Our Real Housewife of Cheshire, Hanna Kinsella, shares both the joys and the troubles of new motherhood

Happy spring Living Edge readers! I’m so happy that everything is springing into life and lockdown is finally easing. By the time you read this, Maximus will be two months old and it has been the best two months of our lives as a family unit.

Great British Life: It may take till lunchtime, but we do eventually all get dressed!It may take till lunchtime, but we do eventually all get dressed! (Image: Chic PR)

Our beautiful baby boy arrived safe and well on February 20th and we chose the name Maximus because it means ‘strong and powerful’ and we know he’ll do great things. We also like the shorter version of ‘Max’ and we went for James for his middle name because it is Martin and Martin’s dad’s middle name and also Martin’s granddad’s first name.

If you’ve been following my Instagram you’ll see that I have been very honest about how hard being a first-time parent actually is. I feel it’s important to show that it’s not all cute pictures and happy families. It has been a lot harder than we expected, but the love is even stronger than we ever imagined so that makes up for everything. The reality is ‘feed, change, sleep, repeat’ and that is just baby Max! Sometimes we don’t get showered until after lunchtime. We’d say to each other in those first few weeks; ‘Its 12.30, where has the day gone; what have we actually done?!’ Breastfeeding was difficult for me, especially at the start as it really hurt but then we found out that Max had been struggling with being tongue-tied.

The birth wasn’t quite how I’d planned. He was 11 days overdue and I really wanted to try and give birth to him naturally, with a caesarean the last resort, so after going overdue I had a sweep (which was the most uncomfortable thing ever!), and then a pessary to try and get my contractions to start. I then went into a slow labour at home for five hours. I went back to the hospital and they told me that I was only 2cm dilated so I went home and got in the bath for eight hours; I was like a shrivelled prune! We went back to hospital again at this point as nothing was happening and they put me on an oxytocin drip, gave me an epidural and I was ready for action. I was in agony at this point but in between contractions I was trying to tell Martin jokes and gags to help the situation! I was then in labour for another eighteen hours and because it had gone on for so long, Max’ heart rate was going up and down a lot so we had to go for a C-section in the end. Tears were shed and I was very scared indeed but it had to be done and Maximus was with us just a few minutes later. When they showed him to me, they lifted him up like Simba in The Lion King and I burst into tears. I could see how much he looked like Martin and I said ‘oh my god, I’ve given birth to my husband’ and everyone laughed!

Great British Life: It's wonderful that as restrictions ease I am able to take Maximus out of the house and even to meet familyIt's wonderful that as restrictions ease I am able to take Maximus out of the house and even to meet family (Image: Chic PR)

It’s been a couple of months now since Max’s arrival and things are getting easier; we’re adjusting to being parents and getting to know him (yes, we know that angry cry means you are hungry!) It’s been an amazing couple of months because as the lockdown restrictions eased, we could finally show him off to our friends and relatives in small numbers and we’ve already had my first Mother’s Day, my birthday and my mum’s birthday in the first two months of his life! He’s even been on the RHOCH set (more on this in the next issue)