This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
Kenyan actress Catherine Kamau and her husband Phil Karanja have finally welcomed their first child together, and they're sharing the reasons behind their decision to delay having a baby. In a recent YouTube video, the couple revealed that they took their time before deciding to start a family.
According to Phil, their family backgrounds played a significant role in their decision. He explained that having four siblings and losing their father at a young age made him want to have everything in place before starting a family.
'I have four other siblings and our dad passed away while I was still a teenager. For me, starting a family, I wanted everything to be in place. That was my biggest challenge,' Phil said.
Catherine, who already has a 13-year-old son, admitted that she grew impatient and almost gave up on having a baby. She revealed that her past experience of getting pregnant at 19 had a lasting impact on her.
'Because I got mine at just 19, it was such a turnaround, I was depressed, stressed and given up. I didn’t know how much that experience affected me. It took me back to the moment when it was just me and my son. The first experience traumatised me,' Catherine said.
Phil emphasized the importance of being psychologically and financially ready to start a family. He advised couples to discuss their readiness and iron out any issues before making a decision.
'Discuss where both of you are at psychologically. You have to be on the same page and iron out things. Also, financially, babies are expensive. It is important to be ready,' Phil said.
