Photography: Eva Bradley
When award-winning RNZ reporter Alexa Cook delivered her beautiful new baby into the world, she experienced a surprise she’ll never forget.
“I’d convinced myself we were having a girl,” laughs the journalist, 35.
“When he was passed over to me, well, let’s just say there was no mistaking he was a boy!”
Following a Caesarean birth that was far calmer and more magical than Alexa and her husband Jason Blanchard could’ve imagined, the couple got to meet their adorable son Jack just before the start of a brand-new year.
“I was so sure it was a girl based on what people were saying about how my bump looked,” says Alexa, smiling down at five-month-old Jack as he sits on her lap in their new home on her parents’ Central Hawke’s Bay farm.
As soon as her boy entered the world, Alexa was able to enjoy precious moments of skin-to-skin contact.
She recalls, “Our midwife was really clear that if he was healthy, he could be passed straight to us. He was put onto my chest and Jase was sitting beside my head. For about 40 minutes, while they were finishing the surgery, it was just the three of us in this little cocoon. It was really special.”
A calm start to life
Showing he’s inherited the same practical, no-fuss nature as his mum and dad, Jack began feeding almost immediately.
“He just pushed towards me and latched on,” shares Alexa.
“It was gorgeous. From the start, he’s been a healthy, happy baby who loves his food.”
In fact, he was such a dream newborn, he started out sleeping a little too well.
“We actually had to wake him to feed in the early days because he’d sleep for so long,” Alexa laughs.
“Now he gives us some really good stretches at night.”
The reality behind the calm start
However, despite an easy start, both say their early days of parenthood weren’t effortless. While former Newshub star Alexa – who won News Journalist of the Year at last year’s Media Awards and was a finalist for Best Journalist at the recent Radio and Podcast Awards – is used to high-pressure situations while chasing breaking news, breastfeeding proved a whole new challenge.
“I underestimated how hard it would be and the hormones were a bit of a rollercoaster,” Alexa confesses.
“It was wonderful because we had this beautiful baby, but those first few weeks were overwhelming. I was feeding all the time.”
Moving through the early days together
Thankfully, the couple – who both took Jack’s first three months off work – was able to move through the challenges together.
“We’re really aware it’s not the norm to have that kind of time together,” smiles Jason, 36.
“It made such a difference.”
Alexa has now returned to RNZ three days a week, while Fletcher Construction civil engineer Jason is Jack’s primary caregiver.
Learning to let go of control
“I’m a very planned person,” admits Alexa.
“I’ve had to take a step back and trust that Jase has that instinct too. He’s such a natural with Jack. I’m so proud of him and I couldn’t have returned to my career so soon without him. If only he had boobs!”
Back at work, Alexa has eased in to covering one of the country’s busiest regional patches, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, with the same intensity that’s defined her career. Working flexibly, often from home, allows her to stay close to Jack while still doing the job she loves.
“There was definitely a bit of guilt leaving him that first day, but it went really well,” she enthuses.
“And when I got home, he gave me the biggest smile – his whole face lit up.”
A slower life in the countryside
Tucked beneath the Ruahine Range, their new home in Ashley Clinton is surrounded by paddocks.
“There’s something about being here that just slows everything down,” tells Alexa.
“We kind of have to go at Jack’s pace and the environment helps with that.”
They’re also relishing living in a close-knit community.
Alexa tells, “In those first couple of weeks, there’d be a knock on the door and Mum or sometimes even our neighbour would be standing there with a hot meal. They kept us fed without us even having to think about it.”
Feeling the strength of community life
“We’ve been quite amazed at the level of support here,” says Jason, who grew up on a Central Otago farm.
“It really does feel like the whole village in action.”
Jack already has a love of the great outdoors.
“If he’s unsettled, we just take him out into the fresh air and he calms down almost straightaway,” smiles Alexa, adding that their son often wakes “cooing and grinning” at them.
Alexa shares, “It’s the best start to the day, but we’ve got a new respect for parents. It’s a big job and it’s nonstop, even with a chill baby. We’ve been very lucky. After everything, it just feels like we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.”
Alexa wears: TenKu Collective
