Easter is approaching, and the PESH are laying all over the place!

[maamalady]

Antenatal fred fun for BESH graduates

CRESH

Faith - pinky faithlet arrived 14th April 2013
Pinkr - suitably pinky one arrived 25th August 2013
Jethro - blue one arrived 23rd September 2013
Noks - pink one arrived 12th January 2014

PESH

Frankel - EDD 4th March ANY TIME NOW
Sinky - EDD 18th March
Merks - EDD 21st March
Driz - EDD 7th June
Draf - EDD 19th June
Kat - EDD 20th June
Winks - EDD 26th June
Dor - EDD 18th August
Ginger - 20th August
Euro - 28th August

PESH-in-hiding
Bugs - EDD approx 21st October

Oh that's so sad bugs. I hope the vet will have good news. 7 is no age at all.

Oooo sinks it sounds like things are happening. How exciting. I'm not surprised you are exhausted. The PESH will be cheering you on!

X-posts Sinks. Sorry you are having such a protracted time of it. Try to rest as much as you can, even if you're not sleeping as such. Can you get on a ball/go for a walk during the day to try and get a bit of gravity involved?

Sinks if they are regular but not quite 3 mins apart, could you not tell a little porkie pie to triage about the frequency if it is getting a bit much? If you're happy at home all well and good but you can at least get pain relief in the hospital if you are desperate for sleep. Sounds like it won't be long now so take heart from the fact you will be meeting your baybee soon.

Oh, bugs, I'm so sorry your dog is not well :( Everything crossed that the vets can do something to help her.

It won't last forever, sinks, they will be coming thick and fast before you know it! It sounds like you're definitely on the way, anyway :)

Bouncing at the mo. Walked round a garden centre this morning, but the afternoons and evenings/nights are pretty full on. It just hurts. I don't know why that surprises me, but it does

Try a warm bath perhaps? That helped me in the early stages.

Spent about 2 hours in the bath this evening! Don't think there's any hot water left! It does help which is promising for the hoped for water birth. Especially it takes the lump's weight off the nerves in my legs, which is a relief, to say the least..

I would stretch the truth about frequency, and they have said I can come in if I'm just not coping with the pain, but I don't think I'm in active labour yet, I think this is just this prolonged latent phase getting a bit more active, iyswim. I'm going to try and hack it out a bit longer.

Heh, sinks, it makes my gripe about "ugh lucozade" for this morning's GTT sound extra petty!

For anyone else going to have a GTT any time soon: lucozade tastes horrific, but it tastes even worse if you've brushed your teeth; and a good book is your friend. I would have gone bats if I'd had to make do with the crappy mags and eavesdropping on inane conversations. I did at least manage to keep the lucozade down fairly easily, though it was a bit of a challenge when the woman sitting opposite me started rolling her false teeth around in her mouth with the most horrendous squeaking noise...

Thinking of you Sinks. Don't forget paracetamol...anything that keeps you going at this stage. Really hope that you make some rapid progress tonight.

Hope you had a reasonable night Sinks, or are pushing away as we speak! I know it's hard, but try not to be too active at night, you need to rest when you can as you don't want to be awake all night then gave to keep going all of the next day too.

Thinking of you today Bugs

Bugs I am so sorry. She will be waiting at rainbow bridge x

Oh I am sorry bugs. Must be very hard having to say goodbye to the furry members of the family, I know how much you love your pets.

I am so sorry bugs - furry friends help us through so much.

Six months ago today since my Mum died and I am missing her so much. It feels especially cruel to be robbed of her today.

I am sure we will be fine but the firsts of everything are so hard :(

Oh dor my lovely. You are halfway through the hardest part. Your pain is almost palpable.

bugs I'm so sorry. Poor poorly pup. :(

sinks I hope the lack of update this morning means that things are moving for you.

Thinking of your poorly puppy bugs. Hope the new medication works.

I have my 20 week scan today, I'm very excited about seeing the baby again but hope that it doesn't try and make it obvious as to its sex!

Morning everyone.

Good luck for today's scan Ginge.

Hoping the radio silence from Simks means things are moving on.

Bugs, how is your doggy today?

Lurking for sinky, hope you are cuddling your baybee now or very soon

Glad things look better for your dog bugs, hope the medicines work and scan brings good news.

How's things with you merk? Hope all is going well

Good luck with scan ginge!

Bugs hope things are a bit better and brighter today

Thinking of you Sinks

Frank/breast feeders did you find the breastfeeding support groups helped? My nipples are very sore which I know is down to latch. I'm finding it frustrating that the books say to take them off and start again as all that achieves is shouting and a repeat of the same issue. I can't get her to take a big mouthful and if I interfere as she tries to latch she shakes her head violently and won't latch at all.

Yes I found the support groups a big help. It may be that you need some help with finding a position that works. May be that you need her mouth looked at for tongue tie. I went to a group at a local children's centre which was nice socially and for general advice, I found la leche league leaders more helpful with more problematic issues. Definitely get whatever real life help is available

I had exactly the same issue, and am now paying for it with a very sore cracked nipple. I found a local BF support group that was very helpful and they helped me sort the latch out. The technique that worked for me was (if feeding from left breast), hold baby's head with heel of right hand across shoulders and fingers supporting baby's right cheek, using right arm to hold baby against stomach. Use left thumb on side of left breast to point nipple out to the left, so it's in line with baby's nose. As baby opens mouth wide use heel of right hand to push baby up and on to breast, letting go of nipple at the same time. This kind of flicks the nipple into the baby's mouth and avoids them grabbing hold of it. It takes practise but definitely get along to a support group if you can.

Oh and ignore anyone who says "If you're doing it right it doesn't hurt", that's about the most unhelpful thing anyone can say.

Thanks. I will try and sort something for tomorrow as I have the midwife coming at an unknown time today (meaning despite E having gone to sleep now I have to get up and dressed in case she turns up - why can't they at least say morn or afternoon?). The thing that threw me a bit is that it only hurts excruciatingly for the first 10 seconds, I expected if it was wrong for it to hurt throughout the feed. Had a tough day yesterday as she fed almost constantly yesterday afternoon which had me teary worried she wasn't getting enough milk as I'm not latching her properly

I found for the early weeks I could only get the rugby ball position to work, especially on right boob. Worth a try if you haven't already. Also using a bf pillow helped me at first too. By 12 weeks I could feed the baby on one arm and answer the front door with the other so it does get easier with practice but proper help really important to start with.

Feeding constantly at first is fine. I bet your milk has only just come in. If it only hurts at first it could be the let down is quite strong. I could never feel the let down but I know plenty of people can. Remember lots of feeds is her way of putting in an order for more milk. It is tough at first but worth it.