The PESH are getting busy and looking out for a cluster diff!!

[pinkr]

blonderthanred, boy, born 26th October 2012.
FriendofDorothy, boy, born 14th December 2012.
QueenRollo, boy, born 21st January 2013.

Need dates:

Rollerbaby, No pink here, expecting boy due March 20th 2012
IveBeenExpectingYou (CockDodger), A very active baby girl, due March 28th 2012
Silver, hoping for an easier sneeze, due mid-July 2012
Starryeyedmole, regretting recently investing in scales
cakeandcava approaching walrus proportions, DC1 EDD 21/10/12

LazyMachine (38) DC1 EDD 9/2/13
CamelKnees (34) fat and fatigued DC2 EDD 22/04/2013
HaveALittleFaith (31), Faithlet arrived 14.04.13
fertilityFTW (34) date needed.
pinkr, (33), any day now!!, DC1 due 22/08/2013
Jethro (36) head in the sand Edd 071013
Frankel (32) nauseous and knackered Edd 4/3/14
Noks - info needed
Sinky - info needed

Done my best - apologies for any misinformation or omissions!

Have replied on t'other place gin but still hoping and praying for a sticky baybee!

Re the stats, I could do the odds from the not list (I'm sure there's more boys than girls) but I don't know what treatment most people had.

Sending lots of sticky thoughts Gin. Rest rest rest!

We had ICSI so I guess it depends on what swimmer the embryologist picks?

MiniJeff isn't really taking to BFing. Am determined to have a good go though so after a small breakdown last night I'm trying again today with a new attitude

It took til day 4 for us to really crack it jeff. My advice would be just to keep asking for help, I got loads of advice until we found the best hold for us and used the nipple shields for the first few weeks. It gradually got easier and now is generally effortless. MSB once said if I hadn't been so determined BF wouldn't have been a success. He said determined, he meant bloody minded! :)

Keep trying Jeff, it took us a few weeks to get the hang of things, but newborns have brown fat reserves to tide them over until they get the hang of things (apols if you know this already, don't think I did at the time). Get comfy and relaxed, get someone to bring you drinks and food, feed feed feed, and get as much expert help as you possibly can.

Hope miniJ is getting the hang of things - L went for 11 weeks with undiagnosed tongue tie so if there are issues with weight gain or you strongly feel there's something wrong then fight for a quick referral. Like Faith I carried on ebf through bloody mindedness but wish I had been listened to about TT. We then mix fed till 9 months and he is thriving so whatever you decide you can make it work.

Are you home now Jeff? Hope the feeding is settling down.

I'm very bloated and uncomfortable this evening, plus background acid indigestion - oh the joys!

We're off to see my parents this weekend, first time since we told them we're expecting

Finally home. Tonight's been a bit hectic introducing the dog & miniJeff to each other. Dog coped surprisingly well to be honest.

I'm expressing all the bloody time.... Upside is SSG is going to do the next feed so hopefully I can sleep

Glad you're home ok Jeff...remember your milk may take quite a few days to come in after the section..mine didn't till nearly six.
On way to sis wedding...had a nightmare as the dress didn't fit right after altering meaning we all had to travel to Glasgow at five o'clock for a late night fitting lay night. Baby pink was sick yesterday morning and coughed some blood up so we spent the day in paeds at hospital...they think she had reflux and have rantidine? To try. She's been up screaming all night so I'm hoping the make up girl can work miracles as I look rough. Just hoping little pink is ok today wee soul.

Hooray for being home jeff! How come you're expressing?

Ouch Pink. How scary for you yesterday. Reflux is a PITA. I'm no expert but Faithlet has it. Things that helped us - regular medicine (especially in the evenings), holding upright for 30 minutes after feeds, tilting the Moses basket stand at the top and me cutting out caffeine (not easy!). Hope the wedding goes ok :)

Sounds stressful Pink - hope the little one is ok & that you get to enjoy the wedding.

Faith - was expressing as miniJeff refused to latch however community midwife came today & showed me in 5 minutes! The mw's at the hospital were telling me something that was never going to work. He latched on & has had 2 decent feeds so hopefully we will get the hang of it now. I almost gave up at 4am this morning.

Yay for brilliant community midwives Jeff.

I had to go for another scan yesterday (more bleeding) and everything is fine. Second sac is being reasborbed, so hopefully will stop causing problems. I was very weepy and miserable, but midwife told me to get a grip (in the nicest possible way). She told me to stop worrying about what might happen, and focus on what we actually know i.e. baby fine, sac separation small and not apparently getting worse. I feel so much better for that pep-talk. Mr F asked if he would've got away with telling me that; I told him to stick to what he does best - tea and cuddles.

Pinkr hope mini pink is ok and wedding went well.

Glad to hear everything is ok Gin, how much longer till you hit 12 weeks?

Hurrah for midwives that know what they're doing Jeff, and glad the feeding is getting easier.

Blimey Gin you've been through the mill! I think you've received good advice - as tough as it is, the best thing you can do is focus on your baybee, who is clinging on tight!

Hooray for a decent latch and helpful midwives jeff. Now make sure you use plenty of nipple cream :)

All quiet.....where is everyone? !

Muddling along, slightly alarmed that I can't really hide bump anymore. I'm going to be the size of a house by the end of this...

But....

There is good news from the BESH fred...

Excellent news, we should have a visitor soon

I'm ok, acid indigestion has been kicking in so trying to deal with that

A friend has leant me her Doppler and last night I located bean Think I might be starting to feel some sensations as well, but still not quite sure!

Whoop whoop another win! I'm so happy for her :)

Sinks my sister is 18 weeks and feeling the same.

Frank I was 17 weeks when I first felt Pickle/Faithlet move. I was on a night shift and had a drink straight from the fridge. It was almost like she said Brr! It got more consistent by 20 weeks.

Sleep has been a challenge here but I looked at Gina Ford and it seems her nap times suit Abigail!

I am a mess Hags. I spent most of last night in tears. BF is Sooooooo difficult. It's no wonder people don't stick with it. I want to do it so much, I feel like its the only natural thing I will be able to do - conceiving was artificial, no natural birth = me feeling like a failure. But I cannot cope with this all day everyday. Faith - how did you deal with Faithlet when she was so small? I need Some Help!!

I had great regimen of tea, biscuits, cake, chocolate... I made MSB take her when she wasn't feeding so I could rest (she would only sleep on people to start with). Faithlet was very, very hungry almost all the time.

.it is bloody hard work...but this is the toughest time. MiniJeff is establishing your supply. That's about the first three weeks then it does get easier, honestly. Now we mix feed to be honest I find it easier to BF than sort a bottle out. Don't forget your hormones are all over the shop, you haven't slept properly for ages. I recommend wearing joggers so you can just crawl into bed whenever you can. Is there anything in particular you're struggling with or is it just the relentlessness of the feeding?

Hi Jeff. Bf is hard and harder for some than others. Don't feel bad about it. I felt a bit like that having wanted the natural birth & hippy parenting I had a CS and had problems with bf. It is a very emotive issue especially when hormones are coursing through you.

Firstly is there any physical reason why you are both finding it hard? Are there any signs of reflux or tongue tie? Is it particularly painful for you or is the baby not getting a good latch? L looked like he was latching but in fact it was just his mouth sucking as he had no tongue function. The only sign was a slight heart shape to the tongue and his lack of weight gain. If I had my time again I would shell out for a private lactation consultant, the hospital ones couldn't help. Is that an option for you?

Secondly, if it gets too much, it is not as impossible to combine feed as some make out. If you can get through the first month, or pref 6 weeks, assuming all else is well this may work for you. I know a month/6 weeks seems endless as you have to live every moment of it. If you decide to combine feed, ignore any helpful advice about 'topping up' after bfs and pick a time for a bottle and stick to it.

Having said that, remember ff is not necessarily easier. There is a bit of faff, more organisation and also potential issues if your baby has reflux or CMPI (L did). So it might seem like a quick fix but if you can get the hang of bf and it works for you both then it is easier in the long run.

The most useful piece of advice wrt bf and sleep etc I was given was not to fight it, just go along with what the baby seems to need and work your naps and recovery around those. Everyone says it but you will miss those long hours holding your baby close.

Oh and Lansinoh after every single feed!

Oh and try not to put so much pressure on yourself about the 'natural' business. Mothering is so complex, it's not about how the baybee is conceived or pushed out, it's how you respond to them, when you snuggle them, kiss their head...tell you when I realised it was all worthwhile. 6 weeks when she grinned at me :)

Oh I also posted in the FB group, a lot!

Oh Jeff I totally get where you are...I found the first week incredibly hard and I only stuck at it because some family keep insisting she'd be better on a bottle.I found getting to a breast feeding group helped but I'll be honest there are still days when I don't find it easy.
has your milk come in ok? I worried a lot at first but she was getting milk I just couldn't see it. is he having wet t I didn't enjoy ifeeling like a milking machine

Oops. At first I hatred expressing as it felt so unnatural to me.
It does get easier and tbh I'm sticking with it because I'm too lazy to make bottles!

I'm so glad I'm not alone in feeling like this!

Once he's latched on he feeds well its the getting him to latch that's the issue. It just takes forever. I've been waking him every 3 hours to feed but think that sometimes he's too sleepy to latch. This morning he went almost 4 hours & latching was much quicker.

He's had 2 really good feeds this morning & has taken off both boobs. The midwife is coming again today & will weigh him - I'm really hoping he's put on some weight, I think it would put my mind at rest a little.

Faith, I left the FB group, nothing personal, I just found it all very intense As a Hag I think we need to find some humour in shit situations like this!!