“I consider being a mom the greatest privilege of my entire life and having a loving, supportive husband who shares this sentiment makes this journey all the more worthwhile.”
Heloïse Denner has been married for nearly three years and recently became a mother to the most beautiful baby boy named Gabriël. She works as a member of the National Assembly of the Parliament of South Africa, where she also serves as a member of the Portfolio Committee for Labour and Employment.
She became involved in politics when she was a student at the University of the Free State, where she served on the Student Representative Council (SRC) for two terms, one as chairperson. “Since then I’ve always had a keen interest in politics. I’m a firm believer in active citizenship by getting involved and working for the change that you want to see, so when I got the opportunity to become a Member of Parliament, the most important consideration for me was that I would be able to make a difference, no matter how small it would be. It might sound cliché, but it is very rewarding.”
“My husband and I were together for seven years before we got married in October 2019, one year after our original wedding date, which we had to postpone due to the elections that took place in May 2019. Our son, Gabriël, was born in May of this year.”
On the question whether she has always wanted children, she added: “Yes, we always said we would love to have at least two kids, though I think my husband will now settle for one – maybe two only once he’s had a good night’s sleep again!”
She says parenting has been going very well. “He sleeps well, depending on who you ask though, and only really gets upset when he is either hungry, has a nappy or is very tired. He recently started smiling and laughing, which is the cutest thing in the world. I love that he is now at that stage where he does something new every day. You can see that the world is a whole new adventure for him and it’s the greatest pleasure to explore it with him.”
Heloïse says that the past three months taking time for herself consisted of napping, but it used to be spending time with friends, reading, or watching a good movie. “My husband recently gifted me with a set of golf clubs, so ever since I have been attempting to play golf – I won’t comment on my progress though!”
She doesn’t consider herself an expert in the parenting field as yet, but the most valuable piece of advice that she has received from a friend, who she considers to be a supermom, is if you do everything with love, and trust your instinct, everything will be fine – and so far it is!
Having her son has changed her entire outlook on life. “You no longer have to look out for only yourself anymore, now you have this little being who is entirely dependent on you for their every single need. It is a scary thought and it influences all of your actions and decisions.”
Balancing mom-life and work-life will prove to be a bit of a challenge when she returns to work full-time because Parliament is seated in Cape Town and she used to commute to and from there on a weekly basis. “Luckily I have a very strong support system of family and friends both here in Bloemfontein and in Cape Town and much of our work is being done virtually, so we will cross each bridge as and when we get to it.”
TEXT: Sazly Moses PHOTOGRAPHY: Louis Reynhardt Productions
