lauren Geatches

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm Lauren. I'm 30. I'm originally from Newcastle, but have been in Canberra coming on 8 years.

My fiancé, Brad, and I have a little boy who just turned two and I am pregnant with our second, a girl, due October/November.

My academic background is in Sociology/Anthropology and I work as a social/health policy analyst. I recently left a public service career to join a small but quickly growing group of powerhouse women who take on impactful work to address inequality in Australia and overseas. I work part-time and feel really lucky that I find my work so rewarding.

I love to write. I've dappled in blogging and used to do some freelance content/copywriting/editing on the side way back when I was footloose and child-free. While I was on maternity leave in 2020, I started a small platform on Instagram called Said No Mum Ever | (@saidnomumever). It was a way to dip my toe back into writing in a way that felt both authentic and manageable during a time I was still struggling with reconciling my identity as a new(ish) Mum. It's been a beautiful way to connect with other mothers (in Canberra and all around Australia/the world).

I am also the blog writer for Omm Label (@omm_label) , a sustainable and ethical breastfeeding apparel brand started last year by Ophélie, a French-Australian Mum of two from Melbourne. The brand is about so much more than just providing quality, stylish feeding-friendly options for mums - it's about empowering and connecting mothers wherever they are in their motherhood story (breastfeeding or not). Ophélie’s mission resonated with me so much that I jumped at the opportunity to join her.

What were you doing before babies?

Our relationship was a 'when you know you know' whirlwind, so before babies we were basically enjoying each other, lots of wine, good food, live music and domestic travel. We were planning to do more travel overseas when we got the news that our son was on the way.

We were both also at a point in our careers where we were pushing pretty hard - so it was long days/weeks - but we maximised our weekends and took some well overdue leave.

How did you come to be a mum?

We both wanted to start a family and knew we both felt ready as individuals, but I had a complicated fertility history (I have PCOS and had already undergone fertility treatment in my previous relationship). We didn't think babies were a possibility naturally. I wanted a break from thinking about fertility so we'd talked about enjoying a few years together first before starting any treatment. Our little boy was the absolute best surprise of our lives!

He was born at 38 weeks in July 2019 by emergency caesarean. His birth felt quite traumatic for us and we had a few extra recovery challenges in those early weeks and months, so it was a bumpy start to life as new parents.

What has your feeding journey been like?

I breastfed my son until about 19 months of age, when he self-weaned during my 1st trimester of this pregnancy. It was a wild ride that involved slow weight gain, diagnosing and releasing tongue and lip ties, and navigating food intolerances and supply issues. But for all those challenges, it remains one of the most sacred parts of my motherhood experience so far.

I shared my breastfeeding story at the beginning of this year before our feeding journey ended: the title really sums it up perfectly: Breastfeeding – Breathtaking, Back-aching, and Everything in Between. – OMM Label

What has sleep been like in your house?

Next question. Ha. No, just kidding.

But seriously, what even is sleep?

Sleep deprivation has become a way of life for us now. And, as strange as I'm sure it sounds, I'm entirely okay with that (finally).

Our son hasn't been a fan of sleep since day dot and he has been consistently wakeful. We firmly believe sleep is developmental so trust that he will eventually sleep through when he is ready to. He gets as much sleep as he needs and is absolutely thriving.

Overall, we're really proud of how we have managed sleep as a family - because at times, it (inevitably) brought us to our knees. But we have chosen to be totally responsive and gentle, so while he still has never slept through the night (or even close!), he has a really beautiful, positive relationship with sleep.

We started co-sleeping for the second part of the night when our son turned one. We're just about to upgrade him to a king single with trundle so are hopeful that might positively impact his sleep and he may need us a little less.

Pregnancy 2.0 has been really challenging with the interrupted sleep - we sometimes joke that at this rate his sister will probably sleep through before he does. Whatever she has in store for us, we're well prepared!

If anyone is after any resources or support for gently managing sleep, my tip is to follow @gentlesleepfamily. Claire is in the UK and has been a great support for us. The free content she shares is also so really helpful.

The hardest bits…

See last question - ha!

But also just battling with my own mind and overcoming the gap between my expectations for motherhood, versus the reality. I struggled a lot with comparison during the first year, and felt like everyone else had their shit together and was doing a better job than I was. I now refer to myself as a 'recovering perfectionist'!

I still often struggle with that feeling that I can never get everything done that I want/need to in a day.

The best bits…

I live for cuddles with my son. He's really affectionate and really I'm hoping he stays that way for at least a while (preferably forever). I'm really loving watching him learn new things as a curious toddler, and feel in many ways (but definitely not all) it's gotten easier now he can communicate so well. I love our little chats about everything and anything. He is developing his own unique sense of humour, and I have the best time laughing with him.

I've absolutely loved watching my partner as a father. The reality is that parenting isn't easy on any romantic relationship, and it's definitely challenged us, but I feel like it's really galvanised our connection.

I'm also super grateful for the new mum-friends I've made! I can't overstate the difference it made to my experience.

How do you make time for you?

On the weekends we balance time as a family with tag-teaming so that we both get a few hours to ourselves. I've realised it isn't ever going to become easy to carve out that time (it definitely means those 'deep clean' jobs don't get done as often as I'd like) but it something I've had to prioritise. I found it really hard to step away during the first year of motherhood, but once I did, I figured out that filling my own cup and prioritising my own mental health made me a much better mother.

When it's not always possible to get time that time to myself (because life!), I try to find small opportunities to recharge my batteries when I'm 'mumming' - sitting in the sunshine, sipping a warm cup of something or having a podcast in one ear (highly recommend 'We Don't Have Time for This'!).

It'll be a whole new ballgame finding time for myself (and for us as a couple!) when our family soon grows - so I'm prepared that what works and fits now might not in a few months time.

What’s next for you and your family?

We're gearing up to move from our apartment in Braddon to a house we've recently purchased. We're excited to swap Haig Park for a backyard of our own (although I'll really miss Sonoma and Gelato Messina).

I'm really looking forward to this spring/summer as a family of four in our new home, but I expect the transition to being a Mum of two will be tricky for me. I’ll be back on mat leave, so hoping to find time to do more writing (even if just during all those overnight feeds).