New mom Karina Smirnoff says breastfeeding her son was a ‘shock’ and reveals she has moved in with her parents to help her anxiety
Karina Smirnoff is opening up about becoming a mother for the first time.
The Dancing With The Stars alum, who welcomed son Theo Gabriel in April, has revealed that she suffered a lot of anxiety ahead of the birth and now her baby is here, she’s still trying to adjust to her new life.
‘Breastfeeding was a whole shock to me,’ the dancer dished last week.
Karina Smirnoff has opened up about her parenting anxieties and revealed she found breastfeeding a ‘shock’
‘I’m like, “I’m going to be like a dairy cow. What?”‘ Karina said while speaking during the NAMI and One Mind’s Stronger Than You Think virtual mental health event.
Karina admitted that before her son’s arrival she would worry that she wouldn’t know how to take care of her baby’s basic needs.
‘I was thinking, “The baby’s going to be born and I’m not even going to know how to change a diaper,” Everybody’s like, “It comes instinctively. Don’t worry.”‘
In April Karina, 42, revealed the birth of her son with an Instagram post of the newborn’s feet.
‘I’m like, “I’m going to be like a dairy cow. What?”‘ Karina said while speaking during the NAMI and One Mind’s Stronger Than You Think virtual mental health event
‘Welcome to the world Theo Gabriel!’ she wrote on April 8.
Karina said it’s been a steep learning curve since becoming a mom and she has moved back in with her parents for the additional support.
‘Every day you’re learning something. Every day, he is growing and he’s doing things today that he didn’t do yesterday. So that’s a whole learning experience in itself.’
Of being back with her parents, Karina explained, ‘I think when you are not used to living with your parents for a long time as an adult and then suddenly you are, wow, that’s a whole different set of skills that you have to attain,
‘And I love them to death, they’ve been so incredibly helpful and I wouldn’t be able to do it without them, but that’s 24-7 in closed doors.’
She’s a mom! Karina welcomed son Theo Gabriel to the world in April
Anxieties: Karina said it’s been a steep learning curve since becoming a mom and she has moved back in with her parents for the additional support
Being in the same house under lockdown the TV personality said she’s learned ways to manage the stress just by ‘taking a minute’ and listening to music.
‘I mean, you can always lock yourself in one of the rooms and put on the song that you like and the music takes you to a different place and then you come back out and everything is good again,’ she said.
Karina revealed her pregnancy news in December 2019 but has chosen not to reveal the identity of her baby’s father.
Motherhood: Karina revealed her pregnancy news in December 2019 but has chosen not to reveal the identity of her baby’s father