It's wonderful to host novelist and actress Sara Alexander's guest post today on the how she finds it vital to nourish herself creatively in order to be the best parent she can be.
Pregnancy - and especially your first pregnancy - can be a daunting experience. As a self-certified hypochondriac, even the smallest ailment is enough to to send my worry-levels into overdrive, so as you can imagine, when 'with bump' this was a million times worse.
Oh my, where to start with our time at the newly opened Rainbow Factory in Farsley, Leeds-as soppy as it sounds I find myself welling up recalling our experience there as it was like no other we've had as family, before.
Gillene Butterfield is an Opera Singer, who works full time for Opera North. She became a Mum in September 2014 and lives in Leeds with her husband Nick, who is also a singer.
Gillene returned to work in March this year after her maternity leave, to take on the lead role of Julie Jordan in the revival of Carousel (13-23rd May) at the Grand Theatre Leeds and on tour.
Isley Lynn is an American-born, London-based playwright and poet. Her work has been produced and supported by the National Theatre Studio and Cottesloe Theatre, Nabokov, Lyric Hammersmith, the Tricycle, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Ovalhouse, the Arcola, Apples and Snakes, Battersea Arts Centre and Literary Death Match.
Women have C-sections for all kinds of reasons, be it emergencies or electives to help ensure mother and baby are safe as well as for example if a women feared birth greatly. We are lucky that in the UK we now have the choice to request a section. It is our right.
