Alison Lapper, who was born without arms and with partially-formed legs and feet, has given birth to a boy.

Parys Alan George was born by Caesarean section at

Worthing Hospital and is

now being cared for by his mother at her home in Shoreham Beach.

Alison, 34, said: "When they put Parys on my chest in the recovery room it blew my mind.

"He was put on my breast and I could touch him with my shoulder.

"It was an amazing feeling. They always talk about the

love you have for your

children being unlike any

other, and finally I understood.

"He is such a good baby. He is a complete little angel. He doesn't give me any problems at all.

"It's like he has a sixth sense and he knows his mum is

different - he fits in with me.

"He is already lifting his head to my breast. he learned that after five days.

"He rolls himself over and he likes to touch me, I suppose because I can't wrap my arms around him.

"We sleep in my bed so I can breast-feed him at night and he moves himself so his side is lying against mine, skin to skin."

Alison, who works as an artist, is bringing up Parys with the help of a nurse.

She said: "I am self-employed, so I can give Parys time. That's the most important thing.

"I have never wished I

could have arms to hold him because that would make me sad.

"I hope I can make up for it in other ways. After all, arms aren't the be-all-and-end-all."

Parys, who was born on January 6 and is now 18 days old, arrived after a 35-week pregnancy.

Alison said: "It was incredibly scary. I'm not sure I'd want to do it again tomorrow. I suppose I'm saying I wouldn't do it again, but who knows?

"I had a spinal injection and I was paralysed from just below my breasts downwards.

"I had never lost the feeling in my body before and that was frightening.

"All these people were doing things to me. I was completely terrified.

"There were times when I was freaked out by the whole process.

"But Sharon Mee, one of my best friends who I met at art college, was my birthing partner and kept me calmer than I would have been."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.