With a cheeky smile and bright blue eyes, it’s no surprise that first-time parents Fiona Falkiner and Hayley Willis fell in love with their baby boy Hunter the moment he was born.
But their journey to parenthood was anything but easy. Undergoing gruelling rounds of IVF, Fiona tells Woman’s Day each day was a “mental battle” as she injected hormones, had countless blood tests and endured a rollercoaster of emotions.
Thankfully, all was worth it to hold their baby boy for the first time. “He’s just an absolute ray of sunshine,” gushes Fiona, 38, who welcomed the couple’s son on March 22, 2021.
“When I first looked at him, I just didn’t know if I could feel any more love. It was the most incredible moment of my life… and every day with him gets better and better.”
Now doting mums to a boisterous one-year-old, Fiona and Hayley, 32, created the podcast What The IVF, talking openly about the highs and lows of their own journey to parenthood.
“IVF can be quite a sad process… it really is a difficult thing,” says Fiona.
“I’m so lucky to have Hayley as a partner and that on my second full round of IVF we had Hunter… he was a little miracle.”
While she admits it isn’t always easy to squeeze in date nights, work as a model and mum duties, Fiona wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s a big juggling act,” she says.
They’re thrilled to be parents to one-year-old Hunter.
(Image: Instagram)“We’re so lucky Hayley’s mum helps out – they say it takes a takes a village to raise a child and Hunter is definitely being raised by a village!”
Reflecting on her parenting journey so far, Fiona reveals the best piece of advice she got as a new mum was not to be afraid to ask for help, which was advice she put into practice when Hunter faced feeding issues as a newborn.
“Definitely in those early days, because it can really be a difficult time,” she explains.
IVF was difficult for Fiona and Hayley.
(Image: Instagram)
The happy couple are overjoyed to be welcoming their second baby.
(Image: Instagram)“You put a lot of pressure on yourself to be the ‘perfect mum’ and you see a lot of things on social media, where everyone just seems to be able to navigate parenthood perfectly,” says Fiona, who learned to take things one day at a time.
“But it doesn’t have to be that hard – you can ask for help.
“Oh, and you can never have too many bibs! Just after we had Hunter, we did a big shop at Big W because there are so many things you don’t realise you need,” says Fiona, who partnered with Big W to launch a Disney Classics Collection earlier this year.
“Oh, and you can never have too many bibs!”
(Image: Instagram)Indeed, their shopping spree will come in handy, especially now, with the couple overjoyed that Hayley is expecting another bouncing boy in August.
“Hunter can’t wait to meet his baby brother,” smiles Fiona.
“Life doesn’t get much better than this. I’m feeling very blessed!”
