I always wanted to be a working mother...
When I found out I was pregnant, I’d just been promoted. I’ve worked really hard to get where I am and it’s a big part of my life. But when I had Charlie, the thought of going back to work made me really sad. I didn’t actually know how I could do it. Once I was back and I got into it, I was fine, but in the beginning, the thought of leaving him was devastating. My mum worked when I was younger. It’s a really good thing to have your own interests and still be inspired and driven.
I’m a type one diabetic, so it’s advised to have your baby slightly early...
My obstetrician and I decided I would have a caesarian. A couple of days before I was due for the operation, I was a bit concerned because I hadn’t felt much movement in my stomach. I didn’t realise that if you’re not feeling movement, you need to go to the hospital immediately and check that everything is ok. I just thought I was being a hypochondriac. It turned out he was in distress, so I had an emergency caesarian. Charlie was born within half an hour. He was in special care for seven days. I didn’t get to hold him for four days. It was very upsetting but because of my diabetes, his sugars weren’t balancing properly, so he had to go onto a drip. I was lucky enough to stay in hospital the entire time with my husband. We tried to see the positive of it. Having him in that little special care unit, we had so much time together and also a lot of one on one time with the nurses, teaching us what to do with Charlie. It was a really calming environment. We had some really lovely times in there.
On my work days, I pencil in an early breakfast with friends...
I know that Charlie is taken care of on those days, so I make an effort to catch up with my friends. If I need to run errands, I try and work it on these days so when I’m with Charlie, I’m really with him.
I want him to be a lovely little polite boy...
Manners are so important to me and I want him to have good manners. He’s mixed race and I want him to be really proud of that. Everyone is unique and everyone is a human being. I want him to be sure of himself and to treat people with respect. To not judge people.
On my days with Charlie, I’m always in a print pant and a T-shirt or a relaxed shirt...
I remember a friend telling me that during the first few months, anything with print is the great to wear because it disguises vomit and dribble. I am determined never to wear a tracksuit out, no matter how tired or stressed I am. I wear quite a lot of bassike – I think every mother does. I also just bought my first pair of fashion sneakers.
I love printebebe, designed by my friend Fiona...
She has just started doing boy’s clothing. I’ve been spoilt by her and she’s given me a few limited editions for Charlie. I get a lot from Cotton On, Seed and American Apparel. I love Stella McCartney Kids. I get everything on sale online. I love Saltwater sandals. They are my favourite summer sandals for Charlie. I also shop at Kido.
I love watching our family with Charlie...
I couldn’t continue working like I do without the support of my family. I am so grateful and feel so blessed. He has brought so much joy into all our lives and it is amazing to watch the fun they get up to. My mum looks after Charlie two days a week, and my husband looks after him one day. Charlie loves the days he spends with his Nannie and Dadda.
Juggling the world of motherhood is so intense...
It makes me admire every working mother. Once you’ve had a child, there’s a weird connection among mothers and respect for the pressure we are all under. I was really lucky that I had such incredible support at work when Charlie was born. The women I worked with were so incredible and they realised that my priority was Charlie and were really encouraging of my going home early if I needed to. That support made all the difference.
Motherhood has taught me that the basic things in life are the most important...
Instantly I realised that I used to get myself worked up over silly things. Now, it’s truly about having lovely times with my little boy, my family and my friends. Life is about simple things such as an afternoon in the park with my son. It has taught me to slow down and be happy with that.
I have always loved kids, but I was really nervous about having my own children...
I didn’t know how I’d be able to juggle it all, because I have always really loved my work and the travelling aspect of my job. I didn’t ever desperately want children but now, I can’t imagine ever thinking like that. All of a sudden, I’ve done a full circle. I was never incredibly maternal, but that all changed when Charlie was born. Motherhood completely put everything into perspective. I thought that I would probably struggle a little bit more with slowing down, but I didn’t. I loved just being a mum.
At the beginning of the pregnancy, I was panicked and freaked out...
By the end of the nine months, I was really ready for it. Then when I had Charlie, my maternal instinct just switched on instantly. I am obsessed with him. He’s a real sweetheart. I love waking up to him every morning.
There’s so much pressure on new mums to get into this crazy routine...
I’m a very routine orientated person and I tried to be like that at the beginning, but I realised that if I was really relaxed and just took things day by day and as they come, it worked better for my husband and I and for Charlie. Even now, I don’t have intense set routines on what time he goes to bed or when he’s fed. He is now is at that stage where he tells us. It makes for a really pleasant home life.
I just really took my time adjusting to my new life...
In the beginning, I didn’t leave the house for six weeks. We would go for walks and people would come and visit us, but we didn’t really venture out. You need to put your baby first and work out what’s going to work. If you push them too much, it comes back on you. They’re tired and grumpy, so you learn quite quickly that you can’t push them too much.
It was quite stressful for me in the beginning, because Charlie hated the car...
I used to be driving and he wouldn’t stop screaming. I remember one of the girls from my mother’s group told me that humming really loudly worked for her daughter, so I’d be in the car, humming, trying to get Charlie to calm down. Now I completely understand when I see mums at a red light moving their car back and forth. They’re trying to calm their baby down or keep them asleep. You need to keep the movement happening. The ‘hating the car’ stage lasted until Charlie was about six months.
I was really blessed with a great sleeper...
He always would go down at about 7pm and he’d wake up twice a night then sleep through until 8am. During those first few months, you almost feel like super woman. There’s this adrenalin running through your body. The exhaustion actually hit me when he was a bit older and I was back at work. The thought of a really busy day ahead exhausted me. In the beginning, I felt quite calm as I knew I had the day at home and I could do what I wanted.
You need to take the pressure off yourself and go with your gut instinct...
There is this maternal instinct that switches on and you need to listen to that and go with it. You’ve always got your child’s best interests at heart. A friend of mine said to me, this is your first child, but you’re also the child’s only mum, so you both don’t know any different, so you just need to work it out together.
I breastfed for four months...
It was really, really hard and stressful for me. It wasn’t pleasant. I’m glad I stopped when I did.
I’m trying to get Charlie into the habit of packing up at the end of the day...
If you let it go, you wake up to craziness every morning. He loves it. He’s a Virgo.
Photography: Julie Adams Hair: Paloma Rose Garcia from Oscar Oscar Salons at Paddington Makeup: Abigail Sheridan Words: Georgie Abay
Given it’s her job to style the pages of glossy fashion magazines, it’s no wonder that Rachel Wayman looks the way she does: casually elegant, she’s dressed in a beautiful printed Gucci dress, while balancing a toddler on her hip. I am still as obsessed with clothes and accessories as I was before Charlie was born and I love getting dressed for work. It’s what I do, it’s my career.
Following the birth of her now two-year-old son Charlie, Wayman took six months of maternity leave, before returning to work part time. Previously the fashion director of Madison magazine, she’s a now a freelance stylist and contributing editor to Sunday Style magazine.
While Wayman says her personal style hasn’t changed, she has taken to wearing a lot more print over the past two years. I remember a friend telling me that during the first few months, anything with print is great because it disguises vomit and dribble.
Her love of fashion now also extends to kids clothing. I wanted to dress Charlie like a baby from the Seventies. I love all the colours from that decade: mustard, khaki, navy, brown. Charlie has lots of cords and stripes and two of my friends always buy him vintage T-shirts from America. He’s got vintage Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Johnny Cash tees.
Since becoming a mother, Wayman says shes really focused on slowing right down. Life is about really simple things such as an afternoon in the park with my son. It has taught me to slow down and be happy with that.
Rachels little list of loves
Waking up with my boys. We always have a bit of family time in bed each morning before our busy day begins. I treasure that time.
Watching our family with Charlie. He has brought so much joy into all our lives and it’s amazing to watch the fun they get up to.
Gardening. My husband, Charlie and I have big plans for our veggie garden.
Flats. Im so happy that the season ahead is all about a heavy flat sandal.
Massages. They are a luxury but I would have one a week if I could!
Painting with Charlie.
Breakfast catch-ups. I love seeing dear friends for a good catch-up before our day begins. It puts a smile on my face for the whole day.
Homewares shopping. I am obsessed. I am constantly on the search for the perfect rug, lamp and piece of art.
Cups of tea with my mum.
Fresh flowers.
May 2013