May 2017 #6........ 'Half way there and trips to Mothercare'

[Adventuregame]

And the chat/moans/advice/excitement continues.............any newbies welcome !

Thanks Savage I've bought two full bed bales so far, both on offer and beautiful so I couldn't resist! One from Mammas and Pappas that was £35 reduced from £150!

I'm thinking I might just get a few more sheets, we have a ton of blankets and a couple of grow bags.

Breast pumps are so individual. I got loads out hand expressing or using an Avent manual and recommended it to my sister but she did get much at all and bought a Medala. I had an electric Avent that was not as good as my manual one so got rid of that.

What's a bed bale raspberry? The only bedding we have are sheets (and lots of them, DD is a dribbler) and they get soaked, and about 3 grobags on the go at once. Never used blankets, just bought bigger grobags as she grew.

If baby is likely to be in your bed then I'd suggest making sure you have a decent waterproof, non-rustly sheet for your bed too, in case of leaks of any kind. Much easier than trying to dry out your own mattress before bed.

I had a manual pump but eventually ended up dumping most of my freezer stock as she didn't take to bottles. Not sure if I'll bother this time.

Streaky, they might still do the ear thermometer online. It's the tommee tippee one, just in case. I paid £20 indeed. I also bought a mini food processor of the same brand for weaning, and I thought £10.00 was a great deal.
Thanks about the breastpump replies. I think I'll hold off for now. I'm quite at ease about the fact they told me in maternity tour that they wouldn't discharge unless breastfeeding is established.

I met a friend with a baby born last May who is very kindly going to lend me her Sleepyhead, so that's a big saving.

She also said that she rented a bednest rather than buy a Snuzpod. I'm a bit unsure about that though - I know there was a problem with them a year or so ago.

Can us normal folk not donate unneeded breast milk to the NICU or something in the UK? They do it all the time in America?
I have a TT electric, and could have kicked myself as for the first 4-5 months I could get a full 210ml in about 25 mins, which was excellent. Used to use it with all the puréed crap I started making to wean her on!
Slowed down really quickly when I started back to work though and sometimes would sit for over half an hour and still only get 30ml... it's easier to express before you feed your baby, at baby's normal feeding time. Your body will respond to baby and produce more milk for a correct latched baby. It will not easily produce more 'extra' milk for a machine! not sure why it knows!
for those that are interested, breast milk out on the side at average room temp lasts for 6hrs,
Breast milk straight into the fridge lasts for 5 days.
Breast milk in the freezer lasts for 6 months. (And doesn't take long to defrost when needed - I found less than 4hrs)
It only takes a couple of mins to warm in hot water in a bottle, quicker in a freezer pouch, and you should test the temp by squirting on your wrist, as even if the bottle feels right the milk inside can be too hot.
If your baby has any type of cold I would recommend not expressing (unless feeding the same day) and just BF if you can, as the breast milk changes to provide more antibodies to baby. If you do express you may notice a colour change in your milk - this is normal!
I really want to go shopping but we don't need anything new for baby yet and May seems ages away!

Thanks guys!

Stationary baby won't be cosleeping, not for us I'm afraid, were hoping - all intentions being well she'll be in her own room within a few weeks.

I will however keep an eye for the mattress protector sheets.

Esme the bales are bed sets basically. The M&P one we got is a 5 piece and comes with a quilt, bumper, fleece blanket and 2 sheets.

Sheets I'd say 3 sets - one on the cot, one ready to go and one in the wash worked for us. Two waterproof mattress protectors should be enough as don't need changing as much. Rarely used blankets so wouldn't suggest getting many, we had loads and they were wasted.

Breast milk shouldn't be microwaved it would kill off the live 'stuff' (science fact!) I used to feed DS (lying on nursing pillow) on one side and express the other at the same time, made it easier to letdown but a bit of a juggle! Used to be able to get enough to fill a bottle in one sitting. Don't think I would have bothered if it meant multiple sessions!

Thanks for the info sleeping, that's really useful!

Raspberry they suggest keeping baby in same room as your for 6 months minimum, as your breathing when you sleep helps to regulate babies breathing when they sleep.
It's a suggestion to help combat SIDS, might be worth having a read up x

Rasberry you've got enough bedding, in two years we have coped just fine with 3 fitted cot sheets and then either 2 grow bag in the size or a duvet and pillow now he's bigger.
Blankets etc are not going to get much use till winter by which time you might have switched to grow bags, cannot recommend the white company ones enough they wash beautifully and you might get some bargains in their sale that ends this weekend.
Also cot bumpers are not recommended for safe sleeping so if you've got one of those in either bundle, just use for decoration and take out once the baby sleep in the cot. We have an air wrap which has been great for keeping limbs inside the cot.
My first was in his own room by 3 weeks, this one I intend to keep in with us till 6 months, the main diff being we are now on a diff floor with a much bigger room, and I'm too lazy to go downstairs to feed.

Do grow bags mean you don't swaddle? Or do you swaddle til they're big enough for a grow bag?

YY to bumpers being dodgy. I didn't think they were sold anymore! Apparently the NHS advice to keep baby in with you for 6 months is in the process of being revised up to 12 months.

Rise, I bought a gro snug yesterday as well as 2 gro bags. Checked out the gro company. The gro snugs are for when they are younger and you can swaddle them or have their arms out. They seem really good.

We have a snuzpod as we want baby in with us and to co sleep but dont want the risks of sharing a bed.

Wishiwas yes you can, I did with last baby, but you need to be approved first. For my milk bank the rules were:
They'll take another set of blood
They provide bottles to express into (they can't take donations in bags).
You also need to keep a temperature log of your freezer to ensure the milk has stayed below -18 deg.
You also need to start expressing before baby is 6m (earlier milk is more useful as nutritional balance is better suited to nicu babies.

You can also donate milk directly to other babies via human milk for human babies (they have a fb page) which has no such restrictions as it's parent to parent sharing. I did that too when my boy got chicken pox as i didn't want to risk giving that to an nicu baby even though it was unlikely!

www.northwesthmb.org.uk/donate/

Sah we have read thanks, but it won't work for us. Firstly we don't have the room in our room and secondly it doesn't work for our personal situation.

Yes, we'll be taking bumpers off at night for sure pretty much everywhere still sells them though.

lullaby expressing and feeding at same time, love it!

Quilts and pillows also (or cuddly toys) also are not recommend until a year I think.

I can't remember the minimum weight for a grobags but it is pretty small, so I think we used them from very early on. They are a fab invention.

I'm surprised about the increase in the recommend time you are meant to keep the baby in with you fox. I wonder how many families stick to the 6 months now? I suspect, as with the exclusive bfeeding for 6 months, it's not many.

We're quite fortunate with our situation - I'll be on mat leave for a year and my husband works away for chunks at a time (so when he's home he doesn't work), so neither of us will have to share a room with a baby waking through the night and have to go to work the next day. Can see that it's be quite difficult once one of you is back in work though.

After the first two weeks (when I was asking "do you think that latch looks right?" every half hour) DH never woke up!

I know a lot of you have mentioned a chair from ikea for breastfeeding / nursery. I can't find it on our thread so would someone remind me? I'm considering a trip there today and some folks at work also recommended their £15 high chair

Think it's the poang Barnes. The cheap ikea highchair is great. Those padded ones get really grim. Plus, why you would want to reply whilst eating is a bit of a mystery.

I would really like a changing table but I've nowhere to put one.

Recline not reply!