Parent stories and expert advice / Kate

Blogposts by Kate

A free lunch?

We had our first What Were We Thinking (WWWT) skype session when L was 6 weeks old. It was amazingly helpful! A and I just kept wondering how we got such good advice for free! There were two main benefits to WWWT.

Ambition

Today was a bit of a disaster. I had arranged for someone to come clean the house (actually a tiny 2 bed apartment but you’d be amazed how dirty it can get) because I just hadn’t got around to doing it myself in the three months since L was born. But first I needed to do some major tidying, so that the cleaner could actually reach the floors, etc.

A new reality

I had my first "what were we thinking" moment in the third week. Well, I had my first doubts the week before L was born, when I was feeling smugly prepared for the birth (we took some great childbirth ed classes, 4 sessions spread over a month, which I would recommend for retention; and hired a wonderful doula) but then I realized that I was much less prepared for a newborn!

Born in the USA

My partner and I are both from Melbourne, but we moved to New York a few years ago for work. There are lots of crazy things about the American health system, which has affected our birth experience in several ways.

Five lessons I learnt in my first year as a mother

In this personal piece, Kate shares her experiences of the challenges being a first-time mum brought and how reaching out for support with friends makes the journey easier.

Ground rules for first time grandparents

Before baby arrives, it's helpful to set some 'grandparent ground rules' ...

Sleep deprivation

I cannot believe how bad the sleep deprivation has been. L is now 3 months, and he’s sleeping way better than he used to, but it’s still not easy. With apologies to the LGBT movement, I just keep thinking: “it gets better.” Or, I look at my own mum, and realize it must get better at some point …

Things I cannot believe

L is 4 weeks old today.

Unsettled baby

The day of L's 4-week check-up, a few things suddenly came into focus for me. I had been feeling quite smug -- if still dazed from lack of sleep -- but L was feeding like a champion and putting on weight, and was generally an easy baby.