Jan 2016 #7 - headaches and exhaustion but 1/3 through

[BeeMyBaby]

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12-46WHExOXbKsKon2nKyEth9RRyKw9paIw4V4SGTFE8/htmlview?pli=1

oh and romeo thanks!

I had a really tough time feeding ds, he lost weight and fed non stop (I know all newborns do but I'm talking 22 hours a day for 4 weeks) and it all fell over Xmas so it was very hard to get any help as all the bf clinics were closed, I couldn't even find a private lactation consultant that would come out. In the end tongue tie was diagnosed but once it was cut he had been on bottles for a few days and I never got him to latch again. I pumped for 3 months which was so exhausting, twice a night I would feed ds and then go down and pump.

I still plan to bf the next one if at all possible. I'm much wiser this time and know where to go for help, and my hospital now has a Tt clinic which is a big improvement. martin I wouldn't buy a double pump yet id hire one, you can hire them by month and they are the amazing hospital grade double medela. Then if you get on with pumping you can buy one, some people fb fine but never get anything by pump and even more find they can't be bothered with it - so much time to pump and sterilize etc when you could just stick baby on boob

This is my first so obviously have no experience of either bf or ff...but although I intend to bf if I can, I feel very strongly that I don't want to exclusively bf, so I've done lots of research on combi feeding! Although there is some advice that you should wait 3-6 weeks before introducing expressed breast milk (mainly from the NHS itself) I've read a lot online where people have expressed and used a bottle as early as less than 2 weeks in, and it hasnt resulted in the baby refusing the breast. Guess it must depend on the baby though! If combi feeding doesn't work for me then I would rather ff, for me it's not an option not being able to go anywhere without baby (as much as I'm already in love with the little fella!) and that's what seems to be the case for the women I know who exclusively bf.

I've finally just felt the baba move for the first time.. amazing like a little flip sensation
I'm surprised as im only 15w4d!

Thanks hotcross i might do that!

Ah that's lovely missmartin !
I'm still not sure, I have like a buzzing or ripple type sensation.....but I'm so full of gas and bloat I'm not sure
The glamour!

personally ill be formula feeding, DH is very against it and we clash often which upsets me. Hopefully he'll be more understanding when baby is here.

Just wanted to chip in about BF and bonding with the dad. From my experience with DS I bf'd him and DH and DS bonded really well through baths and nappy changes.

When thinking about night feeds there really us nothing easier than bfing (presuming there is no problems bf'ing) just pick up the baby, feed in the dark and then put them back, loads faster than having to go downstairs and sort a bottle. Also if sharing the load with DH is a consideration when deciding whether to bf or ff remember that after a month or so DH will go back to work and more than likely the mum will be doing the night feeds during the week anyway (not necessary of course but that was the way in our house) and so I was very glad I hadn't introduced FF for his benefit when I was doing the nights anyway.

Just my experience, know everyone is different and for others FF/combi will be the best choice, but for me the best (the one which allowed me to get the most rest) option was bfing.

I've mentioned it before but I'll be breastfeeding as I did with my others. There no possibility that they will have any formula at all. I'm incredibly passionate about it so I'll not bang my drum too much
That's a shame sleepy although mine has measured that high a fortnight ago but it was just my white coat syndrome and stress. It came back down to normal soon after. Thankfully no one of talking about labetalol yet.
Scan and consultant in the morning.

I combination fed from the start and DD never had an issue with either method. Her latch was good and she had no trouble moving between the two mouth actions.

Only issue was that she was lactose intolerant, and breast milk has double the lactose as cows' milk, so BF was actually making her worse.

Thanks ago the replies about feeding, I might just get DH to read them. It's given me a lot more to think about, especially what someone (sorry, I can't see on the app who it was) said about once DH goes back to work. He does shifts, so once he goes back he won't be here at all for the night feeds. I do like the sound of me feeding and DH doing nappy and settle. And there are lots of other ways for them to bond, I hadn't thought of that either. I think for the time being I'll plan to bf and see how I get on, fingers crossed we both take to it!

Also, I need to join the hairy belly club! I hadn't noticed it until today but I'm thinking of getting mine put into a French plait for the summer! So glamorous! Also is everyone else's hair just growing twice as fast... And I mean all hair! Legs, eyebrows, arm pits! I'm starting to feel like a yeti!

Sorry, I should have said he'll be doing some night shifts when he goes back. I made it sound like permanent nights. He does 2 day shifts then 2 night shifts.

Was in supermarket today and lady at check out asked me how long I had left and I said not due till January .... She pulled a face and said "are you joking, your huge" ..... Belly has appeared from nowhere in last 3 days!!

On BF ..... I am hoping to BF but am
Worried about how I'll cope exclusively! Will just play by ear and see!

My DM was in tesco tonight and got 3 reusable nappies for £11 reduced from £40! I'm so excited ..... Think I'll use them as "night nappies"

I think we've had a discussion re bf and bottle previously and I've said this before but I'm lazy and bfing exclusively is BY FAR the easiest option (for me). The DDs have an absolutely amazing bond with DH so I'm very skeptical about any suggestion that dads have to experience bottle-feeding to bond with their children (in fact the idea sounds utterly ridiculous frankly). My DH works long hours and there is no way I would ask him to get up multiple times a night to prepare a bottle and feed, then resettle a baby. You can only know what will work for you and your partner and baby when it comes to it though

mrsfaz Ppl are so rude. I had that constantly last pregnancy as I really did have an enormous belly and I was so self-conscious of it by the end.

sleepy I'm so sorry the additional bp test didn't work out. I hope you're not too down about it, be easy on yourself

Agree impatiently and coffee I honestly can't see how feeding choice would impact on Dads bonding with their baby. There is so much more to caring for a baby than just the feeding!
I also found that in the aftermath of birth when my body confidence was very low, the knowledge that it was my body sustaining my baby gave me a massive boost. That is absolutely not intended as a slight against anyone who chooses not to BF - it was just the way it made me feel and was a very positive thing for me. I will stop going on now though! Like the birth, the best thing you can do is keep an open mind and see how it goes.
Must try and get back to sleep - insomnia is still killing me here.

brickie I'm also c passionate about bf and feel disappointed as to how many people don't even consider giving it a go. I have lots of friends who were miserable cos they couldn't bf. Please don't feel I'm judging cos we all parent how we feel best but I just think it's a shame.
In a different note my nails are the longest they have ever been it's amazing xxx

So jealous of all who can feel babies when will I feel mine :( 16w appointment today (16+3) I second the nail point frozen but acne is horrendous

Also I really think I have a bladder infection!!!!! I'm terrified after hearing it can cause complications??!!

MrsChatty you need to get it sorted out. I was quizzing DP about it on Monday night as I was hoping I could hold off until my obs appointment on Friday, but he was pretty insistent I went to the GP about it. Seeing as he's the type of person who'd suggest walking off a broken leg (and he's a doctor!), I took that to mean I should take it seriously. Asking Dr Google for a second opinion didn't help...

I have some absolutely vile antibiotics- they smell and taste like burning rubber. Thankfully morning sickness has passed!

I'll be 18 weeks tomorrow an no movement for me yet. Well nothing I can be sure of. But the belly has started seriously popping out, there's no hiding it now!

I'm planning on bf for hopefully at least 6 months. I'd like to go longer but at 9 months I plan on returning to work and the bubs will probably be staying overnight with granny one or two nights a week to enable this. I will try to pump enough to cover this, but feel it may be unlikely since there's nowhere to pump discreetly at my work (other than the loo and there are only two loos in the whole building).

Am I insane to think it's okay for a 9 month old to stay overnight without me? He will have a close relationship with his granny from the start and we'll ease into it. And he shouldn't be feeding at night by then (she hopes). My parents were very keen on giving us time with different people as babies and we were the least clingy children ever as a result, so I think it will be fiiiine, but perhaps I am crazy?

Hi everyone

Sleepy - sorry to hear about the high BP again, did you tell them about the horrid side affects? Maybe some time off would help anyway. Being pregnant is stressful

Pug - that sounds like a nightmare situation, fingers crossed it all gets sorted for you lovely

Re: BF/FF I BFed for 25mo with DS - but first 6 weeks he had weight issues so i expressed every 3 hours and he had bottle top ups (he was in SCBU for a few days as well) BFing was initially tricky but got much easier and I was very lucky never to have mastitis or baby with intolerances or TT. I think it's really hard to know for sure beforehand what you'll do. I could only get through BFing in the early days by promising myself "just one more feed". This time round I don't think I'll have time to pump so if I have to combi feed I will despite being very passionate about BFing also. It's a personal choice and not worth beating yourself up about either way. The only thing that gets my goat is when people say it's disgusting - like what did you think they were for LOL.

Getting some small regular movements every day here. Nausea mostly gone but very tired and hungry. Depression and anxiety still not great. But.....16wks today! 4 weeks to 20 wk scan

How is everyone else on their 20 wk scan countdown?!!!

I've had lots of movement since about 16 weeks this time around, but felt nothing until 21 weeks last time as I had an anterior placenta.

Edgar I think it will depend entirely on you and the baby. Plenty of babies will be absolutely fine by 9 months to stay overnight with granny. My son would have been although I was surprisingly unlikely to do that as I liked to keep him close -more for me than for him though, he's only had 1 night away from us so far and he's 15 months now. I didn't think I'd be like that, but the mum me surprised me in quite a few ways.

Some babies may not be sleeping through the night by that point, I know quite a few on my antenatal group weren't, but by that point even if they aren't perhaps your mum could settle with water or formula if she had him overnight, and if he wasn't sleeping through and you are back at work then the break would be even more needed!

Stupidgirl45 - My 20 week scan is on 15th August! I can't wait!!

Just had 16wk mw appointment, got to hear the heartbeat which was exciting back to having no bump though, now no longer constipated and bloated! BP all normal although some protein in wee so I guess they'd see what it's like next time? Too early to be of any concern yet do you think?

Can't wait for 20wk scan, can't wait to hopefully see what we are having! No appointment yet though.

It's been nice to read such balanced views re breastfeeding btw. Have read threads on other forums which are very anti those that either don't or don't wish to, and as someone who doesn't really mind either way (although can never imagine myself actually breastfeeding I'm now willing to try now I'm expecting!) it's really refreshing

sydie I thought I had another UTI last week and there was some protein in there but apparently nothing 'grew' in the lab so no need for antibiotics. Hopefully that's the same for you.

my 16 week appointment is next week I didn't know they'd listen to the heartbeat but friends who had the same midwife said they do. Eeeek!

my private scan is on Saturday and I am counting the hours!

I had a UTI around 10 weeks and don't think I have one now, but no harm keeping an eye on it!

I really want to have a private scan but husband is saying no good luck with yours though melonface

Well I'm paying so he can't stop me! lol. He wasn't keen either and thought it was a waste of money but then after the 12 week scan he was so keen to see the baby again I got my way