Graduated Elderberries (thread 2)

[Cavort]

Oops, seems we ran out of room without noticing!

Daily Wail was saying the chlorine interacts with chemicals on the skin to form chlorofome etc - you're right though I should really stop googling scare stories, I'll end up wrapped in cotton wool for the next 7 months!! And not drinking it cavort although DH usually thinks it's funny to dunk me in the swimming pool (he's a big kid) but he's promised not to this time!

Good luck mother with the scan!! Really hope it goes well. I'm still debating whether to go for an early one at 8 weeks or not. How far gone are you again? I'm feeling a bit sickie. I'm 6 weeks today woop!

I'm 9+1 today alex I'm feeling uber sicky this morning, nice isnt it Pregnancy isnt overly attractive for me at the mo, nausea, wind, bloat, consipation and/or diarreah, sore boobs, snuffly nose......oh the joys huh

Good luck with your appt and scan Mother. It's so lovely to see baby for the first time and it even makes you feel like the sickness is all worthwhile briefly

I haven't had a cold but have had a sniffly nose since day one, and every time I blow it there's blood in it. Quite normal according to Dr Google.

alex stop reading Daily Fail. You know the list of things that according to them cause cancer?
www.anorak.co.uk/288298/scare-stories/the-daily-mails-list-of-things-that-give-you-cancer-from-a-to-z.html/
mother let us know how it went!
I have the same complaints regarding nose as cavort, sometimes wake up in the middle of the night as it's difficult to breathe, quite annoying.

Here I think the baby is running out of room, instead of kicks I mostly feel wriggling now. I preferred the kicks, at the moment it feels like he is trying to climb out, Alien way.

hazle - don't give alex that list, she'll be worrying about them all

mother - I know it will have felt like an ETERNITY to you, but for me these last few weeks have passed really quickly - seems like only yesterday I was speculating you might be knocked up, and now you're off for your scan and first appointment. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

cavort - am with you on the snotty/bloody nose. Plus seem to have had a proper cold for the last few days, with sore throat and everything. Again. I never usually get ill - and am not very happy about it!

Think baby must have moved as have NO pain in hip, knee or ankle today, and no dead leg feeling. Really hoping the little bugger doesn't move back as it wasn't pleasant at all

All booked in, she seemed happy with everything. She advised that I should be midwife led as our local hospital is midwife led, it's a 45 minute drive (at least) to the local doctor led hospital. But my best mate who is a doctor said that as it's my first baby I should definitely go for doctor led as only then can I have forceps, ventouse, or c section as/if needed. I am really confused as to what I should do.

I also have the trouble when I sleep, I wake up finding it hard to breathe, when I blow my nose it is all bloody and nasty. Makes me feel quite manky!

Yep you were there from the start janey I booked the scan 2 weeks ago and to start with it seemed ages away but it's arrived really quickly! Can't wait to see the little bean this evening, I hope and pray all is ok, I'm scared there will be nothing their, but my logical mind says I've had enough symptoms to know that the hormone levels at least are OK. Fingers crossed!

Oh goodness, what a choice. We have a midwife led unit in our hospital, a lovely birthing centre with baths and ropes hanging from the ceiling, birthing stools etc. But then if things get tricky, you can just be moved downstairs to the hospital 'proper' for epidurals, c sections etc. I guess you just go with what you think you'll be more comfortable with. Personally, I think I'd be more reassured to have the back up of options should things get tricky, but I know lots of people would feel more at ease knowing there won't be doctors interfering! Can I ask how old you are mother? That might be worth bearing in mind if you're anywhere near as ancient as I am, although I don't think you are due to the increased risks of needing ventouse/forceps/emcs if you're over 35....

Glad it went well though . My first midwife was lovely but I did find it all slightly underwhelming!

Im 30 janey, tbh it was a bit underwhelming, just got asked heaps of questions then lost 3 vials of blood....thankfully that was painless.

I kind of think Id like doctors on hand if needed but I guess I can make the final decision later on?

It's your decision where to give birth Mother, your MW can only advise you, so don't worry as you can change your mind right up until the last minute depending on how your pregnancy goes.

Birth Centres

I am currently booked in at the MLU, but mine is in the same building as the consultant-led unit so it's just a short journey to the next floor if I want an epidural. I don't know want I'd do if there was quite a long journey between the two locations.

I believe that even if you choose the MLU, you will be assessed when you turn up in labour to and sent to the consultant-led unit if they feel it will be better for you for whatever reason.

Can I just ask about count the kicks? As some of us are reaching/some of us have reached the third (and thankfully final!) trimester, I was wondering if anyone had heard of the count the kicks campaign, and was going to do it? I looked at the free chart you can access from this site, and it starts with week 28. I'm not quite sure what you're supposed to do and when though, but think it's almost certainly something worth doing if I can remember to . Does anyone know anything about it?

Oh and about how young you are mother !

Janey I looked briefly at Count the Kicks (I can't believe i'm in the bloody 3rd trimester already!) and it seems a very worthwhile cause. I think I am neurotic enough to track my kicking and movement without using a chart or app so I probably won't bother using theirs. As soon as wake up I won't get out of bed until I've felt movement even if I have to continuously prod my belly until she obliges. The poor girl could come out black and blue from my prodding which is probably preferable to a Fanta shade of orange.

I agree with you Hazle, the little fluttery kicks are gone now and seem to have been replaced by much stronger wriggling or turning movements. I don't think it will be long before you can see my belly moving from the outside.

It just occurred to me that my friend's daughter (who is absolutely fine) was born at 31 weeks, which would be 3 weeks away for me. I obviously hope mine stays put until at least 38 weeks but what a scary thought that it could happen any time now in theory! Aaargghh!

I've heard about it janey but haven't done it yet. Should, I guess. I think they explain it quite well here:
www.countthekicks.org/how-to-count-the-kicks/

DHs niece was born at 33 weeks and she is a very smart talented girl, no health issues, and this was 15 years ago.
Hm. Do you think we should get our hospital bags ready, just in case?

My mum was talking to me about it but not sure how helpful it would be for me yet. BB does have a pattern - generally an aerobics sesh around 6am, then various headbanging after eating, but the movements vary in strength, severity and location several times a day.

It was doing something really strange this morning, it was like it was vibrating but bigger than 'just' a vibration for about 10 mins. Was a bit alarming if I'm honest.

Like Hazle and Cavort BB's movements are a lot bigger now, too, almost always fairly hefty. They've been moving my skin for weeks - but not seen a foot drag across yet (apparently that's a bit alarming the first time!). They're big enough to feel while I'm moving around, although sometimes, they're internally directed. That's a weird feeling isn't it!

One of my aunts is a neonatal paediatric neurologist consultant and she said to me on Monday that 24 weeks makes people in her field feel more relieved - essentially, if BB decided to make an appearance now, there is a chance s/he would survive. I suddenly got the urge to start carrying my notes a bit more often!

Mother you are the springiest of chickens. I and applaud you.

Right, kick counting starts soon. Like you cavort, mine is usually pretty active in the morning, think I would be worried if I hadn't felt him/her wriggling around before I got out of bed.

Yes, I'd read you should have bags ready from around 30 weeks which put the fear of god in me. I even googled yesterday what you were supposed to pack - only to realise I haven't bought any of it yet really. Hey ho. We're doing some shopping this weekend actually, pram shopping no less, so hopefully will be able to tick some things off the list then.

Another yawn-off question from me. What is everyone doing about buying breast pumps? I've had conflicting advice. Some have said that you shouldn't express at all in the first six weeks as it interferes with your milk supply - which makes me think we can buy it all if need be further down the line. But then my DSIL told me that without her pump she thinks she would have given up as it enabled her to get milk before they'd mastered latching on, so told me to buy everything in advance.

Basically, I really, really want to do my absolute best to breast feed. But if I can't, I will give up. I'm not beating myself up unnecessarily about it (as I have seen friends and family do - almost to the point of ruining their first precious months with baby) if I have done all I can. However I don't want to buy expensive pumps and bottles if I'm not going to use them - either because it goes so swimmingly to begin with I don't need them, or because I fail to manage it and go straight to formula. It just costs so much to get all set up, and I just don't want to waste money, when I can easily send DP out to Westfield (10 mins down the road) at any point to pick up stuff should I need it...

Cross post brave. I too have had a moving belly for a couple of weeks. I thought it would freak me and DP out but we quite like it oddly. All a bit Alien, but maybe of the friendly cute alien variety?!

janey I'm undecided about the breast pumps too - if I do manage to breastfeed, I will need one, as I would like to keep breastfeeding/expressing after I go back to work. But as you say, I might not be able to at all, so would be a waste to get it (especially as the ones most recommended are bloody expensive!).

Will take a look at the hospital bag list I got, it was quite long and I'm sure I don't have anything except some baby clothes.

Janey I am not buying a pump/bottles/steriliser etc., as I have been advised that it makes you more likely to throw in the towel if you have all the bottle feeding gear. Like you say, if I really can't manage breastfeeding DH will be dispatched with a list of stuff to buy.

I can hire a hospital grade Medela Symphony (which is apparently the mutts nuts) from my hospital for the early days if it turns out I need one or if I want to just see if I get on with one before buying.

Lol Janey more like a mogwai than a 'step away from her you bitch' type?

Re pumps etc - some are easier/harder to use than others. I've read somewhere you can hire them from postnatal wards in some areas to try before you buy as some fit some boobs better than others.

I'll be trying to breastfeed too, but after a few weeks, I'd like it if OH can give some bottles (of expressed milk) so he can help and bond more etc. Then again, I had a very long and frustrating convo with him last night - he was saying how they used to keep DS up late to tire him out, then put him down at say midnight and he'd sleep til 6am. They bottle fed.

I've been trying to explain that that simply isn't possible if breastfeeding because a) baby doesn't get as full (I don't think) and therefore needs feeding more often and b) if you don't get up in the middle of the night and feed or at least express, it disrupts milk flow the next day.

He didn't get it. At all.

Oh, and yes it does occur to me that I should consider packing a bag. How scary!

Cross post Cavort re hiring! Worth saying one of my friends couldn't get a latch with her newborn so expressed and syringe fed for a few days with help from the (now closed, dammit) MLU. But eventually he caught on and fed for 18 months without further drama.

Yes, and I think weirdly formula takes them longer to digest, meaning they're fuller for longer. Note to self: must forget that piece of knowledge for the early, sleep-deprived days, when I suspect a bottle of formula in exchange for a couple of hours sleep would be very tempting indeed!

brave had to google mogwai but that's EXACTLY the type I was thinking of. Bright lights, bright lights!

I think I might stick with my original plan of not buying to begin with. I do live in the biggest city in the land FFS, it's not I'm in rural Cambodia - DP can always head out and buy it all if we need it urgently.

In terms of hospital bag, have just read on here that you need to pack the following (I only have babygrows really so far)

Nightdress to give birth in
Clothes to go home in for you and baby
5 x body suits and 5 x baby grows (urm, what is the difference?! Bad mum to be)
Baby blanket
Sanitary towels
Big knickers
Dark dressing gown
Toiletries - including hairbrush and dry shampoo
Nappies
Wipes
Nappy bags
Camera
Phone charger
Plastic bag for dirty clothes
Hospital notes
Juice boxes & sport top water bottles
Cereal bars and i'm thinking crisps too
Book (?!)
Pillow

Wow.

Brave my Sis is currently feeding her DS by cup as he has a tongue tie which prevents latching and won't get sorted until tomorrow. She is using a Medela Symphony and is getting gallons out, much more than her DS could possibly drink! The BF consultant doesn't seem to think it will be a problem getting BF established when he's already a week old so long as he hasn't got used to a teat rather than a nipple (hence the cup or syringe).

It's probably worth saying that I believe you can opt to stay in hospital as long as you like if it's for the purpose of getting the BF latch properly established. The NHS are so pro-BF these days that they would rather you stay in until you're comfortable with it.

Janey I think body suits are vests with poppers.

It makes me sad that I will need dry shampoo for something other than camping at a festival