Mamma Daly
TV3 host is loving bringing up baby, but also can't wait to get back to work
Let’s just say hair and makeup go a long way when you’re pregnant and want to look good
AS the mother of two happy and healthy boys – James (5) and Euan (4) – TV3 presenter Anna Daly was sure that her family was complete. Growing up one of two children herself, Anna was adamant that it was the perfect-sized family for her and husband, businessman Ben Ward.
‘We are all set, we have enough going on,’ Anna told reporters when Euan was born in 2013. ‘I have done my bit for the world.’
Which is why Anna surprised everyone (including her own family) when she announced her third pregnancy early last year. And in November, baby number three, who Anna had taken to describing as her ‘”bonus baby”, arrived last November. Anna and Ben called their 8lbs 3oz arrival Rhys William: ‘as a name, I think Rhys polarizes people,’ notes Anna. ‘You call tell by people’s reactions that they either love or hate the name.’
‘I suppose I was always definite about having a two-child family, because the world is built for twp parents and two children,’ she reflects. ‘I was more definitive about that than my husband was, if I’m honest. Our two babies came along and he became adjusted to the idea of having just two until I decided that maybe I wasn’t completely done with having babies.
‘My husband was all, ‘but you said…!’, I told him that one is allowed to change one’s mind!’ she adds with a smile. ‘It is a huge decision though, so it took us a while, wondering whether we should. But you have to go with your heart. I didn’t want to be older, later in life, wondering what if.’
Anna gave birth to Rhys at Holles Street hospital, and contrary to popular belief, a third time in the maternity ward didn’t make her any less apprehensive about labour and childbirth.
‘I’d love if it got a bit easier as you went on, but the thing is that the more you do it, the more you know about what to expect. If anything, I was more scared! Ignorance I bliss: it’s a cliché, but it’s true.
With Euan at toddler stage, Anna admits that she missed having a babe in arms.
‘We’d only just gotten to the point where we could leave the house without nappy bags, buggies and all the gear, but it’s all part of the fun,’ Anna smiles.
‘I’ve missed a little baby nuzzling at my neck, because toddlers are like little grown-ups. With a baby, no kiss is too cool for them!’
James and Euan might think that mummy’s PDAs are a touch uncool, but they are bright, happy, sociable and boys with distinct personalities of their own.
‘Like most boys, they have great fun and kill each other over toys,’ reveals Anna. ‘James gives in to Euan. who can be a little brat. He’s a bit more ballsy, a bit more pushy… he’ll challenge you more. James is a great child, and he’d never hurt Euan even when he’s trying to push him over. There’s a sense of maturity there. Euan is a rough and tough little fella. Being the oldest of two, I can relate to James… I’d be the one getting on with things, while my brother probably commanded much more attention.’
A challenge, certainly, but given the line of Anna’s presenting work in TV3, she is exceedingly grateful for her healthy growing family. Fronting TV3’s weekend breakfast shows, Anna has interviewed several parents who might not feel quite as fortunate.
‘You are exposed to case studies and get to meet the parents who are in Temple Street, you meet those whose children have Down Syndrome or rare diseases,’ she explains.
‘I got asked if I’d like a little girl this time around, and I said that all you want is to have a healthy child. ‘I used to hear that years ago and think, “come on!” but it’s true. If you have healthy children you just feel so lucky.’
Anna is nearing the end of her maternity leave, and TV3 viewers can look forward to seeing her back in work mode within weeks. There have been one or two small jobs in the meantime, including hosting the recent GSK Oilatum event, where the skincare company released the results of a new survey of Irish parents.
The research by OIlatum Junior yielded some interesting statistics: While 80% of parents read the ingredients list when selecting skincare products for their children, nearly two-thirds admitted they have limited or no understanding of the function of the ingredients listed on a product. 90% of Irish parents, meanwhile, worry about the products they use on their child’s skin.
And while she may be a dab hand at parenting, mum-of-three Anna can certainly relate: ‘I think about, worry about everything to do with my children,’ she admits. ‘The one thing that keeps me awake at night is worrying about the kids… before you have kids it’s really different. You might have a conversation with a work colleague and think ‘that was out of line’, and that might have you tossing and turning, but once you become a mum these things become so insignificant.
‘I can totally get why two-thirds of parents don’t understand the ingredients in skin products… you’d need to be a qualified doctor to know sometimes. I’d never use anything on a baby’s skin, especially a newborn, unless a pharmacist told me that it was the right thing to use.’
In many ways, Anna is looking forward to a return to work, despite what many people think, maternity leave isn’t a moment to realx and rest.
‘Oh, it’s pretty manic,’ Anna affirms. ‘I’ll be honest with you, my house is far from a showhouse these days. The boys are great and have me in hysterics all day but I’ll be glad to go back and have a little outlet for myself.
‘One of my producers has an ongoing joke: “when do your holidays end?” he says. I think, “God, if you could have a day in my shoes!”. It’s pretty relentless… I get a little envious of my husband when he heads off for work, and has his cups of coffee and newspaper.’
Getting back on the Weekend AM sofa after six months on the maternal frontlines can sometimes feel like coming back after a two-week holiday, laughs Anna.
‘I had a moment before I went back to Ireland AM after James,’ recalls Anna. ‘The first day on air, Mark Cagney asked me, “were you anxious about coming back?”. I had a moment: will I give the super confident TV person answer, or will I tell the truth? The nature of the show is that we’re honest and there’s no pretending, so I told him I had a bit of a knot in my stomach of it. You always worry that things change and people move on in a job. But I got tons of texts and emails from women saying they felt
the exact same way. I was so glad I gave the answer that was true to myself.’
In fact, Anna is adamant that working as normal is key to a successful and straightforward pregnancy.
‘Staying busy was a great thing for me,’ she says. ‘James was born a week after I went to London for a press junket. If I’m working and then organising things at home, you’re not overthinking every little cramp you might get. If you’re just at home, you’re attuned to every little twitch, but if you’re preoccupied, you’re in a different headspace.’
Some say that TV3 has undergone another ‘baby boom’ – Anna’s colleagues Karen Koster, Lucy Kennedy and Simon Delaney became parents again last year.
Luckily, the TV station is hugely supportive of its expectant stars.
‘Ah they’re great employers… it’s a very fertile building!’ laughs Anna. ‘I can be a bit of a swot when I’m in work mode, so when I went in to the Director Of News (Andrew O’Hanlon) to tell him I was pregnant again, I was almost apologetic. But he was great, there were plenty of hugs and kisses and they thought it was fantastic news. I know a lot of my friends don’t have that privilege at work, but I think much of it at TV3 has to do with the demographic of the staff. We’re all young and starting families, and they’re very progressive in that respect. I’m hugely grateful for that.’
Ben, too, is also a hands-on dad, and his readiness to share nappy duty is something that Anna’s own parents regard as something of a novelty.
‘My parents get a great kick out of Ben,’ says Anna. ‘He’s pretty good with the boys, like most other dads are these days, but they think he’s an absolute godsend. He changes the nappies on his lap or changes the car seat in ten seconds flat, and they think he should be getting a medal. They’ve just not really been exposed to that kind of hands-on dad.’
STILL, Anna admits, modern parenthood isn’t without its challenges, even if both parents are right there in the fray. ‘The cost of raising children is a huge factor for parents these days, as is the cost of education and healthcare,’ notes Anna. ‘That’s probably one of the biggest challenges facing parents these days.’
Raising James and Euan healthily is all about moderation, too: ‘I’m not ridiculously regimented when it comes to food, but I like to give them as much colour on their plates as possible,’ smiles Anna. ‘They get a great varied diet at their crèche, which is really important to me. I didn’t want to put them in a crèche that would have chicken nuggets and chips and things like that. They do get the odd treat at the weekend but for the most part their diet is really healthy.’
With her return to Ballymount imminent, Anna also has other projects in TV3 in her crosshairs. Also ongoing is Anna’s role as an ambassador for Mothercare, and she was certainly a great role model for mums everywhere when she positively glowed on the red carpet while pregnant with Rhys.
Job likely done on expanding her brood, Anna admits that her days of looking blooming lovely on the red carpet are probably behind her. Still, she has one failsafe tip for looking effortlessly glowing in the public eye.
‘Let’s just say that hair and makeup takes you a very long way when you’re pregnant and want to look good,’ she reveals. ‘No matter what you’re wearing to accommodate a bump, having your hair and makeup done makes you feel so much better!’
The Oilatum Junior range, including Cream and Bath Additive, are available in pharmacies nationwide.