There’s A New Babe In DJ Jeremy Ratnam’s Life

There’s another woman in Jeremy Ratnam’s life, and he couldn’t be happier. Since the 91.3FM DJ welcomed his first child, Nicole Theresa, in November last year, he’s been playing the role of a doting dad.

The 36-year-old and his wife Jamie, 31, will be able to cash in on the new parenthood perks offered by the Government – the couple are expecting their second child, whom they have already named Kevin Constantine, next month – exactly a year after Nicole was born. Jeremy tells Young Parents how he manages the ups and downs of new parenthood.

So, you describe yourself as a hands-on dad. Anything that’s off-limits?
Well, hands-off would be diaper changing! I’d just carry Nicole to the changing mat and my wife Jamie takes over. But I do almost everything else. I’d clear the bins, clean up the house and pack the baby bag when we go out, for instance. And when Nicole used to have night feeds, we took turns to prepare milk, feed her and make sure she burped.

How prepared were you for being a dad?
Actually, even after she was born, I didn’t totally feel like I was a dad yet. It was like my wife and I were looking after someone else’s cute daughter! The turning point was when she unfortunately contracted whooping cough, also known as pertussis, in January.

It’s highly contagious and can be fatal. She landed in KK Hospital for five days. I had to hold her little hands when the doctor shoved the tubes into her mouth and nose to draw the phlegm out. That was really, really sad and painful... and it made me realise she’s my flesh and blood! I’m a dad!

What’s the best thing about being a dad?
Everything just feels so positive after she’s come into our lives. And I can show off finally that I’ve got a child of my own. I’ve got photographs of her around the house, on my blog and I talk about her on my radio show.

The biggest challenge of being a father is?
I’m always very wary of her falling sick. She hasn’t fallen sick since the whooping cough episode, touch wood! I want to make sure she’s well-protected and goes for her injections on time. We’ve seen the worst.

What have you learnt from your baby?
La-la-la… (Makes baby language) I’ve got a little recording of her. Looking at her, it also makes me wonder how I was like when I was this young and how my dad felt.

How has parenthood changed your marriage?
We used to argue a lot. (Laughs) Having a baby actually helps us agree on more things! I mean how can you disagree with anything about the baby! If she wants milk, she has to have it. And with the whooping cough episode, it has truly brought us even closer together. We were looking out for the baby and for each other.

Is Nicole prepared for her younger brother?
Because we didn’t expect to have a second child so soon, the baby room is all pink! So we’ve put up some wall stickers of rugby balls and made sure it’s a little more boyish. We’ve got her mixing with other kids but she hasn’t seen any baby boy yet. With only one year’s age difference, they’ll probably speak the same (baby) language and enjoy each other’s company. We’re also bracing ourselves for the worse – when one cries, the other may cry as well. And all hell will break loose!

With your hectic work schedule, how do you make time for your family?
Thankfully, my wife is very supportive of my career and willing to join me at the road shows I host. If it’s at a mall, she would go shopping with the baby in a pram. When I’m done with the show, I’ll meet her and we’ll carry on shopping. Sometimes, they will join me at the studio as I host the night show. My boss is cool with it. Family time is a must-have!

What’s your favourite father and baby activity?
Lying down on the bed in the master bedroom and watching TV together! She also loves it when I sing a song — she’ll dance and clap.

Share with us some great family-friendly hangouts.
My in-laws’ home? (Laughs) Seriously, we always love going to Sentosa. That’s where we went on our first date and where we got married as well. We also like bringing the baby to East Coast Park. The thing is, we don’t really go to public places during the weekends. It’s crowded everywhere so it’s hard to push the pram around in a mall and you’ve to queue for the lifts. Mondays to Wednesdays are the days we always go out, and as early as we can.

Any enrichment courses for your baby yet?
So far, it’s BabyTV (StarHub Ch 37) and she’s now glued to it! We haven’t enrolled her in anything yet. I’m thinking no, but everyone’s doing it so let’s just see. She also likes the Football Channel (Ch 27). She’s quite into the sport! When she was born, it was the end of the Champions League season. She and I enjoyed each other’s company and watched football together.

Do you think fatherhood gets easier?
It think it’s going to be really fun. I don’t think anyone should be afraid to become a dad. In fact, having a baby has brought the whole family closer. The past year has been simply amazing!

Click here to view Jeremy Ratnam’s baby quiz!