Beverly Hills Babies - circa 2006
Being a mum as well as running a business revolving around mothers, I find there is never lack of great gossip at www.motherinc.com.au (known as the mothership) on parenting and even more on parenting celebrity-style.
Is the celebrity mother pregnant for the same amount of time as non-celebrities, OR does she order her C-section a tad early, prior to total tummy expansion and possible stretch marks? How do the majority of the Hollywood-version of celebrity mums regain their figure in what seems a matter of a few weeks. Denise Richards (Charlie Sheen's possible ex) just voted Yummy Mummy of the Year in LA, sets an amazing example of body-shrinkage, post birth, and looks positively spectacular in a mini-skirt and tight-top over her breast-feeding boobs.
Is the Hollywood-style Celebrity Mum a super-breed of mother? How does she do it?
During a recent visit to the City of Angels, I checked into Babyland, Beverly Hills-style. After interviewing local baby-retailers and the medical fraternity I discovered more about the mini-empire which supports this unique breed of new mums, many whom employ at least three staff to help with their new-born.
Many Beverly Hills mums have night nurses for the new-borns, to ensure a good night sleep (pre-facial and manicure the following day). Yet - post natal depression is just as much a risk, even if it is brought on by a combination of hormones and stress from juggling an entourage of baby-staff?
The Beverley Hills mum will have no less than two of the following staff members to manage on an average day: midwife; nurse; nanny; night nurse; doula (trained helper) to assist with all the dirty work/cleaning up associated with looking after a new baby and permanent pre-birth staff may also include a personal assistant, secretary, cook, cleaner, gardener and more.
However despite what appears to be an overwhelming amount of assistance to manage just one new-born baby, you’ll be pleased to know that these high-maintenance mums, like every other new mum still battle with breastfeeding, stress, ‘mother-guilt’, exhaustion as well as the rise and fall of a myriad of other emotions which naturally accompany the arrival of a new baby in the home.
The more I thought about a new mum trying to recover from pregnancy and birth, while simultaneously keeping up with the peer-pressure of a high profile lifestyle, the more I actually felt sorry for them! For Beverly Hills mums, the extreme pressure to stay on the social circuit, get a perfect body back in nano-second, run a charity, do lunch, be seen at the right yoga or pilates class while promoting yours and your husband’s latest film project, business or book-to-be, is mandatory and leaves no choice but to rely on hired help…and lots of it!
But of course, if there’s a commercial opportunity to capitalise on any aspect of Babyland in Beverly Hills, retailers have found it. The ‘shops’ which serve both resident BH mums and visitors are quite simply - brilliant! Just a few include: ‘Maba’, which stocks a colourful supply of both essential and fun products, but also provides a baby-minding while you have your hair or nails done; a sanctuary for mums needing to breastfeed or just enjoy a chat in a beautifully decorated and well-stocked private room (stocked with mineral water and snacks as well as, nappies, creams, a lounge chair and a box of tissues to dry any tears of exhaustion) and a lactation specialist on hand. Another store, ‘Bonpoint’ sells exclusively designed clothes for babies and toddlers, including top to toe outfits designed to the ‘looks’ of stars such as Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday! The Bonpoint range is so exclusive it’s not on any website - all clients receive a personal phone call to allow them to view the range at their leisure…
And finally my favourite- a full blown Day Spa with private lounge and Café, where your kids are whisked away on arrival to enjoy separate activities and games, led by a childcare specialist, for hours and hours and hours.
Being a new mum in Beverly Hills is actually a tough gig, according to the medical practitioners and retailers who cater to this rare breed of females. I’m still not convinced she’s not cloned.
Claudia Keech is editor and CEO of the monthly online glossy for modern mums, www.motherinc.com.au, where you can find an entire library of articles on modern parenting, work/life balance (not) and other fun topics!
