Why Kristy takes her baby to work, travels to Australia while shooting TV show - ABC Everyday

On the eve of the birth of her first son, 33-year-old Kristy O’Brien thought her career would take a hit.

I think I’ll do some shit work on both [work and parenting], I will step down in my career; accepted some mediocre positions working around children,” said the journalist for ABC Rural.

The last thing Darwinians hope for a few months after maternity leave is to be offered the show of their dreams; traveled around Australia to film the first season of Movin’ to the Country.

“I told my family: ‘I need to do this. I really want to,'” Kristy said.

“I don’t want to lose my career which is part of my identity.”

So he took five-month-old Hudson on the road with him.

Since then, Kristy has been shooting season two while pregnant with her son Nash, who was born 10 weeks ago.

We talked to working moms about the challenges of getting work done with a baby in tow—and why it’s all worth it.

Challenging moments that he will always cherish

I got a call from the executive producer who said, “Great news, the show we’ve been talking about for years has finally got the green light and we have to start shooting. How do you feel about missing Christmas?”

I thought, “my family will kill me”. Especially my parents who had planned Hudson’s first Christmas.

My son is exclusively breastfed which means he can’t attend daycare — ABC has been great at making that happen. So my mom flies with me wherever we shoot to take care of Hudson.

Navigating amidst a pandemic, always on the lookout for border closures and other restrictions, is incredibly stressful.

I wouldn’t coat it with sugar; staying up all night with baby then taking pictures during the day is very challenging.

At the Victorian shoot I had mastitis (inflammation of the breast tissue that sometimes involves infection).

I was able to get a script for antibiotics but it didn’t work because I kept pushing.

Work never asked that of me, but it was a point of pride—I didn’t want to be a mom who couldn’t do it.

Overall I appreciate our times together. I look back and my son sees his mom has been working and scoring her own goals while taking her on an incredible journey.

And in retrospect it made getting back to work easier — taking my son with me.

The kindness of strangers and the support of loved ones

What surprised me on this trip was how kind the people were.

You feel like the worst person on the plane, the noisiest person in the airport. It’s so hard to go to the airport with a newborn and all their crap!

You struggle with the trolley, trying to get your baby in a sling – and sometimes you just have to say “yes” to nice people.

“Yes, hold my baby. Yes, get my bag.”

Hudson at the airport: Kristy learns to say yes when strangers offer to help with luggage and baby.(ABC: Kristy O’Brien)

People could see it wasn’t easy — and there were definitely times when everything seemed impossible.

But I learned, I can do it. Yes, it will be a messy and logistically messy show, and very tiring, but you can do it.

What really helped was having an amazing boss who was a girl.

You must have women in senior leadership roles who understand what you are going through.

I ask women to be brutally honest about how hard it is, but it can be done.

And obviously my mother was with me and even though my husband wasn’t there physically, I had his support.

Financially, emotionally – he fought for me. There’s something to be said when you need to call someone and say, “I think I did the worst job of anything,” and they assure you that you don’t.

For the mothers who came after us

Kristy is proud that her son can see a goal kick on the road.(ABC: Kristy O’Brien)

I feel a huge responsibility to do this because I know my friends are coming with the baby behind me.

They wanted to do the same juggling, and I needed to prove that it was possible.

It’s easy to be jealous of a male coworker who might be easier, but I’m a better worker because I’m a mom.

Like being able to bring greater empathy and connection to certain people in the community — those are assets that businesses can use.

I don’t do things around, I get things done.

Most of it is head games. Guilt, questioning your confidence to do the job — it’s all very hard.

But if we can get past it, we can make a difference for all the mothers who have come after us.

Watch Movin’ To The Country, Friday 7:30pm on ABC TV and iview.

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