It has been a massive week for Kiwi acting sensation Dean O'Gorman — appearing on screen for 5 drama-filled nights on TVNZ 1 drama The Bad Seed as tree fella Ford Lampton — and more importantly his wife Sarah announced the pair will shortly welcome into the world baby O'Gorman.
Dean and makeup artist Sarah married in 2016. The couple often work together on Dean's photographic interests. In posting the news that she was 34 weeks pregnant, Sarah opened up about the couple's three-year battle, before finally being able to share their news of impending parenthood.
"Dean and I did three years of multiple fertility meds, failed IUI, and a round of IVF with three failed embryo transfers and a miscarriage at eight weeks," she wrote on Instagram.
"At first, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, then me with PCOS [polycystic ovarian sydrome] and suspected endometriosis. In the end we conceived naturally while waiting to start our second round of IVF."
In the post, Sarah describes the life she and Dean live trying to embrace all vibes and feelings, the pleasant and the uncomfortable, something their journey to become parents has been full of.
She tried not to put pressure on herself and tried to stay positive throughout, although most days she was not very hopeful at all. She recalls how she still tried to enjoy things, but pain and doubt were always there, niggling away at her.
Juggling all the varying emotions and promising herself that such things would not prevent her from conceiving. Sarah even shared some of the painful feelings she went through and feeling bad and guilty for getting angry and jealous. A close friend gave her some sage advice to unfollow people on social media who increased those feelings. She says it was okay not to go to baby showers and the best thing people could say to her about the couple's fertility struggles was a simple "I'm just really sorry".
When she was open with her feelings, writes Sarah, she was surprised at people's empathy and at the end of her post she generously shared some Instagram names of those who had helped her.
She learned a lot through everything but says if she had the choice, she would take all the learning and give it all back and choose to get knocked-up on her honeymoon.
Among the well-wishers was Dean's Westside co-star Antonia Prebble, who is expecting her first child with fiance and Westside co-star Dan Musgrove.
We wish both couples all the best over the next few months.