Maternity Matters link up (14)
Time for the 14th Maternity Matters link up! 14th! Wow. When Jayne and I put our heads together at the beginning of the year we weren’t sure whether people would want to link up with us, but you have....
View ArticleWIN a Snuzpod 3 in 1 bedside crib!
A little while ago I told you all about the wonderful Snuzpod 3 in 1 bedside crib. I hope it came across how much I love this crib- it helped Elsie and I to bond at a time where I … Continue reading →
View ArticleMy son’s birth story
Five years ago my son was brought into this world, limp and blue and alone. His birth happened to me, despite me and in spite of me. A stranger’s hand plucked him from my tummy as I slept, and he …...
View ArticleI still wanted a VBAC
Even with the surgery date in black and white, I still wanted a VBAC. Even with the forms signed and the pre-op meds prescribed, I still thought I might have a chance. And even knowing that going into...
View ArticleMade to Measure: a perfect fit after all
One year ago, we stepped out onto a path unknown. Unchartered territory for us as parents to be. We’d done this all before. We knew the score. A growth scan was no big deal. We intended to humour the...
View ArticleYou’ll get through this
I didn’t want them to leave. And I suppose my face said it all as we stood in the doorway of the bathroom. She had just helped me out of the shower and had applied antiseptic cream to my infected …...
View ArticleMAD blog awards: thank you in advance
Tomorrow Elsie and I will be travelling down to London for the MAD blog awards. And I want to say thank you in advance. No, I’m not being that presumptuous! I want to say thank you for different...
View ArticleAn IUGR baby: the night before she arrived
This time last year I was sitting in an airless waiting room, waiting. Waiting. Waiting. A second set of steroid jabs were on the cards. An hour on the CTG, a pre-op appointment. Then home. Home, to...
View ArticleThis blog is five years old
This blog is five years old today. I wish I had a milestone card for that. Five years ago I sat in my kitchen and realised that something had to change. I’d spent much of the day in tears, re-living...
View ArticleC-section birth: An enhanced recovery?
How long did you stay in hospital for after your c-section? It’s varied for me, hugely in fact. From a lengthy first stay to an extremely short visit And I’ve come to wonder whether enhanced recovery...
View Article12 days of IUGR: why we’re doing it
Today is the start of 12 days of IUGR. This is is why we’re doing it. For Elsie For Anuerin. For Tobias. For Hugo. For Joe. For Ben, Emma-Rose and Freyja. For Sebastian. For James. For Alex and Clara....
View ArticleWhat the 4th c-section was really like
I remember lying on the operating table, waiting for my body to be sliced open a third time. My third baby was about to be born and the anticipation was literally dripping from the hushed voices around...
View ArticleNHS Maternity Review: Someone listened to me
Yesterday I went to the city to attend an NHS Maternity Review listening event, facilitated by Bliss, for parents who experienced complications in pregnancy, labour or birth affecting the health of...
View ArticleAn IUGR baby: and then it’s all over
IUGR Weekly scans. The doppler on my belly, pressing into my skin, sliding on the jelly. The sounds, almost alien like. The swooshes, the ticks, the chirps. The CTG. The dips, peaks, dips peaks....
View ArticleFind your voice and make it count
It’s been an amazing year. Despite the crushing lows there have been dizzying highs. Despite the sleepless nights that seem to drag my spirit along the ground. Despite the hospital appointments and...
View ArticleMy birth trauma belongs to me
When I was eight years old, I got stuck in a lift in Malta. It was a really old, rusty, shuddering lift with plenty of previous ‘incidents’ under it’s belt, so it really should not have come as any...
View ArticleI’m afraid of dogs (and why post natal anxiety sometimes needs to be put on a...
I’m afraid of dogs. I’m also afraid of telling people I’m afraid of dogs. Many people really don’t understand. They can be indignant- Why don’t you like dogs? Dogs are awesome! They can also be...
View ArticleThe Difference Between a Planned and an Elective Caesarean
This month is #CaesareanAwarenessMonth and over on my Facebook page I’ve been sharing a few old posts I’ve written that details my experiences under the knife. I’m also working hard on the...
View ArticlePain after a c-section
Before I became a mother, I knew very little about pregnancy and the extent of my birth plan was to have a water birth, with no pain relief. In reality, my firstborn arrived thanks to a relatively calm...
View ArticleNo Less of a Mother
You are no less of a mother just because your baby is birthed on an operating table. The love you feel for your baby (at whatever point it arrives- the love, I mean. It isn’t always instant, and that...
View Article
