Pregnancy & Birth

News so good ‘we kept it to ourselves for a while’: Samantha Hayes has had her baby boy!

''He's a determined, snuffly, beautiful wee boy & we love him to pieces," the Newshub presenter has said.
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Samantha Hayes’ baby boy has arrived!

The Newshub presenter took to social media to share the news, posting a beautiful image of herself holding her new son’s hand.

She captioned the image, “News so good we had to keep it to ourselves for a while.

“Marlow River Blaauw was born at 8.38pm on 19.09.19 weighing 3.38kg (7.5 pounds). He’s a determined, snuffly, beautiful wee boy & we love him to pieces.

“Huge thanks to the team who got him here safely & who have looked after us since.”

Samantha announced her pregnancy in early May on social media, telling her Instagram followers, “Super excited to finally break the news that Jay & I are having a baby! We’ve been keeping it under wraps but the bump has now well and truly popped.”

After a difficult first trimester, in which Sam, 35, was plagued with migraines and morning sickness the rest of her pregnancy became smooth sailing. She told Woman’s Day she hoped to return to work within a few months of giving birth to help cover the shortage of newsreaders – alongside Sam, MediaWorks newsreaders Janika ter Ellen, Melissa Chan-Green and Susie Nordqvist were also pregnant.

Sam and partner Jeroen “Jay” Blaauw, who moved from his native Amsterdam to Auckland to be with Sam earlier this year, first met four years ago when Sam was travelling in Brazil.

Sam tells Woman’s Day, “I was making a cup of tea in the kitchen at a hostel in Sao Paulo and in came Jay.”

The couple went on to travel “a little bit together” but “we were just friends back then,” Sam reveals.

They stayed in touch on Facebook, and after Sam commented on a particularly stunning image that Jay had posted, the couple’s connection deepened. “We just got chatting after that,” Sam tells. “First we messaged, then we started talking on the phone and video calling. Thank goodness for modern technology.”

Sam went though an unexpectedly low period after winning Dancing With The Stars in 2018 and it was during this time that Jay suggested she join him in climbing Mount Aconcagua in Argentina.

Deciding it could be just what she needed to shake her post-show blues, Sam agreed. The couple attempted the climb in January but were forced to turn back on the final day of their ascent due to bad weather.

While their baby news came as a surprise, it was a joyous and happy one, Sam tells Woman’s Day.

“My work has always been my main focus… but I’m 35 now and it’s definitely the right time for me to have a baby. I feel extremely lucky that it’s come along.”

Sam revealed that she hopes to raise “a little feminist”.

“I also want to be a fun mum,” she told the publication. “I talk to him all the time in my tummy and I definitely feel a bond already. It’s amazing to think that he’s going to come out and greet us with his little personality. We just can’t wait to meet him.”

While she knows a lot will depend on how those first few weeks of motherhood go, Sam says it’s been hugely encouraging seeing how many MediaWorks mums are juggling work and family.

“I’ve talked to lots of women in the office who are making it work. I’ve asked what they thought about the idea of coming back to work when you have a baby at home and everyone has said, ‘Of course you can!’ That’s so encouraging, just knowing it’s doable.”

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