I have been otherwise pre-occupied with baking our sweet baby girl for the past 40 weeks and 2 days to be precise. No one can prepare you for pregnancy, birth, the fourth trimester and becoming a mother for the first time. No two stories are the same, well there are similarities but each is unique and a gift to embrace wholeheartedly. I feel blessed to experience the joy, beauty and wonder of growing another human inside my belly. At the age of 43 it truly was a gift from God because only 1% of women conceive without medical intervention at my age. I believe minimising stress, keeping fit, eating organically, seeing a Chinese traditional medicine lady and having acupuncture helped my body prepare to grow our little one. A promise I have waited almost a lifetime for and I am blessed beyond measure and my heart filled with praise and gratitude at how loved I am by our Creator to be Madeleine’s mama.

After a long 18 hour labour and only dilating 3cm baby and mama were in distress so we had to have a c-section. One thing you can count on is that you can have the best birth plan but it really is only the most desired outcome and there is no guarantee that it will go perfectly to plan!. Over the years I had heard many a story from girlfriends and the only consistency was that no story is ever the same. My plan was to have a drug free natural birth but would assess the situation as needed and always put our safety first. One of the best decisions we made was to do the Calmbirth course which had been recommended by a number of mums. We had a lovely weekend away in the Southern Highlands doing the two day pre-natal course. Calmbirth taught us techniques to manage labour, to work as a team and how I could be supported emotionally, physically and on a practical level during the birthing experience. I could not recommend this course enough for all those preparing for birth and labour. Pregnancy, giving birth and beyond really takes love, encouragement and support from your birthing partner.

Our little girl officially arrived on Friday 10 June 2016 at 12.40pm weighing 2820 grams and measuring 47.5 centimetres in length. Little M and I are at home in our warm love cocoon and hiding away from the chill of the cool winter air. I cannot imagine life before her. She was meant to be here to join our family. I may be biased but I think she is perfection. Her little face keeps me going. Breastfeeding on demand every 1 1/2 – 3 hours, doing everything one handed, being sleep deprived, eating, showering and going to the bathroom when I can, ignoring the pain from my c- section and chronic carpal tunnel lingering since my third trimester. She needs me more than ever right now and these days are precious and she will grow so quickly. I am thankful to have this time with her and watch her develop and grow.

In the meantime my gorgeous girl has been such a divine model for her mama! With a stylist/photographer mum her ‘portfolio’ is going to be filled with lots and lots of pics so stay tuned for more coming your way! Here are just a few to brighten your day – Madeleine Rose, 11 days old.

Calmbirth Unit 1, 19 Lyell Street Mittagong NSW Australia (02) 4871 1806

In all things beautiful,

Lyn x

ps. A special thank you to my mum who has filled our freezer with lots of nourishing food. My brother Simon who has kept us in supply of the best organic produce and to Elaine and my sister Greer for cooking a couple of meals. The best gift to a new mum is prepared meals! Coming a close second is having someone mind baby for a few hours so I can eat, shower or take a nap. It is the last thing on your mind when you are 24/7 tending to the needs of baby. Being pretty much house bound and not able to drive having my Aunty Wei, sisters Greer and Kathryn running around town for consumables and groceries has been my lifeline. THANK YOU my angels! It has been difficult relying on others especially because I am so independent and like to just get things done. xx  

NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: Planning and timing is of the essence when photographing newborns. Plan your shoot straight after their feed when they are super chilled and drunk on mama’s milk. Have all your outfits and props ready and dress the little one before feeding if the ‘costume’ allows. If you are shooting with natural light work out the best time of day to do this and click away because you only have anywhere between 5 and at a stretch 20 minutes before baby becomes restless.

Introducing {Miss Madeleine Rose}

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