By Lia Spencer
Kate Kay is no stranger to the local gym and weekly Parkrun. The Berwick resident has always put an emphasis on her health and fitness, and when she fell pregnant last year, her fitness regime didn’t stop.
Kate and her husband Ryan decided to start trying for a baby in 2015. They had been married for 18 months, travelled extensively, and just turned 30. But it wasn’t an easy transition into their next stage in life.
“Falling pregnant for us wasn’t easy. Having said that though we weren’t very strict about trying to conceive for the first year and every now and then we would put things on hold due to a particular event,” Kate said. “When I really started to monitor my extremely irregular cycle, it took us about six months.”
Kate suffered from exhaustion and food aversions for the first trimester, but she didn’t let her pregnancy symptoms stop her from staying active.
“I was very active and fit before falling pregnant so I felt it was safe to keep exercising during my pregnancy at a moderate level. I tried to do some form of exercise at least twice a week. I love running and was able to run up to 5km until I was 29 weeks,” she said. “When running became uncomfortable, I started walking instead.”
On 25 March, Ryan and Kate both went out with friends to celebrate the impending arrival. She wasn’t due for 12 more days, but the baby had other plans. At 3.30am on 26 March, Kate woke to go to the bathroom and got the surprise of her life when her waters broke. They went to the hospital where Kate was monitored then sent home at 8am. But by 9.30am, Kate’s contractions grew more frequent and more painful and she and Ryan returned to the hospital. There was no time to receive any pain relief. At 10am, Kate began pushing and at 11.43am, she gave birth to beautiful baby girl, Lucy Rose.
“It was definitely love at first sight when Ryan and I met Lucy,” Kate said.
“I tried to sleep in the hospital that afternoon but I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. We were also so shocked that she arrived so quickly and early, I think it took a while to sink in that she had actually arrived.”
Kate and Ryan’s perspective on life has changed since having their little girl.
“Lucy has shown us both a completely different side to each other and it’s brought us closer together,” Kate said. “I love watching Ryan as a dad, Lucy definitely has him wrapped around her little finger.”
And while Kate believes being fit and healthy contributed to her textbook labour and quick recovery, she doesn’t mind swapping her weekly run or gym sessions for more time with her daughter.
“Before having Lucy, I used to worry I might get frustrated if I could no longer do things I enjoyed, but this hasn’t been the case at all. If I can go to the shops or Parkrun for an hour every now and then it’s a bonus, but those things definitely aren’t my priorities anymore,” she said. “It sounds cliche but I really just need to enjoy every moment I am with Lucy. Every week she is doing something new, whether it be rolling over or just making a new sound. It blows my mind how much she has grown and what she has achieved in such a short amount of time. These little humans grow up way too quickly!”
