October 2013 - only 3 months to go!

[roxvox]

Baby due dates/sexes/name choices here

We did try that Pseudo but an hour's pumping would get me 5 ml if I was lucky.

Sorry I didn't mean to imply you hadn't! I was lucky that pumping got ok volumes out for me.

Pseudo so glad little one is moving about this evening. It's rather scary when they have quieter days.

Definitely not a smug BF story. Interesting you mention the posterior tongue-tie..I am very obviously tongue-tied (right at the front) and I suspect DD has something not quite 'normal' too..I asked the hospital to check before we were discharged but they insisted it was fine.

Falcons please, please, please don't be put off. Out of my NCT group of 7, I was the only one that struggled so really in the minority.

Clapham - totally agree, the cooler weather's been soooo welcome.

Hi all, have been lurking but not posteds for a while. At MIL's this weekend and she's driving me mad bothering me with do I want this, do I want that. I know she's just trying to make me more comfortable, but she drives me bats at the best of times. DH has "had a word" and suggested that I might be best just left alone, but it's not helped and he phrased it by suggesting I was annoyed with her - very helpful DH .

This was all after I went upstairs for a low down gasping with heat and he came in 4 times in 90 minutes - first he lay on the bed and wriggling around, then he kept coming back to get things. I was not at all impressed and when I told him so, he didn't apologise, he just looked all wounded, as if I was being unreasonable .

Baby has also slowed down a bit in the heat I think. It's fine at work where it is cool and air conditioned (now ice moved desks, that's a whole other story), but definitely less active when its hot.

I think all this bf talk has sunk in, as for the first time I've been leaking colostrum! DH thinks it's weird and I'm irrationally hurt by his reaction.

Thanks for the support ladies, am feeling a bit better today. I am seeing my doctor next week so I will chat to her about things. I get scared when I feel overwhelmed, I'm not at all ready for this baby but am starting to gain momentum now. Happy that the nursery is decorated, vacant (my sister moved out today) and we ordered our pram. Going shopping tmrw with two of my sisters and then off to high tea. Think it's definitely what I need!

Tarlia. House arrest wasn't so bad as it came with a "do nothing other then look after your child" condition. Which was great!

Have read shields are not ideal. Thro alot of reading now. Surprised mw at my hospital kept pushing it.
Have read wearing shells in final few weeks helps draw nipples out. They make you have odd shaped boobs so can't wear them out or when you have company.

Clothes front cheap n cheerful is best. Tesco have white vest packs £3 for 3. Mothercare do baby grow packs, we bought loads in the sale, so very good value.
Actually someone gave as a matalan baby grow with vest,bib n hat for £6. It ended up being worn loads and washed extremely well! So worth a look.

Mon. Lots of ppl on my postnatal thread had issues with pressure to top up with ff due to poor weight gain. All of them ignored the advice/pressure as the red book charts are based on ff babies. You can download a bf growth chart and insist on using that instead. Hv become obsessed with their charts and weight it seems. I know it's diff this time due to heart problems but might be useful to have the data to reassure you.
Also on the website Ellie recommended there is a bit about bf with early babies n those with health issues.

I was too scared to use shields in case we had problems stopping using them IYSWIM. I still have them unused upstairs!

I woke up starving so am eating cheese and Pringles and watching Frasier.

DP is in real pain with his back. He needs to man up a bit really :o I might drag him to the walk in centre today for some good painkillers.

5.45 wake up with dd this morning and dp isn't around he has been doing most of the mornings for me. I stupidly didn't go to sleep til midnight either!
I bf dd til about 7 months. I won't lie, I found it hard to start with and it probably hurt for around 6 weeks but then everything became much easier, painless and so much less faff than sterilising bottles.
I was very lucky in that there were breast feeding councillors at hospital and I ended up staying on for 2 nights so that I could prove I was bfing ok. Have heard good things about la leche league. I do have a video somewhere of the midwife in hospital showing me how to bf with a knitted boob. Will see if I can track it down and uploaded to fb.
My nipples were quite flat and I wonder whether that had an effect on the soreness? They stick out now though so hoping it will be easier with dc2. I also know if people with one dc who never felt pain too
Also, if you feel like you may have mastitis, please go to the gp ASAP as it sounds horrendous. People recommend using hot towels on your breasts before feeding.
Another tip I have is to make sure your baby stays awake throughout the feed (I used to pump dd's leg up and down!) as it means that they take a full feed and you don't feel like you are feeding 24/7.

Good morning all - another early start due to the wretched dog. We can't work out what all this early morning crying is about. Think we're going to have to start treating her like DD and try a blackout blind on her window.

Comtesse - I hope you get a bit more space from MIL today. Your DH's approach definitely wasn't the most tactful.

GT - another cheap n cheerful approach to clothes here. Too many explosive bodily functions to dress them in anything too precious.

ananikifo - eh? Why would DH think it's weird I can't talk though..my DH thinks the baby moving is freaky which I find a bit hurtful too.

Tbh DH is annoying me his attitude to this pregnancy. I know that pregnancy and the newborn stage aren't really his 'cup of tea' but he's just being so bloody negative about the whole thing.

I know I'm finding my second pregnancy much harder physically and mentally, and have done my fair share of moaning, but it feels like he's sucking the last bit of joy out of it. grrrrrr!

Just wanted to redress the balance slightly and say there were aspects to bottle feeding I loved, even if it wasn't my first choice...

I truly loved the position you hold them in - you can really cuddle them and see their contented milk-drunk faces..and they can look right into your eyes (I don't accept that bottle feeding isn't an equal bonding experience)..

It's great that you don't have to worry about reactions to food or drink or any medicines you're consuming..

I felt like my body was my own again..

It's great that other people get to share in the feeding experience right from the beginning..

It can be reassuring to know exactly how much your baby is taking in - especially when they are unwell..

Feeds took a nice, predictable length of time and it was easy to get into a feeding routine.

Sorry - another epic post!

I second all those ff pros bridget xxx especially if u have a dh/dp willing to do a share of the feeds as I no a few friends of mine partners have point blank refused as its the 'mums job'

Also bridget if I get dh too touch bump when baby is wriggling he often comments 'its weird' and I too find it hurtful especially as our second baby. Think its just a man thing z

A restless night here too....DP texted pissed at 4.30am and woke me....only got back to sleep at 7am, working today

Pseudo I like Fraiser too, he married one of my good friends (met her on a flight) he is a lovely man and very funny off screen too. They have a little girl together who is so cute and the spitting image of him.

Ellie we had my sister living with us too, now the room is free you can start nesting. I have really enjoyed getting things ready so far.

Dreamt my teeth were falling out. That is meant to mean you don't feel in control... ! Was very pleased to find them still there today!

27 weeks today, third trimester. 37cm, 895g and 95% survival rate if born now according to Internet. That sounds very substantial. But still want my little one to keep coing for a long time yet!

Thanks Bridget. I've just been chuckling to myself because I could hear DH bellowing at his mum "What do you want?! I'm on the toilet!" so she's obviously either walke in on him or, more likely, tried to start a conversation through the bathroom door about her bizarre shower squeegee-ing requirements. At least he knows how I feel being badgered constantly

She's got no concept of personal space or what constitutes TMI. We've already heard this weeked about her diarrhoea and IBS on holiday and the hives she came out in last summer. Not to mention her strange views on SIDS only being suffered by stupid children although that I'd partly my fault, because I tried to explain that it was about them learning to regulate their breathing, not how often they're checked on. So she's taken from that that any suitably bright child (which, naturally her grandchild will be ) wouldn't be affected because they'll learn to breathe properly quicker .

I gave up in the end - she's only concerned because she's worried about DH's precious sleep when he goes back to work, never mind what's easiest for me or best for the baby...

sorry to hear of those that didnt have a good night's sleep, mine was the best Ive had in a while now that the weather has turned a bit cooler, but dont think that will last. My weather app helpfully says up to 35 degrees but more humid than last week. ugh sounds awful!
comtesse sounds like you've got your hands full with mother in law, sending you calming vibes to get you through. how long are you staying?

Lovely to hear everyones stories about feeding. I could have really done with this thread before having DS. I found it really difficult to breastfeed DS to start with and felt like a complete failure (que massive hormonal breakdown) it was only after I started meeting people that I realised so many people struggled. I was very lucky to have a lot of support in our area including baby cafes and bf support workers so was able to continue, but only after being confined to the house for a week because I could only feed lying down. Really hope some of the knowledge has stayed with me and that this baby isnt as lazy as DS was.
Hope everyone has lovely weekend plans, after hearong of everyone getting organised Im tempted to start sorting the nursery out now just need to gather the energy.

Only til later today. Just the morning and an excruciating pub lunch to get through... Then we can head home to see my parents and start the whole thing all over again. Sigh.

I meant to say in my BF post, that because of ds's latch issues (and at first my big nipples and his small mouth (he was 38 weeks)) for many months I had to hold my breast in the correct position with one hand and hold ds's head with the other. I was so jealous of people who could relax with a cup of tea and maybe even a book whilst their baby 'fed themselves' :o
This time if I think baby is having latch trouble I will kick up a fuss to get it sorted rather than work around it I hope.

pinkbuttons it's so difficult, as mothers should be told that it is bloody difficult and to persevere if possible, but if that's stressed too much in advance then people might (and are) scared off even trying.

Flyer that's so amazing for your friend! Kelsey has always appealed to me as he has coped (in various ways :o) with so much tragedy. I watch Frasier all the time, it is my favourite show.

Ladies need your help before I catch up, have been regularly flea treating our cat (she's a half indoor half outdoor cat) and somehow she has picked up fleas! Off to pets at home in a min any recommendations on what to treat the house with without breaking the bank ..... Sighs.... Could have done without wahing every single bit of soft furnishing and moving every bit of furniture today to treat the house especially as dh is at work till 5ish

we are formula feeding here and very much looking forward to not having panic attacks and enjoying my baby from day one, which I (personally due to anxiety) couldn't do while bf.

I am so tired! Was awake from 2:30 until 6:30 when I dropped off for an hour. I can't remember the last decent night sleep I had and it's getting to me.

natalie, I'm sorry, no idea what to do about your infestation, reading about it makes me itchy!

Another Frasier fan here. It's DH and I's Sunday morning ritual, breakfast in front of Frasier.

Just doing my meal plan/ shopping list for the week and am about to go shopping. Rest of the day involves laundry, hopefully a bit of sun (it's cloudy here just now, hoping that burns off) and probably an afternoon nap.

Hope you all have a nice day - and that your patience isn't too stretched comtesse!

Yes Pseudo he has had alot of personal tragedy hasn't he. He got slated quite a bit when it emerged he was seeing my friend, but all isn't as it seems as the press report. They make a lovely couple and he dotes on my friend. A very nice bloke in my eyes too

Pseudo No need for apologies. I didn't think you were implying anything.

GT the peadiatrician at hospital said that even accounting for the fact I was breast feeding my babies had still lost too much. They refused to let me leave hospital each time but I think a lot of the problem is that because I've had early c-sections my milk is slow to come in. It took over a week with my last one.
One of my breasts has always been quite a bit bigger than the other and the bigger one is the only one that really grows in pregnancy so don't know if that's a contributing factor in my feeding problems.

GT baby I just rang the buzzer, so it was either a mw, nurse or assistant who came, but as it was overnight, luckily for me it was always the same one.

This was 16 years ago now, so no idea if things have improved or gotten worse (had all my subsequent babies at home, and have never needed help with any feeding issues since)

Also, I was only 15 at the time, so they may have been more willing to help me. Possibly? I don't know, but they were very good about showing me how to bathe and change him too.

It's their job to help at the end of the day. Just be persistant! xx