Lauren Newton is currently juggling a million things at once.
When Now To Love calls the gorgeous mother-of-five (yes, you read that correctly) and the daughter of entertainment royalty Bert and Patti Newton on a sunny Friday afternoon, Lauren is feeding her newborn daughter Perla a bottle while chatting breezily about her very busy family, not skipping a beat.
She and husband Matt Welsh, the former Olympic swimmer, live just “30 seconds” away from Lauren’s parents in Melbourne’s Hawthorn East with their children Sam, 11, Eva, nine, Lola, six, Monty, two, and now Perla, who is four months old.
The couple, who have been married for 13 years, welcomed Perla’s arrival in January and they couldn’t be more besotted with their little one.
“She’s absolutely gorgeous. She’s been such a beautiful addition to the family,” Lauren told Now To Love.
“She’s an easy baby, luckily, and she’s been sleeping through the night since she was about six weeks old. We can’t complain, it’s been really easy, which is what you what with your fifth child!”
When asked how on earth she managed to wrangle five children, who were all born via cesarean, Lauren says she and Matt have slowly “added one at a time”.
“Going from four to five actually wasn’t the biggest change, really. That was probably going from one to two. We had our first and second close together – they’re 16 months apart – and the others have all slotted in,” Lauren said.
“We’re lucky now with Perla. I have an 11-year-old and a three-year-old helper, there are many hands.”
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Lauren and Matt with their children Sam Monty, Eva, Lola and Perla at Perla’s christening. (Image: @pattinewtonofficial/Instagram)
What proud grandparents! (Image: @pattinewtonofficial/Instagram)
Plus, she’s lucky that her parents Bert and Patti – who also live just around the corner – are very hands-on grandparents and help out a lot with childcare duties.
“I can’t stop them!” Lauren said of her very-attentive Mum and Dad.
“I was just thinking, ‘Mum hasn’t seen Perla today because she’s been busy, but that won’t last long’.
“We live very close by and she helps me out. We were always together even before kids. We would do things everyday and it’s no different with the kids.
“There would be something wrong if a few days went by and they hadn’t seen Nanny and Poppy.”
And Lauren says husband Matt is “really hands on” with the kids, pulling more than his fair share of household duties at home.
“I don’t think I could do it if I didn’t have his help,” Lauren said.
“The older kids are very sporty and into swimming. I don’t have to do much with the swimming. He coaches them and takes them to early morning classes, but I’m lucky I’ve got great parental help.”
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Patti, Lauren and Bert with Eva at a recent night out at the theatre. (Image: Getty)
Bert and Lauren with Eva, Lola, Monty and Perla. (Image: @laurenelisenewton/Instagram)
Bert has been very open about his health struggles in recent years, revealing he suffered a recent bout of pneumonia that really knocked him off his feat.
Recent photos of Bert show the TV veteran is still very much up and about, but has ditched his famous wigs, with the the 79-year-old’s signature ginger locks now long gone, revealing his bald head.
Lauren says right now, her father’s heath is “pretty good”, but that he still “has his ups and downs.”
“He’s doing well at the moment though and the kids are enjoying him a lot,” she said.
“He still works. He could work more if he wanted to, but he’s very selective with what he does and it has to fit into this life.
Bert is still a regular fixture at some Melbourne media events and most recently spending an evening out with his family at the theatre.
He’s also expected to be one of the A-List guests at the TV WEEK Logie Awards next month, an event the Newtons have always attended as a family.
Patti Newton, Lauren Newton and Matthew Welsh on a night out together. (Image: Getty)
With five children to look after, Lauren knows that taking care of herself is just as important.
The ambassador for Melbourne’s Crown is currently promoting the popular hotel’s Mumcation package, where Mums can spend a night away from their family to relax, recuperate and prioritise themselves.
“I realised after my second child that taking a break is crucial and I’ve made it more of a priority to be a good mum,” Lauren said.
“I need to be well-rested and in a happy, good place where I can manage things. I can take a girlfriend away for the night and talk. Having a bit of time away to just be the person you were before kids, having a dinner out and room service … it’s something I look forward to.’
Plus, she says actually having the chance to miss her children makes her a better Mum when she eventually returns home.
“Sometimes when you’re there all the time, things can get on top of you and the washing seems to just overtake your life. So a break is important,” she said.
“I love my life and I love what I do with the kids or I wouldn’t have kept having them, but I am a better mum when I’ve had time to myself and time away.
“Also, if I’m just packing for one, I can do that in five minutes. If I’m going with the kids, there’s a lot to take and think about. It’s complicated. When I come back, I need a holiday from my holiday!”
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Lauren and Patti with Eva and Lola. (Image: Getty)
The stunning mother-daughter duo at the 2017 Logie Awards. (Image: Getty)
While it can be overwhelming at times, Lauren says the best thing about being a mother of five is watching her gorgeous children interact with each other.
“They’re really good together and I’m very lucky that they all help out,” Lauren said.
“Sam is amazing. He’s great with Perla and my three-year-old but they’ve all got their different interests and relationships together.
“Seeing Sam with Monty, getting him out of the cot and making him breakfast … it’s very cute seeing a boy of Sam’s age, heading into his teen years, being so gentle and loving with a three-year-old.
“They have their moments, but on a whole they’re really good kids.”
WATCH BELOW: Bert Newton’s 2018 Logies speech. Story continues after video.
Does she think any of her children will follow in the footsteps of their famous grandparents?
“Monty and Lola are the ones that I think will go into the business,” she said.
“They spend most of their free time putting on shows and getting Dad to introduce them and pretending they’re in a show … it’s something he is very good at. He will play the tambourine while they dance – it’s very entertaining.”
