‘I’m extremely hands-on’: Rebecca Lim enters working mum era

Local actress Rebecca Lim has started a new chapter of her life: working mother.

The 38-year-old welcomed her first child, a boy, with husband Matthew Webster – a 38-year-old Singaporean of British-Chinese descent who works in corporate branding – on Jan 30.

She officially returned to work in July and is now filming a new English drama.

“Every day is a new adjustment. I’m relearning to find joy in the little things and to see the world through a fresh perspective,” Lim tells The Straits Times over e-mail.

“I am thankful for good help at home – my mum, in-laws – and I have a great helper too,” she adds.

Lim also gleaned parenting and marriage advice from experienced mums through the second season of the variety show she hosts, With Love, Becks.

Premiering on Channel 8 on Nov 18 at 8pm and also available on mewatch, the six-episode series sees the Mediacorp star enjoying a girl’s day out with local personalities such as MacPherson Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling and actresses Fann Wong, Yvonne Lim and Sheila Sim. Each guest also shares tips on balancing motherhood and career.

 

Lim expresses surprise at how openly Ms Tin shared her struggles with juggling her roles. The 40-year-old politician has two sons aged nine and six.

In the episode filmed at Lazarus Island, the pair discuss how modern mums must be able to balance work and family commitments, and the importance of family support.

Says Lim: “I really appreciate her candidness. It’s not an easy topic to share about and knowing how closely her every move is scrutinised. I admire her bravery in following her heart.”

On whether she will put her full-time acting career on hold like Fann and Yvonne Lim did when their children were younger, Rebecca Lim says: “I used to wonder how they were able to let go. But now, I understand. Your priorities change in an instant. Your world is different now, and what you valued before, you may not value as much any more.”

 

Lim, who is still “extremely sleep-deprived”, says she has become an “extremely hands-on mother” and will wake up early in the morning to take her nine-month-old son out for walks.

“I don’t even like the sun and the outdoors, but I will do that for him,” says the artiste, adding that she is the one showering her child, changing his diapers, preparing the food, feeding him and attending to him when he wakes up in the middle of the night.

“I just don’t want to regret missing the small things.”

She also leans heavily on her younger sister, 34, who gave birth to her first child two weeks after Lim.

“I’m following her footsteps in everything. I’m incredibly fortunate to have my sister go through this with me,” says Lim, adding they are also each other’s “emotional support through our night feeds and our breastfeeding difficulties”.

“I get all sorts of advice from her, like what foods to give when weaning, managing nap times and wake windows. My sister is a dentist, and my son is teething now, so she gives me a lot of good advice concerning that.”

Lim will be keeping the identity of her son under a tight lid, saying: “We are comfortable keeping these precious moments to ourselves. Perhaps when he’s older and understands, I’ll give him a choice if he wants to be known to the public.”

On the biggest takeaway from With Love, Becks’ second season, Lim says: “Every child is different and that I shouldn’t compare. It’s easy to get sucked into feeling like you’re not doing enough or your child is not progressing as quickly as the rest.”

She adds: “I’ve learnt to constantly remind myself to enjoy every moment because you’ll never get it back. The children grow up too quickly.”