Pura founders Guy and Abi Fennell became parents to baby Ezra on 12 March 2020. This Father’s Day marks not only Guy’s first as a daddy, it also sees the launch of his eco-friendly baby care brand Pura.
How did you feel when you learned Abi was pregnant?
“It was a very happy and joyful day – one of the best ever. It felt like we’d found the final piece in our family’s jigsaw puzzle.”
How did you feel throughout Abi’s pregnancy?
“It was a truly incredible nine months, but we were also extremely anxious and nervous at times. Abi and I are extremely close, but her pregnancy brought us even closer. I’ll never forget seeing Ezra’s hand imprint from inside Abi’s tummy - amazing!”
How did you prepare for labor and birth?
“Antenatal classes were really helpful; I got a lot more from them than I’d anticipated. They helped me learn how I could support Abi through childbirth and gave me a great insight into what to expect, so I wasn’t alarmed or shocked during the process. I have so much respect for women for going through labor and childbirth!”
Are you a hands-on Daddy?
“Yes! I do a lot of the night feeds and we share the nappy changes. Ezra was born five weeks early, so we both wanted to make sure that, from the start, he was feeding well. Abi expresses and then we feed Ezra from the bottle. My job is bottle sterilisation – I live by the sink!“
How has becoming a Daddy changed you?
“I’m very aware that any decisions I make will impact the three of us, rather than just Abi and me. I want to make sure Ezra has the best, happiest, most stress-free upbringing, so it’s important that the home environment is peaceful.”
How do you achieve work/life balance?
“That’s the million-dollar question! We have a dog, so we walk a lot as a family, usually in the morning and after work. I also run between five to 10K every day without fail, with no technology, to clear my head and process what’s happening with work. This helps enormously.”
Ezra was born just before lockdown. How difficult has it been with a new baby during the Covid 19 pandemic?
“It’s been sad in some ways because family can’t share in this special time. But we’re thankful for technology and we’re doing loads of daily FaceTime calls, so the grandparents, and extended family, get to see Ezra every other night at bathtime. I’ve also been home every day with Ezra, instead of in the office, which is a blessing. You have to take the positives from the madness that Covid 19 has placed on us all.”
What top tip would you give to other fathers-to-be?
“We’ve taken so much from baby massage. We massage Ezra every night before bed. We play relaxing music and it’s a really nice calming time for the three of us – I can’t recommend it enough.“
How are you celebrating your first Father’s Day as a Daddy?
“We had a gorgeous breakfast together and now it’s straight into full-on work mode because Pura launched this morning!”
