Jan 2013 part 4: the one where we are closer to the end than the beginning

[PricklyPickle]

Here we go!

Stats: 16 girls, 9 boys, 13 surprises

BuntyCollocks (29) DC2 EDD 28/12/12 She?s a girl!
Pmgkt (33) DC2 EDD 28/12/12 He?s a boy!
Birdies (33) DC2 EDD 30/12/12 She?s a girl!
Pascha (35) DC2 EDD 30/12/12 It?s a surprise!
PricklyPickle (31) DC1 EDD 31/12/12 It's a surprise!
LowLu (31) DC2 EDD 02/1/13
TootieMaroo (32) DC2 EDD 03/1/13
MarasmeAbsolu (31) DC2 EDD 03/01/13 She?s a girl!
Lora1982 (30) DC1 EDD 04/01/13 He?s a boy!
IsSpringSprangedYet (?) DC4 EDD 05/01/13
DollFisher (28) DC1 EDD 05/01/13 She?s a girl!
Allchik (30) DC1 EDD 06/01/13 It?s a surprise!
Pockemuchka DC3 EDD 06/01/13 It?s a surprise!
Happyhow (26) DC1 EDD 07/01/13 It?s a surprise!
EmilieFloge (38) DC? EDD 07/01/13
Complicated24 (44) DC1 EDD 07/01/13 It's a surprise!
Newbie6 (36) DC1 EDD 08/01/13 He?s a boy!
Norfolkinway (25) DC1 EDD 09/01/13
Octanegirl (34) DC1 EDD 09/01/13 He?s a boy!
BumgrapesofWrath (30) DC2 EDD 10/01/13
Kim222 (30) DC1 EDD 11/01/13
Lulabel27 (29) DC2&3 (twins) EDD 11/01/13
CraftyGirly (26) DC1 EDD 11/01/13 She?s a girl!
Cejay8 (32) DC2 EDD 12/01/13 It?s a surprise!
Tinyeyes123 (30) DC1 EDD 13/01/13 She?s a girl!
CreepyCrawly (22) DC1 EDD 13/01/13 She?s a girl!
PixelCarrier (37) DC1 EDD 13/01/13 It?s a surprise!
Shakemyhead (37) DC1 EDD 14/01/13 She's a girl!
Godzookey (35) DC1 EDD 14/01/13 He?s a boy!
PeshwariNaan (33) DC1 EDD 14/01/13
Hormonalhell (40) DC2 EDD 15/01/13 He?s a boy!
DoIgetastickerforthat (36) DC4 EDD 16/01/13 She?s a girl!
Theboutiquemummy (35) DC1 EDD 17/01/13
ChutesTooNarrow (33) DC2 EDD 18/01/13 She?s a girl!
Glorious (28) DC1 EDD 18/01/13
Tugstonia (33) DC1 EDD 18/01/13 It's a surprise!
SpringFlowers (39) DC4 EDD 18/01/13 It?s a surprise!
Eagleray (40) DC1 EDD 18/01/13
13mma (29) DC1 EDD 18/01/13 scan 13/09/12
LetThereBeCupcakes (30) DC1 EDD 20/01/13
Silversixpence (29) DC2 EDD 20/01/13
mulan07 (27) DC1 EDD 20/01/13 He?s a boy!
BadgerFace (34) DC1 EDD 21/01/13 She?s a girl!
PreggoFabulous (30) DC1 EDD 22/01/13 He?s a boy!
Bunny222 (31) DC1 EDD 22/01/13 It?s a surprise!
Bealos (34) DC2 EDD 22/01/13 She?s a girl!
AppleCrumples (??) DC4 EDD 22/01/13 It's a surprise!
Woody2313 (33) DC1 EDD 23/01/13
SigningGirl (?) DC1 EDD 24/01/13
Mrsbugsywugsy (34) DC1 EDD 25/01/13 She's a girl!
SquealyB (29) DC1 EDD 26/01/13 It?s a surprise!
knuckingfackered (39) DC2 EDD 26/1/13
Thinkingpositivethoughts (28) DC1 EDD 26/01/13
MrsMallard (35) DC1 EDD 26/01/13 She?s a girl!
Salt1 (38) DC1 EDD 27/01/13 She?s a girl!
Lilblondepessimist (33) DC4 EDD 28/01/13
MamaMary (31) DC2 EDD 28/01/13 She?s a girl!
Sebsmama (32) DC2 EDD 29/01/13
BionicEmu (26) DC2 EDD 29/01/13
Missymoo (32) DC2 EDD 30/01/13
DiscoDomina (31) DC1 EDD 30/1/13 He's a boy!
Brugmansia (35) DC1 EDD 31/01/13
Mummypud (32) DC3 EDD 31/01/13
PipIsOutNow (27) DC2 EDD 31/01/13 scan 19/09/12

Oh god I'd forgotten about this...

Pascha

Your boobs grow a size or two in the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, and then some more once your milk comes in and you have what is basically two rock-hard giant boulders on your chest.

That squirt milk 10 feet across a room with the barest touch...

Oh yes.

And the bed smells of cheese as you've leaked milk everywhere in the night.

(sorry first timers!)

Haha! Oh yeah and that leaking happens BEFORE baby is born...

And that cheesy milky smell could be caused by either leaking boobs or baby puking feed back at you!

Oh the things I wish people had warned me about the first time...

eek!!!

oh god...

Stop!

Thanks everyone. There is certainly more going on here.
Just been laughing at the leaky breast milk notes, this is my 3DC but with a 8 year gap (eldest DC is 11) since my last and had forgotten about the hosepipe nipple attachment of motherhood but it brought the milky cheesy smell flooding right back.
With my first I tried to give my poor nipples some fresh air and went very naively to sleep braless, had to peel my poor boobs of the milky crusty duvet in the morning. It didn't do my nipples any favours I can tell you.
Yep still wearing underwired bra here too. Just starting to think about something a little more comfortable now though.
Bought a maternity coat......DH very sweetly said I looked cute but I took that as It was very unflattering and it drowns me
Thanks again for the lovely welcome.

i must be the only one who does not have bigger breasts, still comfortably wearing pre pregnancy bras x

Speaking of boobs... do anybody elses itch? (God this is probably far TMI) but mine itch like crazy, not all the time, but when they start it drives me mad! Especially near the nipples! Maybe I should try different bras. Hmmm.

Been looking at nursery bedding and decorations with DH this week. 27 weeks and trying to fit in thoughts of Christmas as well! (and budgetting for it all). Anyway, we quite like the Lollipop Lane Prickles and Twoo range - have you seen it?

AriNi31 Itching could be skin stretching? Are you moisturising with cocoa butter or similar?

haha, if anyone's getting freaked out about all this boob talk - I can quite happily take it back to bowel talk - SOOO damn constipated it's untrue

this is tmi but have not been able to go since Sunday. I'm hoping that I won't have a similar episode as last week as we're at a friends house for dinner so it could all end up veree badly.

Back to boobs - am still wearing underwired bras... and what are people's feelings on manual breast pump versus electric breast pump. We got a manual one as part of a set of stuff from Babysrus ages ago but i keep hearing that the Medella Swing electric pump is the best thing since sliced bread!!

Godzookey I had manual pumps which were kind of hard work when i used them (which wasn't often) can see that if you were going to be using it a lot an electric pump would b much easier! Wasn't planning on getting one last time as I so rarely used the old one then my milk came in and dd refused to feed properly and an emergency breast pump had to be bought after I had a TOTAL hormonal breakdown!

Waaa.....squirty boobs....this seems terribly unfair .

Welcome Henny - bet you wish you'd stuck to your previous thread now .

AriNi31 I am also suffering from very itchy nips. The poor things I do feel quite sorry for them. Any remedies welcome.

Having general work rage at the moment as being pulled in a million different direction, I mean excuse me but have they not realised by now that their formerly diligent and dedicated employee can now no longer concentrate for 30 minutes and spends most of the time daydreaming about baby things and updating baby spreadsheets. Honestly you'd think I was paid to be here or something .

On breast pumps, was advised by a few friends that the Philips Advent Electric is also very good.

Aha! I've just been looking on Amazon at breast pumps. Was about to look at the Mumsnet reviews. I had an Avent manual pump last time that worked, but was hard work, even with my aforementioned 'spouty boobs'.

Thinking of getting an electric one this time as I'm going to be working part time (run my own business), but want to breast feed fully til 6 months at least.

Amazon saying good things about Tommee Tippee Close to Nature electric (I do like their boob shaped bottles) and Medela electric.

And look at this a handy boob tube to keep your double breast pump strapped on whilst you, er, do the washing up or something.

OMG. Flick through the images, the 'business lady' is sat at her desk, one hand holding the phone, the other her shiny Mac keyboard, whilst she pumps with her grey cardi open.

And in the real world...

[not to say it wouldn't actually be that useful]

Going now...

ahahahahhaha! Can you imagine actually wearing one of those? I have a medela swing. Its fine but the motor wore through in less than 6 months so I returned it to boots for a replacement which they did without quibble. The new one lasted fine and is packed away all ready for use again. I pumped for one bottle a day, if I was doing it for more than that I would get a double pump. I heard the Ameda Lactaline is the best one out there for that.

Its worth remembering that hospitals should have hospital grade pumps available for loan should you need one in an emergency.

I have a medela swing. My first one also broke, but mothercare exchanged it no problem, and it was still going strong when I finished up pumping and feeding, and I pumped a LOT at times.

I think I'm going with medela bottles this time. Don't anticipate needing many, and used tommee tippee last time, just prefer the rationale behind the medela calma ie they have to work to get the milk. DS was a lazy feeder, so it's a good job we didn't use the medelas!

Ari mine itch too! I am using coconut oil which helps with dry skin (which I always suffer from anyway) but not so much itching.

I seem to have cured the constipation (for now at least) by drinking tons and tons of water, fruit juice, and eating a bit of dried fruit every day.

I actually would have dreamt of having one of these last time round.
I went back to work when DD was 16 weeks, EBFed to 6 months, and continued to 11.
The number of hours I just spent seating hugging my medela to express soooo slowly... Would have loved to have my hands free to actually get on with stuff.

(some people just squirt gallons of milk in no time. A mate could produce 7 Oz in less than 10 minutes - For a similar exploit, I would have been pumping for at least 45min)

So I think I will buy the boob tube

That is faaaar too disturbing for me! I think I will deem enough like Betsy the milk cos without adding this contraption. Cannot believe the pics of the lady 'at work'.

I was lucky to get 1oz in 45 min, but ds1 never struggled, in fact was always done in 20 min. It was a manual pump as I only did it on the odd occasion, but won't bother again this time. Hubby will do formula when needed its not worth the hassle in my mind. But my friend got on really well and did a lot to fill her freezer then her little one wouldn't take a bottle!

Hello all, and welcome Henny. Been a while since I visited, so I've enjoyed catching up. I must be sleeping better!

Apart from being awake and unable to sleep at 4am today though, I'm doing well: the SPD/PGP/sciatica is much better after being to see the physios and doing all the right things to help (thanks happy for all the tips!). The vomiting has settled down to once or twice a week. Keeping regular (top tips are cracked Golden linseed and prunes). I still fit into my pre-pregnancy (underwired!) bras - but am planning to go for a fitting at about 35-36 weeks to get some nursing bras. Very thankful I'm not too itchy - just now and again, and I use coconut oil too, mrsbugs.

But now slightly worried about what on earth is going to happen when I do start breast feeding after all the squirty cheesy milk stories!!! And do I really need a breast pump?!? It wasn't on my list of essentials...