DOCTOR Holy Leneveu has hung up her stethoscope to be a stay-at-home mummy for her two sons, Mattia, 5, and Matteo, 4. Her husband, Alain, 54, is a marketing manager.

Asked if giving up her medical career was a sacrifice, she says: “Of course it’s a sacrifice, but a ‘good’ one!”

The 40-year-old, who hails from France, says it was a natural decision, as she believes in being there to nurture her children, especially during the crucial first five years of their lives. She says she has no regrets about the decision as she loves her current “work”.

Motherhood can do strange things to people, and Ms Holy is a good example.

She says that before she had children, nothing could rouse her from her sleep. But now, she somehow always wakes up if one of her boys fusses forher in the middle of the night.

“Since I became a mum, and I think this is common to all mothers, I sleep with ‘one eye open’,” she jokes.

She organises her daily life around her two boys and places their needs before her own. As she puts it, “them first, me after”. She does not mind even when she sometimes has to cancel meetings with friends or other engagements because of the kids.

With her medical background, it is not surprising that Ms Holy pays close
attention to the nutritional needs of her growing children. She tries to provide
them with a balanced diet every day — one that includes “carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nutrients from fruits and green vegetables, and as many natural ingredients as possible”.

She says her kids’ favourite foods include pasta with butter, broccoli, grated carrot, chicken rice, fish, and rice with crushed fresh tomato and omelette.

On top of that, the kids drink milk every morning, as milk contributes to strong bones, and is an important food for growing children.

Ms Holy also makes it a point to ask them what they have for lunch in school so she can supplement whatever is missing from their diet during tea-break or dinner that day.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.