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Connect with mums-to-be with similar due dates to share experiences and support.

Due August 2021 - The Final Countdown continues...

983 replies

Daffodil21 · 28/07/2021 09:41

Continuing the previous thread!

I'll let @PurplePansy05 post the updated list

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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18
BertieBotts · 12/08/2021 13:36

I've got an Ikea bag for me/DH and a changing bag for baby. But I don't need to take nappies, muslins, wipes, creams etc for baby as they are provided by the hospital here. Also clothes but I like to take my own clothes!

Ava50x · 12/08/2021 13:38

Thanks for all the responses!! As you can see, my anxiety is really kicking in now.

Daffodil21 · 12/08/2021 13:40

Also we only got DS (as if I've just written DS!! 😱) dressed to come home. It was so warm in there that he was just in his nappy all the time. He has his temp checked every 2 hours and it was on the high side of normal so didn't want to overdo it. He was also against me a lot of the time or under a blanket in his crib.

Also just for extra info on post CS bleeding - I've been really lucky and its actually been less than a period for me. I did lose quite a lot of blood in theatre though so maybe that's why?

Boobs are starting to become hard now and leaked a bit earlier which I guess is a good sign! DS is currently on the boob so we getting there I think!

OP posts:
Ava50x · 12/08/2021 13:43

@Daffodil21 well done on the breastfeeding. Hope it all goes smoothly from here, it is much easier once your milk comes in- in general. And sounds like its definitely coming in!

Daffodil21 · 12/08/2021 13:47

@Ava50x thank you! Still using the shields to help him to latch, so not ideal but heading in the right direction! He's been mostly FF until this point out of necessity (although still planning on using a bit of FF too).

@Ready2020 we've been mostly FF DS and the midwife just measured his weight - he's lost 8% so 4% on breast milk is really good!!!!!

OP posts:
WinterBabyof89 · 12/08/2021 14:00

@Ava50x I had the same as biscuitcat, plus two pillows in the boot of the car for postnatal as their pillows left a lot to be desired ha

@PurplePansy05 I’ve bought the lansinoh version of the Hakka which is coming today before 7pm. Ready to stock up on frozen milk for when I feel ready to introduce a bottle feed. OH is super looking forward to it!

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 14:04

@Ava50x One large holdall for me and one mid-size for baby. I knew I'd be staying longer post CS so there wasn't an option to pack ultra light. Both were weekender style bags with lots of pockets and worked very well xx

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 14:15

@WinterBabyof89 Ah let me know how it is! All of their products have been fantastic IMO I have the nipple cream, breast pads and organic nipple oil and they are excellent. I use them all regularly and no problems with painful or cracked nipples. But I suppose that's also due to good latch. I've struggled at times but eventually bought a BF support pillow that wraps around which was a total game changer and the best spent £40! I really feel we're getting there on the BF front, we're both much more comfortable but it took time, patience and some investment xx

Ava50x · 12/08/2021 14:22

You're all making me feel so much better! I just hope I have everything I need. You'd think I'd be a pro by now, this being #4 but I do suffer anxiety in pregnancy and its getting worse every day and I'm just worrying about everything...

WinterBabyof89 · 12/08/2021 14:50

@PurplePansy05 I’ve been toying with the idea of a breastfeeding pillow as I’m just holding her in cradle or propping on cushions. I’ve only just bought nursing bras as I wasn’t sure if BF would work out so didn’t want to invest.

@Ava50x I think you genuinely forget a lot of things about birth/early days with baby - got to be a coping mechanism otherwise women likely wouldn’t procreate haha

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 15:06

@WinterBabyof89 I have this one and to put it short and sweet, I can only rave about it. Everything about it is great and it made my life so much easier.

Due August 2021 - The Final Countdown continues...
Due August 2021 - The Final Countdown continues...
Millymay13 · 12/08/2021 15:14

Just in case anyone is interested my aunt messaged me earlier to say that the first part of woman’s hour today on radio 4 was about bonding with a newborn baby and how for lots of women it is a process that takes time. I’ve found it really helpful to listen to so thought others might find it useful.
Re: hospital bags I’ve got a hand luggage suitcase for me and a changing bag for baby (husband can sort himself out!). I feel like the suitcase is overdoing it for me, but the maternity pads seem to take up about half of the case, then the rest is essentially my toiletries, a couple of nighties and snacks, so I don’t think I could fit everything into a smaller bag!

HopefulB · 12/08/2021 16:01

@PurplePansy05, you’ve reinforced my purchasing decision! After the ECV I was struggling to get comfy and the bruising is in a similar place to c section scar, so I decided to go for it and order a nursing pillow in preparation!

lucyrp · 12/08/2021 16:14

If you don't want to spend the money for a BF pillow a V shaped pillow works just as well and nowhere near the price. I have one that i had from DS and have used as a pregnancy pillow during pregnancy and will use for BF too

WinterBabyof89 · 12/08/2021 16:43

@lucyrp that’s a good shout actually as Dunelm have one for £12. This is my last baby so won’t get as much use out of it as If she were my first.

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 16:43

@Millymay13 I would say it depends on how much space in the postnatal ward your hospital has and whether you'll end up in a smaller or larger room. Of course we can't really know this!

In any event, however, I'd be careful with a wheelie bag in case you can't lift it off the floor after the CS. They are usually heavier than weekender bags. Of course you can ask for help but it's just easier to chuck a couple of softer bags on a chair next to your bed and have their zips up and ready to access instead of faffing with a wheelie bag. A girl on my ward was really cursing her decision to bring a wheelie bag, she had to have it wide open on hospital floor and couldn't bend over to reach for stuff anyway.

Re BF pillow, as you might remember I bought a U-shaped pregnancy and BF pillow (Kally). Kally was my wonderful companion for nearly 29 weeks every night and now DH uses it for skin to skin and adores it.
However, it didn't work for BF at all. It was the wrong height for me and didn't provide enough support for DS to latch on. It also proved cumbersome and impractical to carry around the house, it's just too big and made me feel suffocated and hot whilst BF.

I then tried a cheap £9 BF C-shape doughnut style pillow from Asda which had raving reviews. Again, its height wasn't right, it wasn't sturdy enough and it was too short for DS's long legs already - so obviously wouldn't work better as time goes on.

I regret not buying the BF pillow I have now from day 1! My back and neck ended up very achey and our latch could have been so much better sooner. The one I got is a cheaper version of MyBrestFriend (half the price, very similar design) and it works because it's sturdy its height is adjustable, it has a storage pocket and most importantly the belt around it allows you to put it just at the right height for you and it stays there. To me personally it eas worth every penny and after my bargain £20 glider it's so far my best buy for DS. xx

lucyrp · 12/08/2021 16:45

@PurplePansy05 by the right height what do you mean?🤣

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 16:48

And re V-shape pillows, I heard generally good things about the Argos ones (£12). I read mixed reviews from ladies who are short and big busted like me though and I wasn't willing to spend more on something that may or may not work after 2 pillows not being right. They may very well work if you want to give them a go! xx

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 16:49

@lucyrp Well obviously they need to be at the right height to support the baby latching on to your breast xx

lucyrp · 12/08/2021 16:51

@PurplePansy05 but you still use your arm to hold the baby? I never had a problem with my V shaped pillow and I could change my seating position i.e legs etc and arm to adjust position of baby ? X

lucyrp · 12/08/2021 16:51

@PurplePansy05 or are you feeding like in the picture of the pillow you posted without holding baby too?

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 17:04

I can feed him with my both arms free which is what I'm doing now - with a cuppa in one hand and phone in the other (and Haakaa attached to my other breast) 😊 It's very comfy. We're on the bed and I can do the same on the sofa. I only provide additional support if I feed him on a chair because of the height and the fact there's nothing around us if he were to accidentally roll over. But even then I support with my arm, not my hand. My fingers and hands were really uncomfortable from constant bf and this has helped so much. xx

lucyrp · 12/08/2021 17:05

@PurplePansy05 oh I guess that makes sense for hands free. Have never BF hands free! Always with an arm under as you do when holding them usually x

PurplePansy05 · 12/08/2021 17:14

@lucyrp I probably should have said that straight away lol, sorry, it was obvious to me but for some reason I didn't explain properly.

I am catching up on the thread and just to say on the next to mes and reclining - Bertie is right. I have Chicco Air and it says no more than 2 positions and do not make it lower than your bed (mattress height). It's very important to read the instructions of your next to me crib first, they might all be different and some shouldn't be reclined at all xx

HopefulB · 12/08/2021 17:14

I was convinced I’d just use a long pillow, as I have done for sleeping, until I knew I was having a section then decided that anything to make getting comfy easier was a good investment! So I can see a v pillow could work for many, but we’re all different shapes, with different birth experiences, so may just need to find what works for you!