Reader’s Digest Australia & New Zealand – May 2019

12 | May• 2019

Acounsellorand

couplestherapist,

AntoinetteNowak

livesinMelbourne

withherhusband

of 46 years,Henry.

Theyhavefour

childrenandtwo

grandchildren.

BYANTOINETTE

NOWAK

Bringing Daniel

Back Home

It tookmanyyearsto gettheanswersbehind

the worst dayofa youngmother’slife

ONMAY4,1975,myhusband,Henry,andI settled

intothenewhomewe’dbuiltinHoppersCrossing,

south-westofMelbourne.Wewereinourearly20s,

hadbeenmarriedtwoyearsandwereveryexcited

aboutthebirthofourfirstbaby,duethesameday.

ThateveningI beganexperiencingsymptomsthat

hadn’tbeenmentionedinanyofthebooksI’dreador

ourprenatalclasses.Nopainatall,justthefeelingthat

mybabywastightening,thenrelaxing.Thiswenton

throughoutthenight.Wedidn’tliketobotherpeople

andsincewedidn’thavea phoneandI wasnotinany

discomfort, Henry and I decided to ride it out.

MY STORY

ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES