Any Twinges Yet???

With only 4 days to go until my due date, THE question has started.

Any twinges yet?

The midwife looked disappointed yesterday that nothing had happened. No twinges, no show. I left with a gentle wave, and the news that I would now not be seeing them until after the baby is born. My next schedule appointment is with the consultant at 40weeks + 6 days so all I have to do now is put my feet up and rest. The midwife advised I may not make it that long .... only Baby can decide that I said.

The Daddy got a little spooked last night after I explained what 3/5 engaged meant, and updated him on what the midwife told me. I was feeling quite uncomfortable after wearing myself out vacuuming half the living room (we live in a small terrace). Baby no.2 was prodding and poking me in places he should not, and I had eaten a very large dinner. My tummy was aching, and the braxton hicks were on full form.

I may have thought the twinges were starting, however I could feel a small popping sensation at the top of my rather large belly. "I think it is wind" I said.

After another hour of this, The Daddy kept asking if I was sure I was OK, and maybe I should text the childminder to warn her something may be happening. "Ummm, no ... " I said pausing for a moment, "oooh, definitely wind!" and finally the pressure started to ease.

Pregnancy ... so dignified!

Are you pregnant? ... Let me give you some advise ...

Why is it as soon as you tell people you are pregnant, they start offering you advise? It is normal to wait until you are 12 weeks pregnant before spreading the word, however people seem to forget that you have spent the last 3 months swotting up on all things pregnant and they start offering helpful hints. I was told both the bizarre and the obvious.

Here is the First Are you pregnant? ... Let me give you some advise. This falls under the bizarre advise category. Here it is ...

'The best thing I ever did when I had a baby was buy a second kettle. That way I could always have cooled boiled water to hand when I needed it. I found my husband/boyfriend used to either use the freshly boiled water for his tea, or just when the water was at the right temperature for me to use he would click the kettle on again and ruin the whole exercise. I was then left with no cooled boiled water for the baby. Nightmare!'

The polite response is always to say 'Thanks that is great advise, I will remember that'

What you want to say is 'Whaaat! Why??? It is surely cheaper just to buy a jug, or use the lovely blue Thermos jug I have in my pantry, but never used. I knew it would come in handy'

My lovely blue Thermos jug is perfect. We fill it full of boiled water every night, and there is the perfect amount for the next day. When I was feeding Baby E at night it was perfect for keeping next to the bed for the feeds. If we filled it the correct amount of time before going to bed the water was the right temperature to make up a bottle just when he needed it. There was no waiting for a bottle to warm, or for a kettle to boil.

Thanks to my fabulous friend 'Are you staying for dinner' for the night-time feeding idea. It saved loads of time and stress from Baby E.

Thanks to the person who gave me the double kettle advise ... I would rather save my money and use a jug!

Baby Brain Incident No.1

The most surprising and unexpected change to my body when I was pregnant was my Baby Brain.

Baby Brain can be very stressful. It is clear to everyone around you and yourself that you are slower, more emotional and very forgetful. Most of the stresses related to baby brain are imposed by ourselves ... by ME! No-one wants to admit they are not keeping up with the pace in life, and I constantly worried that people would not think me as capable or balanced.

So, I decided to appreciate the comic value of my pregnant behavior. It is true that Baby Brain can be all of the above and more, but it is also very very entertaining.

Here is Baby Brain Incident No.1

Crying at the TV Incident No.1 - Animal Park
When - 2nd Trimester - 18weeks pregnant. 8th June 2008.

Animal Park = behind the scenes stories of Longleat Safari Park and Stately Home. Whilst I have great emotional ties to the surrounding area of Longleat having grown up only 25miles from the beautiful park, scenes of the west country are is not normally enough to make me cry.

It is worth noting that this particular episode of Animal Park was being shown during the CBBC Sunday morning schedule. It is therefore assumed that it is child friendly and does not contain any distressing scenes. The episode featured a poorly tiger who was undergoing treatment for an illness. I have no memory of what illness the tiger had which I think demonstrates the importance of the programme to me in my everyday life. Whilst the programme left the tiger recovering from his operation to visit another part of the park, my Fabulous Boyfriend popped to have a shower, and asked me to let him know how our new fury friend fared.

Animal Park announced they were going back to see how the tiger was doing. I shouted to my Fabulous Boyfriend 'the tiger the tiger, he's OK', but I spoke too soon. Ben Fogle put on his most sympathetic voice and told us that sadly the tiger did not make it! 'Oh no!' I shouted again, and, as I said the words I started sobbing in a comedy manner fit for a Jane Austin novel. If you have ever seen the famous BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (no ... not the scene when Mr Darcy emerges from the lake with his shirt all wet ... that is another story!), I mean when Alison Steadman playing Mrs Bennett finds out Lydia has eloped! She sobs in a comedy over the top stylee. There I was doing the same at the TV! I shouted/sobbed 'the tiger has died' although my Fabulous Boyfriend could barely understand me as I was almost inaudible at this point.

BBC Animal Park then showed a montage of the tigers life and the powerful bond he had with his keeper. They had literally grown up together in the same house. The keepers father used to work on the park and helped to raise the tiger at the same time as his son. They both played together as children/cubs, they were practically brothers (if that is at all possible between a tiger and a boy). As the music played over the film/photo montage, I knew there was no going back, my Baby Brain was now in control!

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow - Post Birth Hair Loss

It is official. My hair is falling out. I am sure this has something to do with post birth changes to my body, however my Fabulous Boyfriend thinks I have the early on-set of alopecia. I can picture him every morning making a mental note to google the local baldness clinic when he finds yet another hair ball which he has named 'hair turds' on the side of the bath.

Before I became pregnant, my hair was completely predictable. I have very straight hair with no life or soul of its own to argue with me in the mornings. One quick shake of my head with the occasional threat of a brush and the bed head is gone to be replaced with smooth shiny hair in the style last cut by the hairdresser. I have no wild moments, no sticking up cows-licks and there is never a bad hair day to be seen.

This all changed towards the end of my pregnancy when I began to notice a subtle change in my hair. I preparation for the birth of Baby E I booked myself a hair appointment when I was 38 weeks pregnant. I knew it would be the last time I would put my feet up and enjoy being pampered in peace. I went to a fab trendy hairdressers in Derby called Eye'Candy (no expense spared) and enjoyed some girly hair talk with the gay Latvian stylist. He made me feel so fabulous darling with lots of compliments and excited talk of the impending birth of my Baby E. I told him about my suspicion that my hair was getting thicker and slightly less tame now I was in my third trimester. My stylist confirmed I had lovely thick hair (something I have never heard before ... ever!), and he reassured my that it is a myth that I would see any post birth hair loss. He told me my new thicker hair was here to stay and I would forever be left with what I considered to be a slightly out of control hair.

How wrong could he have been? My new haircut complimented my thicker hair, and so for many weeks I enjoyed having a little more body (great for all those post birth photos). Then everything changed when I stopped breast feeding about 10 weeks ago. Baby E was 17weeks old at the time. Now, every morning when I brush my hair I am left pulling hand fulls of hair from the bristles of the brush only to deposit them into the bin. I make sure to do this before I wash my hair in a failed attempt to prevent my hair from blocking up the plughole. I am confident this must help to minimise the clumps of hair I pull out while washing, however I am still left rolling hair turds to leave on the side of the bath as a present for my Fabulous Boyfriend. The hair turds are a great measure the volume of hair loss each day and so far the most I have made is 3, all about the same size as a large woodlouse.

The hair loss is not restricted to the bathroom. Baby E is often found with lengths of my hair in his neck, hands, and rather strangely his nappy! It would seem that my hair is not fussy where it falls, and is aiming for global domination. My Fabulous Boyfriend recently decided to vacuum the spare room/nursery. It needs to be mentioned that this is the first time the Dyson has been used since before Baby E was born (my nesting phase was limited to the two weeks before my due date). Sadly the Dyson could not cope with the amount of hair that was embedded in the rug so my Fabulous Boyfriend resorted to using his fingers as mini rug rakes dragging all the hair from the rug into his hands. He was able to make hair turds large enough to make a grown man cry! The long lengths of hair in the Dyson cylinder have been spun into little Dyson Cylinder shaped nest with dust filling the gap. It is so perfectly formed it would look perfect in a tree in the garden ready for a little family of robins to move it!

I am hoping I have turned the corner and think my hair balls are finally decreasing. Today I was actually disappointed when I was only able to make one hair turd in the shower. Making hair turds is fun, however am grateful to reach a plateau. I would rather not sacrifice all my hair for my baby boy, I have already lost my firm body so think he owes me a full head of hair.

What are little boys made of?
Squishy tummy's and hair from his Mummy,
That's what little boys are made of.

The Birth of Baby E - Part 3

Here is the third part of the story of the birth of Baby E. It was about 1am on Wednesday 19th November 2008. We were in the labour room, and I was losing control over the gas and air. I was completely off my head on the stuff and loving it. My head was spinning, and my Sergent Pepper internal sound track was perfect. Lucy was definitely in the sky with diamonds!

Suddenly I felt sick. The midwife was out of the room, so we would have to deal with this on our own. All good things must come to an end I suppose, and this was the end of my love affair with the gas and air. I motioned to my Fabulous Boyfriend that I was going to be sick, and he reached for some paper towels to help catch the fallout. What was he thinking??? Paper towels to catch the vomit of a woman in labour??? It was indeed a futile exercise, as the contents of my stomach and all the snacks I had been eating in the bath ricochet off the paper towel spraying the floor, my bags and slippers on the way out. I felt much better, however did not like the look of the devastation on the floor of the birthing room.

My fabulous boyfriend pressed the call button for the Midwife, who dutifully cleaned up the mess, and provided us with some cardboard containers if I felt the need to be sick again. She also gave me an anti-sickness tablet. I was slightly confused by her intentions in giving me something else to fuel my stomach and had no doubt this would be hitting the floor in a few minutes (or hopefully the cardboard container). True to form, I was sick several more times, but we were prepared for it, and my Fabulous Boyfriend was on hand to catch anything that came up. He then offered me my toothbrush and toothpaste to freshen my mouth, I may be giving birth, but dental hygiene is still important!

Over the next few hours I focused on my breathing to help with the contractions. As the pain intensified, I started telling myself 'the pain was nothing, and it did not last long', over and over until the contraction finished. This positive attitude really helped to get me through the contractions which were becoming longer and coming harder with not much of a break in between.

The gas and air was making my mouth dry so my Fabulous Boyfriend was on hand with lip balm and water whenever I demanded it, and I was becoming quite demanding. He still reminds me of my efforts to politely ask him to give me more lip-balm or more water. 'More lip balm', 'More water', 'You don't have to put the lid back on the water you know, then you could get it to me more quickly'.

The worst moment during the early hours of the morning was the one and only time my Fabulous Boyfriend left me to use the toilet. In these short minutes that seemed like hours, I felt a contraction coming. My fabulous boyfriend returned from his trip to my en-suite bathroom to find me cross and in some discomfort. He explained that in my attempt to boost the tens machine, I had managed to turn it off! Thankfully, my Fabulous Boyfriend held in any other urges to use the toilet until after Baby E was born.

From this time until 4am, the contractions came faster and faster. The consultants want to see 4 in a 10 minute period, and I was spot on target, sometimes I was having more! I knew when a big contraction was coming as I would start shaking, and my teeth would chatter with the shock. While these contractions were forceful, they did not last any longer than normal so I knew with my mantra I could get through it. 'They did not last long, and they were not that painful.' The Midwife encouraged me to use visualisation to help with the bad contractions, and the shaking. Her suggestion was to visualise candles on a birthday cake, and I am pleased to say it worked. I was able to see the flames flickering on the top of the candles on the cake. I could blow out the candles when the contraction subsided. I felt like I was maintaining control, and had no worries in believing I could give birth in the way I wanted.

I was looking forward to the next examination at 4am. I was progressing well, and the midwife was being very supportive and kept telling me how well I was doing. I really hoped we would be a good 8cm dilated, and was pleased when finally 4am arrived and the Midwife said it was time for my examination.

The Birth of Baby E - Part 2

Here is the second part of the story of the birth of Baby E


It was Tuesday 18th November 2008. We had attended our induction appointment, and had been having a lovely time relaxing in the bath in the labour ward at the hospital for about 3 hours when the Midwife came to collect us for the consultants 10pm round. It had been about 4 hours since our last examination. We moved to the delivery suite from the bathroom and I was connected back up the the machine to monitor Baby E's heartbeat and my contractions. After the examination I was disappointed to be told that I was still only 1cm dilated! How could this be? I had been having contractions for the last 4 hours, and nothing had happened! The Midwife explained that while I was still only 1cm dilated, the cervix had moved forward slightly so things were progressing, however things were going very slowly!


The Midwife told us we were doing very well, however they needed to take more action to speed things along a bit. Baby E was nearly 2 weeks overdue and he needed to come out into the real world. The consultant came to see us, and we agreed that I would have my waters broken. This was the last non-drug related intervention they could do to help encourage the contractions. I was connected to a drip so I could have some intravenous antibiotics (I have a non functioning spleen). The consultant then began a most uncomfortable procedure I have ever had to break my waters. I think because the cervix was still quite far back it was not an easy procedure, and I found it quite difficult to remain composed. It felt like she had been routing around for hours pulling by most intimate part around, but was probably only a matter of seconds before I had to ask her to stop.



I felt completely invaded, and was finding it hard to focus on my breathing and mantra. The consultant let me relax for a few moments before asking if she could start again. She must be joking! I had to refuse as I was feeling very shaky and I my teeth were chattering from the shock. Suddenly I could feel something wet running down my thigh and I told the consultant I thought it had worked. She gave me one of those patronising looks and said she would have to check. Soon enough the waters had reached her viewing platform and I felt elated when the consultant was able to confirm my waters had broken. Hooray, I don't think I could have composed myself enough to allow her to have another go.


Sadly the procedure of having my waters broken completely knocked me off course, and I felt like crying. I expect I had a little cry as my body was not happy. Emotionally this was very hard. I felt like I had put my body through too much already, how could I go through with the whole birth? Mentally I was still fit for anything, but physically? I knew I needed all my resolve to give birth to Baby E the way we had planned, and while it was not going to be easy, I still knew mentally I was able.


Thankfully at this stage my Fabulous Boyfriend had connected up the tens machine, and did a perfect job of managing the boost button when the contractions came, and he was able to use the machine that monitored the baby's heart beat and my contractions to time it exactly when I needed it.


At the next examination, I was still not progressing much further, so we agreed to let them accelerate the birth by using a drip. This was the first stage of true medical intervention, and we were disappointed, but realistic that we knew they had a job to do, and they were going to do it. We had negotiated with them to hold off doing anything since we were admitted about 8 hours ago, so felt we had had a good run on our own. As the contractions began to speed up accompanied by feelings similar to strong period pains, I sat on the bed working out how to use the gas and air. As the hours went by, and we moved into the night I melted into the bed with the Sergent Pepper album as my own personal soundtrack in my head. The room was spinning, and everything was becoming all blurry. Voices were muffled, and words merged into each other. I was completely high on the gas and air, this was fantastic!

The Birth of Baby E - Part One

Baby E is now 5 months old, however I want to make a record of the experience of his birth. My Grandma said that giving birth was the most wonderful experiences of her life. I prefer to say that while giving birth was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life, Baby E is the most wonderful thing I have ever created and he provides me with the most rewarding memories everyday.


Baby E was born on the 19th November 2008. He was 13 days late to his due date, and enjoyed living in my tummy so much that we attended an induction appointment on Tuesday 18th November.


The day of the induction arrived, and I was due to attend my appointment at 4pm in the afternoon. I spent the day with my Fabulous Boyfriend in his office in Derby so he would not have to take more time off before the birth than necessary. We walked into town to get some lunch, and sat eating our baked potatoes by the fountain in the sun. As we were walking back to the office I noticed the sensations in my tummy (something like a mild period pain) were becoming stronger. Over the next few hours as I watched a film in an office on my own the contractions became more regular, coming every three minutes, and lasting for 3 minutes.


My fabulous boyfriend and I were excited about this development as we set off to the Hospital for our appointment. We were hoping the doctors would tell us we were in labour, and I was secretly hoping a miracle had happened and I would be 8cm dilated and Baby E would give me the easiest birth in the history of giving birth.


We arrived and were shown the way to the induction ward along with another couple. The induction room could be my home for the next 24 hours if the doctors were to tell me I was not in labour yet. I was given the usual tests (urine, blood pressure etc), and we were allowed to rest until the consultant did his rounds.


With all our fingers crossed, we told the consultant that we thought something was already happening and he confirmed this with an internal examination, telling us that I was 1cm dilated. This was easy! If this was 1cm, then roll on the other 9cm, I was ready. The consultant confirmed there was no need to induce me, he performed a sweep, and then I was left to be monitored with a belt and heart monitor to measure the contractions and Baby E's heart.

During this time we chose to relax by watching a movie on our laptop. We chose a comedy as I had read it would lighten the mood, and laughter will help to combat any pain I may feel. The film we watched was so funny, that we struggled to contain our laughter! We had to turn the sound down low so as not to disturb all the other Mums. Some of them were already reaching for the gas and air so we were probably not too popular with our stifled giggles.

Once all the measurements were taken the midwife offered me a bath to help with the progression of labour. I felt like I was in heaven. I lovely deep bath was filled for me with lots of bubbles piled high to the top. The bath was wonderfully warm and was fitted with a temperature gauge so we could top it up with hot water when needed but make sure it was not too hot for Me and Baby E. We were allowed to relax for a few hours in the bath until the consultants did their rounds at about 10pm. I was closely monitored by the midwife for the whole time I was bathing, so we were happy that they knew if things were running to plan. My Fabulous Boyfriend took lots of photographs, and fed me food from the bag I had prepared. I took the opportunity to call my family to tell them we were all well, and that Baby E was on his way.

I spent this time practicing my breathing I had learned from my Yoga DVD. The golden thread breathing was working perfectly, and I could imagine myself at my favourite beach in Dorset watching the waves crash on the shore and then retreat back to the sea. I was feeling good about the pain management (as there was not much pain), and feeling strong mentally and physically to give birth.

We were thrilled that I did not have to be induced, and bubbling with excitement and anticipation at how the evening was going to progress. We had a lovely time, and were on a real high wave of emotions that we would very soon meet Baby E.

Heyfever and pregnant or breastfeeding.

I have suffered from hayfever since my teens. Despite my efforts to tell myself it is all in my mind, every year my hayfever gets worse until I can no longer go outside during the months of April - August without taking antihistamine. This is fine if you are happy to take drugs for five months of the year, and spend lots of money on eye drops, inhalers and pills. It is another case entirely if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and suffer from hayfever.

Like many mothers, I chose not to take any drugs during my pregnancy. I wanted to ensure that the baby that I am nurturing and growing inside me was as perfect as could be, and had the best start in life. I knew hayfever would be a problem when I was pregnant or breastfeeding however I was determined not to succumb to the drugs, and had full resolve to go cold turkey for the season. Maybe I would not suffer from hayfever while I was pregnant, maybe my new healthy diet would help.

How wrong could I be! Within a few weeks of the hayfever season starting it was unbearable. I could not go outside for more than a minute without my eyes watering, my throat swelling, my nose running and constant unfaltering sneezing. I could just about make it to the car everyday to travel to work, and prayed that the air conditioning would work in the office so a window would not be opened. This was not the life I planned while pregnant.

Suffering from hayfever when pregnant or breastfeeding is so debilitating. I felt trapped, and hated the thought of spending the summer and so majority of my pregnancy indoors with no fresh air. I was even tempted to reach for the antihistamines! Fortunately my Fabulous Boyfriend was at hand to stop me. He promised to hunt the shops until he found a solution. My Fabulous Boyfriend found a herbal remedy for hayfever sufferers that was safe to use when pregnant or breast feeding. He return with "HayMax" in two varieties (Haymax Lavender, and Haymax Pure). http://www.haymax.biz/

Haymax is a none drug solution to hayfever, and so is suitable for hayfever sufferers who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Haymax is an organic sunflower/beeswax drug free pollen barrier that you apply regularly around the bottom of your nostrils. It catches the pollen and prevents it from travelling up your nose thus stopping an allergic reaction. I was amazed that it worked ... it really worked. No runny nose, no sneezing, no sore or swollen throat, and no headache. I used Haymax Pure during the day, and Haymax Lavender for night-time. I slept much better at night than when using drugs, as Haymax does not stop working unless you wipe it off your nose, whereas drugs can stop working half way through the night, and you may not be able to take anymore until morning.

I personally found that Haymax worked better than any other treatment for hayfever. I find it amazing that it is not more widely known as a solution to hayfever particularly for pregnant or breastfeeding women. I found it to be such a good barrier against heyfever that I have already started to use it this year ... and I am not pregnant! I am still using the two pots I was given last year, so don't need to rush out and buy new drugs as last years are out of date. It is more cost effective, and wonderful to know that I am doing the best for my body and my baby.

My first week being pregnant

Within a week of conceiving Baby E, I started behaving in a crazy way. I did not know I was pregnant yet, however the hormones I was producing were already changing the way I would react to situations.

The weekend after we conceived, my fabulous boyfriend was working on some finishing touches to his house before we put it on the market. I had decided to stay at home and strip some wallpaper in the dining room (could this be an early sign of nesting???). Half way round the room, my wallpaper stripper stopped working. We owned more than one wallpaper stripper, however no matter where I looked, I could not find it. A text conversation ensued between myself and my Fabulous Boyfriend where I learned that it had been in his car for the last 2 months. The text conversation quickly turned into a text argument, which was fuelled by my over active hormones. I was furious that he had not thought to bring it into the house for me (just in case mine broke), and could not believe that he was so happy to drive around with it in his car. Was he some sort of D.I.Y. emergency service? Did he think he may happen upon a wallpaper stripping emergency, and he could come to the rescue? Why was it still in his car???



We argued both on the phone, and by text all day. My Fabulous Boyfriend had no-where to run or hide from my crazy mood, and I thought myself perfectly justified in being angry and blaming him for anything and everything that went wrong that day.



I am normally a patient, calm and relaxed person. Once we found out that I was pregnant, it became a little more clear why I had behaved so much out of character and in such a hideous way that weekend.



I am pleased to say my over active hormones did not produce many more mood swings of this kind while I was pregnant. I think my Fabulous Boyfriend worked very hard to make sure I stayed happy and relaxed so we could make a happy and relaxed baby. I dislike arguing so much, life is too short for fighting, and I am pleased to say I spent the rest of my pregnancy in relative harmony with my Fabulous Boyfriend.

How we made a Baby.

Baby E is now 3 months old, and my mind is drifting back to his time last year when we were lucky enough to conceive him. We conceived Baby E on the 16th February, yes, you guessed it, he is a valentines baby!



I was 32, and had made up my mind I wanted a baby within the next year. I was tired from working long hours, was a long term sufferer of migraines, and had already started a course of acupuncture in the summer to give me more energy. I wondered how I would cope with fitting a baby into our busy lifestyle, so knew I had lots to sort out before a baby could come along. I decided to adopt a new healthier lifestyle.



My new healthy lifestyle meant a trip to a nutritionist who gave me a list of foods I was intolerant to and therefore food to avoid, a course of acupuncture, and coming off the contraceptive pill. This all started at the beginning of December 2007. Getting pregnant was never on the list of things to achieve, however would be a welcome blessing. My new lifestyle free from medicine meant we had to find an alternative form of contraception. I wanted to be more in tune with my body, so decided to use Persona http://www.persona.info/uk/index.php to help me understand my monthly cycle. It seemed the perfect contraceptive for us, and I ticked all the boxes as a suitable user.



Persona was easy. After the required waiting time following coming off the contraceptive pill, I started to to use it. Each morning I would wee on a little stick, and pop the stick into the Persona machine. The machine then tracks your ovulation cycle. When Persona gives a green light it is telling you that you may have sex with no risk of pregnancy. When Persona gives a red light it is telling you that you are at risk of becoming pregnant if you have unprotected sex.



We had been using Persona for a few weeks. The most negative aspect I could find was that it put me in control of when we could or could not have penetrative sex. I had seen my Fabulous Boyfriend looking at the machine in the mornings, so I started to assume he knew if we were at risk of becoming pregnant. I decided to stop telling him each morning if it was a red or green day (I was starting to feel like the parent in our relationship, telling him when he could or could not play with his favourite toy).



The morning of the 16th February 2008, Persona showed a red light. As we were nearing the end of some passionate love making, it became apparent that my Fabulous Boyfriend had either not looked at Persona that morning, or he had looked but did not understand what Persona had to tell him. I expected him to do the honourable thing and withdraw when was close to climaxing, however he did not!!!



Rather than being shocked at my Fabulous Boyfriend's act, I laughed. I genuinely found it funny that he was so naughty, and I did not think for one moment we would actually make a baby. I explained that Persona had given a red light, and he suggested I should have told him as he did not know, and never knows what Persona is doing. To this day, my Fabulous Boyfriend tells me he thinks I withheld the red light information as I had the intent to get pregnant. I believe he knew that Persona was showing a red light, and did not withdraw so we could get pregnant. Maybe it was the twinkle in his eye, or the way he jumped up and down with excitement when my period was late that arose my suspicions ... we will never know.

It was all forgotten by the next morning, until Persona told me I was ovulating over the next 2-3 days. I called down the hallway to my Fabulous Boyfriend, letting him know that Persona had told me we could have made a baby. I never thought for one minute we would actually get pregnant. It would never be that easy! My fabulous Boyfriend's reaction was "Yippee".



I laugh to myself when I look back at this time. Only a few weeks before conception, we had had a conversation about starting a family. I had told my Fabulous Boyfriend that I wanted a baby in the next year. He had laughed at a statement I had made about not wanting to be pregnant during the hay fever season, and he asked me when he would need to impregnate me! He thought it was too planned, preferring to live life as it comes. Soon we would find out we would not have to wait that long for our little bundle of joy to arrive.


I am so happy that we made Baby E out of love. There was no stress involved, or pressure to conceive, just the two of us making love. I look at Baby E now, and feel so happy to have made him. He is so beautiful, and has made our lives complete.