Kerry Katona welcomes fourth child, son Maxwell Mark
Former Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona, 27, and husband Mark Croft have welcomed their second child together; Kerry’s fourth and her first son. Maxwell Mark Croft arrived in just three pushes at 5:42 pm this afternoon, Friday April 11th, weighing in at 5 lbs, 4 oz. He was five weeks early. Kerry’s water broke on Wednesday, and doctors had been trying to halt contractions; however, the decision was made to induce this morning. Kerry’s publicist states,
Mummy and baby are doing well and the family are very excited about their latest addition. He’s absolutely fine, he’s beautiful.
Kerry would like to thank all the staff at the Macclesfield District General hospital for the fantastic care she received.
Maxwell joins sisters Heidi Elizabeth, 13 months, Kerry’s daughter with Mark, and Lilly-Sue, 5, and Molly Marie, 6 ½, from her first marriage to Brian McFadden, formerly of Irish boy band Westlife, as well as Keeley, from Mark’s previous relationship.
Source: Press Association
Thanks to CBB reader Christelle.
- Posted on Apr 11, 08 at 4:39PM
- Permalink
- 18 Comments
April 11th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Another Max!! Yeesh that name’s major popular.
Kerry should go back to Atomic Kitten. The group just isn’t the same without her.
April 11th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
mark also has a daughtel keeley from his perviouse partner
April 11th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
glad to hear mom and baby are doing well (especially considering there were reports that she was engaging in unhealthy habits while pregnant). Congrats Kerry!
April 11th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I am confused. If she was already having contractions, why did they induce? I thought that induction was just to start labor. At least that was my experience with my two inductions. Do they still call it an induction if they give meds to help with progression of labor?
April 11th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
with me, I had contractions but they had to give me Pitocin to make the contractions stronger and more frequent. maybe that’s what could’ve happened, I was also dialted 5cm for 3 days and forced to work but that’s something completely different.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I heard her water broke and they were able to stop the labor. Maybe they decided to induce rather than risk infection at a gestation that isn’t dangerous to deliver at.
I’m happy to hear he has arrived and is healthy! He is the same exact weight (down to the oz!) and gestation as my youngest, but she required a 5 day NICU stay (and boys usually don’t do as well as girls as preemies)
April 11th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I’m surprised that they waited as long as they did to induce her. I have heard that, once a mother’s water has broken, there is about a 24-hour “safe” period before both the baby and the mother run the risk of getting an infection. In fact, I’ve heard that most doctors will either induce or do a C-section if the baby isn’t born within 24 hours of the water breaking.
Judging from when CBB first posted the news about Kerry’s water breaking, it sounds like it happened very early Wednesday morning. Therefore, by the time Max was born, more than 48 hours would have gone by.
Has anyone here had a similar experience, and if so, why did the doctors wait so long before delivering your baby?
April 12th, 2008 at 1:49 am
I’m glad that little baby is out of there! At least she can’t do him any more harm.. I pray to God he is ok and wish him a lifetime of health and happiness.
April 12th, 2008 at 3:53 am
In the UK you are ‘allowed’ 48 hours after your water breaks before you are induced. There is no automatic c-section. If baby is premature then in certain cases you will not be induced but monitored very closely to check for risk of infection. I certain cases, if you live very close to a hospital you will be allowed home but have to check for signs of infection and go for at least a weekly check-up. Monitoring yourself for infection involves :
-checking that your temperature is normal twice daily (a normal temperature is 37.0 degrees Celsius or less)
-checking the colour of the fluid does not change. You should wear a sanitary pad rather than a tampon
-avoiding avoid vaginal intercourse.
The weekly check up involves blood tests to check white blood cell count, vaginal swab to test for bacteria and at some hospitals, an ultrasound.
It’s basically a trade off. Risks of infection versus risks to premature baby. Infection risk can be managed somewhat.
(Not that I’ve ever needed that information, having two babies born in the caul and one AROM)
April 12th, 2008 at 4:30 am
CelebBabyLover-
I work in a NICU and just because the water “broke” doesn’t mean it’s ALL gone…sometime they will just leak a little bit. So as long as there is plenty of fluid left, if a baby is very early then they will weigh out the risks for infection vs. the baby being early and possibly having resp. distress and all the other things that come with being a premie…including infection. Even at 35 weeks little Maxx could still have had issues breathing on this own or breathing well enough, though obviously not as bad as if he was say 33 weeks. It really depends on the baby…we have had 32 weekers breathing and doing wonderful and then have a 38 weeker have problems transitioning. Sounds like since he was so close they opted to deliver and see what he could do! Hope this answers some of your question
April 12th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I haven’t had a similar experience and 24 hours is the ‘rule’ for most OB/GYNs, however with monitoring (by temperature and fetal heart rate to make sure an infection isn’t developing, keeping everything out of the birth canal (including cervical checks which can introduce bacteria) and some antibiotics they can hold off on delivery. OBs usually do it in preterm women it’s about weighing the risks of premature delivery vs those of infection. A lot of midwives will hold off unless your body is showing signs of infection, and from what I’ve heard on that side of the world
midwives provide almost everyone’s prenatal care.
April 12th, 2008 at 10:16 am
The fact that the dr’s waited so long to deliver after Kerry’s waters broke is probably more common in the UK. The same thing happened to my sister with her youngest. Her waters broke but because she was not contracting, they would not admit her and she did not deliver for at least 48 hours, maybe longer (it was 7 years ago so I can’t remember)!! Luckily, her son was fine but the hospital went ahead and gave him a ton of antibiotics and other medications just to be safe, which could have been avoided had she been able to deliver sooner. I live in the US and my sister was so surprised when I told her that I was told to come in as soon as my waters broke, with the dr ordering pitocin when I was not progressing after 8 hours.
April 12th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Firstly, congratulations to Kerry and Mark, as well as Molly, Lilly-Sue and Keeley.
Regarding Kerry’s waters breaking, and the two-day birth wait:
*Kerry has been in hospital since Wednesday when her waters broke, and doctors had given her medication to try to halt contractions.
*But the decision was taken on Friday lunchtime to induce labour as the doctor’s tried to delay the baby’s birth for as long as possible, without putting Kerry or Max in danger.
So that is that! Congrats to the whole Croft/Katona family
April 12th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I have a 14 month old and he was born 2 1/2 weeks early (in the us) when my water broke unexpectedly, I got to the hospital about an hour after it broke they confirmed w/a strip test. The obgyn said “you will have the baby in the next 24 hours.” They didn’t give me an option to go home and since I wasn’t really contracting he ordered pitocin to be immediately to be increased at reg. intervals and said I could have the epidural whenever I wanted. He said they’d do a c-section if 24 hours passed. I got the epi after like 2 pitocin induced contractions and I dilated steadily enough that they didn’t ever increase the amount of pitocin but I was kept on it. I ended up having my son about 12 hours after my water broke. I think my doc had a 24 hour rule in his practice. Maybe in the uk you have more options.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Thanks to everyone who answered my question! It never even occured to me that things might very well be different over in the UK!
April 13th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
i think we should all leave the girl alone cuz i fell sorry 4 her an u no i watch her show and u wanna c the pain she is goin tho because of wat people say an even her family say stuff 4 money even her sis or mum and i just think wat ever u say put ur self in her posstion how would u like it it ur family or some 1 close said some think 4 money how would u feel i just leave the kids out of it she is not on drugs no more if u think she is so there,s tha luv u lots kerry baby cute and gud luck luv ye show an u r fab an outgoing like me so tha the best hun love ye all bye xxxxxx
April 14th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Just another veiw here, my sisters water broke (completely) with her first son at 30 weeks and she was put in the hospital on bed rest for 4 weeks before giving birth. As long as they are very careful the baby can stay in, and the amniotic fluid regenerates, but slowly. and for geographic purposes we are in southern california.
I guess if you are pre-term they try to keep the baby in as long as possible to let the lungs develop.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Glad to hear that Kerry and baby are both well. I have to say I thought she would have had to have a c section. Heidi was born that way 13 months ago and as far as I was aware if there is less than eighteen months between births the doctors insist that the baby is born via c-section for fear that the wound may rupture as it is so recent. This was certainly the case with two friends of mine. Anyway, congrats to Kerry and family on the birth of their new little boy!