Morning all!!
Wow. Yesterday was a busy day. Sorry I can't reply to all - too difficult on the phone app!
Stretch marks - I think you either get them or you don't. And it is basically genetic so no lotion or potion is going to help. I have stretch marks from my teens but none from my first pregnancy. Will see what happens this time round but I don't think my mum had them from pregnancy either. Other mums I know have their tiger stripes. They mostly wear them with pride but I guess that takes a certain mindset!
In the meantime I am using some pure potions rose hip oil, a clarins body oil and a "divine oil" - body hair & face oil by caudalie which I LOVE! I only use them because they make my skin feel nice - stretching skin can feel a bit uncomfortable at times - don't you agree?!
(This one is the caudalie divine oil - http://www.spacenk.com/uk/enGB/brands/c/caudalie/divine-oil-100ml-UK200008776.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwgPe4BRCB66GG8PO69QkSJAC4EhHhINlbuaCVZrfaVkk_cGTZmj0crZcHvjrph3VbEJ6ETRoCBbTwwwcB&cmmmc=Google%20UK---UK%7CEN%7CDSN%7CN%7CGoogle%20Shopping%20-%20Brands--Sai-Sei--_-%7Bproductgroup%7D)
As for breastfeeding..... I think the problem in this country is a lack of timely and trained resource to support new families. DH did end up shouting at a MW last time "so breast is best until there is a problem and then you force formula onto a new mum and don't even try to solve the underlying problem?!!"
He was very very angry after 3 weeks of to-ing and fro-ing and no proper support at all.
The problem is most MWs have at most a day or two of BF training and that may have been years ago. Most GPs would also only have received a couple of hours - also years ago. So how are they supposed to help?! We wouldn't see them for a complex skin or ENT problem. We would be referred to a specialist. However not with BF - makes no sense!!
I do believe BF is better than FF but I would never judge another family for FF because I know only too well the problems some mums have to overcome in order to BF and i also believe in personal choice. If you don't want to then that is up to you - nothing to do with me!!
I hate that so many people judge others and it particularly frustrates me with regard BF. Formula was invented to help families unable (or unwilling) to BF. And it has a place.
However what really upsets me is that there are so many families who really wanted to BF but could not access the right support at th right time in order to do so.
Whatever happens tho remember Throughout any problems the most important thing is to feed the baby. If there is no bm, baby is losing weight or lethargic or dehydrated them fgs please feed the baby - anything - your own bm, bm from your sister or sister In law or best mate, bm from the milk bank or formula !!!!! That is what formula is for. A lovely NCT / Lll counsellor who is also an ibclc told me that when I was particularly fraught one day. It was very good advice. 1) feed your baby and 2) sort the problem out in the meantime and 3) keep pumping!!!
We had huge problems. I cannot describe them without sounding melodramatic. DS had a PTT and I have an autoimmune thyroid problem. Combined together we went through hell. Mastitis. Thrush. Nipples hanging off. Low milk supply (ironic after mastitis!)
DS looked like a famine victims by 4wo. We only cracked BF when he was about 8wo and I didn't feel relaxed about his weight until he was at least 4mo. However we did get through it, DESPITE the NHS and in fact he will still occasionally nurse now and he is almost 4yo. (Don't worry. This is nothing like BF a newborn or even a 1yo. We are talking a max of a few Seconds per side in the morning on a couple of days a week - hoping he will stop when the baby arrives but it might be useful to stop mastitis if we have problems again!!)
I could not have got through it without a very supportive husband. He knows how stubborn and committed I can be and he moved hell and high water to get the professional support we needed when it became apparent that the NHS (milk spots and MWs) was of no use. I did attend the local weekly NCT BF drop in and the local Lll meetings. He sourced the double pump. We also hired an ibclc to come to the house and she later refered us to another one who could release DS tongue.
Thank god. The release was finally done at 4wo. Took a few more weeks for him to get used to it and to relearn how to BF and for my nipples to recover. We also took him to a cranial osteopath every week for ages to release any remaining tension in his head neck and shoulders.
However by this stage I had no milk so had been pumping 8 times a day since week 2 with a hospital grade double pump (hired from a pharmacy in Chelsea) and we were topping him up with this pumped bm and with formula. We only stopped top ups around 8wo. At the start we were finger feeding him the top ups (tube taped to a finger into his mouth and the other end Was a syringe with milk) rather than bottle feeding him so we could prevent nipple confusion and develop his suck but his needs out grew the size of syringe so we moved to bottles. I even tried a supplemental nursing system (SNS) for a while but it was a Faff so mainly relied on the Medela bottles for top ups.
My SiL donated some milk to us which was nice and next time I would look to get donor milk if we need it. But we would still use formula if there was nothing else. A necessary thing for some of us!!
We did make it but it was very very hard work and in fact I needed drugs in the end to kick start my milk production. We followed the dr jack Newman protocol for starting domperidone (an anti sickness reflux drug which as a side effect can cause lactation). The NHS gave me 3 tablets a day to start with - which did NOTHING!! The dr jack Newman protocol suggests 9 tabs a day if that happens. Worked a treat.
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-DGS
I also followed his guidelines for coming off it again.
Interestingly I've recently discovered fenugreek is not recommended for thyroid patients who want to BF as it can interfere. This is very interesting as last time I was taking fenugreek as it is often recommended for mums worried about milk supply - just goes to show how herbs and food stuffs are not always as safe as we think. (Kellymom has an interesting list on this topic)
In SW London we are well served by the local la leche league (Clapham branch is amazing - note that to attend a Lll meeting is free) and by the NCT running drop in BF counselling sessions on a weekly basis (the one in Balham was fabulous - used to be free but I think you are asked to make a donation if you can afford it of around £5).
The LLL leaders (counsellors) and NCT counsellors are very well trained. Many of them are internationally board certified lactation consultants (ibclc) which means they have studied for years and have to re apply for their qualification every few years too so have to keep up to date.
So I would urge any of you interested in BF to make sure you and daddy both know where the local non NHS support is available to you and when they are open.
If the meetings are too far away then Both NCT and Lll have a helpline you can call for support too. There are other avenues for support tho - mainly volunteer led like NCT and Lll.
I found this list of all the national support and their helpline numbers available here and I refer to it a lot - for all my friends needing help!
http://www.thebabycafe.org/breastfeeding-help/2-helpline-numbers.htmll*
*
Worth printing off for the fridge door.*
We also had a list of all the local drop ins stuck to our fridge.
Btw If anyone needs to take drugs whilst BF (whether for a physical condition or pnd etc) then don't just take your dr's word that you need to stop BF. That is often not the case - but it is unethical to test drugs on BF or pregnant mums so the drug companies cannot vouch for safety. However there is a book by dr hale - which Lll and NCT often have access to OR Please refer to Wendy the pharmacist at the breast feeding network's drugs in BF helpline. https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/detailed-information/drugs-in-breastmilk/
You can phone or email or send a FB message to Wendy. With details of the condition and the drug your dr wants to prescribe. She can tell you how safe it is and recommend an equally good alternative if there is one or confirm that yes you really do need to give up.
So. There you go. Sorry for the long winded post but thought I would share my experiences in case it was helpful.