'After 18 years on the pill, I got a surprise. My teenage son was mortified.'

When I was 39, life felt settled in the best possible way. I owned my own craft business, working every day in what I considered my dream job. I was doing what I loved, surrounded by my amazing creative community. I had a wonderful husband, two amazing sons aged 21 and 18, and for the first time in decades, it felt like we were about to enter that next exciting phase of life.

Our youngest son was in his final year of private school, and we could finally see some financial breathing room ahead. We had plans to travel, go on cruises, and enjoy a little freedom after years of parenting and building a business. Life was busy, but it was also predictable, or so I thought… God had other plans.

Then I started feeling unwell. At first, I brushed it off. I hadn't been pregnant for nearly 18 years, so that possibility didn't even cross my mind seriously. I told myself I was probably just run-down or stressed from work. But the nausea didn't go away. I wasn't sleeping properly, I felt off balance, and I started to wonder, could it even be possible?

Watch: Our conversation with an HR manager about maternity leave and career. Post continues after video.

I decided to take a pregnancy test, more to rule it out than anything else. I was on the pill, and had been for 18 years, surely not.

When the test came back positive, I just stared at it in disbelief. I didn't tell a soul for two days… not even my husband. I was completely stunned. How could I possibly be pregnant again after raising two kids into adulthood? I kept thinking, this can't be real.

When I told my teenage boys I was pregnant, they were in complete disbelief. My 18-year-old, in particular, was mortified. He wouldn't even walk next to me in the shops he would trail behind, pretending he wasn't with me, because he knew exactly how I got that way!

But when our beautiful baby girl arrived, everything changed. Bringing a newborn home when one child was in Year 12 was definitely a challenge, the house felt like a mix of nappies, textbooks, and teenage moods. But our boys absolutely adored her.

Tracy with her daughter. Image: Supplied.

We had not one, but four adults helping raise this precious little girl. I felt incredibly lucky to have that kind of support at home.

Still, it wasn't easy. I had so much more patience this time around, but I was also exhausted. I'd been young and energetic when I had my boys. Now, in my forties, I felt every 3am feed in my bones. And as a small business owner, there wasn't much time for rest. I didn't get a traditional maternity leave. I went back to work almost straight away, baby in tow.

I'd breastfeed her between customers, answer emails with one hand while rocking her with the other and teach classes with her sleeping beside me. That's just what you do when you run your own business. You make it work, somehow.

Our daughter, Pearl Grace, truly lived up to her name. Pearl Grace comes from both of my grandmothers, Lorna Pearl and Margaret Grace. Together, her name means "precious gift from God," and that's exactly what she was. After 21 years, I finally had a daughter, and I felt so incredibly blessed.

Tracy with her daughter, Pearl Grace. Image: Supplied.

Eventually, the juggle of business ownership and motherhood became too much.

When Pearl was around 18 months old, we decided to sell the store so I could be a stay-at-home mum. It was meant to be my version of maternity leave, time to slow down and enjoy her.

But once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. While at home, I started a little side project called Uniquely Creative, thinking it would just be a hobby I could manage during nap times. Instead, it grew into something much bigger a business that allowed me to keep doing what I love, in a way that fits around family life.

Now, Pearl is 10 years old, and she's part of the story too. She loves coming to the warehouse during school holidays to help pack orders or sit beside me while I design.

Tracy and her daughter helping her out with her small business. Image: Supplied.

Watching her grow up around creativity has been such a joy. She truly is the greatest blessing and the unexpected gift that changed everything.

Tracey Schulz is a Mum of 3 and the Founder of Uniquely Creative, Australia's leading scrapbooking kit club.

Read more of our parenting stories:

• Pregnant or trying for a baby? Here's what an expert wants you to know about alcohol.

• JESSIE STEPHENS: On being pregnant with twins. As a twin. With twin brothers.

• 'I barely told anyone when I fell pregnant again after nine months. Not for the reason you think.'

Feature image: Supplied.