Rats Successfully Smacked, the 'No Brookers' uneventful pregnancy and pain free birth thread :)

[MeconiumHappens]

Hello :)

I did nhs last time and the only useful bit was a breastfeeding workshop. Mind you, I was offered one afternoon of ante natal stuff on the Nhs, 3 hours. Plus the bf workshop. As I said, my trust's not the best maternity wise. I think first time mums will be doing baby things, so I'll hope to bump into other pg mothers at playgroups or just stick with my current circle of mummy friends. and i couldn't stand endless discussions about feeding and sleeping the first time round!!! I may look and see if there's s twins group in the area though.

And good purple, bf I thought I wouldn't worry about but I want to know about pumps etc for two- never bothered with dd as she didn't ever take a bottle, and increasing your supply and other things that never crossed my mind the first time!!! I can fire them at you further down the line though :-)

Wow you ladies have been chatty today! Oodles of good advice though, so thanks! My goal was originally to bf exclusively to 6 weeks (if poss) then mixed feed once bf is fully established and doesn't hurt anymore! From all your comments it sounds like 8 weeks might be a more realistic goal for being comfortable with bf before starting to mixed feed. Either way I'm rubbish with pain so I'm desperately hoping that I somehow manage to avoid mastitis or other painful complications, because I think that would be game over pretty quickly for me!

Hope you've all had good days. I'm officially "out" in the office now, which is exciting! Also I'm getting more focused on my 16 week scan. It's less than a week since my 12 week scan and already I can't wait until the next one! I'm going to be a wreck after my 20 week scan, with no more to look forward to!

Scream just a word on mastitis. I don't think it is that common (I was the only one out of 8 in our NCT lot to get it).

It is basically if you get a blocked milk duct that becomes infected. However, if you should find you get it, the best way to fix it is to carry on feeding - it is a bit sore but clears the blockage the quickest way and no harm to baby. Then I had paracetemol for the temperature and antibiotics too.

Thanks for the extra info Biscuits! I definitely need to get a baby book asap so I can look all this sort of stuff up!

Is anyone else having super vivid dreams at the mo? I had a rather disturbing dream last night about my (very sweet) but rather old boss and I in a compromising position...! I think this is mainly because we were out at a client dinner until 10.30 last night, but it freaked me out this morn!

Ouch, Biscuits, sounds sore!

Purple, you sound like a v useful person to know! Have just looked at the stats thread and you couldn't be further away in RL, though. I shall ask the MW about bf support groups - last time around she said there were a couple locally, but I can't remember when or where, and they might have changed since then, anyway. If all else fails I can always drive into Edinburgh - it's bound to have hundreds of support groups.

Did anyone else taste their breastmilk in total fascination?

Re the ante-natal classes for second-timers - I don't think I'm going to go. I would only be going to meet other people, and I think my sad tale would freak first-timers out. My last ante-natal class was run by the community MW and had only 3 couples inc me and DH, and there were only 3 sessions - 2 on birth and 1 on BF and cot death run by the HV. I'm not interested in the birth ones - been through it, and with a planned CS it will be very different this time around. I think I'll try the BF support groups as a way of meeting local mums. I also might go back to Sands, who run an ante-natal class for people pregnant again after a loss.

Scream, is everyone at your work pleased for you? Is your 16 week scan private? How far away is that now?

Scream, yes on the dreams! I had one last week where I had had Bean, who had turned out to be a girl called Kate (even though I don't like the name Kate!), and I was in hospital with her. It turned into a nightmare where I kept doing things wrong without realising and the midwives shouted at me and eventuallybarriers came down around me and security guards took her away from me saying I wasn't fit to be a mother. Stupid dream!

Oh my goodness yes about the dreams! Last night I had one where my Nan and Grandad were coming to visit me in a horse and cart but I wasn't home, I was a mile down the road rushing to get back to meet them. I saw them flying up the road in the horse and cart and managed to scramble onto the horse and had this horrible feeling of hanging on all the way home.

Somehow then I was in Florida on this merry go round type ride but to get off of it you had to jump into water and swim to the edge while there was a great white shark in the water! (Luckily I realised it's teeth had been removed so wasn't too worried about if it bit me). WTF is that all about?

I only did the NHS ante-natal classes last time and tbh I wasn't impressed. It was all focused on what happens physically during birth and that was it really. As I have DS already I'm hoping to meet Mums out and about at different classes after the baby arrives. This is how I made my friends last time and 3 of them are now amongst my closest friends. Biscuits did you do any classes locally with DS? Just wondering if our paths have maybe crossed already... PM me if you'd rather not put on here.

Ooh! I need to go and find the stats thread again to put in my scan date! Back later.

I think we'll do the NCT refresher classes. It has not been that long since we had DS but it will be good to meet others and to think about our choices and decisions this time in terms of the birth and getting DS used to not being the centre of attention.

Hmm I wanted to. Do the refresher one too Bartlet but apparently there aren't any near us .

Might check again nearer the time as perhaps they need demand before they put one on?

I emailed the local woman to say we were interested, because there wasn't one running at the right time near us, and it turns out they are putting one on, so it might be worth emailing to register your interest.

Ok gave up looking for the stats thread. I am not sure what I am going to do about classes. They run physiotherapy classes towards the end of pregnancy but unfortunately it clashes with my uni lectures in that semester. I think I will remember the basics of baby care, I just want to make sure my body is ready. Maybe aquarobics?

Didn't do NCT last time but via their mother and baby groups attached myself to a group that has remained tight so was very lucky.

I was vaguely considering a refresher course but if we do end up moving then I will definitely be finding the local NCT branch and booking myself on every course going so I can meet local mums!

hello,

day 2 back at work was much better- having had some sleep made a BIG difference! DH got up with DD last night

Tamba run courses and classes on parenting multiples, so I may keep an eye out for one of those. Maybe!

And I had a vivid dream, but mine was that I was bleeding very heavily and thought I was losing both babies and was being driven to the hospital by my dad and sister in a big chrysler. Not good.

I have had some really bad cramps the last few days, unlike anything I've ever had before so I'm a bit nervous...

Also, you know my first mw booking in appointment just didn't get me booked in? Well, now I need to go back next week, again, for round 3 as they lost or got super wierd results for my bloods they did (mw was a little cagey) so they need to re-do the bloods... How ridiculous. Especially as the bruises still haven't gone down from the first time becasue the mw is hopeless at getting blood!

I may have to wait til 20 weeks for my next scan (unless these cramps don't go) but at least I get scanned every month from there, FX

and where IS that pesky stats thread?!

For Wants: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1270989-We-Brook-No-Arguments-Very-Eventful-Stats-Thread

Argh I go away for a cheeky hol and there is a new thread and 10 new pages. Still on page 3 so will be a little while. Hope everyone is ok

Argh I go away for a cheeky hol and there is a new thread and 10 new pages. Still on page 3 so will be a little while. Hope everyone is ok

hello hawthers, wondered where you'd got to, I hope you're the size of a house and waddling by now Any updates to add to our stats thread yet? Did you have a good hol?

hi dream lovely hols but its cold. DS' sleeping all over the shop and DH is vigourously shhhing upstairs as i type.

no news for stats thread but next scan on monday. feel like the size of a house but trying to second guess if i'm enough of a whale or not - its doing my head in! definitely waddling and feeling very uncomfortable which i didn't feel last time so taking that as a good thing. will shortly be more pg than i've ever been so it will be a bit of a big week for me

right off to go and see what you've all been up to x

Hello my internet died. Again.

Mastitis, you also massage the duct/lump to help it pass, feed and hand express as needed. I don't know the stats on Mastitis, however a few people have had it just not always so severe. There are a few horror stories about it often it is caught early and sorted at least in my area. However we have great bf resources here which I am sure helps. I have never had it, I know of one lady who had it several times but still fed for a long time, oddly enough I see more thrush cases

Hello Hawthers

Dream I wrote a fairly long post yesterday that went when my internet failed again. Sigh.

You are probably experiencing ligament pain general stretching, that ca be pretty painful

Anyway my best advice is to feed as much as you can in the first six hours as that really kick starts the milk making process and then as much as you can, I am sure you know this is great for your supply and once your mature milk is in that is when the feeding as much as possible really helps, if you can take the babies to bed for a few days that is often very useful.
However, saying all this twin pregnancies with their high level of hormones generally means twin mums have a great milk supply.

Breastpumps I am not hugely knowledgeable about, and hand expression is what we are supposed to promote now, especially as it can be just as effective if not more than a pump. I would perhaps see if any local groups hire double breast pumps?

I had physio yesterday afternoon and she said my joints and ligaments are not up to it. :( Can't really give me exercises as it will aggravate my spd. So I guess I a not going to be working much!

just managed to catch up to too's good news - i've been thinking of you so massively pleased its looking good (unless there is another update on pages 6-9 that i've not seen yet).

breatpump wise i'd recommned the medula swing. its a single pump but i used it when i had to express for DS for 16 weeks day and night before he was well enough to bf and in all htat time although i had blocked ducts around twice a week, it never developed into mastitis so its not inevitable.

thats good news purple! The mw told me very few twin mums manage to exclusively bf and very few get the hang of tandem feeding. She asked if I had enough milk for DD- which I did, but I said I wasn't like some women having to express due to engorged breasts and just far too much milk and she did a face and said I'd best have some formula, and would likely need to express and have them accepting bottles from a few weeks in anyway. You sound more knowledgable than her by far from one post! I would like to try and ebf both as long as these cramps are indeed only cramps. I never got the hang of hand expressing- mind you, I only ever managed to express after mastitis, which I had very badly at 6 months and more mild at 7 or 8 months. We were on holiday, DD got bronchiolitis and my very-laid-back-about-illness GP DH had us race to A&E with her (so of course I thought she must be dying!) she actually perked up a treat and got sent home with inhalers for her, then the next day I woke up with full on horrific, can't move my arm,hurts to walk, boob agony mastitis. We couldn't face any more trawling round looking for local medical services on our hol with an ill baby and an ill me so DH got me some antibiotics and was ok. At least I never got thrush!! And it was far enough into bf to not put me off and entirely due to bad latching on.

Now, to write my list of questions for you, to wait, or what?!

What a shame there's nothing you can do for your pain purple. At least it's easier if you're signed off and can rest. I presume the physio thought you wouldn't be working then if you're too knackered to exercise!? Grim. You poor thing. Are you 18 weeks? For some reason, I keep getting you and pommed confused with who's where in their pregnancy, even though the only similarity is you both begin with a 'p'.

Happy scanning for monday hawthers, I spotted it on the stats thread after I wrote that post. More uncomfortable= bigger bump, baby growing in my experience. but I will do some brooking for you just in case!

thanks hawthers. What an amazing effort you managed to bf him, you get a gold medal at least (checks with purple!)

Hawthers did a tremendous job, stories like that are great at showing that you can breastfeed even in very difficult circumstances. However, recognition does need to be given to every BF mum as they all do a great job :)

Dream if your breast seem emptier then actually they are more receptive to making more milk than if you are full, also shows that your milk is being drained effectively. Mastitis is very ouchy although I was lucky enough not to get it!
Your MW sound like a ray of sunshine! I have known two twin mums in the last year or so to exclusively bf. One who fed til the twins were 20 months and a colleague of mine knows a triplet mum who bf.
Bf has such low rates anyway, and when you have two babies to juggle it is even more to get used to! I think you have to be determined to bf although there are people who fall into it and just get on easily.

I need to talk to my GP about work, I am hoping I will get to see the DR who actually signed me off rathe rthan my usual sonce he didn't even look at my back!