I think all of us let out a collective sigh of relief and squeal of excitement when we heard Rosanna Davison had given birth to her twin boys a couple of months ago.
Anyone following along with Rosanna and Wes’fertility journey the last few years knows that this has been a long-awaited moment. Having been told she may never be able to carry her own child to due to a suspected immune system dysfunction, the pregnancy with twins was a total surprise to everyone and we were all so so happy for the influencer. She called the pregnancy with twins a ‘complete chance’ and an ‘absolute dream come true’ for both herself and Wes.
Though we’ve been getting the most adorable Instagram updates of the twins, Oscar and Hugo, we were dying to catch up with Rosanna to find out how it’s all been going, particularly now that she’s a mum to three kids under the age of two!
‘It’s been a big change to go from being a mum of one to a mum of three, but we are finding it all a little bit easier and less daunting the second time around,’ Rosanna shared.
‘When Sophia arrived, we didn’t really have a clue about babies, and over time we figured out what works for us and what doesn’t. So as parents, we’ve been far more relaxed this time with the twins. As I discovered with Sophia, routine is absolutely key, as is simply getting to know your baby.’
‘So we have the twins in a four hourly feeding routine now, and work Sophia’s mealtimes, playtimes and bedtime around that. It’s insanely busy but we’re managing to keep everyone healthy, happy and fed. If at the end of each day nobody is crying (including us!), then we’re both happy!’
The nutrition expert, fitness and fashion guru has kept fans thoroughly entertained the last while, letting us in on her gas ways of telling the twins apart, how they’ve been settling into their stunning nursery and also promoting amazing fashion and skincare brands.
We’re in total awe of how she’s managing to juggle keeping up a fitness routine, posting regularly to Instagram, and keeping the home base running! And all so soon after giving birth!
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‘Ever since my GP gave me the all-clear last month to start back to gentle exercise and gradually build up my strength, I’ve been managing to squeeze in a 30-45-minute workout a day. I do it either first thing in the morning when everyone is still asleep, or I find a gap mid-morning when the twins have had their morning feed. Wes and I take it in turns.
‘I really love my little bit of alone time to train, and it’s probably keeping me sane! I’m following a programme and do a combo of weight training, Pilates and some cardio. It gives me the energy for a busy day and since I trained right through my pregnancy, I’ve found that it’s really helped my postpartum recovery.
‘Keeping the house running is busy too, and we’re constantly loading the washing machine or unloading the dishwasher. But we just get on with it and having children has definitely made me far more efficient with my time!’
Aside from the fact that juggling all of this is stressful, we can’t help but think it must feel very exposing too. The first few weeks after birth are a particularly vulnerable time. And yet, given the nature of her job, there must be pressure to post on Instagram all the time, especially when so much of her pregnancy and fertility journey are already out there.
‘I don’t really plan what to post and when, and most of the time I’m stuck for time so I just post whatever I happen to find funny or interesting. I took December off work, but I’m back now this month and a few of my brand partnerships involved posting photos and videos to Instagram.
‘Being self-employed, I felt pressure to get back to work quickly as I have bills to pay and little ones to feed like so many other people. I just had to get on with it and squeeze in some time to get work done each day - usually at nap time when all three are (hopefully) asleep for an hour.’
It was such a strange and scary time to be giving birth and to be pregnant, and not only because of Covid-19 restrictions, but also because it was twins, that she had struggled with fertility issues before, that it would be her first time experiencing pregnancy AND she had Sophia, a teething nine month old throughout all of this!
‘Despite our years of pregnancy losses and fertility issues, I felt quite relaxed and confident throughout my pregnancy. Each scan was really positive and I was having them once a week for the first trimester, then once a fortnight for the rest of it as twins are considered a high risk pregnancy.
‘I found the first trimester tough with constant nausea and feeling extremely tired, so having Wes home from work because he had had to close down his business was a big help, as he was able to mind Sophia when I went for daily naps. Of course, it would have been lovely for Wes to come to the scans with me but overall, I felt like it was quite a good year to be pregnant as I didn’t have any obligations to go anywhere.’
Oscar and Hugo are such adorable names and not ones you hear too often these days either! We wondered about the inspiration behind them.
‘We love the names separately but felt that they work well together for twins too. We both agreed on them pretty early on in the second trimester and called the boys by their names throughout the pregnancy which felt like a nice way to start the bonding process.’
With everyone’s routines so up in the air these days, it must be hard to stick to one with two new babies ruling the roost, along with a toddler! Rosanna told us how she manages and what helps her to get through the challenges of a busy day.
‘Each day is busy but having the routine in place makes a big difference. I get up at 6 and either get a workout in or just catch up with emails and messages, then I make Sophia’s breakfast and get her up, changed and fed between 7 and 7.30am.
‘Then we have time to play with her and she can practise her walking! The twins are usually asleep at that time, and wake at 9am for their feed. They then feed again at 1pm, 5pm and 9pm. Sophia has a mid-morning snack, then her lunch at 2.30, dinner at 5.30 and bed at 7. We often head out for a walk between mealtimes, and my mum is over every day to help with bath times and making Sophia’s dinner.
‘We’ve really discovered what products work best for us as a family, and I’m conscious of making positive choices for both the babies and the environment. We get through a huge amount of wipes each week, between nappy changes and cleaning little hands and faces after meals. So I’m delighted that WaterWipes 100% biodegradable baby wipes are now available, so parents don’t have to make the choice between what’s best for their baby’s delicate skin and the environment.’
It must be so strange for Sophia to go from an only child to suddenly having two little brothers around the place! Now that the dynamic has changed, how is she handling it?
‘She’s slowly getting used to them being around but in the beginning, she was pretty unhappy about these two new noisy imposters!
‘She was so used to just seeing me and Wes everyday right through lockdown last year, so having the twins suddenly arrive was a shock for her. She’ll love having them to play with later in the year though and I can’t wait to watch them all grow up together.’
As a nutritionist, we couldn’t help but wonder what Rosanna’s plans are for her children’s diets. It’s a choice we’ve all had to make, and a nutritionist’s perspective is always valuable on these matters!
‘I’d like them to try out a variety of foods, and I don’t plan to force anything on them. My priority is to make sure that they get all the nutrients they need to grow and develop, although I’ll be cooking plenty of plant-based meals too.’
Day to day family life has changed for everyone. Lockdown has left no one unaffected and its consequences have been awful, but some people say they’ve learned a lot from the situation and have found bright spots in the lockdown.
‘As difficult as it’s been not to see family and friends, we’ve enjoyed all of the quality family time we’ve spent together and if Wes had been working as normal, he wouldn’t have had that. So there’s plenty to be grateful for and we’re just focusing on making it through each day, staying healthy and keeping our home environment positive and happy.
‘It’s too difficult to plan for the future at the moment as there are so many unknowns, so I’ve really focused on being present and mindful.’
Rosanna’s advice that she wished she’d heard back last April when she found out she was facing into pregnancy in a pandemic is simple;
‘My best piece of advice is to avoid putting pressure on yourself, and to just try to relax and enjoy the whole experience of pregnancy as much as possible. It’s a magical time for most women having a normal uncomplicated pregnancy, and I absolutely loved feeling all of the kicks and wriggles.
‘When your little one arrives, just focus on getting to know your own baby and what works best for you both. You can read all of the parenting books in the world, but nothing beats real life experience, trusting your instincts and just getting to know your own child.’
Irish brand WaterWipes, the world’s purest baby wipes, are now 100% biodegradable, plastic-free and compostable wipes and remain purer than cotton wool and water. WaterWipes 100% biodegradable wipes continue to be made with just two ingredients, 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. With the same purity and same quality, parents no longer need to choose between what is best for their baby’s skin and helping to protect the planet. WaterWipes 100% biodegradable wipes are available now across all major retailers.
