Edward Arthur Amos
Son of Chris and Anna Amos
Born on the 15th June 2010
At King’s College Hospital
Weighing 7lb 7oz
lthough they were very much looking forward to becoming parents, Anna and Chris still had a moment of nervousness, when they discovered that Anna was pregnant. “We were excited, and anxious. Even though the pregnancy was planned, there was still a part of us that panicked and wondered whether we were really ready for a baby.”
Fortunately, Anna had a good pregnancy, with no serious problems. “The tiredness when I was still working was sometimes tough, but otherwise I enjoyed it – it was great to get a seat on the train!” She and Chris decided to find out the sex of their baby at one of their scans. “We decided that the birth moment was going to be emotional enough, without the extra surprise. And I also felt that finding out would help me to bond with my bump more. We really didn’t mind which sex the baby was, but I do think that it helped both of us to prepare better, knowing that we were having a blue bundle.”
Armed with this information, Chris and Anna were able to make all the necessary preparations for the imminent arrival. “We painted the nursery, and bought everything we thought we might need, and more. When I started maternity leave I washed and ironed all his tiny clothes – I even ironed his baby grows – I haven’t done that again since! I loved opening his wardrobe and seeing all his things hanging up neatly.”
“We felt ready, but, to be honest, I don’t think you’re ever really ready!”
Edward must have decided to give his parents a few more days to get used to the ides, because he arrived nearly two weeks late. “After being induced twice, I went into labour. I was in labour for about ten hours, and then, right at the last minute, it was discovered that Edward had his head tilted and he couldn’t get out! So, after a lot of hard work, I ended up having an emergency c-section. Chris was very involved: his main roles were passing the water and holding the fan – it was hot and thirsty work!”
“Chris was the first to hold Edward, and I remember him saying that he was very soft. I was just in total awe – I couldn’t get over how beautiful he was.” The feeling of unreality continued for Anna, when she was able to take her baby son home. “It was a bit strange, because we didn’t really know what to do. We took Edward around the house, to show him his new home. Then father and son settled down on the sofa to watch their first England football match together!”
Although they admit that nothing could have prepared them for the reality of parenthood, Chris and Anna certainly have no regrets. “We knew parenthood was going to be life changing, and it certainly is. It’s all about survival in those first few months, and you just have to take each day as it comes. No one said it was easy being a parent, but it’s definitely worth it.”
