Please tell us a bit about you, who you’re the mother of and what you love to do
My name is Annie and I’m a mother of one human and one greyhound baby. I love getting out and about in beautiful Dharawal Country, where I am lucky enough to live. I work for the Government in stakeholder engagement, with a particular focus on sustainability and climate change action.
In a nutshell, what was you your pregnancy and birth experience like?
I had a super easy pregnancy, despite it being mostly during a Covid-19 lockdown in NSW. I happily worked and wandered around until my baby girl arrived at 40+1, just before midnight. I gave birth through the public hospital system in Wollongong and I loved every aspect of it.
I did a Calmbirth course prior to giving birth, which armed me to be mighty and confident in communicating my birth plan, along with my wonderful partner. We had the birth we dreamed of; swaying, mooing, and loving our little bean into the world.
Did you know about the concept of matrescence before you had a baby? Did you notice a big shift in yourself after becoming a mother?
I had heard the word matrescence before but I had no idea how all-encompassing it would be and how much my internal and external world would shift. From my skin complection to my subconcious ponderings, I felt like an upgraded version of myself as I shifted gears into parenthood. It was out of my control in a really beautiful way.
Did you do any specific preparations for postpartum before bub arrived?
My best friend prepared over 40 frozen meals for my partner and I which completely saved us.
She organised for a freezer to be set up in our garage and stocked it chock-full with nutritious and delicious goodies from pasta sauces to curries, soups and frittata. That was the greatest blessing of my postpartum period because they lasted as a safety blanket for us until baby A was 5 months old.
Calmbirth was an excellent education course for what to expect, but if I’m honest I hated doing it online (damn you covid).
Did you find that your network (or particular people) rose to the occasion to support your after you had your baby?
My village rose up big time. I have a real mix of friends who have 3, 1 or no babies and I found them all really supportive in their own ways. My friends without children honoured and celebrated the change in me and my mumma friends held me close in the hardest of times. Being part of a pregnancy and then mothers’ circle also allowed me to meet the experience with honesty and openness that I didn’t know possible. I am so grateful for the friends I have made through this group.
Do you or your family honour any traditions around pregnancy or birth?
Yes and no. I wanted a love bubble for two weeks and that was hard for them to understand. We compromised at one week but it didn’t bother me too much in the end. I loved having my mum around.
How important was community for you during pregnancy and postpartum?
Everything. It was the difference between enduring and enjoying the experience for me. I learned to lean on people for support when they offered and I don’t think I have ever comfortably done that before having a baby.
How did you find the transition back to work after becoming a parent?
I cried a lot, but I did enjoy it in the end. Working from home was a non-negotiable so that I could be around for the big milestones but I have no regrets about returning to work. It gave my partner the chance to be another primary parent and now we both have that role in baby A’s eyes.
What does a normal day/week look like to you now?
I work from home 5 days a week so that my partner can do the most important job in the world; raising our daughter.
Is there something you learned on your parenting journey that you wish you could go back to tell your pregnant self?
You’re gonna be super paranoid about sleep. And I can’t stop you. But it makes no sense… so go with the flow.
