July 2009 Archives

I was 18 when I got pregnant and was terrified of labour. I didn't talk to anyone about it and didn't read books about what happens to your body during the labour process. I made a concerted effort to bury my head in the sand.

Couple that with the fact that the care I received from medical professionals was nothing short of scandalous. I really feel that the baby and I were lucky to have survived.

After having given birth twice now, I am well aware of the reality of labour.

TV might make it seem nice and lovely and special and moving and emotional, but the truth is that labour can't be much better than hell.

You will become yourself at your most primal, with every shred of polite, modern society stripped away. You find you're capable of making noises that would terrify the devil himself. Every bodily fluid known to man is sprayed around the room, plus some new ones too.

This week is labour week on From Here to Maternity and there will be lots of posts about the miracle that is birth.

I'll be talking about who to have in the delivery room, what pain relief is best and I'll be sharing my own and readers' stories of their own labour experiences.

If you want to add your own thoughts, comments or stories please feel free to do so in the comments box, or by emailing me at fromheretomaternity@live.co.uk

I hope you enjoy this labour focused week, whether you're about to give birth for the first time or you're a pro. It will really show just how different everyone's experience is.

Remember my friend Lisa, mom of 1 + 1 on the way? Well, she's now a proud mom of 2, which is some going considering the first one is just 18 months old! OMG!!

Little Alex was born last week at Birmingham Womens by emergency c-section, three and a half weeks early.

This next comment may be a bit shocking, but I think that most new born babies are ugly little spuds, my own included.. but little Alex was gorgeous, and perhaps his most endearing feature was his little 'breech legs'! Lisa pulled the blanket back to reveal his legs were set at a perfect triangle to his hips, with his feet immediately in line with his bum!

If you're wondering what 'it' is, I'm following on from yesterday's blog - I went to Kings Heath Fair! It was BRILLIANT!! Really hope it's on again next year, I'll make sure I don't oversleep and get there before lunch time.

I took The Kid on his first fairground ride, a small 'choo choo' train; he's really getting into trains and actually sitting on one and ringing the bell has increased his love of them ten-fold. Although I nearly didn't take him on as at one point the owner of the ride was going to charge me £1.50 to hold The Kid on my lap.. but he relented when I gave him my indignant stare from hell.

We then went and shared a pork, stuffing and apple sauce sarnie (me and The Kid, not me and the train ride man), which was lovely apart from my eardrums being assaulted by the sounds emminating from the 'mash up fm' tent. Another sign that I'm getting old - how can you call it music when it has no tune?

Before we left we went for a quick wander round the pond where The Kid decided to do his little 'I'm going to lean on my reigns and dangle like a cot mobile and there's nothing you can do about it' trick. I had one hand trying to hold the pushchair and the other trying to hoick him off the floor by the reigns, much to the amusement of passers by.

Anyway, a good time was had by all, and I'll definitely be there next time.

McCain Track and Field Road Show

A little bird tells me that there's a great way of getting your kids more interested in athletics. Tomorrow, Saturday the 4th July, McCain and UK Athletics are holding an event in Victoria Square between 11am and 4pm.

My Brummie Mum friend Chopper took her beautiful, perfectly proportioned curly haired two year old boy to the Health Visitors last week and was told that he was overweight.

He's not overweight.

I'm not just being a loyal friend here either, I'm quite happy to say when toddlers are pudgy, but he's not. He's fine.

She then had to go through what he eats, and was given some (not at all patronising) pointers, like that she should be giving her tot one Weetabick, not one and a half in the morning.