Summer holidays are over, the PESH are bringing their bumps and baybees back to school

[TheOriginalWinkly]

Pack your giant pants in your satchel and maternity pads in your pencil case, it's the antenatal thread 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
Frankel - large pink one arrived 10th March 2014
Merks - pink one landed safe and sound 21st March 2014
Sinky - Stubborn blue one arrived 26th March 2014
Driz - blue one arrived 12th June 2014
Kat - pink one arrived 21st June 2014
draf - pink calf on 1st July 2014
winks - a pink one dragged out kicking and screaming on 4th July 2014
euro - a pink one in a hurry to see the world, born on 17th July 2014
dor - a pink one born at speed on 28th July 2014
ginge - completing the ESH Summer of Pink on 23rd August 2014

PESH
Buggerlugs - Buglet due 20th October
Fankle - ESHlet expected 4th January
Cunty - Minichops expected 7th February

Can she contact her local La Leche League? The might be able to refer her to someone who can snip it privately. From painful experience I say get it done sooner rather than later.

I suggested she get a second opinion from a lactation consultant (I was actually thinking about what you went through Frank ), which she did today. The consultant straight away said the tie needed snipped so it is going to be done privately. It just really pissed me off on her behalf that these so called professionals knew about the tt, and knew my friend was in pain and her baby wasn't gaining, and just fobbed her off with shit like 'oh its normal for it to hurt' and 'top her up with formula, you've probably got a low supply.'

The idiot GP I saw was the same. The tongue tie "wasn't that bad" and I should "just give her formula" if it hurts.

The more I think about it I really think mothers with new babies should stay under the care of health visitors/midwives for much longer. And of course they should be better trained. Midwives used to know all about tongue tie and often fixed it within hours of birth, but the advent of formula meant that tongue tie was not so much of a problem with bottle feeding and that knowledge passed down through generations was lost.

On a lighter note, I just had my first bath since being pregnant, and my whole stomach was under the water at the same time. It felt like a delightful novelty :)

Cross posted there frank, and I couldn't agree more. Someone on mn said an they knew an old school Midwife who kept one sharp fingernail for swiping the tongue ties of the brand new babies, how efficient is that.

I wouldn't worry about it too much now Bugs, but it might be worth you doing preliminary investigations as to local lactation consultants/breastfeeding support groups so that you can locate help quickly if you need it. Most groups are happy for pregnant women to drop in and say hi.

You don't have to be pushed into formula. Sometimes you just have to be stubborn and keep going at something even though it is hard. (As a disclaimer I know that it doesn't work out for everyone etc etc.)

I think The Little Miss has a little lip tie. Nothing that is causing problems for he feeding though and my nips are coping fine.

I think sometimes we expect everything to be horrendously difficult that whilst is is hard going at times it is actually ok and that is a real surprise.

I think Faithlet has an upper lip tie. Latch issues to start with (never quite right on the right nipple) and her teeth came through with a gap. MSB once said to a friend the reason I established BF was because I was so determined he really meant bloody minded!! Faithlet had formula top ups from a cup in hospital because she was low birth weight and ravenous and it took a good 4 days to establish BF. Once my milk came in proper we switched to EBM top ups and dropped them once we got home. It seems like life or death at the time but now I realise it's all ok! She gained weight well, loves her food now.

Actually today I advised my friend who has a 2 month old, lots of distress after feeds and unsettled to get him checked for TT and if not, to get the good reflux meds we've got. My biggest regret is being fobbed off with infant gaviscon for so long!

I agree that you have to be stubborn and push through a lot of it, but I don't think you should do so to the detriment of your mental health. With hindsight I think I was very close to developing PND, I had a constant sense of dread about feeding and spent pretty much every feed sobbing as E screamed. I was convinced she hated me

Miniginge is getting her upper lip tie sorted on Monday. We've gone private because they won't divide a lip tie on the NHS. She's also being assessed for posterior tongue tie.

I do agree Franks and think that there is a fine balance.

I guess what am just trying to encourage people not to necessarily expect it to be a nightmare. Sometimes it is OK, even if it takes a while to settle down and become familiar.

There are loads of good health professionals out there and hopefully you come across good ones in the course of your life. Of course there are always wankers and eejits out there who know fuck all about anything and give exceedingly poor advice.

Ging are you getting the lip done up North or in London? We spoke to dr Levinkind in London as mini Merk has the most severe lip tie but decided against treatment. Would be keen to know your experience and decision process

Glad the tea has helped Bugs

I agree Dor, it shouldn't be expected that breastfeeding should be hard, or easy for that matter, everyone has a different experience. FWIW if we have another I still intend to breastfeed for as long as I can.

Merk we're getting it done up North, at a dentist in Huddersfield. E also has a severe lip tie, I didn't want her to have issues with her teeth (including additional decay) or possible issues with solids.

Interestingly when we had E's tongue tie snipped the lady looked at HWHNN and pointed out that he had a posterior tie (apparently it appears to be genetic and passed down the male line). His mother only managed a few weeks of breastfeeding with him and he didn't talk until he was 14 months old. Maybe a coincidence, but there could be a connection?

CGH appears to be normal. My lip would probably be said to be tied but as I was bottle fed it was never an issue.

I am taking what's left of my pregnacare pregnancy tablets, bugs. I forget more often than not, though, and I won't bother buying more when they're done.

bugs sympathies for the awful neighbours. We had one recently in our small, peaceful block of flats who seemed very odd. He vanished one day leaving lots of unpaid bills and bailiffs chasing him. We found out where he went from the Daily Fail of all things - he's in prison, he breached his bail after being arrested for indecent assault on a 15 year old Glad to know he won't be back, disgusting fucker.

On a cheerier note, I am impressed with the NHS today - the hospital actually communicated with my GPs, who have sent me a letter to come see the practice nurse about getting and learning to use a epi pen. I'm also impressed by my hairdresser, who listened to me musing about my BIL's 30th birthday and suggested the perfect present. Hooray.

How are differs and baybees?

I Have had a fucking awful day.

The Little Miss has been like Velcro baby and has wanted holding all the time.

The Little Mister as just been demanding and naughty and I am fed up of telling him off.

This afternoon I was just struggling so much. I sat and sobbed and sobbed because I was missing my Mum so much. I know that it is partly because the anniversary of her death is next week so it feels very close at the moment.

In the end I pulled myself together, got the kids in the car and went to Dad's who was just brilliant. He didn't ask me if I was ok, or do any of the emotional stuff that Mum would have done, but he did look after The Little Mister so I could have a nap.

I still feel a bit delicate tonight but better than I did.

Oh dor

That sounds really shitty Of course you're likely to be feeling it as your mum's anniversary comes up. Are you making any plans with your dad and sister for the actual day?

On the actual day I am planning to go to the grave and then go for lunch. After that we are going to the school that my Mum used to teach at to open 'Gill's Garden' - garden that my Dad has had built in my Mum's memory. In the evening we have a meal out with the extended family. I guess we are just planning to stick together and get through it!