Motherhood Series with Jess Bailey

IN HER WORDS

featuring

Jess Bailey

Melbourne, Australia  •  Mother of Isla (4), Ava (2) & Sophia (4 months)

 

There are friends who come and go, and then there are the ones who walk into your life and never really leave, even when miles separate you. Jess Bailey is one of those friends for me. We met in 2000 at boarding school, two girls finding our footing in the world, and more than two decades later, she remains one of the people I admire most.

Jess is a woman of quiet determination. She built a career with focus and intention, and now channels that same energy into raising her three daughters Isla (4), Ava (2), and Sophia (four months), in Melbourne. Seeing her recently, in the thick of it, was one of those quietly beautiful moments. The youngest tucked against her. The middle one affectionate and funny, still needing Mum but desperate to keep up with the older kids. The eldest, steady and calm, going with the flow. And Jess, relaxed at ease, completely in her element.

This is her story, in her words.

 

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When you think back to the moment you became a mother, what do you remember most clearly?

The instant shift. In a single breath, you are no longer the centre of your own life, they are. And with that comes this profound, enormous love. An instinct to protect something far larger than just the two of you.

 

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What surprised you about motherhood that no one really prepared you for?

How rare a moment alone truly becomes. A solo shower, filling the car with petrol by yourself, a quiet walk, things you never once thought about suddenly feel like luxuries. And yet, alongside that, something else surprised me too; how instinctively we know how to care for them. We will move heaven and earth to make our little ones feel safe. And in the midst of all the chaos, those small, humorous moments shared between a mother and her child, they always soften even the most tiresome day.

 

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In what ways have you grown or changed since becoming a mother?

I’m still working on patience and presence, I think that’s a constant practice, not a destination. But what has grown in me is empathy. For other parents, yes, but really for people in general. Everyone is navigating their own journey.

 

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What is a small, ordinary moment with your child that feels deeply meaningful to you?

With Isla, it’s giving her praise after her swimming lesson, watching her really listen to her teacher, and hearing her reply, ‘I love you very, very much, Mummy.’

With Ava, it’s the moment after bath time when she pulls on her pyjamas almost entirely by herself, then turns to me with this wild, wide, adoring grin and announces, ‘I do it myself.’

And with Sophia, those first few seconds of the morning. Her big eyes finding mine, her whole face breaking into a smile, those tiny arms waving with pure, joyful excitement. It’s everything.

 

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What does love look like when you’re exhausted?

Oh, this is a difficult one. Often it involves some kind of game where I can incorporate lying on the couch or on the floor! And sometimes it’s simply asking for a break, a proper chop out, and your partner stepping in, no questions asked.

 

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Is there a daily ritual that grounds you in this season of motherhood?

My two coffees. They anchor my mornings. And on the lucky days when I actually get to sit down and drink one while the baby naps, that’s a bonus. The small wins.

 

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What do you feel most proud of in your motherhood journey so far?

Watching my children become their own people. Passionate, resilient, empathetic little beings. That’s what I’m working towards, and seeing glimpses of it already makes everything worth it.

 

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What kind of legacy do you hope to pass on?

To raise great, grounded humans. That feels like enough.

 

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If you could speak to yourself at the beginning of motherhood, what would you say?

Enjoy the ride. In those first few years, in your children’s eyes, you are their whole world. That is an incredibly powerful position to be in, use that privilege well.

Keep it light. Add humour when it becomes overwhelming. And let yourself feel all your emotions, just as your two-year-old does. A day can be an emotional rollercoaster for mother and child alike.

Keep trying to be present. The days are long, but the years are short.

Jess says what so many mothers feel but rarely find the words for. There’s a groundedness to her, a woman who has moved through ambition and achievement and arrived, quite beautifully, at the thing that matters most right now for her; motherhood. Three little girls are growing up with a mother who is present, playful, and quietly building humans the world will be better for.

Thank you, Jess. For your honesty, your warmth, and for sharing this season with us.

With Love,

Kirst x x x

 

JESS'S PICKS

   

Alphabet letter 'i' in Pale Pink                  Botanical Protea in Pale Pink