THE JOURNAL OF JEMMA ELDER

"I fell pregnant, unexpectedly, at 40 – a beautiful surprise. My priorities changed with the arrival of Billy; I was forced to strike a better balance between professional life and motherhood."

Tell us your quick back story:

"I became a mother for the first time at 32 to Harley. And while I thought age and maturity would serve me well, nothing prepares you for your first new-born.

I spent the next 10 years juggling motherhood and my career. I was a Managing Director with one of the world’s largest media and communication agencies. At the time my responsibilities included businesses in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand.

I learned to accept that life as a full-time executive and mother is busy, and that multi-tasking was a means to survival.

I fell pregnant, unexpectedly, at 40 – a beautiful surprise. My priorities changed with the arrival of Billy; I was forced to strike a better balance between professional life and motherhood."

Describe briefly what you thought motherhood would be like before you became a mother!

"I thought my expectation was a realistic one as I had friends who were already mothers. How wrong I was!

It started with the pregnancy and birth. I had a notion I would sail through 39 weeks of pregnancy however I had two emergency caesareans, and Billy was eight weeks early in the neonatal intensive care unit.

I assumed I could read “Save My Sleep”, my son would be a textbook child, and I could catch some shuteye daily – this was not the case.  

Motherhood has taught me to expect the unexpected. Even as I sit to write this, I am interrupted by a scared toddler who has been woken by a thunderstorm. He’s climbed out of his cot (for the first time!) looking for his mother’s reassurance."

Did you have any ‘lightbulb moments’ about your sense of self after you became a mother?

"There were days my eldest son, Harley, would be dropped off at ‘before school care’ on my way to the airport for an interstate day trip. One afternoon my son refused to cooperate. We arrived at school late and I missed the plane … and my meeting. It was at that point I realised that whilst sacrifices are a necessity on life’s journey, I was perhaps sacrificing too much."

“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”  -C.S. Lewis

Describe in a handful of words the woman you feel you are today.

"More present, conscious, confident and incredibly fortunate."

What piece of advice or learning, would you like to pass onto other mums?

"It is advice that is easy to preach but hard to practice – remain calm and relax (I am still mastering the art!).

And I was also reminded recently, “not to sweat the small stuff”."