tessa walls-nichols
Tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, my name is Tessa and I am the youngest of 3 sisters. We are incredibly close. We all live in Canberra and family means the world to me.
I am currently a single mum of 2 girls under 4. Josephine and Genevieve. I share them 50/50 with their dad. He left me about 6 months ago.
What were you doing before babies?
Before babies I guess I was doing basically what I do now. Working full time at the Uni, seeing family and friends. Probably going to more festivals though.
How did you come to be a mum?
Me and my then partner were about 28 and had been together for a few years and decided it was time. It happened much faster than we thought it would though, we basically didn’t even try.
What has your feeding journey been like?
My eldest breastfed almost exclusively until 18 months, then I waited for her to self ween, she never did. I only really weened her after I gave birth to my youngest. As my partner and I spilt my youngest had to be weened sooner than I would have liked but she eats so much as it is I am not worried, just a bit sad. It is nice to have my body back though.
What has sleep been like in your house? I think I have PTSD from sleep. Sleep deprivation is just a normal state I live in now. I took my eldest to QE2 the sleep clinic 3 times before giving up. She’s old enough to argue with now though. Josephine is actually amazing at sleep, but she can feel my anxiety so that makes things a bit harder. I basically co-slept with both babies.
The hardest bits…
Everything about being a parent is the hardest.
The best bits…
And everything about being a parent is the best.
How do you make time for you?
It is much easier now as I don’t have the girls full time to be honest. I feel guilty that I really enjoy my time away from them. They are just so much that it’s great to have a break.
What’s next for you and your family?
What I am looking forward to in my future is when I can successfully put both my kids to sleep without help from my mum. Working out how to parent by myself so she can move out. Small victories.