October 2014- thread 13. Getting the eviction notices ready!

[MundayCakes85]

Thought we'd better start a new thread, how many more will we get through before babies arrive??

slide tell me about it. I can get like 2ml for one feed via hand expression but will hopefully get a pump. I find everyone here has a different view and opinion and spend a lot of time criticising how other porfessionals do things rather than listening to what I want to do / what's actually best for baby. Paediatricians are the worst - they all say somethjng different! He was sick again after last feed but fortunately he's gone up to 2.9 after the dextrose gel. Just hope he stays up. One of the midwives is lovely and been helping me express - hoping she's back on tomorrow night

I also love the name Alexander. My middle name is the girl version so we didn't consider it seriously.

Hope he's not in SCBU for long ... But sounds like the staff there are brill and will help

Congrats Slide on baby Alexander!! Looking forward to seeing a pic and glad you're both OK.

Good luck to Yellow - hope we hear news from her soon too.

I can't believe we're having early babies

pusscous have you checked out juju sundin's birth skills? I am pregnant with DC1 so no experience with using it but bought this book on kindle last week. It makes alot if sense to me and I hope its going to help me have the natural birth I want. I was having a panic last week about labour and its really helped me understand there is lots I can do to manage the pain.

Hoping babes in hosp are feeding, with the milk finally running and home soon.

Lovely name slide! That would have been top of my list, except it rhymes with our surname. Am visualising big ocean swells and old fashioned milkmaids with swinging pails, and sending them your way!

goats no such thing as the maternity police? Read The Bees!

fedup I found that the post-discharge NHS bf care was much better than what was available in the hospital, so hang on in there and make enquiries about what support you can get once you're home.

Good luck yellow! and baby yellow this is your final call to do one almighty turn and save your mum some hassle, there's a good baby.

Can anyone give me advice on umbillical cord cleaning?

During my delightful conversation with mil at the weekend she told me I need to clean the babies cord with surgical spirits to avoid infection and help it drop off, which I told her no, you just clean around it with warm water. She told me that was rubbish and basically I should accept advice (like her telling me pregnant women can't lift their arms above their heads as it wraps the cord around the babies neck ) She keeps sending me links telling me to use surgical spirit, but they are all South African sites. I'd hate to use something so harsh on new born skin, so before I keep telling her to shut up, does anyone else have experience of doing this? (Just in case I'm wrong and have to eat humble pie )

SCOTTISH MUMS!

Right it's time for me to come clean about my pre-mat leave activities, I've been working with the Electoral Commission for the company providing the Referendum helpline. I'm in England so won't be voting, however if any of you like yellow run the risk of missing out on your trip to the ballot box because of imminent birth or inpatient monitoring, here's how you can nominate someone else to act as your voting proxy.

1. Get someone to visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/apply_to_vote_by_proxy.aspx and print off the form which says Emergency proxy based on unavoidable absence

1. You'll need to get a doctor, nurse, midwife or other HCP to fill in section 7 the supporter's declaration - when it asks for an address, their place of work is fine.

1. Choose the person you want to vote on your behalf and put their details in section 2. Fill in the rest of the form too! Don't forget to tell them how you want them to vote. They must be eligible to vote in the referendum (Scottish resident and UK/EU citizen etc) however they don't have to be registered to vote.

1. On the front page of www.aboutmyvote.co.uk, enter your postcode into the box and get the details of your Electoral Registration Office - this is where your proxy needs to take your form in order to get a proxy polling card. Some of them are PO boxes, in which case call them to see where they're located - most, but not all, will be at the council HQ.

1. The proxy has until 5pm on referendum day to get this done, so don't hang around. You can apply for an emergency proxy vote if you suspect that you're going to need one, it doesn't have to be a done deal. If baby stays put after all, you can still take a trip to the polls yourself. Stations open at 7am so go early if you're losing plugs and having pains!

Finally, if anyone actually gives birth at the ballot box I'll drive up there and congratulate you personally :)

I went to a 'newborn care' information evening on Monday and the children's nurse (working in the newborn children's unit) told us to only use water (boiled and cooled) she said they used some sort of antibacterial/disinfecting thing in the hospital at v beginning and after that water alone is totally fine. Studies showed that heals just as well with only water as with various powders/disinfectants etc. I am in Germany so not sure what NHS says but I trust the medical people here 100% xx

So sorry you guys are having feeding problems, i am so annoyed at the hospital on your behalf! The NCT breastfeeding support helpline is fab & i am sure they would come to the hospital to help you. Keeping my fingers crossed you get lots of milk soon!

As for ambilical cleaning, definitely just warm water!

If anyone actually gives birth at the ballot box I'll drive up there and congratulate you personally LOL thanks Cabster!! Quite excited about the next few days, shame it's appearing to be such a close vote though
Hope Yellow is doing OK.
Slide congrats on picking your lovely boy's name, Alexander is my cousin's son's name - coincidentally, Rory is DH's cousin's son's name too!) - both gorgeous little boys so I have a real soft spot for the names too!

fedup and slide sorry the babys are having trouble with there sugars as a GD mum its what im dreading when myns born I have 4 sentences on my birth plan and ones No Bottles/Formula so I hope I don't have to fight them.

binky when I had my first we used surgical spirit that was 18 years ago from memory I think it had changed to warm water and cotton wool by my second 15 years ago.

Its funny how advice changes when I had my first baby wipes were looked at as evil in the hospital they wanted you to use cotton wool and water yet you could use surgical spirit on the belly button

Good luck yellow

cabster and punky have you had your results yet?

Thanks for confirming I'm right (inserts smug smile here) I can now argue my point all I want, I was starting to doubt myself!

buggerlugs I don't have patience, she just lives 6000 miles away and I try to avoid the weekly Skype conversation whenever I can.

DH does correct her thankfully! As an example of lack of patience, she's still banging on about recording labour so she can hear the babies first cry. I told her that seeing as I'm not her daughter, even if she lived near me she wouldn't be invited anywhere near the MLU and wouldn't hear the first cry anyway. I also told her to concentrate her efforts on finding a partner for her actual daughter and getting her to grow up, get a job and move out at the age of 30. So see, no patience and apparently I've hurt her feelings! Ok, going to think happy thoughts now .

Off to the Hairdresser this morning to get my highlights done before I'm booked in tonight for section tomorrow!! Eeeek.....
Also a trip to the health food store to pick up some Brewers Yeast tablets, this milk is coming through thick & fast, I'm determined!

binky your lucky shes so far away imagine if she was near

Excited is it true you have to remove nail polish for the c-section? read that somewhere and also you cannot wear contact lenses which is a real blow for me as I am pretty much blind and hate my glasses as they make me giddy. DH is going to be armed with a fresh pair of contacts for me to put in as soon as the baby is out! Good luck. What does Brewer's yeast do re breastmilk? Are you also taking peppermint oil/teabags for digestion?

I am a bit worried as boobs have not increased one jot since start of pregnancy, in fact I think they have shrunk!

I am from South Africa and I've never heard of using surgical spirits on umbilical cords.

Is she coming over for the birth? If not and she's still banging on just tell her you are doing it to shut her up!!

I am refusing to see or speak to my inlaws. They haven't been very nice to me and my Hubbie is refusing to have a word with them (if he stands up to them they will freeze him out) and he is expecting me to sweep it under the carpet, which I am refusing to do. It's causing big tension here

Gun, yes I got my results last night. Negative for GD, which is great but also now more nervous in case it's toxoplasmosis or parvovirus.. I just have to try not to think about it until I see consultant end of next week.

Cabster, fingers crossed for your results!

Oh gosh, inlaws are such a nightmare. I get on with mine generally but last week when they sent me for ctg monitoring and scans for reduced movements she got on her high horse saying I ought to tell them it's costing a small fortune in hospital car park and fuel costs and that I should refuse to go.......er no if they think I need to be monitored for whatever reason I'm going! I bet you all get the "we didn't need all that fuss in our day" blah blah, no but I'm sure the infant mortality rate was a lot higher!

Fatpony our hospital c-section leaflet says no nail polish or makeup but it says to just tell them if you wear contacts. I think it's just so that they can take them out if you need a general anaesthetic. Would be a shame to see a blurry image of your newborn! Obviously check with your own hospital though as rules may vary.

Also my boobs didn't grow last pregnancy but wow did my milk come in at 3-4 days - it was like they tripled in size over night and felt like they were full of rocks! I've always had small boobs though but never had a problem with milk supply. Don't worry.

Good luck CJ!

Rory and Alexander are both lovely names.

Fed upand slide you both sound like you're doing a great job. I could only get a few drops of colostrum for the first few days then I suddenly had loads, I think it was around day 3 so hopefully that'll happen for you soon.

Binky your MIL sounds like a nightmare, I'm glad your DH corrects her. Good job she's far away.

I practiced tying my Moby wrap yesterday and now I can't wait to have a real baby to put in it!

Oops, not sure what happened to my bolding there, must learn to preview before posting!

binky I've discovered that the best way to deal with ridiculous advice is to smile and then do what you want! She will have no clue what you're doing with YOUR baby and it's also none of her business!

slide and fedup hope your little bundles are well enough to come home very soon!

Midwife appointment this morning. Very interested to see if this little monster has turned around the right way yet!

Braxtons hicks are regularly suffocating me throughout the day now! I remember them ramping up.before Dd was born but this time they've been going on for months so I have no clue if labour is imminent or not!

Is it Friday yet?!

Congratulations Fedup and good luck Yellow, they're coming thick and fast now!!

I was discharged on Monday from hospital the discharge ppwk took 5 1/2 hrs and still have no idea if I'm in labour or not (I suspect not, that the swab thing was wrong and that my cervix must be soft anyway) but the whole thing was a massive anti-climax which has left me feeling rather down.