Big, life-changing moments never quite go according to plan for Olympic heroes Mahé and Juliette Drysdale.
First there was the 2008 Olympics, where Mahé collapsed at the finish of his single sculls race, but still managed to win bronze. Then there was their wedding, with hurricane-strength winds and torrential rain forcing the elaborately planned outdoor ceremony to be hastily shifted into the woolshed, precipitating harried last-minuterenovations and roof-fixing.
So when it came to the birth of their first child, it was hardly surprising it was not all smooth sailing. Luckily, the Drysdales are so laid-back.
Pragmatically they describe how, after a 21-hour labour and unexpected Caesarean, they welcomed their beautiful but not-so-little-baby Brontë into the world.
“It definitely didn’t go to plan, but it was still an amazing experience,” says new mum Juliette, trying in vain to gently smooth down her baby’s already impressive head of hair.
“In the end, she was such a big baby –10 pounds, three ounces – so, quite simply, she was just too big!”
Born October 3, 2014 at Waikato Hospital, Hamilton. Weight 4.62kg (10lb, 3oz).
The three months since Mahé (36) and Juliette (32) became parents have been, they say, the best of their lives.
Sitting together in their Cambridge home, with a very alert and curious Brontë lying across their laps, the couple are the picture of contentment as they smile down at their little girl – but they still can’t quite believe they are now “Mum and Dad”.
“It’s really cool now, we’re just starting to get smiles and lots of personality,” Mahé says with a grin. “She’s the most amazing baby. She’s… robust!” he concludes, laughing.
“She’s just like Mahé,” adds Juliette. “She’s very laid-back, she loves sleeping and she’s always hungry!”
It’s been two years of incredible highs for the Olympians. After both winning medals at the London 2012 Olympics – gold for Mahé in the single sculls and Juliette (nee Haigh) taking out the bronze with rowing partner Rebecca Scown in the coxless pairs, before retiring – the pair wed in a fairytale ceremony at their home in September 2013. They then fell pregnant in early 2014.
“That part all went according to the schedule,” smiles Mahé.
Since Brontë was born, Mahé has shown his sensitive and nurturing side, says Juliette. “I love that he’s such a hands-on dad.”
The couple tried to keep their happy news quiet until they reached the 12-week mark, however, Juliette’s absence at functions such as the Halberg Awards, due to severe morning sickness – “I was nauseous 24/7” – meant suspicions were raised.
“After four or five weeks, when she was still ‘sick’, people start to cotton on,” Mahé laughs.
Once the sickness waned, the couple had to make the decision about whether to find out the baby’s gender at a scan. Mahé was adamant they would not. “There aren’t too many surprises in life!” he says stubbornly.
“But I desperately wanted to know,” recalls Juliette. “We ended up getting the answer in an envelope. I knew that some people go out for a nice dinner and open it, so I thought I could convince him. I tried everything!
“I really wanted to relate to the baby – we’d called her ‘it’ for months. I thought if I knew what she was, I’d feel more connected. But it turns out not knowing was amazing. It really was the best surprise.”
The couple was at home when, at 11pm on October 2, one day after her due date, Juliette went into labour – or what she thought was labour.
“I wasn’t sure because, of course, I’d never done it before!”
Mahé admits Juliette’s contractions “freaked him out” a little bit.
While they both remained calm, Mahé admits Juliette’s contractions “freaked him out” a little bit.
“Someone told me labour was kind of like rowing,” says Juliette, who was whisked to Waikato Hospital by her husband. “When you train, you go hard for a few minutes and then ease off. It really was like that, so I guess rowing did kind of prepare me for it.”
“Yeah, but a long rowing session only goes for three hours – and you don’t get a baby at the end of it!” teases Mahé. After enduring 18 hours of contractions, an exhausted Juliette was told by doctors the labour wasn’t progressing.
“They started getting specialists and more doctors in, and eventually it was decided it would have to be a Caesarean,” says Mahé. “By this stage, it was getting hard to watch – Juliette was really tired and struggling and the pain kicked in a bit more.”
Instead of the natural birth they wanted, Juliette was wheeled into the operating theatre, with Mahé at her side.
The Caesarean, he says, was “quite a long and harrowing experience”, but then Brontë finally arrived.
“And she was big – the first thing the surgeon said was, ‘Oh, my God, it’s a toddler!’”
After Mahé cut the cord, Brontë was placed on Juliette’s chest – an amazing moment for the new family. “There aren’t really words to describe it,” says the new mum. “I forgot about everything that had just happened – I couldn’t have cared less. She was beautiful.”
It took three days to give her a name. And just like her dad, who is named after an island in the Seychelles, geography was the inspiration for her moniker too – albeit unintentionally.
“A couple of years ago, in Sydney, we were walking from Bondi Beach to Brontë, and we thought it was a cute name,” explains Juliette.
In fact, unbeknown to Mahé, Juliette had made a wooden “Brontë” sign, on the off- chance they decided to use it.
“So when we got home from the birth centre, Jules went into the cupboard and pulled out this sign,” laughs Mahé. “I couldn’t believe it. What a stitch-up!”
But Juliette protests, “I had a boy’s one made too, and that’s still in there. I won’t say what the name on that one is in case we need to use it. I can tell you, you get very bored in the last few weeks of pregnancy!”
Mahé says he and Juliette are more than happy with their little family. “Brontë’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”
Since bringing their bundle of joy home, life at the Drysdales has changed drastically. Like all new parents, they have experienced what Juliette calls “unsure moments” – the anxiety and panic that they’re doing something wrong when Brontë won’t stop crying, and the urge to check on their sleeping daughter every five minutes to make sure she is all right.
And being the supportive husband and dad he is, Mahé has tried to help with feeding, by writing out a timetable! His athlete’s approach to fatherhood surprised even the couple’s midwife. “At the top of the page, he’d written ‘feeding goals’,” explains Juliette. “Our midwife said, ‘I can’t believe it – the baby is six days old and she has goals!’”
Despite the normal concerns of those first few weeks of new parenthood, everything is otherwise running to plan.
“She’s just the coolest little baby,” says Juliette proudly. “She loves her dad. I’ll have her on my lap, and she’ll be looking at Mahé with this little half smile on her face, just waiting for him to look at her. And as soon as he does, she’ll break out into this big smile. It’s adorable.”
The pair agree the experience has brought them even closer. “Twelve weeks in and we’re still going strong!” jokes Juliette.
Mahé has tried to help with feeding, by writing out a timetable.
Mahé still can’t believe how amazing his partner is. “She was already the best wife possible, and now she’s an incredible mum,” he says. “I am amazed at her resilience. She’s had a major operation, has had to feed Brontë constantly and some nights she’s been getting by on one hour of sleep. I’m blown away.”
And Juliette says she’s seen a completely different side to Mahé since Brontë’s arrival. “He’s always been supportive but he has also shown his sensitive and nurturing side in looking after us both. I love that he’s such a hands-on dad with her. It was almost a week before I even changed a nappy after she was born!”
As a family, they’ve already tackled a lot of “firsts”. Brontë has enjoyed her first Christmas and gone on her first trip – to Wanganui. Now she’s going on her first holiday to the beach.
This time they spend together is precious, with Mahé already back to full-time training as he prepares for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“We definitely want more kids but we have to time things around rowing, so it probably won’t be until after Rio,” confides Mahé. “But we’re more than happy with our little family for now. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”
