Introducing Charlotte Rose Darcy

Australian TV vet Katrina Warren, 39, and husband Anthony Darcy, 35, welcomed their first child together, Charlotte Rose on August 11th. They introduce her to the world in Woman’s Day. Here Katrina talks about Charlotte’s name, the birth, their new life as parents and the possibility of having more children.

The couple, who knew that they were having a girl said that they had to find out because they are terrible at keeping secrets.

K: I could keep it a secret better than Anthony. I think everyone knew we were having a girl but nobody wanted to say.
A: We told a lot of people close to us. I was terrible. I kept saying "her" instead of "it" or "him".

Source: Woman’s Day, September, 1th, 2007. p. 14-16.

Click the extended post for more photos and the rest of the interview.

Katrina says that they picked Charlotte Rose’s classic name mainly because it was the only one that they agreed on.

It was the only name we agreed on! And with Darcy as a surname, we wanted something traditional. We’re calling her "Charlie" as a nickname. So she’s got the options if she wants to be traditional or fun. We both loved Rose as well.

The couple said that their amusing getting to the hospital story is that Anthony drove like an old man.

Anthony drove like an old man. There was no real emergency, but they told us to come down to ensure I was going into labor. It was about 4am, so there was no traffic, and I swear it was the longest Anthony has ever taken to drive anywhere, The hospital’s a 10-minute drive away, but it must have taken us half an hour.

Katrina’s best friend was also coincidently able to be there for the birth. The two friends are tied together for previous generations.

Anthony and my close girlfriend Alice Hocking was staying with us for the weekend – and she was so excited she timed her stay so perfectly. What’s amazing is, Alice’s and my great-great-great-great-great grandmothers were two of three women on one of the First Fleet boats – they came across as convicts together and Alice’s ancestor actually delivered my ancestor’s first baby. So it is incredible that all these years later, Alice was there for my baby’s delivery.

Katrina said that all the reading she did was never going to prepare for the birth but it was better than expected.

All the reading and research you do is never going to prepare you for your own experience. It was definitely better than I expected. We had a great day and you get something so wonderful at the end of it all. You’ll never have another day like it in your entire life – your first-born child.

The couple says that while the birth was a miracle they were also anxious because the umbilical cord was wrapped around their daughter’s neck.

A: I was anxious.
K: Pain? I was having a great time, as soon as those drugs kicked in. I was in pain after wards though!
A: I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I was watching the doctors very carefully, especially when they pulled Charlotte out and her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. I held my breath when that happened. It wasn’t until she let out an almighty scream that you could kind of relax.
K: It was remarkable. We’ve got photos of her coming out and you’re just in awe. You really feel like you’re just so clever. Although billions of people have done it before, you think, "How can this be? This is a miracle!"

Katrina goes on to tell how the birth never seemed real and she still ponders how lucky they are to have Charlotte.

It never seemed real. All the build-up, the pregnancy and even on the day, you don’t really grasp that you are going to have a baby in your arms until suddenly you’ve got one. It’s just incredible and they are born so beautifully formed…little tiny fingernails, toenails, little ears. They’re so developed in so many ways and yet so helpless. For me it was quite overwhelming and it wasn’t until the next day that I started to shed a tear. The first few days of getting to know her and bonding.

They say that it has been an adjustment but every day is new and exciting.

We’re going well. She’s been a good baby so far. She squawks every now and then and we’ve had a bit of sleep deprivation, but I’m enjoying every moment. I wasn’t sleeping at all in the last few months of my pregnancy, because I was so uncomfortable, so at least now I’ve got something to get up for. You’ve heard all this before, but every day is special and new. She is taking in the world now and she changes every day.

The couple also add that becoming parents has been an amazing venture for them as a couple and has brought them closer together.

A: Watching Kat as a mother is amazing. It really is quite beautiful. She’s so doting and I’m really proud about how she is handling it. The connection between mother and child is incredible. It’s really very special.
K: Relationships do change because the priority is the baby now. She’s helpless so you’re 100 per cent devoted to her. You have to pull together and rely on each other more.

Katrina says that her life has changed so much since becoming a mother; especially the time she treasures breastfeeding — even if it is one third of her day!

I was prepared for it to challenging but I just can’t get over how difficult it is to get out of the house in the morning. It takes me until about 11am just to get the baby chores done and then she will need to be fed again. You know it’s going to be time-consuming and you think you can be organized but you can’t. Just feeding, it’s around 8-10 hours of your day.

The couple ends their interview with talk of another baby. Anthony seems keener at this point then Katrina.

K: Can the stork bring one? Just getting used to the full-on life of having one is enough for now, but I’m sure Anthony would like to add to the family.
A: There are never enough Darcys in the world.