AFLW star Moana Hope opens up on mental toll since giving birth

AFLW star Moana Hope reveals she told doctors ‘save him’ when new baby Ahi needed urgent help as he was delivered: ‘That minute felt like a lifetime’

  • Moana Hope has opened up on the mental toll of giving birth to her son, Ahi 
  • Hope says she has cried every day since the arrival of her son back in June
  • Ahi struggled to breathe and his heart rate was low immediately after birth
  • She told News Corp there is not enough discussion about life after labour

Moana Hope has lifted the lid on the mental toll taken since the complicated birth of her son, Ahi, in June. 

The former AFLW star, 34, says she has cried every day since her second child was born, such was the emotional turmoil surrounding his birth earlier this year.

Hope and wife Isabella Clastrom have a daughter, Svea, who Calstrom gave birth to back in 2020, and Hope says that there needs to be more discussion about what life looks like after birth. 

Former AFLW star Moana Hope has opened up on the mental toll of the birth of her son, Ahi

‘I think for me it’s really got me mentally, I think I’ve cried almost every day if we’re going to be real and honest,’ she told News Corp.  ‘Guess that’s part of it and the wave that I’m on. I wouldn’t change it and I love him and I’m in love with him and I don’t care about sleep that much.’

Having been by the side of wife Belle when she gave birth Svea, Hope believed she had a sound understanding of what life entails as an expectant mother but it wasn’t until she went through her pregnancy with Ahi that her knowledge grew.   

She went through a 24-hour labour and there were concerns for Ahi’s health with his heart rate dropping. He was also under stress and needed help to breathe.

Hope gave birth to her baby son back in June but there were complications

Hope gave birth to her baby son back in June but there were complications 

The 34-year-old says that she urged doctors to 'save him' after he struggled to breathe

The 34-year-old says that she urged doctors to ‘save him’ after he struggled to breathe

‘Straight away I knew something was wrong, I didn’t even try to embrace him or enjoy it,’ she added. ‘I said fix it, something is not right. I already had a couple of emergency doctors in there. They took him away. This was really full-on and hard for me to go through.

‘Do whatever you need to do but save him. I was looking over (they’re) working on him at the table and Belle was crying. Not only do I feel helpless, Belle is crying, so many people working. She just kept saying it’s going to be OK and it was about a minute to get him going and that minute felt like a lifetime.

Once Ahi’s health was stabilised, Hope says that she experienced an outpouring of emotion. She says she is ‘so grateful’ to the midwives, doctors and obstetrician that helped Ahi. 

Hope says there needs to be more discussion about life after labour for expectant mothers

Hope says there needs to be more discussion about life after labour for expectant mothers