Esther's Baby Joy - My Amazing Home Birth

The actress has a drama free delivery

- Sebastian Van Der Zwan

Snacking on vegetarian pizza as she snuggles her beautiful baby boy Jake in the lounge of their Auckland home, Westside actress Esther Stephens looks every inch the natural mum, but she doesn’t want to seem too smug.

“With motherhood, I’ve learnt to be grateful for the small victories and just roll with the challenges,” says the star, who plays spiky Ngaire Munroe on the hit Three drama. “You can’t get too comfortable. For example, he’s a really good sleeper now, but Murphy’s Law means he’ll be up for hours tonight. We make sure to count our blessings and never get too ahead of ourselves.”

Indeed, Esther, 32, and her husband Todd Beeby, 37, are incredibly grateful they experienced an “easy, straightforward pregnancy”, followed by a home birth that was equally relaxed. But in the weeks after Jake’s arrival, the actress struggled to produce enough milk to feed their wee man, which left her feeling inadequate.

“I went through a grieving process,” she admits. “I’m a mother and I’m supposed to be able to feed and nourish my baby – that’s my function! Luckily, we had some good support around us, including our incredible midwife.”

Encouraged by an actress friend’s experience, Esther opted for a home birth.