Fourways author makes pregnancy easier for first-time moms
Daniella speaks about how being pregnant turned her into an author.
Daniella Kilpatrick did not know she had any writing skills until she fell pregnant with her first child. All the morning sicknesses, hormonal imbalances, mood swings and irresistible cravings, and finally being a yummy mummy, have all inspired the 30-year-old new mom to add the title, author, to her name.
From an early age, Kilpatrick had a love-hate relationship with reading books, and it is all thanks to her pregnancy that she decided to put pen to paper and compiled a guide for first-time South African moms as she takes them through their pregnancy journeys. She said she was only driven by her lifelong thirst for information to write even two more.
“I am a working mom of a nine-month-old baby. It is my first child and that is kind of why I started writing. I started a platform called ‘Bump to Babe’ which is basically a platform on Instagram where I share ‘real on real’ inhouse experiences about motherhood and being a first-time mom. I share all the things that I have learnt to help other women with their journey to motherhood.”
Kilpatrick told Fourways Review that what sets her guide apart is that it is compiled from her own life experiences. She said that the information is not really things that readers would get from google.
“It is also not something that is out there for South African mothers or very specific to what we need. So, I share a lot more about local products, what happens when you visit the gynae, what it is like to be pregnant in South Africa, you know, the costs, what medical aids cover, all the things your body goes through, how to prepare for birth, what to do after birth, etc.”
She added that she does not really have published books but instead digital guides which are easily accessible. In them, Kilpatrick said that there is no topic off-limits.
“I wrote three digital guides. The first one is a 91-paged pregnancy guide, and talks about basic things to prepare about pregnancy, birth and baby preparations, budgets for the baby and recovery from birth.”
“Following up on that, I have compiled a guide for a lady who is in her third trimester for instance. I have a birth prep and recovery guide which is 31 pages taken from the pregnancy guide and that just focuses specifically on birth prep and recovery and excludes the other things. And lastly, I have just completed a guide that tackles breastfeeding. This one is incredible because I talk about my experience with breastfeeding, like how to navigate through it, its challenges, etc.”
Daniella said she felt that she needed to share this information with her guides because these are the things that people do not usually talk about.
“For instance, baby blues, breastfeeding and how it affects your intimate life. I share the anxiety that comes with it when you are breastfeeding in public. I share a lot of things that one rarely talks about, even with their friends or family.”
When she took to social media to share it with Fourways residents, Kilpatrick told us that her guides started to sell like hotcakes. She said she was also amazed by the warm reception of her efforts.
“I have had complimentary reviews so far. I have sold over 50 copies of the first guide in just a month and half. The breastfeeding guide has only been launched this week and I have sold over 10 copies so far. It is still very new, but I am overwhelmed by the reaction from people.”
Details: Email Daniella Kilpatrick at bumptobabeza@gmail.com to get your copy. Follow her on Instagram @bumptobabe_za
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