Jaimee Dugan

Tell us a bit about yourself?

Im Jaimee, i’m 29 years old, my fiancé and I have been together for 12 years this August and we recently had our little girl Baylee, who is now 6 months old and getting cheekier by the day.

What were you doing before babies?

I was working full time in the public service but currently on mat leave and will go back,

playing Oztag and bowling in a league.

How did you come to be a mum?

To become a mum for me was a draining process over 2 years. My fiancé & i were trying for a year going off a cycle tracking app with no success, we both then decided it was time to see if there was something wrong, so we went to the doctor and got everything checked. All the tests came back normal besides my vitamin D levels that were a little lower than they should have been.

I ended up being referred to a fertility specialist and many different appointments later, it came down to ‘unexplained infertility’ as everything was normal & my cycles were consistent. My specialist was stumped. I ended up going through Genea for cycle tracking through bloods, so that meant every day to every second day until ovulation each month i went and had bloods taken (I certainly felt like a pin cushion!). Finally after almost 2 years in total of trying, many needles & appointments later we got those two lines!

My pregnancy was a breeze, I didn't have any morning sickness and I only went off red meat for the first 12 weeks.

When i went in for my 36 week check, they discovered my stubborn little girl was breech and was wanting to come bum first (something had to spoil the easy pregnancy right). They tried to do an ECV (turn her around the right way) but it failed was very painful and I ended up with bruising. From there I had a couple ultrasounds and then was booked in for a c-section a couple days before my due date.

Baylee had other plans and didn’t want her birthday chosen for her so emergency c-section it was! My birth was a bit hectic as the local anaesthetic didn’t work for my middle section properly, you can only imagine what happened next. I wont go into detail but I ended up going under general for her to come.

What has your feeding journey been like?

I started off breastfeeding, but it was a big struggle for me. I felt like I was being used as a dummy and if I pulled her off she would just cry. I ended up expressing and bottle feeding which calmed it down a lot because I knew how much she was getting and she was no longer lazy feeding, but she just still constantly cried and was unsettled. In the end I was told It could have been something I was eating that wasn’t agreeing with her tummy but that list was never ending, so after 2 months we switched to formula and she has never been happier!

Fed is best!

What has sleep been like in your house?

Sleep has been good, from when she was born no matter how unsettled she was during the day, she was only waking once a night or twice at most. From a couple months old, she has pretty much been sleeping through.

We got lucky I think.

The hardest bits…

Getting her home and adjusting to life with someone that completely depends on you let alone with a cut in your tummy that is still trying to heal was certainly a game changer. The hardest part I reckon would have to be them crying and you have no idea why! Their bum is clean they have a full belly but they still scream.

I’ve been so thankful to have a such a supportive partner and both our families close by when needed.

The best bits…

The best part is how much extra love you feel, especially when they start getting a little personality, you cant help but to smile at them.

All the struggles are worth every bit when you get that cheeky smile.

How do you make time for yourself?

It's hard to make time for myself, but she's a pretty easy going baby and just chills out while to do stuff around the house.

I’ve started back at bowling which is one night a week for a few hours so she gets a daddy daughter night. Hoping to get back to Oztag soon too!

What’s next for you and your family?

We don’t have too much planned for the future, we’ll get married at some point (we are in no hurry, I think after 12 years together we aren’t going anywhere) and one day buy our forever home.

If you could talk to your pre baby/kid self, what advice would you give?

Nothing prepares you for whats to come, you don’t know what kind of baby you're going to get. Just go with the flow, relax when you can, try not to stress yourself out. Take the good with the bad (need to take my own advice sometimes lol) and don’t be afraid to admit if your struggling & ask for help. You would be surprised at how many others that have been in your shoes. Lastly, everyone will have their opinions but what worked for them may not work for you & remember your the best mama for your baby, you know them best.