram followers. It’s safe to say she’s one talented mum. She’s the founder of the first Barre studio in Singapore, a fitness instructor, beauty and style guru, a mum, and owner of the newest (and hottest) mum group: Tiger Moms. Her account features a mix of cool fitness shoots, sultry selfies, and eloquent everyday moments with her family. In our opinion, Anabel just does everything better. And have we mentioned her appropriately sun-washed and covetable home? Oh, to live in Anabel’s world…
3. Lily Loh, AKA @liloikanbilis
Ikan bilis powder, anyone? Trust Singaporean entrepreneur Lily Loh to turn her family’s secret food powder recipes into a serious business. And it’s booming. If you’re a mum living in Singapore, you’ve definitely seen Lily’s products floating around your social media. The idea to start a spice business came from years of raising a fussy eater – her daughter Lauren. What started out as a homegrown solution to help Lauren and a few friends’ kids eat better, turned into a successful business for Lily. The powders are carefully crafted in an SFA-licensed factory, and they’re also 100% natural and completely safe for both babies and adults. They contain calcium and DHA, and you can add them into pretty much anything, from soup bases to stir fries. If you need dinner inspiration, hop over to Lily’s Instagram feed, and check out the bazillion nom-worthy recipes from mums all over Singapore. She even teams up with other Insta mums to showcase easy-peasy kid-friendly cooking recipes. You’re welcome!
4. Adeline Lee, AKA @adelinebabysuns
Inspiring and upbeat, yet totally relatable, this vivacious mum – known for being the 4th Runner Up at Mrs Singapore World 2017 – is the epitome of both elegance and beauty. And not just that, she’s also a business owner. The former pageant queen recently launched her business My Goddess Eats and it’s already gained a solid social media presence – all thanks to the drool-worthy food she sells, and also to celeb mum fans like Vanny, Nicole and Elaine. Adeline, like most Insta-famous mums, works hard to promote her business and stays on top of trends. She puts in time before school pickups, at the kids’ playground, and after they go to bed. Raising three young kids while trying to build a brand isn’t easy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Want to have a peek into her life? Check her out on her Instagram account @adelinebabysuns.
5. Jill Lim, AKA @killjilllll
Here’s another multi-talented supermum. Enter Jill Lim – radio jock, writer, and mum of one. Seriously, how does she juggle more than one job and crush it at everything she does? Although Jill doesn’t run her own business (not yet anyway), she’s killing it at hosting her radio show on KISS92. She also has a major passion for writing. In fact, when she’s not on-air, she even writes for us! And when she’s not tapping away at her laptop, she’s chasing after her tot and sharing her mothering moments on her Instagram. When it comes to being a mum, Jill’s known for being one of the realest. Her IG feed doesn’t just showcase the pretty side of motherhood. It also shows the uglier side of things – the messy days and sleepless nights. Jill’s fun, honest, and personable – just scroll through her feed and you’ll know she’s one of us.
6. Ramita Anand, AKA @elevate.ra
Ramita Anand is many things: a teacher, a podcast host, and a mum of two. But that’s not all. She’s also the brains behind ElevateRA – an educational mentoring company dedicated to empowering young girls, especially those with challenges. Founded in 2020, Elevate has been a champion in mentoring girls from the age of nine to 13 years-old. When working with her students, Ramita focuses on the five superpowers: confidence, emotional literacy, kindness, empathy and resilience. She also uses a child-led approach to let the children explore their own capabilities. With more than 15 years of teaching and being a mum, Ramita is armed with all the necessary skills to support children so that they’re future-ready. Check out her inspiring and empowering Instagram feed, stat!
7. Pooja Kawatra Gupta, AKA @poojakawatra
Pooja Kawatra Gupta is a mum of two and the founder of one of the most popular parenting groups for expats – Mums & Babies. Looking at Pooja’s Intagram page – which exudes positivity and strength – you might not know that she’s also a cancer survivor who won the battle with stage 2 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009. Receiving the diagnosis shortly after giving birth, with families living 3,000 miles away, Pooja owes it to her husband Nikhil for all the support he gave her throughout her journey with chemotherapy. Her Mums & Babies parenting group, which started as a personal blog, turned into a mega platform where she writes about raising kids in a foreign land and travelling. She also uses TheMumsandBabies blog as a tool to spread positivity as a cancer survivor. Pooja is a living example of Robert Schuller’s quote: tough times don’t last, tough people do.
8. Sunita Gill Karkaria, AKA @sunita.gill
Sunita Gill Karkaria is a mum of two and one half of the dynamic real estate duo of Singapore. The other half is her husband Kaizar. Together they founded Singapore Luxury Homes – a company that has been dominating Singapore’s luxury realty sphere since 2009. Singapore Luxury Homes’ portfolio consists of some of the most expensive bungalows and mansions on this Little Red Dot. Sunita manages over $500 million in assets with clients all over the world. Apart from running SG Luxury Homes, she’s also the group director at Propnex. In her free time, she writes for Singapore Tatler Homes, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Seriously, we’re speechless. While we’re here snoozing our alarm for the 10th time, Sunita is probably out there closing million-dollar deals and still makes it to her yoga class. It’s true that she’s one of the most powerful women in Singapore. However, her Instagram feed is totally down to earth. It documents fun and goofy moments she has with her kids, friends and family. You know, just a normal mum doing normal things.
9. Vinita Chaitanya, AKA @vinitachaitanya
Vinita Chaitanya is an interior designer, a mum, a wife, and an avid traveller. Her interior design firm has been going strong since 1988. So strong it’s been featured countless times in reputable international magazines like Vogue, Economic Times, and Elle Decor. Vinita lives and breathes art. She’s behind some of the most stunning projects in India. Vinita truly has the Midas touch. Any homes she touches turn to gold. She prides on her ability to layer different cultures and periods – a ‘contemporary classic’ style. Her masterpieces are a euphoric blend of sumptuous silks, traditional paisleys, exquisite Indian artefacts and Western covetable. If you’re looking to renovate your home, have a look at Vinita’s page. You’ll probably learn a thing or two.
10. Nursyazanna Syaira, AKA @syarsyaira
Prior to motherhood, this cupcake connoisseur was baking up a storm with Fluff Bakery, which Nursyazanna Syaira co-founded with her husband. Having been around for eight years, we adore this quaint bakery for its cupcakes and doughnuts! Lately, Syaira’s been busy with the next stage of Fluff’s evolution – a sit-down cafe. But that’s not all that she’s busy with: she’s also occupied with Noah, her son. Noah is the happy ending after an emotional rollercoaster involving a tumour in the brain and adoption. Syaira is candid about sharing these little nuggets of her life. Her Instagram feed is curated with adorably posed photos of her hubby and baby, while she documents the everyday stuff on her stories. That’s why we feel like we know her more than just a persona: she feels like a friend to us.
11. Tjin Lee, AKA @tjinlee
She’s the founder of Mercury PR Group, and CEO of startup incubator CRIB (Creating Responsible Innovative Business). She’s also a wonder mum to her two young sons Tyler and Jake. A self-proclaimed dragon mum, she’s also not afraid to dish out tough love when needed and is definitely a role model for many. If there’s one thing Tjin loves doing with her boys, it’s travelling. But instead of just doing it just for pleasure, they do it for a good cause. In 2019, Tjin launched ‘Holiday for Hope’, a holiday-for-good initiative in partnership with Operation Hope Foundation. For a fixed donation of $5000 (and pre-Covid) you could enjoy a guilt-free and culturally immersive family holiday (not including plane tickets) and help out the less fortunate in turn. Love!
12. Aarika Lee, AKA @aarikalee
What don’t we love about this musician, mum and all-around rockstar, Aarika Lee? This singer, marketing director, co-founder of dress loan company RMBRTheDress and mum to Zola Mae and Ari Jon has all the daily inspiration on life and family you’ll ever need. A hipster mum with positivity and life lessons at the ready (she’s even written a piece for us about travelling without kids), her account is filled with adventures and engagement in the local arts scene with husband and fellow musician, Kevin Lester, AKA TheLionCityBoy. We’re also secretly keeping track of how many different headscarves she owns…
13. Bella Koh, AKA @catslavery
We’ll admit, we’re a little bit obsessed with fashionista mum and life stylist Bella Koh. An experienced entrepreneur, and founder of The Slowhouse, Bella knows just how to make us crave healthy food with all her artfully styled photography. A slave to her cats and mum to daughter Alessandra Yeung, Bella is living the slow life and imparting her knowledge on #consciousliving through social media, her recipes and homemade jewellery. Check out her workshops and learn everything from how to make healthy home-cooked meals, to setting up your own dessert table.
14. Lynda Lye, AKA @littleoddforest
Here’s a mum with both feet on the ground and her head in the clouds. Lynda Lye is a Singapore-based designer and mum who has been running her forest and wanderlust inspired design label Littleoddforest (or LOF) since 2004. Follow her for your daily dose of cute bags and accessories, with her two little tots proudly modelling mummy’s collection. We especially love how LOF is catered for kidults, regardless of gender or age. This fab mumpreneur hopes to fill the world with colourful pieces of imagination and fun through her fabulous work.
15. Innika Choo, AKA @innika
We’ve got a serious mum crush on gorgeous fashion stylist, Innika Choo. Born in Australia and based in Bali, Innika is married to resort planner and architect, Pern Choo, and has three beautiful children, Eadie, Matty and Dan. This is one seriously photogenic family who look amazing sporting Innika’s own fashion line, which is focused on comfort and freedom to dress – two things that Innika strongly believes in. We definitely respect her for that, as well as her humour which is as daring as her dress sense. This is a mum who gives no sh*ts, except when she’s composing a post on the toilet (which she has done on occasion!).
16. Turia Pitt, AKA @turiapitt
Turia Pitt is a living example of how women are made of the toughest material on Earth. After being caught in a grass fire and recovering from severe burns, this Aussie athlete is still running the race. Besides running marathons regularly, she’s written two memoirs and two e-books. She’s also a motivational speaker and humanitarian who has raised funds for ReSurge International and Haapii. Together with her baby boy, Hakavai Hoskin, Turia is an inspiring Insta mum you can’t take your eyes off.
Know if any other Instagram mums we should be following? Send us a DM!
