I had a lovely chat with Global News Saskatoon Anchor Julie Mintenko last week. {Don't miss the feature story about her journey into parenthood.} Here are a few more questions I asked Julie about her pregnancy.
A: I have always been an emotional person, but with hormones raging, I am a little more emotional than normal. With the odd story, I would pull out my ear piece so I couldn't hear the reporter, then at the end of the story I will put it back in. I generally know ahead of time what the content is so that I can prepare, but images in a story package can be quite powerful.
I have always heard moms in the business say they become more emotional. The longer I am a journalist, the more I get used to compartmentalizing. I have had to cover many tough stories over the years. As a professional, I need to do my job delivering the news. Later, when I get home, I can deflate and feel the awful pain of it and let the story hit home.
Q: Did you experience any mad dashes to the washroom during commercial breaks?
A: Yes, the one-hour late show can be a long time. We have been doing a special Your Neighbourhood series and were at the Saskatoon Ex when I lost track of time and realized the washroom was way down the fairway. Halfway through that long walk, I was regretting it.
Q: Did you find out if you are having a boy or girl?
A: My husband and I know, but we have decided to keep it a surprise. With three sets of grandparents it is fun to mess with them a little. I think we have both slipped up a few times.
Q: You said you were a little worried that, at 5'1", you might become "more baby bump than anchor." Do you feel like you have reached that milestone yet?
A: I am starting to feel this way. I see myself everyday and I don't think my bump is that big. But, I see my coworkers after a few days and they are like, "Woah!"
Q: How have you been trying to prepare yourself for this new stage of life?
A: I have read a few books. Someone lent me the classic What to Expect When You're Expecting
.* My favourite was the Canadian equivalent by Ann Douglas [The Mother Of All Pregnancy Books
].* I found it really informative and great for information that is relative to the Canadian health care system. I have also been trying to move. It feels good to get some exercise, walk the dog for a half-hour or so. It helps me to mentally stay calm. My husband and I have also attended the Health Region's prenatal class and that has been great.Q: You are in the home stretch. Any nesting going on in your home?
A: A little bit. I think I am a little more tidy. Just cleaning and that kind of thing. I think, for the most part, everything is done. The nursery is finished, and my 2-year-old nephew was up last week playing with some of the baby things. It was great to think that we will soon have a child playing with those things.
The first time we walked into a baby store, my husband and I both just looked at each other in astonishment. There was so much stuff, and we felt a bit overwhelmed. On that first visit, we only walked out of there with a diaper genie. There is just so much marketing. Having a baby has certainly become a business.
Q: Are there any special preparations you have to make in the office to prepare for your leave?
A: There is not much prep-wise with files to take care of that people in other careers would have. Someone will take over, so I don't have to worry about that. Everyone has been very supportive at work. I have a female boss with two grown sons and she has been very sensitive to my needs. Leading up I didn't know how I would feel. I didn't think about reporting at eight months, outdoors, and it being 38 C with the humidity! We have been prepared with extra breaks, freezies, ice cubes and cold water.
Q: How do you envision your maternity leave going down?
A: It is so tough to know what it is going to be like. I said to my boss, "I feel ready for my fantasy baby, maybe not for the real-life baby." I can ask parents a million-and-one questions, and their experiences might not be ours. I am just trying to be informed and I am hoping there will be people around me with great suggestions and advice when we need it.
I think I am being realistic when I picture it being hard for the first part . . . well possibly for my whole life. I expect some sleep deprivation, and I would like to try breastfeeding. It's fun to visualize our life with a baby. We have been ready for a long time and we are so excited for it.
Q: Do you have many new mommy friends?
A: Most of my friends have kids who are in the 8-to-10 range or are heading into their teenage years. My sister-in-law who lives in Yorkton had a child not too long ago. I am hoping to meet other moms with kids around the same age.
Q: Are there any mom and baby activities you have scoped out to try?
A: I have been looking a little bit at the mom and baby stroller groups, mom and tot swimming and Movies for Mommies. I have flagged some other individual groups and community organizations online. I had also heard of the great online resource, Saskmom.com. Who hasn't, right?
* This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
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