kids

From 6:30am feeds to bottomless champagnes: A day in the life of Lorinska Merrington.

 

We quickly grew to love Lorinska Merrington from her stints on seasons one and two of the reality show Yummy Mummies.

While watching, we discovered her life isn’t all glamorous events with her former AFL star hubby, Andrew Merrington – the hilarious mum-of-two is also an exceptional hustler.

With 689k Instagram followers, Lorinska harnessed her influential status to launch her new online venture, the Bub pregnancy companion app, to provide mamas-to-be with content to help them through the pregnancy journey.

And despite being something of an expert on the subject of juggling – her daughters Penelope and Florence are three years and six months respectively, while her burgeoning business is barely 12 weeks old – she’s also refreshingly real when it comes to the competing priorities that all mums are familiar with… Albeit she displays it through a particularly glossy lens.

Case in point, this excellent post from behind the scenes at the 2019 Logies, where she pumped while decked out in full glam:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

✨YOU GOT THIS ✨ I’m learning each and every day being a co-founder of @bub.app and a mother, it’s been messier and harder than I imagined. I embarked on my journey in motherhood for the second time and entrepreneurship simultaneously, but I can say both experiences have been the most rewarding and fulfilling. I’ve been asked often how do you navigate your way through this. Simply; 1. Sometimes your won’t have all the answers and better for you, as you’ll stay humble and curious asking questions along the way 2. Make sure you celebrate the little moments and make a note of the big ones (like birthdays ????) 3. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again I am a better mother and start up founder because I have an incredible village of people helping me #thanksfamily ???? 4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, otherwise you will break 5. Lastly, starting a business and a family can be difficult. My answer is get up each day and give it your best shot like it’s your last #motherhood

A post shared by LORINSKA (@lorinska) on

ADVERTISEMENT

In the caption, she shared some sage advice about finding balance, including the truth bomb: “ask for help, otherwise you will break.”

We asked her to embellish on that one, because it feels pretty pertinent in the age of parental burnout.

“As a working mum it’s important to have the support of those around you,” she told Mamamia.

“It really does take a village so it’s crucial to have your support networks! My mum is a great help, looking after Penelope and cooking and helping where she can. And my business partner Liz Blunt is a friend I can call on when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed.”

When it comes to mapping out her day, Lorinska says there’s no set plan – her schedule is constantly shifting – but her morning is always spent indulging in hugs with her little ones before work gets underway.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I could seriously cuddle and kiss my babies all day, but at some point, I need to start my morning routine,” she laughs.

“Florence normally wakes up at about 6:30am for a feed and she will generally go back down after she is fed and I’ve changed her nappy,” she continues.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by LORINSKA (@lorinska) on

ADVERTISEMENT

“Then I bolt to the coffee machine to get my caffeine down before I hear the pitter patter of Lady P’s feet coming down the stairs. I get Penelope her warm milk and she lays down on the couch while I have my coffee. I take this moment of calmness in my house to tell her what our day entails and just to pause and take a couple of deep breaths.”

Both Penelope and Florence are in Lorinska’s full-time care, so “the best thing I can do to streamline the mornings is prep everything that can be prepped the night before,” she says. That way, she can prioritise family time no matter how busy her day gets with working on the app and her various ambassadorial duties (Lorinska is a Medela Freestyle Flex™ ambassador, which is the brand’s first-ever flexible breast pump.)

ADVERTISEMENT

When it comes to getting her kids down for the night, it’s rarely straightforward for the family of four.

“I call it the bedtime disco,” Lorinska says. “It can last for hours. Night-time can be tough in our house. My husband does late hours, arriving home at about 8pm (on a good night.) When he creeps in the door, Penelope is up and about in moments read to kiss and cuddle her dad.”

“Then there are some nights when the magic happens” (not that type of magic, she clarifies). “I’m talking about the real magic – the kids sleeping peacefully. I really just accept and appreciate those nights! Like REALLY appreciate them.”

Lorinska usually gets to bed between 9:30 and 10pm to get her 8+ hours to go full-speed the next morning.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by LORINSKA (@lorinska) on

ADVERTISEMENT


As for finding that elusive ‘me-time’, the entrepreneur is divided.

“Sometimes I feel the truth about ‘self-care’ is that it’s something else to add to my list,” she says.

Rather than candles and baths, her version involves “nights out with all you can eat oysters and bottomless champagne with my girlfriends.”

We’ll have what she’s having.

Read more: 

Watching Yummy Mummies on Netflix? Here’s where Maria, Rachel, Jane and Lorinska are now.