The final *JULY 2014* The one where we ALL move to post-natal

[justhayley]

Hiya so this will probably be our last ante natal thread Really hope that our postnatal thread is as busy.
You ladies have been a great support, and it's been fab going through pregnancy with you all. I honestly don't know how I would have got through the last 6 weeks of 4am wakings without you.

I'm not due till 24th and have no signs baby is still coming early so will probably be the last one one here - don't forget me!

Anyway will love you and leave you - actually will now pop back onto our regular thread for a chat

Happy birthing

Congratulations Hayley and good luck Safyre!

Baby Eli has lost a bit of weight again. I am so fed up.

He cranial & a bit of general osteopathy today so is supposed to be sleepier for the next 24 hours, but honestly I'm so upset about his lack of interest/effort I really feel like throwing in the towel and quitting bf completely. Me, Mrs Stubborn!

I keep being told that he will feed better from breast when he has put on more weight - but it is just not logical that he would feed better if he spends less time on boob and gets increasing amounts of formula. Why on Earth would he bf better at a later stage if breast is not stimulated enough now and milk production is already poor? And if ff just pours in his mouth and he has to just swallow what would make him eventually want to work hard to bf?
And if he gains weight I'd probably have to increase top ups too so how is that not the exact way to reducing time of bf and hindering b milk production?

I just don't get it.
I think he should feed on demand and get some top ups, but I was told to give him top ups (90 ml each time!) every 3 hours and only bf him for 30 mins prior to that.
But what if he is asleep then? Because he almost always is!
And I can't wake him, whatever I do!
So I try and try to bf him, then eventually must give him the ff, which he inhales in 5 mins, in his sleep.
Then an hour later he is up....and rooting around.
So I might bf, feeling bad because it's "too early", then he bf for 10 mins then sleeps again.

I can't do this. I hate this way of being and struggling. I don't see how bf will improve if ff takes over.

Plus trying to express milk stresses me out so much it's never been much success.

And DH is going back to work next week and I'm already fretting about how on Earth I'd be looking after kids while struggling with bf.
It's hard enough already...

It's a weird thing to shush your kids instinctively around your sleeping baby, then pausing and saying "actually, never mind, carry on, be noisy, he needs to wake up anyway"

I never thought I'd say that. Ever

zing I haven't got any advice - I don't understand why the most basic thing is so difficult! I'm surprised our species didn't die out a long time ago if its always been this hard!

90ml seems a lot to me on top of BF at his young age (but then I'm no expert...) Have you got a BF support worker or something you can speak to? And have you tried different ways of expressing? (hand, manual and electric pumps?)

Do any of you have a playmat? if so which one? And what about ewan the sheep? Worth getting?

Also, going for a picnic tomorrow - do I need to cover DS in cream if he'll be in the shade?

Aw zing and snow. I hope things sort themselves out soon. They never tell you how hard BFing can be, and it doesn't help when people go on about it being the most natural thing in the world. Hopefully you've got good help and support.

Just got the sweetest email from my BIL. He has autism so gets anxious about things, and doesn't like that there's no guarantee for when the baby will arrive. He said "It was due today but I don't know how much oxygen it had in your tummy." Bless him.

zing just a thought but is it worth giving the La Leche helpline a call? They could give lots of advice on BF and best way to overcome the challenges you've got. So sorry it's all proving such a headache-just shows how different each child is!!

Well done to ickle and others who've survived their first solo day. Trying to figure things out for dealing with two on my own -getting up and sorted in the morning and bathtime being the key difficult times.

So the hospital rang this morning and they'd messed up the tongue tie referral but they're now hoping to squeeze us in tomorrow- I'll know in the morning so here's hoping we get the call!

moresnow xpost so sorry about the nursing strike I had that with DS and it's v tough. I managed to get him back on when he was half asleep but took a couple of days and lots of expressing. Thinking of you!

zing I am in a very similar position except we can't get BF established at all, advised to give huge amounts of formula which is incredibly difficult because he is so sleepy, it feels like cruelty. We're treating him like a Foie Gras goose in Guantanemo Bay.

We have finally persuaded hospital to release us today as we have been able to maintain weight only 3% below birth weight, but that has only been through devoting all our resources to feeding via syringe which is not a sustainable solution.

howly hi, I'm 39+4 and keep thinking this baby is never going to come out either.

plate I hope you make it out of hospital and start to settle in at home! I will be re reading all the comments on Bf when baby finally arrives

Hope everyone else still Pg is doing ok and not too
Fed up!

Snow and all - any eye trouble squirt some breast milk into baby's eye a few times a day
Should clear it up soon (if not ask gp/MW/HV)

Thanks for support. Such a rollercoaster...

Snow - maybe we should swap babies for a few days... you know how kids behave better for others, never for mum!

Sorry to those of you having BF problems :(. It was so much harder than I expected with DD1. Yet to see how it is this time (yup, still pregnant, sitting in midwife office waiting for a scan etc as I type).

Possibly underway properly this time. Hah, said that before. Lots of back pain, contractions every 15 minutes and getting stronger. DH just asked if I was ready for the physical aspect of it (you know, squeezing out a baby). Thanks, DH, I'm well aware how much it bloody hurts unlike you.

Hopefully I won't be around in the morning.

*around on Mumsnet, not in general. That sounded morbid.

Congratulations hayley!

Good luck kiwi.

We survived our first solo day today too liquid and ickle. It was OK until the afternoon when DS had his usual meltdown (mainly due to wind) and the only thing that would settle him was being put in the sling. Incessant crying when you're on your own is kind of hard to deal with!

Oh and hope you make it out of hospital soon plate.

zing sorry to hear about all the feeding woes. Wish I had some sage advice but thinking of you and Elijah and hope it improves!

Oooooh kiwi good luck!

Just back from midwife. Everything looking good and I'm 2-3cm dilated so we'll see if that means anything!!

Good luck nancy and kiwi

I went for a long walk around kew gardens today to see if that would get things moving.... Here's hoping!

Hiya will catch up properly later, but need help.
Anyone else really really struggling with after pains? Everytime I feed DD a few mins in I get a contractions so bad I have to get someone to take her so I can curl up on all 4s. Never had this with DS, I'm in agony.
Taking paracetamol but it's not helping. Any tips? How long does this last?
Managed labour with no pain relief but not this, it's madness!

Am yet to poo and am dreading it as stitches are near the back. I know it will happen tomorrow and am all ready frightened. Tell me it's not to bad?

Ok I take that back just did a poo and it was totally fine, very relieved, at least that's 1 thing that's not causing me pain now

hayley congratulations on poo isn't as bad as you thimk could be! Hope after pains get beyter think this is a 2nd child+ thing so no advice, sorry!

Rubbish that so many little beans not taking to breastfeeding hope things sort themselves out quickly and ive always thought that like a birth plan although formula isn't what I want if necessary it's not bad. Perhaps just take every day as it comes!

Nancy sounds like you are well on your way- good luck! Oh and kiwi too!

blue feel like I cheated on first solo day had friend over for the morning and another ror afternoon! Meant got to eat lunch and everything! Dm here for 2 days now hopefully this will be relaxing not stressful! I've decided shower in the evening and sling until after breakfast are essentials to get us through the day. Need to try and leave the house without dh next... also ds had awful eve screaming from 7-10 when finally dropped off to sleep. He woke himself twice prior to that -once sneezing and once I coughed! Nightmare...going to try infacol do theys have it before every feed or just eve ones?