Kat Lebrasse is a Dubai based stylist and freelance journalist. She started her own styling business in 2014 and is now a phenomenally successful fashion influencer as well as being the creative and business force behind the website lebrasse.com.

Whilst still receiving numerous work requests, Kat is currently taking maternity leave to spend time with her new baby, Freddie and older daughter Poppy. We managed to catch up with her to have a chat and find out why she decided it was so important to store Freddie’s stem cells.

How did you first hear about banking stem cells?

I initially heard about it from a friend who was having a baby at the same time I was having my first child. I didn’t really understand much about it at the time and didn’t give it too much thought to be perfectly honest. I just dismissed it as something that wasn’t that important. However, afterwards when I read a bit more about it and did some research I really regretted not banking them.

Why did you bank your child’s stem cells?

This time around when I was pregnant I had more knowledge about stem cell banking and was very determined I would do it. Being more informed about the wide variety of diseases, stem cells can be used to treat, it was an obvious choice. A big factor for me was knowing that not only could the stem cells from this baby help if he later developed an issue but also because these cells could potentially help the whole family.

How has your life changed since having your children?

I have two children now and it’s much more of a juggle. I have to give both of them my attention and make sure I’m attending to both of their needs. Obviously a newborn is very demanding but my older child also needs me and I have to remember that too. In order to make things work for us as a family I’ve taken a step back from work right now. It’s still early days as my son is only a month old and I will return to work at some point but for now I’m concentrating on being a mum.

Tell us about your children. How old are they, what has your favourite moment of their development been so far? My daughter Poppy is 3, she’s a very funny, sassy little girl and my youngest, Freddie is a month old. I can’t believe how fast his first month has gone! My favourite moment so far has been seeing the love that Poppy has for her little brother. She’s absolutely beautiful with Freddie, she adores him and always lets me know when he’s crying or when he needs me. As a mum it’s natural to fall in love straight away with the little human you’ve grown inside you for months and months, but sibling love is a love that needs to be learnt. Seeing that has been so precious to me.

In terms of development I absolutely love the baby stage, the first year is amazing. They develop so quickly, it’s almost like they learn a new thing every day which is fascinating to watch as a parent. The time between age 2 and 3 with Poppy was also magical, I really enjoyed that. Poppy is now what they call a threenager and that certainly brings its own challenges!

 What one piece of advice can you give to first time mums?

Be kind to yourself. As mums we all guilt ourselves constantly and really, everyone is just trying their best.

Have friends or family been encouraged to store cells because you did?

Yes absolutely, quite a few friends have done it because I have discussed the benefits. Two close friends are currently pregnant and are researching and another friend has done it for both of her children. I was really pleased with the engagement from my followers on Instagram when I posted a video talking about the benefits of stem cell banking. Since then I’ve had a number of followers message me to say they’d not even considered it before and they’re now looking into it.