Due in February 2017....thread 5!

[SkyLucy]

Thread five for the chattiest bunch of preggers ladies you've ever had the pleasure of encountering. We're greeting the second trimester with excitement and apprehension, and lots of questions, humour, reassurance, empathy and advice.

Fourth thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/2684139-february-2017-thread-4-are-we-the-chattiest-bunch-or-what

When I was pregnant with my first I'd said I was gonna try breastfeeding, after giving birth though I just really didn't want to so went with the bottle. I found bottle feeding easy and had a really good experience so when I had my second decided to do the same. By the time dd2 was a month old I massively regretted not trying with breast but unfortunately it was to late, I tried a few things to get milk back but failed. This time I'm gonna try with the breast, I'm happy to formula feed so no worries if it doesn't work out but I won't have the regrets if I've given it a go. My cousin has recently become a bread feeding support worker so I've plenty support, will just see how it goes!

On the bfing, I'd read that it contributes to burning 600 calories a day as the extra fat that has been stored around hips and bottom is there to be converted to milk when the time comes. I'm not sure whether it's the case, does anyone who had experience of both think there's any evidence of that or are you just hungrier and eat more once the baby has arrived to supplement?

skylucy I've just seen your post about itchy legs. Don't mean to worry you but maybe give midwife a call as it can be a sign of a liver issue. Forgotten what it is called! It's probably not that but best to check it out.

I had mega itchiness at the end of my last pregnancy, it was horrendous and nothing to do with my liver thankfully. Try coal tar soap and plenty of moisturiser.

Im in maternity jeans today. Looooving them. So comfy! I kinda like the over bump bit for keeping my tummy warm!

Piano I was over 10st pre pregnancy last time and 8st when I registered with my midwife in June. It's really mixed though, some people lose weight really easily but others seem to retain fat until they stop feeding. I was really struggling to maintain my weight until I fell pregnant again.

Another fan of combination feeding here. We introduced a bottle on night 3 when my milk was slow to come in and DS was starving and screaming the place down! He had trouble putting weight on early on, and was a very hungry baby. Midwife had us topping up with expressed milk... From a cup (I kid you not) during the first week. It just got ridiculous so we ignored all advice, introduced one bottle of expressed milk (or formula if my supply was low that day) in the evenings from about one week old and never looked back. It was fantastic for me as I could go out for a couple of hours to do something or just go to bed and leave DH with the bottle. We picked a time of day when my supply was lowest and that was 'bottle time' until we finally switched to 100% formula at 6 months when I went back to work.

I found the BF painful (cracked nipples ouch!) but it became manageable and super convenient once we established our combination feeding. I think the key to success was early introduction of the bottle and also allowing my supply to establish itself around our regular bottle feed. Highly recommend it to everyone. Midwives will tell you that boob rejection is a risk introducing a bottle so early but for us it was a risk worth taking.

Also a fan of the electric pumps. We hired one from Medela which wasn't cheap but had me all 'milked' and ready to go literally in minutes compared to the quite frankly laughable handheld thing that gave me hand spasms before I'd even managed to express 1/2 oz!

Piano I think I did lose a bit of weight in the first 6 months of breastfeeding thanks to it burning extra calories coupled with the fact that I was trying to watch what I ate. But then I got a bit slack with dieting and I started to introduce solid food to DD so I put a bit of weight back on. I do remember getting VERY hungry when breastfeeding in the first few months, ravenous almost. But I don't think you actually need to eat a lot more calories really, maybe just an extra 200 or 300.

Sky I have some itching too. It's worth getting checked out if it's constant and all over, but mostly on extremities. Mine was just on legs but comes and goes and mw says nothing to worry about. It's common to get some itching in last trimester as your skin stretches too

I'm all up for the full on hippy mum - breast feeding and reusable nappies. Hope my realists matches up to my ideals

Friendly I am on a facebook break (I do this every so often )

I told my mum and aunt and they took me to a baby shop and bought half the shop

Now so worried I shouldnt have

Only 13+5

Anyone else bought stuff?

Thanks button and summer - legs haven't itched at all today so not worried...more concerned now about the twinge I have in my 'bump'. Sigh. The worry's never gonna stop is it? It'll just keep changing!

On the plus side, sickness has dramatically reduced, hurrah! Hope everyone else is feeling brighter now we're entering the second trimester X

I expressed for about 4 months last time but found hand-expressing so much easier and quicker than pumping. Just squeeze and aim into a bottle! Nobody else I know did it like that but I think it is worth considering if you don't get on with manual or electric pumps.

I'm also a bit itchy but not too bad. I do have lumpy boobs though, is that normal?

Could someone tell me how to access the FB page please?

I've got lumpy boobs too, it's slightly unnerving.
Is anyone else desperate to get out of their daytime clothes - no matter how comfy they are I can't wait to strip off and put my cosy jarmies on. Everything seems to irritate me by the end of the day. It's nice to give my belly and boobs a good old scratch!

ever i bought a wee comforter and two wee bibs today. That's all! Lol xx

Bumble I was forced to learn how to hand express when DD was about 10 months old and went on nursing strike... I was too engorged to use a pump. It took a bit of getting the hang of but actually was pretty effective so I can see where you're coming from!

Who was it who mentioned mini eggs the other day? I have been thinking about them ever since and had to buy some today. I've just polished off a whole bag to myself. Oops

tillyann for the FB group send a pm to wispaxmas with your email address. I did earlier today so just waiting for her to pick it up

I'm not on Facebook so will be sticking on here

mrschn really glad to hear you had a positive experience combination feeding. I'm a third time mum but will be a first time breast feeder so a little nervous. I'm worried about pretty much everything lol but hoping to ebf but am open to other options. I've never actually heard 'real life' experiences of early combination feedi g so nice to hear one. Makes me feel better that if need be that could be an option x

Shell we boutht 2 pyjamas, a blankie and a little soft animal, 4 tops, a hat, sweater and 2 pairs of trousers and also a thick cardigan
And 2 muslin cloths

And we played with them in the ev and it was adorable.

I am now trying to think that I am 14 weeks tomorrow and it is very likely everything will be fine

And maybe try to enjoy my pregnancy and allow myself to get excited

People dont leave us for facebook

I'm still here ever!!

I am starting to look at buying clothes and stuff. I did go in my mums loft last week and hook out some stuff from my first daughter! Mainly baby grows. At least I know no one else will have the same ones as they will be 19 years old by the time this one wears them.

Oh and I'm in a snarly mood today as I had an horrific dream that I gave birth at 16 weeks and no one believed me. I woke up crying and reached out for other half and in his sleep he pushed my arm away. Gahhhh. He is still asleep now and has no idea I'm in a grump.

I won't leave ever

We've bought a few things, a few sleepsuits, cuddly toy and my mum has just finished knitting the most adorable hoodie
We go on holiday next month though so I think most of our baby buying won't happen until after that.
We are planning the nursery though, I hate it when we're decorating as it seems to spread throughout the house, so that'll probably start the week we get back so that all the painting and flooring etc will be finished before Xmas.

Diva I have been having bad dreams too! Glad to hear I am not the only one stocking up on stuff.

Dreaming yay! You too. The clotges are too cute. We got some 0size, 1 and 3 months

Ah! I am on holidays back home (Spain) and finding it hard to follow the list of food.
The eggs here dont have the lion and mum gets them from farm. Also lots of types of cheese I have no idea if I am allowed so I have to keep on asking and mum thinks I am being silly and should just eat the stuff. Very tricky

I bought a babygrow after our scan - DH was cross, and said "I thought we agreed to get everything [secondhand] from my sister?" !! I'm gonna have to kill that idea - I'm very grateful for any hand-me-downs but there's no way I'm not buying ANYTHING for my first born!!

So we had our private gender scan yesterday which confirmed what we suspected since day one - baby Gee is TEAM BLUE!!!

It's weird as I always wanted a girl and thought I'd be disappointed but I'm just over the moon. I'm having a son!

The only new things I've bought are a maternity coat and a sleepyhead deluxe pod. They were both bargain prices though so I couldn't not get them. Does make me a bit nervous buying before first scan though - which I've got tomorrow, Eeek! I think I'm more nervous than I was last time! It's in the morning though so at least I won't be waiting around for too long.