Firebirds star to make comeback four months after giving birth

Thanks to an elite team of specialists and some incredible determination, Gretel Bueta is set to return to the Firebirds just four months after the birth of her little boy.

Just four months after giving birth to her “happy, healthy, cruisy boy” Bobby, netball star Gretel Bueta will be back in elite competition with the Queensland Firebirds – thanks to a team of specialists behind the scenes.

Every step of Bueta’s speedy return to the Suncorp Super Netball league has been guided by physios, a variety of coaches and her obstetrician. Plus good genes.

“I kept calling mum and saying, ‘Thank you for your genes’,” jokes Bueta, 27, the statuesque goal attack with the unconventional style who is looking forward to taking to the court in Round 1 on May 2.

Being a mother is the best job in the world, says Bueta, but playing with the Firebirds is a close second and she always hoped she could be fit and ready for the first game.

“Whenever I was asked if I wanted to come back, I’d always say, ‘First and foremost is my baby and if he’s healthy and happy and allows me to come back, I’d love to’,” says Bueta, nee Tippett, who married Niko Bueta last March.

“Then one week after I had Bobby (on January 5), I got all excited and sent Brinners (Brynley Abad, Firebirds head of performance) a text saying, “I feel good, Bobby’s amazing, I think I could come back’.”

Queensland Firebirds star Gretel Bueta at home with her three-month-old son Bobby. Picture: Lachie Millard.

Come week six after her caesarean delivery, with the go-ahead from obstetrician Dr Lisa Harris and specialist women’s health physio Alex Diggles, Bueta was back in the gym with Mr Abad.

She had kept fit throughout her pregnancy, training or warming up with the Firebirds until she was at about 20 weeks gestation and continued to practise goal shooting “pretty much until I had him”.

Bueta also took up reformer pilates at the advice of her good friend, bridesmaid, and Firebirds legend Laura Geitz who was pregnant with her third child, Billie, at the same time. Their babies were born within days of each other.

“Laura said she’d wished she’d done pilates when she was pregnant with her first boy, Barney, because she did it when she was pregnant with Frank and it really helped her recovery,” says Bueta. “So I did it alongside Laura and it just keeps all your muscles switched on but not at a high intensity so I felt like Bobby was still comfortable and in a safe environment.”

It all helped maintain some condition, says Mr Abad. But returning to elite sport soon after a caesarean is not common and a great deal of planning – and Bueta’s enthusiasm and fitness – went into making it work.

Gretel Bueta in action with the Firebirds. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

“Gretel’s a superhuman person,” Mr Abad said. “We stayed within the boundaries of medical advice but we have fast-tracked her.”

Ms Diggles played a key role in the planning of Bueta’s return, doing detailed research and advising Mr Abad what was safe – and when.

“We had to be careful about hormone levels with them changing over different weeks, breastfeeding and we had to be careful that we didn’t rip the abdominal wall,” he says.

Mr Abad initially focused on running and strength training, “then gradually bringing her back to jumping work”.

“Then we put her on the court for two weeks, non-contested, and after that put her on the court for two weeks contested and gradually returned her to the sport in a competitive level,” he said.

Bueta had a practice game in Sydney last week and has a couple more outings before her Super Netball comeback.

“The magic thing about Greta is she’s such an amazing athlete that she’s really come along really quickly and it’s been amazing to watch,” says Abad.

At times, Bueta would feel so capable, she wanted to push further but Mr Abad and Firebirds head physio Sam Donaldson held firm.

“We had to stop her,” he says. “That’s why we had a very detailed plan, it was like, ‘Here you go, these are your milestones, this is what we’re going to tick of this week’.”

Gretel Bueta playing for the Australian Diamonds. Picture: Mark Evans/AAP

Bueta admits there were times she felt “like a baby giraffe learning to run”.

“I remember trying to do the mat jumps that the girls were doing,” she says. “I was like, ‘My body feels OK, I’ll be right,’ and I completely muddled it up and stacked it.”

Her teammates have been “amazing, so supportive, they fight over cuddles with Bobby and it’s exciting because … this year we have two new mums in the team”.

Kim Ravaillion is also returning, having welcomed baby Georgie a year ago, and coach Megan Anderson says the two are great role models.

“Just knowing that juggling is possible and you can fulfil your sporting dreams and have a family at the same time,” she says. “I know a couple of older players from the end of my era who waited to have kids and then struggled to fall pregnant when they retired.”

Ms Anderson says Bueta is fit, but consistency may be an issue but she will manage that by giving her a rest.

Bueta is ready for the challenge. Along with her professional support, she’s got a strong personal team in her husband Niko, parents Janet and Tony Tippett and her friend Peyton Soloai, who is her part-time babysitter.

She’s eating “a lot” to ensure good milk supply and expresses before a game or training in case Bobby needs it.

“I just want to give him as much milk as possible and help him grow up to be a big, strong boy,” Bueta says. “There’s the mum guilt when you’re training and you feel that maybe I should be with my child but it’s the best thing when you finish training and just see his smiling face there waiting for you afterwards.

“Bobby just brings us so much joy. I’m just so grateful that my body has been able to get to where it is and that I can do what I love.”

Originally published as Firebirds star to make comeback four months after giving birth