The Wildly Capable Series

This is a collection of interviews, insights and information from clients who have navigated life’s large transitions – fertility, pregnancy, birth, motherhood and a return to self.

I am continually inspired by women and how they move through life chapters with grace, white knuckles and love. These stories are the reason I do what I do. I hope they are able to inspire you too.

Who is the wildly capable woman? She is as powerful as the sea, forever changing – forever changed. She roars and whispers and roars again. They say she can feel it – deep in her waters. The push-pull of ‘am I out of my depth?’ A longing to be back at shore (if only she knew she was born out at sea).

Erin Pearson’s Story

What did life look like before you began trying to have a baby?

Life seemed beautifully normal with it’s own ebbs and flows, unknowingly selfish, priorities were different and the freedom we didn’t know we had was in abundance. Careers, friends, travel, our new puppy being our only baby and focus.

Tell us more about what you did (for fun, work, what did you get lost in?)

I was deep into a career and travelling with it, while my husband was busy establishing his own company. Sponatenous trips to Bali and NZ, reading complete books in the space of a weekend, a proud and tidy home, a jetski for the 2 of us plus our dog to cruise to the islands surrounding the Gold Coast for a day of sun soaking.

Then, you began trying to conceive. Tell us about that process for you.

I remember telling my girlfriend we were going to start trying, I had stopped work already and started working for my husband in pre-empt of having a baby, she was telling me what to look for with ovulation (didn’t know about temps until I saw Paige) I was flying back from a snowboarding trip in Queenstown and got home just in time and that next month it was positive.

The second time trying after I thought would be just as breezy, but a miscarriage at 7 weeks bought on a whole lot of doubt within myself and my body, it was so easy the first time. And the third time trying produced another miscarriage. That was when I sought out Paige who supported the beautiful births of my next 2 pregnancies and babies.

Think back, what was your proudest moment throughout your fertility story?

When I doubted myself and my body the most was when I found the positive support and met the wonderful Paige, my reason to ask why this was happening and how can I fix this. The public gp had said I needed to endure 3 losses in order for them to investigate further but I refused to allow that to be the only option forward.

I regained the trust and belief within myself and know what I was capable of. Paige’s guidance and faith, her knowledge was informative, I lost the fear and hesitance to try again. Those negative experiences evolved into a beautiful journey and natural births of my next 2 babies.

What wisdoms do you bring from this time? What comes up on reflection?

Everything that I know now is from Paige, keeping warm, especially your feet was important, tracking your body to know all its glitches and glories, temperatures matter and can fluctuate and tell a story, your story. It’s about listening to your body and that first instinct to learn about one’s self sets up that trusting instinct going into motherhood.

What did you discover about yourself while trying to conceive?

I am strong, I am capable, my body is resilient and allows you to persevere without it holding a grudge or remembering the negative or what happened last month unlike our conscience. I learned I am the type to want to be in control and was sweetly reminded I need to give in to my body and support myself naturally however I can. Also allows me to reflect how much I yearned for a complete family, do we stop at two children or open up the possibility of more heartache and try again. Imaging what our Christmas table looked like in 10-20 years gave us the answer, we weren’t done yet.

Was there a deeper investigation I helped you explore? Or a health realisation I was able to shine light on for you?

The loss of blood flow from the previous two miscarriages meant my body was fighting to replenish whilst also trying to hold life as we tried to conceive again. That gave me understanding about my body, and reasoning that the miscarriages were my body signalling that something wasn’t meant to be (like a car on a manufacturing line that then found a defect), my body knew a healthy pregnancy and birth and unfortunately the 2 miscarriages just weren’t meant to be. Also progesterone was a saviour when it came to the early days, being able to try and assist my body and my pregnancies gave me the physical aid I needed to believe I was doing something to support myself.

Then, your pregnancy with your baby began, what was that like for you?

My first pregnancy I was blissfully savouring every moment, life moved slow and everything was recorded and savoured. The following pregnancies were shadowed with doubt, every day just praying my body will hold up, every little niggle my body gave out led me to doubt the journey. Once passing the 24weeks and knowing the possibility of a viable baby at birth, the nerves calmed, and the process of belief and preparing for birth began.

Tell me more about the role of your partner, family or friends during this time.

My partner was very supportive throughout everything and still is as we navigate this life and the beautiful chaos surrounding us. Although I felt very alone in the dark moments of loss, he was struggling to find a way that I needed support or how he could help, but one thing he did every night without fail for all 3 pregnancies was bio oil on my growing belly, it was a way for us to connect physically, talk about the baby to be and just stop for 5 minutes to be together.

We don’t have much family that lived close by so visits from loved ones were cherished and appreciated. My sister was in the delivery room for the 2 succeeding deliveries and couldn’t have imagined a better support system for the vulnerable moments.

Throughout fertility, pregnancy and postpartum, what has been most helpful?

I have used the app called ‘Family Album’ since my first child, every photo and video I take is uploaded and saved in monthly and yearly sections. Our families can be shared into the app, they can upload with photos/videos then can comment on all the content too. I believe this will be the best keepsake for years to come, my oldest is now 7 and I will continue this ritual until it is time to give them a login for their own reflection later in life.

What has been your greatest challenge, triumph and transformation?

I had no idea what motherhood would look like, but I know what it’s like now. Life changes with having children, the chapter of you and all you know closes and flips everything on its head but that’s motherhood in a nutshell. It’s unpredictable and beautiful, it’s a totally new chapter of life where you learn about yourself in the process, The sacrifices that come are great but the rewards are unlike anything experienced. Every child is different therefore you are constantly changing, adapting, learning and giving into the beautiful chaos in the young years. Our children are the proudest accomplishments of our lives, being able to raise a family together. This is what life is about and these moments are fleeting.

How old is your baby or child and describe your motherhood experience so far.

My children are now 7,3 and 1, we are finally finding our new confidence and balance to venture out and travel further as a family of 5, it was hard at the start as we were definitely outnumbered and with two younger ones this was our most difficult transition yet, everyone usually wants different things at the same time. But as our youngest is learning new things for the first time, our oldest is there wanting to help us with the daily tasks and his sisters but that means he’s also growing before our eyes into a young man. It keeps us humble, mourning our first born and reminding us to gently take each day for who they are right in this moment. Time is a thief.

What does the calm in the chaos look like for you and your family? How do you stay grounded in these early days?

Personally a reset kitchen every night means a head start to conquer the next day. 7pm bright lights are turned off and ambient lighting and lamps are turned on, we call it wind down time , no technology, no harsh lighting and everyone knows it means bedtime soon. Spending time with each child everynight one on one (we take turns with each child and swap – one does a book, other does teeth and pj’s) allows time for each child to tell us something about their day, a new thought, an activity they want to do tomorrow, or the weekend.

You and your partner become different beings while getting through the daily grind, only leaning on each other can be straining but we understood the importance to reconnect at the end of each day even only for a couple minutes before starting the grind the next day.

What is your advice for people at the beginning of their fertility journey, or in the early days of motherhood?

Trust your body, trust your instincts and love yourself for all that we can and what we also cannot control.

Learning that I cannot accomplish all I want in a day with young ones was difficult to grasp and to give in to,. What helped was writing a list of tasks, so long as I ticked one thing off each day i was content in my achievements by the end of the week. Better yet on a good day, doing one thing for myself like a shower, going for a walk, buying a nice coffee, listening to music, a few pages of a book, a new recipe to cook, face mask or skin care routine, that’s how I survived the long days that bled into the nights oh and online shopping.

What does life look like now, what do you do for fun, what do you get lost in?

Those golden hours where the kids are napping are sweet moments, it means there’s a moment for self care, active hour of housework or being able to be physically active and workout.

We live for the weekends and the school holidays, Friday night is homemade pizza and movie night where almost 3/3 will sit down and watch a movie. Saturday is our social day be it a walk or park, seeing family or friends, an activity around the Gold coast or Brisbane area. Sundays are for home to reset, clean, cook a great meal for dinner and get ready for the week ahead.

We get out camping in our caravan most school holidays and hubby is fortunate enough to take off the school holidays religiously too, it gives us a time to come together and make those core memories we will reminisce in years to come.

Lost at sea trying to conceive?

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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Kombumerri Country, the Yugambeh People, and their continued connection to land, community and waters. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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