Katie Bowen
Tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Katie, I just recently turned 29 and am a new mum to an almost 5 month old! (where does the time go!) named Lily. I have a wonderful fiance named Matt, we have been together for almost 5 years and we have a blue staffy named Cooper! We recently renovated, sold and bought a new home all in the space of 1 year in preparation for a family!
What were you doing before babies/children?
Prior to having Lily I worked full-time as a Registered Nurse at the Canberra Hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit! I went on maternity leave at 34 weeks, which thank god because little miss decided to join us early at 36 weeks + 3 days. I plan to return to the unit part time once my maternity leave finishes.
How did you come to be a mum?
My partner and I were tossing up whether to get married or have a baby, but after renovating, selling and buying in 2022 we decided to give the bank account a break (joke was on us, babies are expensive), push the wedding back and start trying for our first baby. I was hyper aware that we could have fertility issues and wanted to give ourselves more time, so came off the pill in January 2023. After 4 months of roller coaster emotions with every negative test, we found out we were pregnant in May, 1 day after my 28th Birthday! The best birthday gift I could've asked for!
Looking back, we are very grateful and consider ourselves lucky that falling pregnant was so easy for us, even though throughout those 4 months it felt like the world was crumbling around us. My heart goes out to anyone experiencing infertility issues.
For me personally, pregnancy was amazing, I had the typical pregnancy symptoms that aligned with each trimester. Once we got close to the end I was feeling ready for her to arrive, little did I know, she would come within a few days of making it to 36 weeks!
Even the midwives thought I would make it to 40 weeks being a caucasian, first time mum, but Lily surprised everyone and came out within 2.5 hours of my midwife arriving at the hospital to meet us. Thankfully, both my partner and my friend (who was my student midwife) were both there to support me, even though I kept telling them I wasn't ready. Unfortunately I didn't have a choice!
What has your feeding journey been like?
I have been extremely lucky with feeding so far. Lily latched straight away and has been feeding fabulously. Whilst in the hospital we had the Lactation Consultant visit at my request to confirm everything was all good before we went home. My milk supply was good from the get go, potentially a little too good for a few weeks there, Lily would cough and splutter her way through the feeds but eventually it calmed down and has been a breeze since. I am very aware of how hard feeding can be for some mums, so i’m extremely grateful for our journey.
What has sleep been like in your house?
Although we have been lucky in the feeding department, we have not been so lucky in the sleep department. Lily was an extremely grumbly newborn who seemed to be straining and went red alot, which would wake her up from her sleep. After letting go of a lot of expectations on myself and her, we leaned in contact napping with the carrier for a few good weeks there.
Eventually she grew out of the grumbling and it affected her sleep less, once we got to 3.5/4 months it improved immensely and I am so excited to write that literally 4 days before this story goes live, she has slept through the night for the first time at 4.5 months! It has been a long journey, with lots of sleepless nights to get here today!
I was trying to explain to my work friends that this is a whole new type of tired compared to working night shift!
The hardest bits…
I would have to say the expectations I set on myself as a mum and on her, which I believe came from the exorbitant amount of information there is online from sleep consultants all saying things your baby "should" and "should not" be doing. It's extremely overwhelming for a new parent, especially when you throw in the PNA/PND, the sleep deprivation, the hormonal roller coaster and the new dynamic for your relationships. Once I was able to let go of those expectations and lean into what I felt was right, everything became easier!
The best bits…
All of it!! Seriously, it's so amazing! But it has been extra special watching the relationship develop between my partner and his daughter. There is something so beautiful about watching the person you love become a father. I absolutely could not have done postpartum without him, so I am very grateful for having him!
How do you make time for yourself?
This is still a work in progress, but I am getting better at it everyday! I am back to running which is a huge part of my life, next step is to get into some pilates classes to build some strength back! But I am also really enjoying all the time I get to spend with Lily, it's like having a built-in best friend, im sure I might get tired of it one day but at the moment it's the best!
What’s next for you and your family?
We are currently just enjoying this chapter of our life, doing family walks up Mt Taylor or outings as a new family. Knowing us it won't be slow for long though, who knows, might have to throw a wedding into the mix before baby #2!
If you could talk to your pre baby/kid self, what advice would you give?
Let go of expectations and the outside noise. Do what feels right for you! If you want to hold your baby, hold your damn baby!