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Catching up with new Mum Libby Matthews

I’ve followed Julia and Libby for quite some time, so naturally when I got pregnant I followed Libby’s own journey to motherhood, and she seems to be taking it all in her stride.

Ever the interviewer – I love to ask questions, ever the panicking, trying to be prepared mother-to-be I had lots of them, so she very kindly gave up her time to answer some I had about this new, exciting chapter in our lives. I hope some of my questions are your questions too…

Is it what you thought it would be like?

During my pregnancy I was so anxious about becoming a mother. I was not the most maternal person and I didn’t even know how to change a nappy or hold a baby correctly. I think once you have the baby, everything just comes so naturally. Becoming a mother is the hardest but most rewarding thing in the world, its bliss, love and fulfilment on another level.

 

Are you back exercising yet?

Yes, I am back exercising. Maxwell was an easy baby during the first 3 months so I found it easy to go to the gym or go for walks. I try to go for a walk every morning with the pram, it makes a big difference to my mental health to get out of the house and get some fresh air. The days when I don’t leave the house, I get the worst cabin fever.

 

How much is too much exercise to do while pregnant?

I think when you’re pregnant you know how hard you can push yourself. Before I was pregnant, I was the fittest I had been my whole life so I found it easy (except during the last month of pregnancy) to exercise. Of course there were exercises I could no longer do but I tried to go to the gym 5 times a week throughout my pregnancy and walk on the days when I wasn’t at the gym. The days when I was feeling exhausted or sick, I would do a short and easy workout which really helped with my mood.

 

Best exercise to do when you’re not sure what exercise to be doing?

Walking! I found walking outside during my pregnancy to be so therapeutic and calming, it helped with circulation, water retention and stress relief.

 

Did being fit help with the birthing proccess?

I thought being fit would help with the birthing process and everyone said that being fit helps you have an easy labour but my labour didn’t go as planned. I was in labour for almost 24 hours and ended up having an emergency c section as my babies heart rate was dropping and I wasn’t dilating. I think being fit definitely helped make my pregnancy easier and I recovered fast from my c-section.

 

Best advice for us ladies who are pregnant at the moment?

Don’t take everyone’s advice. By the end of my pregnancy I think I had been given advice on absolutely everything under the sun, it became so overwhelming and stressful. Everyone has different experiences and opinions when it comes to motherhood. I think we just need to trust our instincts and do what feels right for us.

 

What do you think the best thing we can do for our babies is while we are pregnant?

Keep calm during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones make you crazy enough and the last thing we need is to feel stressed and anxious on top of this. Relaxation time is key to staying calm. Give yourself time each day to simply sit, breathe and feel positive about your pregnancy.

 

When can we have a celebratory glass of wine after having our baby?

I had my first glass of red wine about a month after Maxwell was born. When I say a glass, I really mean 5 sips before it put me straight to sleep.

 

Best tips for morning sickness?

Stay hydrated, don’t feel bad about living off toast and hot chips if you can’t eat anything else and try and go for short walks in the fresh air every day. My morning sickness really made me feel so down because some days I felt like I couldn’t do anything due to the nausea. I found forcing myself to go for short walks really helped to dissipate any negative feelings or low moods I was experiencing,

 

How much weight, on average, should we be putting on during pregnancy?

According to The Ministry of Health NZ, we should we putting on 12.5kg – 18kg if your BMI is below 18.5, 11.5kg – 16kg if your BMI is between 18.5-24.9 and 7kg – 11.5 kg if your BMI is 25-30. During my pregnancy I gained 16kg, just under half of that was gained during the last month of pregnancy.

 

What foods did you stay away from while pregnant?

During my pregnancy I avoided raw fish, aioli, undercooked eggs, certain cheeses, fizzy drinks and deli meats.

 

Does it feel odd to be someones “Mum”?!

So odd! There are days when I still can’t believe I’m a Mum, it’s such a surreal feeling. You have to look after this human for the rest of your life. There is such a big spectrum of emotions once you become a Mum, those maternal feelings of overwhelming love, protectiveness and constant worry about your baby.

 

What have you found the easiest and what have you found the hardest part about being a new Mum?

The easiest part about being a new Mum would have to be how quickly I adapted to the lifestyle change. This was something I was so anxious about but now I can’t remember what my life was like before having Maxwell.

The hardest part about being a new Mum would be the lack of sleep. Nobody can prepare you for the exhaustion of parenting. Before I had a baby, I would struggle to wake up at 6am but now 6am is a sleep in. There are days when I feel like I’ve hit my sleep-deprivation rock bottom only to be kept up the following night and hit a whole new level of sleep deprivation.

 

Libby, you’re awesome, thank you for answering all these questions. Maxwell is gorgeous!

 

Thanks for reading the blog again this week – anyone else you’d like me to interview for you guys? Would love your ideas!

Talk soon,

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  • Loving your blogs Laura!! I’m 19weeks pregnant at the moment and love reading your new blogs, especially all the pregnancy related ones, there’s so many questions and things happening as a first time mum 🙂 Also Congrats to you and Guppy for your little girl xx

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most recent comments

  • Kim Spavin: “Oh Laura. I already know how beautiful that wee girl of your & Guppy's is. She is just a wee…Mar 14, 10:39
  • Bruce Young: “Lovely post Laura - you sound so happy.Mar 12, 17:29
  • Amanda: “Congratulations I had no.3 on the 25th September (Mia Ruby) they grow up so fast ❤️ I am so glad…Mar 12, 15:59
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