Kendall Gilding opens up about pregnancy fears

As her due date approaches, Channel 7 presenter Kendall Gilding opens up about pregnancy fears as she awaits the arrival of her first child following a two-year struggle with infertility and a challenging first trimester.

JUST weeks away from welcoming her first child, Kendall Gilding has opened up about the lingering fear for her unborn baby following her two-year struggle with infertility and challenging first trimester.

The Channel 7 news presenter, who is 37 weeks’ pregnant on Monday, revealed to The Sunday Mail in February that she and schoolteacher husband, Tim Morgan, were expecting the new addition after a difficult journey involving surgery and multiple treatments, including IVF.

While the couple are overjoyed as they prepare to welcome their baby, Gilding said part of her still felt unable to relax until she had safely delivered – an anxiety she believes many parents who had been through IVF may be able to relate to.

Channel 7 presenter Kendall Gilding has gone on maternity leave in preparation for welcoming her first child. Picture: Russell Shakespeare

“There is something about IVF that makes you feel throughout your whole pregnancy that it’s not safe until they’re here,” she said.

“I’m not nervous about labour but I’m not going to be content until the baby is safe in my arms. After it (conceiving) taking so long and with so many concerns, my pregnancy since then has been amazing, but it’s funny how that doesn’t outweigh those scares.”

After struggling to conceive naturally, Gilding was diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome and the couple went on to spend $30,000 on medical care in their effort to have a baby last year, which included four rounds of less invasive treatment before turning to IVF.

The popular Brisbane presenter, who also suffered a number of “massive bleeds” causing her to believe she had lost her baby in the first three months of pregnancy, said the thought of finally meeting their child made her emotional.

“It’s crazy to think we’ll get to meet them and find out their little personality so soon – I do catch myself crying when I think about it,” she said.

“There’s been lots of special moments and nights on the couch with Tim where he’s feeling my belly and feeling the baby move, which is pretty amazing.

“IVF brought us closer together but the pregnancy has taken it to a whole new level and we’re so ridiculously happy - we are so lucky.”

Channel 7 presenter Kendall Gilding and husband Tim Morgan posing in the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens in February after revealing they were expecting their first child. Picture: AAP/Steve Pohlner

Following her first week of maternity leave, Gilding was also celebrating the news that her 4pm bulletin on Seven was comfortably leading the ratings year-to-date, with an average South East Queensland Monday to Friday audience of 43,000 over Nine’s 33,000 and Ten’s 34,000 in the same timeslot.

“Finishing work was actually really confronting for me because I’ve spent the better part of the past decade working at Seven and on my career there so it felt funny to step away from that to focus on a different priority - I found that really challenging,” she said.

“But I feel really blessed to be able to go off on maternity leave so well-supported by Seven, knowing we’ve had a great year and I’ll be back soon to the job I love.”

Gilding plans to take six months off with the baby before returning to work while her husband then spends six months at home.

They have chosen to keep the baby’s sex a surprise.