Due in October part 8- still plodding along, this time with copious amounts of raspberry leaf tea

[Londonmrss]

Surely this'll be the last one before moving to the postnatal section?

Due Dates:

Sept. 24: Lisbethsopposite DS2 by planned induction
Sept. 25: Squidkid DC1
Sept. 26: Elpis DC2 by ELCS
Sept. 27: Planktonette DC1
Oct. 1: FjordMor DD1 by planned induction, Gigglewhizz DC1(?)
Oct. 2: Firstbubba DC1, Milk DC2
Oct. 5: Yomping DC1
Oct. 7: Crazypaving DC2
Oct. 10: WantAnOrange DC2, MrsConfusion DC1, MidgetM if induced
Oct. 11: Smileyhappymummy DC2 by ELCS
Oct. 14: Hufflepuffle DC1.
Oct. 17: Smorgs, DC1
Oct. 18: Bella2012 DC2, Beccus DC1
Oct. 19: Shellwedance DC1
Oct. 20: Beeblebear DC1, MidgetM if ELCS DC2
Oct. 21: Dosomethingmutley DC1
Oct. 26: Londonmrss, DC1, Zara1984 DS1, Liege07 DS1
Oct. 28: Kyyria DC1, Loopyla, DC1
Oct. 30: Cherrychopsticks, DC1
Nov. 1: Londonlivvy DC1
Nov. 8: Mickey DC1

Actual babies:

Sept. 20: Velo - Max 2.35kg
Sept. 25: Angelico - Mini Angelico, CWest30 - Naomi Louise, 4lb 10oz

As predicted, sleep seems elusive... I may have to wean myself off these afternoon kips if this is the result.

fjordmor - sorry to hear about your birthing experience not going to plan and also the trials of breastfeeding. I am sure you will do what is right for you and baba, please don't feel that formula is failing, you both need your energy and nutrition right now.

Talking of nutrition, I seem to have managed a half pack of choc hob nobs in the last 2 hrs...

BRILLIANT NEWS CWest, so so pleased for you ? I bet you feel a weight has been lifted?

Katla my goodness you sound like a real trooper!! To DTD with DH once while we?re this big seems like a huge undertaking but 3 times?!!

Beccus I?m being a bit crap with resting as usually I have no time to see friends with all the cruddy commuting I used to do so feel like I want to take advantage now!

Feel a bit more human as while I still woke early, I got a better quality of sleep than normal & wasn?t awake for hours. I'm also going to treat myself to pancakes with double cream, maple syrup & fruit - just because I can!

FjordMor hope you're ok. I have no experience of what you're going through but imagine it must be a little soul-destroying when you're trying to do the best by your baby. A heartfelt sorry for my earlier facetiousness

Oh Fjord, this sounds like such a tough time for you. But please remember that it isn?t whether you breastfeed or not that makes you a good mum. My sister had a C section and struggled to feed her DS enough (he kept losing weight) and he was supplemented with Cow and Gate for a couple of weeks and then she just bottle fed. Now obviously this is not me telling you what to do ? I?m certainly not well informed enough to give proper advice - but honestly, in a western country with ready supplies of clean water to make up milk and sterilisers etc, your baby really would be fine if it was bottle fed. After all, half my friends were and I certainly couldn?t have told you which half. Good on you for getting advice and support though and seeing what you can do.
hugs

And on an entirely unrelated topic...
I have TWO DAYS LEFT AT WORK.
HURRAH.

On another (entirely unrelated topic), it is dawning on me how tough I may well find being at home all day with a small baby, especially given that three days a week DF has uni after work so leaves at 7.30am and gets home at 10.15pm. That?s a LOT of hours to be alone. I will need to make sure I leave the house and see someone, each day. Eek.

And (again, unrelatedly), could people PLEASE stop telling me how small my bump is and asking whether I?m sure I?m due on Nov 1st and is the baby really small. It?s making me WORRY.

Katla 3 times in 24 hours? Wowsers. I told DF and think he considers it a challenge worth taking on. Boys.

Fjord it is all sounding really tough I am sure things will improve soon but in the meantime don't beat yourself up about it. Do as much as you can (sounds like you are doing everything possible already) and be confident in the fact that, as many have said before, you and your baby will be fine and this will pass. Much love!

londonlivvy I hear you on the small bump - mines also small, am due on 26 Oct but the last ultrasound showed she was measuring normally - it's funny I was so worried about having a big baby (I was 9lb 10 oz) and she was big at the beginning but now I have only put on 11 kg the whole pregnancy and she seems small... I am really v grateful though when I hear of the pain people are suffering with SPD and general back ache etc, I have been v lucky in this respect. Also a bit worried about the long days alone during mat leave but there will be lots of ways to fill your time I am sure, I am v jealous of all you lot in the UK there seems to be so many groups to join with babies whereas here the only thing I can find is some kind of baby singing at 3 months... (not sure I can handle baby singing)

Cwest so so glad to hear you are all home and reunited. It must be a great feeling and well done for all your strength and resolve during testing (to say the least) times!

Loopy will be thinking of you tomorrow for the position scan, mine was breach at 34 weeks but turned (I could really feel it) and everyone was saying that they can turn right up to the last minute. I didn't do anything in particular but I am sure as much exercise as possible helps (including swimming).

I am still being monitored daily on the foetal heart monitor which is getting stressful and the liver enzymes are still rising (though I think they have ruled out Obstetric cholestasis) sometimes the heart monitoring is ok sometimes not, they have now booked me in for an induction next Tuesday the 16th (I'll be 38,4 weeks) bit scary and worried that the chances of emcs after all this worry with the heart rate is high but I don't suppose I have much choice. I have an appointment this afternoon so I'll take my list of questions and see how it goes.

Love to all the rest - looking forward to hearing about more babies!

cwest HURRAH! So glad baby Naomi, and you are finally home!xx

fjord I can not tell you how much my heart goes out to you and how much I empathise with your situation. While we would all like a ssquid-like recovery, sadly, the reaality is not always like that and my last experience was so similar to yours. I wasn't induced but had a long and traumatic labour leaving me shell-shocked and exhausted. The challenge of coaching this new little pupil through a painful and exhausting and frustrating new skill before you have had time to recover yourself if just so hard. Please believe me, this is not your fault. This is not you letting her down in any way. You have coped magnificently through a hugely trying pregnancy, have brougt her into the world and you have always always put her first, above anything you have suffered throug yourslef. What a great Mummy. My early experience of breastfeeding was exactly as you describe, and after the labour being so crazy I felt like I this was something else going wrong for me and that it was the end of the world. But we got the hang of it eventually. My SIL and several other friends I know weren't so lucky and they moved on to bottles. My niece and all the other babies went on to be perfectly happy and healthy. I am not underestimating the disappointment you must feel, i preseumed something so 'natural' should be easy, but it is not, and if you feel baby would be happier on a bottle, then definitely do it. Breastfeeding is supposed to be a lovely cosy bonding time, and I know it is not like that if the baby is wriggling, frustrated and hitting you. If you do move on, then DH can share the feeds and you can get some sleep and recover your zen. These first weeks ar so hard, but then you just wait...she will start smiling at you, a lovely gummy smileand it will all be up from there xxx

so sorry for all the typos. Am on my phone in the leisure centre watching my gorgeous boys swimming and the signal keeps coming and going so I thought I better just post it.

Livvy I am in the same boat as you as my DH gets in at 11pm three nights a week and plays rugby on a sat. There will be loads of groups you can go to and classes to take, so once yoy are up to it, try and join things, then you will meet likeminded people who will keep you sane! I have been amazed at how my circle has changed since having DS, obviously I still have my work friends, but some people I had lost touch with suddenly have loads in common with me, and we know from this thread how helpful it is to have friends in the same boat.

dH is going to work in a minute and I am going to spend the afternoon constructing a pirate shipwreck cake for DS! So excited! i doubt it would ,eet paul hollywood's standards but I will give it a whirl!

Yey for CWest and beautiful baby Naomi! Absolutely thrilled for you.
Katla, are you up to 3 yet? I tend to have a slight 'phew, don't need to bother with that for a couple of days then' feeling after 1 shag at the mo.
My midwife said that for sex to bring on labour, you'd have to do it (with both parties climaxing) at least 9 or 10 times within 24 hours. My husband suggested we would have to find several other men to assist, which he wasn't entirely happy with. Pretty selfish if you ask me.

fjord I managed a total of 5 weeks breast feeding last time, and am under no illusions this time! I'll give it a good go, but it just isn't worth it if its affecting yours and the baby's comfort and happiness. I was just exhausted, felt Dd1 never got enough and wanted more all the time, I was sore and cracked. Last straw was when she vomited my blood as she'd injested it from my poorly nipples!

Midwives/health visitors were unhelpful- all they would say is "it's normal". Yeah thanks!

Sometimes we have to go with our own intuition. See, in other countries women pass their babies to someone else to feed for a while, to give themselves a rest. We don't have that culture and I think that's partly why a lot of us struggle.

That and having a humongous hungry baby like I did!

In awe of you having sex all the time- that's so off the cards for me! How do you get up the energy?! I feel soooo unattractive, too!

CWest, yay, so glad you are home!

Fjord, I can't really add to the excellent, supportive comments from others on here (this thread really does have such an amazing bunch of people on it) but just wanted to send hugs and say it will get better, however you choose to tackle it.

Huffle, my DH will be delighted that someone else plays the Ikea suction brush game! How hilarious if they did it in the same store on the same day and spotted each other's brushes, that would make them both go !

Katla, come on girl, 2 more for the team . At least it's the most fun method of natural induction? And think how proud your DH will be if it works? Seriously though, sorry to hear nothing is happening, I imagine that will be me next week and I can understand how tough if will be to deal with. In a world of plans and deadlines (Like the idea of giving bean a deadline btw, LondonMrs, hope it works!), we are completely not set up to cope with something that could happen any time within a 4-6 week window.

Can I have a bit of a meltdown ,again, and ask for some suggestions? I didn't sleep at all last night. Like, not actually at all. . Have had 2 previous (consecutive) nights of very little sleep and really needed some last night. Had a glass of wine in the evening as this seems to have helped ensure a good night's sleep previously. Dozed for an hour, went to toilet. Dozed for another hour - felt like I had actually been asleep but when looked hopefully at time, it was just an hour later . Lay there for 90 more minutes trying so hard to sleep - let in the golden light, breathed out the tension, relaxed my muscles, everything. Nothing worked. Got so stressed that I gave up, came downstairs, threw my book across the room, slammed hand into kitchen wall in frustration, dissolved onto kitchen floor in wracking sobs and "I can't do this anymore" desperation, and spent the next hour with ice on hand wondering if would need to wake DH up to take me to A&E as hand very swollen on side and suspected broken bone . Then sat and read book for rest of night, after lying down on sofa didn't get me to sleep either. Hand bruised but OK. Feel like complete nobber for losing control like that but it shows how much I need to sleep

I'm worried as I don't want getting to sleep to become a "thing", as that will make it worse. Realistically, the main things stopping me sleeping are physical discomfort from the bump, pain when turning over, and the baby moving, it was madness last night - if it happened when I was asleep it might well wake me up, but I haven't a hope of falling asleep while all the wriggling is going on. And taking deep breaths to relax me seems to just energise the baby, it wriggles for 30 minutes, then goes quiet for 5, during which time I maybe start to doze, but then it starts again. I know these things will stop once the baby is born so hopefully this is just a pregnancy related problem and not general insomnia (had that for a while when younger, desperate not to go back there...) - but that is not helpful right now. Managed to get a couple of hours when DH had gone to work, but sleep in the day is not great (although I do know it's worth taking if it's all I'm going to get at the moment)

Seeing MW today so going to ask her for advice too but I'm scared she will think I'm not coping and will change her mind about homebirth and not inducing if I go overdue. This is hopefully just sleep-deprived paranoia. .

So can I ask for your help, does anyone have any suggestions of pregnancy-friendly sleeping aids? I have a special pillow which helps a bit but makes turning over more of a faff. I am going to cut out all sugar from 2pm and drink a mug of horlicks before bed tonight - is there anything else I can do?

Thank you in advance, sorry for me me me but having a massively down day. I know having a small baby is going to be hard but surely it has to be easier than this?

Yomping just replying before I read back. Don't know who said it a few days back, but after my totally crap sleep night before last, I heeded someone's advice and took 2 paracetamol last night as late as possible and had great sleep. I am lucky enough that I get to sleep well but it's the waking up to pee and discovering sore hips and pelvis that does it. Each time I got up, maybe 5 times, only v v mild.

Thank u so much whoever suggested the paracetamol , I cannot remember.

Also wedge pillow under bump completely unsleepable without.

We're off to Ikea on Saturday for a hotdog (!!!!!!! They are yummy, and need to look at wardrobe for baby..) But think a rendezvous of the brush stickers at Belfast store will be a but far for you to travel!!!!!! X

Now, so, everyone else.......

Fjord my heart is going out to you. Hoping you are managing to get any professional support available, obviously none of us know your local services, being so different to UK. But i agree with others. Formula is not evil, and both you and your Angel need help. You will not be failing if you change. My hope would be that expressing and bottle fed breast milk is possible if there are issues, but again I am a total novice and will just hav to see how things go. If is any help, i only have 1 friend who BF out of many friends and family............ I find this v weird and i think they are all finding me weird to want to do it......l Northern Irish Women are very odd creatures........ Hugs and support, you will get through it. Xx

Sweet Lord Londonmrss.......... how many times??! nearly choked on my raspberry leaf tea at DH thinking you might need to bring in help.........ROFL!!!!!!! Actually this idea of sex to induce labour was only introduced in our house last night during the episode of friends when Rachel having baby. (DH only watching friends now at this stage in his life, his laughter is hilarious, but i have seen them all a squillion times.........yawn)

He is horrified............!!! Oh dear. Last DTD did make the baby afterall......

Good luck katla hope you get there soon!!!

Cwest and Naomi!!!!!!!!!!!! So very very pleased for you!!!!! Hope everyone settling down well. Brilliant to be home. Your lovely family together at last. X

Livvy and Bella feeling for you at DH having late nights. I feel v lucky emotionally to have DH likely about so very much at start ( we shall ignore the financial implications of non working DH!!) but had bit of meltdown realising last night that he will hav to leave me after few weeks to try and finish this wretched bloody house!!!! But he will be home early every day and we can go with flow. But need house finished before i reeturn to work as he cannot exactly do rennos whilst caring for baby..... And he needs to learn to care for baby before i return!!!!!! EEEK!

I also hear you ladies on small bump, but only from other peoples bloody view..... Bugger off commenters!!! Yes I am due on Sunday, no my bump is not tiny, it is actually normal. I am just tall. Grrrrrr. And we often hear surprising weights, we will all have lovely perfect babies. You are great incubators!!

Liege hope you find some groups, there is bound to be something on? Am actually terribly antisocial and shy with anything not to do with work and the thought of groups makes me squirm......... But hopefully i wise up! Keep googling locally and asking around. That is all a bit scary with the monitoring but you are being well cared for and 38+4 is good gestation to come early. Good luck this afternoon. X

Awaiting news from Midget !! Did that sweep bring it all on????

I have 40 wk apt on Monday and they will do sweep then. H mmmmmm.

Thats me for now, sorry if missed anyone.

Love and support to you all, wonderful ladies. Xx

Just unpacking and washing breast pump and bottles. Just incase. The pump pack comes with 'Breast Shells' . Can anyone tell me what on earth these are for??? They are very hard plastic.

Doh....... Found silicon inners and instructions for them. Never heard of those before!! Need a v v stretchy bra to fit all that in.........! Can't imagine actually using!!!!!

Fjord, so sorry to hear you're having troubles, but please don't beat yourself up - your job is to get baby fed, whether it's via boob or bottle, job done! Others have put it far more eloquently than me, so I just hope things get better for you soon, you're obviously doing all you can.

Congratulations on Naomi's homecoming, CWest! You must be over the moon to have your family all safely in one place - now enjoy!

Can I just say, Bella your posts are always really uplifting. I thought your message to Fjord was lovely, I might save it for if/when I struggle.
And please put a picture on here of the pirate ship cake when it's finished.

Like your style with the deadline LondonMrs, I think I'll pinch your idea and give mine the 29th, if no one else wants it? I like the full-moon thing, and my due date is the 30th so it's not too early but I don't have to suffer the disappointment of going overdue. Right, sorted. 29th it is, Baby.

Yomping, that sounds shit. I have no good advice, sorry. But definitely not good to make it into an "issue" like you said. Maybe when you wake up, try to accept it rather than fight it, change situation but still dark, quiet etc. and just read or sit and hopefully sleep will come when your body just can't go on any longer?

I'm pretty sure Midget is tucked up in bed somewhere, cuddling a beautiful new baby.

I'm a small bump-er too, but no one here has said anything negative about it, and the doctor couldn't be more unconcerned so I'm definitely just feeling lucky about it. Tis very manageable.

Started the bunting today, got all the flags of one (of three) patterns done. Dead chuffed. I'm doing it by hand, if I had a machine and knew how to use it it'd probably take 5 mins, but I'm so cak handed and unartistic/crafty that this is a big achievement!

Ooh and I have organized bro's birthday present and posted his card in plenty of time, which is a bit of a first. I think there's something wrong with me. Maybe this is my nesting?

Friday tomorrow, workers!

Good morning. Snow storm thix morning. Hour commute to work is going to be hell. No time to chat today, but just a quick note on all this "natural indiction" and dh stepping up to the plate...
Our prenatal instructor said it's the prosteglandin (sp?) In semen that ripens he cervix so best to let it sit in there and absorb for a while... Ahe also said it works just as well if TAKEN ORALLY! Lol

I'm really tired and I knew I would be at this point but I still feel like I shouldn't be, particularly when lovely boyfriend takes baby from 8.30pm to around 1am every night, only waking me for feeds. I don't mind that bit and I don't mind feeding every hour through the night, it's when she's restless and grumpy and won't settle and I just want to cry at the fact I can't work out what she needs. I was feeling so positive and on top of things last week too... I am doing well on paper... discharged from midwives today (11 days post-birth), baby squid is up 8oz from birth weight... I am out and about ... things are good. I was just so... madly in love with Jess when she was born and now sometimes I am just ... not so much so, and I feel terribly guilty. Boyfriend is so wonderful with her and told me this morning he is having the time of his life getting to know his daughter and I feel so guilty that the immediate love I had for her seems to have faded a bit. I mean she is still very cute, but she is crying more and more and ... I don't know. It is nice not being pregnant though. That bit is nice. Can see my bikini line (it's a mess) and bend over and lie on my front and fit in most of my clothes. Just tearful all the time and wonder if it's temporary.

I guess this is very normal. Hormones or something.

I really wanted to write something to fjordmor. Her attitude and strength and good sense and kindness have been such an inspiration to me during this pregnancy and I'm sad to hear it's a struggle. You were so wonderful and calm and positive about birth even with a fair few problems thrown in your path and it's really sad to hear you feel like talking would be unhelpful. I don't know if it helps or not to know I hugely regret writing out my birth story here as I did it still feeling a bit shellshocked and traumatised and have been worrying horribly since that I have been unhelpful to the ladies here waiting to give birth, particularly first-timers, many of whom doing the same preparation for labour I did... I know my birth was "uncomplicated" but I still feel like a massive let down for having found it so hard and painful and not been one of these people who breathe babies out with zen-like light (I fully believe some people can - and I did manage it all at home so the hypnotherapy may have helped more than I consciously knew - I guess we all vary so much - I still can't believe my 30 hour labour compared to planktonette's 2 hour one!) And that was with a "normal" birth so you must be feeling very sad and traumatised indeed... really feeling for you please come and talk to us on the postnatal thread if you find that easier, or at all helpful.

breastfeeding - god, it's an emotive subject. You are NOT failing Ida, you are doing EVERYTHING for her, and I really hope the attempts to boost your supply work, and if not, that is EXACTLY what formula is for. What it is not for is making hardworking loving mothers feel bad about themselves...

It sounds like your birth was tough and milk can be more problematic after sections (not always). Do you have access to any breastfeeding support or lactation consultants... I'm not sure what they would have in Norway. My sister in law had a very difficult long labour ending in a section, followed by a 7 day hospital stay as she and baby caught an infection, and her milk didn't come in for over a week. In hospital they kept feeding baby formula without telling her and also taking him off for blood tests etc when she should be feeding him.The midwives there were incredibly unhelpful and basically made her feel like shit for baby losing weight. It was a really awful time for her - I was staying with her for much of it but I didn't know very much about any of this at the time - it was her experiences which formed a lot of my opinions about birth, actually.

Anyway she did stick with the breastfeeding and after a slow start she fed her son until he was 18 months old. I hope that reads as an encouragement, not a rebuke - if you feel formula is what's going to work the best then DO NOT feel guilty! As londonlivvy says it is good stuff and kids do fine on it. I just wish my sister in law could have had some good support and advice rather than rebukes and I hope you can find the same.

Sorry I have blathered on for ages. I want to catch up with the rest of you too. squid xxx

Hey Squid! Good to hear from you
Please, please don't continue to feel bad about posting your birth story on here. You weren't negative at all. It was realistic, and nothing more/less than I expected.
Every single birth is different and all have their ups and downs, but I would think "breathing babies out with zen-like light" is VERY rare and often a big fat lie.
I have no experience, but I think how you're feeling right now about Jess is perfectly normal, and definitely due to hormones and the fact that no matter how helpful your partner is, you do all the hard work and he and everyone else just get to coo over a happy, well-fed baby!

Hey Squid can I totally agree with Cherrychopsticks???? So nice to hear from you and please try to not be hard on yourself - tho given last 8 odd months we hav all got to know each other, I think that is your M.O.!!!! But seriously, keep up the good work, you are doing great and I don't doubt for one second that your feelings and emotions are normal, 100%.

and xx

Thank you cherry
I read here all the time and mean to write but I get a bit overwhelmed!
Jess is sleeping like an angel right now and I feel bad for saying I don't love her as much. She is so pretty, with her little button nose.

let me show you a couple of pictures
Jess
with her dad
we go for little walks

Thanks huffle
Speaking of I am deliberately not really looking up the alcohol/breastfeeding guidelines and having a (small, 100ml) glass of wine a night, bliss

Awww squid she is JUST adorable, espesh the one with her dad - so cute! Thanks for posting these

Think I need the reality check of actual baby pics - I must remember the end goal of all of this for some perspective on things!

Och Squid she is gorgeous!!!! And you are looking fantastic!!

And never mind the , I have been so looking forward to a gin and tonic for like EVER!!

Hugs, nice to hear from u. X

Loopy I keep visiting the FB page just to hav a wee look at the baby pics!!!! They are just adorable and yes, give me a reality check!!! Xx

squid you, boyfriend and jess all look gorgeous.
I liked your birth story - felt real, and you did so well, not at all scary either.
I think it's also very normal for you to feel the way you do, doesn't mean you don't love baby jess, just hormones all over.
cherry awesome organisation!
yomping I think you are coping brilliantly - it isn't easy.
Better go and breastfeed some more now!