New year, new addition to family: Andrea Chong expected to deliver third son in January

SINGAPORE – As she heads into 2026, fashion influencer and entrepreneur Andrea Chong, 33, finds herself on the cusp of another life shift. She is due to give birth to her third son on Jan 21.

Already a mother to four-year-old Ezra Isa Imran and three-year-old Elia Adam Imran, Chong says this pregnancy has prompted her to approach the new year with more intention and less urgency.

Married to lawyer Imran Rahim, the co-founder of womenswear label Good Addition has spent the past years building her career. But, as her family expands, her definition of progress is evolving.

“With my first two kids, I was trying to grow the business at the same time,” she tells The Straits Times in an interview over the phone. “I honestly don’t remember much of my second child’s early months.”

This time, she hopes to be more present. With Good Addition more operationally stable and supported by a larger team, Chong feels able to step back slightly without stepping away.

That shift has required careful planning as her due date falls in the middle of the brand’s busiest season, the lead-up to Chinese New Year.

Once she found out that she was pregnant – it was unplanned and a surprise for the couple – she began preparing early. She hired additional manpower, appointed an operations manager and put in place systems that would allow the business to run smoothly in her absence.

“I needed to know the company would be okay so I could deliver in peace,” she says.

Motherhood has reshaped Chong’s career in visible ways. Once known for travel-heavy fashion and beauty content, she now focuses more on building her label and various aspects of family life. Late nights and frequent overseas trips are no longer the norm.

At home, the arrival of a third boy is unlikely to dramatically alter daily life. “Two or three boys, it’s still chaotic,” she says with a laugh. Her older sons are curious and excited, often asking about the baby’s size using food comparisons, such as asking if he is now as big as a watermelon. So far, she has seen no signs of jealousy, only anticipation.

Logistically, Chong says the family is keeping things simple. With help from her in-laws and a domestic helper, and with her older children already in school, she has resisted over-preparing. “With a third child, you realise you don’t need everything new. You boil it down to the necessities.”

That same philosophy now guides how she views work. At Good Addition, a company that employs several mothers, boundaries are clear. The team aims to clock out by 5pm and avoids working on weekends unless necessary. “Family time is a priority,” she says. “If I need to resume work, I do it after the kids sleep.”

As she looks ahead, Chong is deliberately not chasing bigger projects. The coming year, she says, is about slowing down and being intentional.

“You can’t pressure yourself to be 100 per cent a mum and 100 per cent a businesswoman at the same time,” she says. “When I’m ‘mum-ing’, I may not be the best boss. When I’m being a boss, I may not be the best mum. It’s give and take.”