Cathy Freeman opens up about motherhood
SHE may be an Olympic legend but motherhood has seen Cathy Freeman realize a lap of honour is owed to her own mum, Cecelia.
SHE may be an Olympic legend but motherhood has seen Cathy Freeman realize a lap of honour is owed to her own mum, Cecelia.
Switching from life as a champion athlete to the pressures of pregnancy and motherhood has made Freeman appreciate how resourceful her mother was in raising five kids.
She said motherhood has made the tight bond between them even deeper.
"Mum and my husband James were like rocks to me when I was pregnant,'' said Freeman, whose daughter Ruby is 16 months old.
"When I needed my mum for support, she jumped at the chance to mother me.
"Mum was fantastic. She stayed for two months in all. Two weeks before the birth and time after.
"I love to see her with Ruby. I have always respected Mum but it has become so much deeper.''
Freeman is about to share her experiences with pregnancy and motherhood as a blogger and ambassador for the Coles Baby & Toddler Club website.
Her hobby of recording her day in a journal first began as an athlete and now captures life with her busy, lively daughter.
Her candid writing even covers her "first real emotional breakdown'' when late-stage pregnancy discomfort overwhelmed her: "unable to hold the tears back, my discomfort and frustration had just gotten to me and I had to cry or I'd pass out of sheer emotional exhaustion.
"I realised that I no longer could do everything for myself or on my own,'' she writes. "I simply had to rely on James and my mum for their help and support.''
Having a support network is vital for new or expecting parents, said Sandy Kervin, Playgroup NSW CEO.
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Ms Kervin, whose own daughter is expecting her first child, said those without a close family network like Freeman could find support through organizations like Playgroup.
"We know children have better outcomes if they are surrounded by good role models and good healthy adults around them,'' she said.
"It is about friendship and support so you are not parenting in isolation.''
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