For most women, the idea of motherhood is both scary and exciting. For women in the entertainment sector, as with others in any other industry, the challenge is striking the much-needed balance between raising their kids and nurturing their careers.

“When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, I was more excited than scared. I think having a little bit of fear mixed in with a bit of nervousness is normal because you’re about to be responsible for a whole other human. When I had Connor I felt like I had to hurry up and get back to work,” said singer Denyque.

The entertainer said she felt like she needed to dictate the pace of her career and didn’t want a newborn to slow things down.

“I felt like ‘oh, I can’t let my kid slow me down. I wanted him to come on adventures with me, like we were gonna take over the world and we did. He was like my handbag. I took him to work with me, and everything. But I started to burn out,” she said. “I realised after then that I would need help and then I battled all these thoughts of adjustments and what I would need to do to balance being a mother and an entertainer.”

Denyque, now a mother of two, said that balance came surprisingly easier when she had her second child, Dylann Drew.

She expressed that having her baby girl taught her to take things slower while savouring the moments of being a nurturer, adding that she understood more about how important being present was, while learning that prioritising motherhood didn’t mean sacrificing her career.

Karla Jankee, marketing executive and head of special events at Downsound Entertainment, shared similar sentiments as she chronicled her two-time tango with motherhood.

She expressed that her first leap into the role was easier than her second, as she had immense support from her own mother.

“The first time, I was 19 and I was terrified, but thank God my mother was my greatest support. She took charge and played an integral role in helping to raise my first son (Jaden-Ajani). Her doing that enabled me to start on this road of entertainment and get into something I didn’t even plan on doing. The second time I found out I was pregnant was 16 years later and I scheduled everything, down to the C-section date. It happened at a stage in my career where I was stable enough to be able to do all I needed.”

She expressed that while neither run was easy, a stable support system will always make the task of balance more achievable. She shared that the second time around, her work family made all the difference in her ‘bossing up’.

JANKEE…the first time, I was 19 and I was terrified, but thank God my mother was my greatest support.

“My second son (Kingston-Amir) travels with me all the time. Sometimes it’s stressful, where I don’t want to have to take him to spend a whole week with me at Sumfest but I know I have to,” she said. “King (Kingston-Amir) was basically raised at Downsound and the people there are his family. It was really a blessing having the option of bringing your kid to work. I mean Joe is Uncle Joe and Skatta is like a daddy and he loves them like an actual family. They support everything he does and help out however they can.”

Meanwhile, Cara Burke, artiste manager and director of Showtime Services, a booking agency, told the Jamaica Observer that support as a mother in the entertainment industry makes all the difference.

“I struggle sometimes with mum guilt but these days things are easier because I have a strong team, so I’m home a lot more,” she said of her second spin at motherhood. Burke, who just months ago welcomed a newborn, says leaving her kids is always the most difficult part of the balancing act, but shared that mastering both career and family is doable.

“It is definitely doable. I always make sure I’m home for crucial dates, engagements and periods, so I’ll make the time for exam preparations, parent-teacher meetings and competition dates because I’m big on extra-curricular activities,” she said. “My clients, family and teammates are understanding and loyal. I’ve had some bad experiences in the past with people but I think the formula I have now is solid and so juggling all my roles has become easier. I love being a mother because it allows me to be vulnerable and submissive. Outside of my home, I can’t necessarily afford to be that and so I appreciate the space and grace I am allowed around my kids to embrace that side of me.”