'It's always me they come to' Coleen Rooney reveals what it's REALLY like to be a mum of all boys
Coleen tells GoodtoKnow the truth about being a mum of all boys...
Anyone who's a mum of all boys will know, well, it certainly has its moments! One mum who has her hands full with three little guys is Coleen Rooney, who's revealed how she really feels about being a mum to all boys, as well other pressures a lot of mums face, in our exclusive interview.
On being a mum to three boys
Chatting about life with husband Wayne and their three children Kai, six, Klay, three and new baby Kit, Coleen revealed: 'I think no matter whether you have boys or girls, it's just nice to be a mum... but the boys keep me active.
'They're non-stop and they're constantly on the go when we're out and about,' said the star, who recently celebrated her 30th birthday.
Coleen first made headlines as a 16-year-old school girl when Wayne, her childhood sweetheart, signed for Manchester United in 2004. The couple went on to marry in a fairytale wedding in Italy in the summer of 2008 - a memory so cherished that Coleen says she wishes she could do all over again.
As well as being married to the captain of the England squad, Coleen has enjoyed a successful career in her own right - fronting fashion campaigns, presenting TV shows and now appearing as the face of the McDonald's Football Mum of the Year awards. But it's her role as a mum to a growing brood of little Rooneys that Coleen thrives in the most.
Childhood sweethearts: Coleen married husband Wayne in 2008
Coleen's youngest son Kit arrived in January and despite already having two boys, the couple chose not to find out the sex. 'The first time with Kai, we didn't find out, we did ask the second time with Klay,' Coleen says.
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'But, with this one, when it came to the crunch at the scan, I had thought I'd want to know – but it turns out I didn't!'
So how does she feel about being the only girl in a house full of boys? 'To be honest, I've quite liked being the only girl. Growing up, I had two brothers so I have been used to it. And my boys respect me being the only girl in the house.'
When it comes down to it, Coleen says the Rooney boys will always turn to their mum for comfort. 'They love Wayne but when they start crying or they hurt themselves, it's always me that they come to.'
The boys all have they're own personalities and Coleen's excited to see them grow up - she just feels lucky to be a mum: 'So far Kit's been a different kind of baby to the others, but no matter what it's just nice being a mum and feeling lucky enough that you're able to have children because not everyone can.'
Coleen is launching the search for McDonald's 2016 Football Mum of the Year awards this summer
On the pressures of losing baby weight
Being a new mum in the limelight, Coleen didn't let the pressure to lose her baby weight get to her: 'I've been in the public eye from a young age, so I've learnt to just not listen to what people say. I have a good circle of people around me and I try to listen to them.'
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Coleen did stay active and healthy throughout her pregnancy, however. 'Up to about five weeks before I had the kids I stayed active, so it wasn't hard going back to the gym anyway,' she says. 'But I do it for myself not anyone else. I'm not back to where I was pre-pregnancy but I'm happy with how I'm doing.'
So what exactly is Coleen's exercise routine? Before kids, she would go to the gym three times a week and do and extra two Pilates sessions. 'But now I have kids, I just can't. I used to tie it in with when Klay went to nursery, but with the kids at home I can't.'
The mum of three tries to go three times a week but between meal times and the kids clubs, it's tough: 'Being a mum is just exercise in itself!'
Coleen and her youngest son Kit were spotted supporting Wayne at the 2016 Euros
On her decision to take placenta pills
Coleen's pregnancy with Kit cause quite a stir when she revealed she had her placenta made into pills to take after the birth. So where did the idea come from? 'A friend of mine did it and said she felt great,' says Coleen.
'I asked a few people and heard a lot of women say that they had children before and didn't take them and didn't feel healthy after, but when they took them the second time around, they felt great. I thought I've got nothing to lose, so I might as well try them.'
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Coleen took the pills after all three of her pregnancies and never had any problems after she'd given birth: 'I wouldn't do anything drastic to change myself, but I took them because I was aware of them giving back the nutrients to your body that you lose - anything that helps give you back the energy!'
It's scary, Coleen says, how quickly her little ones are growing up. 'With Kai, it didn't seem to go as quick but since Klay came along time seems to fly by - you've got to keep the memories, photos and videos.'
On sharing pics of her kids online
Coleen's not afraid to share photos of her little ones on her Instagram, often uploading cute snaps of the boys together. When asked whether she worried about putting the photos out there for the world to see, the mum explained her decision.
'When we first had Kai we put restrictions against pictures in the media, but then if Wayne had a prize day it meant we couldn't bring children onto to the pitch because our legal team said that that would break the agreement as we were taking them into the public.' Not wanting their son to miss out, they took Kai out onto the pitch and the paps have been able to take pictures of the kids ever since.
The Rooneys, however, are usually one step ahead: 'We like to share pictures before the press get them, so if we're on a day out we'll put up a picture before the photographers can.'
It's not all about being media savvy - Coleen and Wayne are just normal, proud parents too. 'We're proud of the kids and we don't see family members and friends sometimes for a long time, so we use social media to keep them up-to-date - we're just like any other family in that sense.'
Read more about Coleen in Essentials magazine's September issue, on sale 27th July.
Coleen Rooney is launching the search for McDonald's 2016 Football Mum of the Year. This award recognises the hard work and dedication of thousands of regular 'football mums' across the UK. For more information, visit: mcdonalds.co.uk/mumoftheyear
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