July 2015 - we are nearing the halfway point!

[Fattycow]

We are already nearing the halfway point! Some of us have already reached the 20 weeks, the rest will follow suit. Let the countdowns begin!

Here is the stats list, please update them with your scan dates and the sex of you baby (if you know it):
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p3idkH2TaQYAy22I_N73k1_-G6Ezq67lAdhQvDjQkU0/edit?pli=1#gid=0

Morning! I don't post much in here just because I've not got a lot to say about progress. I've not posted much on Facebook either for same reason. I'm just quietly getting bigger. I do read your posts here though.

I have hip pain and been referred to Physio. Think it's my hip dysplasia as in getting heavier.

If anyone does want to join the Facebook page I can add people - just PM me your email address used for Facebook.

I've got a cold today and feel a bit rotten. First time being sick since pregnant, woo!

My friend has perfect prep machine and loves it!

Hi heather - so sorry to hear about your wee twin

A colleague of mine recommended the Perfect Prep machine to me and said it's a life saver for night feeds. I'll get one if breast feeding doesn't work. Cheapest price I saw was Amazon I think.

Morning all, hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather. Lala sorry you are struggling with the hip dysplasia, hope you can stop it getting any worse.

I have my appointment at the hospital to discuss c-section vs vbac, not sure what to expect. Otherwise not much going on here, still feeling sick and struggling with food but not being sick as often. That might be because I am avoiding most foods though. Really on countdown now until I can eat whatever I want!

My baby has days when s/he is quieter and days when s/he is kicking away. I don't worry, as long as I keep feeling movements. It can be quiet in there for quite a while, but I always think that the baby is just asleep then.

I am feeling sad today, so I'm going to watch some series and eat chocolate!

Are you ok Fatty? Anything in particular that's making you blue?

Hi to Heather and echo everyone else's sympathies for your boy

Thanks Daley for sling advice... It's the thing I'm most struggling to get my head round but have just looked in to sling libraries and there's one opening where I live next month - phew!

I'm on FB and I do post on here as well but I haven't had too much to say lately as LO hasn't been causing too much trouble (except giving me gross nosebleeds and blood-snot). Been working heaps as I'm self-employed and trying to get some money in before the baby comes - only had one day off over Easter and found it weird not drinking - bank holidays and pubs usually go hand-in-hand for me

Things don't have to be baby related in order to go in here! You can tell me about your dream car, for all I care. Just random chat is just as nice as baby chat.

I'm debating buying the perfect prep but I really want to give breast feeding a try for the first 3 months. Tesco direct had it on offer for £69.99 which was the cheapest I found

I'm on Facebook but still pop in here too. For a while, I think people felt the MN threads were so full and busy that it was easy to get missed. Doesn't happen on FB. AND it's so much easier to post on FB, esp on phones.

However, I think many of the FB lot still come here - it's just we're proper addicted to t'internet...!

Things good with me at 26+3 (how did that happen - my Pregnancy+ app says I'm in third trimester but I reckon I'll count that from 27). Getting over my 5 week cough/ cold now, thank god. But did far too much walking yesterday, I think, and have a weird pain which I think is in my pelvis - it's like a groin strain but over to the left at the top of my left leg.

I've been thinking about all this bottle paraphernalia too. I breastfed dd until she gave up a week after her second birthday so I know I can do it and I definitely have the determination to get through those really shitty first few months while it comes in, baby cluster feeds - ie doesn't remove themselves from your nips from 5-10pm - and a pattern is kinda established (that's not meant to sound gloaty or bitchy towards ladies who choose not to breastfeed or indeed physically can't btw). However. I am a realist. I know how much dd loved her boobs and I know it was bloody hard work. And how many times I said I was going to give up! With this baby, I'm desperate to give him/her the same wonderful experience but I know with dd in tow, and being awfully demanding in a gorgeous toddler way, things may not be so easy. Does anyone else feel like this? What is your plan? Or are you just not even contemplating possibly looking for alternatives? I think I'm going to buy some ready made bottles like I did in preparation for dd's arrival, just in case of any early issues, then if I do need to swap to bottles, I can always buy them when I need them.

I am planning to exclusively breastfeed. My mum used to be a professional lactation advisor, so I can get all the help I need from her. You can call your mum at 4am because baby won't latch on, and she will pop on her shoes underneath her pjs and come over! Won't find that kind of support from a 'stranger'.
Not breastfeeding has never crossed my mind, as I grew up with said professional. Some of the benefits that I personally really like:

• free
• I have my boobs with me, so I cannot forget bottles/formula
• boobs are always ready to go, no need to find somewhere to warm bottle
• baby's poo smells less
• my body knows what baby needs and adapts the milk to that
• hopefully the pregnancy weight will shift (not guaranteed, but likely)
• no faff during the night to get a bottle ready. I'll just pop my shirt up and attach baby.
• less chance of breast cancer in the long run
• womb will be back to normal size quicker in the early days after delivery
• periods will hopefully stay away for a while

Also, did you know that your body already knows the sex of the baby and will adapt the milk to that as well? Apparently, milk for a boy is different to milk for a girl and your boobs make the sort of milk suited to the sex of your baby. Weird huh, that it is different?

Wow that is clever of our bodies. I do find it fascinating how it just knows! I had very supportive breastfeeding professionals and I have to say I did call at 1am and 4am on the first night back home and they were amazing. Then she came over at 8am, 12, 4pm to help again/watch me feed and she called me at 7pm to make sure I was ok for the evening or if she wanted me to come back again. My local NCT breastfeeding support and Sure Start centre were also incredible in those difficult early days.

I am hoping to bf but I will also have some emergency formula on hand just in case. We needed one bottle last time when my milk was slow to come in after the c-section.

I had my group vbac session this morning which was basically a session telling us to go for vbac. I wasn't expecting anything else but I am as confused as ever.

Hello everybody!
I have been reading for a while and have finally signed up. I am due mid July and expecting a little girl .
I am a first timer so it has been really helpful to read this thread and didn't want to lurk anymore!

Hey tangerine - also a first timer here and find this thread so useful.
I really want to bf, but I'm a bit put off by the reports of pain - how much does it hurt? Is it possible to do some bf and some bottle?

All these good things being said about the bottle prep machine... I may just add it to my list of items to purchase. I'll report back with the final and hopefully cheapest price I can find! :) I'm thinking as there's a chance I'll need two bottles at the same time it should cut down all the faff.

lala and fatty hope you're both feeling better.

Also so interesting to hear about the different types of milk. I continue to be amazed by our bodies and how they help grow a human being!!

broody id be interested to know how your discussion re: c section etc goes. With the twins I'm pushing for an elective c section. However I'm so frightened of the whole procedure. Also the stress of knowing they may be in scbu

I also am quite focused on bottle feeding at the minute but I think I'd like to do a combination or at least some breast feeding for bonding time at the beginning. I don't know who to really approach about this?

Those mentioning sure start centres and breast feeding co ordinators... A newbie question but do you sign up for this? Or does the hospital put you in touch? I know I'm sounding ever so dim but these are my first and I have no friends/sisters who have had children.

Clstow there will be some pain in the beginning but over time it will get better and disappear. In the early days Lanolin nipple cream will be your friend and I highly recommend having some in your hospital bag. My mistake was probably that I didn't just put some on after the first feed.

It is recommended to exclusively bf in the beginning in order to get it established but after that you can mix feed if you want to. I did later on, although for a long time I expressed so DH could do a bottle a day. But again that was only after a few weeks.

Something to help with the pain: toughen your nipples up now! Nothing drastic, but after a shower, rub the towel over them so they get used to a bit of rough handling.

I also really want to bf. Had a weird worry recently in that my boobs have not grown at all! They are a D so not small but I thought they would be huge by now. No idea if this raises any concerns about bf.

Nope, breast size or increase in size doesn't matter at all.

Brilliant, thank you! I thought I was being silly . Now I just have to get used to feeling a bit flat compared to my expanding bump!

Thanks for the advice Jmojo I'm trying to get used to her 'patterns' now.

So tired - lot of activity at 3am !

Welcome and hugs Heather

Hope your feeling better Fatty

Another one intending to bf here :)

Just wanted to post a quick reply/update.

Hello & congrats also to Tangerine

Welcome, another summer bean for our stats :)