September 2013- Annoying "Any news?" texts, maternity leave and BABIES!

[fl0b0t]

Looks like we need another new thread - we've been rather busy!

Up to date (ish) Stats thread here:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/a1694946-September-2013-STATS-THREAD

As previously- Welcome newbies! If anyone wants to join the Facebook group (better for sharing documents and pictures- especially picture of gorgeous babies), please message myself or jennimoo with your real life name and email address and we can add you to the group!

Bring on the irritating texts from family members and best friends to find out whether you've had your babies or not (like you wouldn't tell them.....), more weird and disgusting labour symptoms, more internal examinations than you can shake a stick at, and LOTS OF BABIES!

Congratulations rake!

I wasn't able to use the birth pool as I was induced. Really wanted to try it tho as had a bath last time in the early stages and thought my contractions had stopped as it was so effective. I think as others have said, if its via pessary or waters being broken it may be different. My waters had broken in the previous 24 hours so it might have been due to infection risk and also that I was induced via the dreaded cannula drip. The midwife laughed at me as I gasped when I saw the needle - I'd forgotten how long they are! Not too painful tho, just annoying and uncomfortable. Well worth it for the end result though. .

Rake, we were obviously not destined to be delivery date buddies but actual delivery buddies instead! Almost all of your story matches mine, including gender, and even down to time of birth! So pleased you got your watery home birth, it's lovely. Sorry you had to go in to hospital but at least it'll all be over and done with rater than you having to go in, in pain, and be generally prodded and poked down below for several days post delivery. Fingers crossed you get some sleep and enjoy those baby cuddles x

Congrats rake

Congratulations rake and I hope things are all going ok in hospital.

In the far less dramatic world of breast feeding for beginners we seem to be back on track....?
Since lunchtime Friday when we got a tongue tie diagnosis we have been expressing a bit off at each feed to soften the breasts, then offering the right breast (almost always refused) then the left which he'd take for about ten mins, then topping up with the expressed milk.
A few hours ago he suddenly started accepting the right and left and being too full for a top-up!
I can also see his tongue moving more and wonder if he's somehow stretching the tie??

Anyway, this could all change again at the next feed but I thought I'd just share for those having difficulty to show it can pick up suddenly and unexpectedly.

I have a baby! Beautiful baby girl, 8 pounds 10 ounces, born 5 days early after waters broke, pink show first. Told to come in just for a swab and induction to be booked, but then contractions started. Was put on monitor and her heart rate was 180 and my temp was up. Doctors called, I was told I would need an emergency c section but fortunately all settled with fluid drips and paracetamol - then was left to it - but massive pain on gas and air - totally went off my head, vomiting everywhere, unresponsive etc. thought I was going to die, no respite between contractions ?! Ended up begging for an epidural, did not even come close to managing without it! Then dilated slowly, got to 10cm eventually and waited an hour for head to come down, then pushed, baby's heart rate was decelerating with each contraction so they did a ventouse delivery and an episiotomy and then for final stage cord came off in the doctors hand and had to go to theatre for manual removal of placenta! (Boy was I glad I'd had the epidural!!). On post natal ward all night with no sleep and screaming babies but home late the next day with my beautiful baby! no sleep since but hey ho, all worth it!!

Now THAT is a truly epic birth story! You absolute champ! Massive congratulations and enjoy every minute with your little girl.

Congrats to the latest mummies and babies! All good chez barra, have health visitor tomorrow, fingers well and truly crossed that DD has gone back up to her birth weight!

Congratulations rake and ready and thanks for sharing. And fingers crossed badguider that he's solved it on his own, clever boy! We're in the middle of a week 3 growth spurt here, Fraser is having a huge feed at least every 2 hrs, day and night and can't be beyond sniffing distance of a boob.. I feel like a dairy cow with enough milk to feed an army of babies! I can almost see him growing before my eyes though so it must be worth it...cake is now my saviour!

Congratulations Rake and Amiready. So happy for you.

Hope all is well fl0. Phone the MW. They won't mind.

Thanks for posting the birth stories. It's not just helpful for me but also for DH.

Does/has anyone else got a reception blanket? My lentil weaving SIL sent me one because they are not as "dangerous" as ones in the hospital. What does she mean?

ION

DH has (almost) finished installing the solar panel so the baby can come whenever because that's the last major bit of work on this house. Hurrah!

Massive congratulations to rake and ready! STILL nothing doing here at 40+6. Grr! Zero symptoms! Just had THE biggest spider run across my bare foot. Eek! I actually screamed. You'd think the scare I got might put me into labour. But probably not... Not looking forward to taking the kids to school and nursery and having everyone point out to me that I've still not had the baby!

Congratulations on all the new arrivals since I last posted - and commiserations to those still waiting (though if I'd have known how much easier even late, uncomfortable, pregnancy is than having a newborn I would have been a bit less impatient, FWIW).

DD is now 11days and this is the first second I've had to come and try to catch up. How are all you other new mums managing?! I've never been so tired in my life, which makes everything feel impossible. DD doing well though - managed not to lose any of her birth weight and has carried on gaining, but feel like I'm feeding ALL the time. Second-timers: when does it get easier??

Congratulations Rake & amiready sounds like you both went through the wars a bit but so pleased to hear you & little ones are all well

Mooster - most people say that it gets easier after 2 weeks though obviously it's different for everyone. I think as soon as they start to be awake more during the day (eyes open, looking around, looking at you) then they start to sleep for longer between feeds at night. When that happens you should start to feel more human!

Congratulations to all the new mummies! I hope you're settling into motherhood and everything that goes with it.

I'm still resolutely pregnant at 39+3. I reeeaaalllyyy want Littley to arrive this week.

I've done everything I was planning to do with my mat leave - freezer full, nursery finished, bags packed and house clean(ish) and tidy. My mum is back from her trip now and all the other ladies in my nct group have had their babies - last one arrived yesterday morning. Only me left now! Come on baby - whenever your ready!

Sorry triple, I missed your post to start with. Good news on baby getting into the right place.

Mooster, I found the first 2-3 weeks hard. Might even have just been the first 2, it's a bit blurry! After that it kind of clicked, and I started really, really enjoying it. I could see that DD was thriving, and despite the lack of sleep being hard going, I started feeling like I was doing a good job. The first time I thought "hey, I AM getting this right" was fab, and it made everything else easier to deal with. Also finally realising that I wasn't supposed to be able to do everything (baby, cleaning, laundry, cooking, hosting guests, writing thank you cards!) Feel a bit silly when I look back and think about how much effort I wasted on pointless stuff. Guests can make their own tea, and do the washing up while they're there!

Congrats amiready .... hope you're ready! :)

I am aware i have a couple of messages which Annoyingly I can't sort on my phone, will try to sort on the pc later.

Think things are starting to move for me at 39 weeks. .. pop and gush this morning and I think my waters went. Having mild contractions like period pains. Husband on his way back from work now. ....! Help!

Eeep, exciting news fl0! Fingers firmly crossed for you. Think one of the messages was probably from me, you kindly added me to the FB group but I don't seem to be able to access it yet.

Obviously I'd appreciate it if you could sort it before you into established labour

Yay fl0 - fingers crossed for you!
My absolute top tip is to try the yoga breathing and concentrate on relaxing dilating thoughts. Sounds v hippy but was what worked for me (after I wasted a night being too excited/tense).

Kilkers - ill approve you, I messaged flo to check you were legit...

Hi ladies, congrats to everyone who has given birth so far sending good vibes to those in labour, nothing happening here 38 & 2 here and only thing happening in back pain but no contractions hopefully wont go until next week as dh started a new job today an will be nights all week just my luck she will come when he is in work.

Stressful times! Went to mothercare to buy sleep and nursing bras, and the only assisstant on the shop floor was a teenage boy. Great start, I thought. Picked up nursing bras in the size I've been wearing throughout pregnancy (38DD) and tried one on. It fitted fine, but I thought I'd ask at the till what I was supposed to do as presumably, your boobs get bigger when your milk comes in. She said they wouldn't fit me then, so got a lady to come and take me to the fitting room to be measured. Now, I hate being touched, and I take my clothes off for noone, so this was always going to be horrendous but I dutifully stood to be measured, and she came up with 40B, despite measuring my underbust as 36". Tried it on, and it was basically a big saggy mess so just said thanks for your help, I think I'll buy bottles instead. Now I'm sobbing in the car park as I have a real thing about bras and boobs, and am now contemplating not breast feeding at all as I don't know how I'll get over the embarrassment of it all, plus I now can't go back into mothercare for bras seeing as I just flounced out in floods of tears. Sorry the essay, but I don't l know what to do now :(

Very excited/emotional at the thought of u getting ur baby soon Flo! But before u get carried away with contractions etc...what did u get up to yesterday?? Any food/activity u think may have triggered it? I'll try anything after Wednesday....

Oh bless you!!

I'm of the opinion that Mother care don't make bras designed for normal humans.

Get yourself somewhere like M&S where someone can measure you properly and have a proper range of sizes.

How many weeks are you?

I think the idea is that you should be able to do up the bra on the tightest band setting to allow some growth room. Plus the cups should have some give in them, but they shouldn't be baggy...

Sounds like the assistant had no clue. I feel your pain, hate bra shopping especially when the stupidly small range of sizes in stock makes you feel abnormal when you're not.

Thanks triple, I don't see how she can say that I'd come down 3 cup sizes and up a back size! Have people gone up lots of sizes for their nursing bras or generally stay the same?

I think if they put you up a back size they start you with at least one cup size smaller. But measuring is just the start, they usually have to change it from there and try you with several sizes until they get it right.

I'm usually a 34 back and was feeling a bit put out when my maternity bras were fitted as a 38. But they were so much more comfy that I soon got over it!