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................

Choccie - hope you can find a suitable car. I think our cars don't have isofix ability either so it is something to think about. Hope you can find an afternoon to do some shopping and pack a bag to help reduce stress. I think boba is right, the idea of a dh/dp packing what you need does not bear thinking about!!

Gosh boba that sounds scary. Glad you're OK.

I really want bags packed just in case, and also well in advance because I don't want anything forgotten. On the formula in hospitals thing - I believe its true - I've been told by a few people that there is no formula provided in hospitals. I think the push to bf is huge and they think this lessens the odds of women giving up earlier. Apparently what you have to do in worst case scenarios is send your dh/family member out to buy some. So, I might want to buy a very small tin, just in case.

Same sort of logic prevailed at my ante-natal class - was told not to buy bottles etc, and tried to discourage us from considering expressing even, because it means less likely you will stick to bf. I really think its nonsense - I'm an adult and can make my own decisions: if I can I absolutely will, if I can't I'm not going to watch my baby be hungry.

Our car has no isofix, and it also has underfloor storage (so the seatbelt + base option doesn't work because the front leg thingy is too short); and then the old fashioned seatbelt in the chair thing is also not an option because the belts are too short. I really don't want to be battling with that anyway, but would have if that was our only choice.... Utterly incredible, but the John Lewis lady tried everything

That really is incredible Choccie! Still new car'll be nice?! I definitely plan on breast feeding but have already bought 2 wee cartons of formula in case of emergency and got sent a free bottle by Avent (must have been some club I signed up for!) so maybe I'll stick them in just in case

Good luck on the car shopping anyway choccie

just checking in to see how all you graduates are doing! Good luck boba three weeks to go!

Helo!!! really quick post from me...Jensen due a feed!!
Just scanned through and notced you talking about feeding in hospitals...I was BFing but everybody else on the ward was bottle feeding, the hospital provided very small disposable bottles of whatever formula you wanted, this was the case in the two other hospitals I had my other children too... my eldest is 8 now, so looks like they are still doing it? as people have said, babies would starve if they didnt provide.

My breastfeeding lasted 2 weeks Jensen had a slight tongue tie (sorted now) and my milk supply was crap the minute I started running around again...sitting around just isnt an option with 3 kiddies! .

Jensen is 3 weeks 1 day, and my recovery from my 3rd section has been amazing! the best outta the 3 by far! who would have thought it!! and old bird like me!, so much so have sent the lovely lady surgeon a letter of thanks.

Hope all is well with everybody? will catch up soon when I get chance...some more babies to be born soon...exciting X

Glad all is well anytime - love your baby's name, bet he's a right wee cool dude when he's older! x

Thanks loup

hope people are ok that don't have long to go. And for those on maternity leave that you can enjoy at least some of it.

Anytime lovely to hear you have recovered so well and Jensen's tongue tie is sorted x

I am still at the anxious, nervous stage - with our 12 week scan on Friday (well I think it is just short of 12, but the midwife insisted I had to have a 28 day cycle and fit it perfectly and would only book my scan for exactly 12 weeks and my weekend date didn't suit her ). Just really need to know all is ok; the knowledge of immune conditions that can cause problems has stressed me out more than I had realised.

Keziah, I'm sure it will be fine! We were so so nervous at our 12 week scan. The sonographer spent ages looking at and measuring the cyst on my ovary (which was fine) and my heart was racing. I was like 'just get to the baby and tell me it has a heartbeat!' Obviously I didn't say that (or crazy lady alert) but it was screaming inside my head. And then the relief was wonderful. It's hard, but think positive as much as possible.

Anytime, I'm glad that Jensen's tongue-tie is sorted. The same happened to a friend of mine last year and I know it made breastfeeding a nightmare! Fortunately she had a lovely breastfeeding support lady come around several times and the problem got fixed quite quickly as her DH was also born with tongue-tie (as well as several of his brothers), so it came up straight away. Well done for your 2 weeks. I think that is amazing!

To everyone getting close to meeting their babies, I hope things are going well for you and you are still enjoying your pregnancies! I seem to have got passed the morning sickness, straight into the heartburn. Lovely!

I have a question: I just felt this strange feeling. It was like butterflies and then a few small twitches in the LHS of my pelvis, just below my belly button. Is this the baby? Or am I over-imagining? I have been waiting for ages to feel it, so I think I might be delusional now! I thought I felt something a few days ago, but DH didn't believe me, as I've been moaning since last week about not feeling anything, since the midwife asked (and then reassured that I was perfectly normal). The possibility that I could feel something is more than enough to get my impatience going!

Hi guys

havent posted in ages....sorry i have been so naughty. I have mainly been googling things like 'signs you are about to go into labour, PLEASE let my symptoms fit' LOL. more on that in a bit.

keziah omg tomorrow, that has come around fast....will be thinking of you, be sure to let us know how it goes. re maternity trousers i got some in gap (not many of their stores carry them though). the best ones i got were in there sale, they were amazing - at the top they have like tights material which stretches to fit over bump without being bulky. best invention ever!

theres a lot of talk about bottle feeding here. i cant believe you people would even consider depriving your child of mother natures gift....only joking. I do intend to at least start out that way but want to do mixed from early. i find it ridiculous how OTT people are about (especially nazi breastfeeding NCT lady....) it. I dont care what people say, but i dont think i want to feed in public, the idea makes me very uncomfortable, and i think i have a right to make that choice without judgement! also, when people hark to the WHO advice of breastfeeding exclusively to 6 months, they dont always necessarily realise that the advice is primarily given because so many new mothers around the world dont have access to sanitary running water and breast is the only guarantee of not giving their baby a horrific infectious disease. gosh im such a little ranter i need to shut up!

so im what, 37+5. as some of you know im being induced early at 39+3 due to type 1 diabetes so am very much hoping that the little darling makes his own early appearance. I started acupuncture on Monday in order to try to prepare my body; my bump honestly did drop the next day and he looked very engaged at my antenatal yesterday. I have also been having menstrual like cramps in the evenings since last friday, and during the day today and yesterday. I dont know whether this means things could be close or my body just preparing, but i feel so much better about the induction knowing that my body is already getting itself ready to give birth.....so now somebody please tell me that the menstrual cramp feeling was the start of labour for them?!!

boba i just saw your post about being in hospital, how awful, how are you doing now? i hope things are ok. it wont be long now. whens your due date again im sure its right near mine?

hope everyone else is well.

OUT BABY, OUT

i meant 'in 'their' sale...obviously. not that im a grammar and diction nazi.

keziah thinking of you tomorrow. Come and let us know how you got on. It is very nerve wracking.

water My NCT lady was surprisingly decent about the feeding. I was fully geared up for full-on heavy fascist guilt-tripping. I do plan to bf but object in principle to those who think they have a right to tell people how to parent and make them feel cr*p if they don't follow the advice - my pet hate is the way some women judge other women for their choices and decisions. However, she said never let the word 'guilt' enter your mind. She did say though that even one feed, the first feed, gives baby a boost of immunity stuff ... so... fair enough I guess. It was her who told us our local hosital had stopped supplying formula and I see quite a few hospitals have started doing this in recent years. Meant to check it at my appointment yesterday but totally forgot. But I did buy a couple of cartons, just in case, to take with me. No idea what brand to buy so just grabbed Aptamil ...??? What's good and what isn't....???? Hope things are going well for you.

boba and others close to due date - have any of you experienced Braxton-Hicks yet? I haven't, and I'm 37 weeks today. When are they supposed to kick in?

As for me - got a new (old) car and hopefully will get seat fitted tomorrow. Builders still in and house a nightmare - no nursery or any kit for baby but did buy maternity pads and milk yesterday. Work still a total nightmare. Oh well .... hope the baby is late....

Waterkelpie - thanks for reassuring me that it is not just me that is anxious for 12 week scan to be here and ok!

kitty - really hope you get that natural labour and baby comes early for you . Oh Gap - will look on line there, as they will not have them in store where I live, that is for certain!!

Choccie my friend was told by her midwife when she stopped bf at 7 weeks that Aptamil was the closest to breastmilk - don't know if she is right, but she used it quite happily!!

Choccie glad you got a car sorted so can get a seat now, that and milk sounds a good start. Hope little one is late for you - and early for kitty.

Wonders how boba is - will find her other thread.....

perhaps we ought to have a grads from antenatal thread to whatever is next (with baby) to support each other with feeding, sleep etc??

Thanks. Just had final intralipid infusion at home today, so hope it does its job.

water it may be baby - I felt it like a popping feeling which it still does feel like but obvs a lot stronger. I didn't feel kicks until 21 weeks I think. Heartburn is a bitch - get the gaviscon on prescription as much cheaper - I drank straight from bottle - there's a funny thread actually, think it's called Ode to Gaviscon!

kitty I could have written that! Mine has dropped & having very uncomfortable period cramps too for about 1 week now - hurry up baby!

choccie 38 weeks today and never had a braxton just these period cramps really. Glad you got the car sorted out. x

keziah best of luck for today - it will all be fine x

Just back from docs with ANOTHER uti! Gonna spend the day on couch in jammies - feel absolutely zonked. Have been soooo full of energy as well this last 2 weeks. At least house is in order and have washed and ironed everything in sight.

I am so fed up of being pregnant though - really hope this baby is here by this time next week. The thought of this going on for another 4 weeks makes me want to scream!!! Plus I'm really excited to meet our little baby.

hurries up to Boba and Kitty...

Thanks boba - am much relieved now, with our scan. Looked like all ok, measuring a few days ahead so they moved my date by 3 days. Now the 8 week wait until the next one, although only 3 weeks until I meet the consultant.

Oh great news keziah! This is the wait I found the longest as we'd had early scans too. Still it's unbelievable the difference you will see in keziahbean at the 20 week scan. So excited for you! x

Great news, Keziah! I'm so glad it went well. :)

Boba, I hope the rest day went well and that you are feeling better!

omg i just checked in and saw keziah's news, after being totally effing miserable and fed up all day this has cheered me up. also having a large, yes large glass of wine!

HATCH BOBABEAN AND WAGBEAN!!!

This is how desperate I am to get bobabean out - I'm actually going to have sex tonight - this will make a grand total of 6 times since the BFP poor DH but I just haven't been remotely in the mood. Brings a whole new meaning to SWI!!!

at boba - hope bobabean comes out very soon for you - and kitty's bean too!!

Well keziah it never worked so won't be doing that again . Got 2nd lot reflexology tomorrow and am currently on the gym ball after having home made jalfrezi for tea, this baby better be here by the weekend or I'll have a breakdown!

How's everyone else keeping?

ha boba thats hilarious, and i think we have had sex less times than that to be honest LOL. we wont bother trying that one then....

keziah my bean feels more like an actual giant dinosaur right now. no signs of budging. i thought acupuncture was 'starting a process' but now im beginning to think the only process it started was one of bleeding me bloody dry of my hard-earned cash LOL. how is your bump developing is there one yet? mine was showing pretty early (or maybe it was just cake+constipation...)

boba - sounds like im keeping just like you - ie rubbish and desperate! have you got 'period like pains'? i felt hopeful when they first appeared about a week ago and now im just annoyed at having one more effing ache and pain to deal with.

choccie and waterkelpie how far along are you guys, is it something in the 30s for choccie and about 16 or something for kelpie? any exciting news or developments (so for kelpie nice things like the baby moving, for choccie, i guess stretch marks, new aches and pains, wetting yourself LOL)

at least this will all end with actual babies....imagine doing surrogacy.

boba, I always thought that the sex thing was something made up by frustrated men, so they had the prospect of getting a bit before the birth! Shame it didn't work for you. I hope that the curry works!

Ilovekitty, I am 17 weeks tomorrow. I keep thinking that I've felt baby move, but I'm not sure. I've had quite a few twitches, where it feels as though something is twitching internally (it has actually made me jump a few times, much to DH's amusement) and I've also had some 'fizzing' feeling in my pelvis. It started about a week ago, but I haven't felt it every day. It is exciting, but I keep doubting that it is baby and thinking that I have a twichy bit of intestine or something! In other news, I'm on some tablets to help with heartburn, as it was still unbearable with the Peptic Liquid the doctor gave me (I usually suffer from heartburn anyway). So the acupuncture is not helping? Is it proven to bring on labour? I've never heard of it before. I have to say, I wouldn't be to keen on unnecessary needles, but I'll let you know how I feel about it if I go overdue!

I can't wait for my 20 week scan! We don't want to know the sex and I worry that the first image of baby will be a giant, unmistakeable penis!

everyone BOOTs have a 3 for 2 promotion on all their baby stuff. So might be a good time to buy expensive things for those of us who haven't started that yet.

boba your 6 times since the BFP is 5 times more than me! But in our house it's down to DH, who is very worried about it affecting the baby ... and because I'm not that keen anyway I've not tried too hard to dissuade him

kitty I'm 37+5 today, I think just a week behind boba. Unlike everyone else though, I'm quite keen for her to stay put a bit because I have so much work still to do and our house is still in chaos with builders, and no nursery etc. Pram, car seat and moses basket hopefully arriving on Thursday - fingers crossed. No stretch marks yet - but I might be speaking too soon - seems lots of people get them in the last weeks. But DH has been tasked to oil my tummy and massage it every night which we've been doing for months - not that I think it will make much difference.

keziah So glad to hear your 12 weeks scan went well. I'm still telling DH about your progress everytime you update us and we both think your's is a ral miracle story.

Can I ask what bottles you ladies have bought if you're considering expressing. I went to the fabulous John Lewis and bought everything they told me to through their nursery service (cannot recommend it highly enough - no hard sells, persuaded not to buy excessively, steered towards budget lines etc - really impressed). HOWEVER, I came away with Avent bottles and sterliser and pump. My midwife has since said to keep away from Avent and Tommy Tippee bottles, and use Dr Brown's instead. So yesterday went to Boots and bought bottles, and plan to return the Avent ones to JL. But feel a bit confused about it all.

Also - how many of you are doing perenial massage - I haven't started that and realised the other day I should have weeks ago?

my news A bit concerned because baby doesn't seem to have grown in the last two weeks. So yesterday's midwife meeting had phrases like 'placenta failure' and 'static growth' etc in it, which made both me and DH have nightmares last night (we both did, seriously...). In my nightmare I dreamt the baby died in delivery and I was screaming my head off in my dream. In DH's nightmare, he said he was looking for me everywhere and couldn't find me and was crying in his dream. I'm reall scared because this is how our friends lost their baby to still brith - the placenta failed. Only thing they say I can do is go to Triage if I feel reduced movement, and she is still moving a LOT so I hope all the talk amounts to nothing. But I am scared.

Yeah kitty lots of period type pains and they have been getting progressivly stronger but lead to nothing - so frustrating. I too have a monster baby that has been squashed against my stomach all day = agony every time I move - GET OUT!

water just make sure you tell them before the scan even starts - I think we're a rare breed these days.

choccie try not worry too much. Could just be a growth rest? 5 weeks ago we were told our baby was off the chart big then at follow up scan 2 weeks ago it had gone back into the chart - albeit at the smaller end of the 95th centile! As long as chocciebean is active that's the main thing.

I've not bought any bottles - just the free Avent one we got sent. I was just planning on seeing if I can breastfeed then buy stuff from there (pump etc) Think it must be about the only thing we haven't bought!

Re: perenial massage I'm sorry but I just cannot bring myself to do that plus I'm finding it hard enough to remember to do my pelvic floors every day without adding another to do to my list!

Do you know you're having a girl choccie?