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 - after all that waiting she didn't keep you hanging about!

After a very traumatic night involving more Guantanamo style tricks to get syringes of formula in the baby (basically involving an hour and a half deliberately shouting at him/holding him in uncomfortable positions/ /waterboarding etc then ramming syringes in his throat for the sake of 50ml of milk he was then vomiting back up) we relented this morning, sterilised an old bottle friend's had left at our house and gave him formula that way - which was a calm five minute job. Such a relief as we were beginning to think there was something fundamentally wrong with his ability to feed. But the idea of succumbing to FF makes me cry. Going to BF support drop-in this morning.

In another example of breaking my own rules: slept night with the baby on my chest as he wouldn't do anything but scream in the bednest.

Right - have DH sleeping next to me and DS having a snuffly snooze on my chest, might finally write something about the birth.

My body is such a tease. Really strong, good, regular contractions at 2:30am. I fall asleep and when I wake at 4am they've eased again. It feels like a walk will start it all off again, so will go for one soon, but seriously. Seriously.

Hope you're getting on better, Nancy!

plate I know you don't want to give up but if you really can't breast feed then don't beat yourself up if you end up formula feeding

kiwi get speed walking!

hayley hope you managed to get pain relief to sort pains

Ds went in the sling for good 20mins which allowed me to sort washing, brush my teeth and sort the kitchen now got a sleeping baby! Feel like I can cope this morning!

Congrats to all those who have had their babies since I last posted - I've been trying to keep up but haven't had time to post. DS was 4 weeks old yesterday - it's all a bit of a blur! I can sympathise with those having bf problems - I've been doing a mixture of bfing and expressing then feeding with a bottle - I've spent so much time with a breast pump I feel like a dairy cow. DS will latch on, if I use a nipple shield, but it can be a bit of a battle - the last time I had him weighed though he'd put on 13oz in a week, so I must be doing something right!

Kiwi and Nancy hope things really do kick off for you today!

At my 40 week appointment yesterday the midwife attempted to do a sweep - but I am still not ready yet, no dilation, so it was more of a "massage" (one of the more horrid ones I've had TBH). I had to breathe through it and was glad my husband was there holding my hand but it wasn't really painful. Booked for another next Monday.

I am now getting loads of BH with accompanying weird head and chest pressure. But no sign of any other progress. Today is my official EDD (but I think my actual due date is this Saturday).

Sleeping very, very badly at the moment. Spent some of the night chatting with my sis about her travails with her newborn, and most of it reading a Mumsnet classic thread (the Thickos on TripAdvisor one) which made me literally weep with laughter and brought on a load more BH. Poor baby wriggled and squiggled its way through a very shaky night!

Well I'm 40+11 today and today's attempted sweep showed cervix still closed, firm and hiding around the back so looks like I'm going in for an induction tomorrow! Baby's head also hasn't progressed from 3/5 engaged.

I was disheartened at my 41 week appointment but since then have accepted that my body is just not about to kick start things. I'm looking on the bright sides of induction, it will be nice to get the house ready before we go for example. Sad that we won't have that movie moment of driving to the hospital in the middle of the night but I can live with that. I just hope the induction bloody works! My body/baby seem to be so stubborn I can imagine ending up with a c-section.

Tongue tie snip done! DD was a little star! DM didn't cope so well and couldn't look at all but I managed to help hold her and only looked away at the last minute. The doc was lovely and nurses all wanted to take DD home as she was doing her super cute pose when we went in! We (well DM!) needed a stiff cup of tea afterwards and I managed to get DD to feed in the cafe-pretty sure I can already notice a difference with the latch but aware she will need to relearn latching as she realises the extra movement she has in her tongue. Phew! glad that's done and over and on a day DS at the childminders too so I can focus on DD today!

Hope all progressing for kiwi and Nancy sorry about looming induction lentil but well done for looking at positives.

ickle its and liquid hope day 2 solo going ok! ickle how are your stitches now?

zing and plate you guys are doing so well despite all the challenges you've been thrown!

moresnow yeah for DS sleeping through and well done for being such a determined and persistent Mummy to your DC with feeding!

Hayley hope the pain getting better? If not ring your MW and ask for some codeine based painkillers! I was offered them before they left after birth. I also used gas and air to get through the initial ones and on couple of photos of me in the pool with DD feeding waiting for placenta you can see the look of agony on my face!!

DD fast asleep on me in her favourite koala position- I really need a drink and to hang the washing but don't really want to move her right now!

blue that sounds really really promising - great that you've got her to feed so soon afterwards.

Wishing luck to those of you still waiting on arrivals. (mupperoon I love that thread!)

Day 2 solo bit more difficult than day 1 due to very little sleep last night and DS still suffering with bouts of wind in the afternoons. Going to be more consistent with using the Infacol and see if that helps! But I did manage to get him to sleep after his lunch feed which means I've been able to nap too - phew!

Still pregnant. Had a lot of "contractions" overnight but they didn't go anywhere so went back to bed after lots of ball bouncing. Off to yoga today and more fast walking around the block required I think!!

That's good news, Blue.

Shame about the failed sweep lentil but at least you know what's happening now. Hope all goes well with your induction.

Just back from the MW. Everything has stopped, but she was able to do a good sweep (so painful; I hate having a difficult cervix) and she said I have a Bishops score of 6, so feeling positive now.

moresnow - we were trying cups as well which worked OK when DS was quite wakeful and engaged but not when he was at his most snoozy. We have officially abandoned the syringe - I'm sure it is a choking risk, I was terrified. Bottle is a huge improvement (and portable too - we did an attempted BF and a FF in a cafe this morning).

Saw local BF support person who basically advised to take the midwives instructions on volumes of formula with a pinch of salt. So nice to hear some reassuring words, and made me feel that my instinct that we are over-feeding is right. It felt so wrong to force him to feed so much then watch him projectile-vomit half of it back up.

DH is loving bottle feeding DS now so that's one up-side and I'm getting leaky boobs now so at least the milk is coming in.

So tired today. Y'know how they say your subconscious mind reacts milliseconds before your conscious mind reacts, and the idea that your conscious mind 'leads' decisions is an illusion? I've been feeling like my conscious mind has fallen way more than milliseconds behind, I can actually sense the gap. That probably makes no sense but it's a very odd feeling!

Lurker here, not posted since earlier July threads. really enjoy keeping up with everyone's news though, DC3 finally made an appearance following 2 x prostin induction at term plus 13. NVD and no stitches required, she is smaller than my other two at 7lb9oz but making her presence felt.
Can't moan as she BF like a dream do wish it wasn't first day of the summer hols for the other two though!
Afterpains are a whole different kettle of fish this time though. Ow.
Congrats to all others who have their babies and good luck to all those still waiting xx

lentil hope the induction goes well. You must really be fed up now but you will meet your new baby soon yay!! :)

Blue - good job on TT snipped!

Try and do the "finger chasing" exercise I posted earlier (yesterday? day before?)

Good luck all still pg, really soon you will see your babies!

Congrats sparkle!

sparkle congrats!

does anyone have any advice on what the 'normal' length of time between feeds is for a BF baby? He's 9 days old and going sometimes 4-5 hours between feeds. Everyone prepared me for hectic feeding every 1-2 hours for the first few weeks and I'm finding myself sitting here wondering why he's still sleeping!

Collie - welcome to the "sleepy baby club".

They should feed roughly every 3 hours - every 2 or every 4 hours is fine too as long as they are putting on weight.

if you fed at 2pm and he is not waking up for the next feed Ii'd wake him up at 6pm the latest.
In fact, I would start waking him up at 5.45 pm for a 6pm feed.

In theory. In practice I'm struggling with the same problem and Elijah gets fed while still asleep, if needed.
He is supposed to be fed every 3 hours (bf, then ff) but he just can't bloody wake up when he is "supposed" to.
So I have started to bf him whenever he is awake and is rooting around and cries, and give him a ff every 4 hours (he just won't take it earlier), 60-70 ml each time.
I don't know what else to do.
I doubt this is helpful...

And now I'm ill, sore throat and awful coughing (frequent pad changes needed as glamorous incontinence continues), just hoping it won't turn into a chest infection, like it tends to.

I'm dreading MW weighing Elijah tomorrow. If he looses weight again that will be the end of bf..

Hi can I join? Another lurker, been following since the very first post but never posted on mumsnet before (or any forum) so please bear with me.
4th baby arrived on 29th June . I find this thread very helpful and supportive , especially during the night when coping alone with the feeds.
Just want to say to everyone struggling with bf that they are not alone, or in the minority - just reading the posts here makes that very clear. Unfortunately there is very little support online or in real life for women who do struggle with bf - yes- of course in an ideal world - breast is best but sometimes , however hard we try , it doesn't work out and we are left with feelings of guilt or failure.
I have felt very unsupported over the last 14 years . Had no choice but to mix feed all 4 children. According to all HV 'there is no such thing as low milk supply' I should just eat more , drink more, express, swallow fenugreek, mothers milk, domperidone, be less stressed, relax shoulders , stand on head...
My lowest point was when HV told me I had 'destroyed his virgin gut by giving him a bottle '
The reality is, my children would not have survived without formula top ups .
zing your struggle very closely mine. Introduced 60ml top ups one week ago. Milk predictably is even less but what on earth can I do otherwise, especially with 3 other children to look after. To all who are struggling, you are definitely not alone and are doing a fabulous job. We can

Posted too soon
... We can only do the best we can.

Sorry for extremely long post !

zing that was helpful! It's reassuring to know that I'm not alone.

I hope he starts to get a bit more lively and awake for you! I've just woken Zachary up for a feed after 3.5 hours, he seemed less than impressed at being disturbed from his sleep. Hope you're feeling better soon too, isn't post pregnancy just delightful

four welcome! I was a lurker for most of my pregnancy but started to post in the last month or so, it's so great to have support from other women who are going through the same!

So DD doing v well post tongue tie op but is so keen to try out her new tongue that she wants to feed pretty much constantly to the extent she's just been v v sick everywhere as not used to consuming that much milk :( Hope this isn't the start of a cyclical night where she feeds to bursting point and then brings it all back up again over and over :( :(

Ds being checked at hospital tomorrow for possible tongue tie. Have no idea what to expect or what happens at op. If he has got it, it wasn't immediately obvious to midwife . She was told to check again by lc -. A photo was taken and now they want to see him.
No pain when feeding though, just feeding takes forever. No start or finish really, just constant apart from when I give top ups. Always asleep when on boob . Feels like his suck is weak . A lot of nibbling on the nipple.

...And that's not even thinking of fact that I could really do to sleep at some point as could she no doubt! DH out at the moment-he text earlier to say did I mind if he dropped his brother home (30mins drive away) despite fact brother has a return train ticket back home so could just do that?! Since he decided to take his bro home DD has done her puke thing so now I'm going to be home alone sorting this all out til midnight no doubt - just hope DS doesn't wake and need me in the meantime! Grrr

Thanks for asking blue stitches feel a lot better- antibiotics finished yesterday still taking anti inflammatory painkillers as sore when don't (learnt the hard way!) Midwives have discharged me as nurse at doctors said would keep an eye on them- however can't get nurse appointment until Monday- hopefully all ok. I should just look at some point but terrified of what I will see!

As for dh blue I would be less than impressed. Does he just think your coping really well and don't need him. Perhaps worth a - yes I'm fine but still need you to be here and support me chat? So glad better post tt cut!

four congratulations hope things improve after they look at tt- good that bf doesn't hurt though

collie its hard waking baby up- especially when difficult to get them to go down. Had to do it yesterday but important when so little to get enough food!