Thread 12 TTC#1 Grads. "You are my favourite thing that ever shit all over my hands"

[AudreyBradshaw]

Behold, the wonder of birth! Members from 6 weeks bfp to post-partum wonder Mamas! No question to grotty or minging.

We've come full circle from obsessing about cervical mucus to now obsessing if it's our vagina baby plug going! What larks!

Lots of talk about poo, ours and now babies too! Baby brain is REAL! This heat can kiss my arse. And who KNEW being so neurotic about which changing mat to buy could be so satisfying and addictive!

Sooo many gorgeous babies now! And equally lovely Mummy's! We are amazing! What a year! Can you believe it's been a year since our first tentative TTC thread!? Look how far we've come!

Roll up, literally, in my case, cause I'm practically rotund! for TTC #1 Grads!

No problem Lisa. I meant to say that Alexa was about 3 weeks old before I started expressing. I always intended to try to express but I was planning on leaving it a bit longer so she didn't get confused about boob / bottles but the antibiotics accelerated things. She's taken to it fine though. And I think it's really nice for DH to feel involved. It also means I can have a couple of glasses of wine more easily

Gorgeous day in NW London too. It really lifts the mood getting out the house and having a walk. And having cake!

soda lisa I was worried about the nipple confusion too but he seems to be OK. Oddly though, he won't take a bottle off me but will take it no problem off OH, he looks at me as if I'm trying to poison him! soda do you warm up the expressed milk or is it straight from the fridge? I'm considering investing in an electric pump but I seem to be able to get around 4oz in 15-20 mins with a manual which is plenty for now but the medela is supposed to be really good

I think it's quite common that baby won't take a bottle from mum miley. Alexa is not fussy - the little milk beast! I do warm up the milk from the fridge just to room temp but I don't warm up expressed milk that I haven't refrigerated.

I'd typed up a long response and lost it sorry if I miss anyone for take 2!

sorry for those struggling with OHs - glad you've cleared the air with DH miley. And omg well done on you and nev on breaking the ice on DTD! I'd definitely freak out but good point that the longer you leave it the bigger deal it will become. Gives me hope that you've braved and conquered the post natal DTD with flying colours!

Indi glad you're feeling better - it must be overwhelming but good to hear you have supportive DH and mum around you. Sounds like you had a nice trip out at the beach too!

Congrats on getting the room painted stardrey!

Soda on cancelled plans! Hope you had a nice walk

Potato Arya looks so comfy in that cot!!!

38w now and ready to get this show on the road! lots of fanny daggers and pressure down there. Had waves of cramps and period pain last night and was convinced it was about to kick off but slept through it and woke up thinking - oh I guess not!

Leonie in sorry you're struggling with body confidence. I've git a really spongy saggy tummy now so I know how you feel. I just try not to look/think about it.

Indi Arya wasn't fussed about the heel prick at all, she just didn't like being man handled by the MW and I had a strong urge to punch the MW for damaging my baby

Lillian congrats on 38w, could be any time now

Arya has chilled out about nappy and clothes changes now but she used to scream bloody murder every time... Now she only does that about once a day.

So Arya has been doing what I think you breast feeding ladies call cluster feeding. She seems constantly hungry but when I give her a bottle most of the time she just wants 2 or 3 oz which isn't like her. Usually she feeds less often but takes around 5oz. I just don't know what to make of it.

Do any of you have babies who hate slings? I tried Arya in hers again today. She tolerated it for 10 minutes but after that she got upset. She loves being held though so I don't know why she isn't taking to it. I thought when I tried her before she was uncomfortable because she was so small but she's much bigger now.

I think Autumn has started cluster feeding too potato. I don't know if 5 days old is too early though? She used to have one boob for 30-40mins and now she's going 20-30 mins on a boob, having a break and then wanting more. I'm on my 3rd feed in 2 hours..really hope this doesn't last all night.

I'm really looking forward to expressing, the midwife said today to leave it a few more days. Which I'm happy about as I thought she'd say 2-3weeks minimum! DH really wants to help out and start doing some bottles and tbh my sanity and nipples can't wait for a little break!
Heel prick went well surprisingly. Short little cry and then went back to sleep. MW said she's doing well and has gained weight since being weighed on Saturday so hopefully she'll be back to her birth weight soon after what feels like my 127th feed today I bloody should think so!!

Oh Lillian i hope baby doesn't keep you waiting too long, the fanny daggers are bloody sore towards the end!

Leonie I'm so bloody jealous of Theo sleeping so well. I can't wait for the time when I actually get a decent amount of sleep! And well done on the weight gain!

I'm going to go to bed soon, I'm hoping this is the last feed she'll need for a few hours so I need to make the most of it. Wish me luck!

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Potato bodhi is doing similar. 2/3 ounces every couple hours or more often. He is averaging 27/28 over a 24 hour period. Saying that he had 7oz for dinner tonight.
He weighs almost 12 and a half pounds now little chunk!

Thanks potato and indi! I am somehow convinced this baby is coming out this week! I hope I don't have a long wait

Hope you get a good sleep tonight indi - agree it would be good for dh and your mum to help with the feeds to let you rest and recover. How long do they recommend to wait?

Nev Bodhi is 12.5lbs wow!

Indi I'm not sure what's normal for boob babies, I think they cluster feed a lot more than bottle. Arya's certainly never done it before.
Hope you get a good nights sleep.

Nev wow! Bodhi has piled on the lb!! Sounds like he and Arya are doing exactly the same, she had 6oz for dinner but otherwise 2 or 3oz and she loses interest.

Lillian I was sure Arya would arrive the week that she did and lots of us have had our babies around 39w so you may very well be right

Arya is definitely enjoying the extra space in her new crib. She's stretching like mad in her sleep. I'm contemplating whether to wake her up for a feed. She normally has one at 9pm but she's slept through it. I just know if I go to sleep she'll suddenly wake up starving.

I've been catching up on Insta, and Bunch, I noticed you were feeding A in Aldi. How do you do it without needing to hold your breast in place?

Is it just me, or are others needing to do that too? I have to have one arm holding Q up, and the other hand holds the boob.

Lillian, can you post the list again? Sorry, can't find it on the app.

Who else do we have due soon, along with you?

Can't wait for more thread babies!

Here's the list again lisa! There are 5 due in October! Cosmo is up first! I haven't seen Mor or Taz on the boards lately so but I think Laurenrl has had her baby girl already.

Team B - 12 / Team P - 11 / Team V - 7

Graduate Babies
Blue - 7 / Pink - 7

August
Bunch: Atticus 09-Aug @ 39+3 - 8lb 12oz (Blue)
New: Jacob 16-Aug @ 40 (Blue)
Potato: Arya 19-Aug @ 38+6 - 6lb 12oz (Pink)
Leonie: Theodore 25-Aug @ 35+1 (Blue)
Shelb: Evelyn 29-Aug (Pink)
Nev: Bodhi 30-Aug @ 39+1 - 9lb 4oz (Blue)

September
Danni: Mason 01-Sep @ 38+4 - 7lb 1oz (Blue)
Pink: Evelyn 07-Sep @ 41+1 (Pink)
Soda: Alexa 09-Sep @ 39+2 - 6lb 1oz (Pink)
Irregular: Tamsin 11-Sep @ 36+3 - 6lb 2oz (Pink)
Miley: Harrison 12-Sep @ 36+2 - 6lb 6.5oz (Blue)
DrWhy: Edward 14-Sep @ 40+6 - 9lb 6oz (Blue)

October
Lisa: Quinn 01-Oct @ 39+5 - 8lb 7oz (Pink)
Indi: Autumn 05-Oct @ 39 - 7lb 2oz (Pink)

The Waiting Room

October
13 Co5mo (Team Blue)
15 Planet (Team Pink)
23 Lillian (Team Pink)
26 Lara (Team Blue)
30 First (Team Blue)

November
5 Pyxie (Team Vanilla)
19 Canters (Team Blue)
20 Jam
25 Audrey (Stark) (Team Vanilla)
28 Elle (Team Vanilla)

December
12 Feef (Team Vanilla)

January 2017
5 May (Team Pink)
11 Ni (Team Vanilla)

February 2017
15 Evergreen

April 2017
03 Drink
14 Marmite

? 2017
Damson
Jan
Lovely

TBC
11-Aug Mor (Team Vanilla)
2-Sep Taz (Team Blue)
29-Sep Laurenrl (Team Pink)

I hope so potato - DH is keen to start his PL and has started losing patience with work.

I picked up a GroSnug last week and I'm not sure the cardboard thermometer in there is working. Last night I felt cold so I checked and it said 21, then today I felt a little warm in the afternoon and it still said 21!

Yep I'm up next if we go by order and desperately hoping for a natural start before Thursdays induction (if they'll do it with my cold). Every little twinge has me wondering and when i had an off tummy earlier, i was convinced we were on our way. Damn my spasming gut for fooling me.

Same cosmo I'm falling for every little twinge! I tell myself even if it's not labour it may be pre-labour? The most convincing are the period pains!

Looking forward to next thread baby!

Alexa does a lot of cluster feeding, mostly in the evenings. I expressed 5oz which DH gave to her but she was then almost constantly on the boob after that for the next couple of hours. I think it's partly a comfort thing but she's definitely eating as well. Would love to know how much she weighs now - how often are your babies being weighed ladies? She was weighed 2 days after birth and then a week after birth but nothing since then and she's over 4 weeks now. We have a HV appt in 2 weeks so assuming she'll be weighed again then. I just thought she'dbe weighed more regularly than that?

Lillian I ignore the cardboard thermometer as it seems to always have both 18 and 21 highlighted. Instead I use a room thermometer but it's still difficult as just because it's 22 when you put them to bed doesn't mean it's not going to be 18 in the middle of the night

Soda you should be taking her to your local clinic once a month to be weighed. Your HV should have provided you with the details of where to go, sometimes it's at a doctors surgery and sometimes it's a community centre.
The two locations near me are a public hall and a school (alternate weeks) but where I used to live it would have been at my Drs. You don't need an appointment you just show show up, get baby weighed by a HV and go.
There's usually a couple of HVs around in case you want to ask questions although my local one is so busy that they just put out 10 sets of scales and you weigh them yourself.

Anyone else getting excited about Halloween this year?

My sister is, potato - she has bought T a special baby grow to wear from Tesco!

T woke up at 10, 1.15, 4 and 7.15ish. We were awake about 30/40 mins to feed, change and settle each time. This is amazing. I feel vaguely human after 7 weeks of sleep deprivation. We are going to baby massage today for the first time. I had hoped to meet other mums but I think it's just me and my friend from work going! D'oh!

OMG I'm so happy. Autumn has slept from 11.30 and is still asleep now with only 1 hour awake at 3am!! I've had a good 7 hours sleep...I think I actually love her a little bit more today if it's possible I think cluster feeding may be the cause of this sleeping miracle!

Leonie we have very good babies, well done Theo! Sleep makes life and being a mummy SO much better.

Potato i don't think we'll be doing anything for Halloween this year, I'm actually thinking of putting a big bowl of sweets at the end of our drive and a note saying please don't knock as we have a newborn and 2 very noisy dogs who don't like trick or treaters knocking on the door! I sound like such a halloween bore but I could do without them barking their heads off every 2 mins. What are your plans? I still want to buy Autumn an outfit even if it's just for a photo oppurtunity

Glad you had good nights leonie and indi. Bodhi goes to sleep at 11 is up at 2 and 6 but is up so long each time i get about 3,5 hours a night. Once daddy goes to work I bring him in bed with me for a couple hours he loves the big bed bless him

Glad you guys had a good nights sleep. Arya was back to her normal sleep pattern and she loved sleeping in her new bed, she was so much more settled than she has been in her basket recently.

indi the bowl of sweets at the end of the garden sounds like a good idea.
I'm going to put a sign on our blue front door to make it look like a tardis. I might put out some pumpkins too. Arya has a Wonder Woman costume and OH wants to get a scary mask. I know the neighbors have lots of trick or treat aged kids so I thought it would be nice to do sweets and decorate so that they know they're welcome plus, I was never allowed to trick or treat when I was a kid so I'm making up for it.

Right, I think we're going to nip out for a walk. I need to get some baby calpol, for Arya's injections tomorrow.

Oops! Forgot to say, Nev that a really cute photo.

I have made it out of the house before half ten!

thanks potato - that confirms my suspicion that those card thermometers are pants! How can 2 numbers be lit up? Might have to go and pick a proper one up. DH and I never agree on temperature (I can feel cold and he can feel warm and vice versa) so I don't trust myself to gauge it.

for the good sleep indi and leonie!! The bubs are being good to the mummies!

nev how adorable is he in that photo! He looks like he's about to say something lol

I'm going to try to get a haircut today - not sure when I'll get the time when this baby comes! hard to plan when I expect she will come any day know. Wish me luck that I don't get attacked by the daggers when I'm out in town