September 2019 #13

[Stroan]

Oops, we filled up the last thread. Hope everyone finds this one.

decaf but you are our FF guru and we are going to need you!!!

@IVEgottheDECAF are you planning to FF?

Yes mine have all been FF from day 1!

I am going to FF too, glad to know other people start off with it

I have never had any issues and it works for me! I definitely do not have time to spend hours a day feeding and pumping! It sounds really hard work and i take my hat off to everyone doing it!

Haha i always feel like the FFs are the hardcore ones, making up bottles at all hours, sterilising stuff and keeping track of feeds! Whichever way we do it, we are all superheros!

Of course we are dusty we not only grew a whole person but then go on to keep them alive and provide everything they need for years to come. Super mamas!

Just as well they are cute decaf!

Boodles I hired a hospital grade one (I think through Mothercare but can't quite remember). Hired for a month and by the end of the month things had calmed down, my supply was way better and feeding was easier. So then I bought myself a medulla swing (which worked fine for me) and returned the hospital one. I think having one at home is super helpful in general - managed to unblock ducts with it and get some relief when engorged. In retrospect, I probably didn't need the hospital one but my anxiety was super high taking DS home and I just wanted the one I knew had worked for me at the hospital.

Most of the time dusty!

Whoop found you all! I BF my first and am hoping to do so again but never got the hang of pumping. Luckily she was a good feeder so not ruling out combi or formula this time if we struggle. I found pumping such hard work and takes twice the time so full respect to those of you persevering with it!

@boodles101 I have a Nuby double electric one however my friend has loaned me her Elvie pump (which is hands free, wire free, virtually silent and basically frigging amazing) I just pop it in my bra and carry on as normal without even knowing I'm pumping. However.... they are £250!!!!!!!! No way in hell would I pay that much so I'm v lucky she's loaning it to me!

After my panicked message earlier Max did a great feed and then slept for 3 hours.. I think I just need to calm down. When he was in the NICU I very much felt like as I couldn't change his nappies, hold him or any other normal thing - providing my milk was the only thing I was doing to make me feel like I even had a baby. And I appear to have become a little obsessed with it 😬

Hope everyone is doing ok in this heat and not too uncomfortable

Just checking in and place marking!

Interesting to hear how the BF is going, I’ve always been very much in the “give it a go but not that fussed about it” camp. Certainly have zero interest in expressing- if we want the faff of sterilising I’d rather give formula.
So interesting to see how it pans out! I’m naturally cynical anyway-so that’s why I’m half expecting EMCS and BF not working out as for the majority of my friends their plans for natural births and BF went to shit!

That said though, I though pregnancy would be hard and horrible but I still feel fab and have loved it so far!

I’ve been expressing for Jacob as he was in NICU for 2 weeks and not interested in breast feeding since we’ve been home.

He’s 4 and half weeks now, not sure how much longer I can do it as it takes double the time!

4 and a half WEEKS! How did that happen!

Was going to get a super spicy curry in, in hope of going into labour over night but looking at tomorrows weather forecast i have changed my mind!

Y'all I'm officially fed up. I feel like I'm aching somewhere all the time now. There's no reprieve. 38+5, please not 3 more weeks thanks.

April88 4.5 weeks!!! Wow that time just flew by! I bet youve seen him change so much in that time already.

@April88 ! I've been thinking of you- how is it going? Exclusive pumping is the most hardcore of all the options, I take my hat off to you, it's a real commitment.

Well after me saying I might ask to stay, we've had to anyway. The day shift have been no where me near as nice or as helpful as the ones last night.

I've asked for some help feeding, just got told to carry on doing what I'm doing, we'll both get the hang of it. Dd hasn't latched properly all day and has barely opened her eyes. I got DH to bring in some ready bottles of formula, that seems to be going down well.

We were supposed to see a paediatrician today about DD's big head. They have been busy all day so we've had to stay to see them. They will do her scan tomorrow at some point.

Had a mini emotional breakdown to DH on the phone because I just want to be at home now. I'm fucked off with the lack of support to get Dd latched but then they've said I've got to stay another night because she isn't feeding well.

Sorry for the rant, tired, emotional, hormonal, enough said really.

Florence hopefully the nice staff come back on soon and you can get some actual support!

@boodles101 I know, madness! Congratulations on your twins, they were such good weights.

I read a lot (whilst pumping) but don’t often have time to reply, so congratulations to all the new arrivals!

@DustyDoorframes we’re all good thank you, he’s 4lb 13 now. Can’t believe it’s been 4 weeks already! He’s dropped percentiles but the NICU nurse (she comes out weekly) isn’t too concerned as he’s still gaining weight. Will see how he is Thursday and he may be prescribed formula for prem babies to top him up with, which has higher calories than normal formula. It would be a relief to be honest as pumping is so restrictive and doing it through the night after I’ve fed him is exhausting!

@BridgetJonesDaiquiri is that sugar levels by bloods? The only thing I would say if so is that it's pretty well established that weeks 32-36 are the hardest to control due to the hormones from the placenta, mine is so much easier to control now I've gotten over that stage. It's just something to consider discussing with them if you're not comfortable bringing forward so far.

Yay for the weight gain @Stroan

@Florencenotflo Sorry to hear you've had such a rubbish day. I don't understand why someone would go into a caring profession without you know, caring about people. Hopefully you get better help tomorrow, if not, deffo start throwing some weight around.

Phew, certainly was a hot one today, done lots of pottering with mum, cooked yummy roast lamb for dinner (random I know given the temp but had a proper craving!!) now just watching a film trying to stay awake in the misguided belief that if I stay awake long enough I might not be wide awake at 4/5am!

@kyles101 sorry no I have obstetric cholestasis, which means that my liver/gall bladder can't deal well with bile acids and so they build up in the blood. That's what causes the itching and can transfer across the placenta to the baby. There's no effective treatment but should all resolve as soon as baby is born as it's the hormones that are causing it. The NICE guidelines recommend delivery between 37-38 weeks.

Ah @BridgetJonesDaiquiri of course, sorry, I remember now! Wow, Tuesday! Are you all ready? We've had 8 months to prepare and still don't think we'll ever feel 100% ready!!

Made it to 5am this morning- positively a lay in!!