In our final episode of Season 1 of Growing Pains, we speak to Cordelia Low, mum of one (soon to be two!) about the trials and tribulations of juggling work and raising her little girl, Gemma. From mum guilt to why it really does take a village to raise a family…
About our guest – Cordelia Low
Cordelia Low is one busy lady. She owns a number of successful businesses including talent agency Anticipating Diva, kid fave hangout Little Bear’s House, as well as being an emcee and model. That’s before we mention her other full-time job – being mum to her little girl, Gemma (and pregnant with number 2!). We’re tired just thinking about it. Cordelia shares with us how she got back to work so quickly after birth (the day after confinement to be exact), and how she manages to keep all the plates spinning!
Key points we covered in this episode to take a listen to…
02:00 – First off, we ask Cordelia to share when she went back to work after having Gemma. Her answer? Did she ever stop work?! She was messaging during labour and throughout her confinement, taking up her first gig a day after confinement ended. So how did she do it? She shares how the support of a confinement nanny and her super supportive mother-in-law has been essential.
06:40 – Cordelia shares how she balances the act of work and motherhood, which is a tricky task when you’re a self-confessed workaholic. Cordelia explains that Gemma has started school, so she manages to do pick up and drop off alongside her husband, who is also very hands-on and supportive.
11:00 – We talk more about sharing the load with your partner, and how Cordelia and her husband are both in agreement that you can’t have a good cop and bad cop, you need to share the discipline and roles.
14:40 – We ask Cordelia whether she’s ever had to prioritise her kids over work. She shared that Covid-19 actually allowed her to take a step back and slow down. We discuss the silver lining of working from home thanks to covid too.
15:40 – What about mum guilt? Cordelia shares a story of needing to pump on a work trip to Abu Dhabi soon after Gemma’s birth and how hard she found it.
19:00 – We get Cordelia’s advice for new mums. She shares that it’s always ok to ask for help, we shouldn’t be afraid to speak up and we shouldn’t try and do it all by ourselves. Being a first-time mum is hard. Cordelia tells us that having a good support group is so important, and that goes for work too. The name of the game is trust. Trust in your work colleagues too, they can do it without you. Trust others to help – friends and family.
21:00 – We end our chat by asking Cordelia for her worst and best parenting moment, and her best parenting advice. She talks about accidents, sleeping training and sagging boobs!
Want to know more? Check out these resources…
Considering going back to work after having a baby? Check out our article on making the decision to return to work (or not!), plus we’ve put together our top working from home tips if you’re still using the home office at the min!
Want to hear what other mums have to say? We interview Love, Bonito’s founder Rachel Lim, plus Vanessa Yeo Barger, VP of Brand, on all things motherhood. We’ve also spoken to Masterchef runner up, Zephyr Eng, on why she thinks mums really can have it all.
Want to get involved in the conversation and have your say? Join the dedicated Facebook group for our Growing Pains Podcast. Stay up to date and never miss an episode by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, Instagram and Facebook.
Look out for Season 2, coming soon!