A baby boom is underway at 7NEWS Melbourne, with 11 babies born to newsroom staff in the past 12 months. Exhausted parents are balancing breaking news, deadlines, and live television alongside bottles, nappies, and sleepless nights.
To mark Mother’s Day, eight team members gathered for a special photoshoot with their babies. The group included editor Naomi Worthy with five-month-old Eli, chief of staff Kate McGrath with seven-month-old Wilbur, chief sport reporter Mitch Cleary with 11-week-old Sophia, reporter Sara Jones with newborn son Leo, reporter Bethan Yeoman with four-month-old Archie, chief crime editor Cassie Zervos with five-month-old Lucy, weekend sport presenter Theo Doropoulos with six-month-old Zac, and presenter Melina Sarris with 11-month-old Clover.
McGrath revealed she was four months pregnant when offered a role last year. News director Chris Salter assured her, “We want you on the team, we’ll support you during your pregnancy and birth and welcome you back when you’re ready.” Now celebrating her first Mother’s Day as a mother of two, McGrath described family life as “beautifully chaotic.”
Worthy said becoming a parent changed her outlook, helping her “look beyond the trivial day-to-day things.” Jones, photographed with 13-day-old Leo, called motherhood “the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.” Zervos said Lucy taught her to “slow down, put my phone away and be present,” and deepened her appreciation for her own mother.
Cleary noted that seeing Sophia smile “makes you forget a long day pretty quickly.” Despite the celebrations, Doropoulos acknowledged that “news stops for no one,” as he planned to spend the morning with family before heading to work. Sarris, celebrating her first Mother’s Day as a family of four, said being a mum is “far more fun and fulfilling than I ever could have imagined.”
