BEATRICE CHIA-RICHMOND, 34
Actress and theatre director

Before her first child Sol was born nearly a year ago, Beatrice Chia-Richmond was the last person you'd expect to be seen with a baby.

'I was the most non- maternal and undomesticated person,' she says.

When she found out that she and her DJ-actor husband Mark Richmond were expecting a son, the first thought which popped into her head was: 'Oh no, what's he going to wear?'

But 11- month-old Sol has brought out her maternal side.

'He is a clown,' she exclaims. 'He just makes me laugh all the time.'

But having Sol wasn't all fun and games. The first-time Mum suffered four bouts of mastitis, or breast infection, from breastfeeding.

Chia-Richmond wears a dress by Talbot Runhof, $2,138, from Pois, 02-47 Paragon; necklace, $98, from iWhite Jewellery, www.iWhite.etsy.com; and pumps, $779, from Kenzo, 02-49 Paragon

'It happened within the first six weeks of breastfeeding and reached the point where I just couldn't carry on.

When she realised that she was unable to breastfeed, she found it 'overwhelmingly sad'.

She says: 'It felt like I've failed as a mother from the get-go.

'But I've realised that there are many other things I can do for him.'

Before pregnancy, the 1.75m-tall mother weighed 58kg. She no longer steps onto the scales for fear of 'causing trauma to myself', but says she's still half a size too big.

She says: 'I tend not to listen to what others say. That's a far too stressful way to live.

'I just expect myself to be a good daughter, mother, wife, friend and director. That's already a lot of expectations, so why should I bother with any more from other people?'

TIPS FOR LOOKING GOOD

» Exercise

Before I gave birth, I was pretty hardcore when it came to exercise. I did yoga three times a week. In between, I'd be running. Weekends, I'd play golf. Now, I have less time. I still run about three times a week. If I'm lucky, I can squeeze in a yoga session once every two weeks. Everything is calculated in terms of time spent away from the child, so I eliminate the most time-consuming one, golf.

» Be happy

This is my biggest tip. A lot of my friends say I look better, although I don't take good care of myself nor do I exercise as much. But I'm definitely so much happier being a mother and that's why I look better.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on May 8, 2008.