Georgie Parker has been a fixture on Australian  TV since the 80s, and while we know her as nurse Lucy Gardiner on A Country Practice and Roo Stewart on Home and Away, in her personal life, Georgie is mum to 18-year-old Holly.

In this week’s The Juggling Act podcast, Georgie reveals why she’s happy she’s a mum of just one child.

“I’d wanted to be a mother for a very long time”

Georgie was 35 when she had Holly. She and husband Steve Worland had just been married, but motherhood had long been on Georgie’s mind.

“I’d wanted to be a mother for a very long time,” she said. “I knew I didn’t want it with anyone, so when I met my husband I said, ‘Let’s get this train going!’

“When I found out I was having a girl, I was so excited.”

Although Georgie describes pregnancy as “fantastic”, labour was another story. “When she came out my back … I had a bit of a lapse and lost some height,” she said. The 53-year-old has suffered from scoliosis since she was 13 and delivering a baby was extremely traumatic.

Georgie with her TV dad Alf Stewart, AKA Ray Meagher. Photo: Instagram 

“What can we manage?”

“The thought of a second pregnancy plus going back to work full time, I had to ask myself, ‘what can I do well, and what can we manage?’” she said.

The couple decided Holly would be their only baby.

“I think I was lucky to have one. When you hear all these stories about women having so many obstacles because they [start trying to have a baby] so much later, I count my lucky stars.”

She’s also lucky because Holly was an easy baby and a good sleeper from the start. And because the universe favours balancing things, Georgie thinks a second child might have been a nightmare. “It would have been yin and yang,” she laughed.

For her part, Holly is pleased with her family of three. “I asked Holly, ‘Would you have liked a brother or a sister?’ and she answered, ‘No way. I don’t want to share you guys.’” Georgie said.

Georgia is focused on her health and is ambassador for Activia yoghurt. Photo: Instagram

“Diet can play havoc with your health”

Although it may have affected her decision to have more children, Georgie hasn’t let scoliosis slow her down. She exercises, eats well and is now an ambassador for Activia yoghurt.

“Diet can play havoc with your health and wellbeing,” she said. “I’m mindful of what I eat, but I’m never on a diet. You can do the six-week thing, the three-month thing, but ultimately they end, and you go back to old habits.”

Those sentiments will certainly ring true for many Australian women, according to new research  on gut health by Activia. In fact, 45 percent of women surveyed have reduced or completely removed certain food groups from their diet in an effort to keep bloating at bay.

Nearly all the women involved in the research had experienced digestive discomfort, including bloating, pain, burning, gas and belly gurgles. It’s interfered in their daily lives, with one in three saying they’ve cancelled plans with friends or family because of stomach troubles.

For Georgie, Activia yoghurt makes a good, balanced snack, but she says she’s got to protect her stash at home.

“I make sure I eat well. I had my Activia yoghurt this morning, and dare I say, my husband and daughter have been eating it as well. They have been stealing my stash and I’ve had to section off the fridge like I’m in a share flat!”