At home with actress Teresa Palmer welcoming her new baby Prairie to the world
True story… We were just about to have this interview with Teresa when she started getting Braxton Hicks and had to postpone. A day later and her beautiful family of now five were holding baby Prairie Moon Palmer in their arms. Featured below is our interview with her, celebrating and welcoming her new baby into the world.
You are one busy and impressive woman, honestly we are in awe of you. You are a Hollywood actor, film producer, screenwriter, businesswomen and an author. I know so many mums would be reading this going - GOSH, how on earth does she do all of that with five children? What would you say to them?
Thank you! That is so kind of you to say, but honestly I think all of us mamas - and women in general - are superheroes. We all juggle, we all feel stretched thin at times and we're all just doing our best on any given day to fit it all in. I think it's just about being fluid and adapting to whatever 'season' of life you are in at the time, prioritising what needs to be focused on and trying your best. I also think it's important to remove the pressure and the stigma of the perfect balance / being able to do it all, all the time. That's simply not possible and one lesson I have had to remind myself many times as a working mama of four is to fill up my own cup so I can be the best mama, wife, daughter, friend, colleague, business owner etc I can possibly be.
Congratulations on the arrival of Prairie, she is adorable. Having just gone through pregnancy, there are many women in our Daughters of India community that have been through pregnancy and we know the plethora of thoughts that can come with it… the freak out moments, the joyous magical moments, the exhilarated and exciting times. What goes through your mind?
Thank you, we're all in a newborn bliss bubble and it feels like Prairie has been part of our family all along! I hear you, all the moments, all the thoughts!!!! I think it's completely normal and all part of the process, I honestly don't know any mama-to-be that doesn't have them!
Earlier on in this last pregnancy I felt a lot more tired, however, I was also working crazy hours on A Discovery of Witches and probably not looking after myself as best as I should! Once I wrapped, I really took charge of my nutrition and exercise and noticed a shift immediately. I think it's natural feeling more tired with each pregnancy as we get older and have more littles to run after.
What has been your favourite acting role to date?
It's honestly hard to pick just one and without sounding cliche, so many of them hold different nostalgia or feelings of joy for different reasons. If I had to pick one I would have to say my latest project The Twin because I fell in love with the humanity of the character I was playing, her challenges, depth, vulnerabilities and mistakes. She wasn’t black and white, she was so intricately layered that getting beneath her as a character was incredibly fulfilling.
Do you have any exciting new films coming up?
Yes! The film I mentioned above, The Twin is one I have coming out directed by a fiercely talented filmmaker, he’s Finnish and I was so impressed by his works, he’s a real visionary. I also have A Discovery of Witches season 3 still to come and I'm really excited to take our fans on the final chapter of the ADOW series.
You have 1.2 million followers on Instagram. How do you keep balanced in life and shut out the noise sometimes?
Ironically, I just did a talk about this for our Lovewell series; The Well! I think the key is exactly as you have put it, sometimes you need to simply shut out the noise, switch off and step away from the comparison and 'highlight reel' that is social media. I endeavour to be my most revealing self on there and try and strip the facade that can be celebrity.
In the juggle of life, how do you and your husband Mark Webber find balance together?
Not gonna lie, with five kids between us it's hard, but I think it's about consciously carving out the moments whenever you can. Even if it's a night on the couch binge-watching a show after the kids are in bed or a breakfast date after school drop off (with maybe one or two tots in-tow!) we just have to commit to finding the time to be with each other outside of raising the children. He’s my best friend and sometimes it just feels so nice to hang with my bestie without any tiny people interruptions!
Back to your birth, did you have a birth plan? Did you aim to birth at home or the hospital? Favourite music to listen to when birthing?
I did have a birth plan with this one, as I really wanted the home birth experience. It was a water birth and felt really powerful, the kids were all there and so were my best friends. It was such an incredible experience.
My hubby Mark put together the playlist for Prairie's birth and it was beautiful and also quite eclectic!! I like a mixture of calm, slow, soft songs but also some more upbeat tunes for when things are ramping up (Kid CUDI!) and I need to feel the energy from the music. Music is so powerful and a must for me during birth, I also love knowing the songs my babes came out to and am always taken back to that moment in time whenever I hear them spontaneously!
Any tips or advice for during pregnancy? Post birth recovery? Breastfeeding?
I think my number one piece of advice for pregnancy / breastfeeding / post birth recovery is listening to your body, trusting your intuition and following your babies cues. On this fourth time around, I think by default, with the busyness of family life with four kids, I've let go of the stress and just settled into our rhythm naturally and it feels wonderful.
The thing that you are most passionate about?
Above all, my greatest passion in life is being a mother! It's been all I've ever wanted since I was a little girl and having my dreams realised and building our beautiful family, watching our kiddos grow (and hopefully adding to the brood with another one or two yet!) fills my heart up. Outside of motherhood, I am passionate about animal rights, veganism, our planet, and helping those less fortunate or experiencing any kind of suffering. Mark and I have dreams and plans for a lot of charity and philanthropy work and building a foundation to enable us to carry that out.
What’s your favourite Daughters of India piece and why?
Well! I have to say my favourite piece is my Prairie dress (obviously, a given with the name!) the colours are beautiful, I am obsessed with the pattern and it makes me feel so beautiful when I wear it! Plus, it will forever remind me of my Prairie Moon and her birth announcement!
Photography by: Stuart Kerr
Instagram: @stuartlkerr
By Erin Pyers
