June #8 Kicks, rolls and thwacks! Need help putting socks on! Living off of chocolate! Its the last trimester people!!!!

[nehagarg]

Here is the latest one people.

And a link to the stats.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oTx71GeTR-ilVPTpIhNhutAwZPqNyYNEyIDwO80PmKQ/edit#gid=0

Enjoy!

Thanks for the recommendations laughing and mrsmugoo I'll check those out.

I can't remember if I've already asked this, but does anyone have any book recommendations for info about labour? I was looking at hypnobirthing, but I think actually the thing I'll find most useful is knowledge about what my body is doing at different stages of labour, beneficial positions etc would be really useful, rather than affirmations, phrases to repeat etc.

Sympathies for all of you with leg cramps, they are horrible. As others have said, make sure you are hydrated. I think I read somewhere that it could also be iron related so make sure you're eating iron-rich foods.

Btw love the thread name - never eaten so much chocolate ha ha!

Mollie there is a labour section on the nct website which is pretty good about the differences phases of labour and timescales (no idea how accurate it is!). I'm hoping the nct classes will be helpful too.

Pleased to say that the pain and lump which I had self-diagnosed as a hernia/cyst/something even more awful is apparently a torn muscle from a very active baby who gave me a very big kick. Apparently the stomach muscles are separating about now so are vulnerable in their current position, easy to tear and take a long time to repair. So thankful it isn't more serious despite being quite painful from time to time.

I would say I had some pain when breastfeeding last time but goes after a couple of weeks. I don't think extreme pain is right though! Lanisnoh from the first feed helped to avoid cracked/bleeding/falling to bits boobies.

nehagarg - great list. At our hospital tour last time the midwife scoffed at women bringing suitcases in. I ended up taking about 4 big bags in which were a pain. I will be suitcasing it this time and willing to be scoffed at as I cannot be bothered with carting millions of bags!

One thing you might consider if you've already bought it for the hospital bag...0-3 clothes. Our big baby was too big for the newborn gear I'd bought so DH was sent home for the 0-3 clothes from the wardrobe! All of my newborn is unworn and ready for DC2's arrival, though as "they usual get bigger" I suspect they may remain unworn! However, I expect the same applies for little babas who are too small for their newborn clothes. Take a range if you have it :D

Dolly ouch!! Great you have been reassured though!

Re- boobies, bits falling off?! I wonder whether I need to start putting fingers in ears again (tra la la!!). Maybe I should just start mourning my lovely pert boobies and pretty pink nips now. Do they return to pre- baby eventually?

Pretty much, though mine have never gone back to pinky they've stayed darker. I also have a scar on my nipple from dd1 biting me - it got infected and I had to have two courses of antibiotics

Ouch Dolly!

I also really rate lansinoh. I only took a sports bag but after the birth was thrilled to see that DH had grabbed some bananas and other snacks as I was famished and really didn't want the cereal bars I'd packed. Cartons of juice too were gone in seconds. I also doubled up maternity pads to start with and still had to change very often. For some reason I didn't buy newborn sleepsuits, only 0-1 month and up. DD was 6lb and in some very baggy clothes hahaha.

My sister had a home birth with her first and bought me a book called effective birth preparation by Maggie Howell. It's about hypnobirthing but what I found good about the book were the positive birth stories and also the explanation about how mammals give birth and how fear can really inhibit the process. It was really interesting and reassuring even though I never had any intention of having a home birth, nor could really take the hypnobirthing stuff very seriously.

I think the what to expect book covers the stages of labour. Basically there's the ooh somethings happening stage, the this is getting a bit ouchy stage, the ouch ouch ouch stage, the give me painkillers stage, and the GET THIS BABY OUT!!! stage

On the pads front-everyone is different so don't underestimate either type of pad-My boobs seriously leaked and I constantly needed changes of breast pads (I never had any leakage while pregnant, just once my milk came in). If I was feeding/expressing from one boob, the other was like a tap! I found it very uncomfortable, so do make sure you have plenty of breast pads as well as maternity pads to cover all eventualities!

Reading about packing hospital bags is making me very excited, and making the idea of a new baby very real!

dolly DS was a big 8ib 12oz & DD was 7ib 4oz. Everyone scared me with the babies get bigger blah blah obviously in some cases they do but it's not true for everyone!
But agree, definitely take a range of clothing sizes!
My nipples never went back to normal size

Those of you talking about formula - our hospital does not provide it but it is very rare a mum would not have colostrum so it shouldn't be a problem. They advise mums who do not intend to bf to bring in their own pre made cartons of formula but otherwise they support the mum to get be off to a good start.

In any case in the early days baby's tummy is so small (think grape size and that might be large!) so a few drops of colostrum are all that is required. If baby struggles with latch a MW will help you sort it and even can help you get a couple of drops into a syringe instead to offer

eastend for leg cramps try a magnesium spray before bed, Epsom Salts in the bath water if you are having one and magnesium & selenium supplements. (Worth googling to check the best one).
I take 2 of these twice a day :
Doctor's Best, Magnesium, High Absorption, 100% Chelated, 120 Tablets https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E3S51HM/ref=cmswwrcppawd_p-ybxbE5PV70

(For selenium I'm told a handful of Brazil nuts a day is all you need)
Has really helped.

All this bf talk is making me remember how awful our start was.... We got through it and in fact DS is nearly 4yo and will still occasionally bf so we are a success story. ( think a couple of seconds each side twice a week - not newborn or under 1yo intensity!!).
However. In hindsight it was hell. But at the time we just got in with it. Sheer stubbornness determination and a loyal husband got me through plus a great ibclc, local la leche league meetings and the NCT drop in FB cafe. Oh and dr jack Newman online, kellymom.com and the la leche league online resources & telephone helpline.

NHS was totally crap and in fact detrimental. DH once shouted at a mw "so breast is best until there is a problem and then you suggest formula without solving the problem..."! He was totally spot on. The NHS people don't have the training for the most part to solve issues slightly beyond normal.

We had a posterior tongue tie and I have an auto immune thyroid condition. Combined they led to huge problems. I ended up following the dr jack Newman domperidone protocol to relactate. As well as having the ptt snipped and pumping 8 times a day as well as bf DS on demand AND topping up. He looked like a famine victim at 4wo. Not a good look.

We also had to cut off some family members for a few weeks who were not supportive of my attempts to establish bf.... Not fun, especially as our 7mo nephew died (thought to be cot death, later considered to be genetic defect) when DS was 6wo. Was a bad time.

So. Have the Lll helpline number to hand plus details of NCT / Lll bf meetings ( both usually free) and, if you can afford it, make sure you know who the top recommended local ibclc are in your area.

Mindful how awful about your nephew. What a difficult time you had. In fact I think that's an understatement!! I'm glad you sought out support from elsewhere so you were able to bf as you wanted.

I agree mindfulbear all anyone had talked to me was about breast feeding. However I needed an X-ray the day after I had had the baby and they refused to let me feed baby as the porter was waiting, they gave my husband formula to give to the baby he didn't have a clue what he was doing and almost gave her the full 7oz bottle but had the foresight to call the midwife back to find out how much to give. Made me mad that they'd harped on about breast feeding until a problem arose (the porter could have waited or been called back!) and they were waving a bottle at me Our local community breastfeeding charity based team were very helpful in helping me with positions. I'm convinced DD has a mild tongue tie, even mentioned it to my friend who is a GP and she said she had never heard of a posterior tongue tie! Definitely find BF specialists if you want to pursue BFing.

Hi everyone, I haven't been on this thread for a few months now, life has been so fast paced that I only seem to manage to keep up with the Facebook group glad to see you are all doing well - I'll try my best to pop on more often !! I can't believe we are all on the home run now! Seems to have gone so fast from chatting to some of you in the ttc section!

I embraced the title of the thread today. I just ate chocolate for breakfast. If I need a defense it's that DH has been off from I'll now for 3 weeks and I needed the emotional support chocolate could offer!

He is getting better now though, so I'm hopeful to be back to normal(ish) week.

And good luck with the move jelly!

Haven't been on in forever! Doesn't feel like long now does it - I got the fright of my life when the midwife said that my next appointment was 34 weeks. DD was only born a couple of weeks later. Really must crack on and get some things ready!

Mollie definitely check out juju sundin's birth skills. It's a really informative book about labour and gives you really practical tips on how to deal with pain.

It's a kind of alternative to hypnobirthing. I never actually got to put it into practise as I ended up with a planned section but I felt like it was on my wavelength a bit more then hypnobirthing for when it got to the crunch stage!

Not been on all week as been poorly so will try and catch up and read through everything today, hope everyone is ok. Ended up at hospital sunday started getting regular painful tightenings so called and was advised to take paracetamol and lie down for an hour, didnt help and was getting worse so got told to come in. Was put on the heart monitor for about an hour and a half, i was scared to death she was coming at almost 29 weeks. Monitor was picking up the contractions aswell which was strange, anyway things started to ease off and i saw the doctor who did an internal and my cervix was fine. She thinks ive got a stomach virus and explained that because everything is so close together down there that when my bowels were contracting due to the virus it was triggering stronger braxton hicks (have never felt them like that before) at one point they were every 3 or 4 minutes. My stomach still isnt right and still getting cramps just glad its the easter holidays and ive been able to take it easy. My kids have been absolute angels and been more than happy to rest with me! Venturing out for the first time in a bit because i have my whooping cough jab - if they will give it to me. Im already on edge as not many weeks away from when i had dd, keep thinking i can feel a trickle down there which is how my labor always starts, i really need to relax!

Gosh belle that sounds scary!!

Make sure you do rest up and try to enjoy the last few weeks!

Belle - how scary that must have been for you. I hope everything is ok with your jab today.

Anyone else getting all their baby movements low down? I think this baby is happily breech!

Belle - sounds like a difficult time. Hope jab doesnt hurt too much. My arm is still a bit sorr from uesterday but getting better. I felt pukish for a while but lemon and water sorted that out.

laughing mine was head up the past few weeks. This week though he seems to have turned traverse. I can feel him head butting and punching my ribs and kidneys at the same time as kicking my bladder. Lol. Midwife says there is loads of time for him to turn still so they aren't worried.

At hospital again for more monitoring of baby. They want me to come in twice a week now! Luckily MDU has brilliant reclining leather chairs instead of hard hospital beds. I almost fell asleep. Sooo comfy.