Baby Weaning

The exciting adventures of Baby Weaning have begun!!! Advice now is that this should be baby led, i.e. you give baby bits of food and they pick it up themselves and feed themselves at their own pace. This has many benefits including hand and eye coordination and independence amongst other things but it's just not quite for us at the moment so we've decided to do a more traditional puree type weaning. Over the last few weeks we've been sticking to mostly porridge in the morning and different vegetables each evening.

He looks so grown up in his seat!

We're following loosely a book called Ella's Kitchen which is really easy to follow (allelujiah!) and includes a little weaning chart that now takes pride place on our fridge! So far Bobby has tried cauliflower, tomato, peas, brocolli, carrots, potato, aubergine and parsnips. The idea of starting with veg is that they get used to a bitter taste and don't develop a sweet tooth! When he's 6 months old next week we're planning on progressing on to fruit and also mixing flavours together.

Mapping out Bobby's Weaning Journey!

Our lovely friend Nicky has lent us a seat that attaches onto a normal chair so that Bobby can be part of the family dinner time. The first time we tried him in his seat he looked so proud of himself. He absolutely loves food times. His eyes light up and his hands sort of shake in sheer excitement! His favourite is definitely cauliflower and peas are in a close second. Without a shadow of a doubt the least favourite is aubergine. It actually made him gag! So much so that we ended up scooping it out of his mouth for him!!! The rest of that puree went straight down the sink! Ahaha!

Peas please!

Ages ago I wrote a blog about Bobby's likes and dislikes. It was hard to really know what type of little character he was and what he did like. Well I can say now with a lot of confidence that he definitely likes his food!

Brecon Beacon 10

I really wanted to challenge myself to complete an event before the year was out. There’s always been something I love about pinning a race number on – the adrenaline that goes with it, the excited chatter on the start line, the sense of accomplishment afterwards. And I thought entering an event would help with my weight loss post-birth, help me get fit and give me that little bit of a sparkle and buzz back that I get from competing.

Finding a Race
The first thing was to find a race. I started looking in May before Bobby had even arrived. I found a couple of end of season triathlons; “Chris, do you think I’ll be able to do a triathlon by September.” I found a couple of championships; “Chris do you think I’d be fit enough to race the National Duathlon Champs in October”. And then I found this – the Brecon Beacon 10 mile trail run in December. As it transpires this was perfect for 2 reasons – 1) My return to running took much longer than I expected so this gave me more time, and 2) I’ve come to realise that I don’t want to do the races I used to do, they were fabulous and I loved them but I’m ready to try new things.

Roping some friends in
Good friends never let you do crazy things….alone! Jess and Sophie liked the look of the race too so they signed up to spur me on. In our typical style we left it until 2 days before the race to get our plans/logistics sorted but it went really well and it was lovely to have friends to take some mid-race selfies with!

Getting kitted out
I’ve always looked at pictures of runners running with backpacks in the past and thought “they look cool!” and “what on earth is in their backpack?”. Well I finally have a picture of my own and have got to grips with exactly what you need to pack. The kit list was crazy – emergency foil blanket, whistle, fluids, thermals, waterproof, hat etc. We packed some emergency jelly babies (they went down a treat!) and even borrowed some posh looking running backpacks that have a bladder in. Initially I thought this was so you could go for a wee on the run without stopping – but actually it’s so you can drink on the go! Handy that! Thanks Ali & Jen for the loan of the bags!

Training for the Event
In the past few months I’ve been back running I’ve been calling it exercise or activity as I didn’t feel fast or fit enough to call it training. But actually with a little help from some very special people they’ve helped me find my mojo. Thank you Greg for answering my 100 questions and also to Ali & The Tribe for helping me find my mojo, it’s really put a spring back in my step! My running mum buddies (Em, Heather & Heather) have also been great as we take it in turns to do some intervals whilst the other recovers at the buggies. It’s a fabulous way to balance having a new baby with exercise. And of course my 3 x Buggyfit classes a week have helped me get stronger and stronger, and taken my total weight loss now to 4 stone.

Arriving at Registration
Sophie and Jess stayed over the night before the race and we got up at 5:15am to make the 2 hour journey over. It was quite funny getting ready all tip-toeing round the house so as not to wake Bobby – the amount of times he’s woken us at that time!!! Initially it had been my vision that Bobby would be there with us and give me a big cuddle when I crossed the line but in the weeks leading up to the race we realised this probably wasn’t the best option as he might be bored or cold and there’d be a lot of hanging round.
When we got to the event there was a small building where everyone was registering. We were given our numbers and a map (a map?!? My navigational skills are terrible!). We sat trying to work out how to work the bladders (the ones in the bag – more complicated than they look!) and it wasn’t long before we were heading off! The race briefing had said it wasn’t your usual 10 mile run and could take some people up to 4 hours. Oh dear God!

The Race
So off we set. Along the canal, up ‘cobbled hell’ – a long drag that was – as it says – cobbled hell. Up a ridiculously steep climb that most were walking up (cue jelly baby fueling!). Up even more climbs, over fields, up up up, until we were eventually on the top of the Beacon and at our first check point. Cheers from the marshalls as we set off against ridiculous headwinds. We were literally next to each other and shouting and we still couldn’t hear what was being said! We were holding a constant pace – nothing fast – but at least we were moving. Eventually at check point 2 before we began the descent. Running downhill is actually harder than I thought. Eventually we hit Bog/Swamp City. The stagnant water stank! It was over knee high and went on forever. Initially we tried to run round it, but we figured the best way was to just go straight through it. Sophie did have a Vicar of Dibley Moment when she stepped into a puddle and literally disappeared! Onwards we went, over trees, under trees, down mudslides, along a really wierd twiggy section until eventually we retraced our steps back along cobbled hell and back along the canal.  Miracle 1 was that we hadn’t got lost. Miracle 2 was there was no need for our extra layers of space blankets (it was much warmer than I expected) and Miracle 3 was that we finished! All 3 of us! Hand in hand with some rather smug smiles! After the event Jess gave some feedback for the blog – “Sam is an absolute machine and led the way. Great fun, great company. Bring on the next ones”. (I didn’t actually lead the whole way – I just made sure I did when I saw the photgrapher hahaha!)

Post-Race 
We didn’t hang around too long after the event. It was refreshing to not be waiting for results or worry about splits; this was all about loving the terrain, loving the scenery, a personal sense of accomplishment and sharing the moment with good friends. Once I got back home the best bit was presenting my medal to my Bobby Dazzler. He motivates me to make the most of myself, both as a Mum and as ‘Sam’. I feel chuffed to bits to have done this – the pic below shows a rather bewildered Bobby with a rather proud Mum.

First Family Holiday ~ The Lakes

I once saw a Michael McIntyre sketch about people who don't have children.  He said; when people who don't have children want to leave the house they say "shall we leave the house" and the other replies "yes" and then they leave the house. Oh how simple that would be now!!! Leaving the house now consists of a never ending list of things we've forgotten and one of us running back in to retrieve it! And that's just for a normal day!

The Bobster trying out his cotbed

So packing for our first family holiday was like packing everything but the kitchen sink! Steriliser. Check. Cot bed. Check. Bottles. Check. Nappies. Check. Monitors. Check.

And just when you think you have everything it gets to 3am on the first night away and The Bobster is screaming in pain and you think.....we forgot the bloody calpol!!! So the first night of the holiday was a bit of an ordeal. Bobs must have picked up a little tummy bug or something and he was inconsolable which was just so heart-wrenching. Chris ended up going out at 4am to find calpol!!

Wastwater Lake

But thankfully Bobs woke the next morning with giggles and laughter and seemed to be feeling much better. We travelled on to our log cabin which we had booked in Cartmel, a stunning little village in the Lake District. It was so homely and so cosy with a log fire and a hot tub - the perfect way to relax!

Bobby was in really good spirits and the usual 6pm witching hour seemed to totally disappear.  We spent our days walking and exploring. The harness really came into it's own on this holiday and Bobby just loved looking around, taking it all in. The Mason Arms was also a firm favourite, enjoying a few drinks by the fire with Bobby kicking out on the sofa - he also seemed to really find his voice this week and loved joining in with every and any conversation he could hear!

The Mason Arms

 When the week was over I was really sad to be travelling back. I loved spending time with my boys so much. It was also nice to be away with limited internet access - it just made us switch off and relax.  We finally popped open some of the bottles of champagne I received for my 30th and an added bonus was that Bobby has now started sleeping through the night - from 7pm until 7am!

What a gorgeous boy!

It's true that they say the best things in life are free. Just time with my family was simply perfect.

Swimming, Sunshine & Smiles

Our swimming lessons with The Bobster have finally begun! We're doing these through a company called Little Dolphins who advocate taking your little ones swimming from an early age.  Apparently before 6 months of age, babies can't drown because they have a special sort of 'flap' (sorry, don't know the technical term!) that stops them from swallowing water.  So now's an ideal age to get them used to the water and start dunking them! When I heard the word 'dunk' I totally freaked out but thankfully Chris has been able to take the lead on these sessions and go in the water with Bobby meaning I can just watch and take photos.

It's been amazing to see what they do! From just dunking them under the water, to totally letting them go and watch them swim back to the top! Bobby seems so indifferent about it all. He doesn't laugh but doesn't cry either. In fact on one of the activities where they put the babies in a float and pull them round, he rests his little face on the float as if to say "oh go on then, if we have to!" It makes my heart melt!

Haha! Look at that face!

We go to a super posh hotel called The Elms to do the swimming where the water temperature and surrounding area is about 1000 degrees! I literally feel like I'm going to pass out when I'm getting Bobby ready! There was recently a complaint from other spa users that spectators were taking up too much room and moving spa user's towels etc so I've now been relegated to watching from outside but actually I prefer it! I probably look a bit odd standing outdoors peering through the window but I don't care if it means I get to see Bobs doing his thing!

This weekend we also went to Cornwall to visit Great Grandad Sam (who Bobby gets his middle name from). Had such a fab time! Absolutely love this picture of the four generations....it's one to cherish.

Likes & Dislikes

Well Bobby is 2 months old today!! How quickly has that gone!!! I'd describe his temperament now as totally chilled out. He's happy to just watch the world go by and the lovely thing is we're getting more and more smiles with each day that passes. I wanted to capture in this post some of the things he currently loves to remind him of when he's older.

So some of his Likes include.....

Being Outdoors
He loves the awe and wonder of being outside. Sometimes on the occasion when he's crying and we can't settle him we just take him into the garden and he loves it! We enjoyed a lovely picnic with Hannah and Will today and he was as chilled as anything, having a little nap on the grass and then enjoying the fresh air.

Enjoying a picnic with Hannah

Chilling in the garden with Dad

Keeping Active
Every morning he does his sit ups with Daddy. This is not so he can get a 6 pack (he has a big jelly one pack at the mo like his Mum!) but apparently it's supposed to strengthen his neck muscles so he can hold his head.  We give him a big cheer when he sits up and he's started giggling at this! He also loves being out and about in my brand new running buggy; we managed our first run together on Monday and are aiming to complete our first Park Run together this Saturday.

Loving the Out and About Sport Nipper Buggy!

In The Night Garden
I had never heard of this before! God knows what these weird and wacky creatures are but he seems to find them hilarious!

Having a giggle with Nanny Neen

His Dressing Gown
After his baths we always put him in his dressing gown (thank you Hayley!). It's way too big for him but this means a) it will last and b) he's even more cuddly!!! Quite often he will fall asleep in it....melts my heart!

Falling asleep in his dressing gown

Sunday Morning Lie Ins
As much as possible we have a lie in on a Sunday and cuddles and chatter in bed before getting up. I always try to use that time to really stop and savour the moment....these days are going so quickly I want to enjoy and remember them all before they whizz by us!

Sunday morning lie in

Other Babies
Bobs seems to be really chillaxed around other babies. It's not so much that he interacts with them but I think he enjoys hearing their babbling around him and takes in his surroundings. Bumps and Babes on a Monday continues to be a hot favourite along with Moo Music on Thursdays.

Chilling with his mates

In terms of dislikes I'm not too sure.  Bobby used to hate getting changed and having his nappy changed but he doesn't seem to get too fussed by this now.  I'm not too sure if he likes his baths as much as he used to as we have some real tears now (there's something about real tears that's so heartbreaking!)!

The exciting thing is that we're doing more and more all the time and so as his personality unfolds, so will his likes and dislikes.  Next up on the list is swimming.....I'm keeping my fingers crossed he likes this so he can be my new training partner!

A-Z of the first 6 weeks

Bobby is 6 weeks old! It's flown by! He continues to change all the time but I haven't had a spare minute to blog recently so thought I'd sum up here our A-Z of the last few weeks:

A is for Annie - A beautiful 2 week old baby who is the first Baby Girl Bobby has ever met!  He slept through the whole of their rendezvous so hopefully next time he'll actually get to see her!

B is for Bottles - It's a constant cycle of washing and sterilising bottles. Gone are the days when you can just go to bed when you want to as you realise you have NO clean bottles! Bobby's on 6oz now and has gone from his birth weight of 7lb 15oz to 12lb 6oz!!! What a bruiser!

C is for Cuddles - Love them! Love him!

D is for Dentinox - the world's best kept secret in helping your little one fart away that trapped wind!

E is for Early Starts - we're getting the hang of our routine but Bobby is still adamant that the day starts at 5:30am!

Playing on his Gym Mat at 5:30am!

F is for Forest Walks - we've had some lovely brisk walks round the forest. He seems to love being in the great outdoors!

An Evening Forest Walk

G is for Grandparents! Praise the Lord! They are lifesavers!

H is for Hot! I am constantly Hot! I'm not sure if it's my crazy hormones or this oppressive heat but I can't wait for some cooler days!

I is for I Love You - probably the 3 words I say most

I Love You!

J is for Juggling - juggling time, juggling visitors, juggling objects

K is for Korma.... as in Chicken Korma....- the current colour of Bobby's poos!

L is for Lycra - Yes, I am back in lycra! I have been to the gym occasionally, although once I've had the all clear from a few more check ups I hope to hit the gym a bit harder!

This is me exactly 12 months ago -
I hope to get back to some sort of fitness!

M is for Moo Music - our weekly music group on a Thursday is fab!

N is for Nicknames - currently including The Bobster, Bobby Dazzler, Bobsam, Chunky Monkey

O is for Outfits - isn't this one just the cutest!

Bobby is not so impressed with this one! Haha!

Stylish!

P is for Pretending to be asleep - at weekends when Bob's cries at night I lie there pretending I'm still asleep in the hope that Chris will give in first and attend to him! Does anyone else do this?!?

Q is for Quiet Time - i.e. right now! It's so lovely to have the odd 10 mins to do this!

R is for Romance - Hair and make up is a thing of the past - I've totally let myself go - but I'm looking forward to  date night with Chris on Saturday to try and get glammed up and do something just the two of us.

S is for Sleep - a thing of the past! Will we ever sleep the same again?

T is for Trainers - this is Bobby's first pair; courtesy of our lovely friend Sue!

U is for Unfit - see point L about Lycra. I miss feeling fit! Currently sitting at around 3 stone heavier than pre-pregnancy! Even some maternity clothes don't fit!

V is for Visitors - we've had millions of them! Bobby is a popular boy! But now they are few and far between we're getting out and about more.

Bobby and Rachel

W is for Wind - the bain of our lives! I hate trapped wind (both in me and in Bobby!)

X is for Xplore - we're loving exploring new places together and meeting new people.

Y is for Yummy Mummy - I hope to be one of these one days! Feeling rather bedraggled at the moment.

Our Yummy Family

Z is for ZZZZ - which is what Bobby is doing right now!

A Trip to the Cranial Osteopath

Last week I was chatting to my physio about Bobby's abdominal pains. It's so heartbreaking to see him in pain as he alternates between being scrunched up in a tight ball to going long and rigid, thrashing his legs about.  The whole time he is grunting (or crying) and desperately trying to force wind (or a poo!) out.  And there's nothing we can do to help. So when my physio suggested taking Bobby to see a cranial osteopath to reduce these abdominal pains and help with general discomfort and distress I was intrigued.

Hands up if you want to go and give this a go

I did a bit of research on it before we went (it's amazing what your bleary eyes can take in at 3, 4 and 5am in the morning!). So it turns out that many midwives and health visitors are now recommending new mothers to take their babies for an osteopathic check up shortly after the birth to help wih discomfort, headaches, feeding difficulties, sinus problems, restlessness, colic or excessive crying and so on.

A penny for your thoughts

So we booked in to go and see Fiona Passey who has a nearby clinic.  Fiona started by asking me questions about Bobby's arrival to find out whether I'd had a good pregnancy and straightforward birth.  She explained that it was important to understand his birth as newborn babies can be subjected to enormous forces when they are born, twisting and turning as they squeeze their way to the outside world.  This can mean a lot of stress and pressure, particularly on the baby's head.  Once she had all the information she needed she began her work.

A picture from Sunday, meeting his cousins George and Issy

Fiona placed Bobby on the bed and held him gently, studying his face and movements.  She was so calm and gentle and Bobby was so perfectly still that I wondered if she was in fact some sort of Baby Whisperer! Bobby slept the whole time, moving only now and again, and clearly felt secure enough to sleep throughout.  Fiona said she could feel tension deep in the base of his skull; most likely to be caused by him getting 'stuck' during the labour.  She gently eased this tension and explained that this could be the cause of his digestive problems as tension here can impinge on a nerve that runs all the way down the spine and is responsible for digestion, winding etc.

Smurftastic!

Before we knew it this gentle form of manipulation was over.  Has it given Bobby a headstart for a healthy happy life? I hope so! Only time will tell! It barely looked like Fiona did anything to the naked eye but I'm keeping everything crossed she managed to release the tension and stresses in his body and head that may have been caused by the birth.

I'm not sure what to expect tonight. I'm hoping Bobby will settle without a fuss or that his crying is less prolonged.  We're booked in for a follow up appointment next week as some babies need more than one session.  Fiona told me that some babies show an improvement straight away, some need a further session and some (dare I say it) get worse before they get better!

I'll keep you posted with out progress!

They Don't Tell You....

There's many things about labour, birth and being a new Mum that they don't tell you! The last 2 and a half weeks since Bobby has arrived have been a complete whirlwind and I wanted to capture some of the thoughts I wasn't expecting.

Firstly, they don't tell you how much blood you'll lose. It's horrific!

They don't tell you how scary your first trip to the loo will be! I thought the whole of my insides were going to fall out!

Day 4 in Hospital

They don't tell you how attached you'll become to your temporary catheter. I was totally working that look as if it was an in-season clutch bag!

They don't tell you how much you'll love your midwives and the team of people who helped deliver your baby. I've written individual thank you cards to all of them - from my own midwife and student midwife to the midwives who were present in our labour, to the midwives who looked after me in the hospital for 4 days post labour, to the nurses and counsellors who have been to see me to help me process and come to terms with the traumatic birth, to the physio who has treated my infected stitches and helped speed up the healing process. Each and everyone of them has played a massive part in this journey and I can't thank them enough. In fact, I did have a little cry yesterday when the midwife discharged me. I'll never forget them!

In the carseat ready to leave the hospital

They don't tell you how hard the lack of sleep is. I don't even know what month it is, never mind what day!

What the future holds

They don't tell you that you'll have days when you're actually really with it and have enough energy to put your face on and paint your nails - and even blog!!

They don't tell you that the feeding, winding, changing, cuddles cycle is literally a constant conveyabelt. No rest for the wicked!

Peekaboo! It's winding time!

They don't tell you how proud you'll be when your son does a massive belch or fart during the winding process. Good Boy Bobby!

They don't tell you that your boobs go as hard as bricks and you're literally crying at them to stop leaking.

They don't tell you that you'll have a new found love and respect for your own Mum! 

They don't tell you how intolerant you'll become of other competitive Mums. If I hear about another baby sleeping through the night I'll punch them in the face (the mum that is, not the baby!).

They don't tell you how amazing it is to see your other half as a Daddy. I didn't think I could love Chris anymore than I already did....but I love him so much my heart might explode.

My Boys

Finally, they don't tell you how much you'll love your son. No job is too much for him, no hour is too late for him, no love compares to the love I feel for him. He is tiny, perfect, wonderful; and I just can't believe he's ours.

This is what love is....

So, what else have we been up to in our first 2 weeks at home? Well we've had 5 million visits from health profesisonals, midwives and also our own friends and family. We've been for tea at Granny and Grandads, had days with Nanny Neen, had our first pub visit to the Brinton Arms, our first walk in Wyre Forest, our first trip to the Bridgnorth Garden Walks, our first meet up with the NCT girls in Bewdley, we've registered his birth and got his official birth certificate, oh....and we've enjoyed many sleepeless nights whilst Bobby continues to think that night is daytime and vice versa! Still, I wouldn't change him for the world.

Our first solo outing to Bewdley.

He's changing all the time. I wonder what the next few weeks will bring....

Making An Entrance

Before becoming a Mum I read many birth stories.  I often wondered why women wanted to share every last detail of their labour but now, having been through it myself, it's both an amazing, wonderful and horrifyingly painful experience that is so unique to you and your baby that you can't help but recount it time and time again.  Everyone has their own birth story and I was hoping that ours would involve me coughing and Bobby falling out!  I'd done the hypnobirth CD and had the pregnancy yoga mantras ready and I was looking forward to a positive experience!

My bump at 36 weeks - ready to pop!

Unfortunately things don't always pan out quite as you hope! The minute we were told on Thursday 25th June (exactly 39 weeks) that we were going to be induced due to reduced fetal movements I thought the labour may be more painful than anticipated! The induction started with a membrane sweep at 11am, followed by being sent home to get our hospital bag and return later on that day for the rest of the induction process. Going home after that sweep was really surreal and killing a bit of time at home was also wierd.  I pottered around the house and then did what any normal person about to be induced would do - watched One Born Every Minute!

This is a load of rubbish and I want a refund on my dvd haha!

We ended up going back to the hospital before our alloted time becuase I was in so much pain and hadn't stopped bleeding. Upon our return to hospital I was 2cm dilated and they did a second sweep (just as painful) before explaining the rest of the induction process.  I was excited about the prospect of meeting our little boy but the fear, that I hadn't really expected, soon kicked in.  We were greeted by two midwives Jeanette and Caroline (who were so lovely) who got me ready and before I knew it things were underway! They broke my waters whilst I tried to put all the positive mantras from my pregnancy yoga into action.  "You are in tune with your body" and "I am breathing my baby out" just didn't quite cut it!!  Jeanette knelt by my side for 3 hours trying to hold the monitoring belt on me whilst I bounced up and down on the birthing ball but then they became very concerned about our baby's heartbeat which was elevating to 190 at times.  Unfortunately my hope for an active labour then went out the window as I was asked to get on my back in the bed to try to lower Bobby's heartbeat.

So on my back in the bed, things didn't really seem to be progressing.  Our baby was back to back which meant the pain was horrific and I was chomping on the gas and air like there was no tomorrow, only pausing to throw up over myself (this literally happened 20 times - it was disgusting!) Stuck at 4cm dilated I asked for some pethidine and it wasn't long before I was begging for an epidural (something on my birth plan I had said I would avoid like the plague!). Jeanette and Caroline were present for the epidural but then were soon coming to the end of their 12 hour shift and saying their goodbyes (at which point I was still only 5cm!)

Anytime today Bobby!!

Our labour was then taken over my an equally lovely midwife called Kat and a student midwife Louise - who has been with me throughout the whole of my pregnancy. I was so happy to see her I burst out crying! Between them Kat and Louise were just amazing. The support and encouragement they gave me was fab. Unfortunately I seemed to be stuck at 5cm and twice there was the threat of going to theatre for a C-Section as our baby didn't seem to want to budge.  There was a constant trade off between ramping up the hormone drip to speed the labour up Vs keeping our baby's heart-rate stable as the more they upped the drip, the more distressed he seemed to be.....not mentioning the more pain I was in! It was a race against the clock to see if I could get to 8cm in 4 hours otherwise it would be a trip to theatre.

Our gorgeous little man - he doesn't rush for anyone!

So, going back to that epidural. Ah...yes! The one that failed to work!!! It basically didnt cover a panel on my left hand side which meant all my pain was focussed and channelled to this one area.  The team of staff lay me on my left hand-side hoping the epidural would work it's way over and alleviate the pain.... no such luck!!! OMG the pain was so bad I actually asked one of the midwives to put me down! They ramped the pain-relief up leaving me in a completely comatized state! There was also a thought that came ito my mind that I wasn't going to make it and I remember saying to Chris to just make sure Bobby was OK.

One of our first photos of Bobby -  a little bruised from the forceps but absolutely gorgeous!

Finally they took the epidural out and started again. The second epidural was much more effective and for the first time in over 24 hours I could cope with the pain. I was terrified the labour was not progressing and we were now on intravenous antibiotics because it had been so long since my waters had broken.  I was so relieved when Kat eventually told me that I was 10cm dilated and could start pushing. I had a new found inner strength and had perked up a lot more than earlier and pushed with all my might. Unfortunately after 90 minutes of pushing there was still no sign of our baby and the monitoring revealed he was once again becoming distressed. I had an allowance of 30 more minutes otherwise it would be a C-Section - the third time they had told us that! I began to cry as I couldn't believe I would have been through all of this for it to then end with a cesarean. I pushed a little harder but there was still no sign of our little guy - possibly because of the position he was in. Then, after 26 hours of being in labour, the last 5 minutes were a complete whirlwind. The doctor came waltzing in, put his hand in to turn the baby's head, did an episiotomy, clamped the forceps on his head and tugged and pulled like there was no tomorrow and before I knew it our beautiful baby boy was on my chest.

Percetange of first time mums who have an assisted birth

He was absolutley perfect and made quite the entrance. They say good things come to those who wait and although those 26 hours felt like 26 years, I would do it all again for the love and bond I have with my son.  Born on Friday 26th June weighing 7lb 15oz, our beautiful son Bobby Samuel came into our lives and into our hearts. I feel incredibly blessed and lucky and Chris and I are so grateful to all the staff who played their part in helping deliver the best thing that's ever happened to us.  I spent 4 nights in hospital but now that we are finally home our lives can begin together - I wouldn't change it for the world.

Percentage of new mums who stay in hospital for 3 or 4 days

Let the fun begin!