Rachel: ‘Lack of sleep made me cry!’

Rachel Stevens tells about suffering from the baby blues, and admits motherhood is overwhelming at times…

new! Magazine haven’t had a good old chinwag with singer Rachel Stevens for ages.

And since Rachel Stevens’ daughter Amelie has just turned one, they decided it was about time they had a catch-up.

Having wed her property-developer husband Alex Bourne in August 2009, the 33 year old gave birth in November last year and has spent the last 12 months navigating the tricky world of motherhood.

Here, the former Strictly Come Dancing star opens up about how becoming a parent has affected her relationship, getting back in shape and her big comeback plans…

Amelie was one last week. How did you celebrate?
We had a big party with family a few days before and, on the actual day, we had a little tea party. We bought her a walker as she is just starting to pull herself up, and a xylophone.

How are you finding life as a mum?
I love it. It’s a massive learning experience and is so overwhelming for the first three months. I didn’t know what I was doing but I had loads of support.

How has motherhood changed you as a person?
I’m even more emotional, although I’m not as anxious as I thought I would be. The first night we brought her home was scary, though. They make all these noises and you don’t know what they’re doing. I just sat up all night watching her.

Is Amelie a girly girl?
She is very soft on the one hand but, on the other hand, she is really feisty and stubborn like me! My husband is like that, too, so we are going to have fireworks in our house!

Does she sleep through the night now?
She has since she was three months. Sleep deprivation was the worst for me. I would get up in the night crying. I’m rubbish without sleep.

Did you suffer from the baby blues at all?
I did. It wasn’t depression but it is all so overwhelming. You feel like you should be on top of the world but, at the same time, life has changed, you lose a little bit of your independence and you’re also responsible for this little thing.

Was Alex understanding?
He was really good but it’s hard for the man as it’s all about you two then, all of a sudden, another person comes into the picture and the dynamic totally changes. But he was very supportive.

How has being parents changed your marriage?
Everything dramatically changes – we’d realise we’d gone for a few weeks and not actually sat down and spent time together. Now we keep the spark in our marriage with date nights.

Do you and Alex bicker?
We do about stupid things. We’re both quite feisty so I’m learning to pick my arguments. It’s important not to take things too seriously, but that can be difficult when you’ve just had a baby and you’re knackered. It’s tough but you get through it.

Has your body changed since having a baby?
My body did change when I was pregnant but I was fortunate that I had a trainer from three months pregnant until the week I gave birth. I only put on 2st when I was pregnant.

Have you lost the weight now?
Yeah. I had a few months off exercise when I had Amelie but then I went back to training. I train three times a week with my trainer and we do boxing, kick-boxing and circuits. I walk a lot with Amelie and try to have no carbs after 6pm.

Would you like more kids?
Absolutely, but not yet. I just want to enjoy Amelie.

Are you working on music?
Yes, I’ve had a couple of sessions in the studio and it’s very early days but now feels like the right time to get back to it. It’s nerve-racking but I’m excited.

You did Strictly in 2008. Are you watching it this year?
Yes. I think Harry [Judd] is good, he’s a very sexy little dancer. Chelsee [Healey] is really cute, too, and I love Russell [Grant] – he’s such good fun!

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Credit: new! Magazine

Posted: November 24th, 2011