August 2016 number 5 - waddling towards the third trimester!

[Mslg]

For the August 2016 ladies and babies!

Salene wouldn't mind going to Aus to be honest! He's been thinking about NZ too.

My Mum and Dad live in South Africa for part of the year so quite used to being away from family.

We'll see what the future brings!

basket I've got a couple of bottles and a milk storage bag (came free in a goodie bag from Mothercare), but that's it. Don't want to buy a breastpump until I'm certain my milk's come in/I know which sort I like.
Anyone else worried about colostrum/milk not coming in? I'm desperate to breastfeed but haven't been lactating yet. I'm 35 weeks tomorrow, is it still a bit early for it to happen?

Good idea Basketofwool and good question, been wondering the same thing myself.

Someone suggested seeing how I get on with BFing and then buying what I need when I know what I need. DH really wants to feed expressed milk too so thinking I will see how I get on and go from there. It's so confusing knowing what to buy and when to buy!

Totally agree about keeping this a bit of a ref free zone, happy baby chat...

I've just bought a breast pump off eBay for £20, it's a closed system and can replace any parts I'm not happy about reusing. I really want to get DH involved in at least one feed, so hoping to start that after a few weeks. If my milk doesn't come in, I'll just resell the pump.

I brought a manual breast pump ages ago and have been boob massaging for the last week.. That, and hope is all I have!

I found this video on hand expressing really useful last time. I spent time in the 3rd trimester & early weeks with newborn, massaging my boobs in the bath & having a go at hand expressing. For me it really relieves some of the soreness as the colostrum & milk production get up & running.

newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html

basket I havnt bought anything yet for breastfeeding. I've just got my boobs, breast pads and lanolin cream. Most of the recommendations are to wait until 6 weeks to start expressing anyway so by that point I figure I'll know how well breastfeeding is going and if it's worth getting a pump.

The vast majority of women should be able to produce enough milk to happily feed their babies, so I'd really try not to worry. There's a lot of misinformation about breastfeeding out there though - a really helpful book called The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding basically tells you everything you need to know about breastfeeding. I used that as my bible for the first few months of DS's life. It was so helpful in letting me understand what was actually "normal" & in working out small niggles.

I got a manual pump (Medela) to start with, cause they're cheap, efficient & I planned to invest in a more expensive one once we'd worked out how things would go for us. I bought a few bottles & a pack of milk storage bags. As it turned out, my son never accepted a bottle, so I was glad we hadn't spent more money! We used some of the milk I'd pumped in some of his meals, or offered in a cup when first weaning onto solids, so it wasn't wasted per se.

I bought a pair of nipple shields just in case (never needed them, luckily), a lot of nipple cream, jelonet dressing & breast pads. People say that breastfeeding should never be painful, & once it's established & you & baby have gotten the hang of it, that was true for us. But I had maybe a week of sore latching on, which I think was due to just... my nipples getting used to being in such constant demand! And my nips are huge & my son's mouth wasn't opening wide enough for a great latch right at first. But with persistence & practice we got there in a few days. It improved a lot when my milk came in. I spent a lot of time the first few days topless, in a cardigan, either breastfeeding, or airing my boobs between feeds. They say putting a little breastmilk on them & letting that dry is helpful. I also used the jelonet dressing one day when they were really sore, & liberal nipple cream to moisturise.

Hope that is helpful to someone! I expect things will be different for me this time again - different baby after all!

Hi Rum. Long time lurker here. I'm 35 weeks tomorrow.
Sorry if this sounds daft but in regards to putting a little breastmilk on your nipples and letting it dry? What's it supposed to do? Make latching easier or easing pain? Again sorry if it's a daft question

So I couldn't sleep last night (not just because of the referendum!) because of painful cramping around my pelvis. It felt like period cramps but I can't tell if it was because of my SPD or Braxton Hicks. I don't get it during the day, only at night - do I need to worry/call someone?

I feel like everything gets worse at night. Maybe because it's when you're doing less and feel everything more. Also because you have a lot more time to worry yourself or over think! I'd say ride it out for today, obviously if it's unbareable or too much to continue your every day tasks with then give the midwife/hospital a call but I think at this stage, cramps and niggles are to be expected. As long as it's not accompanied by any other worrying symptoms I'm sure you're fine

Thanks Sophia, yeah I completely agree. It's so frustrating not being able to do normal things. I don't care so much about stretch marks etc I would like to go for a run!! I feel a bit better today due to working from home. Less pressure on my back sitting at a desk all day and slept better this morning (able to sleep on helped). Have also been moving house which hasn't helped with the nesting / bonding / feeling settled.

I'll try a few of the things you suggested. I had a massage in April and it really helped me bond - that down time / quiet R&R really helps.

Good plan basket! Not bought anything for bf, will prob pick up some lansinoh and breast pads, but other than that, not faffing about with expressing and all that this time - too lazy! Will be bf 99% of the time and he can have a bottle of formula as and when he needs to once he's a few months old, he'll cope! Have got some of the tommee tippee back to nature bottles (as they were a bargain in Aldi a few months back!) as they were the only ones DD took and before them we spent a fortune on bottles she refused!
hgl honestly, truly don't worry about not leaking! Every woman is different - some leak relentlessly (looking at you Alfie is it?!), some never do - it genuinely has no bearing on how much milk you have. Also don't take expressing as an indicator of how much milk you have - babies are a much more efficient milking system! One of my friends bf and never had to wear breast pads after the first few weeks as she just never leaked - and she bf to a year! You might just be one of the lucky ones (in contrast to me, who regularly walked around with giant wet circles on my boobs where I leaked through the sodding pads!).
rum The Womanly Art is a good book! And totally agree re the sore nipples - the actual bf process shouldn't be painful, but equally, our nipples aren't used to being constantly battered, and that can be very sore til they toughen up! We had an easy ride with bf, DD was a dream baby in that respect, and I still ended up with a cracked nipple for a bit which was bloody sore!
Username breast milk is great for healing as it's naturally sterile and full of antibodies and other useful things! Good for gunky eyes on babies too (you literally just squeeze it in!) and cleared up DD's baby acne when nothing else would. Useful stuff
Sophia another one here who feels everything more at night - think Christine is right that it's just because there's no other distractions! And for me at least, lying down is pretty much the worst position for pain, being upright is much more comfortable, so I'm always in some degree of pain at night. Agree that you just don't realise how debilitating late pregnancy is unless you've done it/doing it - would love to be able to walk faster than snail's pace, and to put my shoes on without having to huff and puff and squish the bump just to reach my feet! It is such a short time though - doesn't feel it while you're in it, but when you look back it'll seem as if it passed in a blink.

Oh god every time I post I realise that I use too many exclamation marks, so sorry everyone, I must sound really overenthusiastic all! the! time! How annoying

four it is me! Constant leaker here - look at it this way hgl I've already spent a fortune on breast pads! sigh
sophia agree with christine that everything is worse at night. I only ever cry about being pregnant in the middle of the night. Lack of sleep doesn't help anybody feel rational. Agree thatbisf it continues then worth a chat with midwife - could be that lying down means baby is putting pressure somewhere that you don't get when you are mobile during the day. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you rang them.

Yeah, Username, breastmilk is supposed to be good for healing, as it's got immune cells in, as well as antibodies, & goodness knows what other magic. So if you do get sore/cracked nipples, dabbing a drop or 2 of breastmilk on them, then letting that air dry, then maybe putting some lansinoh/equivalent on the dried nipples to moisturise, I found to be really helpful.

I had exactly the same experience, Coco. An "easy" time as my DS mostly seemed to know what he was doing (a tough time in other ways as he was/is a hungry fellow, & is still boob obsessed even though we weaned fully a few months ago, but that's a separate thing), but I still ended up with really cracked nipples one day very early on. It was actually the day all the visitors descended, & I foolishly tried to be sociable & breastfeed discreetly in front of them, even though the bub & I hadn't gotten the full hang of the latch yet. So I tolerated a few bad latches for the sake of discretion & not waving my nipples around in front my FIL, instead of doing what I was usually doing & repeatedly unlatching/relatching him till it was most comfortable. My nipples were a bit wrecked by that evening & I had to really tend to them for a day or two. But they healed up quickly again, & toughened up so to speak within about a week, I think.

I needed to express (either by hand, or with my pump) a fair bit in the first few weeks, as there was one bit of my boobs that was prone to getting lumpy & a bit sore. It settled down as my son grew & got more efficient at draining all of my breast during a feed, but I think it was a life-saver for me. I was lucky & avoided issues with blocked ducts or mastitis.

Urrghh, stressful day trying to buy a baby seat for the car... turns out the deep scoop seats in the back of the mini cooper are a total mare to fit, well just about anything in! The easy fix base wouldnt fit properly without being tipped up way too high, and I didnt like the movement of the cabriofix seat when we tried it on its own, depite the 3 ladies in mothercare saying it was fine... they really ought not to properly wobble about should they? She said because it held when she pushed the top back up and down that it wouldnt fly out, and side to side wobble wasnt what they look for, it was fine... but I disagree so I went sans purchase... Well, I did buy a cute dress, a wonderwoman babygrow and a book on breast feeding what with all the boob talk on here recently, but no seat... at a bit of a loss now...

Also saw the midwife, who is putting alerts on my file so when I book in to labour, they know there's shit to address which was reassuring. She said babes is laying back to back and how in the old days no one had back to back probs as they all scrubbed the floor on their hands and knees.. told me to spend some time on all fours, which delighted DH no end ;)

Car seats are always a nightmare, I'm trying to figure out how to fit 3 in a honda jazz. We'll have to buy at least one new car before the baby arrives, and we're skint after buying a new house 6 weeks ago.

On bf supplies - I don't think most people need much. I just got a new double electric pump, but they give them out for free now here with Obamacare, as we all have to return to work by 12 weeks. And nipple shields, though I never needed lanisol cream or cabbage leaves. Everyone is different :)

I'm a bit down tonight, saw my dr this morning and I'm booked in for a scan in 2 weeks. He thinks I'm having another large baby and said if the scan confirms it they'll want to induce no later than my due date. I was really hoping to avoid an induction this time. Its so medicalized here, I didn't have any problems delivering a large baby last time. And the baby is transverse, and if he waits as long to turn as his brother did I could end up with a section this time.

fizzy I had a pebble (belted) in my mini for DS first few months and don't remember it wobbling? Didn't use it much as me and dh swapped cars then I bought a new one..

This baby has no regular pattern of movement.. But if I start to worry and sit down it moves almost instantly! Cheeky like its big brother!

Anyone else thinking of using cloth nappies? I want to, but the sheer variety is bewildering.

hg we are thinking about it, going to use disposable for maybe the first month, then see how we feel. Biggest issue is the initial cost outlay, and working out which ones suit your baby, so much choice and variety!! I have a friend that does cloth, so going to quiz her on it a bit

I posted about cloth a while back, I'll see if I can find the post...

Here it is!

I use washable nappies. I don't find it too much of a hassle tbh. I use tots bots nappies. Just stick them in a bucket with a net, then when it's full chuck them in the machine. I stick a bit of napisan in with the washing powder as it seems to help with the smell. If you can line dry them even better, as the sunlight bleaches the poo stains when they are really little, so they come out white again! My nursery agreed to use them as well. I've got about 25ish tots bots which is about enough, I've got a few Closer too which I use if I've run out, but they are not as good IMHO.

Downsides are they are bulkier to carry round with you, you need wet bags to carry the wet ones, you are always doing washing, what with baby clothes too. Have to change them more often than a paper nappy. Might not be cheaper if you are planning to use childcare who won't use them.

Upsides are cost. It does work out cheaper, especially if you are planning more than one child, and it feels cheaper to me. I spend about £180 on 20 nappies, a bucket, couple of nets, few other bits from the baby show. Then I buy the napisan, liners, had to buy a few wetbags, but the running costs seem small. They seemed to leak (poo) less than paper when he was new born. Obviously less waste and environmental impact.

I'm another cloth user, I strongly recommend visiting the nappy lady website and taking her survey - she's very helpful and there's no obligation to buy from her afterwards, but she'll advise you on what to get based on likely height, size etc and drying facilities and so on. I mainly have bumgenius nappies, and some tots bots easy fits as well as some two part nappies for night time. I have also treated myself to 2 teeny fits this time they are super cute! My collection has grown over the first 2 DC, although my bumgenius now need new Velcro, which I will be asking my mother to help me replace once I start mat leave (her sewing machine is much better than mine!)

www.thenappylady.co.uk

I've not used this site, but I've heard about it and it's been recommended for a good starting point about which nappies to use. Also see if there is a nappy library near you, you can borrow different nappies and see what suits your baby. To be honest, I just bought tots bots before the baby was born so it was just luck that they were great for us!