I had an incident free pregnancy (besides finding out that Conor was arriving four weeks earlier than originally thought and working out that I had been skydiving when he was 4 weeks old). I managed to play netball, touch football and live an almost unchanged life until my tummy got too big.

To have had this little person growing inside me for the best part of a year, giving me a kick and feeling him move inside was just a beautiful experience.

The moment that my waters broke I was at home ready to take our dog for a walk. I turned to Jonathan and said that I thought something was happening. Jonathan had forgot all that he learnt at antenatal classes and ran around the house trying to remember what to do and where we had put my bag for hospital.

I could not believe that I was about to become a mum, driving in the car to hospital all I wished for was that our little baby was going to be healthy.

After hours of the most intense pain that I had ever felt in my life the midwives delivered Conor James at 1.24am on 22 November 2003 .

Both Jonathan and myself were totally overcome by the emotion of the event. Jonathan looked at me, his eyes full of tears, told me that he loved me and that we had a beautiful baby boy. The feeling of absolute exhaustion and not being able to keep my eyes open seem to go away when I heard Conor cry.

When I looked down at him the first thing that immediately came to mind was, he was perfect. To think that two people can create such a life is beyond all of the realms of my imagination.

Thinking back at the labour and the most severe pain I had ever come across, was all worth it when I look at the two men who have now formed my own family. 

Jon & Michelle with Conor…