Please note - this mama chat mentions post natal depression and molar pregnancy.

Tell us a bit about yourself?

Hallo! My name is Lisa .I’m 30 and I'm from Germany. I left everything behind and moved to Canberra in 2015 . I found it really challenging to find friends in the beginning and had lots of negative experiences. My broken English and being very shy didn’t really help the situation. Luckily I always had the support of my husband and his beautiful family.

What were you doing before babies?

Not much to be really honest. Just the usual things like work, eat, sleep, repeat. I really enjoyed hiking and spending lots of time in nature. Chasing waterfalls or walking along the beach.

How did you come to be a mum?

We started trying for a baby just after my visa got granted. I was pregnant straight away but unfortunately it turned out to be a molar pregnancy - (a non-cancerous tumour that develops in the uterus as a result of a non-viable pregnancy). We had to stop trying for a minimum of 6 month to reduce the risk of a cancerous tumour . After the 6 months had past we started trying again. 4-5 months went by without a positive test result. At that time I started a new job and we decided to have a little break . 12 weeks later I found out I’m pregnant. Surprise! I had a wonderful pregnancy but it was quite scary with the fires, hail and Covid. In March 2020 we welcomed a healthy baby girl. A tiny bit later we found out we are pregnant again - due in May 2021. There were a lot of “what the f****s” happening while staring at the positive pregnancy test, but we are absolutely thrilled!

What has your feeding journey been like?

I exclusively breastfed her for the first 4 month and changed to bottles after that. She needed a special formula due to allergies and she'd started daycare - formula was the best option for us. I really loved breastfeeding and I’m looking forward to doing it again soon.

What has sleep been like in your house?

The first weeks were very hard. Recovering from an emergency c section, bladder issues, a little bit of PND and a brand new baby. We found a good routine and 80% of the time our girl is a good sleeper! Don’t get me wrong there are nights far far far away from good and she turns into the devil but overall we really can’t complain.

The hardest bits…

Pregnancy. Negative birth experience. Other mums and their judgments. Teething and tantrums. Seeing them cry. Not having my family here and not knowing when we will see them next.

The best bits…

To watch my husband become a dad and the daily growing love to our beautiful daughter! Motherhood. The smiles and giggles. My supportive circle of incredible strong mums and our beautiful friendship. Pregnancy.

How do you make time for you?

Leaving her at daycare as long as possible is my secret .

What’s next for you and your family?

We are patiently waiting for the arrival of our son and after that we are done with the baby making (for now). We just going to enjoy the time together as a family of four, watch them grow up and become little best friends. Hopefully Covid is over/under control soon and we can go to Germany to visit my family.