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!

Oh Fl0 sorry to hear about little Robin's struggles to feed. Looks like you've had some great advice on the other thread. I've heard lots of stories of babies going back to bf later - in fact my MIL said that my DH was bottle for 2 weeks as a newborn as she was so ill, but she still managed to get him back on to bf. sounds like you are doing everything you can, but you need rest (sleep) too as without it, you'll get more stressed and it will seem harder - maybe take the advice about allowing DH to do one bottle tonight while you sleep, tomorrow might seem a lot easier then?

fl0 I'm so sorry to hear that you're having a nightmare. I haven't had my baby yet but I know from speaking to my (midwife) mother that I was very sleepy and slow to feed as a baby. I think it's pretty normal. Baby is learning the whole rigmarole too and I don't think he'll let himself be hungry so I'm sure whatever he gets from you will be fine. Thinking of you and sending positive milky thoughts. And cake. Never go wrong with cake.

Have u tried either the nhs or Nct bf helplines flo? My SIL is training as a bf peer supporter...but she's only just started the training so not sure how helpful she is yet...can give her a try on fb if u like.

One of my friends ended up expressing & bottle feeding in the first couple of weeks as mw was worried about jaundice, but she has no probs with the breast now & is happy to take bottles too so if u do use a bottle I don't think it has to spell the end for breast....just make sure you keep expressing to maintain the milk supply.

Thanks guys. Better, s quicker and more prepared routine through today has got things feeling a bit brighter. Will see a different community mw tomorrow so hope that there will be more good advice to come! He is more alert and a better colour this evening so this is working and I've expressed a full feeds worth of almost 50ml throughout the day today (sore nips starting) which I am hoping my husband can give to him this morning maybe the half six feed or maybe mid morning? We are sharing the In between care so I had a good nap of 90 mins earlier plus a couple of hours last night too.
He refuses to sleep at night in moses basket (needs to be cuddled upright or cries) but happily kips all day in it. So I'm in first cuddle shift to the next feed and expressing cycke in an hour or so then husband will take responsibility for the second half of the night worked well last night so fx!
Thanks everyone :)

So. ... who had read all my blatherings and is wondering if they can go back in time 9 months? !

And who is having the next baby? !

Oh I didn't mention post catheter uti that developed today? Hoping community mw will be able to sort tomorrow for me!

Oh Fl0 you are really going through the wringer aren't you! Glad you have got A Plan with Mr Fl0 and are sharing the shifts. Just a few days and this will seem a distant memory, once milk has settled down and feeds are a little more predictable.

DH has been out this evening and I had a friend round to help put DS to bed, because as expected baby was in a demanding phase just at that point of the evening. We managed ok! But I have so far tonight had two hours of sleep with her lying on me, and for the past 90 minutes feeding, winding and changing a monster crap. While waiting for the wind to burble up through her, she lay against my chest in frog pose and seemed to be having lovely dreams, I was watching a fabulous range of facial expressions including massive smiles! It doesn't help me get my sleep to have her on me but there's no other option at the moment - I keep trying to put her in the basket but she really doesn't like it.

Inlaws, 5-day MW visit and DS's last day at his lovely nursery tomorrow before starting reception on Monday... Could be emotional.

Will go and check your thread fl0 - sounds like the expressing might be improving?
Have you tried different times of day? I can express loads around 10/11am but almost nothing at 11pm.

I keep forgetting to play catch up here, a little person is taking up all my time (and it's wonderful)

Fl0 sounds like you have things sorted now, good on ya! I also had the same problems as you but struggled to express and didn't get a drop with hand expressing. I think these little boys are a tad lazy which doesn't help and we're far too warm and comfortable, we're the perfect cushion. We failed big time, my recovery wasn't going well, DS lost a lot of weight and after a disastrous MW visit, I packed in. Huge regrets now, but that's only since the anti B's have kicked in and I'm mobile again. I so wish we could turn back the clock. It is wonderful to see him thrive after being so worried about him though. I was worried about the bonding but there's no where he'd rather be than on mummy's chest snoozing

So many new babies, congratulations everyone.

Keep up the good work to everyone still waiting. It will soon be your turn and you'll have forgotten all about the 9 month wait. Day 12 for us and feels like he's been here forever.

Flip - there are ways to restart if you really want to.

We're doing ok feeding but no expressing: I discovered last time my milk has some enzyme which means it doesn't keep at all. It does take the pressure off a little as if we want / need to give bottles it'll be formula!

I'm finding it horrible having a 2 week old with a cold though :( Thankfully he slept better last night, but in the day and the previous night he just wanted to be held upright which DD wasn't too impressed about, especially as she and I are feeling coldy too!

I hope the still pregnant people aren't too terrified by all this! Despite the cold though I feel pretty good: after barely walking anywhere the last month or so due to SPD I've pushed the buggy miles on the school run this week, can go up and down the stairs without issue, have no heartburn can fit back in my maternity jeans etc :)

Haha, a little bit scared, but still more scared of birth at the moment!

Urgh it's so hard, isn't it? You forget what makes it so hard! We have had two nights so for - the first he slept fine but I just couldn't fall asleep, I was still coming down from a high/reliving the pain every time I closed my eyes. Then last night I took him upstairs at about 9pm whereupon he seemed to get wt the point of breastfeeding is for the first time. He alternated between feeding and screaming till about 5am. His latch isn't brilliant so my nipples got sorer and sorer. I tht they didn't have the feedathons till at least when your milk came in? I eventually fell asleep lying on my back with him on my chest which can't be terribly safe. We tried everything, swaddling him, winding him, walking up and down with him etc etc. I can't remember how long it takes till they can latch themselves on - at the mo I have to put the light on and wrestle him every time. Grr!

I'm with purple still worrying about birth, but I am taking notes about all your breastfeeding/sleeping problems so hopefully it will all go swimmingly ...

It's just frustrating that after the exertion of giving birth if you could just have a good night's sleep you would feel so much better! With hindsight I should have had a very stiff drink on Wednesday night to send me off to sleep, but it wouldn't have mixed with the paracetamol and I didn't realise how sleepy thebbaby would be ttat first night.

Yes, top piece of advice - the baby will sleep most of its first night so get as much sleep yourself as you can!!

Woo! Just met a Mum at a play group this morning with a DD the same age as mine and a 6 week old.

She told me they have totally revamped the pool rooms at our local hospital, en suite, mood lighting the works. Didn't bother with a hospital visit this time so I'm quite excited to see it all now!

Come on baby, edd in 2 days!!!

Actually excited to go into labour now!

Was woken up in the night several times with period type pains and kind of rippling pains travelling from bottom of bump about half way up. Then felt sick from about 5am..

Didn't have bfast until 11:30 as felt so sick and ended up wandering round Sainsburys and had awful bump pains all over the bump.

Got home now and had some food and a sit down and bump pains have subsided. Could it have just been that I've done too much or does this sound like the kind of pains everyone else has had pre-labour? I'm only 38 weeks... Not that that matters!

Sounds similar to mine, and they do tend to come on when I'm busy and go as I relax... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll make real labour go quicker

Thanks everyone for the reassurances on the whopping cough vaccination! Feeling much calmer. The nurse said I had little chance of it having an effect to help her if she arrives soon (due today!) but any overdue time it'll give her a few antibodies.

Been having lots of BH, back ache and nausea today but then have been for the last 10 days so not getting my hopes up on it being today. I had none of this with DS1, he just woke me up at 1am with a contraction so painful there was no doubt I was in labour. This time its a bit of period pain here, some contractions there. I'm so confused and my poor DH is on the cusp of a nervous breakdown as he keeps thinking this is it

Finally decided to sort out some of the music I might want to listen to in labour, and load it onto my phone. Then went to the loo and lost my plug! Hopefully mini biscuit is thinking about making a move, but I'm probably just getting my hopes up. Would be lovely if she could turn up before PILs go on holiday tomorrow.

All this chat of aches and pains and backache and show... what did I say to yous all about queue jumping?! There'll be no more of it, thank you! My turn next!

I have to go to a wedding tomorrow. The only clothing that fits are DH's jogging trousers. They have a hole in the crotch (not part of the original design or a deliberate addition just a feature of age) and they are blue with grey stripes and slightly too long as DH is a full 15 inches taller than me. The only shoes that fit are ancient pink Birkenstocks that the dog chewed when he was a puppy. Even then my dropsical ankle flesh will flop all over the floor. In fact it's not so much that they fit as that they don't have enough structure to prevent me squeezing my feet into them. I look like I'm wearing those big comedy slippers in the shape of monster paws. And I include the hair in that image.

Either this baby comes now or I get struck by lightening but whichever it is it has to be better than attending a formal occasion in that rig out. It's never cool to take attention away from a bride on her wedding day but particularly not if it's because you look like an escapee from an asylum whose only clothing options were stolen from a bag intended for the bin.

OMG, people, OMG.

Lol Joskar! It's a beautiful image...

At the risk of TMI, DH has been taking trying to kickstart my labour very seriously. This morning he succeeded in giving me some major full-on contractions that really hurt - and lasted all of 15 minutes! What is it with babies who just don't want to come out. Am now 41+4!!!!!!

Joskar Hilarious!!

Can't imagine even looking vaguely presentable at this point so glad I've got nowhere important to go

Joskar that is hilarious, let us know what you end up wearing!

I left the house for the first time in about 2 weeks today and had to force myself out of my XXL man's hoodie and my trackie bums.

Have been having quite strong period-type pains and lower back ache for the last couple of days. Was a teeny bit excited although I'm aware this can go on for days. Just had a midwife appointment though and the baby is still only 4/5 palpable so barely engaged yet, I'm 39+4 today. I'm going to be bouncing on my ball and DTD a lot over the weekend I guess!

Big love to all the other impatient/overdue ladies out there in MN Land

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH haemorrhoids! I'm in actual hell. To all still awaiting labour, yes you will deserve biscuits, and fresh pasta meals that cook in 5 minutes are super easy when you have a small baby, but if you have a family history of problems in this area, you really ought to eat more fruit and veg and drink lots.
Clearly that last sentence was written as if I'd gone back in time and could give advice to myself.
OWWWW!

Joskar -
SGJ - Things are bordering on stuck in that department for me too.. have been drinking tons but it's not helping. Feels like first trimester again I think it's the sleep deprivation and lack of physical exercise.. I've never spent so long sitting on my bum in my life! I was much more active than this in pregnancy!!!