After nearly 10 months of anticipation, I’m finally a very proud Mummy. Little Ludo Fogle was born on 9th December and after a bit of a rocky start is now thriving and growing fatter every day. Where to start. I went into labour the day before my due date and having said that I couldn’t wait to feel my first contraction, I very soon changed my mind…. 24 hours of breathing, tens, baths and groaning later, I was still only 2cm dilated and I went into hospital begging them to give me an epidural. I seriously considered calling Ludo Epidural in homage to the wonderful anaesthetic. It was amazing.

In the end however I needed to have an emergency cesarean – I’d developed an infection and had a very high temperature and they’d noticed some meconium in my waters as well as Ludo’s heartbeat slowing after my contractions. I was whisked into theatre and ten minutes later a little screamer was placed on my chest. I was totally exhausted and overwhelmed – I hadn’t slept for three nights but so relieved that our little boy had arrived safely. We’re home from hospital after a bit of a longer stay. Ludo had 24 hours in the special care unit as he’d punctured a lung and also had an infection. It was heartbreaking to have my little one taken away from me and not being able to cuddle him but the wonderful staff made both of us better and he reminds me many times a day now just how strong and healthy his lungs are.

We’re now settling in at home and starting to live life again. One of my favourite things is taking Ludo out for walks with the dogs. He loves being outdoors, cosily wrapped up in his Mini-la-Mode cashmere and I find that he sleeps even better after a good dose of fresh air. I currently feel like a cow, feeding my son every three hours with very little time for anything else. However I do hope to continue this blog, reflecting on what was indispensable during my labour.
Thank you for your sweet comments and do watch this space.

I finally bit the bullet and bought all the baby stuff I’ve been told is essential for the arrival of a newborn. I’d been recommended a company called Babylist which can advise and order everything you need – from nipple guards to changing tables. I was a bit suspicious – my wedding list company had failed to deliver on time and seemed intent on selling us the most overpriced ‘gifts’ . I hate the idea of being ripped off and didn’t want it to happen again.

By the time I was 34 weeks though, the thought of traipsing around dozens of shops getting all this stuff (and probably forgetting half of it) didn’t appeal to me at all. So I persuaded my sister Chiara to accompany me and together with my sister in law’s 12 week old labradoodle puppy, we headed off to the Babylist warehouse – ‘just to see’.

We were greeted by the charming founder Anita, and as soon as word of the puppy spread , she was followed by the rest of the Babylist girls. Sitting comfortably with a delicious decaf cappuccino and a plate of dried fruit, we proceeded to go through everything a prospective parent will need for the arrival of their baby. Babylist stocks a huge range of brands and the consultants will advise you on which is best for you. As they’re not selling only one brand, their advice really is impartial.

Anita had prepared a list of things to consider – everything from nursery furniture including nappy bins, to breast pumps and baby baths. Included were a few things I never would have thought of – for instance a thermometer that you stick in the baby’s ear that will instantly tell you what their temperature is. If you think your baby might be unwell, the first thing the doctor will ask if you call is if they’ve got a temperature. This really is the perfect thing to have in your medicine cabinet. They’ve also got all the cute stuff – adorable hand knitted cashmere cardis and hats, mobiles and by far the nicest nursery furniture I’ve seen, as well as buggies, car seats.

I left two hours later with a comprehensive list of things I’d bought. Their prices are retail prices and they promise to match any price on the high street. I even have a list of things to order on my next Ocado shop – nappies, baby wipes, cotton wool pads etc. Best of all, your haul is delivered to your house and put in your nursery so that you can spend the extra time that you’ve saved with your feet up, relaxing.

*Complimentary consultation at Babylist for the first 10 mama-la-mode customers; Ring 0207 371 5145 to book now yours now!

The combination of the weather finally cooling and my stomach finally expanding has made choosing what to wear every morning this week particularly hard. There’s really no doubting I’m pregnant now – good when I get shunted to the front of the queue at the bank; bad if I’ve got nothing that fits.

So it’s back to basics. I’ve invested in one of every colour of Homemummy Rouched Bound Vest tops. They flatter my bump and are way long enough to cover its vast expanse.

And then you get to play with whatever goes on top. A selection of good cardigans is essential and thanks to this season’s trends, you don’t necessarily need to stick to maternity styles. My favourite is this Christopher Fisher Tie Cardigan which is the perfect piece throughout pregnancy and beyond. The tie, ties just above your bump giving it definition without making it look too big. It’s also not too bulky so you can easily wear it under a coat as the weather cools. Then when your baby is born and your tummy is not yet flat, the ties hide what needs hiding.

Another good trend is for long cardigans. I’ve got this Long Sleeve Stripe Cardi from Hobbs which is great over my skinny paige jeans or my beloved MLM leggings. It buttons up over my bump and keeps both of us toasty warm.

For a bit of evening sparkle, I love this sequin Juicy Couture cardigan. Again it would go over my mlm leggings with a pair of sky high heels (provided my husband is around to cling to and there’s no walking involved).

I had to pop into Sainsburys the other day, literally just for a second. It was one of those days, raining; I was running late and of course had forgotten to buy tarragon for dinner. In a black mood, I nipped into the car park and there was a mother and child space that enticed me into it. As I stepped out of my car, a man in a yellow jacket approached me and asked “Excuse me madam, where is your child?” to which I replied “I think it should be perfectly obvious that it’s in my uterus”. He didn’t really have an answer to that. Ha! No-one messes with a pregnant woman…

It’s a sad week for me. All is well with my baby but I finished my course of ante-natal classes. I somewhat poo-poohed the idea when it first came to signing up; I’d read a hell of a lot of books and coming from a medical family I knew everything, surely? A friend finally convinced me to sign up to Christine Hill (Christine Hill Associates 020 8994 4349), an obstetric physiotherapist who runs ante-natal classes in Chiswick and in September I trundled along, convinced I’d learn nothing new.

As our group of ten mummies-to-be sat there, nervously surveying each other, Christine announced “You’ll all be best friends. You may not think so now, but I guarantee you’ll be on the phone to each other constantly when your babies all arrive”. And thus our journey started. The weekly two hour sessions covered everything from what happens to you anatomically and emotionally, to what kit is essential for your new baby, via pain relief, breathing techniques and how to deal with your mother-in-law.

Christine tells it how it is – she’s very no-nonsense and the one thing you’re guaranteed to get is a straight answer. Little things like, she believes very strongly that you have to get into hospital within an hour of your waters breaking. They will quickly monitor the baby and if all is okay and you’re still in the early stages of labour, send you home again. There is a small chance that the baby could be restricting the umbilical cord and if this is the case, it needs to come out as soon as possible. Lots of hospitals discourage you from coming in at this early stage, but Christine advised us that if you ever want to be seen, just tell them that you can’t feel the baby moving. They’ll then see you straight away.

We talked to a doctor who explained all about medicalised deliveries, and a breastfeeding specialist who convinced us that if done correctly, sore nipples and mastitis can be avoided. After eight sessions, I not only feel confident about giving birth and looking after my newborn, but I can’t wait to feel my first contraction. And even better, Christine was right. Our group of girls are as thick as thieves. Charlie, ‘our’ first baby, was born a week ago, and we all shed a little tear when we heard the news….

National Childbirth Trust (NCT) www.nct.org.uk

I often get asked if there’s anything that really scares me about pregnancy and I’ve never been entirely honest with my answer. OK, the idea of labour is pretty scary but with any luck I’ll be in hospital with ready access to lots of drugs. No, what really scares me is the chance my feet might get bigger.

Most of you will be thinking how pathetic I am, but I already have trouble fitting in to a size 42 shoe and there are only a handful of shoe companies that will do a size 42, most finish at a size 41. And I love shoes. To me they are art. Really, I have my favourite pair displayed on the mantelpiece in my bedroom as I love to admire them.

So now you can understand why the stories of women’s feet going up a size in pregnancy and not shrinking back was scaring the hell out of me. Was I really going to be confined to shopping for shoes in transvestite shops if I wanted children?

You can imagine my relief when Emi, my colleague, forwarded me the website of French Sole. I thought this was going to be yet another disappointing ‘window shopping’ experience, the kind that leaves me deflated after the shop assistant with her stupid size 36 feet, raises her eyebrows at me when I ask if she has anything larger than a size 42. I clicked on a pair of patent grey ballet flat to find that they went up to a size 44. Yes 44.

I’m not joking when I say I did a little dance around the office, punching the air and whooping like an Olympic Gold Medallist. The gorgeous shoes arrived the following day (in spite of the postal strike) and I have not taken them off since. In spite of my expanding belly, these wonderfully large shoes have put a little skip back into my step.

After weeks of pretty summer dresses over bikinis, and combined with the distinctly autumnal weather we’ve been having, it’s time to get back into jeans and glam up a bit.

I’ve just bought this great sequined cardigan from mango – it goes perfectly over my black straight leg J-Brand maternity jeans and gives a bit of sparkle to the darker evenings.

I’ve invested in three pairs of good jeans for my pregnancy, one white, one dark blue and now as winter approaches I really do need the black. I find that the straight leg smartens them up, so teamed with the right top, can be perfect for day or evening. The thought of putting on skinny jeans right now makes me want to be sick, so a straight leg is ideal.

As none of my basic tops fit over my bump any longer, I’ve bulk bought a load – my favourite fit by far is the rouched skinny-strap cami from Mama La Mode. I prefer the rouching over my belly than flat as it somehow makes it look less huge. These come in ivory and black and are the perfect staple over jeans and covered with an interesting cardigan.

To finish off the evening look, I can’t resist including this ivy leaf pendant by Pippa Small – it’s time to celebrate autumn after all….

I’ve started knocking things over with my bum. Yes, bum not even bump. Yesterday I nearly broke the franking machine in my office, and that would have been expensive… Of course I’ve put on a bit of weight, but the potential franking machine disaster has made me aware that my body could be changing more than I wanted.

I have been keeping an eye on my figure. My bum doesn’t look too bad when I look in the mirror but I was wearing a super flattering pair of Paige jeans. I’m hoping that the clumsiness is all to do with my changing body proportions, but I guess you do have to watch your weight slightly when you’re pregnant.

So what to do? Firstly I’ve started pregnancy yoga to try and keep me relatively toned but also to stretch out those increasingly painful muscles. I signed up for Lolly Stirk’s classes in Notting Hill. Once a week we do 1 ½ hours of yoga followed by tea, biscuits and chat. During the course, Lolly teaches us how to cope with our changing bodies, suggests various ways to cope with aches and pains, as well as preparing us for labour through relaxation and breathing techniques.

For yoga I’m loving my MLM Fold Down Trousers and By Malene Birger Flossie Tank – they’re smart enough for me to wear to work no need to change for yoga. I did discover the most adorable t-shirt though which makes me chuckle every time I look in the mirror – the Snoopy “It started with a kiss” t-shirt – it brings back all the innocence into pregnancy….

Harry Eastwood’s recipes are full of surprises. I was looking at making the Heartache Chocolate Cake last week and first on the list of ingredients is beetroot! I thought I was going crazy but I trusted her and it rocked. I’m making the Cinnamon Banana Bread for Ben as a wedding anniversary treat this weekend. I’ll probably have polished it off by the time he gets home. Oh well, blame it on the baby. His fault, he knocked me up!

When I first started feeling those twinges of nausea at about 7 weeks, I welcomed them in spite of my discomfort; they were a sign that all was well with the baby and something I was prepared to endure. Plus, by 12 weeks I’d been feeling fine again. Or so I’d been told. In fact, rather than subsiding, the nausea got worse and started being accompanied by headaches and extreme fatigue.

I’m someone that usually operates at a hundred miles an hour and I suddenly found myself feeling horrendously hungover every day, in spite of the fact I hadn’t had a drink for weeks. I’d get home from work in the evening and flop in bed, clutching my head and groaning at the frustration of my affliction.

I spoke to my sister, Chiara, who is a doctor and breezily responded that after 20 weeks it would go. 20 weeks? That’s 5 months of feeling awful. No way. If the health service couldn’t help, I was going to find another way. My great friend Emily had for months been telling me about her fabulous acupuncturist and having heard that this ancient Chinese medicine could help with morning sickness, I decided to give Sarah a call.

We spent 45 minutes discussing my pregnancy and my lifestyle. She was easy to talk to and I found myself telling her about everything from nightmares to silly little insecurities. She suggested complementing the acupuncture with herbs and already after the first session I began to feel an improvement. Four weeks later, I was feeling on top of the world – wonderfully positive, full of energy and headache free. I was truly a different person. I’ve since been going every couple of weeks and even my nightmares have subsided.

The most important thing is to find an acupuncturist who is suitably qualified but also with whom you feel comfortable and who you can communicate well with. The British Acupuncture Council is the UK governing body and has a search facility with which you can find qualified practitioners who operate in your area. Look online at http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/ or call 020 8735 0400.

Acupuncture might not be for everyone – people react in different ways and I’d never say that it’s every person’s solution to morning sickness. But it’s a non-invasive treatment that is safe for you and your baby. I was desperate enough to try anything – and I’m certainly not looking back.

I’ve just spent the week in the green mountains and crystal clear lakes surrounding Salzburg. My family hail from here and when I’m out here we embrace the good life – delicious wholesome food, mountain walks with the dogs followed by diving into deep lakes surrounded by mountains whose water is clean enough to drink. It’s right out of the sound of music.

A dirndl is the most flattering piece of clothing – it emphasises your waist and gives even the most flat chested girl a fabulously impressive cleavage. I must admit, the idea of not being able to fit my expanding belly (and boobs) into a dirndl this year filled me with horror. “Don’t worry” chirped my dirndl clad mother, “I wore one until I was 8 months pregnant”. “Yes, but you still fit into your wedding dress, 30 years after your wedding. You’re not normal,” I grumbled back.
My sisters chose the most appropriate dirndl from our vast selection and the three of us, just about managed to coerce my enormous bust into the poor thing. We did all but the bottom two buttons up, the apron covered the bulge and even though my waist was nowhere to be seen, I really did look and feel fabulous….