Congrats on being a mum of two beautiful kids! You seem so calmed and relaxed even though you have a newborn and a toddler. It's inspiring to see how you've handled being a mum of two.
How does it feel going through the newborn period second time around?
It’s actually been so blissful the second time around! I think that’s because I learnt so much with my first born from breastfeeding to settling, learning different hunger and tired cues and most importantly learning to tune into and trust my maternal instincts & intuition. I believe all of that experience has given me so much more confidence and allowed me to be more present in this beautiful newborn bubble now.
What are some tips for managing parenting to two young children?
Whilst I’m still quite new to being a mum of two, I have quickly learnt that it’s important to try and find little pockets of time with your toddler throughout the day to keep their love & affection cups full. Toddlers love being useful and helpful so try where you can to involve them in daily tasks to do with the baby such as changing nappies. One last tip is to not be afraid to rely on your support network and don’t be afraid to ask for help from your family if you need it. It takes a village sometimes and you’re not meant to do it alone!
Plus your whole concept of time shifting and then being a mum of two the next challenge is balancing out your love and affection for both when you’ve only been used to devoting your time to one child - there’s a sense of loss that comes with it.
What are some of the tough and real moments of becoming a mother?
Personally, I found learning how to breastfeed to be the first tough moment as a mother apart from birth. For something that is meant to be natural is actually so technical! Despite all of the grazes and cuts I experienced in the beginning, I knew it was something I really wanted to do so I pushed through and persevered through the pain and ended up completely loving and looking forward to breastfeeding. In fact I loved it so much it turned into a 17 month long beautiful journey with my first born! Of course this isn’t a path for everyone for many reasons and most importantly a fed baby is a happy baby at the end of the day, no matter how you do it.
You have a beautiful boy Hunter, how does it feel being a girl mama this time around?
I’m absolutely loving that I get to be a girl mama this time around! I feel so blessed that I’ve given birth to one of each and I feel so lucky to now have two little besties to raise and love. It is honestly a dream come true though to now have a beautiful little girl of my own and raise her to be intelligent, strong, and ambitious in everything she pursues in life. I’m also really loving that I get to indulge in all the pretty dresses, bows and accessories this time around!
What is your favourite part of being a mum?
The most rewarding part of being a mum for me is seeing my children thrive and be the best versions of themselves possible as a result of all the decisions I make for them out of love. From their great weight gains as a result of my decision to persevere with breastfeeding, to teaching them to self settle as a skill they’ll have for life to ensure great sleep habits from the beginning, to even devoting time to educate myself on babies and kids nutrition to make sure they’re getting the best out of all the meal prepping/batch freezing I do for them. - I have watched my son grow and flourish into this incredibly strong, confident, tall, and beautiful boy as a result of these decisions over the past two years and now that he’s talking and absorbing more of his environment than ever before, I’m seeing the world through his beautiful eyes in a whole new way and that is my absolute favourite part of being a mum!