About

Let me introduce myself. My name is Amanda and I’m a first time mum – well, now a second time mum but I thought I’d share my experiences with you in the hope that it will help you on your journey through your first pregnancy.

My journey through pregnancy was amazing but also very challenging. Soon after I was pregnant it didn’t take me long to realise pregnancy wasn’t so friggin’ peachy! I endured a lot, from outrageous weight gain, tearful tantrums, financial freak out, raging hormones and so much more but I can’t remember, compliments of my baby brain! Don’t get me wrong there were parts of my pregnancy I loved, but I had no idea what to expect. You hear all these stories and myths not knowing what to believe, or not. I found out it was ‘not’ in  most cases. Hence my book Mumma to Be.

Before becoming pregnant I was a beautician so the journey from one to the other was a huge life change. There were many challenges but now I have my girls, it was well worth it.

I grew up in a household dominated by women – my poor dad! I have two older sisters who are eighteen months apart and then five years later I was the last attempt for a boy. What a warm and fuzzy feeling I got when I learnt I was meant to be a boy! I am sure I pissed my dad off one day and instead of the standard punishment he decided to tell me that he would have preferred a son. A little tip, if you do have a preference, your child doesn’t need to know. If you have a moment of weakness you can be sure to find yourself spoiling your child in the name of guilt.

Apart from growing up with trucks, tractors and everything Dad enjoyed playing with, I grew up being part of an amazing family with great values and traditions. It was a very nurturing and loving environment, one in which I hope I can create with my own family.

I was privileged to share my upbringing with my sisters. We would hold fashion parades in the hallway, stay up late to watch Sex and the City together (hoping Carrie would end up with Big), girly chats and then there were the arguments – we had our fair share of those too. The best arguments between myself and my sisters would be when our week would start off with fad diets, simultaneous menstrual cycles, sharing a bathroom and a breakfast bar all before seven o’clock in the morning. They were the happy days!