Unlike other celebrities, Celine Dion doesn’t have a nanny and it even sounds like she doesn’t have a maid or cook. (Although I would doubt that based solely on the size of her home, which includes a water park basically. Photos are below.) She told French Magazine Gala [via People] that she’s doing all the feeding and diaper changing for her two and a half month-old newborn boys, Nelson and Eddy. Celine relies on her sister and mom for help with the cooking and housework.
Ten weeks after delivering twin boys, Céline Dion says she’s ‘coping day by day’ with sons Nelson and Eddy.
In an interview with French magazine GALA, the singer, 42, explains that she’s thankful for the help she receives from her mother Thérèse and sister Linda, as their presence means she doesn’t have to worry about “house work, cooking or doing the shopping.”
“I didn’t have these children to not take care of them, to give myself to them 200 – 300 percent,” she explains.
“I am changing diapers and breastfeeding and that’s something where no one can take my place. It’s tiring but an intense joy.”
“I take things day by day,” Dion adds. “That’s the secret to me. In any case, breastfeeding is more difficult if you are stressed. Sometimes I find myself in comical situations I don’t know how to get myself out of. For example, when both are feeding and one has gas while the other is burping, I don’t know which position to adopt!”
After delivering the boys on Oct. 23, Dion says she experienced loss of appetite and a change in mood, which others noticed. “Some of the first days after I came home, I was a little outside myself,” the singer notes. “I had no appetite and that bothered me. My mother remarked that she noticed I had moments of lifelessness, but reassured me that this was entirely normal.”
She also experience mood swings, telling the magazine, “One moment, tremendous happiness; the next, fatigue sets in, and I cried for no reason, and then that took care of itself. It’s for things like that after having a baby that mothers really need emotional support.”
Though she will begin lightly rehearsing later this month for her Las Vegas return in March, Dion isn’t putting too much pressure on herself.
“In reality, I’ve had almost no time getting a shower and feeding myself. My preoccupation has been eating sensibly,” she shares. “My only worry has been to be able to open and close [my tops] quickly for breastfeeding. It’s been out of the question to even wear a blouse!”
[From People]
I felt the same way when my son was born, with mood swings and extreme exhaustion. You don’t have time to eat, take a shower or even go to the bathroom sometimes. I love that Celine is caring for her twins on her own, but I’ll be honest – if I was in her position I would hire some help. You can still be there for you twins, nurse and care for them and get outside help. Maybe she only trusts her family though and wants them around at this special time. It’s probably going to be hard for her to return to Vegas in March, but unlike most working moms she’ll get to have her babies right there with her. It’s so nice to see Celine’s dreams come true after all she’s gone through the past few years.
Header image is Celine’s Christmas card, from Entertainment Tonight via HuffPo. Photos below are from WENN.com from June of last year
Just seeing Celine always makes my day. I have not enough wonderful adjectives to describe what I think about her.
I know it’s hard for Celine’s followers to forget that incident which was so out of character for her but it’s been almost ten years. I chalk it up to a terrible hormone imbalance, personal stess, or perhaps her blood sugars got out of whack. It was so nice that the tabloids didn’t crucify her for it. The photos made me very sad. You know a celebrity has good Karma when she did something like that and the public gives you a pass.
I think she’s great. There are mommies then there are mothers… She is a true mommy.. I love her devotion to her family and children. She has my admiration.
What happened ten years ago?
Rita, what incident?
I call total bs on this, I’m sure she has a legion of help.
That water park justs shows how out of touch and selfish she is. Her home is on Jupiter Island in Florida where there are water shortages and the neighbors were pissed at her for building it
@viper and Darlene
I regret even mentioning it. She did it once and even Howard Stern said on his radio show that he would not discuss it. I know CB likes Celine but professional standards might force CB to post the picture links to which I refer. That would be most unfortunate.
Anyway, I won’t go into the graphic details but if by informing you about this incident, it will make it go away once and for all, here it is:
Celine is photographed with short blonde hair and wearing a hideous peach silk jump suit. I just feel that a woman as naturally beautiful as Celine should never have gone blonde with short hair. I’m sorry, I can’t talk about this laps in her judgement anymore.
(Thanks for biting)
@Normades: Floridians hate French Canadians in general (they’re not the most enchanting tourists…), this isn’t news and the water park is just an excuse.
How do you know it isn’t a saltwater park? I’m sure plenty of her neighbours have pools. Greywater would be used for her lawn sprinklers and flowerbeds.
Of course she has help. Anybody with money would, and does. That doesn’t preclude her from being a hands-on mother.
For someone who success came at a young age, and stratospheric success at that, she’s remained a decent human being. That in itself is a tremendous achievement.
I’m proud of her and she deserves her happiness because she worked hard and earned it. Your sour grapes are better directed elsewhere.
Her mom and her sister are no spring chickens-so I’m doubting they’re scrubbing her bathrooms.
I adore this woman and wish her nothing but the best. She is as real as “celebrities” get!
If with help I imagine that nursing 2 infant is totally exhausting!
HOrmones cause mood swings. Most new mommys have them. I still have no clue what she’s “stressed” about. She’s rich, she has no chores to do, ie: cleaning, shopping and her only duties in life at this very moment are to change diapers and breastfeed. Bit of entitlement, me thinks.
I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but I’ve read Celine’s book, and yes she has help. Several of the people that work as part of her household staff are relatives, so I guess she’s decided that doesn’t count as help. Sorry, no, if your relatives are on your payroll then it still counts. Plus, she has a few additional housekeepers working for her as well.
I hate it when celebrities try to act like they’re just the same as everyone else when they have tons of help. I don’t even care that they have the help – and I would probably hire some help if I had that kind of money too – it’s the dishonesty about having help that annoys me.
D’oh! My comment should have read: Even with help I imagine that nursing 2 infants is totally exhausting!
@ Grace. So true. Link to http://www.themls.com and look at some of the ritzy houses for sale in Los Angeles. There is no way Celine is tying a kerchief on her head and motoring around a 30,000 sq ft home with a mop in one hand and a bottle of glass cleaner in the other.
Sounds like a case of the baby blues. Most moms get them its just your bodies hormones readjusting after birth. It’s when it sticks around for weeks and months that it becomes post partum depression. The best advice I ever received for after the baby came was to sleep when she slept and ya know I actually felt totally rested and up for normalcy about 3 weeks after she was born. (We were in the hospital for the first week because my girl was so small). It sounds like she’s having a wonderful time mothering which is great!
And for her help I’m sure she’s probably sent them on holiday while she gets acquainted with her new babies, so having her mom and sister around sounds about right.
But its not like I know her personally I just try to think of things from every angle before placing judgment or comments!
I’m really happy for her. Being told I couldn’t have kids, my heart went out to her during her many attempts to have first her son, then more children. I’m so happy she got the ending she deserves!
Also-I don’t think it’s important to dwell on the fact that she has help- it’s more important to highlight:
“I didn’t have these children to not take care of them, to give myself to them 200 – 300 percent.” More celebs need that point of view. I mean, it’s a human, not an accessory!!!
I give her credit for being honest about needing help, that not all women are “superwomen” who give birth to twins at 43 with no assitance from fertility doctors. But dad looks like grandpa. I’m not sure people (men or women) that old should voluntarily bring more kids into the world. If it’s an accident or there was a kid needing adoption, that would be different, but he chose to bring two new kids into the world knowing the odds are he won’t be around to watch them become adults. That’s a little disturbing to me.
I don’t have kids so I do not mean to offend anyone by coming off as though I know what it’s like, but please explain to me how you wouldn’t have time to eat or go to the bathroom? I’ve heard this so many times and I seriously don’t get it. They make seats that allow the child to be safely kept in place right? One of my friends would even bring her baby into the bathroom in his seat so she could even SHOWER! (showering seems to be the main thing new moms say they don’t do, but she said it wasn’t a big deal at all, and I don’t see why it would be either).
@Megan: I’ve never understood it either. I’ve never had trouble finding time to eat or shower. I think most of the mothers who say that are greatly exaggerating.
Twins are quite a handful. I’ve seen this first person and I can understand what Celine would mean about being stressed caring for two babies (if she is indeed doing it primarily on her own). Most people need help with two babies. Just pumping enough milk can be a struggle and if both babies are on different feeding/sleeping schedules, look out!
I wish Celine would be honest and admit she has people looking after her home. She may be the primary caregiver for the three children, but she no doubt has people looking after the food, laundry, cleaning up, etc. Having her mum and sister there also would help with the newborns, but she definitely has a nanny or two if she’s going back on stage.
Megan: it’s the crying. For the first few months, my daughter was fine if I was holding her and/ or nursing her, but as soon as I put her down or passed her off to my husband or mom she would wake up and scream… so then the clock would be ticking as I tried to take care of basic bodily functions (which can be difficult and complicated after the delivery) and hubby/ mom would try to walk her around and calm her down. (Breastfed newborns need to nurse frequently, since their little stomachs are so small. Plus they just came out of your body, so they tend to be a little clingy at first!)
Congrats to her. So wonderful to hear she is nursing her babies and talking openly about it.
My name is Michael i am 19yrs single