Living with a child who's dairy free, lactose free, soya free, and sugar free, you'd image we'd be living an incredibly healthy plant based vegan life style. Wrong. I'm still learning how to adapt our meals for Clara as there's a lot of vegetables she can't tolerate, she can't have excess oil (we avoid pan … Continue reading Going sugar free in January
Finding our ‘normal’, settling into life after maternity leave
You've probably noticed, but I've had writers block. That, and settling into life has got in the way. We're now just one week from the end of January and I thought it was about time I shared an update for those of you who don't follow along our daily ramblings on Instagram. January marked my … Continue reading Finding our ‘normal’, settling into life after maternity leave
Happy 1st Lifeday Clara!
January 10th is Clara's Lifeday. It's like a birthday, except we're not celebrating her birth (oh no, that's too normal), we're celebrating LIFE. For on this day, Clara was given a chance at life. Today, a year ago, was the day we talked (very VERY briefly, ie we shut that conversation down) about palliative care. … Continue reading Happy 1st Lifeday Clara!
Caring for a baby with a stoma
I'd heard of a stoma, but I'd never seen one let alone cared for one. I'd certainly never even considered a baby might need one. Surprisingly, the majority of stomas in childhood are formed on babies - in fact, 1 in 10 need one. Clara's stoma is an ileostomy. The ileum is the last section … Continue reading Caring for a baby with a stoma
It’s busy, but it’s beautiful
So I said in my last blog post that TPN breaks were some way off. Well it wouldn't be Clara if she went at 100 miles an hour and defied my expectations. Her blood cultures (after the positive) have all returned negative. So today we had a four hour break again! Clara's face below perfectly … Continue reading It’s busy, but it’s beautiful
Feeling more like us again
Boy is this an emotional roller coaster. Only days ago I wrote: "... it should have felt like we were close to getting back to ‘normal’. Back to milk feeds, tpn breaks, and walking around the ward with my baby in my right arm and her pump stand in my left. Perhaps looking ahead to … Continue reading Feeling more like us again
Recovering from stoma surgery & investigating a blood infection
It's been a tough week. I'm exhausted. It's hard to describe the feeling, it's simply mentally draining at the moment. I spend all my time worrying about Clara that I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment. I'm sure every parent feels this, in fact I'm sure the worry never leaves: from the first … Continue reading Recovering from stoma surgery & investigating a blood infection
