Pregnancy & Birth

Meet Block stars Loren and Tom Heaphy’s miracle baby

The DIY couple’s fertility battle ended with a surprising twist.

After five heart-breaking years of trying to start a family, Loren and Tom Heaphy finally accepted the fact they might never become parents.

“The odds certainly weren’t in our favour,” says Loren, who starred on season two of The Block NZ with her husband Tom.

“After another round of fertility treatment last year, we were told in no uncertain terms that we wouldn’t get pregnant naturally and we’d have to wait 14 months before we could give it another go.”

But no sooner had Loren, 34, and Tom, 36, left the doctor’s office than they were staring wide-eyed at not one but five pregnancy tests confirming the impossible – they were having a baby!

“We often wonder how he even happened,” beams Loren at Woman’s Day’s exclusive shoot, where the proud parents dote on their adorable baby boy Jude. “He truly is our little miracle.

“After all that Tom and I had been through, we’d come to terms with the possibility we might never be parents and we were OK with that. But this little guy means the world to us. We thought we might change when we became Mum and Dad, but we’re the same except our capacity for love is off the charts.”

The couple had been trying for a baby since their 2010 wedding. A cervical cancer scare in Loren’s early 20s meant her chances of falling pregnant were significantly reduced. Since then, she has had two surgeries for endometriosis, a ruptured ovarian cyst and several rounds of fertility treatment.

There were mixed emotions when Jude arrived on March 8 – which was International Women’s Day – at Auckland Hospital. After 36 hours in labour, the new parents were completely exhausted and deliriously happy, but mostly they were relieved they finally had a gorgeous, healthy wee bub to call their own.

The couple were rocked by two scares during Loren’s “difficult pregnancy”, which left her crippled with morning sickness. “I would catch the bus to work, get off at the top of the street and throw up in the bins all the way down tothe office,” recalls the events manager.

“At nine weeks, there were complications and we were told I was having a probable miscarriage. Then the same thing happened at 11 weeks. Fortunately, I had a scan and there was his little heartbeat. I’m an eternal optimist. I always believed that whatever happened would be OK.”

Through all their fertility challenges – the surgeries, the setbacks and the scares – Loren insists the battle must have been harder for doting Tom.

“At least it was happening to my body, that I could understand, but Tom must’ve felt so helpless,” she tells.

“I know he felt like he had to be really strong for me, and he was always so kind, encouraging and diplomatic.

“In those early weeks, when I couldn’t stomach anything, Tom would make me butter on toast every morning and sit with me in bed. And when Jude was born, he doted on the baby and me, making sure I was fed, watered and happy. He is an amazing husband and dad.”

“I’m so proud of Loz, she handled everything so well,” counters Tom. “That’s the kind of people that we are – we weren’t going to lose any sleep over something that was completely beyond our control. We went on living and enjoying our life together.

“But it’s pretty amazing to have Jude – it’s been the longest wait. All the challenges and the obstacles we faced seem like a lifetime ago. It’s quite surreal. We love and adore our little man, in spite of all the new challenges that come with parenting.”

While their fertility struggles could easily have put strain on their relationship, Loren says the whole experience has only strengthened their marriage. “Tom used to want heaps of kiddies but, as we’ve learned, life doesn’t always work out the way you planned,” muses Loren.

“While we’ve had our ups and downs, we’ve always been able to count on each other. Watching Tom as a father gives me the same giddy feeling I had when we were competing on The Block – I’m so full of love and admiration.”

Life as a family of three couldn’t be better for the Heaphys. After a bout of reflux when Jude was two months old, the couple’s smiley little lad is far more settled, sleeping well and loving his introduction to solids. “His personality just shines now,” says Loren.

“When he’s hungry, he’ll let you know, but after everything, he really is Mr Chill who’s just a joy to be around. He can’t be perfect, though – after all, he’s blessed with his dad’s ears!”

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