TV personality Lauren Newton, the daughter of showbiz couple Bert and Patti Newton is expecting her first baby with swimmer husband Matt Welsh in February next year. The couple spoke to Woman’s Day about their impending arrival and also discussed their fears that they may never have been able to create a family.
On their quick succession of milestones in their relationship: “No, we have really just gone bang, bang, bang; engaged, married, pregnancy. No messing around! [Matt adds] I guess the engagement thing was my fault! But we are obviously ecstatic with everything and with the timing.”
On her due date: “I’m six months pregnant, so it’s speeding by. At Mum’s birthday lunch earlier this year, Matt made the passing comment that we’d try to give her a grandchild next time. When I discovered my due date, I couldn’t believe it was February 4 - Mum’s birthday. So Matt kept his promise! It’s probably not the sort of present Mum had in mind, but it’s the best one.”
On discovering Lauren was pregnant: “Lauren hadn’t been feeling well and went to the doctor. She had two sets of blood tests but they were inconclusive. So they asked her to come back for just one more try, and next day she phoned me with the result. After so many tests, I’d started to imagine the worst, For a split second I thought, ‘Okay, we are never going to have kids’ [Lauren adds] I think the doctor asked if there was a chance I was pregnant and I said ‘No, of course not!’ I thought I had a virus and was a bit run down.”
On their concerns that they may have been unable to conceive: “I had polycystic ovaries in my teens, which can make it difficult to have children. You just worry whether it’s going to affect you or not. [Matt adds] I thought it was way too early for it to happen, because we were anticipating that it would take years - if it happened at all.”
On everyone’s reaction to the pregnancy: “Matt cried when I told him the news [Matt adds] I was sitting down in our bedroom, thank God, or I would have fallen over. [Lauren adds] My parents are beside themselves. My mum is desperate for a grandchild; she’s one of those people who talks to mothers with babies on the street. She’s already buying a new car so that she can put a baby capsule in the back. Dad was in shock for a while. He’s obsessed with his little dog - it’s the light of his life - so we can’t wait to see how he is with a grandchild! And Matt’s parents are thrilled too!”
On how she’s finding pregnancy: “No morning sickness, no symptoms really, apart from feeling a bit tied at the start. As soon as I found out, I slowed down and made an effort to look after myself and I was fine. I’ve put on weight but you just do, straight away, although I still exercise three or four times a week. I’m always hungry, but no weird cravings. Just food! Matt looks after me so well and lets me boss him around. I hear other women complain about their partners and I think I’m so lucky.”
On finding out the gender: “We want it to be a surprise. There are so few surprises left in life, you have to make the most of them. Mind you, I am curious. I’d like to set up a nursery in the appropriate colour. I want to know and don’t want to know at the same time.”
On their preference of a boy or girl: “I don’t mind, we will be happy either way. Eventually, we’ll have both. [Matt adds] That’s the plan anyway, even if we have 19 boys first! I started off wondering what the baby is going to be or do. But then I went right back to basics. I just want it to be healthy and happy.”
On baby names: “We have a few we like, obviously, but we’ll wait until we see the baby.”
On Bert as a grandfather: “I don’t know what Dad’s speciality is going to be; perhaps walking to the park and watching old movies with the baby. He’s not going to be ‘Grandad’, he’s ‘Poppy’. We keep saying it to him now. [Matt adds] At first he didn’t respond to Poppy, but now he loves it.”
On keeping up family traditions: “As soon as I found out I was pregnant I phoned the same obstetrician who delivered me and my brother. It’s nice to have that link with the past. We are very into family traditions, like getting married at the same church as my parents. Mum has given us gifts that fans made for her when she was pregnant, like the beautiful crocheted Christening gown that I wore. Luckily it’s white, no pink bows, although I did throw up on it apparently.”
On travelling to Beijing next year to watch Matt compete in the Olympics: “I’d love to be able to tell the baby that it was there to watch Dad swim, but I won’t know until the time comes. If I do go to Beijing, I will talk Mum into coming with me.”

Source: Woman’s Day, November 5 2007, pg 34-36.