Brooke Bordiuk

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a 26 year old mum of a almost four (boy) and two (girl) year old, who was born and raised here in Canberra. My partner and I have been together since 2015, engaged since 2018 and we often talk about the wedding but never get to planning… I work part time in the public service and when I am not working or looking after my babies I enjoy being active in nature or at the gym.

What were you doing before babies?

Not too much different, playing sport a lot, lots of coast trips and experiencing a few festivals with my partner. Not long before I fell pregnant I had just started to get into non-competitive power lifting and often dreamt of competing but never worked up the courage to do so. Maybe one day…

How did you come to be a mum?

I remember growing up and wanting to be a ‘young mum’ but never really expected to have two kids by now, especially because when I met my partner he said kids are a long distant plan for him. He wanted to travel overseas before so I wonder how he feels about that comment now, with the current COVID times and overseas travel not happening. I still remember the day I told my mum, she had asked when we were planning to have kids and I paused and said well funny you ask because I have a scan in the coming weeks. She was in disbelief I had to show her the ultrasound referral form and she just started crying.

What has your feeding journey been like?

We didn’t have much of a feeding journey. My first was only four months and the second only two weeks. I found it difficult with both bubs to get them to latch on so I turned to pumping and bottle feeding. Which became very tiring between pumping, feeding, settling and repeating, especially with my second. I felt myself getting really worked up because I wasn’t getting any valuable time with either of my kids so I made the decision to switch to formula and never looked back. After all, I always said breast feeding just wasn’t for me and something I didn’t want to do… I wish I had’ve just stood my ground and not gave in to guilt of other peoples opinions.

What has sleep been like in your house?

I would say OK. Our first co-slept with us from about five months when I returned back to work and just got lazy with resettling.. he’s almost four now and a tall toddler so the bed is to squishy with him there so we’re having a ride trying to transition him to his own superhero bed. Our second was good she self settled and slept all night but up until recently she wakes and wants to co-sleep with me and me only. They sleep that way, so what ever works right? These moments will be missed when they will not longer want to cuddle us.

The hardest bits…

With my first I think my frustration was that he was needy and wouldn’t sleep unless on me and the house work that then piled on top of that. We were living in an apartment complex at the time and remember asking my partner to take the bins out which used to be his ‘chore’ but he was falling short on it and he’s response was your home all day why don’t you do it then? And I had just burst into tears. The second I have had a lot of mum guilt because of COVID I didn’t get to give her the same attention as I did with my first and never really got that precious one on one time with her because the toddler was home too. She didn’t get to experience her baby play dates like he did and so on. But the one thing I honestly find the hardest, is mum guilt. It’s horrible and something I need to try work on.

The best bits…

There is so many best bits but I think my favourite is now that they’re at an age they can communicate with us and the way they show their appreciation for the smallest of things. We recently reorganised their rooms and they are both transitioning into big beds and I found an old Garfield painting on a canvas I did in 2011 and I placed it in my sons room and he came running out to me and said “mummy, did you paint this for me” and I instantly said yes and he’s response was “thank you so much mummy, I like it”. Being home all the time with COVID and gym tights are my constant go too, the other day he even complimented me when I put a dress on to go out for a picnic and said I looked so pretty and followed through with a cuddle and kiss. How do you make time for you? Good question, I don’t and if I did it was for the wrong reasons. This is something I have learnt this year when I randomly experienced an out burst of severe anxiety and depression through the juggle of a promotion and everyday life with children. I’m slowly taking steps to work on things for me and appreciating the smallest of things like shaving my legs and putting a scented cream on after the fact. Really tuning into the things I am doing even if it is just washing my hair.

What’s next for you and your family?

Not too sure, hopefully to share the same last name with my babies and we have really been talking about moving out life up to Wollongong so I guess watch this space?

A piece of advice for our readers?

Don’t hold off having babies because you’re ‘not ready’ because really, when are you ever going to be ready for what the journey of parent hood is because no two pregnancies are the same.