One last lunch before everything changes

For Eliza Paschke, an ordinary lunch with colleagues and family has taken on a special meaning.

The former The Block star is preparing to step away on maternity leave as she gets ready to welcome her first child, and she has marked the milestone by gathering with her co-workers and her sister, Liberty.

Sharing photographs of the occasion, New Idea reported that Eliza had celebrated her “last lunch” before the arrival of her baby with longtime friend and co-parent Clint Stanaway.

The images show Eliza smiling alongside the people who have been part of her life in the lead-up to this moment, with her growing baby bump a reminder that the next chapter is getting closer.

It is a small milestone, but one that signals a major change for the 40-year-old.

After years of talking openly about her hopes of becoming a mother, Eliza is now approaching a dream she has worked towards for a long time.

And behind the cheerful photographs is a story that began well before her pregnancy announcement.

A long-held dream is finally becoming reality

Eliza announced in June that she was expecting her first child, sharing ultrasound images and revealing that she was 16 weeks pregnant.

“Becoming a mum is something I’ve always thought about and openly discussed,” she wrote.

“Today I’m 16 weeks pregnant, and feeling immensely grateful to be in this position.”

Her announcement was particularly meaningful because Eliza had previously spoken about the decisions she made to preserve her options for motherhood while she was single.

In a 2024 column for Nine, she revealed that she had frozen her eggs at 32 and again at 38.

The decision came with a considerable financial commitment. Rather than spending money she had saved on an overseas holiday, she chose to invest around $10,000 in her future.

“I was single with no assets to my name and had saved up just enough money for an overseas holiday. Instead of going on that holiday, I made a $10,000 investment in my future,” she explained.

She later said the prize money she won on The Block helped make that decision possible.

Eliza has not publicly detailed exactly how the pregnancy was conceived, so the connection between her earlier egg-freezing treatment and her current pregnancy should not be assumed.

What she has made clear, however, is that becoming a mother was something she had thought about for years.

Now, with her maternity leave beginning and her due date approaching, that long-held hope is becoming a very real new chapter.

The man preparing to become a father beside her

Eliza will welcome her baby with Clint Stanaway, the former Today presenter who now co-hosts Nova 100’s breakfast show, Jase, Lauren & Clint.

The pair are close friends, not a romantic couple, and have chosen a co-parenting arrangement to raise their child together.

Clint announced the news live on his radio show in June, becoming emotional as he spoke about the prospect of fatherhood.

“I’m going to be having a baby with a really good friend of mine, her name is Eliza, and we’re going to be using a co-parenting model to have this child,” he told his co-hosts.

He acknowledged that their family would look different from the traditional model, but made one thing clear.

“We’re going to have a different looking family, but a family that’s not going to have any shortage of love in it.”

His words set the tone for the journey the pair have shared publicly ever since: one built around friendship, mutual support and a commitment to raising their child together.

For Eliza, the arrival of her first baby marks the realisation of a personal ambition. For Clint, it represents the beginning of fatherhood — something he has openly said he has always wanted.

The first ultrasound left Clint emotional

Clint has spoken candidly about the moment he first saw the baby on an ultrasound.

He told his radio colleagues that seeing the image and hearing the heartbeat made the experience suddenly real.

“Hearing the heartbeat and seeing your baby there, it was just like, ‘Wow…this is special’,” he said.

“It took my breath away. And I can’t wait for you to meet my little boy or girl.”

The announcement was an emotional one for the presenter, who had not previously spoken publicly about becoming a father.

There was also a poignant family detail behind his excitement. Clint later revealed that his beloved grandmother had died before he had the chance to tell her he was going to be a dad.

He said she had always encouraged him to become a father one day, making the missed opportunity particularly painful.

As he approaches the birth, Clint has spoken about wanting to carry forward the qualities he admires in his own father — patience, kindness and generosity.

He has described his dad, John, as someone who would do anything for his family.

“If I can be half the father he’s been to us, I’ll be really happy,” Clint said.

It is a hope that adds another layer of feeling to the months leading up to the baby’s arrival.

They had a confession before the baby-shopping trip

For all the excitement, Eliza and Clint have also been refreshingly honest about how much they still had to prepare.

In August, the pair shared a video revealing that they had reached more than two-thirds of the way through the pregnancy without buying a single thing for the baby or the nursery.

“We’ve got something to confess,” Eliza said in the video.

“We are more than two thirds of the way through this pregnancy, and we have not purchased a single thing for the child or the child’s room or anything…”

She jokingly blamed Clint for the delay before the two headed to Baby Bunting to choose essentials, including a car seat, bassinet and pram.

Clint appeared slightly overwhelmed by the task, asking Eliza where they should start while joking his way through the shopping trip.

They eventually sought help from a store employee, and the outing became another glimpse into how they are preparing for parenthood together.

By the time Eliza shared her maternity-leave milestone, the baby’s arrival was no longer a distant prospect.

The countdown was becoming real.

The Block helped make her dream possible

For viewers who remember Eliza from The Block in 2023, her pregnancy story also brings a personal detail from her television journey back into focus.

She competed on the renovation show alongside her sister, Liberty, and the prize money she received became more than just a reality-TV windfall.

Eliza used some of the winnings to help fund egg-freezing treatment, describing it as an investment in her future.

At the time, she was single and wanted to keep open the possibility of having children later.

Her decision showed how the outcome of a television competition could have a lasting impact on her life away from the cameras.

Now, as she prepares to welcome her first child, Liberty has remained part of that journey — appearing alongside her at the recent lunch before maternity leave.

The photographs are a reminder that Eliza’s path to motherhood has involved more than a single announcement. It has included planning, difficult decisions, financial sacrifice and the support of people close to her.

A different kind of family, built around love

Eliza and Clint have been clear that they are not in a romantic relationship.

Instead, they have chosen to become parents together through co-parenting, a decision they have described as a way to create a family without following a conventional relationship model.

Clint’s public announcement emphasised that their child would grow up surrounded by love, while Eliza’s pregnancy announcement reflected her gratitude at reaching a milestone she had long hoped for.

They have shared parts of the journey with the public, from the first ultrasound to the practical preparations for the baby’s arrival.

But the central details of their arrangement remain personal, and neither has suggested that their co-parenting relationship should be understood as a romance.

What they have consistently expressed is their excitement about meeting their child and their intention to share the responsibilities of parenthood.

The next chapter is almost here

For now, Eliza is stepping away from her usual work routine and preparing for a new role that will change her life in ways she cannot fully know until the baby arrives.

Her “last lunch” with colleagues and Liberty marks the end of one chapter and the approach of another.

It is also a moment that brings together several strands of her story: the ambition to become a mother, the choices she made to preserve that possibility, the support of her sister and the decision to build a family with a close friend.

Clint has previously said he cannot wait to meet his child, while Eliza has described herself as “immensely grateful” to be expecting.

As the due date approaches in November, the preparations continue and the anticipation grows.

For a woman who once set aside money for egg freezing rather than taking an overseas holiday, the journey to motherhood has been a long one.

Now, with maternity leave beginning and her loved ones gathering around her, the next milestone is finally within reach.

The lunch may have marked her final day before maternity leave — but for Eliza Paschke, it is the beginning of a story she has been working towards for years.