“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” ― William Shakespeare,

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Baby L was 20 days new when she visited the studio with her new proud mummy and daddy. She was a tiny 7lb 3oz, the same weight a certain little new royal Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Arriving a little later than planned, a week and a bit, but who’s counting…. Mummy and Daddy said she’s already doing everything in her own time. We joked about how she was planned, but true to form she just took her time and came into existence when she was ready to do so.

While more than half of women experience some form of morning sickness during pregnancy, mummy was one of the 2% of women who suffered from hyperemeis gravida, which started at just 7 weeks in to her pregnancy. Having a difficult pregnancy makes this newborn stage so rewarding. Knowing it’s all over and it was so worth it.

Speaking about the birth itself Daddy was in awe of his partners strength. He said very proudly “it was pretty much a drug free birth”, they’d kept it as natural as possible. Mummy added that when her waters broke, Mocconuium was detected. “At that point I needed a little help, and had some diamorphine, which got me back on track and helped me to calm down.” Daddy added that they were then able to put into practice all they had learnt from their hypnobirthing practice.

The couple had been to our friend Sarah a brilliant Devon Hypnobirthing teacher, to learn all the skills they would need to prepare them for the birth. They were then able to put into practice and have a calming birth experience.. The DevonMama herself (who will be visiting the studio in the next few weeks) had this to say about her unique classes.

“You might wonder what hypnobirthing actually is? Is it for me? The answer is yes, it is for every pregnant woman, every woman preparing to give birth and wanting to have a positive experience. Knowledge really is power when it comes to labour and birth, understanding whats actually happening to your body throughout the whole process and how to deal with that to make your body work as efficiently as it can, to maximise relaxation and calm, to reduce pain and the length of your labour. Feeling confident and excited about your birth and removing any fears you may have. Through breathing techniques, relaxation and hypnotherapy you will equip yourself with a set of tools for birth and life. Including your birth partner in all your preparations is key to having that extra support on hand and them fully understanding your expectations for your labour and birth. Key information about when baby is born to prepare you for those early days of parenthood. The main aim is to prepare you for the right birth on the day whichever path your labour may take, having the confidence to handle what ever happens on the day in a positive way and look back and be happy with the choices that you made.”

To find out more on the services that DevonMama offer please click here.

Daddy added with admiration that Baby L is strong willed just like her mother. The two fiery red heads are two peas in a pod! I’m sure they will be twinning in no time at all and wrapping daddy around their little fingers.

“She’s strong, stubborn, and knows her own mind already”

her doting Daddy said with a beaming smile.

With Mummy being a teacher they found it hard to decide on a name…. Mummy like Isla and Daddy liked Layla…. So they decided to combine the two and come up with the perfect name for their little long awaited bundle.

Her name is Derived from the Arabic leila (night, dark beauty) or the Persian leila (dark-haired). Its use in England began with George Byon’s poem “The Giaour” (1813).

I asked them how the last 20 days had been. Without hesitation they smiled saying it had been both “magical” and “amazing”.

They described days just spending hours starring at her. Watching and learning each of her expressions and taking in how she is changing each and everyday. “Time seems irrelevant”, daddy stated. “I’ve never been happier to eat a cold dinner that I’d prepared hours before and eventually being able to eat it at 9.30pm”. Yep, I remember those meals all to well!

To see more from our newborn sessions click here.To know more information about what we offer in our newborn sessions than you can click here. To contact me and discuss your needs click here for our contact details.