Yorkshire Vet's Matt Jackson-Smith on sweet meaning behind baby's beautiful name
Matt and Katherine Jackson-Smith are more than equipped when it comes to caring. They share a dog named Harry, a snake called Storm, and Dennis the bearded dragon. And they have now welcomed the newest addition to their family, their first child.
Anastasia Maria Jackson-Smith was born at 2.21pm on 25 October by planned C-section weighing 7lb 9oz, and has since settled into their rural home near Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
Vet Matt, 34, is best known for his appearances on hit Channel 5 show The Yorkshire Vet, alongside long-standing cast members Julian Norton and Peter Wright. Katherine is a solicitor who would gladly open up a rescue centre for dogs if she could, her husband reveals.
When we meet their adorable newborn, she is nestled into her mum’s arms and soon falls asleep. Here, Matt and Katherine, who got married in a beautiful ceremony last year, let us into their blissful baby bubble…
Matt and Katherine Jackson-Smith welcomed baby daughter Anastasia Maria Jackson-Smith in October (David Cummings)Congratulations – Anastasia is beautiful! How are you adapting to life with her?
Matt: We love her to pieces but it’s been a roller coaster. We have fantastic support around us though – friends have dropped food off and my dad even travelled to Leeds, an hour away, to pick up a breast pump. It’s a shock to the system but they often say the best things in life don’t come easy. She’s got an amazing personality and each day is trying to open her eyes a little bit more. We’ve noticed she’s got my nose and Katherine’s lips.
Anastasia is a beautiful name. How did you pick it?
Matt: We bought a baby book for some inspiration and toyed over a couple, but when we spotted Anastasia we fell in love right away. Plus, we later realised, it’s the name my mum was planning to call me if I was a girl. Katherine also liked what Anastasia was when shortened – so she calls her Annie. Her middle name is Maria, after Katherine’s grandmother, who was called Eva Maria. Katherine’s maternal side is German and her grandmother, when she was just 12, had to flee with her mother for safety. We wanted to pay tribute to that.
You both care for lots of animals. Did that help you prepare for having a baby?
Katherine: Matthew was used to reptiles before he met me and Harry and he would get frustrated because you can’t leave a dog on its own for more than a few hours. So I think that helped prepare him in a way [laughs].
Matt: I feed Storm once a week, and [bearded dragon] Dennis every few days, and they’re more than happy. So, in a way, Harry was good preparation. I’m also trying some of my vet techniques. If a baby is crying, whether it’s a human or an animal, they’re either going to be hungry or tired. I can tell if a lamb or calf is hungry by sticking my finger in its mouth. If they start sucking, then they are. I tried it out on Anastasia one night and it worked. I’m also thinking about wearing my arm-length gloves to change nappies. Once Anastasia was finishing a bottle and I could see her nappy starting to soak through the babygrow. I had to make a split-second decision – lay her down, change her, and deal with the fact she might be sick or burp her and grin and bear the s**t? I’ve spent a lot of time sitting in s**t, that was the best option.
Matt reveals that his mum planned to call him Anastacia if he was a girl (David Cummings)Has Anastasia got a bond with any of the animals yet?
Katherine: Yes, especially Harry. They’re such a big part of our lives so it was important to us we introduced them early on. It’s easy to worry about how they’ll react, but Harry couldn’t be
a better dog. He’s really taken to her and loves a cuddle. He sits with me for her morning feed.
It sounds like she’s slotted in perfectly. How was bringing her home?
Katherine: It was magical.
Matt: We brought Anastasia home on my birthday. Her due date was 28 October but she was born on the 25th – via a planned C-section as that was what Katherine opted for and I fully supported that decision – and my birthday is on the 26th. The birth itself went pretty smoothly. We went to the hospital in the morning and she was born in the afternoon. The only worrying time was when they struggled to get Anastasia out of the C-section wound, but thankfully she arrived happy and healthy. I was there for the birth and then was told to head home. So the next day I woke up early and went straight back to the hospital. It was the best present ever.
Katherine: It saved me from buying any presents too!
What’s your favourite thing about being a mum and dad?
Katherine: It’s exciting to think ahead and what experience she’ll have in life. She just brings us so much joy.
Matt: I agree. It sounds daft, but I could watch her for hours. I wonder what’s going on in her head or who she’ll become. It’s an exciting time and it’s changing me for the better. I also need to mention Anastasia’s farting – it’s hilarious because I can’t believe how much comes out of one small person.
Matt says he could watch his daughter for hours (David Cummings)Ha! How are you coping with the sleepless nights?
Matt: It all comes down to teamwork and aiming for a good schedule. I stay up until around 1am for any feeds, and then get five hours of sleep. Katherine goes to bed at 9pm, but gets up at 3am to do that feed. It all works as long as Anastasia does her part [laughs]. But I’ve learnt that I can survive on four or five hours of sleep. Cold showers, though, wow! They’re revolutionary for waking you up!
Can you remember the moment you found out you were expecting?
Matt: So, we found out around six weeks before Katherine’s pregnancy with Anastasia. Unfortunately we had a miscarriage and it was a big shock. But the more we spoke to our friends and family, we realised it can be quite common. That gave us comfort. We carried on trying and within the space of six weeks, we fell pregnant again. The moment she showed me the pregnancy test, we knew life was about to massively change.
Did you find out the gender before she was born?
Katherine: No, I didn’t want to find out. I wanted to keep everything a surprise.
Matt: As time went on I really wanted to. I thought I might be able to work it out – I’ve scanned pregnant cows and dogs. But we’ve got a happy, healthy baby and that’s the main thing.
How excited are you to celebrate your first Christmas as a family of three?
Katherine: We can’t wait!
Matt: The first one as a family will be amazing. Anastasia will have no idea what’s going on, but we will. We want to take her to Santa’s grotto, go around the Christmas markets, get her a little elf costume… and maybe even put Harry in a snowman outfit!
Will Anastasia star on The Yorkshire Vet?
Matt: I’ll be teaching her the tricks of the trade as soon as she’s old enough. I have a feeling she’ll be an animal lover. I’m a vet and Katherine adores dogs – I think she’d open up a rescue centre for them if she could. So, as soon as Anastasia is big enough, she’ll have her overalls on. We’re filming a new series soon, so she might be introduced to viewers then.
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