There’s a crayfish on Sam’s T-shirt but the effortless way Sam seems to juggle life, work and being a mum (to three extraordinarily handsome little boys) an octopus would be more apt.
Health, food and fitness journalist and creator of recipes so delicious you’d think they’d be bad for you (but actually and thankfully they’re super-healthy), Sam Tweeted a pic of her first baby, Zayn a few years ago and I remember the Tweet as if it was yesterday. These days Leo and now little Ezra are also keeping her busy, and I’m still trying to figure out her magical do-four-things-at-once powers (hunting for clues here but a positive attitude, maybe those energy-boosting superfood recipes and some kind of coconut oil connection?)
In the first of 4 Baby Awards special interviews with “mums we love and know” we asked Sam for some top tips if you’ve just become a new mum – because, like that famous Instagram quote, a lot of us are winging it just like our eyeliner (dry shampoo and dark circles concealer at the ready)…
Here are Sam’s recommendations on how to cope during those first blissfully happy but sleep and time-deprived weeks of becoming a brand new mama!
(FYI: This year’s Mum & Baby Awards entries close 17 June. To enter and for more info see: https://www.thebeautyshortlist.com/2016-baby/ )
SAMANTHA HADADI’S TOP 3 TIPS FOR NEW MUMS AND MUMS-TO-BE
One: One of best things I did when I was pregnant was to prepare plenty of healthy, nourishing meals in advance and stash them in my freezer. I made loads of batches of chilli, bolognese, pasta sauces and stews so that when Zayn arrived, I had plenty of delicious, healthy (important when you’re running on zero sleep!) meals to eat – and I didn’t have to worry about standing over an oven all evening!
Two: Don’t sweat the small stuff! Being a mum can be so overwhelming in the early days (years, even!) and it’s a huge learning curve. But try not to panic, try not to compare your baby to anyone else’s (remember: every baby is beautifully, wonderfully different) and just go with it. And beware the “well-meaning” advice – no one knows your baby like you do.
Three: Babies take their own time over things. My first boy, Zayn, was slow at learning to talk, and this used to send me into a panic when I heard other children his age talking perfectly. However, someone said to me: “Stop worrying. You don’t see adults who can’t talk, can’t sit, can’t walk or stand – all babies do things in their own time.” After that, I stopped worrying – and now he’s three, he doesn’t stop talking!
Sam is one of the judges for this year’s Beauty Shortlist Mum + Baby Awards (all the winners and finalists will be unveiled on Friday 15 July).
Entries close Friday 17 June. For information on how to enter, or to enter by email, contact Hannah -hannahbeautyshortlist@gmail.com.
Follow Sam on Instagram at @samanthahadadi, Twitter @samantha_hadadi