THE two women are fashionable celebrities who juggle successful careers with caring for their three young sons.

But while pop singer-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham, 36, recently announced that she and her footballer husband David Beckham are expecting another child, MediaCorp "Ah Jie" Zoe Tay is saying no to more kids.

The Beckhams have three boys - Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, five.

Tay, 43, told The New Paper recently that she has no more baby plans - for the time being.

She has more or less given up on having a daughter too.

"My hands are full juggling three boys already," said the home-grown actress, whose mum and two maids give her a helping hand in childcare.

Tay is married to airforce pilot Philip Chionh, and they have three sons - Brayden, five, Ashton, three, and Nathan, who is three months old.

But doesn't she dearly hope for a mini-Zoe whom she can doll up?

She replied: "It's not important to us. My husband and I had hoped our first child would be a girl because we heard from friends that girls usually help to take care of their younger siblings.

"Since our first was a boy, it doesn't matter if we have a daughter or not. Children are blessings from God, and we just hope to have healthy children."

Tay, who comes from a big family and has six siblings, said she used to think having four children was the ideal.

But she's so busy now that she's not sure if she can handle another one.

"My husband said it's all right if I want to, but I must be sure that I have the time for the baby, and that I cannot complain."

She explained: "He said that if we decide to go for it, I'm the one who will suffer, because I have to endure the morning sickness, the labour, the breastfeeding and the caring of the baby."

Tay recently participated in the First Mums' And Dads' Congress supported by Abbott Nutrition, where she and fellow actor Mark Lee were invited to speak about their parenting experiences.

It was also during the congress that she unveiled the limited edition Similac Mummy Tote Bag and Gain IQ Baby Romper that she designed.

Tay revealed she had a difficult first trimester when she was pregnant with her third son Nathan.

She lost 3kg, had a sinus problem, threw up frequently and felt so miserable that she ignored her friends during those months.

Even so, she said she adores her brood and loves it when they are by her side.

According to her, baby Nathan is healthy, cheerful and easy to care for. She's also more relaxed handling him since she's a third-time mum.

Even though she's stretched, she said she wants to give her children whatever time she has.

The only me time she gets is after the children have gone to bed. Only then can she watch TV, put on a facial mask or enjoy a relaxing footbath.

Said Tay: "I look at them when they are asleep. They are so lovely, like angels.

"But when they're awake, I have to call out to them, 'Don't fight, don't fight'!"

That's because Brayden doesn't like Ashton to play with his toys when he's attending classes in kindergarten, she explained.

But the squabbles are brief, and the two will play together again after that.

Tay said, with the arrival of her third child, Ashton has shown some signs of jealousy.

"I'm not sure if Ashton will have the middle-child syndrome.

"He wants attention from me, and when I'm busy with Nathan, I have to be careful with my words and tone," she said.

"I can feel that he's jealous because he gets a bit rough when he pulls the baby and me..."

Brayden, on the other hand, is fine because he's already used to having a younger sibling.

According to Tay, he wants to play big brother to Nathan, and she occasionally lets him pat the baby.

Tay, who is now negotiating her contract terms with MediaCorp, said she would likely renew her contract and continue to do two dramas a year.

She will begin filming the new mid-year blockbuster Channel 8 drama Devotion after Chinese New Year. In it, she plays a poverty-stricken woman bringing up five adopted children.

The drama also stars Chen Hanwei and Zhou Ying, andis scheduled to air in June.

This article was first published in The New Paper.