On January 28, 2025, Dr. Tamaryn Green Nxumalo welcomed a baby girl into the world. In an exclusive interview with TRUELOVE, she shared her experiences from pregnancy to life as a new mom, offering insight into her challenges, triumphs, and the support that helped her through it all.
Reflecting on her pregnancy journey, Dr. Tamaryn described the first trimester as particularly challenging. “The first trimester definitely had its challenges with the morning sickness. I experienced a lot of nausea, and a lot of things took me by surprise with how my body changed—getting ache on my back, changes in my breasts. Just things you would never think of,” she said.
Despite the early hurdles, she was able to maintain a normal routine throughout her pregnancy, with a few key adjustments. “Other than cutting out alcohol completely, I kind of still made a point of living my life to the fullest,” she shared. “I was training every day, I was working, I did as much as I can on a normal routine because I always said that’s what I wanted to do throughout my pregnancy.”
However, becoming a mother presented new emotional and physical challenges, including hormonal shifts. “You literally cry for no specific thing. It can either be tears of joy or tears of sadness. I remember the first week, I would just think of my baby and maybe pray for her and I would start to cry and I would be like, ‘I can’t believe that she is actually here, like she’s real.’”
Feeding her daughter every three to four hours proved difficult at times as well. “If I’m struggling and she doesn’t want to feed properly, and like my nipples are so sore, you’re so hard on yourself as a mom,” Dr. Tamaryn explained. “You’re going on social media and you just want to research as much as you can, but there is so much information out there. You actually need to figure out your baby, you know?”
Dr. Tamaryn emphasised the importance of having a strong support system. “I’ve relied on my mother, husband, and sister for support throughout the past few months, in addition to my online community,” she said. A nanny has also helped her health by allowing her to get more rest at night, reducing her exhaustion.
Throughout her pregnancy and after giving birth, Dr. Tamaryn made a conscious effort to dress up and maintain her sense of self. “It’s very important for me because it’s part of who I am. It creates a sense of confidence when you just put in the effort. Make yourself beautiful for the day, it really does help with mental health as well, especially after a very emotional and tough day.”
Even as a new mom, Dr. Tamaryn and her husband, businessman Ze Nxumalo, continue to prioritise their relationship. “We still go out on date nights,” she revealed. “We have communities in all three provinces, and it didn’t make sense to have one baby shower. We wanted to make it possible for everyone in the family to share the moment, so we had multiple baby showers in different provinces.”
The three baby showers—held in Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and Paarl—were each special, with the Johannesburg celebration being a surprise planned by her friends. “I always told myself that throughout my pregnancy, I want to be a fashionable mama,” Dr. Tamaryn shared. “I wanted to make sure that I still kept my identity throughout it.”
As she settles into motherhood, Dr. Tamaryn continues to juggle the challenges of new parenthood while staying true to herself and finding balance in her busy life.
