Due in July Part FOUR - gather here!

[Cyee]

Can't believe we need more space... again...

JAM - Glad you are feeling better today and that hubbie has arrived to mollycoddle you!
Huskygirl - sorry you were not able to breasfeed last time round, fingers crossed that you make a nice calm start to feeding this time round. I am truly hopeless at it but each and every time I think it is going to be brilliant, easy, natural etc.

Hiya Huskygirl- glad LO is ok but not surprised it scared you...I live in fear of falling over or hitting something hard with my bump (although admittedly was rock-pooling with DS the other day which probably shouldn't have been!!). I too was on Labetalol after DS was born, and had HUGE probs getting him to breastfeed...he was just so tiny and struggled a lot...in the end he got the hang of it a couple of weeks after he came home from Special Care and that was using nipple shields which a lot of ladies warn against using- but it was the only way he'd latch onto me. It affected my milk flow though so it could take up to an hour for him to feed so felt like I was breastfeeding all the time! Really hoping this time round it'll be a little simpler! Luckily for me DS became a boob addict and we came to enjoy it.... But I have to say that was one of the toughest parts of him being prem was getting him to feed, shed many tears over it and know exactly how you must have felt ((((( )))))
Let's hope it'll be plain sailing this time!!

JAM- glad DH is with you now. Hope you get lots of rest and when the time is right can talk with your Mum some more. xx

Hi All,

Bloomin hell - today there have been about a million posts!

Welcome to the new joiners - happy to have you aboard.There are loads of us in July aren't there? I hope this doesn't bode badly for my hopes of securing a single 'amenity' room on the postnatal ward

JAM - So sorry to hear about the scenario with your mum. How upsetting and how frightening as well.. especially because of the sensitivity with your DH. Bless you.

Loving the 'Breastapo' moniker. I nearly wrote a strongly worded letter to our hospital because while I am pro bf-ing and don't dispute the positives, I feel they don't explore the reasons why people may not bf, whether it's pain, culture, their partner, embarrassment, feminism.. basically the core message is if you don't bf you're a bad person. Grrrr... Women are under enough pressure without a very narrow education process.

While I am ranting.. did anyone see the Zoe Williams article in the Guardian on Monday? Very interesting - all about the research around food and pregnancy. I don't usually need much excuse to eat the foods I like, but it made me mad to read about the militancy of advice we're all given that isn't based on science.

Anyway, I'm sure those of you who have laboured through this post are suitably mobilised for a feminist revolt!!!! ... And welcome to the 'The world according to Cyee' show

Sorry for not replying to everyone more specifically - I do read everyone's posts and so I'm sending {{hugs}} to those who need them and empathy as well. We're getting into the home strait...

Off to have a kebab now. Yum! Hope you all have a lovely evening.

PS Have any of your boobs got really painful after the shower, if/when they're a bit cold? Mine were killing today...

Hi All

Have spent half an hour catching up with all the messages from the last week - seem to have much less time online since I started maternity leave - something to do with chasing round after DS all day I guess! Pregnancy still seems to be going well, only a tiny bit of swelling in my ankles towards the end of the day, but am starting to get v uncomfortable particularly under my right ribs and if I sit upright for too long I get back pain in a very specific spot on the RHS of my back - bump now seems enormous, haven't a clue how much weight I've put on - will worry about that once the birth is out the way! Starting to freak a bit about another c-section but know this baby's got to come out some when!

Hope you're all well...

Hi mmmika and cyee!

Forgot to say re breastfeeding, with DS ending up expressing for 3 months and he had breast milk for 4 months - they'd be no way I could do that again with a 2yo running about now! I have the best (or should I say 'breast') of intentions to breast feed but won't be beating myself up if it doesn't work out!

oh yeah i forgot to tell you i think my dh is going to divorce me for being a frikkin nutcase Since I read a hospital bag checklist the other day that suggested taking a sponge for sucking on I have had the strongest craving of eating sponge, I dont mean cake sponge i mean washing sponge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every time i go in the bathroom i see dd's sponge looking at me and just have to bite it.I dont mean bite a chunk off it and eat it, just bite it then let go. AAAARRRRGGGHHHH WHATS HAPPENING TO ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am normal honest

Saw MW and didn't get a big telling off for weight gain (even though she confirmed it IS excessive, guess I'll have to concentrate on being healthier for last weeks and definitely once LO is here). BP OK too, but having fasting glucose test next week. Also being sent for growth scan so that a) can see if possible sugar problems are having any effect on LO b) can check position and c) I can get reassured it's OK. Still uncomfortable but she's persuaded me it is worth hanging on for a few weeks longer (not that I'd have much choice!) so feeling rather better now.

Interesting to see some views on BF - while I am also definitely in favour and want to give it my very best shot, I also feel that there is perhaps not the right balance to reflect that some women just aren't as sucessful as they'd like to be and that I think it's a shame if they are made to feel dreadful about it.

Been loads to read on here though - hope everyone's problems get sorted soon

Lol at Breastapo. DID read Zoe Williams article. Interesting. Same publication which had an article on Militant Lactivists a few years ago . Now THAT is how I would describe the bf councellor who did a session with our NCT antenatal classes last time. Fully intended to bf, but flipping heck, if you weren't then you must have felt AWFUL.

at hair. Oh well it will grow. Need to get used to it.

Gawd I've got a sore bum from cycling round Tatton park today. Was brilliant!

It has been hectic in here today, its taken me forever to read through todays posts. Sorry i cant reply to everyone, but thinking of all who are going through tuff times just now, and welcome to all the newbies, and well down all those on mat leave.

Huskygirl, think it was you that has taken a notion for sponge, with me its still concreate, dampness or the smell from the underground, ive found a similar smell in my cellar, so im constantly in and out of there It really is bad though,today i passed a shop that was getting demolished inside and i got the smell of the concreate and wanted to hang around a bit longer just so that i could smell it I cant explain this feeling its like i start to feel very frustrated and anxious if i dont get to smell it.

Hope everyones keeping well and having a nice week.

You've just reminded me. I was sitting with the seasalt pot under my nose last night. Smellt lovely.

Couldn't not post - as a trainee BF counsellor! I had an absolute mare with BF at first (cracked nipples, baby fussing, low weight gain, REALLY sore, horribly emotional and crying every day - lots) and found lots of people really unhelpful/unsupportive and some just said stick at it, it's suppposed to be sore! Was saved by the NCT BF support line, someone talked me through what I was doing and how it/I felt, etc. Turned out I had thrush (from the antibiotics I had after my c-section) and that baby and I were continually reinfecting each other. This was after asking everyone who came within 50 yards of me to explain if my attachment technique was wrong. Boobs everywhere!

Wanted to become a counsellor as I think people who WANT to BF should be allowed to get some help. Completely agree that some people can be militant (there's one in my class) and you should tell them to bog off. If you do need/want help tho, keep shouting until you get it - in fact start shouting in hospital, but don't be surprised if the MWs don't care - mine certainly didn't - or maybe didn't have time.

BF should help you get the weight off (but doesn't for everyone), it shouldn't be sore (but is for many, esp at the start - try airing your nipples when you can and putting breasmilk/LANSINOH(sp?) cream on them if they are sore or cracked), it is natural (but annoyingly not straightforward!) and if it works out, can be a dream and worth all of the effort(esp if you don't want the faff of sterilising, etc.). BUT a happy mum does = a happy baby and it just doesn't work out for everyone. And you'll already be sore and knackered (but with a lovely lovely baby) so it's never going to be the best time to learn a new skill!

Grr at the NCT BF session woman. If you could complain about her I'd be grateful. She should know better. She's supposed to be encouraging and helping people, not putting them off! And she'll go on doing it to every class she sees unless someone stops her.

Sorry for rant and long post!

oh, and I can't sleep and good luck to everyone having a hard time.

Kyte - I would go to your weekend (you'll know how your baby is by 9 months, naptimes, crankytimes) and take him/her into sessions, sit by the door and leave if it becomes too much. If you ask if anyone has any objections, I'm sure they'll all say no. In fact I bet you'll have people falling over themselves who want to look after him/her. A friend of mine is also still using a sling with her 9 month old, might be worth a go? You'll have your hands free, get a bonus cuddle and your bub will probably fall asleep with your/DH's body heat.

Good luck with your mum JAM. Better advice already here than I could give. Although I'd be tempted to have a word with your aunt - how dare she? Especially when she knows that your family should be nothing other than suportive, more now than ever.

WE HAVE OUR BABIES NEXT MONTH [GRIN] [GRIN] [GRIN] [GRIN]

Oh Lord... next month [gulp]

Now, while we're on the topic of boobs - I have a possibly TMI type question. When I am cold my nips look different. One is shrivelled as normal (lovely) - the other one almost looks like inverted goosebumps. I am worried that there may be something wrong, which would then make bf-ing even more tough. Any thoughts? 3Flights... you are going to regret letting me know you're training as a bf counsellor!!!

Sun is shining in the north west - it's almost the weekend!

Blimey twoplusone, a gulp from me too!!! I really am going to have to get my head round this SOON!

Hugs to everyone, there has been so much to read through recently that I can't remember who it was who especially needed hugging. But to those who do, here's an extra big one (((())))

I did it. I weighed myself as I am officially 32 weeks today. I have gained 30 lbs. WHY did I do that????

(heads off to kitchen to look for something cheery to munch on...)

Message withdrawn

3flights - For me the most distressing part of childbirth is the breastfeeding and watching so many other women in hospital try, try, try, get horrbly upset, get even more horribly upset, get very little help from overpressed midwives, and then give up. Naively, with my first baby I just thought you decided to breastfeed and that was it, box ticked. I did not even have any botte feeding equipment when I left hospital had to stop for it on the way home from hospital - not recommended. I found it extremely painful. The midwives kept telling me that it would not be painful if I got the baby to latch on properly, it continued to be painful and so we went round in circles, for several miserable days.

mousemole, are you still here? Did you get checked out?? Just reading your post about fundal height cos had a strange experience at the midwife yesterday. I'm 32+5 and she measured me to be 37!!!! That's a bit of a difference is it not!! Going for a fetal weight scan on Tuesday to check it out. DH sweating like mad. Hope everyone else is hanging on in there. Not long to go. Thank God it's June at last. I thought May was going to last forever!!!!

Divaskychick - I spent 3 years in LA, starting off in Santa Monica (I miss Venice Beach!!!!) and then moving into the Brentwood area.

I have smiled reading through these posts because you have all made me feel soooo much better. After feeling I had put on too much weight, it seems I am inline with everyone else...worried about breastfeeding but you covered that for me too and now Im grateful I don't have to add sucking a sponge to my list of 'things to do when I get home'!
Sorry to laugh Huskygirl but it has really tickled me that you want to eat sponge!

We go to Antenatal classes tomorrow and my Dh (who has said very little about it) decides to question me (gestapo style) this morning about whats going to happen? Are we going to be tested (wtf!?), Does he have to talk to be people? Can he take a newspaper? Is it okay if he doesn't go next week if he doesn't like it? And the final classic, 'Why dont you take your Mother'?!

Needless to say ladies you will be proud of how I handled it.....I didn't shout or cry but merely told him that like it or not he is going!

Big hugs to all and huge tummy flips at 'we are having our babies next month'!!!!!!

Hmm. Just seen my midwife and seem to be yet another person with fundal height queries. I am measuring 31cm and am 34+2. The thing that concerns me more than this is that I was measuring 30cm 3 wks ago so there has been little growth. My midwife said that 2 cm was the 'safety margin' so she'd see me next week and if it hadn't grown much I'd have to have a scan. Not sure about this - if there is a potential problem why wait a week...

Midwife also very down on me because I am still working. Said that low growth may be due to fact that am still working and that I should be sleeping in the day. I am a lecturer and so if I'm not teaching I tend to sit at home and do reading/writing sitting on my birth ball and if am teaching it's mainly sitting on a sofa talking to students in tutorials that I've done many times before. I'm not stressed and I'm not on my feet much - can't see how sitting at home not working would help. In fact I would probably either sit at the same place reading a different book or spend more time faffing around doing housework or shopping....

Sorry this is a bit of a longer post than I meant it to be.

Sorry to hear you're a little low after your m/w appt. I understand the fundal height stuff is pretty sketchy. My m/w told me that some hospitals don't use it/measure it at all and others do. She clearly didn't think that much of it. Hope they sort you out.

On the matter of you working, don't let her get to you. Some people have very fixed ideas about when people should give up work. If you're not stressed and are able to manage your work then I'm sure you're fine. The only issue is surely if you have a very hectic or physical job, and/or if you're not getting enough rest.

Be good to yourself (have chocolate!) and don't let her comments niggle you. Hope the size stuff works out.