Brooke Vincent laughed as she was asked if she recommended having children close together after having her own sons 18 months apart. In April 2019 the former Coronation Street actress announced that she was pregnant with her first child with her now-fiance Kean Bryan.
Mexx S J Bryan made his arrival into the world in October of the same year and just over a year later, in November 2020, Brooke announced she was pregnant with her second child, Monroe, who was born in May 2021. Last month, the Audenshaw-born actress opened up about her struggles with her young boys when it came to sleep.
She shared how since their holiday to Tenerife to ring in the new year, the two boys had been 'horrendous' when it came to a good night's rest. Brooke went on to explain. "And 9/10 BOTH in bed with us with Monroe WRAPPED around my neck." The mum-of-two then later reshared a post from The Mum Circle and Instagram which clearly struck a chord. The message started: "Dear bedsharing mama, I know your muscles ache and your hips feel tight. It's hard to share your body, every day and every night."
The poem then ended: "You knew that's what they need and it's what you needed too... To rest so close and so connected to the heart who lived in you." Writing alongside the post on her own Instagram Story, Brooke said: "This is me atm. Yes, I'm crying," alongside a broken heart and weary face emoji.
And Brooke was flooded with questions about life as a mum when she opened up her Instagram DMs for a Q&A. One follower asked the former soap star, who played Sophie Webster in the ITV soap: "Would you recommend having two little ones so close together?" After initially answering questions with worded replies, Brooke decided to appear on video to answer.
"I feel like I don't have enough space on my screen to write my answer," she laughed before saying: "Would I recommend it? To my friends, I'm like, 'No, don't do it!' But it's just utter chaos. I'm not going to lie, it's absolute chaos. Day in, day out is like a circus in my house.
"It's so hard and so challenging at times but then you have these moments where you just laugh and they make your heart so full. And looking at them bonding and their relationship grow and how they rely on each other is just really, really nice. People say to me when they're older they'll be so close and I can see that but sometimes it's so hard and it's so hard to pull your time and split that and mum guilt is a huge thing. But at the same time, it's amazing."
After describing their recent flight as 'carnage' which left her wondering how they were going to make it through, the 30-year-old then added: "There's been so many moments like that since I've had Monroe where I've been like, 'how are we going to get out the house, how are we going to get on holiday,' but you do. You just do it. I think if you're lucky enough and it's something you want to do then do it, 100 percent because... there's no going back now but I think you just need to be aware it can be really hard at times."
And it wasn't long before she was asked if she was thinking of expanding her brood, to which Brooke said: "I actually get asked this all the time. I always say to people who have got three, 'what is it that made you [have] three.?' because when I had Mexx, I thought I had boxed it.
"He slept, he ate, he was pleasant - it was the height of lockdown so that was unrealistic as it was - but we had Monroe and thought, 'OMG! This is not the case,' because [Mexx] turned terrible twos and then I saw a girl who had the same age gap and was pregnant again and I was like, 'How are you doing this?' Because I'm not okay nine times out of ten. I am absolutely like a walking zombie with these kids so how are you doing that, pregnant, with another two. Baffling."
However, Brooke then did add with a laugh: "But yeah, I might have another one. I don't know. I've not got a clue. We're crazy cats aren't we."
Last month, Brooke left fans hoping for a Corrie return as she paid a visit to the cobbles with her eldest son. While she is no longer under contract with the ITV soap, the door has been left open for her character to return after Sophie left in the back of a taxi in October 2019.
Her exit from Weatherfield came ahead of the birth of her first child, Mexx, who was born on October 23 2019, and on May 4 2021 Brooke gave birth to her second son Monroe with her footballer fiance. Brooke took toddler Mexx with her to the Salford-based set where she got to catch up with her on-screen family and former co-stars. And there was also time for some photo opportunities outside some of the soap's famous landmarks.
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