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

Blue, great she is feeding better.
If milk flow is too fast, put your finger on your nipple and push it gently (as if you were trying to push it back into breast ) for a few seconds - it supposed to slow down the flow temporarily.

And another trick is to feed for 5 mins, then take her off boob and burp her, then back again. TT babes do suck in more air so while she is re-learning better latch frequent burping should help.
And check latch often, they can loose it easily!

An interesting read for those talking about the time between feeds -
www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/twitter-and-blog/the-dangerous-game-of-the-feeding-interval-obsession

Although I think she explains the opposite problem of frequent feeding rather than the opposite! Might vs worth having a look around her blog!

I've found that although I've not had my baby yet there us a wealth of support out there but you have to look for it! I'm fortunate to have a friend who is a lactation consultant running groups who I know will provide lots of support and come round to help with latch and give me encouraging words! There are local private Facebook groups you can join, breastfeeding cafés, local support groups you just need to do a bit of searching in your local area!

Howly, that was a really interesting article. I feel a bit guilty because I know and agree with all the facts behind that, but I am finding it really tough to accept I need to be led by DS. When he gives me gaps of 2-4 hours between feeds I feel like I can cope but after a night where I fed him on demand every 2 hours and then he woke me up 1 hour after the last feed asking again for food I find it really hard not having anytime at all to myself. I know that makes me selfish but I just want to be able to wash, sleep a little and eat! Plus I want to try and get expressing going but I'm not able to sort the pump and bottles out in the morning (when your supply's supposed to be higher) because he's needing me so much.

I think adjusting to this new way of life will be the thing that decides how long I manage to keep breastfeeding. If I can get used to it I think we'll be ok but if not i'm not sure I can do this for at least 6 months. Any tips from you long term breastfeeders on how to get used to it, especially when on your own for long periods of the day? I miss having DH to muck in and help so much!

its I haven't read the article (on phone) but after first few weeks with DS I used his cues as a basis for getting him into a routine which I think was pretty much 3 hourly during the day and bit longer at night. I then stuck fairly rigidly to that (excepting growth spurts or illness) which made life a lot easier! No idea how or if it will work this time though as we're back to square one teaching DD to latch and regulate how much she needs at the moment! The other thing I found was to focus on how much easier it is to have a built in milk supply than having to remember to prep and pack bottles to go out. I was happy not to have a night away from DS until he was 1yr 4m but that was a personal choice.

Totally exhausted here. Hoping things get easier as the day progresses!

its it's tough isn't it. I've been attached to my Velcro baby since 5am. Can't even put him down without him crying and because my supply isn't great I'm not prepared to let him get upset as I don't think that's fair. If I knew for sure he wasn't hungry I would be able to let him cry - for a couple of minutes at least while I have a shower.
Will have to resort to formula top up in a minute so that I can give my other children some attention

blue good point about not having to prep bottles! We've done one expressed bottle feed here and that was a faff (despite it being lovely for DH to get a go at feeding!).

four I have no idea how you guys with more than one child do it! My Velcro baby is finally quiet after lots more feeding, lots more crying and finally resorting to sticking him in a baby carrier so I can get something to eat. Whereupon I discover our bread's g

I obviously don't have any experience yet as I'm still waiting for my baby to come out !!! Grrr! But have a range of points of view from friends who ebf, some who do both and some who just ff, there is no right or wrong way! My view is ok going to see how it goes. If I can fb successfully for at least 6 weeks or more then I will be happy, if I have to ff as bf is not working so be it, if I choose to do both then I will make it work! I'm not hell bent on bf but I'm fully prepared for it to be hard I am arming myself with all the support early on!

Maybe start showering when baby goes down for a longer nap during the day, nothing to say you need to shower in the morning, prep some easily grabable finger food to have whilst feeding, sleep when baby does (after your shower!!!) leave the washing clothes etc... It can wait! Obviously I've not actually experienced this yet and may be taking everything back next week when I'm nursing a fussy new born and tearing my hair out!

... Gone mouldy and the only option is boring porridge. And breathe...

Hope everyone has a good day despite the exhaustion.

I think knowing the support networks before is a really good plan. I've already been to one breastfeeding drop in and phoned a helpline - both of which have been really helpful. Thinking about going back to one tomorrow for reassurance that my latch is ok and to get some positioning tips - finding it harder as DS gets bigger!

its I'm with you in that its so hard not to have time to myself/my body! Sorry about bread that would be enough to make me cry after a sleepless morning!

blue I see logic in saying will wait 3h in day but at 3 weeks old when he cries I do whatever will stop him- normally try nappy change, feed, wind him... oh and cuddles of course!

Does anyone with older DC have a pacifier they'd recommend? Bean is quite fond of having one - or her fists - but the Avent one she has can make her gag if she isn't juuuust ready for it.. It also wibbles quite a bit, like it's too big or doesn't suit her face...something.

Welcome four. How old are your other children? This is my 5th and I've found a few things help keep me sane. DH's mum and dad bought a massive swing/slide climbing frame thing for their joint early Christmas present which is great and so much more useful than the mountains of stuff they normally buy. I can usually keep my 8 year old happy by getting him to find out random facts for me. My 1 year old is just happy watching everything so it's just my 6 year old and 3 year old who are either fighting or working together to cause mayhem.

It's as babies get older they learn to feed more efficiently and go longer between feeds. The chained to the sofa stage doesn't last long. With DS1 I found that if I embraced the continuous feeding it was so much better. So get your favourite box set out, big bottle of drink and some snacks that can be eaten one handed and settle down for the duration. I'm doing this now sometimes but with child friendly tv. So far we've got through shaun the sheep and we're ploughing through high school musical.

ellie my other children range from 2-14 and we invested in a trampoline for that very reason . It's great as suitable for all of their ages.
Cbeebies also comes in useful more than it should at the moment
its porridge is supposed to be a breastfeeding super food!

Ismarah I have found the mam newborn dummies great for all three of mine. Baby sparkle now day 3 and loving hers, don't know what I'd do without it.

ickle it took a while to settle into that routine with DS and was based on the diary I had of his feeds since birth so followed his cues-some babies do just need to feed more regularly for longer than others and some will get super efficient and space feeds out more quickly - not an exact science unfortunately!

Have had a strangely relaxing morning with DS and DD visiting DM and DSD at their caravan site where they're pitched for this week- such a peaceful location! Did me the world of good to sit quietly and let DS run around the field!

Morning all, still pregnant. But... bloody show this morning so maybe things are starting to happen (40+4 today). I should probably get out of bed and start moving around to see if that gets anything else happening but enjoying the quiet at the moment.

Oh and just read this on FB and brought of you all with newborns... [http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5622137?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000037 newborn poem]

howly the problem is when they only nap for a couple of hours then it's a choice between shower/sleep/food/etc and that's if they let you put them down while they're asleep!

its I've had the mouldy bread situation too :( so frustrating when you finally get chance to eat and there's no food in the house!!!

Thanks for all the tips guys, really helps! Today has been ok, DS finally napped for long enough that I could grab a shower, and a friend came over (with bread!) to be an extra pair of hands/adult company for a bit which meant I got out of the house and got some lunch in between feeding sessions. It's just adjusting to a different pace/way of life I guess!

Nancy - sounds promising! Good luck x

Nancy I've been having show today after my sweep yesterday. We walked to the library and back this morning and it's done nothing! But my bump has been pretty hard all day so I'm hoping we'll get somewhere soon. Hope this is a good sign for you and things get going.

On the shower thing I put DD in her bouncy chair in the bathroom with me whilst I go in the shower- she quite likes the noise of the shower. Then I move the chair into the bedroom with me whilst I get dressed though often end up bouncing her with one foot to keep her calm whilst I get dressed!

kiwi and Nancy hope all well!!

its yes to change of pace- dh asked what I had done. ..going to post box by myself was about as exciting as it got! I'm dressed, had lunch, had a baby asleep on me for most of the day and had an hour of happy awakeness!

blue if I can get ds in bouncy chair will try the shower trick...tend to catch the 20-30min post first feed nap to wash and dress! Then put in sling to have breakfast!

Hi nancy good luck... Hope this is it for you! My due date is tomorrow.... Really getting impatient but managing to get out and about a bit :)

Walked to park and back with DD. Still having show but nothing else happening yet.
Hope things start moving soon for you grouchy!

DS so far not particularly taken with the bouncy chair. Going to keep persevering.

kiwi and nancy - am I raising hopes unnecessarily if I say DS was born 2 days after I began to have my show? Having said that, lots of people, including the midwife, told me it could still be a long time after that so I dont know if that's normal or not... Good luck!