Elle Robards’ arrival into the world in November was a bit of a slow burn at first, and after a few false starts the couple’s main priority was getting their little girl out safely.
“I think going into the delivery you can definitely have a birth plan, but you’ve also got to be open to things going wrong or things not going the way you expected,” explains Heinrich, 34, who later found out the umbilical cord had wrapped around Elle’s neck twice.
“And I think that’s kind of the thing I’ve learned with being pregnant and becoming a mother is you’ve got to be open to letting go. You’re not going to know all the answers and sometimes you’ve just got to go with the flow.”
It’s clearly that kind of thinking the couple have adopted going into parenthood. During WHO’s photo shoot with the pair, Heinrich and Robards already seem like experts in juggling their little one between them.
“I think the team work we have really helps to keep us happy,” Robards says.
“We’ve got a good balance where I’ll do the feed at night, Anna gets to go to bed earlier but then she’ll get up earlier and I get to sleep in a bit later. It’s actually really nice bonding for myself and Elle for me to be able to feed her – it’s daddy and daughter time.”
Despite finding themselves in a good routine at the moment, Heinrich says that like all new parents it’s been a massive adjustment.
“I feel like all mums compare themselves against other mums and it’s certainly not easy,” she admits.
“There are definitely days where I’ve cried because I’ve just been exhausted, or I’ve sat down in the shower and I just want to sleep.”
A week after welcoming Elle, Heinrich got a case of the baby blues and remembers crying for two hours straight.
“Tim came back [from the gym] and was like, ‘What’s wrong?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m not happy, I’m not sad. I just need to get it all out,’” she recalls.
“Your emotions are all up and down, it’s like a roller-coaster. But from that moment, I just let go of everything I knew and tried to live more in the present. And I guess understanding that this is my world now, this is my new life and it’s just trying to work out how it’s all going to work.”
Having a child together is something that the couple knew they both wanted not long after falling in love on the inaugural season of Australia’s The Bachelor back in 2013.
“From the get-go, we both knew we wanted children and it was always on our minds,” Heinrich says.
“But I think we got caught up with work and we loved spending time with each other, travelling together – we really enjoy each other’s company.”
The couple married in a stunning ceremony in Italy’s Puglia in June 2018 and announced they were expecting their first child just shy of two years later.
“I think it was just the right time in our lives when we decided to give it a go,” Heinrich explains.
Having such busy careers – since The Bachelor, Heinrich has juggled her work as a criminal lawyer with media commitments, and former chiropractor Robards only recently gave up his role on Neighbours back in October so he could return to Sydney to be with his wife – Elle’s arrival has given the couple the opportunity to slow things down a notch.
“I feel like I’m so used to being go, go, go with work, projects and all these different things. Now I’ve got to remember I’m not getting as much stuff done, but I’m spending a lot of time with my daughter and seeing her grow up and giving her a lot of love,” Robards explains.
“And that’s the most important thing.”
For the pair it was an “instant connection” when their baby girl arrived.
“As the days go on and she gets more of a personality, we just fall in love with her over and over again,” Heinrich says.
“Even sometimes when you’re struggling to put her down to sleep and she finally goes to sleep, and then I’m like, ‘Aww, I want to hang out with her again! I want to play with her again!’ It’s all those clichés that parents say, it’s the hardest thing but it’s also the best thing.”
Robards can’t help but gush over how well his wife has adapted to her new role.
“Anna is an amazing mum,” he tells. “She gives so much energy to Elle.”
And Heinrich is equally as enamoured with her hubby. “I couldn’t do it without him,” she adds.
While it’s still early days with Elle, Heinrich divulges that they would love to give her a sibling one day.
“We have always wanted more than one,” she admits.
“I’ve grown up with two sisters, Tim’s got a brother and a sister and I’ve always loved having siblings. So hopefully one day in the future we can give Elle a brother or a sister.”
For now though, the couple are just soaking up every moment with their little one.
“I just want to hug her and be with her all the time,” Heinrich laughs. “Literally, there’s times when I have to go to the bathroom and I miss her!”
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