I planned my pregnancy around festival season – people judge me but it’s just as important as moving house or weddings

IF you grew up watching as many rom-coms as we did, then you probably looked at life like a series of tickboxes: meet your dream partner, get married, have a baby and live happily ever after.

Well before she entered into the motherhood stage of her life, Australian journalist Nikolina had her heart set on one last summer of care-free festivals.

heynikolinak/Instagram

Nikolina moved her motherhood plans forward so she could make it to Coachella a few years later[/caption]

heynikolinak/Instagram

The soon-to-be mum-of-two planned her next birthday around her 30th[/caption]

But then the pandemic struck.

In a personal essay for 9Honey, the soon-to-be mum-of-two explained how she decided to try for a baby the very day Coachella was cancelled in 2020 – so she could hopefully make it a couple of years later.

She explained: “Now the baby-making decision didn’t come out of the blue.

“When my husband and I married we always said we wanted to try for kids soon after our wedding – but the rough timing was going to be around the two-year anniversary mark.”

After Nikolina fell pregnant in April 2020, she explained her ‘plan’ to schedule her babies around festival season and birthdays to friends.

She recalled: “‘So you’re just fitting kids into your social plans?”‘ she asked me with a judgmental tone which I didn’t appreciate.”

When she announced she was pregnant again earlier this year, Nikolina’s friends and family asked why she wanted her kids so close in age.

She continued: “My answer – because I wanted to be able to celebrate my 30th with a plethora of cocktails. I didn’t want to be pregnant for it and I also didn’t want to have a newborn to look after.

“That is my honest answer and it sometimes shocks people to hear. Something I don’t quite understand?”

If all goes to plan, the mum is hoping to spend her milestone birthday at Coachella

She added: “We plan weddings, moving houses, holidays, financial decisions around family, friends and special dates – so why not plan babies as well? I would think it irresponsible if I didn’t.

“My goals and desires are still mine and don’t just get overruled by my kids because ‘babies come first’. No, babies come second and prioritising my own happiness and ticking things off my bucket list not only makes me a happier human, but a more grateful mum.”