The CBFM Graduates Vol 1

[StormBird]

We have got to know each other pretty well during our TTC journey's so have created this thread on Chocciechips advice (hope she doesn't mind!!) so we can all contintue to support one another through our pregnancies.

Welcome................

Hey girls....

Choccie ....sending you hugs hun xx

Ilovekitty at my antenatal classes we were told to ignore anyone who disagreed with what we wanted to do when it comes to whether breast or bottle is best. The midwife who took our classes said that there isn't a problem with either and she cannot understand all these MW's who push push push the breast (although she did point out that its an obvious fact that breast would be better) and this came from someone who you would look at and instantly think she would push for breast feeding.

On the expressing front she said that if you and baby can get the hang of the breast and the bottle at the same time (e.g. breast feeding during the day and expressing for night feeds) it can only be beneficial..... I'm hoping to do both and on the back of her advice feel quite confident that it can be achieved. You do what you feel is best hun! I didn't go to the NCT classes, we were 4 free 2.5hr classes through the NHS and they were fantastic.

xx

*we were given 4 free 2.5hr classes through the NHS - that makes more sense!!

keziah The thing that was worrying DH and I is we were told the antibiotics I am on are safe (Flucloxicillin) but we wondered if that was for 'normal' courses of one course at a time. It was the thought that I am on my fourth quite heavy dose that freaked me out. So to hear it is OK to take antibiotics constantly through pregnanacy is HUGELY reassuring, so thank you for sharing that.

ladies I never listen to pregnancy moans and think 'Oy, you think YOU'VE got problems....' so please moan away even if you think it minor. It's all relative and I appreciate hearing moans - makes me feel less freakish for feeling a bit complaining.

Ilovekitty I start my NCT classes this weekend and am anticipating exactly the thing you're talking about. Warned my DH that it could be a bit fascist. Neither of us have much tolerance for being lectured too so she's in for a war if she tries. I keep thinking about all the years I've sat on the fringes of mothers with their babies and listened to them 'dissing' other women for the choices they make: breastfeeding, discipline, food choices, clothes they wear, how they put them to sleep....etc etc. I always used to think ' who needs men to put down women when women do it to each other so well' and I've vowed to not judge others for their choices. So I am already planning to take whatever the NCT women says with a pinch of salt and will defend anyone in the group if they ask a question and get shot down by her or openly criticised. I have a very low tolerance for judgemental women when it comes to babies and children - I prefer the supportive nurturing kind of women. BTW, I plan to try and express as well so DH can take a turn with feeding too.

Thank you everyone for your kind words. I slept all yesterday and all night last night and planning to sleep all day today as well to try and get this wound to heal. DH says in spite of the sleep I still look rubbish and sick ... so back to bed. I am starting to think maybe 6 weekends on a trot of hard work and exhaustion was channeling resources away from healing, and maybe some time spent resting will allow me to be more productive next week. I hope so - or I'm building an even bigger back-log of work!

storm boba I have a ball too. What is the bouncing actually meant to do? I only got one because its more comfortable to sit on than the couch with the SPD!

Midwife told me sitting on it or rolling on it gets baby in optimal position for straighforward birth.

I had my first NHS class on Tuesday and it was quite good. DH is going to 4 weekly dad to be classes run by NHS starting on 19th so hopefully by time baba arrives one of us will know what the hell we're doing!

Glad you're resting choccie!

Now where's DH with my chippy?!

Boba is right about the ball helping get baby into the right position and I'd definately recommend an excercise ball as they really help with your posture and helping the pelvis to relax gently ready for birth. My brother (fitness instructor who deals with lots of pregnant women) even said that if you were suffering with SPD it can really help, hence not had much pelvic pain since I got one!!! So you're doing the right thing Choccie

If anyone does want to get one don't go for one that is marketed as a birthing ball - they are all the same and 'birthing balls' tend to be about £10-£15 more expensive!!! If you are thinking of getting one eventually you can pick them up in Tesco for a fiver!!!!

Back pain got progressively worse through the night so not slept very well at all. Was on all fours a few times to relieve the pain. I even got up at 4am for a walk round (peeked into the Nursery, awwww) had some Cereal and then back to bed at 5am. Was starting to think that it could be the start of 'you know what' but it seems to have eased of a bit since I got up and baby is now merrily moving around so I think he's just teasing me!!!!

Hope you are all well today, the suns out here which is nice cos the weather has been shite for the past few days!!!

XX

Hi, can I ask when people got maternity bras and where from? I am sadly not a nice small size!!

I never bothered Keziah in all honesty.

I wear the right size and they are comfortable and don't dig in so I thought stuff it I'm not walking round in them hideous things.

I've not found one yet that gives the right support and doesn't make me look like I'm not wearing a bra anyway! Can't have that when I already had a substantial chest eh!!

I do, however, think that I will need to invest in some sort of nursing bra now sprog is iminent!!

If you are going to go down the Mat Bra route then why don't you try Bravissimo or Hotmilk or someone like that - they might be a little more expensive but the likes of M&S are dreadful!!

XX

Boba I forgot to answer your post about the kicks getting stronger (sorry hun).

Yes, I too found that around 30 weeksish the kicks became much more noticeable. The kicks as such didn't last though cos as baby got bigger and more space was taken up so whenever baby moved my entire stomach moves. Like waves!!! It is really strange when that starts to happen - one minute there's no movement and then the next there's a foot which goes from one side of my tummy to the other and you can practically make out its shape.

WEIRD, really weird!!!!

Yeah I've had a few waves too - freaky!

Keziah I was a 34D pre preg. Have had to be remeasured three times and am now a 38E. She reckons my feeding bras will be a 36E once baby moves down a bit. I've stuck with M&S as I always go there and have found them really helpful. Got a voucher for £5 off to as I'd had a fitting Are you needing a bigger bra already?

Thanks for bra info Storm and Boba. Well I am a 32 FF these past few years (grew from a C cup, no idea how!!) so yes, Bravissimo is where I go Storm as M+S and places don't even do my size!!

I asked just because I thought you were not meant to wear underwired when pregnant and yesterday my lovely patterned Freya bra I was wearing suddenly didn't seem to fit!! I don't know how I would cope without underwired though. Am going where a Bravissimo is next week, don't know when next near one - so was trying to think ahead.

I'm usually 32FF/G and M&S do a small amount of these sizes, but as from about 16 weeks I found the underwires too painful (boobs went sooo sore), so I switched to maternity ones...managed to find some ok designs on Ebay (M&S), all new with tags, just end of season ones...some are a bit frumpy but some are lace and quite pretty...then again how pretty can I expect a 34H to be , I'm just glad they are supported, and hopefully won't resemble spaniels ears after I even sleep in an old sports bra sometimes just for comfort and to try and stop the sagging...

Hope all is well with everybody X

Yeah I switched to mat bras @ 6 weeks as wiring was uncomfy. Also the crossover sleep bras from Mothercare have been a lifesaver - really helped in the early days when boobs were agony. They go in dress sizes rather than bra sizes. I still wear them now for light support at night.

Thanks - think need to investigate maternity bras sooner rather than later! Other problem is that one week of clexane injections and my stomach is getting as swollen as it was with ivf injections. At least I lost much of ivf weight so room for stomach to be swollen in normal clothes for now!

I've had a brief look at maternity bras too. I'm small chested, but even so, most are absolutely hideous granny-type things. I think I will wait it out as long as possible and then invest in some Hotmilk type ones, that will do me for nursing too. When is the best time to get measured for nursing bras? I assume that breasts change after giving birth, but friends have bought beforehand, which doesn't make sense to me.

I'm more worried about moving into maternity clothes. At 9 weeks, I've already had people comment that I'm showing (!) and I've struggled to do up some jeans this week. This is a bit of a problem, since I've not told some of my friends and family that I'm pregnant! I wanted to wait until after the scan. Do you think it's because I was recently pregnant (carried to 12 weeks)? I don't remember it being this bad last time.

Exciting about the 'waves' across stomachs! That sounds bizzare! I can't wait to get to then (although will probably be moaning about all the various pregnancy ailments).

at AnytimeNow - I will be in the same boat size wise I imagine!!

I felt nauseous today and was so happy to (yes am mad!) WaterKelpie - so maybe we will not moan

I was in maternity jeans at 11 weeks. Usually a size 10 and couldn't get them done up by then, a few weeks later couldn't even get them over my arse! I feel I have evened out now though and some people say I'm neat.

On maternity bras .... don't forget that it's not just your boobs that change - your rib cage widens and therefore so does the size accross your back - so I'm not sure whether big busts before equate to proportionally big bust during pregnanacy. It kinda depends what the rest of you does. I started out a 32DD and am now a 36F (!), and by 20 weeks I'd re-purchased bras three times. I went to John Lewis and was warned this would happen, so settled for the cheapest non-wired bras available that fit me. They're not pretty, but I doubt I'll ever wear the early ones again and didn't wear them for very long, so happy to have saved the dosh. Things seem to have settled down now.

On maternity clothes ... there's a lot of bloating in early pregnancy and your tummies could just be that. I used an elastic band looped through the button hole and around my button for quite a while, and that carried me through until about 19 weeks before I moved into maternity jeans. Just be warned though that most of your maternity shopping will probably be online. I thought I could walk into a shop and browse and buy when I wanted to and this doesn't seem to be the case at all. So plan ahead if you can, if you have a special occassion etc.

Choccie - handy to know change bra size several times in pregnancy, not realised that. Really hope not too much - don't mind the 32 going up - it is the FF I don't want too high!

Ladies its my due date tomorrow (14th) and not even a Twinge

All the best Storm - have you got nice things planned if you are overdue to keep you occupied, or are you just desperate to be more comfy?

I am having my first intralipid infusion on Friday, on pessaries, on thyroxine, clexane injections and steroids. Such a lot has happened since Tue pm!! Very expensive few days as all but clexane are on private prescription, ouch! Going to be crucial 3 weeks to see if done enough in time, as have long list of immune issues.

So looking forward to birth announcements, weight, names, gender very soon to cheer me up .

Good luck Stormbird...you are on the home run now, even if baby Storm stays put a little longer...looking forward to all your news.

Keziahhopes good luck with all the treatment!.

Hello everybody! hope all is well.

My boy is booked to be be born 2 weeks today!!! hoping he stays put till then, he's been giving me a few niggles the last few days, but hoping that's just due to me being so busy with the other two DC! .

Storm oooh good luck - I'm already hoping I go two weeks early - wishful thinking

Anytime hopefully he does stay put. What would happen if you did go into labour?

Keziah Got everything crossed for you honey!

Thanks Ladies............nothing to report here other than I've been to see the Midwife and she's booked me in for a Sweep on Monday morning. Not holding my breath that we get anywhere with a Sweep as my friend has had 2 so far and still nothing and I met a girl today who was n for her 3rd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've got no plans if I was honest Keziah - just waiting to be comfortable again!!!

Here's hoping your boy stays put Anytime XXXX

Storm - gosh a sweep so early, hope you don't need it!! And all best for next 2 weeks AnytimeNow.

Had my first intralipid today, 2nd one in 2 weeks time. But really can't wait till 4/8 when had scans (one NHs one and one at ivf clinic - mad really, but ivf one need to pay for in case of medication changes for my immune protocol!) and so long to see a heartbeat.

Good Luck Storm! I hope you don't need a sweep, but if you do, it's successful the first time!

Keziah, that sounds like a gruelling schedule! I hope your treatment goes to plan.

Anytime - here's hoping your little boy stays where he should!

I have my midwife appointment on Monday so I'm excited about that. I've made a list of questions to ask her! Do you think she would look for a heartbeat? I don't think it's the 'done thing' but I'm quite anxious that everything is still ok, so I thought I might ask her if there was any chance she would have a listen.

I think my stomach growth is partly due to bloating! It's humiliating though, when people ask me how far along I am, and I say "9 weeks" and they look at me with surprise and then declare, "You're going to be huge!" with this strange glint in their eye to suggest that actually they relish the thought of me gaining as much weight as possible!