Hi, my name is Kathryn and I’m a new mum to my baby boy, Phoenix James Thompson. I’m originally from Scotland and we’ve lived in Dubai for 7 years now. I’ve worked in entertainment for my whole career as a dancer and a model, and more recently in event management as a project manager, entertainment producer, and creative director.
I married my husband, JJ, last year and I fell pregnant 2 months after getting married. I found out I was pregnant while we were going through fertility tests. While doing the tests I found out that I had endometriosis and poly-cystic ovaries. Then 2 weeks later, I found out I was already 6 weeks pregnant – it was a shocker!
We have no family in Dubai, so it’s been a bit of a wild six weeks getting through it as a team of two with my husband, but he’s been an amazing support and really hands on. The first three weeks were such a blur of wild emotions but I feel like I’m coming out the other side now and things are getting a little easier (or I’m just getting used to it). The more people I speak to, I realize everyone is winging motherhood day by day and people only show the best bits online.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE A MUM KATHRYN?
I wanted to have my own little family to love and now that I actually have it, it’s the only thing that really matters. Everything else seems so much less important. It just brings you back down to earth about what really matters in life. I’ve never cared less about what I look like, or what other people think of me, which in a way is quite refreshing. Some days I feel like a super woman and other days I’m just surviving on biscuits.
HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED AS A PERSON SINCE BECOMING A MUM?
I care so much less about what people think of me. I no longer bend over backwards to accommodate other people. Phoenix, myself, and my family are my priority. It actually feels really refreshing to say ‘no’ to things now, and I really struggled with that before.
Also I’m fucking exhausted so being social is basically impossible right now.
HAVE YOUR GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS CHANGED NOW AFTER HAVING PHOENIX AS OPPOSED TO PRIOR?
They’ve not changed, but definitely taken a different route. I still want to have a career, push and challenge myself and do something for myself to still feel like I’m me. But being a mum is so much more rewarding than I thought and I’m not wishing this time away. I’m just trying to soak up these precious few months before they’re over. Once I feel ready enough to go back to work I do think I’ll be more motivated than before to provide for my baby and family. I want to show him that you have to work hard in life. I also want to work hard for myself to achieve things in my career that I still hope to.
WHAT COPING MECHANISMS HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN REGARDS TO LACK OF SLEEP AND FATIGUE?
I’m still looking! <laughs> Speaking to other mums with babies a bit older than Phoenix has actually made me realize that there’s never ever going to be a completely perfect day. There’s just perfect little happy moments in each day and just when you think you’ve nailed it, something else will come along and turn it upside down again. So just clinging on to those little moments helps get through the rough bits.
Also, expressing how I feel, especially to my mates, or writing things down and trying to have a bit of a laugh helps.
YOU SAID YOU HAD A POSITIVE BIRTH EXPERIENCE.
DO YOU THINK THIS WAS DOWN TO YOUR MINDSET PREPARATION ETC?
Yes, definitely mindset. I had an epidural but it didn’t work. They had to re-do it twice. But I’m glad now to have felt the contractions. I ended up in an emergency C-section. So I was induced, then had an epidural which didn’t work, got to 6cm then had an emergency C-section. But it was honestly the best day of my life!
MOST PEOPLE WOULD HAVE PANICKED! WHAT MADE YOU STAY SO CALM?
I just had no preconceptions of what the day had to be like. I ignored all the horror stories! Which people love to tell you by the way. Why?! No two births will ever be the same. So I just ignored everyone and took the day as it came. I didn’t have a birth plan. I just wanted to make decisions as things happened. And I really think because I didn’t have a plan (which most people are disappointed with when it doesn’t happen) helped to make it such a positive day.
DEFINE MOTHERHOOD IN YOUR OWN WORDS KATHRYN?
Motherhood really shows you how strong and powerful you can be. I’m in complete awe of my body and my mind as it’s been pushed to its limits these last 10 months. Somehow at my most exhausted I feel able to cope with so much more than I knew possible and it’s literally all fueled by love for this little human.
What products could… KATHRYN THOMPSON not parent without?
MAM bottles are amazing! Also, the Elvie breast pump and Frida Baby Winding Gas Tubes <laughs> have been the most helpful products.
