Gwyneth Paltrow's Former Nanny Opens Up About Helping To Raise Her Two Kids With Chris Martin
Paltrow admitted having her nanny around was a lifesaver!
lev radin / DFree / Shutterstock / Instagram Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin spent over 10 years together after meeting in 2002 while hanging out backstage at one of Martin's Coldplay concerts.
The pair eventually announced their split in 2014, telling the world that they were both "consciously uncoupling," but would continue to amicably co-parent their children, Apple and Moses, now 18 and 16, respectively.
Paltrow and Martin's parenting style was labeled as "honest" by many of their fans. The former couple was not shy about admitting that they depended on the help of their nanny, who eventually released a book about her experience working for the famous duo.
Paltrow's former nanny shared her experience helping the actress raise her two children with Martin.
In October 2006, Paltrow's nanny, Rachel Waddilove, released a parenting book, 'The Baby Book,' which received heavy endorsement from both Paltrow and Martin.
According to Evening Standard, Waddilove, then 58, was a celebrity nanny who provided around-the-clock services to many A-listers. She had been hired by Paltrow and Martin following Apple's birth and brought back again after Moses was born.
Waddilove, whose fees ranged from £100 to £170 a day ($123-$209), had stayed with the 'Iron Man' actress and Coldplay singer for the first month in the UK after the birth of each of their children, before eventually flying back to America with Paltrow to look after Apple during filming.
While talking about her routine, Waddilove explained, "I do know after 30 years of experience that babies make better eaters, sleepers, and much easier toddlers if they have some kind of structure."
Both Paltrow and Martin were incredibly impressed with Waddilove's techniques that the actress even wrote an endorsement for her book.
"Using Rachel's technique, Apple was sleeping through the night in a six to seven-hour stretch by six weeks," Paltrow wrote, according to Evening Standard.
"She was a very happy and settled baby from the beginning. I believe this is because Rachel put us in a routine so that Apple always felt that there was a loving structure around her. She knew what was coming and could look forward to it with certainty."
Discussing her techniques, Waddilove believed that babies were fine if left to cry for 10 to 20 minutes so they could learn to get themselves to sleep.
"If [the baby] can't settle, go in but don't turn on the light, stroke [their] tummy and talk to [them] gently, but then leave. If [they] still [carry] on for another 15 minutes, repeat the process," she encouraged.
Paltrow previously offered praise for having her nanny around to help.
In May 2006, Paltrow publicly praised having Waddilove around and said that hiring a nanny makes it easier for her to be a working parent and complete tasks that she needs to get done.
"I have an amazing nanny. I didn’t have one till Apple was 14 months old, but then, because we were going on tour [with Coldplay]," Paltrow said, according to PEOPLE.
"We found someone fantastic. She’s been with us ever since."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics.