Emma Willis: Delivering Babies (2018) s03e01 Episode Script

1
On the 23rd of March 2020,
the UK went into lockdown
following the Coronavirus outbreak.
You must stay at home,
so we can protect the NHS's ability
to cope and save more lives.
PHONE RINGS
And while the medics on
the front line worked tirelessly
to protect the nation
Red. Yeah, she's red.
..maternity teams up and down
the country played
an equally important role.
36.9.
The one thing that is
an absolute definite is that
babies are going to keep being born.
You know, you can't stop
childbirth during the pandemic.
In this extraordinary series,
filmed during lockdown,
television presenter,
mother of three
and fully qualified maternity
care assistant, Emma Willis
That's it. Well done.
..is going to find out just
what it's like to be pregnant
It's been a testing pregnancy,
hasn't it?
..and give birth during
these remarkable times.
Gloves and mask.
Reaching out to parents-to-be
across the UK
Hi. Oh, I can't hear you.
..she'll get to know them
virtually
Hello. How are you?
Good, thank you.
How has lockdown been?
Interesting.
..before asking them
to turn the camera on themselves
Right, let's get ready
for the action.
..and share the stress.
I'm nervous, if I'm honest.
I found it really
difficult to leave her.
I don't know why.
The drama
SHE SQUEALS
Can you get me a resusitaire?
..and the wonder
Oh, the joy of a cry.
..of bringing new life into the
world in the midst of a pandemic.
She's perfect.
Look at your baby.
Oh, my gosh.
Look at her little face.
And once restrictions are eased
Hi!
..Emma will travel to meet
the families in person
She's beautiful. Hi, Harry.
..to find out how
they are getting on.
Oh, hello.
I don't know what I'm more
excited about, actually,
meeting a new baby or
being out of the house.
Where are we and why are we here?
Well, we're in my house
..because we are slap bang
in the middle of lockdown
..and we were meant to be
filming series
three of Delivering Babies, but
we're in the middle of a pandemic
and you can't do anything
unnecessary,
especially sending a film crew
into a hospital to film women
having babies.
Instead, Emma is connecting
with families remotely
and the first couple happy to
share their maternity journey have
sent a short introduction video.
Hi, I'm Chris.
I'm Nkateko known as Takkies.
And we're the Dinwiddys.
Yay.
Takkies is a choreographer
and content creator.
Her husband of three years,
Chris, is in HR.
And we're having a Covid baby.
Exciting
and scary all at the same time.
Obviously I am British.
I am from here originally but
I spent ten years in South Africa.
Yes, and I am South African.
And so it starts. The journey.
Say, "I am going to London."
Takkies was two months pregnant
when they left South Africa,
which made saying goodbye
to her mum especially tough.
Say, "I love you."
Yes
Say, "See you soon."
Love you. Nana go bye.
I am leaving my family.
I'm leaving me.
This is me.
This is, like, my whole life.
What Takkies and Chris could
never have imagined was that,
just months after their move,
they'd be in lockdown.
Got you! Got you!
Takkies is now nearly
nine months pregnant,
and this will be her second child.
We have a toddler called
Sana who is two and a half.
And, for me, I had a previous life
so I have two beautiful
much older daughters.
And Takkies has plans
for an even bigger family.
Guys, I want seven kids.
So you can just imagine
how excited I am.
Two down for me.
Four down for you.
And five more to go, darling.
Ooh.
I got none in maths.
Under current social distancing
guidelines, Chris isn't
allowed to go with Takkies to her
antenatal hospital appointments.
See you on the other side.
Sorry you can't come.
I will try and ask for a video.
With the baby's due date fast
approaching, Emma wants to
find out how they are coping.
Hi.
Have you got your video turned on?
Should do. I can't see you.
Hey.
Hi. How are you? Good, thanks.
How are you? I am so good.
How have you found
pregnancy during a pandemic?
It is just so tough.
I can't go out. I can't do much.
I really feel I have missed out
because I haven't been to anything.
Like, I haven't been to scans
and I am not attending
any midwife appointments.
I mean, listening
to your baby's heartbeat,
and your husband or partner is not
there, does not feel great at all.
How hard is it not having
your mum here for this pregnancy?
Oh, it is so tough
not having my mum here.
Because she's my best friend.
She is my everything.
And with my first baby
she was there all the time.
We planned to have Nkateko's
mother come over. Yeah.
But we WhatsApp every day.
She checks up on me all the time.
So, yeah, we find ways.
And we try and stay positive to
make the situation better. Yeah.
Well good luck with everything.
Thank you so much, Emma. Thank you.
And I will speak to you really soon.
OK. Awesome. Thank you.
Take care. Bye.
MATT HANCOCK: In hospitals
across the country,
NHS staff are battling day and night
to keep desperately
sick people breathing.
Your steadfast commitment
to following the social
distancing rules
is making a difference.
So please keep going.
In line with nationwide Coronavirus
restrictions, partners are not
allowed on antenatal
or postnatal wards,
and can only join the birth
during the latter stages of labour.
The harsh reality is,
if you are a pregnant woman right
now, you are going to be going
to hospital and you are going
to be going on your own.
Walking up to the main entrance
where they wait for me.
I am nervous, if I'm honest.
They are having scans by themselves.
They are going through
early labour by themselves.
I'd feel vulnerable and lonely.
The panic would be real.
The worry would be real.
And as difficult and lonely as it is
for the mums, it is tough
too for those left out in the cold.
Obviously with everything
that is going on at the moment,
I have to stay in the car, which
really isn't ideal, to be honest.
She is going to be there
another 24 hours
and I found it really
difficult to leave her.
I don't know why.
I just got really upset. It's mad.
Pretty annoying that I have to wait
outside because of what's going on.
We're not allowed in.
So she has to go in by herself.
So it is now just a waiting game.
Another couple expecting their
second baby in a couple of weeks'
time are finding their own ways to
escape the pressures of lockdown.
We've decided to
go on a walk this morning,
up where we used to walk
every day basically
when lockdown first started.
And we didn't even know it was here,
at the back of where our house is.
We've made it to the top
of the big, steep hill.
Chloe, look at the camera.
Administrator Katie
is married to plumber Jay.
They live in East Sussex
with two-year-old Chloe.
We already have a little
girl called Chloe.
Excuse me. Good! Is it?
The lockdown's not been easy
when Jay's been at work,
and I have been at home 24/7
with a two-year-old.
That's been fun.
Cos she needs constant attention.
Attention.
And if juggling a two-year-old
and pregnancy wasn't tough enough,
Covid restrictions have
turned even the family shop
into a major logistic challenge.
For the last, like, three or four
weeks now,
we've been doing click and collect.
Our original shopping plan was
Jay Facetimed me
while he was in the shop
and I picked things out.
But it was getting very stressful.
Not my daddy.
So anyway, click
and collect is great.
There is obviously
substitutions but
Hello. And my name is Chloe.
And this is my daddy and mummy.
I am currently 38 weeks pregnant.
So she could come any day now.
I am sort of getting to the point
now where I am very tired
and worn out.
So I am ready for her to come
now, I think.
Yeah.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello. Sorry.
I just had to go upstairs.
We are having to move Chloe,
our little girl,
as she was watching Frozen
and she kept singing.
Belting out all the songs.
That would be quite nice to hear.
It is what I hear regularly
in my house as well so.
Oh, he's back.
Is she OK?
Yeah. Hi. Sorry. Hi, how are you?
I'm all right, thank you.
How's lockdown been? Interesting.
Is there anything
you are worried about?
The main thing I am worried
about is that Chloe can't
come into the hospital to
meet the baby.
We don't want to be home and
Chloe come back from my mum's,
and then there just be a baby there.
We don't really know how to go
about meeting in a way where she's
not going to feel like the baby is
an intruder, if that makes sense.
Everyone reckons she'll be fine.
But you don't know, do you?
Until it happens, I suppose.
Have you got Chloe
a gift from the baby?
I did that with my eldest
when my son was born.
We bought her something
that she loved.
So it almost took her attention off
the fact we had another human being.
She was like, "Yay I've got a tutu!"
I am sure you guys have got
it covered. Yeah. You'll be good.
Good luck. Thank you.
And I will speak to you soon.
Bye. Bye.
Yay, yay, Mummy, yay.
Yeah, bringing a new baby into
the house is quite a tricky affair.
When my youngest was
born my son didn't
deal as well as I thought he would.
I kept saying, "It'll be a bit
easier once she's a bit older,
"and a bit more independent."
But she's four now, and I'm
still saying the same thing.
It's that baby thing, innit?
The youngest.
She's outside the door now.
"Mummy!"
Yeah, yeah.
Medium to strong. I guess.
Just outside London, Takkies
is on the phone to her midwife.
I think I'll take a paracetamol.
Nearly two weeks past her due date,
her contractions have finally begun.
We were caught off guard
this morning.
We'd just woke up and had a coffee.
Was in the shower.
I turned on my laptop to do some
work and then suddenly - boom.
Hold on I am not even dressed.
I don't know what is going on.
I haven't even
Let me go clean my teeth.
I haven't even cleaned my teeth.
So we're in labour. It's all go.
It's all happening.
Leaving the house.
It's just us three.
Coming back with four. Incoming.
Nuclear war about to start.
Emma is watching the birth
video of Takkies and Chris.
Unable to cope with the pain,
Takkies has been told
to go to the labour ward.
Is this going to be a bumpy ride?
Oh, my goodness.
Darling. I can't help it.
Talk to the council about
the state of the roads.
Disgraceful. Oh, no.
This is going to be a horrible ride.
But at the hospital the first
priority is childcare.
So we are going to drop
Sana off with Uncle Ian now.
Is mama having a baby? Mm-hm.
Yay! Are you excited? Yes!
There he is. Saviour Ian.
You remember Uncle Ian?
Look after that for me?
That's great bribery. Good work.
Cool. See you later.
Enjoy. Have fun.
So we are going to
check you out first.
I am going to go
to the car and wait.
You look great. Thanks, darling.
OK, So I've been sent back
to the car, basically.
Got in there,
talked to a receptionist,
they said, "Look because of
Coronavirus, can you leave your wife
"and then can you go and
sit in the car and wait?"
So big deep breaths in and back out.
To keep hospital visitors to
a minimum, Chris will only be
allowed to return when
labour is fully established.
Eventually Chris gets some news.
I just got a message saying,
"Come, it's kind of happening."
And she's getting an epidural. So
..it's about to go down.
This is how you do labour.
Oh, yeah, look at her.
That's how you want
your birth experience to be.
How many centimetres? Eight
centimetres. Yay. Let's get ready.
Gardening gloves on, ready to catch!
Takkies has been brilliant.
The epidural worked.
She's listening to music and, yeah,
overall I think still staying
pretty, pretty calm in there.
After ten hours of being
in labour, Takkies is tiring,
but the baby is ready
to make its entrance.
OK, you've got this, darling.
You've got this.
That's it. Baby's healthy, strong.
How are you feeling?
Out?
Oh, wow, you are going to
meet your baby now, darling.
Can you see baby?
Yes, we can.
I can see our baby, darling.
Just a couple more pushes.
Great job. Here it comes.
Here's your baby. My baby!
Hi Hi.
The moment Takkies and Chris
have been waiting for.
I love you so much. Hi. Oh, hi.
But one important question remains.
Oh, it's a girl!
That is so awesome.
Suri, darling.
Thank you.
There we go. 3.46.
That was so lovely.
My gosh.
She was just like dancing.
She was like, "It's coming.
"Yep. Oh, it's there."
Incredible.
There we go. Look.
It's been a week and
the new family is back at home.
How is no sleep going for you?
In between feeds
and nappy changes,
Takkies and Chris have found
a window for a catch up with Emma.
Hello? On. Computer audio. Hi.
Yay.
How are you?
Do you want to meet her? Yes.
I mean, I don't want
to disturb her.
Say hi. Oh, look at her face.
She's got a flower on her head.
That makes me
just want to reach through
and just bring her here.
By all means, go for it, yeah.
What has it been like
having a baby during a pandemic?
It must have been
a massive difference
compared to the birth of Sana.
The birth of Sana,
I had so much support.
I was surrounded by people I know.
So now with Suri, no offence,
darling, it is just you.
No, I know what you mean.
It must be really heartbreaking
for your mother as well.
So, yeah, I think she's missed out.
She has. She's certainly missed out,
hasn't she? Yeah.
Hi, mum. Your baby's awake.
While Takkies' mum, Patience,
is able to see
her new granddaughter
..it's not the same as a cuddle.
I am getting sad.
Please don't cry, Nkateko.
You know what? I am there with you.
I know.
I am so sad. No, no, no.
You don't have to worry
because you make me cry.
I don't want to cry.
She is absolutely beautiful
and congratulations.
Thank you so much, Emma.
Thank you and maybe
we will meet in person one day.
Yeah. Awesome. Bye.
Bye. You too. Bye.
Takkies' face -
she is like a ray of sunshine.
I want to kind of watch her and
listen to her all day every day.
I hope I get to meet them
eventually.
To the pool!
Takkies isn't alone.
Social distancing rules have
left thousands of women facing
pregnancy without
the support of family members.
My mum was, she was
there for everything.
She went through the whole pregnancy
with me, obviously.
As did Matt. Can't leave him out.
You know, all those little things
that you kind of do -
going out, going shopping for the
things that you need,
and seeing your family
and sharing that whole
experience of growing a baby,
feeling a baby move
for the first time.
And all of a sudden,
that's all stripped away from you.
Smile. Say, "Hi," everybody.
Having that support,
that rock, essentially,
taken away from you, that must be
a massive blow in possibly
the most important
time of your life.
The next couple expecting a baby in
lockdown live in Buckinghamshire.
We are about to speak
to Florence and Johnny today.
They're having their first baby.
On both sides of parents, it's
going to be the first grandchild.
So they've sent us a video
to introduce themselves.
Hi. My name's Flo.
I am 24 years old.
And I am currently
experiencing my first
pregnancy in the middle
of a global pandemic.
Yay!
It is now less than three weeks
until my due date.
And we're mostly there
with the baby's room.
This is my favourite outfit so far.
Have you ever seen
something so adorable?
Although Florence's mother only
lives around the corner,
Covid restrictions mean they can't
meet in person for the time being.
Not seeing family
is the hardest part.
And, like, come and meet the first
grandchild for all of you. Yeah.
We're all, not just me and my
partner, but our wider family,
too, are being robbed of
this really special moment.
So it is a beautiful
Tuesday afternoon,
and I am just on my way to
my 38-week midwife appointment.
Hopefully everything goes OK.
Like thousands of other mums
across the UK,
Covid rules on hospital visitors
mean Florence must attend all her
antenatal appointments alone.
And today she's had to take
on board some unexpected news.
They want me to be induced at 40
weeks because of the baby's size.
I didn't want to be induced
because currently the rules at my
hospital say that for an induction
my partner can't be with me.
With the threat of
induction looming,
Emma wants to check in and
see how the couple are feeling.
Is somebody there?
Oh, I can't hear you.
Hello! Can you hear us now?
Oh, there you go. Yay.
How are you doing?
Good, good. Good.
Excited. Nervous.
And your due date
is the 31st May.
Mm-hm. But I am being
induced on the 30th.
Unless we can get him to come
out sooner, which is what I have
been trying to do. But no luck yet.
How are you feeling
about going into hospital?
I'm feeling nervous but only
because Johnny can't come with me.
Yeah. Do you feel more nervous
because of what is happening at the
minute as well? Yeah. Definitely.
Have you thought much
about what it is going to
be like coming home
with your first child,
and potentially still not being able
to be around your immediate family?
It is just disappointing really,
isn't it? Yeah. You know.
It's the first baby
and it is such a big deal,
and no-one can give
the newborn hugs.
They are the best.
OK they can meet him
when the time comes,
but it's the newborn hugs.
That is what everyone wants.
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
What about you, Johnny?
Are you ready for it?
I think so, yeah.
At first I tried to, I don't know,
sort of ignore it, really.
But the further and further
"I'm not listening to the fact
you are pregnant.
"I'm not listening."
I am definitely more excited now
than I was at the start.
Listen, best of luck and we'll
catch up again when you have
had time to adjust and settle down
and get used to your little baby.
Bye. Take care. Bye.
In East Sussex, another baby
is about to be born.
Jay's putting my socks on for me.
Katie has gone into labour at home,
and Jay is keeping
a close eye on progress.
We're now at roughly every four
or five minutes on contractions.
We've rang the midwives unit and
they said give it a couple of hours.
Chloe's gone with Katie's mum
to get her out the way,
so I can stay
keep attention to Katie.
She's just breathing through it.
In East Sussex,
second time parents-to-be
Katie and Jay are making
their way to the maternity unit.
Like most second babies,
labour is progressing rapidly.
In a bit of a rush.
Katie's gone up to the unit.
I had to go and park the car.
Grabbed the bags.
Now on the way to the unit.
Find out how Katie is.
It's been like ten minutes since I
ain't seen her, so we'll find out.
Jay can join Katie on the ward now
that she is in established labour,
but he's in for a shock.
He makes it to Katie's
side just in time.
Would you mind turning
that switch off?
Hello. Hello, baby.
13:01.
Wow.
Just minutes after arriving
on the ward,
Katie is holding her baby girl.
You made it just
in the nick of time.
He just got there, didn't he?
And do you want to cut?
Just in between here.
Lovely.
9 lbs 1. Oh.
That is funny
because Chloe was 8.1. Yeah.
So we had her at
one minute past one.
And, obviously, my waters
broke at 5 to 12.
So within an hour, almost,
including a car journey here.
Yeah. Really, we only
just about made it, really.
Oh, she's going again.
It's OK. It's OK.
Katie and Jay leave hospital
just as quickly as they arrived,
keen to return home,
so Chloe can meet her new sister.
Hello, baby.
Oh, what have you got?
Aww. You got her a present?
With presents exchanged, so begins
the bond of sisterly love.
Can you give her a little kiss?
Oh, my God.
I mean, that is just so cute.
Hi. Hello! Oh, look at you all.
Sorry, we are just bribing her
to sit here with her iPad.
How are you doing?
Yeah, good.
We'll get her out in a minute.
No, don't she looks
so comfortable and happy there.
Look at her. She is so cute.
How are you?
Are you in that surreal,
"I don't know what
day or time it is" thing,
or has she been all right?
She's not been too bad, actually.
Yeah, it's not bad, it's just
The first couple of days
were definitely like that.
I've just watched your footage.
I mean, that was, like, so fast.
I mean, how many minutes do you
think you were away
from missing it, Jay?
I filmed myself in the lift to say
I am coming up at 56 minutes past.
12.12, yeah.
And obviously she was born
at one minute past one.
Wow.
And then you got home
so quickly as well.
Normal circumstances
we probably would have stayed
and took the help for a bit longer,
but we just wanted to get home.
And Chloe stayed up somehow.
That was such a lovely
moment watching them
meet for the first time.
I know you were a little bit nervous
about how that was going to go.
Did it
Has everything been all right?
She's really sweet with her.
She is always her first priority
when she wakes up. She wants
to know where her baby is.
So do you think it was more
your worry with regard to Chloe?
Yeah, I think it was.
And I think it was more
building up to it beforehand
and was worrying too much.
I remember sobbing the night before
I had my second child
thinking I was being really
mean to the first one.
But they just adapt brilliantly,
don't they? Yeah, definitely.
She's adorable.
And thank you so much
for filming it all for us.
That's all right.
What we managed to catch.
It was brilliant.
Thank you,
and I will speak to you soon. Bye.
Do you love holding
your baby sister? Yeah.
You going to sing to her?
SHE SINGS
Where you been? Be gentle.
Calm down, mellow. Bye.
Over the coming months, hundreds
of thousands of babies will
arrive in an upside down world.
Another one like that,
another one like that.
With almost half being born
to first-time parents.
First-time parents
everything is unknown.
Everything, well,
for me, was a worry.
You are listening to every word,
are you? Yeah?
Feeling all those different things
for the first time is amazing.
We would like to welcome baby Ruben.
When you are a second-time parent
you know what to expect.
You know, you kind
of know the ropes.
But chuck a little pandemic into
the mix as well, and you've got
so many different layers of worry.
How long are you going to
be in there for?
Am I going to get infected
whilst I am there?
I would imagine you would
feel incredibly exposed.
And the worry must be immense.
One such first-time mum-to-be
is Florence, who is feeling
the strain of lockdown.
I was feeling really down
about it yesterday.
Really glum.
The size of the baby
means Florence has been
scheduled for
an induction at 40 weeks.
And now her time has come.
It's 12 o'clock on Friday, which
means we are off to
the hospital to get things going.
The limit on hospital visitors
means Johnny isn't allowed to
be at her side for the procedure.
Florence must face the possibility
of labouring with
her first child alone.
I don't know why
I feel like crying.
Like, I'm super excited and happy.
I think it is probably just
because I have to go in alone,
and I really didn't want
to have to do that.
And I know it's
the safest thing for me,
and the safest thing for the baby.
But, yeah, I just feel
really, like, emotional.
My pregnancy hormones are
probably all over the place.
So, just a quick update.
I've been here for four hours now.
I am attached to a drip,
which is the hormone drip.
And it started giving me
contractions straight away,
which is great.
They have given me the biggest
room, which is amazing.
But best of all, look who's here?
They surprised me and they said,
"Yeah, of course he can be here.
"You are in, like, a private room,
in a delivery room.
"Of course he can be here."
So even though I thought I would
have to be induced alone, he's here.
And now we wait.
Are you excited, babe?
Very. Yay.
Florence is in labour
with her first baby.
Having been medically induced
six hours ago, the contractions
have begun to intensify.
So just a quick update.
She is currently
three centimetres dilated.
But I think it is getting
a little bit too much for her.
She has just had to
have an epidural.
But overnight, progress slows.
Just coming up for 7am.
I am only five centimetres
dilated since 4pm yesterday.
I'm past the point of caring,
to be honest.
I am just ready to
have the baby here.
Ready to get him out of me.
I don't care how now.
Just get him out.
With mum and baby tiring,
the decision is made to take
Florence into theatre
for a caesarean section.
At precisely 1:00pm their baby
finally enters the world.
A beautiful boy called Jett.
Big boy. Hungry boy.
Did you just do a big burp
and feel better?
After Florence is given the all
clear, it's time for this team
and their brand-new
signing to head home
Put him in an Arsenal kit.
..ready to enjoy their very first
night together as a family of three.
Last night was intense.
So we decided, me and Johnny, that
we were ready for bed at about 11.
You know, OK, let's try and sort
of wind things down and go to bed.
By four o'clock
neither one of us had slept.
Jett has decided that he
doesn't like the Moses basket.
However, we did find
a sleeping solution.
Haters gonna hate, but this cat bed
has provided
the perfect bed for him.
Now, a mum hack for you -
cat beds are the way forward.
Unused only of course.
She is just so honest, isn't she?
"I just want him out."
She just, she literally
just verbalises everything
that you think as
a woman having a baby.
She makes me laugh.
I'm going to phone her.
Hi. Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I can't believe it has
already been however long
since we last spoke,
and now he's here. It's amazing.
So it resulted in
an emergency section.
And how was that?
Yeah, it did, yeah.
It was like, "Oh, God
I've come so far but"
And then it was just a blur,
wasn't it?
And it just
And then he was here.
Is he still sleeping
in a cat basket? Yes.
It is his favourite place to sleep.
There is a thing that you can get
for babies that is like that,
that's not a cat bed.
We might need to look into that.
Something proper.
I had If your cat ever
wants his bed back,
I had one for my youngest one
and it's this.
Yeah. Ah, it's ideal.
It is basically shaped
to the shape of their body.
They're amazing. Yeah.
Probably better than a cat bed.
Have any of your family
seen him yet?
No. No.
Np. Not in person,
which is really sad.
Really sad, really.
Because, you know,
he is so squishy as well,
and everyone looks
at the photos we've got,
and they just want to give him
a little squish, a little cuddle.
But, yeah, I don't know how much
longer it's going to be, really.
It is quite difficult, isn't it?
Johnny, you must do everything for
her so that she can recover. Yeah.
All the housework.
Well, listen, thank you
so much for filming everything.
It is lovely to see
you again. You too.
And congratulations again.
Bye. Bye.
Aww, that was nice.
Flo and Johnny are lovely.
I feel like Johnny's got
his hands full at the minute,
sat there and he seems super,
super stoked that he's got this
little baby even though he wasn't
really up for a baby beforehand.
He looks so peaceful.
After months in lockdown,
restrictions have started to ease.
Today, I'm getting out
the house for the first time
and I am going to visit
Chris and Takkies,
and their brand-new baby, Suri.
I know that Takkies
still hasn't seen her mum
..but it will be lovely
to meet them in person.
Sounds like the relationship
she has with her mum
is very much like I have with mine.
You know, she's my best friend.
I do everything with her.
She is a massive part of my life.
So to not have her there with me
on those integral
parts of life, would
I mean, it would have
knocked me for six.
Hi!
Welcome to our home.
Thanks for having me.
The humble abode. It is nice to
actually meet you in person
and not just like on a screen.
I know. I know.
Can I offer you a coffee or tea?
Look, you are all prepared.
And it looks lovely.
Here you go.
Suri, what do you want?
I mean, look at you.
So, yeah, so here she is.
Yes. You are just adorable.
I have to keep my arms folded
otherwise I will touch her.
Hey. Yes! You're the best smiler.
She is getting on brilliantly.
She is. She is getting on
brilliantly.
And how are you two getting on?
I am super exhausted.
I don't know about you.
You don't look it. You look
fantastic. Thank you so much.
But other than that,
she is very straightforward.
She is exactly how Sana was.
Stress-free. Calm.
I mean, she just cries
a bit when she needs a feed.
But that's about it.
I am enjoying motherhood.
You're a natural.
You are an absolute natural,
I've always said that.
That is why I want, like,
a whole crew running around.
"Mummy! Mummy! Daddy!"
We'll get to that later.
I see a Jammie Dodger up there,
Sana.
What?
So how has lockdown been
since we spoke?
Have you kind of?
BABY CRIES
Is that what you think?
Well, she's answered it for you.
"Terrible!"
I think the really tough bit
is that family involvement.
There's nowhere to hide.
We can't off-load Sana to
someone or send her to
someone for a playdate, or get
breathing space. I think that's
So you still haven't
seen your mum, I take it?
I haven't. Since last year, October.
EMMA GASPS
I know. How heartbreaking.
Oh, my God, that is
almost a year. I know.
It's really heartbreaking.
Oh, no, see now I am going to cry.
I am sorry.
It's OK. But you see her on the
phone every day. No, I do. I do.
It's just It's really tough.
I mean, she's my mum.
Yeah. She's like a huge part of me.
So I'm sorry.
Oh, no.
And you guys are quite close.
It's OK. I've made you cry
and I can't even hug you.
I feel really bad.
Oh, no, it's OK.
Even when we speak on
the phone, it's not the same.
But it's just not the same.
I want her to hug my kids.
It helps, but there is nothing like
human contact, and holding your mum,
and your mum holding
her grandkids. Yeah. Yes.
But I am really hoping
the world opens up because,
like, I want to be with my family.
Yeah. You need your mum. No, I do.
How are plans going to
expand the family?
I want a big family
and Chris agreed to that.
So we
I think we said five in total.
No. OK. So we said,
"Let's see how it is at five."
No, not in total, including yours.
No, five, and
then your other two. Seven.
Seven in total? Yes. Yes.
I think that's fair.
Meeting in the middle.
So So three more.
Yeah. I mean, I am ready when
everything is ready to go again.
Yeah. I will just
How old are you?
I am 29 turning 30.
Yeah. You've got loads of time.
I am 42.
Yeah, but it is not so drastic
for you, is it? Yeah.
I'm going to go with,
"It's quite drastic."
That's fine with me.
Thank you for letting me come over.
Oh, no. With pleasure.
And I am honestly I am
so devastated I can't hold her,
because she is so cute.
But at least I got
to meet you in the flesh.
Yay! Yes.
It's been awesome. Thank you for
coming. It was good.
But, yeah, thank you for having me.
Well, the girls have kept.
You could probably take Suri
with you, to be honest.
Bless Chris for trying, right?
But he ain't going to win this one.
OK, bye. See you. Bye. See you.
It's going to be seven.
Imagine if it was
seven girls as well.
I think he needs
to really prepare for that,
cos he won't win that
battle, I don't think.
It's OK. Come.
Let's brush your hair.
Your beautiful hair,
my beautiful girl.
Takkies has just got the most
phenomenal way about her.
She was literally, like,
put on this Earth to be a mother.
It feels and looks like it is
the most natural thing
in the world to her.
There we have it.
Da-na. Da-na.
She makes it look like a breeze.
I leave the house with,
like, major mum guilt.