Heidi: “Motherhood has taught me to embrace my body”
The new mum opens up about expanding her family and overcoming her crippling body insecurities
It’s been just four months I since former Sugababes singer Heidi Range gave birth to her first child, and she’s positively glowing. After finding love with property developer Alex Partakis, 36, the pair tied the knot in a fairy-tale Italian wedding in September 2016 and are now proud parents to daughter Aurelia Honey. And as 35-year-old Heidi catches up with Closer, she reveals she’s already thinking about baby number two.
The bubbly Liverpudlian says, “I love being a mum, it’s the most magical feeling. I’m so lucky to have Aurelia because she’s such an easy baby. Since Alex and I met, we’ve talked about having children, and as soon as we got married we knew we wanted to start trying for a family. I’d definitely love to have more children if we can, preferably three! We’ll start trying when Aurelia turns one, but as I’m 35 I don’t want to leave it too long. I’m conscious that it can be harder the older you get, so I’d better crack on!”
And while most celebrities make headlines for snapping back into shape after giving birth, Heidi refreshingly admits she’s embracing every part of her post-pregnancy body and won’t succumb to pressure to lose weight quickly.
KEEPING FIT
The 5ft 1 star explains, “Pregnancy gave me a different kind of appreciation for my body. I embraced all the changes and loved watching my bump getting bigger. I let myself indulge so much; I was having bread and butter every day and I was getting through so much chocolate. I’m definitely heavier than I used to be. I gained around 2∂st and my boobs aren’t as perky. I’m working on getting back my pre-pregnancy body, but I’m not putting pressure on myself to get thin quickly. Alex is supportive and reminds me that my body made our baby and to embrace my shape.”
Instead, the star is steadily easing herself back into fitness with a gentle exercise regime and a healthy diet. She adds, “I’ve started to go to a class called Carifit with other mums twice a week. It’s just 30 minutes where I can exercise with Aurelia strapped to me. It’s great because I don’t feel guilty for leaving her, nor do I feel body conscious because I’m around other new mums. I’m making small changes, like walking instead of using the car, and I’m eating lots of fish and vegetables. I’m losing around a pound a week, which is nice and steady. Don’t get me wrong – I’d be quite happy if it all dropped off so I could put my bikini back on, but I think I’m moving in the right direction!”
Heidi’s carefree attitude is in huge contrast to how she felt during her early twenties, when she found fame as part of girl group Sugababes, replacing original member Siobhan Donaghy in 2002. The star – who also appeared in Dancing On Ice in 2012 – admits she was crippled with body insecurities after being trolled because of her curvy shape. She explains, “There was a point where I was quite fixated on my weight because we were under constant scrutiny. I remember an online troll told me to get an eating disorder – it takes a sick person to say something like that.”
FEELING CONFIDENT
Despite being a toned size 10, Heidi admits to comparing herself to her former bandmates. She says, “I’ve never been a naturally thin girl, I always had to watch what I ate and exercise regularly, whereas some of the other girls were naturally skinny. When you’re sitting next to someone who’s eating toasties and you’re having to eat salads, it can be hard. I spent a lot of time thinking about my weight and I just didn’t want to be humiliated any longer. Now, I barely think about it. I’m more body confident now than I was during the Sugababes – it’s actually quite liberating!”
And although the girl group dominated the UK charts during the early noughties, Heidi admits she doesn’t keep in touch with her former bandmates, which include Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. She adds, “I don’t really speak to the other girls, I haven’t done so in years. We never really fell out, but we never kept in touch. Being in the band feels like a lifetime ago, every now and then I forget about it and then have I to pinch myself to remember what we achieved. I can’t wait to tell Aurelia about it one day!”