It is a moment that would fill most new mums with indescribable joy.
But Amie Tomlinson's emotions as she cuddled her baby boy for the first time were entirely different. A photo shows her face etched with guilt and anxiety because she believed she had failed her tiny son.
The brave 31-year-old had to wait more than a week to hold Mylo after he was born 12 weeks early via emergency C-section.
She barely got a glimpse of her "miracle" child before he was whisked off and taken to a different hospital, with his head "no bigger than a tennis ball". It was another 48 hours until she laid eyes on him for the first time.
Ms Tomlinson was "heartbroken" when she finally saw Mylo, who weighed just 1lb 11oz and was hooked up to a ventilator and wires in an incubator.
Feeling "extremely guilty" for not "keeping" him inside her womb, she recalls how she would break into tears when she looked at him, and "all she could do" was sit by his side and express milk every few hours.
Ms Tomlinson and her boyfriend Steve Smith, 51, were forced to wait a staggering nine days to cuddle the little boy after his premature birth.
It's been 14 months since those dark moments in hospital, and the mum-of-four has bravely told of her battle with guilt and anxiety, her belief she had failed her son, and Mylo's health struggles.
She says the youngster is thriving, despite being diagnosed with a number of conditions and doctors having noticed signs of cerebral palsy.
Ms Tomlinson, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, said: "He’s my life, like all my children are. I wouldn’t have him any other way.
"Obviously, I want him to be healthy, but he’s everything. He’s here and he’s suffered, he had lots of infections in hospital. We’re just so happy that he’s here."
Ms Tomlinson, whose other children are Mason, 11, Henley, five, and Hallie-Rae, four, said her pregnancy with Mylo wasn't an easy journey, as she struggled with high blood pressure and gestational diabetes throughout.
Her two sons were born premature as well, and she was induced a day before her 37th week carrying Hallie-Rae.
Just before Christmas in 2016, when she was about 27 weeks' pregnant with Mylo, she was admitted to hospital to have steroid injections to help the infant's lungs.
It was then that a scan revealed reduced growth and fluid in the womb.
Ms Tomlinson was allowed to return home in time for Christmas after medics managed to lower her blood pressure.
But there were further signs of concern at her next appointment, when it was found that she had group B streptococcus (a type of bacteria), the foetus's growth was further reduced and his heart rate showed signs he "was not happy".
She said: "They wanted to check everything out so I go referred to a consultant, to have a scan to check blood flow of the placenta. That's when I knew that it was serious. I was scared.
"When i went for the scan they told me that the blood flow wasn't right and at any point it could end up being a stillborn pregnancy. I was absolutely heartbroken."
Doctors at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, told her Mylo would have to be delivered that day, on December 28, 2016, via an emergency C-section, leaving her terrified.
Ms Tomlinson said: "They noticed that his heartbeat was dropping and they said, 'today is the day you’re going to have the baby'.
"The doctors expected that the baby would have to be delivered early. They did everything in their power to keep my beautiful baby boy inside as long as possible.
"Although my son was my fourth baby, he was the first that was arriving early and delivered via C-section so I did not know what to expect."
She added: "They took me down to the labour ward and told me they would need to give me some medication to protect the baby’s brain from bleeds.
"They said the medication would need to be administered through my blood stream but they were unable to locate a vein.
"Eventually, the anaesthetist said they’d have to use a vein in my neck and I became even more nervous than I was previously.
"They told me that they would wait for the medication to start working before taking me into theatre."
After the medication kicked in, she was taken to the operating room and Mylo was born at 28 weeks. But the mother and baby were soon separated due to concerns about each one's health.
Ms Tomlinson recalled how although she was awake for the C-section, she struggled to see her baby son as he was rushed away.
What are the risks of premature birth?
About 60,000 babies, or one in every 13, are born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy) in the UK every year, according to the charity Bliss.
The earlier they are born, the more vulnerable they are because they haven't fully developed in the womb
Some may suffer from conditions such as behavioural difficulties, long term health problems or cerebral palsy as they develop into children and adults.
Some research has found that the earlier a baby is born the higher their risk of having special educational needs at school, the charity said.
It added: "It is important to remember that every baby is different and will develop differently. If you are worried about your baby’s development please speak to a health professional."
The mother, who underwent an epidural, said: "I said to my mum, Iris, 'what does he look like?' She said 'he’s so small, he’s really, really small'.
"When they moved past me I couldn’t really see because I was on the hospital bed. My mum said 'he’s just so tiny'. His head was no bigger than a tennis ball."
Mylo was poorly and had to be rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, about 50 miles from the family's home. Meanwhile, his mum had to remain in hospital in Harlow until she was well enough to be released.
She said: " Mylo’s daddy followed the ambulance to the other hospital and called me with an update about his condition. Mylo was very poorly when he arrived at the new hospital and his blood pressure was very low.
"He was put on a very large amount of medication to help with a range of issues including a blockage in his stomach. Because of the blockage, they were unable to get a tube into his belly to feed him until after they’d taken an X-ray."
Two days later, after an excruciating wait, Ms Tomlinson was finally discharged from hospital. It was about 11pm, but she went straight to Mylo's bedside to be with her ailing son.
The scene that she encountered left her devastated and sparked her battle with guilt and anxiety.
She said: "I was really emotional and I was really sad while I was still in hospital. It wasn’t where i wanted to be. I was so desperate to get out of bed and start walking so they would allow me to leave.
"They discharged me from the hospital and then I went straight there to see him."
She added: " I was desperate to see my baby and I was heartbroken when I saw the number of wires attached to him as well as the ventilator in his tiny mouth.
"I felt extremely guilty that I had not been able to keep him in my belly and allow him to grow and felt as if I had failed him.
"Every time I saw him I broke down in tears or would sit next to the incubator and just cry, thinking it was my fault.
"The only thing I was able to do for him was express milk for him, which I did every three or four hours. They encouraged expressing, so I did that and I was able to do a hell of a lot.
"I think you just have to cope.
"He’s fighting so I had to, there was no other choice."
There was nowhere for her to stay that night, so Ms Tomlinson had to go home and be apart from her son again.
But over the following months, she was given accommodation from the charity Sick Children's Trust, avoiding a 100-mile round trip every day.
Mylo was a brave little fighter during his 13-week stay at Addenbrooke's, as he battled necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis , low blood sugar levels and prolonged jaundice.
It was an unbearable period for his parents, but they were finally told after almost three months that the little boy could go back to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.
By then he was starting to feed without a tube and was making excellent progress, his mum said.
Mylo spent 15 weeks and one day in neonatal care, with Ms Tomlinson spending much of that time by his side.
She recalled: "Those 105 days were the hardest of our lives.
"Whilst our little miracle fought for his life, we had three other amazing children at home who had to wait 11 weeks to meet their brother because of a flu outbreak.
"I was provided with accommodation at the hospital and I don’t know how I would have managed the 100-mile round trip from home every day without it.
"The accommodation also allowed me to have the maximum amount of time with Mylo which helped ease my anxiety about his condition."
Throughout the ordeal Ms Tomlinson and her family have been supported by Bliss, the UK's leading charity for babies born premature or sick.
When the time is right, she plans to do some charity work for the organisation "just to say thank you for all the help that they gave to me".
She has also hailed her partner and family for their support, including her sister Anneka who looked after the couple's three other children in addition to her own.
Mylo was on oxygen when he went home for the first time at almost four months, and stayed on it until he was seven months old.
It was a happy time for the family, but Ms Tomlinson noticed in August last year that he was having problems with his eyes, and that resulted in a return visit to hospital.
She said: "I noticed that Mylo’s eyes didn’t seem to be able to focus on anything and would move from side to side.
"Mylo’s consultant seemed very worried and sent us straight to our local eye unit.
"When we arrived, the doctor took us straight in for a check-up before referring us to Great Ormond Street Hospital. Mylo was diagnosed with cerebral visual impairment and nystagmus.
"They basically said there’s no connection. He’s not blind, he’s visually impaired."
During a recent visit, a consultant told Ms Tomlinson that it appeared Mylo could have cerebral palsy. It was more difficult news for the family, who are grateful the tot has survived everything he has been through.
Today, Ms Tomlinson said Mylo is thriving and his personality is starting to shine through.
She said her family are prepared for whatever life throws at them.
"They’re saying it [cerebral palsy] is evolving and it could go into that. But since then he has rolled over, he goes to physio every three weeks," she said.
"He can now sit up for long periods of time. He’s come on like that.
"It’s just a lot of waiting that we’ve got to do. We have to see a consultant again."
She added: "Mylo is a very happy baby boy. He's only just developing his personality now. He gets excited when he sees my family and people he knows.
"He just loves them, you can tell he's such a loving little boy already.
"As a family, we have never been as proud of our tiny little miracle."
According to Bliss, about 60,000 babies, or one in every 13, is born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy) in the UK every year.