Mollie King: Becoming a mother made me realise my strength

The broadcaster encourages new parents to trust their instincts and to not compare their child’s progress to others.

King has learnt so much about herself since becoming a mum (Boots/PA)

Radio 1 DJ Mollie King says that becoming a mother has made her realise that she’s “actually stronger” and more “resilient” than she knew.

King gave birth to her and former England cricketer Stuart Broad’s daughter, Annabella, in November 2022 and she has discovered a newfound confidence since becoming a mum.

“My whole world has changed since having Annabella, I feel like I have really grown up by being her mum,” shared the 37-year-old. “I think that she has taught me that I’m actually stronger than I thought that I was.

“It feels like a whole new challenge that you haven’t necessarily really had any training for… but I think that you can really surprise yourself just with how resilient you can be when times are tough and you are challenged in different ways.

“I’ve surprised myself with being able to think on my feet and trust my gut, and that has really helped with building my confidence as a new mum.”

The former member of The Saturdays encourages other new parents to trust their instincts and to not compare themselves or their child’s progress to others.

“There’s so much information out there and there’s lots of people giving their own advice and direction on social media,” said the first-time mum. “But I think you have to listen to your gut – nobody knows your baby better than you do.

“Sometimes people can get into a bit of a rut and say, oh gosh, has yours said any words yet and sort of compare progress but you’ve really just got to stay in your own lane and realise that all these things happen at different times.”

King said becoming a mum is the thing she is most proud of, and despite her and Stuart’s busy work schedules, Annabella remains their number one priority.

Now the mum-of-one has helped design a new baby clothing range for Boots – the new Maybe Baby collection launched on August 6.

“Becoming a mum myself, I have lived and breathed trying different clothes on Annabella and have learnt what kind of things work and what kind of things don’t,” said King. “I wanted [the Maybe Baby collection] to be really stylish, practical and easy for parents and carers to dress their little ones.

“So if you are up changing a baby in the middle of the night, it’s going to be easy to do that by having things like having zips instead of poppers.

“We’ve also made sure that all the items fit together really well.”

With prices starting from £6, the new collection incorporates playful patterns and classic cuts for autumn/winter that are modern, stylish and comfortable for babies to wear.

Her favourite designs from the collection include a teddy bear jacket (that she would like in her own size), pink corduroy trousers and a checkered romper set.

Fashion has always been a big part of the broadcaster’s life and she is excited that she now gets to share this with her daughter.

“I spend my life in blues, creams and nudes, and I think that so much of that has come through this collection,” says King. “I love looking at fashion bloggers and street style and I’m always keeping an eye on what’s on the catwalk.

“The difference between dressing her versus me is practicality, but it’s also that sort of safety and quality. I want her to be in good quality things and need to know that these products are really going to last.

“Going through the whole process of this collection, we’ve always said we’re never going to cut corners when it comes to the quality and the practicality of the items.”

Maybe Baby is exclusive to Boots and is available in 192 Boots stores nationwide and online at boots.com. Parents also have a range of benefits and discounts on baby products by accessing the Parenting Club on their Boots advantage cards.