December 2012 - if you thought we were chatty before, check is out now ML has kicked in....!

[HoneyMum21]

How many babies are we going to get on this thread?

Congratulations mummycox and cashmere!

Spotty, I hope the nurse is right and you're able to go home by Saturday. Keep going with the feeding, I'm sure he'll get the hang of it sooner or later.

My mum also said she didn't have any 'signs' until labour started properly so I'm encouraged! I've linked the miniscule tightening episodes I've had to activity so I'm trying to spend less time on the sofa and get out for more walks or do housework etc. I've been sleeping a bit better these past few nights so I've got more energy for that kind of thing. I'll let you know if it works!

eggs sorry to hear about your DPs job, fingers crossed something comes up soon.
acj good luck for tomorrow (or today if things have started)
spotty great to hear about Felix, hope he keeps making good progress. I'm sure he'll get the hang of breast feeding soon.
Thanks for all the input on my bladder, hopefully empty will satisfy them. I've been into town today for the in laws Christmas gifts and have had more movement than over the last few days too.

Hardly felt bean move today not sure whether to call or not

Always worth a call brooke especially if you've tried cold drink etc.

Yeah I have, laying on my side as I write this and still nothing. Ill have some Ice cream and if nothing still ill call

brooke always good to call if you're not sure.

Spotty That sounds really encouraging about Felix - fingers crossed you get home soon.

Honey That is brilliant about Dash's weight!

We spent yesterday at the hospital as they discharged us on Sunday and told us to come back to see the paediatrician instead of waiting. It was a pretty stressful day - for a start they told us to come at 11am and we weren't seen until almost 4:30pm. My husband is the calmest person in the world and he was fuming. They managed to lose my maternity notes and therefore wouldn't/couldn't see Claudia without them. It was also pretty hard to sit all day!! When the paediatrician did finally see us, he said that her weight had dropped on the "towards not okay side of okay" (if that makes sense) - apparently it's normal for newborns to lose up to 10% of their birth weight & she has lost 9.5%, so think she is about 6lbs 6oz now. He was very nice about it - even though I was quite upset - and gave us a plan of either doing a combination of breast & bottle feeding until my milk comes in properly, or said she could be admitted and fed through a nasal tube for a while. I chose the combination.

We've had a much better day today though, have been doing the bottle feeds & my milk has started to come in which is brilliant. She isn't a great fan of latching on - and I don't think I am the best positioner - but we are getting there! I think Spotty said about Felix not opening his mouth very wide...Claudia is the same, so trying to get her in the right place is tricky. The midwife came today though and was so reassuring - although the paediatrician was nice yesterday, I came away feeling very scared and upset, not to mention guilty and a terrible Mummy, but today is a new day and I am trying to follow my own advice of not beating myself up if everything doesn't go according to plan and the midwife really helped with that. She also didn't weigh her today, (which the paediatrician had implied had to be done) as she said there was no point as she needs time to get the hang of things and get her weight up, so she'll be weighed on Thursday.

I am REALLY sorry about the mammoth post, ladies. Someone (Stacey I think?) said it was very cathartic to write it all out...you're so right! But I do apologise...especially if you're waiting on baba to show up - you don't want me blabbering on about this!

Congratulations mummycox and cashmere! Wow it's been busy in here today!
Clarella when I wrote up the due date on our calendar I wrote "baby?" and then a week later the same :) I'm convinced my baby wont arrive this year :)
Spotty it sounds like Felix is doing really well, hoping that he keeps improving and you can go home together ASAP!

Good luck to all those with twinges and tightenings! And acj ooohhhh fingers crossed your LO arrives in time to avoid the induction :o

Awww weejo I think Dr's often forget to be very reassuring in the process of giving facts and it isn't helpful (especially just after giving birth)!
My GYN has worried me a couple of times during the pregnancy and I've done my best not to worry too much think about it and find my MW is just lovely and reassuring and that makes all the difference. X

Acj Good luck either way today or tomorrow you will soon be having baby cuddles.

Spotty Good news hope you get to take Felix home soon.

Eggs Sorry to hear about your dp's job hope something comes along soon.

Clarella How are you feeling after the sweep?

Well mw did not do sweep sending me to the hospital again with the growth issue really fed up now and just want this baby out.

weejo we won't complain about you moaning. Pretty soon we'll all have our own lo's to hold and we'll forget all about our . Newborns are hard work. You're doing amazingly well! I was fuming when I was told to be at hospital for 8.45 and didn't get out until gone 1pm without a growth scan, and I didn't have a newborn with me to deal with!

Minted lamb and roasties tonight mmmmm.

WeeJo, the lovely mw's and hv's have told me explicitly not to get R weighed too often as ebf babies don't have weight issues like ff babies - they self regulate. The best thing you can do is get to your nearest bosom pals/breast friends/whatever they call your local group - mine's at the children's centre. Just getting out and being supported by other people who are going/have been through exactly the same thing is invaluable.

Breast feeding is bloody hard work

Honey - brilliant news about Dash's weight.

Emily - sorry about your DH's job. Really hope something else comes along soon.

Weejo - sounds like a stressful time. Would definitely agree with finding a local bf support group. Think that the hvs/mws who go tend to take a more of a specialist interest in feeding than some of their colleagues and also peer support from other bf mums really helps.

We had our first afternoon out as a family of four - just to local play cafe and then to PILs, but it was really nice to get out and about for a bit. Also found I am way more confident about bf in public this time - always used to find somewhere hidden away with DS1, but today just got on with it at the table. Think it's partly because we were somewhere particulaly family-centred but also realisation that when I'm out on my own with them both it's not always going to be practical to cart DS1 off to the nearest toilet/broom cupboard/whatever if he's in the middle of eating or playing.

You ladies are so lovely, thank you. Having a little cry now! I think I will ask the MW on Thursday to help me with the session & then try a BF group/counsellor. It's just hard especially when she screams but won't latch on and I can see all the shiny, new, milk, good-for-her milk leaking away! It feels so cruel when she gets so upset :( I'm not sure if she doesn't like the position maybe.

Thank you again

Brooke Did you have the ice cream? Any more movement? Definitely call if you're unsure - you know BabyBrooke's movements better than anyone.

WeeJo Felix cries to start with too and I feel like I'm being really mean pushing his face against my boob! All these 'natural' things are such hard bloody work!

weejo please don't worry about the breastfeeding, I've always found it really tricky to get the hang of with each baby. It just honestly takes time, I've not met one person yet that has no problem. I'm sure your doing a brill job

R cries and won't latch if he's a) windy b) wet c) the let down is a bit fast. So i stop and burp him and if that doesn't work i change him. Sometimes it takes a few tries at the burping, but he goes on fine once he's comfortable :)

I've needed to see a BF Counsellor for both my babies - that was the biggest shock for me - that something that was meant to be natural for both mother and baby was a total mystery to us both (and both times!). It really helped having someone come round and position the baby for me.

weejo I haven't called... I have felt him\her move but movements just seem to be less - when I posted on Sunday night saying that bean was being unusually active I think that he/she might have turned as the movement I did feel was on my right side when before it was on my left. I think I'm just a bit stressed out at the moment, my friend passed away that night after I posted so have been running around trying to sort out funeral plans ect maybe bean is feeling a bit down too.

I'm sure the breast feeding will get better - it's early days yet for you

Congratulations on the latest babies.

Brooke really sorry to hear it. I think sometimes the baby will respond to your stress too, I know I had no movement for hours after my car accident and all was ok. Also I expect if you're that busy it's really easy to miss small movements.

Weejo one thing that helped when DD wasn't opening her mouth wide enough was to think of your breast as a burger. If you have a burger in a posh pub it's usually really tall and there's no way you'd get the whole thing in your mouth. With the burger you squeeze it down to match more closely the size/ shape if your mouth. Try the same thing with your breast as you latch on, making it easier to get more in the mouth.
It really helped me.

eggs fingers crossed someone turns the job down or something else comes up. At least he knows he interviews well for the job he wants.

So sorry to hear about your friend brooke my thoughts are with you

Thank you emily and barbeatsy it was for the best just couldn't have come at a worse time - damn hormones! Going to have a few chilled days now under DPs orders so will keep an eye on movement

Oh brooke you poor thing :( So sorry to hear about your friend. It probably is stress related then.

Thank you for for all your tips, they really make sense. Pidj Is letdown how fast the milk comes through?

brooke thats terrible. I hope you can have a few chilled out days now like you said and that bean moves a bit more.

weejo bf is really hard! Sorry Ive lost track but were you the one whose baby had a slight tongue tie?

So, not sure whether to be concerned or ignore. Had a crampy night and had very slightly brown coloured discharge with maybe the tiniest spot of blood this morning. Is this just more show or should I get checked? baby seems to be moving ok.

walnut I would get fresh blood checked even a small amount.

My heating and hot water have stopped working and dd has kept us up with her cough. Bad night