When Erin welcomed her son two years ago, she fell so head over heels in love that she could imagine giving him a sibling straight away. Photo / Robert Trathen
When Erin welcomed her son two years ago, she fell so head over heels in love that she could imagine giving him a sibling straight away. Photo / Robert Trathen
The star couple had almost given up on their dreams of expanding their family when the TV presenter fell pregnant.
Before she became a mum, Erin Simpson never considered herself to be a particularly maternal sort of person. Yet when she welcomed her son Harrison two years ago, the TV presenter and influencer fell so head over heels in love that she could imagine giving him a brother or sister almost straight away.
“I was never sure if I wanted another baby,” admits Erin as she and her husband Zac Franich sit down at their Auckland home to chat with Woman’s Day. “But I found myself thinking, ‘I’d like to do this again for Harry!’ I love the idea of Harry having someone to play with and grow up with.”
While the 42-year-old had fallen pregnant naturally with little Harrison, she knew things might not be so straightforward the second time around given her age. The couple, who met after Zac, 35, found fame on The Bachelor NZ in 2017, started trying to conceive before Harry turned one, but after eight months with no luck, they were beginning to worry.
Learning about Erin's pregnancy was an unforgettable moment for Zac. Photo / Robert Trathen
Erin confesses, “We were getting towards the point of thinking ‘Uh-oh, maybe this isn’t going to happen for us.’ But just as we were thinking about giving up, that’s when it happened. We’re so grateful and so happy!”
Delighted to finally spill the beans on this special news after keeping her second pregnancy under wraps for almost six months, Erin says she realised she was expecting early this year when she was hit with that familiar nausea she’d experienced the first time around.
“It was the same gross, sick feeling that I had with Harry, so I knew exactly what was going on,” she tells. “I remember having a glass of orange juice, which came right back up again, and that just confirmed it. I was happy, but I didn’t tell anyone for a week, not even Zac! I just wanted to get used to the idea on my own for a while.”
Erin also didn’t bother doing a home pregnancy test after earlier attempts had shown up with false positives.
“It happened three times, where those supermarket tests came back with positive results, but subsequent blood tests showed I wasn’t actually pregnant. It was really upsetting, so in the end, my doctor said, ‘Don’t do those tests at home. They don’t work for you.’”
Instead, Erin waited until a blood test confirmed what she already knew – she was expecting a sibling for Harrison, who turned 2 last month – and then enlisted the cute toddler to help her tell her husband the exciting news.
When Zac arrived home from his work as general manager at Surf Life Saving Northern Region one evening, Harrison handed him a very special card. The message inside said, “Dad, I’m going to be a big brother!”
It was an unforgettable moment for Zac, who recalls, “It was just amazing. I still find it incredible to think that the thing I hoped I’d be as a person – that dream of being a parent and having a family – has come true. It’s indescribable.”
The star couple can’t wait to see how their little boy enjoys the arrival of a baby. Photo / Robert Trathen
The couple, who are in the middle of selling their house for a bigger family home, can’t wait to see how their little boy enjoys the arrival of a baby. They’re confident he’ll be a gentle big brother.
“He’s a very generous, humble little man,” says Erin. “He’s very good at sharing – unless it’s a remote-control car! – and he’s got the kindest spirit. We’ve got this neighbourhood cat that comes to visit most days and he’s so lovely to it. You can just tell he’s just got the biggest heart.”
Harrison kisses and cuddles his mum’s growing bump, but Erin doesn’t think he’s quite cottoned on to the fact there’s a baby in there. “He’s only just learning what a tummy button is!” laughs Erin.
While the former star of The Erin Simpson Show, What Now and Sticky TV is feeling good in her pregnancy now, the first 12 weeks were tough. Erin vomited “all day, every day” and could eat nothing but creamy yoghurt and salt-and-vinegar chips. Cooking smells made her stomach turn, which was challenging when it came to Harrison’s dinnertimes.
“He loves meat, but even just the thought of raw meat made my stomach turn, so cooking it was a nightmare!”
Erin is refreshingly honest about how she feels about pregnancy. “I just don’t think I enjoy growing something in my body,” she says, explaining that as well as the nausea, she sometimes feels daunted by the huge responsibility.
“There’s so much anxiety knowing that if you eat too much sugar, consume caffeine or have too many runny eggs, those actions could impede another human life. It’s a lot to take on.”
Erin is adamant women shouldn’t be afraid of having babies when they’re older. Photo / Robert Trathen
Despite this, Erin insists she’s “endlessly grateful” to be pregnant again. “I was really up against the biological clock, so I’m so incredibly grateful we’ve conceived naturally. I have so many dear friends who are struggling and I can see how hard that is on people.”
While many may be intrigued about her being pregnant again at 42, Erin is adamant women shouldn’t be afraid of having babies when they’re older. She says waiting till this stage of her life was the perfect time for motherhood for her.
“I have never felt so secure in my life,” she enthuses. “I’m emotionally and financially secure. I’m happy in my work, and I have wonderful family and friends. I’m happy at home and I’m confident in my body. What child isn’t going to benefit from that kind of stability that you have in your forties? I’ve really enjoyed being a mum at this age.”
Zac adds that Erin is “an incredible mother” and that he’s excited they’re welcoming a second child together.
“She is amazing – the way she takes care of Harrison and the love she has for him makes me so proud.”
And with baby number two due at Halloween on October 31, Erin and Zac are counting down the weeks till they meet their precious bundle. They’ve chosen not to learn their baby’s sex in advance, keeping it a surprise as they did with Harrison.
And while they’re a little daunted about the logistics of adding a second child to the mix, especially as Harrison isn’t sleeping through the night, they can’t wait to meet the baby.
Erin grins, “What I love most about being a mum is the entertainment you get from these little humans. They’re better than any TV show, podcast or anything on my phone! Motherhood has taught me so much. I’ve learned that you don’t need a lot to be so in love and so happy. It’s a beautiful thing.”
