Pregnant in the City: Our favourite CityTV reporters

Saphia Khambalia, CityNews Reporter
26, Hamilton/Niagara, Ont.

Being pregnant on the job... has developed my mommy instinct. I am more emotionally connected to the people I meet for my stories. The most outrageous thing I did for my job while pregnant was... cover base camp at the CN Tower’s EdgeWalk. I tried to hide my growing bump at work but... I started showing super early, and being the fourth CityTV lady in the newsroom with a bun in the oven, the curious glances started early. There was no hiding it, especially when family friends “noticed” the bump on-air before we had officially told everyone. We found out the sex of the baby and... we ended up doing a reveal party with our family after the ultrasound. It was a beautiful surprise to learn this little man was on his way. We decorated our baby’s room in a... jungle theme! Giraffes, zebras and lions for the bedding, lamps and decor, plus monkeys painted on the wall. Cuteness overload! If I could tell expectant moms one thing, I’d say... start thinking like a mom and don’t let stress affect you and your baby. And enjoy all those conversations with co-workers about baby names and due dates!

*Saphia’s son is due to arrive December 26.

Anna Vlachos, CityNews Reporter/Anchor
41, Windsor, Ont.

Being pregnant on the job... made me very conscious that there was a precious being inside of me at all times. I made sure I took time to eat properly, drink plenty of water and take breaks when I needed them. The most outrageous thing I did for my job while pregnant was... cover a story about a two-year-old who died after allegedly being beaten by his mother’s boyfriend. Here I was, ready to bring a life into the world, and this poor little baby is dead at the hands of his caregivers. I thought about that child every day for weeks. I tried to hide my growing bump at work but... once I hit five months, it was very hard to disguise. (I wanted to make sure the baby was OK before I made the big announcement.) People would look at my belly, then look at me and ask, “Do you have something to tell me?” I just kept saying “No” until I was ready to spill the beans. We found out the sex of the baby and... I was so excited to find out it was a boy! We decorated our baby’s room in a... simple, modern style, with blues, yellows and creams. If I could tell expectant moms one thing, I’d say... do what you can to stay calm. Remember that the health of your baby comes first. Don’t be afraid to tell your boss if a situation is too much for you, and you’re concerned that it will affect your baby’s health.

*Anna’s son, Alexander George, was born September 16.

Galit Solomon, CityNews Reporter/Anchor
37, Toronto

Being pregnant on the job... I googled everything to do with pregnancy, which can be a blessing or a curse. As a reporter, I’m curious by nature. The most outrageous thing I did for my job while pregnant was... cover Justin Timberlake’s appearance at a shopping centre in Toronto. I was eight months pregnant and with all those crazy fans, it wasn’t the safest place for a pregnant lady. Secretly, I was digging it, since I’m one of those crazy fans. I tried to hide my growing bump at work but... around the second month, I had a morning sickness “episode” as I was driving into work, so I told my news director. Otherwise, my partner and I enjoyed keeping the secret to ourselves for a little while; it made that time extra special, because there was something so major happening, and we got to enjoy it, just the two of us. We found out the sex of the baby and... I loved being able to call him “he” throughout our pregnancy instead of “it.” We decorated our baby’s room in a... blue, cream and brown colour scheme. If I could tell expectant moms one thing, I’d say... there’s nothing wrong with asking to slow things down at work. I worried if I asked for a slower-paced assignment I would come across as weak and incapable, but that wasn’t the case at all.

*Galit’s son, Tyler David James, was born August 19.

Andrea Piunno, CityNews Reporter 34, Windsor, Ont.

Being pregnant on the job... made me make a conscious effort not to allow the stress of daily deadlines affect me too much. The most outrageous thing I did for my job while pregnant was... nothing. During my first pregnancy I didn’t want anything to slow me down, so I was still doing breaking news, but this time around, I was on the health beat, which seemed like a great fit for an expectant mom. I tried to hide my growing bump at work but... others weren’t shy about asking me if I was expecting. One person asked point blank and, after I denied it, he followed up with “Is that leftover baby weight from your first child?” We found out the sex of the baby and... having been surprised with my first child, I found that knowing before the birth this time around was equally exciting. (It’s a girl!) We decorated our baby’s room in a... neutral colour palette with pink accents. The walls are light brown, but we added hot-pink curtains, a pink rug and lots of wall art. If I could tell expectant moms one thing, I’d say... try and balance, but don’t push yourself too hard. It’s a lot of work to grow a baby.

*Andrea’s daughter, Talia Brooke, was born September 21, joining two-year-old big brother, Tristan.

A version of this article appeared in our November 2013 issue with the headline "Pregnant in the City," pp.109-110.

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