July 2017 #6 - labour here we come

[nat2311]

I think this is how you make one?

Hahaha you know what I mean @ButterflyFree 😜

Congratulations on your little boys Anna and LuciBee and well done to both of you!!! Lovely classic names for both too!

Thanks for the well wishes - last day was majorly stressful and I ended up working late but am home now with my feet up. I'm sure I've probably forgotten to contact someone, handover something or do something but oh well - not my issue now!!!

Hope you last day went well @Spindelina!!

Definitely not your issue anymore @CatRash - a warm welcome to the 'ladies of leisure' club to you and @Spindelina 😁

Well... until the babies arrive that is 😅 Make the most of the calm before the storm.

Luci well done! Congratulations on the arrival of little George. Traumatic but worth it in the end.

Lil Notyet is currently feeding and yes I recognise the milk drunk face! She normally flops back with milk dripping from her mouth and smeared all over her cheek; like she couldn't be bothered to swallow the last mouthful..

It is a challenge keeping her cool in the heat though. She has spent the whole of today in just a nappy and during her naps only a small muslin covering her.

I have started expressing everyday now. As I think my supply has evened out now. For the last 3 days I have been expressing about 3-4oz from each boob after her 4am feed as I am engorged in both breasts at that time in the morning. She is then fed the expressed milk (normally get 2 feeds out of it) sometime during the day to give me a break. I will start to freeze the milk after I have finished the course of steroids next week.

Speaking of steroids, the Bells Palsey has still not improved yet as I haven't detected any movement yet on my left side of the face but I am being hopeful. Only 5 days in and I have been told it can take weeks before the facial muscles start moving again.

Hello from the night shift 😴

George literally is stuck to me from about 7pm every night all night long until about 9am the next morning. He won't even go into his Moses basket between feeds so I'm literally awake all night long. My milk is in so thought I would have got some rest bite now. Why won't he go down between feeds?? I'm feeding on demand so he should never be hungry... help!!

I'm on the night shift too... getting the practice in or something.

Can't help with the feeding all night thing, except to say that (in my experience) velcro, nocturnal babies are normal. I coped by sleeping during the day, often with DD latched in bed - I felt safer doing that when DH was awake and keeping an eye on us than at night when he was sleeping.

Do you have a sling? Bit early now, but I was using one within a week of DD being born - it at least let me stand up and walk around with my hands free.

How much have you read about the fourth trimester? The idea is that the first three months are about baby adapting to being on the outside (which is quite a big change!).

Pre-birth night shift member reporting for duty. No one tells you that the disturbed sleep starts before the little one comes along. I've been up twice a night for a wee for weeks now, I know it'll be more often when the baby is here but I would have liked to have banked some sleep in advance! At least it's Saturday so I can sleep in or have a nap.

Luci I have a cocoonababy and I'm hoping that sort of mattress will help for being able to put the baby down and them feeling safely contained. I'm sure I'm being massively naive though!

Another one on the night shift!

I like to call it clusterfuck feeding...I wonder does he have tongue tie @LuciBee231015? Might be worth investigating? You'll need a break soon or you'll collapse!

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a v refluxy baby because she puked up a whole feed earlier. DS never did that with my milk which is slightly worrying. Going to have to be really vigilant with winding her.

I'm here 🙋🏼

Been cosleeping slightly tonight to survive cope, but decided that dh probably needed to not sleep on the floor any longer so moved onto the nursing chair.

She won't go in her crib either at the moment. She will, eventually, conk out at about 6am ish and I'll sleep. Dh will go down with other dd and then we'll swap.

I think my milk is definitely in, but it didn't come in like last time. I felt it last time where it seems to have gradually changed now.

@LuciBee231015 it seems like they're constantly feeding and it seems insane but it's totally normal. I was like this (though times of day and behaviour changed slightly) and it was tough but we managed it by taking it a day at a time.

I think I'd feel a lot better if it weren't for a) horrendous flushes 🙈 and b) these afterpains. They're killing me!!!

P.s. I feel so relieved I'm not alone!!!

Congratulations ladies! So exciting to have your beautiful babies, not long for the rest of us now!
@HaichM it's just miserable isn't it. It wouldn't be so bad if you actually knew when they were intending on making an appearance, at least there'd be a definite end in sight. I've had constant aching for the 3rd day in a row now but no more contraction type pains. It was so weird, too rhythmic to be BH and went on for 8 hours getting closer together, I really thought that was it, dp even made me ring the labour ward!
I'm awake yet again after only about 4 hours sleep. I thought we were supposed to be resting but apparently my body doesn't seem to think so. For some reason I have really bad heartburn as well which I haven't had up until now. I think I have a very long baby who like to kick me in the lungs still even though his head is engaged
Labour any time now would be good, I feel like I'd actually get more sleep once he's here!

We ended up at the hospital last night to be monitored as I wasn't happy with baby's movements. I could get him to move with some serious prodding but even when I attempted to go to bed he didn't perform his normal gymnastics so thought it was best to be checked.

Long story short it took longer than the mw liked to meet the criteria on the monitor but he did in the end. Going back for monitoring today and tomorrow with a scan booked for Monday. The consultant working last night said that babys fully cooked so any repeats of last night and they'll just induce me.

Not what I expecting last night!

@lucibee231015 if you can feed lying down and make it safe to cosleep id highly reccomend it.
I spent 2 weeks living on our sofa with ds1 because he wouldnt sleep anywhere but on one of us or feeding.we took it in shifts and looked like zombies (looking back he prob had reflux as he would scream when put down and hated the car seat but i was fobbed off as a new mum that didnt understand babies were sick after feeding when i asked about it)
If you can feed lying down breastfeeding helps you sleep with the hormones it releases.
Mw posted my labour notes ready for birthing at home and i was very pleased to see that they mention safe cosleeping in their leaflet now rather than just saying "never do it".

@nat2311 ooh I hope baby has started moving for you. I had the same but once we left hospital and went home everything was back to normal. How do you feel about the movements now?

Goosey: we've got close to ringing up twice I think with how strong and regular my BH have been. I've also had lots of pain due to my back feeling really tight with regular tightenings which seem too close together to be BH or actual contractions. Last time I went into labour 2 weeks after I started having BH but with starting them at wk 34 rather than 37 I can't help but wonder if this is me for a few weeks . I also don't really remember having all these different kinds... fun stuff. I find myself being jealous of people with induction dates (though I know the process is not pleasant) and now those struggling to sleep with a newborn. I'm getting antsy to hold my Lo now.

@Gooseygoosey12345 he's been a bit more active this morning but still wouldn't say his moving as much. But I'm also more aware and definitely more paranoid about it! Getting monitored at 12 though so not long.

@HaichM that's exactly what mine were like! How annoying. Hopefully we won't be long. I never had any of this with my first either and can't honestly say that I felt an actual contraction with dd1 either! I hope we don't have weeks of this, we'll be exhausted!

Good luck with your monitoring, will be thinking of you

Ohhh loving that I'm not alone on the night shift!! It's so hard!

I want to try laying in bed and feeding but the moment my section insition is hindering me laying like that. Hopefully will be able to do it in a couple of days.

Oh @nat2311 that must have been a bit disconcerting for you - good that you went to be monitored. I've woken up from a very deep sleep and am also concerned for the first time about a lack of moment... baby's usually very active but I'm not sure if it's because I was in such a deep sleep?! Haven't slept like that for ages. I'm changing positions and trying to feel a response. If I don't get any sign of movement after eating something I'll be heading to the hospital too.

@LuciBee231015 it's a game changer. Bless you with your section incision though. Must be such a nuisance, it's a rough enough feeling postpartum anyway without anything extra.

Got dh to go and have a snooze and I'm pinned to the sofa with a snoozy newborn and a cuddle toddler. Worse places to be stuck but I'm SO hungry 😫

Hope everything goes ok @nat2311 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

@ButterflyFree drink an ice cold drink and lay on your side for 30 minutes. Then if you're not feeling anything please call xxxx

Thank you all - hooked up now.

@ButterflyFree something really sugary but I'd still ring to be checked and put your mind at rest!

Good luck @nat2311 hopefully everything will be normal on the monitor.

@glitterglitters I think Baby Z is a troll! I was drinking cold water, fruit juice, I ate grapes and a jam doughnut, lay on my side, jiggled about... nothing. Called the Kensington Wing and was put on hold - suddenly he started busting out his most energetic dance moves! 😂🕺🏽 little rascal making me panic for no reason.

Gah cheeky bum!!!!

How are you getting on @nat2311