We can't take coronavirus risks now we have a baby | Cheryl Gibbs

It’s Matt’s 40th birthday party coming up and I don’t know if I’m overreacting by wondering whether we should cancel.

The problem is how can you control who comes when you have no idea who they’ve come into contact with and where they’ve been?

We can’t exactly stand on the door at the BT Club in Cosham with a thermometer, but at the same time you can’t be flippant about it either – it’s a real threat.

Then we have his holiday coming up in June and there’s 25 of us going to Fuerteventura to celebrate him reaching the big 4-0.

I’m getting texts asking if we’re still going. I don’t know, are we?

It’s a real question now that the first case of coronavirus has been detected on the island.

Across the pond in Tenerife, entire hotels are being quarantined so I’m very conscious of the close proximity we’ll be in.

I’ve always been a bit of a risk-taker, but now we have Harley we can’t anymore. I can’t take risks that may affect her health and wellbeing.

It's one thing for Matt and I to take decisions for ourselves.

Before Harley I would have had the attitude that you can’t prevent these things and you have to live your life.

But now we’re parents I genuinely look at it all very differently.

I still think you need to get on with life and live each day to the fullest, but now we’re responsible for this human being who relies on us for everything, how can we proceed with things that may have an adverse effect on her?

We’re going to take each day as it comes and play it by ear. Each day a new case is been detected or someone sadly passes away so who knows where we’ll be in a few weeks or months.

It’s a scary time, but all we can do is be vigilant, take precautions and get on with life, right?

No room for embarrassment when baby needs feeding

On Tuesday, Matt’s dad Danny and his stepmum Sue came round with our niece Phoebe so they could see Harley.

When they arrived our sister-in-law Vic and her twin girls were also here, so I used the opportunity to hand Harley over and get a few things done in the house – unloading the dishwasher, putting some washing away.

I realised I could use the chance to express some breast milk.

I’ve rented a hospital-grade double breast pump to increase my milk supply and at £47 for two weeks rent, it’s a blinking expensive exercise.

So I got my breasts out in the middle of the lounge with a house full of guests, including my father-in-law, and sat there being milked.

The greatest gift you can give a new mother is sleep

I had my first few hours away from Harley on Saturday.

My sister Jo organised a girly night out and although I was anxious about leaving her, I knew she’d be fine with Matt. We went to the Ship and Bell in Horndean followed by Four London Road.

It was lovely, despite me checking my phone every few minutes to see if she was okay. She was, of course, fine. I was home by 9pm.

Matt and I had already agreed he’d give her the next feed and I had expressed some milk in advance. I’ve never been more grateful to Matt in my life. He came in with her the next morning at 6.45am having looked after her and fed her all night.

I was overjoyed with some uninterrupted sleep!