Graduated elderberries - 30+ and looking forward to DC1! (Thread 6)

[HazleNutt]

Oh, looks like I wrote the last post! So new thread here where we will see more berry babies and hopefully loads more graduates as well.

The only things I would add to Janey's list are cordial (to make boring hospital water taste nice) and a sports bottle/straws in case you are stuck on your back. I had a few nice cups of tea from a sports bottle after having an epidural.

I think the difference between maternity pads and normal ones are that they don't contain any perfume or chemicals which could aggrivate a cut or tear and they are backed with a breathable membrane. And don't bother with expensive ones from Mothercare or Boots, supermarket ones are fine and really cheap.

Ahhh cheers cavort

Someone else was telling me her top tip was to make sure bendy straws are in the bag for exactly the reason cavort says, drinking on your back! Oh and baby car seat obviously for getting baby back home!

I'm getting one of those breastfeeder cover things. However, was out with one of DH's friend's wives last night and she was really sweet saying she'll be on hand for advice (she has three!) - she said she managed to BF so discreetly with two tops on (vest top underneath) so she could do the over and under trick with just nipple showing, and a pashmina or muslin. She said she'll come round and sit with me if I'm struggling with BF to give any advice she can which sounds a bit embarrassing (see, prude) but nice of her to offer!

Honestly, BFing is no big deal and very easy to do discreetly, no need to get half-naked or anything. I can't even be bothered with muslins any more - once the baby is latched on, you can't really see much. If I have a screaming baby and start pulling my clothes up or down then that's a pretty obvious sign of breastfeeding happening in the immediate future. So if someone really finds the sight disturbing, they can look away.

Hellooooo! I have been absent while worrying my way up to a pathetic grand old 10w1d. However am now feeling better as, having bought a doppler which arrived this morning, I have heard baby's heartbeat. Whoop whoop. Have done a funny dance round the room as it has put my mind at rest and got me all excited! Booking in on Friday, scan in 2 weeks, starting to feel real now.
Plus I am v lucky to have multiple new berries to keep me company!
Hope all you experts are doing well. Am going to read back and catch up on the thread now, but who's due next?

Hi merk yay for 10 weeks! Was just reading your post and thinking god I remember those awful anxious early days but then the amazing feeling when you reach a milestone! Must have been great hearing the heartbeat. Looking forward to having you here more often! I think it's mother up next unless I've got baby brain there? Then I'm next as have just reached 27 weeks (wow!) so I'm heading towards third trimester (eek but yay!)

That's really impressive that you can hear the heartbeat at 10 weeks Merk. I was 14 weeks the first time and then it was hit and miss and turned out I was mistakenly listening to the placenta half the time. Once I had nailed it though I found it very reassuring especially after I fell down the stairs at 16 weeks. Not long until 12 weeks then, after which you can hopefully relax a bit more.

I have a cold and I think I have given it to Elodie. She is quite sneezy and snotty this morning and has been feeding/suckling non-stop for the last 3 hours. Has anyone else's babies caught colds and have you got any advice on how to cope with it?

I'm right in thinking the placenta and my blood vessels sound like a slow adult heartbeat but baby sounds much much faster?? Or could I be mistaking the placenta for baby? Will see if I can record and link for your expert opinions!!

Hi guys, oh my god am I really next. Eeeek, how exciting/scary. I'm 30+1 today. Really can't wait to meet him now!

I've felt so well the whole time so far but the last 2 weeks have been a bit rough, just feel really tired and feel like I've suddenly got much bigger. I know I'm slower when I walk the dog.

Yep the heartbeat sounds really really fast Merk, think it depends how baby is laying as to how easy it is to hear. Maybe you just got lucky and bubs was laying nicely for you.

cavort in boots they do a dummy for babies with colds it has something like vic or olbas in the back part of the dummy so they get to suckle while the vapours clear their nose at the same time. I've also heard of something called a snot sucker sounds manky but is meant to be great for clearing little noses. I've also heard that rubbing vick (or something similar) into their feet and then putting socks on helps as does putting the moses basket at an angle while they nap (propped on an argos catalogue or something). That is the extent of my knowledge I'm afraid.

Wow that means I am third in line for a delivery! I am quite perturbed by the fact that when I come back from my hols I will be 28 weeks and into my 3rd trimester. Blimey.

Also who is team pink, who's blue and who's yellow? I'm team blue although was sure until 20 weeks I was team pink.

Team yellow! Lots of people having guesses for fun on what their "feeling" is, more blue guesses than pink. DH reckons pink. I reckon 50/50

One week to third trimester for me quod - bump looks like a little hard football now! Kicks have got harder too, I can feel it actually shifting position more, amazing.

Team yellow here too.

You two are so good, I couldn't wait to find out. We almost paid for an early gender scan we were that impatient. Now I'm a bit sad we don't get to use our girl name though, I've really warmed to Savanna Brooke......doh, oh well maybe next time.

Yes, I gave miles a cold. He got over it pretty quickly - benefit of breast feeding I guess - but my GP cousin said to get saline nasal drops if he was too snotty. Miles just fed and snored for a day or two then was ok.

I remember you falling down the stairs. That seems soooo long ago.

Merk - amazing you heard the heartbeat, how bloody lovely Promise it gets easier and less stressful past 12 weeks!

Oh and Alex, I don't think you're a prude. Despite prancing around practically naked on hol with you, I think I would feel weird if you or our other friend with baby tried to help me bf. God knows why when I will happily cook a BBQ topless around you both!

I know you're in a different london borough to me, but I'm sure they offer similar services to here. And they've been brilliant. The one day I was really struggling, a breast feeding counsellor was at my house within an hour of me calling and saying I was having problems. She was lovely and totally sorted me out. And there are loads of bf support groups to go to. For me, I find it less weird in front of strangers than family or friends?! Totally comfortable doing it in public now, although I do like my hooter hider (rather than the two vest trick, which I have done) just because when Miles is hungry he likes to dick around, thrashing his head around before latching on. He also has a new habit of kind of punching me repeatedly in the boob whilst feeding

Topless BBQing? That must be like an adrenaline sport when the sausages start spitting.

Janey I also have a thrasher/boob puncher/scratcher. I have concluded she does it when she's really tired to fight the urge to nod off while feeding. It makes me laugh when people say BFing is a beautiful when some of my feeding sessions are like wrestling a comedy jellyfish.

Thanks for the links Mother. She is quite sneezy and a bit snotty but not too grumpy and no fever so I will see how she is tomorrow and perhaps go and get some supplies if needed.

Merk my placenta was 'beating' at the same speed as baby's heart, but it was more of a rhythmical 'whooshing' sound whereas the heartbeat sounded more like a galloping horse or a train going over the tracks and was very distinctive. I looked at videos on YouTube to make sure I was listening to the right thing and not accidentally marvelling at the sound of my dinner digesting.

I snorted at the topless bbqing too. Most definitely a train in there going like mad, placenta sounds quite sedate in comparison! Can't take the grin off my face
Quick q, can any of you remember if they asked any questions about your OHs/and his family's medical history at booking app? My letter suggests they will but he wouldn't know the answers won't be coming so wondered if there was anything I should check

haha, topless bbqing sounds extream!

Yeah Merk they did ask a fair bit, all fairly straight forward although my OH grew up abroad which messed them up a bit.

Yes they did ask quite a lot. They also asked if we were related

In my defence the topless BBQ has only ever been done on really sunny days when I've been absolutely smashed .

Yeah I was asked loads too. Didn't know some of the stuff but hey ho.
Didn't your tits get burned on this bbq???
I have a funny one for you. Was at a friends last night and there was a couple in there with a lovely but naught two year old. Lara was hungry so I went to the room next door to feed her. The little one followed us and was very interested in the whole baby/boob thing. Her mum came to take her off me and she said "baby is having titties. I like titties!!!!"
I thought it was rather cute

Yes they did ask that at mine merk They ask all sorts of things, sometimes asking about how the relationship is to check for signs of abuse - they skipped that section for me, maybe I look tough or my DH looks under the thumb

janey I've never done the topless BBQ'ing on our hols! See, prude

lol my little nieces (3 and 5) were trying to pull my maxi dress up the other day to "see the baby" haha kids are funny!

Merkin it's lots of 'have you got x disease in the family?' on both sides. Things like diabetes, heart disease, chromosomal abnormality, sickle cell anaemia... It's worth trawling your memory for anyone in close family who's been ill or got any type of syndrome. And yep they do have to ask if you are related!

I am wondering whether to try to get to docs today before I go away... Have been on ABs for a suspected urine infection, and am not sure it has gone. I did about 20 wees yesterday and felt like I had pressure in my bladder at the end of the day, but actually not sure if it was just because that was where baby was kicking me yesterday! I think I am feeling a bit paranoid about having a clean bill of health before I go on hols and am kind of 'looking' for symptoms - driving myself mad!

quod if you're worried, the GP can do an instant test for infection. Having said that, you do pee more in pregnancy and I often feel a heavy feeling/unsatisfying wee's/bladder pains or needing to be suddenly when baby is kicking there so it could be just normal. Might as well get checked out though to save worrying before your hols as it doesn't take long at all to test.

Victor had his 2 month birthday yesterday and was very awake, barely any naps, eating constantly and wanted to be carried around. But then he slept through. No feeding breaks, fell asleep at 10 and I woke him up at 6 as boobs were killing me. That's not quite normal to sleep through so young, is it? He is his normal happy smiley self this morning, so I don't think he's sick or anything.