The March-ers 2019 - #9 Meet the Babies

[Angelmiracle]

Thread 9 wow 🤗

All being well a lot more birth announcements this thread 👣🍼🤰🏿🤰🤰🏾🤰🏼

Check-in mamas ✔

@wineandchoccy what a helpful question!!

Yes definitely in the Being A Parent section there are Postnatal Clubs I think we'd greatly benefit from each other's advice and being able to vent etc!!

I could provisionally create the first one now as there has been a few new babies already 😊

@Angelmiracle that would be great if you don't mind? I've found everyone's advice and support such a massive help

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/3522550-The-March-ers-2019-Baby-Talk-1

Our first postnatal thread!!!

@toastfiend
@PurpleFlower1983
@TheWanderlust
@Wineandchoccy
@Harley8888

Have I left anyone out?

Well done on the postnatal. Will have to remember to open it at some point!

More green/blue on the pad this morning. I don't want to go back to hospital.... I have just spent the last week there!!!! I will have a really good home shower today and watch again. It isn't a lot and movement is normal at the moment, will definitely call if there are any issues on that front!
It looks like a test strip reaction, it is really odd!!! Sorry for the tmi again - Google has no ideas beyond those really expensive pads and unless the manufacturer got them muddled up these are not those!!!

Thanks everyone! It's been crazy past few days... the birth was quite a scary experience for me to be honest, it wasn't at all how I pictured it lol. I went from 4cm dilated to 10cm in less than 10 minutes so did not have any pain relief (apart from gas and air which im sure wasnt on as it didnt make me feel any differeent) almost had to be rushed to theatres if not for the amazing doctor I had that encouraged me to do one final push that got him out.

Logan is doing well but not a great breast feeder. He latches on to the breast but falls asleep. Midwives have told me to formula feed him away from my body so he isn't so comfortable and stays awake. Not quite what I wanted but as long as he's fed I'm happy. Still trying to get him on the boob though...

Oh and my advice... how ever many maternity pads you've packed.. DOUBLE IT and don't get down about things that don't work out to plan.

Oh and my husband left his phone on the side on record when I pushed him out so we have an audio file of his first cry and both our reactions. I didn't ask him to do it and I don't know how he managed it in the thick of the drama while holding up my leg haha but it's something I will treasure forever and worth asking your partner if they can manage it.

Do they have a feeding specialist at the hospital as that doesn't sound the best advice when it comes to Bf @harley8888?

Have a look at la leche league and see what they suggest, you may have someone nearby who can help.
Keeping them cool and tickling their feet sometimes helps keeps them awake!

@harley8888 wow that was quick work! Well done you and that doctor. I have lots of BF website info and numbers? If you want to do it then I think you should have the support to try some more.

Thanks @angelmiracle for the postnatal thread! I look forward to discussing baby pooh colours.

To be honest the community midwives that came the next day made me feel like shit and I burst into tears because of how they were. I was probably being overly sensitive but i feel like they could have been a bit more gentle considering im a first time mum and it had only been a day! They came in and asked how many dirty nappies he had and when I told them they immediately started nodding their heads disapprovingly and questioned whether I had attended the breastfeeding course. When I asked them to help me I took my top off and asked my husband to close the curtain as our window is opposite the neighbours window and the midwife replied 'no he needs daylight unless you want him to get jaundice' why would I want him to get jaundice?! Bloody hell. They then said baby was dehydrated because he didn't have enough wet nappies and told my husband to go out to buy formula... so I felt like ok I guess I've failed then.. Great! Burst into tears and they were a bit more understanding after that and spoke to me in a much gentler tone. I am going to keep trying and am going into hospital today to get some help from BF specialist but any advice/websites/links would be much appreciated.

@Angelmiracle thanks for the thread, cant wait to be able to post on there!

@SquirtlesMumAgain that is strange about the dye, I haven't heard of that so not much help unfortunately. When you've googled the expensive pads does the dye look similar?

@Harley8888 I'm sorry the midwives made you feel so upset. With all the hormones you've got right now you'd think they'd be more sensitive from the offset. No matter what you feed him you won't have failed so please don't worry. I haven't any advice as FTM but hope you get some more help at the hospital today

This is quite embarrassing but I'm really worrying about it. For literally about a year now I've had this little red patch on my lower back of dry skin, sometimes itchy, sometimes not, less than the size of a pound coin. I never really thought anything of it until a few weeks ago when I noticed a smaller patch on my right side above my hip bone. I went to the pharmacy 2 and a half weeks ago and they said it looks like ringworm!! I know it's not actually a worm but I've been using the OTC cream since then and it hasn't gone any better at all

Im 38+3 now so not long left and incredibly worried about baby catching this from me. I can keep him off my bare skin in that area I think but worried about at some point him going in my bed to feed or just while I hold him, or anywhere where my skin with the rash may have touched. I've bought some really long tops to cover it while I sleep and on the sofa but before I had those my tops would ride up due to bump size.

I wash towels after each use and bed twice weekly but just feel really down. I know it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. DP isn't concerned at all which is typical but I cant help but worry. I know no one can help but just when I felt quite ready for baby to come, I'm not worrying this rash will never go and he'll catch it

DS has had a ringworm rash we just thought was dry skin. It was a pain to get to go, but I think it has. Get a doctors appointment if you are concerned!

@harley888 find an independent feeding consultant - sounds like the community midwives need retraining (and such a common complaint sadly!)

Feeding is hard at first and they really don't seem to want to listen to that. Do not be afraid to ask for help!

@harley8888 ugh this makes me so angry. I’m sure I will feel equally vulnerable too. I think we are very lucky geographically. I’ve put up photos of the national contacts I have. Here we have local breastfeeding drop ins, support groups, volunteers counsellors and hospital feeding team so might be worth if you do come across someone helpful to ask them whether there is any of the same where you are. X

@SquirtlesMumAgain I think I'll go to the docs tomorrow and see if he can give me some stronger cream to get rid of it before baby comes!

@Harley8888 dont worry too much even if they suggest he needs some formula with the right help you can still get him onto being exclusively breastfed. Have they checked for tongue tie? Also my proper milk came in on the 3rd day (boobs rock hard like football's) but I found he went mad for it and there was loads of it so he didn't have to work too hard for it. I found impossible to tell what colostrum he was getting! And 4th day we were discharged he was a bit jaundice. MW didn't make a fuss about it just said feed him plenty and keep him in the light lol but it was December!

Can I ask if anyone could advise what toiletries I need for baby or medicine type things? Such as sudocrem? Do I need a baby wash for the bath or just plain water? I've realised all I have are some nail clippers, some cotton wool, water wipes, and a thermometer. Oh and nappies. Not really sure what else I need to buy but would like to pick up anything this week

@Harley8888 keep trying and I'm sure Logan will get there but in the mean time at least he's fed. I gave it a good go whenever DS was hungry before switching to expressing if necessary. Your community midwives sound awful! Lots of advice on La Leche and Kelly Mom including helplines and videos on You Tube. Either way you won't have failed!

We got there in the end. I love that your hubby managed that, if it were me it would probably need bleeping judging by my first lol.

@melissa112 you shouldn't need lotions or creams at first just keep baby clean and dry. The only thing I've bought is colic drops and I had a sample pack of baby bath but won't use it for a few weeks.

@HidCat thanks, that's good to know. I'll hold off until he's here and see how we get on

@melissa112 a bit of bum cream to stop that first poo sticking is the only thing I would advise!

Beyond that they really don't need washing and definitely nothing on it until they are bigger.

@HidCat oh that was in my head I must write down colic drops! I sent DM on an early morning message to the chemist for some when DS was 5 days old.

@melissa112 I have a tub of Vaseline handy and happened to get a sample of moogoo nappy balm which as @Squirtlesmumagain suggests using before the first tar poo!

I also got a Burt & Bees massage oil and will add a few drops to the bath and use to massage for after the bath. Got some Aveeno wash for later on but use this for us all anyway as DH has bad psoriasis and find this sensitive enough.

Also highly recommend Metanium Nappy Rash cream - if baby has nappy rash this will sort it right out. A pea sized drop is all that's needed it's bright yellow! A tube literally lasts forever.

@Harley8888 that's an appalling way for the community midwife to treat you  and at such a vulnerable time too. I'd be tempted to complain (later down the line when you're feeling better).

You've not failed if breastfeeding doesn't work but it could be worth persevering, with proper help. I really struggled to start with when I had DD and my HV showed me how to do biological nursing which helped. I also spent a couple of weeks only feeding from one side and expressing from the other because I just couldn't get the latch right. Ended up with LOADS of spare breast milk that I was going to donate (DD was a bottle refuser) but we had a power cut and it all defrosted...

@Angelmiracle the staining powers of metanium - if almost forgotten how far it goes!

Ah ok so is nappy cream different from nappy rash cream? I feel like I don't know anything!

Yes @melissa112 - nappy rash cream is medicated. We have the waitrose bottom butter for the first poo!

@Harley8888 congratulations on little Logan. I'm sorry your midwives haven't been very pleasant- the comment about the drawn curtains I found particularly shocking. I hope you can find some better support elsewhere, perhaps from one of the places Gronk posted. I paid to see a lactation consultant with DS when he had undiagnosed tongue tie and it was the best £70 I have ever spent (she came to me too!). I got her contact details from the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain website.

@PartridgeJoan congratulations to you too!

Sorry if I have missed any births - I am having a hard time keeping up.

@melissa112 we just used water to wash DS and even now (2.5) he only gets (Weleda baby) soap every second or third wash! And I barely ever put soap in his hair. He gets quite dry skin and just plain water is the gentlest way!

Thanks everyone for all your supportive comments about my genetic diagnosis. I am in the process of telling everyone in my life who needs to know - which is most people really as I don't want to have to explain things later - and which is why I have dropped off this thread somewhat!

Looking forward to meeting my baby now which will be a welcome 'distraction'!

Oh and @Jenfur no the breast surgery won't remove all risk of cancer, but it will take it down from a 45% - 85% chance to less than 5%. Which is better than the general population risk (12.5%) so I'll take that! I think the ovarian surgery will actually remove all risk of ovarian cancer though. X

So I've woken up with a SOAKED t-shirt.. breasts are really leaky. He still isn't taking the boob (maybe because hes used to 5je bottle now???) but I'm going to express milk today and give it to him via a bottle and see if he takes it. We might still have a chance.

Ughh im so annoyed I feel like the Midwives freaked me out so much and drove me to giving up so quickly.

Thanks for the links guys. I'm going to seek support from here even if I have to pay. I don't feel comfortable going to the community midwives for help...