Black Ferns star Grace Poihipi and husband Rameka are expecting their first baby!

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Just nine months after their dreamy three-day wedding in Papamoa, Grace and Rameka Poihipi are preparing for their most life-changing journey yet, both as first-time parents and new residents of Japan. Former Black Ferns star Grace (née Steinmetz) and ex-Chiefs midfielder Rameka are excited to be welcoming a daughter, who's due next month, into their life of adventure.

"We weren't trying, but we weren't not trying either," laughs Grace, 27.

"It was more like, 'If it happens, it happens.' But I'd been told it might take a while. I was even being referred to a fertility specialist."

Life with PMDD

After battling premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) - a severe hormone-linked mood condition that singer Lorde recently revealed she also suffers from - Grace had been on quarterly hormone-blocking injections, which stopped her cycle completely.

"I was told my hormones might take months or even years to bounce back, so we thought we had time," she says.

But life had other plans.

"Three weeks after blood tests showed my hormones were still low, I found out I was pregnant," she beams.

"The fertility specialist actually rang me and I had to say, 'Oh, I don't need to see you anymore because I'm already pregnant!'"

A blessing in disguise

Ironically, pregnancy's been a blessing, not just for their growing family, but also for Grace's health.

"With PMDD, you live in cycles of severe mood swings and depression, but during pregnancy, your estrogen's so high," she explains.

"My symptoms disappeared completely."

Now 35 weeks along, Grace says she's felt better than she has in years.

Pregnancy brings stability

"Honestly, it's been amazing," she enthuses.

"Aside from the typical pregnancy stuff, I've felt stable and balanced, like my old self. It's kind of wild that being pregnant is actually easier on me than not being pregnant."

It follows a hard pivot for Grace, who was forced to retire from rugby just before her wedding, due to ongoing concussion complications.

"It was a massive blow," she admits.

"I'd just been contracted with the Black Ferns through March and I had to walk away. I started my first-ever full-time job in law at 27, then suddenly I was pregnant! That was a lot. I lasted five months before starting maternity leave. Honestly, full-time law's no joke!"

Life beyond the field

But stepping away from the field hasn't slowed her drive. Grace runs her own sports management agency that represents athletes, which is something she hopes to expand while living abroad. Just weeks after their baby's born in October, the trio will head to Japan, where Rameka, 26, has signed a rugby contract.

"It's a massive change, but we're excited," he shares.

"Once we're settled, it'll be really good for us."

Grace agrees, "It's not the usual relaxing maternity leave. There are visas, passports, logistics, but that's just us. We're used to moving and adapting. Honestly, we're just looking forward to being in one place longer than six months for the first time!"

Her mum will travel over to help settle them in and while they'll miss the support of extended wha¯nau in Aotearoa, the couple already has a circle of fellow rugby families waiting for them in Japan.

Rameka tells, "It'll be a whole new adventure and we're ready for it."

Name games

With just weeks to go, the couple admits they're still brainstorming names.

"We've been terrible at it," says Grace.

"Now that the passport deadline is looming, we're like, 'OK, time to start taking this seriously!'"

Rameka adds, "We want it to feel special, but also represent both sides of her whakapapa."

As for the birth, the couple has no plan, saying they'll both just "go with the flow". Says Grace, "She'll come how she wants to come."

Despite the impending chaos, the pair seems calm, a quality they credit to their years in professional sport.

"Being an athlete teaches you to adapt constantly," shares Grace.

"Nothing goes to plan - you learn to just back yourself."

Encouraging her passions

While they're not pressuring their daughter into sports, both hope to give her the freedom to follow her passions.

"Of course, we'd love her to be sporty," grins Rameka.

"But as long as she's happy, that's all that matters."

While married life hasn't changed much for the two, the idea of parenthood reshaping them is an exciting concept.

"Everyone says your whole outlook on life is turned upside down," reflects Grace.

"We're excited to see what versions of ourselves this next chapter brings."