Beth A's story

I’m Beth, I had the marvellous Edith in July 2020, I also had a little boy with very complex needs, Dougie, who died in 2018.  We also have my partner’s fab boys who live with us half the week so Edith has amazing big brothers. 

2020 (and 2021) has been both amazing and really hard. Both my partner and I were really anxious throughout the pregnancy due to the traumatic pregnancies we had had before with previous partners.  I really struggled early on as our support network disappeared. Normally I could access my counsellor at the local Children’s Hospice and meet up with my friends who knew us. Phone and Zoom calls were helpful but not the same. 

We had an amazing midwife and Edith’s birth was very straightforward. My partner was with me for the birth but when he had to go home and I was on the ward alone I really struggled as it brought back really traumatic memories. 

Since having Edith life has been bonkers.  She’s an amazing, confident, strongminded lass.  Juggling her, home schooling her brothers, my partner having a (more than) full time job supporting local businesses who are struggling with lockdown and running my Speech and Language Therapy business (my business partner also had a lockdown baby - we didn’t time this well at all!!!), means there is little time for sleep. 

I really miss friends and family, she has met one set of grandparents but the others are stuck in Australia; the house is a mess, there’s washing everywhere but there are lots of moments of pure joy in everyday; from finding huge puddles to splash in; watching Edith’s eyes light up when her big brothers come back; and grabbing moments of calm with my partner at the end of the day. 

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