We will BROOK NO ARGUMENT on having serene, pain free, uncomplicated pregnancies and sneeze births! Vol 8

[ScreamIfYouWantToGoFaster]

Hello ladies! I can't wait to see how many No Brooking babies arrive during the course of this thread!! Do you realise we have now filled SEVEN threads (and that's just the graduates!) That's 7000 posts and counting!

Let's all get settled in for some serious No Brooking, we have a lot of painless sneeze births to get through over the next couple of weeks!

Morning all!

I do hope Dream got some sleep in the end last night, and a chance to get back to her normal positive state! It's just so overwhelming being exhausted, it makes even the tiniest task seem insurmountable and not so tiny tasks seem nightmarish! However we've all heard evidence of the unstoppable Dream and I have total faith that when your two little guys turn up you will take it all in your stride and have the Mummy-of-3 thing nailed in short order!

Lots of No Brooking going on for the scan today as well! Twin 2 and his placenta will be absolutely fine!

Sounds like your DH is being very cute Popcorn! My DH has occasionally asked me "Am I supposed to be talking to the baby?" and I keep pointing out that the baby can hear him now so he can if he would like to. He then hesitates for a minute or two, clearly with no idea how to start a "conversation" and then nonchalantly wanders off as if he has something far more important to do. Thanks for the cookies!

How are Ninja and Biscuits feeling today? Also, how is Jen's leg/ankle doing? Keeping up the general No Brooking for healthy preggos and mamas!

D'oh! Caught out by slow typing again!

Yay for Dream's DD settling a bit better after 10.30 pm!

Also, it appears to no longer be morning... In my defence I couldn't get to sleep until 5 am last night - which was less than fun. I had really bad period pains (they didn't come and go and I couldn't feel any tightening in my stomach, so I'm thinking it was just stretching) and accompanying extra back pain to go with it. LO was moving much more than usual (after being quiet all weekend!) and it honestly felt as if she was trying to wriggle/swim her way into my pelvis! I think she's getting ready to move down into a more engaged position, but I'm refusing to get paranoid about it. A baby's head can be engaged weeks before labour according to Dr Google

Nappy offer

Those of you that know about nappies, does this offer look worth going for?

Oh, now I'm confused!!!!

The doppler was ok, both cords had normal blood flows. Then we saw the registrar (as consultant in a meeting) who said that if twin 2 hasn't grown by next week, they'll be delivered ASAP, so today was offered steroid jabs etc etc in readiness (which we turned down, as they're best given as close to delivery as possible as dh not convinced we'll be delivering early). However then she said yes they are concerned re:twin 2's growth as his abdomen hasn't grown but the last growth scan showed twin 1's head growth had slowed which would be highly unusual (IUGR of any kind would always start with decreasing abdomen circumference as growth everywhere important like brain, organs is preserved first), so it may ?? just be scan inaccuracy. But as I've also got some decreased foetal movements in twin 2 she offered twice weekly CTG monitoring (which dh turned down for me!) for reassurance, or just come in if any reduced foetal movements- which is the plan we're going with.

So I'm befuddled.... do I start preparing myself to have these babies soon after next Thursday's scan instead of 3 weeks as I'm expecting? or forget about it, assume inaccurate scan last time and hope Twin 2 is a right whopper on scan next Thursday, and all is forgotten re: early delivery?! While of course trying to monitor this pesky quieter twins movements... I'm feeling a bit stressed by the uncertainty of it all He's turned too- is no longer head down and is transverse. No wonder I'm even more uncomfy, and maybe that's why I'm throwing up again?!

So sorry everyone for a me me me post.

Oooh Dream how confusing!!! How many weeks would you be next week?

I am of course hoping that they don't need to deliver them next week but I think you have to be prepared in case that is what they decide. If they did have to deliver next week could you still have the steroid injections etc?

Oh, and I guess the fact twin 1 is now transverse makes the CS thing a bit easier? Which way round is twin 2?

for you dream. Some tricky things to think about.

I think you've done fantastically well to get to 35 weeks already. Worst case scenario and they're delivered next week at 36 weeks that's actually pretty brilliant for twins isn't it? TBH I think I'd be tempted to just say deliver them next week. You know they're a good size and it would prevent any further worry, potential further problems in utero and decision making.

I guess it's not that easy when it's you that it's happening to. There's a lot of things you need to discuss with your DH, including what arrangements and support will be in place for looking after DD and making things as easy for you as possible after the birth if it were to happen as soon as next week.

What are your thoughts at the moment?

Are you in a position where you could be ready for them next week Dream? It may be worth working towards having them then and then you may find the decision easier to make. It's when it's a surprise and you have to make a decision now that it can be hard but if you prepare yourself then hopefully it will be easier for you.

They won't deliver them unless Twin 2 has actually stopped growing, so if scan fine next week, then its panic over. If they do deliver them, I'd probably have the steroid jabs next week- it's not like if I didn't have them today that's it, but they'd be useless if given too early anyway iykwim. Plus the evidence for them in twin pregnancies is very scanty, but the reg said they give them to all twin mums delivering prem anyway, despite no conclusive evidence they help twins!!

I'm almost wishing for them to be delivered next week, twin 2's movements are a big stress. I'm 36 weeks next Thurs. And I am suffering now- huge, even the ranitidine failing to control the reflux, morning sickness back, rib agony, tired....

And it's twin 2 who's transverse- wonder if that's a contributing factor to my vomiting again too? Def section if he's transverse, as i'd definitely need him turning for vb and I'm not risking tearing with an ob/gyn doctors hand up there trying to turn him!!!

Oh Dream. That's all very confusing and contradictory. Hopefully it will turn out to be inaccurate scanning and everything will be fine . Still, 35 weeks is brilliant for twins, as Scarlet says (I am biased as a 35 week twin myself), and 36 weeks is even better. Would you not have felt happier with the twice-weekly monitoring, though? Just to set your mind at rest?

Hope everyone else is doing well today.

Maia has put on 20g, yay! In 22 hours, because it wasn't quite 24. It's not much but it's heading in the right direction. She'll be weighed again on Saturday and hopefully this will have continued. She did this despite snack-feeding for hours between 11pm and 4am - waah, feed for 5/10 mins, sleep for 30 mins, waah again. I fell asleep for an hour with her balanced on my chest, but the instant I woke up and tried to put her down she cried again. My right nipple is all raw - ouch. I got maybe 2 hours sleep and then she woke up again at 5.40 and fed properly for about 40 mins - result! She went back down at nearly 7 and then woke up again at 9ish and fed pretty well in 15 minute chunks until 10.30 (nappy changing, burping etc in between). Her nappies went back to slightly greeny, which the MW says means that she wasn't getting enough hindmilk, just snacking on foremilk. Still, her weight gain is encouraging and since then she's fed and fed and fed. Had a marathon feed between 3ish and 5 - every time I thought she was finished she woke up again and wanted more. She's sleeping slightly restlessly now and we're trying not to let her feed for close to 3 hours so she's properly hungry and won't snack. Her nappies are bright yellow chicken korma again now, so it must be working! Am having now. I am exhausted and my boobs are enormous!

Scream, hope the period pains have calmed down now. You really don't need any more pain!

Too you could try block feeding, i.e feeding from one side for three hours, rather than leaving three hours between feedings, esp if Maia wants to feed in those times. I am doing a bit of block feeding, not too much as hoping to have a good milk supply, but it takes the edge off the crazy let down! I am leaking so much I am partially filling a tumbler off the spare boob!

Pomme we have jaundice here too! Feeding 2 hrly.

I am very proud of all you bfers your doing a marvellous job! It isn't always easy but with the brooking spirit we will definitely get there! And it does get easier, you are all doing so well in getting the support as well and that is so important to a happy outcome :) :)

Jen I am v. tempted by that offer! Going to try my birth to potty nappies on him to see how they fit and then decide from there. I would also like to point out the offer on my very favourite nappies 25% and 20% off itti bitti I use the tuttos and they are just beautiful! Bit scary to begin with as there are a lot of inserts but a bit of practice and they are fantastic! Oh I also love the Rockin Green washing powder.

Dream Why did Dh decline monitoring?? I would feel really reassured by it! Hope your happy with this choice. I think you should mentally prepare for delivery next week, but hope that it will be fine. Oh and yes yes yes to transverse= pain.etc I would have the rib ache/reflux depending on his position.
Could it be worth taking Dd to HV or GP in our area there is a sleep clinic to help with this sort of thing?
You are doing so well btw, I hope you realise and can give yourself the appropriate pat on the back!

Someone asked me about my BP? I was feeling unwell and a bit light headed, also just quite moody and not myself, with slight palpitations I had not really paid attention too. I had run myself down looking after DD and both my BP spells have been around times of illness.

From ages ago... Loopy both my babies have been OP, in labour I started with him as normal position and I had worked hard myself trying to turn him, so I knew how to turn him back to OA when at 6cms it was found he was OP. So I just wanted to say that your section due to to being OP does not have to be your fate, I was feeling a lot of pressure and knew I was going to push soon, so turned on my side as I knew this shifted him and I started to involuntary push immediately!! So, please don't be disheartened, just work on turning baby if they ARE op which hopefully they won't.

Long post, was going to say more but dinner time now!

really wuick- DH is very much an optimist, thinks its all scan inaccuracy and kept saying 'but he is moving' (he is, but not as much as usual I don't think, but he's also turned to transverse, which could be making a difference to how I feel it confused). He also said no point going in to be monitored at a set time, far better to keep monitoring the movements (dont think he gets how stressful I'm finding that at all in case I miss him not moving etc) and go in when/if concerned. Basically, IMO dh was being an optimistic arse when it'll be me who's worrying, but they keep talking to dh as well as me as he's medical, when really I'm the only one who can have an opinion on movements.

And I did have a reasuuring CTG even when T2 was definitely not moving and sat like a little pudding on sat night. And yes, they sent me home, were quite happy to wait til next week before giving the steroid jabs when we see where we are after the scan. So they can't be that worried.

I just can't help worrying about it... It probably is just me who's worrying!!!!

Brooking for panic over next week for you dream come on twins grow nicely for mummy! More for you to think about now though which is quite frankly not fair.

too - yay for Maia gaining weight. You're doing amazingly.

Dd1's first growth spurt happened at three weeks and I started doing expressing and some bottles of formula in response. So basically killed bfing... So not giving up but umm, how long do they last? It's all screaming and constant snacky feeds and a confused dd1!!

This too shall pass this too shall pass this too shall pass...

Pomme usually just a couple of days, feed plenty at night to work with your prolactin and encourage more milk, expressing will also help boost your supply but I would just freeze it for now. Basically, you need to feed as much as possible and it will boost your supply which is what she is doing. Keep calm and push through you will get there! It will only be a short while and soon you will have more milk and can give yourself and DD a pat on the back :)

If you are worried, get your latch checked and have a feed observed (by someone in the know) to make sure Abbie is getting good milk transfer :)

Wow a complicated day in No Brooker land!

Dream how stressful to have so much to think about at this stage! FWIW I agree with everyone who's said that preparing as if you'll deliver next week might take some of the stress out of that route, but at the same time we'll still all be Brooking No Argument that Twin 2 will be growing nicely at the next scan and all of this will go away! In the mean time have a big hug from me!

This might not be at all appropriate in your situation, but if you are feeling a bit edged out by your DH sometimes, particularly with the hospital docs talking to him as a fellow medical professional, is there any value in maybe asking to have part of the appt just you and the doc? It's not directly comparable, but when I was at my worst for freaking out about the birth, I found it quite frustrating when my DH would eat up half the mw appt asking irrelevant questions (he has a background in psychology and loves to talk about various child psychology studies rather than the nitty gritty reality of my specific pregnancy!). So I suggested that he join us halfway through the next appt, which gave me a chance to ask everything that was playing on my mind (without being interrupted with random q's) and then he came in later and could ask his questions separately. It's just a thought if you are getting to the end of the appt and not feeling like you're 100% happy with the decisions made.

Can I just take my hat off to all the bfing mamas!?! Hawthers, Pomme, Purple Biscuits and Too. You guys are all working so hard, on so little sleep, it's amazing. You're keeping your tiny ones healthy and growing, and using every possible strategy to make bfing work! Well done to you all! It all sounds so far from easy, but it's hugely inspiring to us soon-to-be bfing to hear about your experiences and how you're working through it. Sorry I don't have any helpful advice to getting through the growth spurts or dips in weight gain, but I'm happy to wave poms poms from the sidelines and to Brook No Argument that this to shall pass!

Evening all

Dream hope you're getting your head around today's appointment. I'm sending all the brooking vibes to those boys of yours to do some grade a growing before next week.

Too you sound as if you are doing a great job there - and YAY for Maia's weight gain - that's more than half an ounce in just one day Awesome effort by Team Too

And Pomme - growth spurts are so draining aren't they? You are doing a super great grand job there though. Keep going my lovely - we're all behind you. And will be there to scrape you up of the floor in a day or two when it's passed!

Now aren't there some things that are supposed to increase milk supply? I seem to recall fennel tea? And dark chocolate? I'm not sure about the dark chocolate but I only needed to be told that one once and it was good enough reason for me to start shovelling in Green and Blacks like it was going out of fashion .

So, in amongst my whinging about my stitches yesterday, did I mention that I had blocked milk ducts in one boob? Last night was a jolly long night of massaging said boob, getting DH to massage while DS2 was feeding (and I held the whole thing steady for him) hand expressing, hot water bottles etc. Poor DH had to get up for every night feed with me . I was very scared it might turn into mastitis but I have everything crossed that we've avoided that. It's a lot less painful today. And I'm thinking that because I am on antibiotics anyway for my stitches that this might have helped stave off any infection? In any event, yesterday there were lots of visible and palpable lumps in my boob and now it just seems a little tender, and not as bumpy so hopefully we've broken the back of it.

Hope everyone else is well xx

Biscuits, that sounds v sore. I hadn't realised mastitis could hit so early! Hopefully you've kicked it into touch (does that make sense at all? My brain is like mince).

Purple, what does 2 good yellow nappies, heaps and heaps of feeding for the best part of 2 hours, followed by 3 hours sleep and a small green nappy mean? I thought once they went yellow they stayed that way? She's now fed for about 15 mins and is zonked again. Me too...

Too I think that mastitis is most common in the first 6 weeks or so? I guess because it is infected blocked milk ducts, and the easiest way to get blocked ducts is with a poor latch, so this I guess common in those early weeks?

Last time I had it at about 6 weeks (and I know DS1 had a bad latch because of the tongue tie and the weeks and weeks of raw nipples I had ). But I also got it later on at about 4 months or so - not sure why, but it did just revisit me for old times sake

hello! blimey all this talk about bf and the colour of nappies etc has just massively reminded what I'm about to do again, and how much I've actually forgotten. You are all doing brilliantly, I take my hat off to you all.

dream although its probably not helpful I would be tmpted to remind dh rather strongly of the fact that you are the one feeling the movements and so the choice is really not his to make for you. But, that said, I'm sure you wouldn't let it go unsaid if you were mega mega concerned?

Feeling much better today but I have one nostril that will not unblock whatever I do and its driving my potty!

hmm, i'm wishing I'd just said yes to the plan of monitoring on monday and then scan on thurs, but they very much said go in whenever... I was just surprised I think ninja, I was expecting an 'all fine, off home with you' not any hint of early delivery! DH reckons with a good doppler it more positional why movements are down and chill out while monitoring movements. But yeah, I need to grow some

Well done all the bf'ers! I remember growth spurts being 3-4 hard days then milk supply increasing and it all calming down a bit. I never worried about nappy colour- a poo was a poo!! DD also went 10 days without pooing as her 'normal'. I was always twitchy by day 10, but it's totally normal and highly, highly unlikely for an EBF baby to get constipated- so if that happens to anyone, fear not!!!! (and btw, no nappy is a match for a 10 day poo!!)

waves to everyone else, my mum up doing respite evening for us so had lovely night out with dh.

off to bed!!

Ninja, I hate it when that happens! Try going outside and seeing if the cold air makes your nose run, maybe?

Right, off to get some sleep, possibly, maybe...

Hello all you brookers.

We've finally had some weight gain which has tracked the line but only on the addition of some formula and only tracking the 0.4 centile. So after struggling so long I've decided to add in another bottle (of expressed milk) to try to get f to cross some lines back up. Am totally gutted but we've dine everything to increase his weight and nine of it was creating any catch up and its nearly killing me.

I've tried so hard to bf exclusively but now I think I have to look at what is best for f and that is a more rapid weight gain.am completely gutted as so wanted to do it exclusively this time and everything was going well until the meningitis hit. I have shitty luck. Good luck to all the other bfers in he brooking gang.

Sorry for such a negative post.

fishcake so pleased to hear that your growth is looking good

dream so sorry that you are feeling shit again. Agree with everyone else that you need to prpare to have the boys next week and see what happens. 36 weeks is amazing!

biscuits am a feteran of blocked ducts so sympathise. I found focusing on sorting the issue st every feed meant that eventually it was sorted without mastitis developing.

too hang in there with the weight gain.

Oh Hawthers, please don't feel down my lovely!

You're doing an amazing job there already! And even if F has one bottle then you're still doing the majority of it from the boob! And did you say it's a bottle you've expressed? Surely if that is the case then he is still exclusively bf in a way, just a different method of delivery? Loads of people do a bottle so a partner can help with night feeds. Even if it's not expressed milk I think you have done astoundingly well so far! He's nearly 3 months and has had a major hospital stay and you've still stuck with it. It may be hard to see when you're in the midst of the weigh ins and centile charts but that is already an immense effort! You should be feeling proud of yourself.

I don't mean that to sound dismissive at all when it something that you are really thinking a lot about. It's easy for other people to say 'oh don't worry', but when it is something you had set your heart on it can be so upsetting. But as an outsider looking in you've already been doing a sterling job to my eye and have nothing to feel down about.

So take care me lovely xx