June 2018 #4

[ClareB83]

Just restarting the thread as we're close to 1000 posts again.

June 2018 #3 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/3100612-june-2018-3

Good luck today @ElizabethLemon

8 pineapples, surely that can't be healthy in any situation!!

Glad I'm not the only nervous one, I just want him here and both of us safe now. I have the utmost admiration for you @jadeward89 with 3 other little ones. I'm barely keeping the dog (who's a lazy lump) entertained

Thanks northern 😊.

I think one of us needs to try eating 8 pineapples in one go, in the name of science.

I told my ds that his brother was definitely going to be here next week and he was so excited. I had a cry when I thought about them meeting for the 1st time, I can’t wait!

My husband is huffing at me because I fell asleep yesterday and missed the cut off for editing our shopping order. It’s just arrived and there is very little food but 2 bags of soil so I don’t know what he’s complaining about 😏!

@WreckItRach - all very boring things like put car seat in car, take bassinet for pram out of box etc Nothing even vaguely exciting!

@jadeward89 - I cannot imagine having 3 others to look after as well, my DD so far is a handful as it is . Terrible 2s are coming..

@sylvesterthecat - eh no, didn’t do any of that type of massage as my OB said it was useless . That area is all suppose to be elastic and bounce back.. eventually

Just come out of the mw app and I broke down in tears because I’m so anxious all of a sudden about everything she is going to give me a call later to talk because she was already running late and wanted to be able to talk properly. It was nice to actually have a mw listen this time, turns out my other mw is no longer at the practice and the one I saw today is the new one for my gp practice (poor thing was rushed off her feet and it was her first day).
Hope you are all having a good day 😊

I like pineapple! Especially if you grind up some sugar and mint and sprinkle it on top it’s yum! Am only 35 weeks though so am happy to be our guinea pig but not for a few weeks yet

Hope you feel better after letting it all out jade

I do @Cookie1831 hopefully it will feel even better once I speak to her properly again too 😊 she seemed to actually listen so I think that’s what helped rather than it just being brushed off

8 pineapples - seriously!! I've been eating pineapple but not that much!

@jadeward89 sorry to hear you're feeling a bit down. I'm finding it tough enough with a toddler so I can't imagine how you must be feeling with 3. You are not a bad Mum you are just heavily pregnant and need to rest when you can. I'm having to sleep tons at the moment - my poor DH is definitely having to pick up the slack a lot!

I'm trying the massage thing occasionally owing to a deep desire to avoid episiotomy. Only done it three times thus far though and currently 36 weeks. Going to try and step it up to every other day soonish. I find it's more comfortable if you consciously relax into it.

Sounds like your new midwife is much better @jadedward89. It can make all the difference, can't it? Hopefully this will be the start of better care for you x

@jadeward89 I hope you're feeling better now

@ElizabethLemon how did today go?

@clareb83 how is life with the twins treating you?

Up and down @Northernbeachbum. The boys sleep really well for newborns which is a blessing. They're growing really well and we're learning things all the time eg they like their bath at 37 degrees (36 is a total insult 🙄).

But Joe has an incredible level of wind that can make feeding him very frustrating. And they've started crying at more things eg pooing. Apparently it's a normal phase but two babies scream crying at a variety of things you can do nothing about is draining.

I can imagine that being really tough! Especially winding them when you're on your own with them. I do love the bath temperature fussyness though, that's brilliant. Great they're growing so well and sleeping though. I'm sure you're doing an amazing job

Thank you @Northenbeachbum I felt much better after speaking to the mw last night.
@ClareB83 glad to hear they are coming on well, I can’t imagine having two of them needing feeding/winding/changing/crying at once so you have my admiration.

Went to the hospital this morning to have blood tests as I’m incredibly itchy and they want to double check everything again and whilst I was there they put me on the monitor as baby was having a quiet spell again, they more often than not but they don’t know why. I have come out of there with an app for Friday for another check up and I have been told I will be having the baby next week!! After 5 lots of reduced movements they think it’s best all around now if the baby arrives soon 😊 I am now terrified and excited all in one.
Hope you are all ok today

@jadeward89 oh jade that’s such exciting news! Baby will be here before you know now

I’m sitting outside in my car for my 37 week doc check up, my DD1 is asleep - really don’t want to wake her up tho!

@Clareb83 my DD refused a nice cooler temp bath when she was a newborn and only wanted a really hot bath .. we had to give in or as you probably now know, tears!
You are doing a fantastic job with the boys

@Northernbeachbum it was ok thanks. It kind of made everything feel a bit more real and scary again but the neurologist was very positive and explained his reasons for being so, we just have to take comfort in that. The baby will need to have an MRI soon after birth and he’ll have to have a cannula put in as they will be injecting dye for the scan, he also said that if we struggle at all with feeding they will use the cannula for IV fluids as it is potentially dangerous for him to get dehydrated. The thought of him having the cannula and going into an MRI machine breaks my heart and I’m dreading it but hopefully it will be fine. The neurologist said that tiny babies are easier to scan because if you give them a cuddle and a feed before they go in they’re usually pretty calm 😔.

I’m getting a bit concerned about the breastfeeding now. I was pretty shit at it last time and really hoped to get it right with this baby. I feel like it’s even more important now as the baby will most likely be in hospital quite a bit and I want him to get all all the immunity he can. I’ve got a BF lady coming round tomorrow to try and give me some help with antenatal expressing so I could potentially get some colostrum stored in the freezer before next week but I’m not very optimistic! Anyone else feeling a bit worried about feeding? Or got any tips??

@jadeward89 glad the end is finally in sight for you! Maybe our babies will share a birthday ☺️.

The only bfing advice I can remember from last time is their tummy on your tummy and their nose to your nipple to make them open their mouth nice and big. I used to say it like a weirdo when it was all getting a bit fraught.

Tummy to mummy, nose to nipple.

Other than that, lots of lansinoh and skin on skin to get through

One of the breast feeding experts in NICU told me to rub my nipple into the bit above ds's mouth but below his nose, that made him open his mouth and you could just drop your nipple into it.

Second the lansinoh too. Find a position that works for you, I was told to use the rugby hold because of my emcs and I hated it. What worked best for us was sticking a muslin cloth under my breast and just going for the usual angle.

As for cannulas, ds had several (he kept pulling them out) and I felt dreadful but on observing him, he was fine with them going in but got really upset when he pulled them out so I think the latter must have hurt a lot more than the former.

If he's in NICU, I found they had far better breastfeeding support and more time to give it than the postnatal ward.

Thanks both.

@Dinosauratemydaffodils poor ds, that must have been difficult. Do they wrap things around it to try and keep it in place? They don’t think he’ll have to go into NICU but the midwife I spoke to yesterday said they would make the BF support people aware of us due to the risks of dehydration so hopefully that'll work out.

@jadeward89 that's exciting. Baby will be here very soon. I'm hoping I will also have mine by next week too. Had a sweep this morning, got a complementary therapy session tomorrow and then induction booked for Monday if nothing has happen by then.

@ClareB83 sounds like you are doing a brilliant job. I take my hat off to you - must be tough juggling two screaming babies!!

@ElizabethLemon good luck with the breastfeeding. The biggest and best advice that someone told me was to really try and relax (I used to take big deep breaths) just before and while breastfeeding - and look at your baby (don't get distracted with a phone or tv) until you've got it established. It will help your milk production but also help baby to relax too.

@ElizabethLemon there are also some really good videos on this website that go through breastfeeding: globalhealthmedia.org/videos/

Click on the breastfeeding tab to get the videos.

www.breastfeedinginc.ca

This is a fantastic resource for mums about BF from a lactation expert based in Canada. He’s lots of information on BF, different holds etc.

I had an amazing BF experience with my DD - yes, of course it hurt at the start but the lansinoh cream did the job. I’d have a basket as well ready for yourself, bottle water, sweets for you if you get hungry, tissues etc beside you to help.

Just remember that every drop counts and every feed will help. I’ve found that nurses etc in Ireland anyways were very quick to want to push formula on me as they could ‘measure’ how much baby was getting. Trust your body, you can do it!

Nice tips and links on breastfeeding! I've been a bit worried about it. I'm so set on breastfeeding but none of the women in my family have done so. My sister thinks it's weird and my mum doesn't understand why anyone bothers... so their visit after the baby arrives will be interesting if I'm struggling at all! If I even slightly wince at the baby latching on or something my mum will just demand I buy formula. Need to be strong and stick to my guns! I just hope they don't make me feel uncomfortable when I want to feed, which seems ridiculous given I should feel most comfortable around them.

@HoneyBee03 I was the first in my family to BF, I hadn’t even seen anyone BF until I was about 20 .

Don’t let them deter you if you want to do it, yes it’s very intensive at the start but the ability after a few weeks to roll over and feed instead of getting out of bed was so totally worth it for me .

Please don’t ever feel uncomfortable feeding - you are nurturing your baby, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Thanks @Shutupanddance1 I'm really excited to breastfeed and keeping in mind that the first bit might be tough and tiring.

I spoke with my mum about it the other day and she spent some time going over all the disadvantages and problems with breastfeeding (not particularly helpful), but then went on to tell me how when I was a baby I lost weight like crazy because I refused every type of formula. There's good and bad with anything I guess!