November 2017 #5. You wait ages for a baby, then 3 come along at once. Ante/post-natal chat ...

[Zampa]

No specific post-natal category so I've added it to the normal ante-natal category ...

Well done @Jamandbumpsmum!

Planning on cleaning this weekend (probably for the last time before Christmas) and making a slow cooker ratatouille. Did a venison stew yesterday. Have resorted to using the second freezer due to the extent of my batch cooking.

Had an awful anxiety dream last night, where the consultant told me that there was something wrong with my baby's lip and that I didn't realise how serious it was. Woke up in a cold panic ...

Congrats Jam. He does look very contented indeed!

Congratulations @Jamandbumpsmum lovely boy xx

I’m feeling very sorry for myself as am on final day of antibiotics for mastitis and now have blood in urine/ pain down there which is either cystitis or UTI. My main concern is impact on my milk if I have to have another course of antibiotics.

@lydiangel83 you poor thing, you are having a really rough time. Do get your UTI seen to asap, they can be very nasty :( I do hope you feel better soon.

I’m having a bad night. Bea soaked through her nappy, clothes, sheet and blanket.

I’ve had problems with her feeding which are getting worse, we use Tommee tippee bottles and the milk pours down her chin and soaked her bib and clothes resulting in lots of outfit changes. I changed the teat in the bottle from an no.1 to a vari. That didn’t make any difference. Have any of you wise ladies got any advice?

@theotherendofthesockportal Do you think the flow is too fast for Bea? You could try holding the bottle horizontally (whilst keeping the teat full) so she has to work to suck down the milk, rather than just pouring into her mouth.

I appreciate you probably don't want to buy a whole new set of bottles but I would recommend slow flow Nuk teats. DD had problems with her suck/swallow when she was tiny and needed a teat that slowed things down for her. Nuk teats were used in NICU and the only ones our SALT recommended when we got her home.

www.nuk.co.uk/product/first-choice--size-1-silicone-teat--2-pack/

Fairly affordable on Amazon.

You could also try a thickening agent like Carobel?

Happy due date DD... Get out now please! It's ridiculous, with both previous DC I got it in my head that they were going to be 2 weeks late & I'd have to fight against induction. This time I was convinced she was going to be early & the thought of even one more week makes me want to cry!

lydia Hope you feel better soon! It's such a pain when one infection leaves you a bit run down & you get another one! Fx you can get more antibiotics to tackle the UTI & then it'll all settle down & you can concentrate on building your supply again!

Thanks ladies I do feel sorry for myself but I guess at least Liliana is healthy. Fingers crossed I can shake infection without antibiotics as I am worried about my supply. Doctor yesterday did give me Domperidone which is inadvertently meant to increase milk supply, however I am wary of taking it as it may have other side effects and impact on supply once you stop taking it is unknown!

@Zampa thank you! I will try holding the bottle horizontally on Bea’s next feed. I’ve also send my husband a very open to text to tell him I am loosing my mind and to ask him to pop into Asda to buy a different type of bottle with a different teat to see if that will help.

If that doesn’t work I’ll try the NUK teats and the thickening agent.

I’m having such a low day, I haven’t cried yet! But, I can feel it brewing. I was awake between 3.30-7am as Bea had soaked through her nappy, clothes and bedding. Then she had 2 bottles back to back as the first one didn’t fill her (4oz) and she was crying and trying to suck her fingers.

I haven’t even managed to get dressed today. I have a pile of washing to get through and I still don’t have a replacement tumble dryer :( sorry to moan, I feel really self pitying today. In normal circumstances I would go for a walk but due to the problems I had with my scar I’m not strong enough to push the buggy!

@AGnu fingers crossed that you go into labour soon!

@sock didn't want to read & run, it sounds like you're having a wowser - can your DH take some of the strain today to let you get some sleep? I find if l feel that low that crying helps, even just for the sake of getting my frustration out and wallowing in self-pity......

@theotherendofthesockportal We will all have days like yours. It's normal and you'll make it through!

If Bea consistently soaks through nappies you can either try the next size up or get the booster pads made for reusable nappies and add them to a disposable nappy.

www.thenappylady.co.uk/nappy-boosters.html

@lydiangel83 I used Domperidone with DD and didn't find it particularly effective but had no adverse side effects. Hope that it works for you.

@theotherendofthesockportal you r had a rough time and feeling it, no shame in crying it’ll make you feel better. I hope you have some tasty treats In the house to cheer you up. Look after yourself xxx

Thank you to all of you for your support today! It was much appreciated.

@Zampa I tried the horizontal bottle tip and it slowed down the milk leakage. You are a genius- thank you.

I’ve eaten a whole packet of cookies, screw you, weigh watchers, I don’t understand your app/diet anyway.

Taken some pain killers for my headache and have retired to bed and praying for a nice nap for me and Bea.

The ladies of this thread are literally my lifeline xxx 💐

Well done @theotherendofthesockportal you’ve got a new day ahead tomorrow and good that you’ve rested today xx

Ps don’t even think about weightwatchers you’ve just had a baby!!!

Happy snoozing @sock! 😴

I’m feeling sorry for myself as just been to out of hours doctor and got more antibiotics for UTI :( have just finished a weeks worth for mastitis so not ideal :(

Get well soon @lydiangel82.

Glad to have helped @theotherendofthesockportal. It was a tip suggested to me at the local breastfeeding café so can't claim all of the credit.

@lydiangel83 UTIs are the worse, drink lots of water even though you probably don’t want to. And despite popular belief cranberry is one of the worse things you can use, try blueberry juice it helps to reset your bladder. I hope you feel better soon xx

@theotherendofthesockportal when I am feeding Jasper I wrap a Muslin around him too so that any excess bits get in there rather than down him. The top of horizontal bottle is a good one, also pull the teat out just a little every so often to encourage the suck reflex to be stronger.

Today’s the first day I have spent away from J, and although I have loved being back out competing my advanced mare, I’ve also missed him like crazy. My husband has loved having him and our daughter all to himself, he truly is a super dad because he has taken them to a party, the gym and was lay on the sofa with them both asleep when I walked through the door at 8pm! I couldn’t do my job without his support.

It’s the second day of competition tomorrow but it’s a little closer to home so hoping J can come and support his mummy!

@lydiangel83 UTIs are the work of the devil! I have one while I was 35 weeks pregnant and it was horrific. It took two lots of antibiotics to get rid of it, and doesn’t help that I am allergic to penicillin so limited with the ones I can take.

@DuRezidal the horizontal bottle has been a game changer! More people should be told about it

Hello Gang!

Say hello to our little girl Matilda Alice, born at 11.10 on Friday night :) I keep waking up thinking it is all a dream!
OMG I had a natural delivery with help from a cap right at the end because her heart rate dipped and she came out face up, I am still in shock how painful it actually is!

Labour started at 3am Friday morning, I used a tens machine but because of my sick phobia I didn’t have drugs apart from
anti sickness drugs until I was in so much pain I caved and asked for pethidine. They were putting me in a gown for an epidural and had just injected me with pethidine because I was begging for one and crying for my Mum (lol) and whispering apparently to my husband “kill me” thinking I was being really secretive, when the Midwife decided to do one last check and I had jumped from 4-5cm to 9 and a half in an hour! I honestly was drunk on pain and they kept saying “you’ve got ages yet, it’ll get worse as you’re a FTM” but thank fuck it wasn’t! I didn’t even have time to try gas and air lol. Was only pushing for a short time, that was the best bit it felt satisfying! So I had half an hour of drugged up pethidine confusion before she arrived and then was drunk waffling to everyone after she arrived, I think it has only started to sink in this afternoon that she is my real life actual baby!

Hope everyone is doing well! To all those still waiting, if I can do it without pain relief anyone can. I am the biggest wimp going! Best of luck to all those waiting :)

They also warned me that ‘when’ (not if like I said ha) I have another baby, I’ll have to be prepared for it to be really quick because mine happened so fast!
xx

Congratulations @Hazardduck well done! Such a lovely name. Pictures???

Congratulations @Hazandduck!! Well done! I love the name Matilda, it was on our list too. I second what @GingerHanna said - photo please 😁