In August 2014, Angela and Tim were very happy to welcome a new addition to their family, a beautiful little baby girl, Rose.
We caught up with Angela to ask how she was going, balancing living with CF, being a parent, work and finances.
What is it like having a new addition to the family?
I was so nervous beforehand about having a new baby and I also was mourning the end of the life that Tim and I had together – as we did have a great life, but of course we are so overjoyed about having Rose in our lives now.
In the beginning I couldn’t stop thinking about if I got sick or if something happened to me, I would be letting Rosie down, but I haven’t thought about that for ages. I just do the best I can.
I am really enjoying motherhood and so far it hasn’t affected my health. I take naps when I can, which helps I think.
How do you manage your medication/ treatment plus looking after a baby?
I have to put my health first. If I don’t look after myself this will affect Rosie. So I make sure I do what I have to do first. My husband Tim feeds Rose in the morning, while I get my breakfast and take my tablets (I have to take about 40-50 in the morning and 10 in the evening).
I remember speaking to a friend who has CF about being a parent and he said that it’s really important to put your health first, the baby will be OK in the cot while you take your tablets, but if you don’t do your treatment you will be no good to anyone.
We have a good routine with Rosie, and I am lucky she sleeps well, so I can get a decent amount of sleep. I have found one of the most useful things is to just go with the flow, as sometimes the routine is disrupted or things don’t work out as planned, but it’s really important not to worry too much because I know that things will get back on track and being too stressed out can affect your health.
Because I have so many tablets to take I spend the time putting them all into blister packs when I first get them, and this helps a great deal.
I do find it hard to fit exercise in, but I could really make the time if I wanted to and get off my laptop. Having said that, I do things with Rosie that keep me active, I walk to the shops with her in the pram, and I take her to swimming lessons regularly. We go out and about a lot.
It is definitely worth buying equipment for your baby that will make your life easier. We bought Rose a portable play centre which keeps her occupied while I do things like hanging out the washing.
I think it’s really important to try and make time for yourself, even if it’s just a little bit. I have a great husband who works decent hours so he is able to help out with Rose and let me have some time to myself. My mother in law takes Rose when I have to go to clinic or if I need a rest. If I didn’t have someone to look after her I would use a day care that I trusted. You need time to recharge as it’s important for your baby.
I have also joined a Facebook page for mums with CF and that has been interesting and useful. Some of the women on there are amazing and despite facing difficulties they soldier on.
Will you return to work in the near future?
I am planning to return to work as a teacher, two days a week, in July. I think that will be achievable with balancing everything, but I wouldn’t want to work more than two days a week.
How do you manage the cost of everything?
We saved beforehand for a while, to cover some of the expenses of having a baby. We buy a lot of things from Gumtree and we have to watch what we spend now that I am not working.
The medication I use is certainly expensive, it can cost about $300 a month until we hit the Safety Net and then we pay the concession rate.
Article from RED Magazine, Edition 2, 2015.