Amy Hart has built a loyal following for her relatability. A staggering one million people follow the influencer, reality star and presenter on Instagram, to keep up with what she's up to, her family holidays, outfit try-ons and more. Also a mother to Stanley, who is a year old, she also wants to help people find the answers to the constant noise and confusion around parenting.
Her new podcast Amy Harts Mum's Club sees the ex-Love Islander and podcaster open up about her own parenting journey. In it, she interviews celeb mothers, and her own, whilst answering common parenting dilemmas, from blended families, to co-sleeping and what you can and can't eat while pregnant.
'I didn't plan to get pregnant,' she says, 'but we're very lucky that we did'. 'It was the best thing to ever happen, so I went into it with a really positive mindset.'
One thing she struggled with was people's reaction to her optimism though. 'A lot of people said I was stupid, and said, "you know, you need to be more of a realist. It's not all going to be sunshine and rainbows."
'I found that mindset actually helped me a lot with parenting. And I did really enjoy it. I loved the newborn stage because it's quite conducive to things that I love doing i.e. sitting on sofa watching telly, sitting up all night watching telly, not really having to go out if I don't want to – they're my favourite things to do.'
At first her shift approach with husband Sam Rason went really well during the newborn stage. They both had fixed hours, and Hart's were 10pm to 3am, but she soon realised a problem. Rason would sleep during Hart's shift (as he was supposed to) but also slept alongside baby Stanley until he woke up and needed attention. In contrast, she would stay awake for her shift convincing herself she was watching TV, but she was really awake to keep checking Stanley was okay.
'So we ended up buying the Owlet Sock. It's quite expensive, but [it was] for the peace of mind,' she says. The smart baby monitor (£299) measures heart rate, average oxygen level, movement and wake-ups thanks to an built-in sensor.
'Some people are very anti it, but I found it to be really positive.' It allowed her to feel safe sleeping on Stanley's schedule, as she'd be woken up when he needed her.
Hart also went back to work fairly soon after having Stanley. But even that felt like a positive for her, as she says, 'I never lost myself'. 'I didn't have a chance to lose myself, really. I think when your job is being you, there is no way you can lose yourself, because at home, I'm Stanley's mum, but then when I go to work, I'm Amy, I'm a podcast host, I'm an influencer, I'm presenter.'
She says this type of work has been an 'absolute saving grace' as it allowed her to preserve her own sense of identity. It's also allowed her to take Stanley and her husband on amazing trips, and she believes it's helped him become very adaptable in the process.
Still, there's a juggle for every parent, and with the ever-changing nature of her job and new opportunities popping up, often last minute, childcare is a big one for her. She acknowledges her current struggle is forgetting to ask her mother about childcare.
'So my mum has him on set days, and then a work offer will come in. I really can't turn it down, because it's an amazing opportunity. And I think, perfect I'll ask my mum to have him, and then I forget. Then it's three days before [the job], and I have that anxiety because I have to phone and be like, "Hi, I forgot to ask you, but please, can you have Stanley? Because I've got to work. I'll swap a day with you. But have you made any plans for this day?" And normally, she's very adaptable, and she understands that my life is crazy.'
She remembers one time she was on her way to Liverpool when her childcare fell through, and during the long-drive up, she was frantically calling everyone she knew to try and help and eventually created a patch-work situation with family members doing a few hours each and then friends taking over.
She's learnt a lot from her first year of motherhood. Her first piece of advice is for parents to 'chill'. 'As long as the baby makes it through each day, you're fine,' she says. 'I'm quite a laid back mum, and I don't think anyone thought I would be because I'm a planner and, when I go to Disney, everything's planned out. When I pack for a holiday, I've got lists and lists and lists. But being a mum, I'm very go with the flow.'
When Stanley doesn't want to eat lunch, she accepts it and knows he'll just eat when he's hungry, she says. 'If he wants to nap a bit longer today. That's also fine.
'Also, take the help that is offered to you,' she says. 'This is a piece of advice someone gave me. People are either offering because they want to help, or if they're just saying it, they deserve to be punished for saying things they don't mean.'