I'm Back! My Pregnancy Journey as an Oboist

Hello friend,

At the moment of writing this blog post I am 8 weeks postpartum and am slowly adjusting to life as a new mother.

Looking back, pregnancy for me was pretty smooth sailing apart from week 6 to week 15 when I had morning sickness. I was able to continue playing the oboe normally all the way up to my due date although I did get a little more breathless from about week 26 onwards. Due to Covid, I did not have many performances during my pregnancy anyway. Hence I took the opportunity to pace myself playing-wise and started focussing more on easier and shorter pieces towards the end of my pregnancy as I was also getting increasingly fatigued carrying a huge weight around. During this time, I found the 45 Wiedemann etudes very suitable and comfortable to play. They are also melodious which made playing the oboe enjoyable. I see them as miniature character pieces.

Me at 16 weeks pregnant

Baby Oliver arrived on 1st June 2021, 2.5 weeks before my expected due date. My husband and I are over the moon with our little bundle of joy.

Oliver at 2 weeks old.

Needless to say, it has been an incredibly challenging 8 weeks so far with our newborn. Apart from waking up 3-4 times each night for feeding, I have also been feeling as if I'm on an emotional rollercoaster with hormonal changes after pregnancy. I've found that taking time and creating some personal space for myself have helped - going on short walks, having a bath and cooking while listening to music are all things that have helped me feel better.

If you're reading this and by any chance are also in the same situation, remember to be kind to yourself. :)

Me, my husband Fergus, and baby Oliver at Waddesdon Manor on 24th June 2021.

It has been roughly 4 months since I last uploaded a video to my YouTube channel and I must admit that I'm quite eager to get back into the groove! Do stay tuned to my YouTube channel for upcoming videos.

This is me playing Silvestrini's Russian Etude No. 4 (Hommage à Prokofiev) at 32 weeks pregnant.

Thank you for reading my blog post!