Baby Blog

Our Emma is a mum

sally.fairbrother@archant.co.uk — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:17:00 GMT

The phrases ‘what a beautiful baby’ and ‘what a lot of hair!’ rang out from the Herald’s offices following editor Emma Silverthone’s first visit to colleagues with her new baby.

Benjamin Graham took his first steps into the world of journalism on Tuesday when the pair came to the office to catch up on news.

Weighing in at 7lb 1oz, he was born on Monday, January 21, and now Emma, along with husband Steve, are enjoying the thrills of having their first child, together with the inevitable broken nights that all mothers and fathers will be familiar with.

Its a boy!

sally.fairbrother@archant.co.uk — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:58:00 GMT

Emma's beautiful little boy, Benjamin Graham, arrived on Monday, January 21, weighing 71b 1oz.

Watch this space for an update on Benjamin's first few months!

Waiting game

emma.silverthorne@archant.co.uk — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:16:00 GMT

Well my due date has come and gone and still no sign of any imminent baby action, not that I am surprised. As my mum keeps pointing out, I was three weeks late arriving in the world and have kept up the trend by being late for pretty much everything else, so it would be hypocritcal for me to be anything other than patient.

However, I realise now that patience is not my thing, and as soon as Jan 8 (due date) passed I started to get irritable. By the time Steve gets home from work I have usually fielded quite a few 'any twinges yet?' phone calls and text messages from friends and family and am just about ready to bite his head off when he asks how my day was. Not that I am complaining about people making friendly enquiries - if no-one was phoning I would be sulking that everyone had forgotten about me.

In a bid to make myself feel that I am taking active steps to encourage things along I am eating lots of fresh pineapple which apparently helps, drinking raspberry leaf tea and have visited an acupuncturist twice who, using needles in pressure points, is also doing her bit to help get this baby moving. I should point out (as my dad was worried about this) that the acupuncture does not involve putting needles anywhere in my stomach or near the baby - I am not trying to *** it and prod it into appearing. The acupuncturist was recommended to me by someone in my antenatal class who went overdue and I have been impressed with what I have experienced so far - it doesnt even hurt because the needles (which have been in my ear, feet, hands, back and legs) are so fine.

Everyone else in the ante natal class has now had their baby, and none of the birth stories have been too horrific, but maybe I am being spared the gory details until I have got my own labour over with.....

Well, my hospital bag is packed, the baby's bag is packed, and I have even packed a bag for Steve (sweets, crisps, Lucozade and a couple of magazines) he is threatening to bring his laptop in so he can get some work done in quieter moments - hmmmm i dont think so. I have cooked enough meals and soup to fill two freezers so that when I return home and dont have the time and energy to cook I have easy meal solutions. This is the most organised I have been about anything in my life and it is most out of character, it must be down to hormones.

It is hard to imagine what life at home with the baby will be like but I am trying to mentally prepare myself by reading parenting guides and taking in advice from other mums. Steve has already pointed out a watch that I could buy him for being a good dad (what a cheek!)- so he is obviously confident that he will rise to the challenge!

Now it is just a waiting game. I feel I am being most inconsiderate by not having produced a baby on schedule - Steve's friends are itching to wet the baby's head and until I come up with the goods, their excuse for a night of drinking is on ice.

Hopefully not long now, the thought of being induced doesn't fill me with glee so I am hoping the baby comes into the world of its own accord. I am trying to keep busy by meeting up with friends so that I dont have too much time to think of the pain that lies ahead. The longer I have to wait the more cocky I am becoming about the inevitable agony - bring it on, I want my baby!

Finishing work

emma.silverthorne@archant.co.uk — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 13:51:00 GMT

Well, here I am putting the finishing touches to my last Sidmouth Herald for a long time – tomorrow is my last day at work!

I was late for work today because I couldn’t find my car keys and these little episodes of dopey behaviour are becoming more and more frequent, so it is just as well that I bow out at work now before I fall from grace.

Had a bit of a fright at last night’s ante natal class when one of the girls in the group calmly announced that her waters had broken that morning! Just over two weeks early! Early?? Unfortunately ‘early’ doesn’t feature in my plans – I am banking on late.

Everyone has assured me that first babies are late – so last night was a bit of a reality shock.

I have progressed slightly from a baby collection that consisted only of three (very lovely) baby clothes hangers and I have bought a few more bits and bobs - but not much more. In fact, I now realise that I have only bought the fun things, a very nice jungle animal border for the (undecorated) nursery, a couple of blankets and baby towels from the same range, a really cute set of baby grows and that is about it.

Sooner or later I am going to have to face buying some of the more practical essentials, car seat, pram etc etc.

I have glanced at the things that I should be packing in my hospital bag (must get around to doing this). There are quite a few shockers on the list – ‘disposable knickers’ sticks in my memory as being particularly worrying, I don’t even want to think about why I might need these, let alone walk into a shop and buy any.

Last night’s class was all about Breast feeding and it was very useful. Steve was conspicuous by his absence – he said he had to work late, but later confessed he had popped in to the pub ‘just to catch the end of the football’. Oh well, the amount of help he can offer in the feeding department is limited anyway. I have been battling my way through Gina Ford’s book – the Contented Little Baby but am finding the complicated and military-like routines for feeding and expressing mind boggling, so I will be taking her advice with a pinch of salt.

It feels very surreal to be preparing to leave work, but I have so much to do at home that I certainly won’t have too much time to put my feet up. At the moment it’s all hands on deck at the house – plumbers, electricians, handyman and (due to a leak which has suddenly become an urgent problem – how timely) roofers. Carpets are due to go down in some of the rooms on December 10 which will mean I can start (well not me personally) moving furniture in. Yippeee! It will be such a luxury to be able to have a bath, instead of a shower in the tiny mouldy bathroom that we have been using for nearly a year now in the annexe. The end is in sight, but experience has taught me to expect the unexpected as far as building/renovation work is concerned. If there is a chance something will go wrong and cause delays – it will, guaranteed. This house project has made me very cynical, but it has also helped stop me from having many pregnancy related worries, I haven’t had time to think about it too much. This is probably why I get such a shock when I realise how little time I have left until the baby pops out (yes, I am kidding myself that it will just ‘pop’ into the world in a fairly painless way). Six and a half weeks to go and counting……

Bumpy ride

emma.silverthorne@archant.co.uk — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:49:00 GMT

A BIG inflatable silver ball is taking pride of place in our lounge at the moment. Instead of sitting on the sofa I am supposed to 'relax' by sitting upright on the ball - this apparently encourages the baby to get into the right position (at the moment it obviously hasnt figured out where the exit is and is lying across my stomach instead of head down). I dont know if anyone out there has tried 'relaxing' by sitting bolt upright (not forgetting to tilt the pelvis forward) on a giant inflatable ball, but it is about as far from relaxing as trying to ride a unicycle. One minute I'm on, the next minute, after a lapse in concentration, the ball has rolled and I am off...
I have also been told to lean forwards (never back) when sitting on a chair. With a job that involves sitting at a desk all day, this is not very practical - my head seems to be practically touching my computer screen. Apparently some people take their inflatable balls with them to work to sit on at their desks - hmmmm this seems a bit desperate but I have it as a last resort if the baby doesnt co-operate and move in the next couple of weeks.
Next week is week 30 - great, I have been dying to get into the thirties, only 10 weeks of pot bellied life to go! On the other hand, only 10 weeks to buy absolutely everything I need. At the moment I have only purchased baby coat hangers (three - yellow gingham padded ones) they are very nice but I suppose it's time to think about investing in more urgent equipment. - pram, car seat, cot etc and about decorating the nursery (yellow to match the coat hangers of course).
NCT Ante natal classes are going well, they are really helpful and Steve has only ducked out of one so far, not bad. In November I will start NHS ante natal classes and am thinking about some special pregnancy yoga classes - with all this and check-up appointments with the midwife, being pregnant is turning out to be a full time job.
I am starting to think about my birthing plan and my ideal scenario for labour. Obviously, any plan will probably go out of the window at the first sign of pain and I will be bossing everyone around ordering the highest doses of any pain relief possible. Ideally, however, it would be nice to think I could get by on gas and air alone. I would like some new pyjamas, a new dressing gown and some smart but comfy slippers for my time in hospital, I will also be needing lots of flowers, chocolates and some champagne for after the event. I will have to make sure these points are made clear on my plan. I would also like Steve to be present, awake, alert, calm and reassuring at all times. Hmmm
I am thinking about using washable nappies, although most people I mention this to chuckle as if to say 'ahhh that's nice - I give you five days before you resort to disposables'. Well, we'll see, at least I am starting out with the right intentions, if anyone has any advice/recommendations on re-usable nappies that would be great.
Bye bye for now,,,

Baby blog

emma.silverthorne@archant.co.uk — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:07:00 GMT

Alongside a rapidly expanding waistline being pregnant also gives you an invisible radar used to detect other expectant women and babies.

I can now spot a pregnant lady or a tiny baby a mile-off, all of a sudden they seem to everywhere I go. Tummies so big that they frighten me are lurking around every corner and every shop has at least one aisle blocked by a mum struggling with a pram. Maybe I didn¹t notice them before I realised I was about to join their club.

A bulging tum is a great conversation starter. Now that it is fairly obvious that I am pregnant and not just a bit chubby round the edges, strangers offer advice along with their best wishes. I love it! Cashiers at checkouts, shoppers in queues and even the man from BT have all offered me the benefit of their parenting experiences with nuggets of information and anecdotes. I should be walking around with a notebook or a Dictaphone (oh, as a journalist perhaps I should be anyway) to make sure no gem of information is forgotten.

Apparently I am having a boy, I haven't found out officially, but this is the general consensus from the man on the street. It¹s all to do with the way I am carrying, I have been told all up front means it¹s definitely a boy.

Personally, and far be it for me to have an opinion, I¹m just the incubator, I thought a girl was more likely. My theory is based on probability in that all my friends seem to have had boys.

The first ante-natal class was a success, no tuts and frowns from parenting know-it alls, no rule books thrust in my face and, to my relief, no role plays! I'm not sure what I had thought these plays might involve, doesn¹t really bare thinking about, Steve was well behaved, he seemed to take the whole thing quite seriously and I managed not to giggle during the relaxation exercise (it was touch and go though). We even had chocolate biscuits at half time, I will definitely go again.

Swimming was also surprisingly unproblematic. The most traumatic moment was catching my side profile in the changing room mirror as I waddled to the pool complete Well, must go and try and find a winter coat that will do up.

Any advice on babies and birth welcome.

Bump

emma.silverthorne@archant.co.uk — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:51:00 GMT

ACCORDING to my husband I have an alien growing inside me – he reached this conclusion after a highly scientific test during which he communicated with my unborn baby (or extra-terrestrial life form).

The test, for anyone else with a bulging belly curious about the cause, went something like this…

Steve: "Now listen baby – we need some information. Give me one kick if you’re a girl, two if you’re a boy. No kicks will be taken to mean you are neither… and are probably an alien."

Predictably, as seems to happen whenever Steve tries to feel a kick, there was no response from the bump. Obviously an alien.

Well, whatever it is, we are now in week 26 and it has definitely discovered that it can move. Infact, I think it is a dancer. I can feel twists, twirls and definitely some high kicks – maybe it is has been influenced by the TV trailers for the new Strictly Come Dancing series. It is hard to concentrate at work when, all of a sudden, you feel your new life form practising disco moves inside you.

Next week we (me, Steve and bump) start ante natal classes, which should be fun (if a little scary). Steve is under strict instructions not to mention aliens, let’s give ourselves a chance with these people, let them at least think we are normal.

A couple of months ago I felt very bitter about the glowing pregnant women who seemed to be every where I went, claiming they had never felt better, had bags of energy and what a joy it was to be expecting. Hormonal changes must have turned them into compulsive liars, I decided.

But I am now eating my words (along with anything remotely edible I come across). The second trimester is soooo much easier than the first. The feeling of permanent exhaustion has passed, the queasiness has vanished and my energy levels sometimes seem higher than pre-pregnancy! I have turned into one of the irritating smug ones.

For now (mustn’t be complacent - I am always anticipating the next step) life is good. The fact that Steve and I are living in a pokey one-bed annexe while renovating a house (which will hopefully be ready before the bump is) now seems bearable, living without a washing machine, phone and kitchen is back (as it was pre-pregnancy) to being an adventure and thinking about the next few months provokes excitement, not tears (all blamed on hormones of course) and panic.

I even feel up to attempting some exercise, for the first time in months, and might give my very attractive maternity swimming costume a test run over the weekend – bump could modify its dance moves into some kind of synchronised swimming routine. Not sure how swimming with a pot belly will feel, or whether the extra weight will affect the way I float in the water and make me roll about so that I always end up face down. Hmmm, only one way to find out…..