Tanya Hennessy has admitted that becoming a first-time mother at 40 to daughter Scottie has completely changed her - and says it hasn't been smooth sailing.
The Australian comedian, 40, tells Stellar magazine that she spent her entire pregnancy in a state of disbelief.
'I think a lot of people who have been through IVF or infertility will understand this, but I just didn't believe I was pregnant. I really struggled to say 'I'm pregnant' out loud. Never said it,' Tanya began.
'I would cover my body if I was out in public, wear the baggiest clothes. I felt a sense of self-protection, thinking it might not happen or she might not arrive. When I had the C-section and she arrived, I was just shocked she was there the whole time.
'When they put her on me, my whole world just shifted so dramatically. I thought about how lucky I was to have this baby around that time of year.'
Now eight weeks into motherhood, Tanya says the emotional whiplash of finally becoming a parent after years of infertility has left her feeling transformed - and vulnerable.
Tanya Hennessy has admitted that becoming a first-time mother at 40 to daughter Scottie has completely changed her - and says it hasn't been smooth sailing. The Australian comedian tells Stellar magazine that she spent her entire pregnancy in a state of disbelief
'I feel like a different person, it's really hard to adjust. I'm still a bit scared to go outside. I'm so proud of her, I feel like I'm in a whirlpool... A really beautiful whirlpool,' she said.
'Sometimes I find it really hard to talk about motherhood because I represented the infertility community for so long, I feel like people get cranky at me for becoming a mother in a way because I'm no longer representing the infertility community.
'I'm glad the grief is gone, I feel really whole. That's not to say if you don't have children, or you can't have children, you won't be whole. But in my circumstances, in this moment right now, for me, I feel whole.'
Turning 40 in November, towards the end of her fertility journey, added another layer of public scrutiny - and unsolicited opinions - something Tanya says she's learned to tune out.
'People say these sorts of things all the time. I want to be able to say 'I went through hell... this baby is a miracle.' I turned 40 in the middle of this and people ask whether it's OK being a parent at 40. I don't know any other way,' she admitted.
'People will always say what they want to say and I will always just live in the fact that I got to finally have my girl. I'm really happy, I think I've been really sad for a long time. Sometimes it's stressful but it's the best thing I've ever done.'
Tanya then revealed she was now working at enjoying precious moments with her daughter, rather than focusing on her next career move.
'I think a constant thing that people do, even when you don't have children, is ask the question of what's next as soon as one thing happens in your life. You just got married, what's next? You've just had a baby, what's next?' she vented.
Now eight weeks into motherhood, Tanya says the emotional whiplash of finally becoming a parent after years of infertility has left her feeling transformed - and vulnerable
In December, Tanya welcomed her first child with husband Thomas Poole following a seven-year fertility struggle
'This what's-nextism is making people really anxious – can we just sit in the now? How fierce is it that I've had this baby against all the odds?'
In December, Tanya welcomed her first child with husband Thomas Poole following a seven-year fertility struggle.
The beloved comedian took to Instagram on Christmas evening to share two images of the couple beaming as they cradled their adorable daughter.
'Our beautiful baby girl is finally here,' she wrote beside the images, before revealing the couple named their bundle of joy, Scotland Poole.
'I'm in heaven, my heart is exploding. My baby is here. My baby. She's everything and more and I've never been so blissfully happy in my life,' she wrote.
The exciting news follows Tanya's seven-year fertility struggle.
In 2022, Tanya opened up about her struggles with having a baby.
'Getting pregnant is a f***ing full-time job and I am at my wits end,' she told her social media followers at the time.
She continued: 'It hurts that my body won't do what I want it to. I'm bloody over it. Something that is seemingly so easy for so many, feels impossible for us. It's infuriating.'
