March 2008 Archives

Mollie is three weeks old today and I'm just starting to wake from my baby coma.

For 21 days I've done nothing but change nappies, breast feed and gaze adoringly at my little bundle.

But now it's time to rejoin the real world - maybe even get dressed before lunchtime?

Mum friends tell me the secret to my successful re-integration into normal society is to get my nocturnal daughter into a routine.

And one name they speak of in reverent tones is Gina Ford, author of The Contented Little Baby books.

Despite having no children of her own nanny Gina has looked after hundreds of babies professionally and says her strict timetables for feeding, sleeping and playing with children result in happy, low-maintenance youngsters.

But much as I like the idea of a whole night's uninterrupted sleep, much of her advice seems to go against my natural instinct.

For example, she's against rocking, singing and patting a baby to sleep because they need to teach themselves how to drop off.

Which is all well and good until it's your baby making themselves hoarse from crying because they want picking up and comforting.

I feel torn between not wanting to get Mollie into bad sleeping habits and not wanting to hear her squall.

What's a mum to do?

Health secretary Alan Johnson has outlined plans to recruit 4,000 extra midwives into the NHS - good news for the employees at Birmingham Women's Hospital who are clearly overworked.

The midwife who delivered Mollie barely had time to cut the umbilical cord before dashing to another emergency on the delivery suite.

Later, a trainee midwife revealed many of her colleagues travelled in from Liverpool and Wales because there were so few jobs available.

Imagine a long stressful day on the labour ward followed by a 100-mile commute.

No wonder another report published last week found growing pressures on maternity services were putting mums and babies at risk. The Government's announcement comes just in the nick of time.