KATHRYN:
My heartbreak at losing two babies
KATHRYN Thomas has said she will be open with her daughter about the two miscarriages she suffered before she conceived her.
The RTE star and her fiance Padraig Mcloughlin welcomed Ellie in March after their heartbreak of losing two babies over the previous three years.
Kathryn admitted that after the miscarriages, having a baby became the top priority for her and her restaurateur partner.
And the Carlow woman said her relationship with Padraig is very different to how it was before baby Ellie was born.
When asked how they manage now they’ve a child together,
Kathryn said: “It’s hard. Sometimes the baby is the easy part to manage and the relationship is trickier.
“Myself and Padraig would have had so much time to ourselves before.
“We also went through so much in trying to conceive Ellie, it became an all-consuming focus.
“It was all we wanted and then when she arrived, she became our world as children do.
“I think couples have to go east on each other and make time for each other.”
Speaking in this month’s VIP Magazine, Kathryn added she will tell Ellie about her siblings that didn’t make it to full-term.
She said: “I think it’s really important to talk about it, albeit horrifically sad it is. All losses are different to different people but I think for me I had to view it as a very real part of pregnancy and something I was allowed to be sad about, with no stigma.” Kathryn returned to work just a few months after becoming a mum, presenting on RTE Radio One and taking over from Mairead Ronan as host of Ireland’s Fittest Families.
The broadcaster said she believes there isn’t enough support for Irish mums and people need to start seeing being a stay-at-home parent as a full-time job. Kathryn added: “I 100% agree with that. I’ve got friends who live in Finland and Sweden and their experience is totally different.
“Being a stay-at-home mum is not considered a job here, and that needs to change. “I also don’t believe women are supported enough going back into the workplace either. “Childcare costs are a problem too.”
While Ellie is too young to be getting into trouble, the TV star said she can see herself being a strict mother when her daughter is a teen. Kathryn added: “I’m going to be a strict parent, and I already know that.
“I won’t be for turning with phones and nights out, because I know what I was like, and I know already I’ve a wilful girl on my hands.”