Baby of the week: Maddiston tot Lilah Flanagan

Mum Carly Heslop, 33, is a practice manager at a dental practice in Falkirk, while dad George Flanagan, 33, is a home improvements sales representative.

Lilah has a big brother Jack, who is four. The family live in Maddiston.

Mum said she had a great pregnancy with no issues or sickness at all. She ended up being induced nine days early as later in pregnancy she had gestational diabetes and healthcare staff thought Lilah was going to be a heavy weight.

The birth itself was “all very quick”. Mum was induced on the Sunday evening at 7pm. She started getting little twinges at around 1am. By 6am she was offered a room on her own as the twinges were becoming more frequent. When she moved to the room on her own, mum said the pain got so intense she asked for gas and air. She was moved to the labour ward at 6.28am and Lilah was born at 6.32am.

Mum added: “It was all very quick we were all in shock how quick it escalated. The midlife looking after me was a friend of ours and she ended up delivering Lilah which was really special for us all.”

When it came to names, mum and dad couldn’t decide on any names for a boy or a girl. Mum saw a baby boutique on Facebook selling a personalised babygrow with the name Lilah on it and loved it. She sent a picture to dad and he loved it too so they were then set on Lilah for a girl. Her middle name Tracey is after Carly’s mum and George’s sister is also called Tracey. Hannah is after George’s mum and his gran.

Big brother Jack had said from the beginning of the pregnancy he wished for a baby sister. He absolutely adores her and has been a great help to mum and dad. He is such a proud big brother and is always talking about her at nursery his teachers say.

Lilah is a happy, placid little girl who is always full of smiles. She loves watching everything her big brother does and takes it all in.

Lilah is the second grandchild for Tracey Gibb and Davie Loney and the tenth grandchild for Hannah (Trisha) and George Flanagan.

Mum and dad would like to thank all the staff in ward eight and the labour ward at Forth Valley Royal, especially their midwife and friend Rowan Hurst who brought their beautiful daughter into the world safely.

They would also like to thank the grandparents for all their help and for always being there for them, as well as thanks to everyone for the cards and gifts.

Mum added: “The biggest thanks to our son Jack for taking on the role of big brother and being a superstar at it. We couldn’t be prouder.”

*If you’ve recently had a new addition to the family and would like them to feature as our baby of the week, then get in touch. Send us an email to [email protected] with your name, contact number and baby’s date of birth. Please note, babies should be less than six months old at the time of entering.