Due August 2021 - Welcome to the World!

[PurplePansy05]

Welcome to the chattiest birth club on MN! Newcomers always welcome 💐

14 gorgeous new babies have joined us already, welcome to the world 💖💙🥳

@Smurf123 - Welcome to the world, baby Sophia 💖
@wimbler - Welcome to the world, baby boy 💙
@Jessicapebbles - Welcome to the world, baby Ebony💖
@Inmypjsagain - Welcome to the world, baby boy💙
@PurplePansy05 - Welcome to the world, baby Leo Alexander 💙
@WinterBabyof89 - Welcome to the world, baby Rosie 💖
@Winecoffeeteamum - Welcome to the world, baby Emily 💖
@Ready2020 - Welcome to the world, baby Rowan 💖
@Magik01 - Welcome to the world, baby Isaac 💙
@Hoares3 - Welcome to the world, baby Ellis 💙
@Daffodil21 - Welcome to the world, baby Elliot James 💙
@sarah13xx - Welcome to the world, baby Freddie 💙
@Biscuitcat - Welcome to the world, baby Rowan 💙
@Whatshouldbemyusername - Welcome to the world, baby Arya-Nyah 💖

Counting down until we welcome 20+ new arrivals:

@MrsB2019x - Induction w/c 9 August, Girl 💖
@Dia12 - EDD 8 August, Girl 💖
@Aaaaa1519 - EDD 13 August, Girl 💖
@Angelesque - C-section 16 August, surprise 💛
@lucyrp - EDD 16 August, surprise 💛
@livingwithbees - EDD 16 August, surprise 💛
@BertieBotts - EDD 16 August, Boy 💙
@WolfMother - EDD 17 August, Boy 💙
@Caz1226 - EDD 17 August, Boy 💙
@Millymay13 - C-section 17 August, surprise 💛
@RandomCatGenerator - C-section 19 August, surprise 💛
@Smallbean27 - EDD 19 August, surprise 💛
@Sheisfee - EDD 19 August, Girl 💖
@Alittlexmasmagic - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@LottSE20 - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛 @notinthestarsigns - EDD 23 August (but likely to be brought forward induction/C-section), surprise 💛
@Fran919 - EDD 25 August, surprise💛
@Ava50x - EDD 25 August, Boy 💙
@ame88 - EDD 28 August, Girl 💖
@HopefulB - EDD 29 August, surprise 💛

It's officially THE month! Watch this space! xx

@BertieBotts so cute! I reckon I kiss ds about 500 times a day 😂

I breastfed last time for 7 months when my supply just completely went. I aimed for 6 months and this time I’ll aim for 4. With a toddler I’m not sure how practical it is. I have to keep running after her and with a 10lb weight attached to the boob it’s tricky! I had to help her to the toilet whilst he was on the boob the other day, that was a challenge!!

He’s having a great feed now as I made sure I kept one boob really full for the 7pm feed, so hoping he sleeps a good stretch now and I can eat my dinner in peace. Wishful thinking!

Joining those who have given birth: I gave birth on Monday to a son, Solomon, and he’s lovely. Discharged from hospital today.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I think due to the pain. I overdid it a bit with picking him up and standing up in too spritely a fashion a few times now has my wound in pain and I’m feeling low. Breast feeding wasn’t possible without nipple shields - which are a GODSEND - but nipples are already a bit cut and blistery. And of course now I’ve left hospital and it’s too late to ask advice about how to handle milk coming in and hurting…the milk has bloody started to come in and my boobs hurt.

I am really delighted with the baby - he’s lovely and super active! And beautiful. But it’s quite lowering to just feel sore especially as the baby can’t get enough milk from my boobs alone so we’re in any case having to use formula. Feeling a bit like giving up.

Silver lining though - the pregnancy related vaginal and vulva pain is all gone! So that is something.

@Ready2020 I fed DS1 until 12 months when I returned to work and he stayed in our room the same amount of time ☺️

Glad to hear other people are trying to get a chance to pamper themselves 😂 I’ve come upstairs on my own tonight and going for my first post c-section bath.. feel like im going to a spa 🙈 going to paint my nails after it too! Did manage to shave my legs in the shower the other day (with some difficulty). We’re going for a late lunch tomorrow with Freddie and im planning to have my first drink in nearly a year 😊 Finished 10 days of my horrible fragmin injections today so I have a cause to celebrate 😂

Congratulations Random! It is surprising how much you have to take it easy after birth isn't it? I totally wasn't prepared for that with my first baby. I somehow never really considered postnatal recovery at all.

Is it bad I never finished taking my blood thinner injections 😬 think I took about 4 of the 10.

Congratulations @RandomCatGenerator and welcome Solomon (love the name!).

@BertieBotts I was surprised at the recovery tbh. Not the stitches or the blood loss, just the general impact it had on my body.

Currently falling asleep on the couch watching the Blues Brothers with Rowan flopped on me. Really want to go up to bed but also want to stay downstairs like an adult lol.

Thanks for all the responses re feeding etc. I just had it in my head at 6 months she's going into her own room. I guess things don't really work to a schedule 😂I'm not back to work until 9 months so have that time to keep her next to me without getting up for work. I guess we'll see how it goes.

Talking of unexpected postnatal recovery symptoms, I'm getting these random twitches, especially when I'm falling asleep. It's really annoying! Towards the end of labour and straight after birth I kept getting really shaky which the midwife said was just muscular so I assume it's something like that but very weird.

@BertieBotts yes! I got them. They freaked me out. Thankfully they do settle but I'm glad it's not just me.

Does anyone know how to cure baby hiccups?!

@RandomCatGenerator congratulations! there isn’t really a need to cure the hiccups as they usually go away after a shortish period of time but I do find feeding tends to get rid of them or a good burp

@Millymay13 how are you feeling tonight? Has your milk come in today?

@PurplePansy05 @Inmypjsagain the midwife wanted to discharge me last night but I mentioned about the pain and also the bulge 🤪 so they checked me over today. Sent off a sample to see if there’s anything that needs treating and in regards to my stomach she’s said that really I need to wait 6 weeks PP to see if it is just swelling or something else like a hernia. All fun and games eh?!

@purple I don’t see anything wrong with dummies at all- like you said they even reduce the risk of SIDS. Isaac however isn’t haven’t it at all, I’ve tried the mam ones and even the tinker topper 0-2 month ones and he just screams if I try and put one in. 🤷🏼‍♀️

@BertieBotts can’t actually remember if I’ve already congratulated you 🤣 so congrats if I haven’t! Glad to hear he manages to do a wee as well, what I relief!

@biscuitcat your SIL sounds utterly bonkers! I wouldn’t want her in my house or near my baby either if I were you, but I suppose pick your battles and all that. Might be worth just grinning and bearing it for a day and be the bigger person! What did everyone else think on the watsapp group?!

@WinterBabyof89 well done on your DD weight gain! Well done you! It’s funny you say about her sucking your little finger as DS2 is exactly the same! I’ve tried a few different dummies and he’s not taken to any, but put my little finger in his mouth and he would suck for hours!!

@HopefulB hope your side is okay tonight. Also re your covid jab after your section, I might be totally wrong but I’m not sure you can have the jab when your on blood thinners. I’ve had to wait until my ten days are done as I know you get asked if your on them once you turn up. Again I might be totally wrong but thought I would mention.

@Aaaaa1519 oh lovely I hope your okay day 3/4 are known as the days where your hormones are the most unbalanced so it’s really normal to feel emotional. I think most women have a good cry around the point. It doesn’t help with the no sleep we go through which just heightens everything. I know how you feel about your other little one, but honestly she will be just fine much like yourself. Sending hugs.

@Ready2020 not a horrible thing to say at all. Having a baby is a massive adjustment to anyone’s life and I think it’s absolutely normal to miss your “old” life, I just think it’s often a taboo subject so we feel guilty for admitting it. It does get easier when they can entertain themselves and when they aren’t feeding constantly, but take it from me, soak up all the newborn cuddles when you can because you will miss them once they have gone.

Also re BF I aim for 6 months but we will see what it’s like when DH is back at work and I have a newborn and a toddler to look after!

@RandomCatGenerator massive congrats! I did look at the list last night and wonder how you were getting on. Lovely name as well!

@Daffodil21 well done on your first day alone without DH, sounds like you had the right idea with staying in bed all morning

Sorry about the massive post 🤣 as you can all see I tend to catch up and post all night long lol

@Magik01 I’m feeling a bit better tonight so far, I managed to wake him to feed from each side around 9pm and after that he settled until midnight so I did get a little nap before waking for the feed-fest. My milk isn’t in yet so I guess he’ll need to keep feeding to bring it in.
We had a little shuffle around in the bedroom today so the Moses basket is next to my side of the bed which is more convenient for me. Initially we thought it’d be better to have it on my husbands side to save me lifting the baby in and out after the section, but this feels better to me as I want baby close to me when he’s not feeding (ha, I know I’m having a laugh there!).

How are you doing? I’m so impressed with your long post, how did you remember enough to be able to respond to everyone?! My memory isn’t great at the best of times but now it’s absolutely terrible!!

@Millymay13 my memory isn’t that good, I just read through posts and write my response then copy and paste so I don’t loose anything 🤣

Tonight was the first night that I expressed in the day and DH gave a bottle before he came to bed at 12:30 so I also got a good 3ish hours before the night shift lol. I’ve also convinced him to wear earplugs so now when DS is grunting I’m not rushing to pick him up to save waking him. Seems to be doing the trick as the grunting has ended in two poos so far!

Restless night here with 3 nappy changes and 3 feeds since 1am. Partly my fault as I keep putting her back in the cot rather than next to me on the bed but after the good night last night I know she can sleep in there. I've moved away to the other side of the bed and that seems to have settled her a bit. My movements may just make it worse.

I've asked MiL to pick up a sleeping bag for her today. We've been using a blanket tucked in so far but I think a bag would suit us more. Though she'll need to find one for newborn under 8.8lbs. I've seen them online so she should be able to get one.

@Magik01 glad you've sorted out your nights a bit more. My OH does the shift right before bed and I get a quick nap before the night shift and it seems to work for us.

We sent the docs for registration of Rowan today. We do a phone call then go in in person. We had to decide on the surname which has been a sticky subject as we're not married and OH doesn't even want to get civil partnershiped either. So we ended up giving her a double barrel surname which personally I think sounds a bit much. I'd happy give her his name if I had it too!

Disappointing night once again, last night I had only what I can describe as tightenings combined with pretty strong lightning vagina for over 2 hours which I began timing. Was in bed when they first began and couldn't for the life of me stay lying on my side. Managed to go to sleep in the end and woken this morning with nothing other than a very sore feeling between my legs more so than usual. What is going on 😥

@RandomCatGenerator Congratulations! Was your section brought forward then? I thought your date was yesterday? Glad all went well.

Re hiccups, we've had a discussion few pages ago or on the previous thread, CS babies are more likely to have it worse because of extra fluid in their lungs which did not get out at the time of delivery. It's normal and a good sign, you need to let it go on its own. DS still has it 2-3 times a day and he's 17 days old.

@Ready2020 I am hoping to EBF for the first six months and express more to give to Leo when I'm back in work. I too will be returning after 9 or 10 months and he'll need time to wean off which I'm hoping to do gradually between 6 and 10 months. Really hoping my supply won't disappear and that I can still bf him in the evenings after work, but if not, he'll hopefully get my expressed breast milk then for as long as it lasts. That's my ideal scenario, but I now understand it's something that can't really be planned and bf is much more complex and intricate than I ever thought.

I don't know when we're going to move him to his nursery yet. 6 months is a minimum but I guess we'll see where we are with feeding and what kind of sleeper he is at the time. We might just bring his cot into the bedroom when he grows out of the next to me. He doesn't like the N2M anyway haha! I feel we'll have him with us till 1yo.

Re adjustment, it's not a sin to feel that being stuck in shitty nappies with painful breasts is not a dream life and to miss the pre-baby and probably pre-pandemic world. I have to say I'm elated because of what I've been through before and I'm riding that wave, but it's still hard. I think most if not all mothers feel this way at some point, I am now opening my eyes to how hard this new role is going to be in practice. I feel it will become more rewarding soon though and this will make it easier. xx

@Magik01 luckily I'm not in the WhatsApp group, but I know DH and his parents feel the same as me, and I don't know about SIL's husband - he's more tolerant of her nonsense! Gritting teeth to get through the day is the plan - they're here for a few hours, but if I can feed Rowan frequently and then have him sleep that should cover most of it...

@RandomCatGenerator congratulations!! I had a good few days of wondering if BF would work but milk coming in plus nipple shields has made such a difference.

@Ready2020 I don't really know how long I'm planning on doing for BF - when it's going well I'm quite enjoying it, but I think playing it by ear will be what we do!

I can't remember who said in terms of finding adjustment hard - oh my goodness yes! It's such a huge change, I'm definitely struggling. In particular mid-evening sort of times I find myself getting incredibly upset, and it's just horrible. I've found BF-ing when I feel down helps, but otherwise I'm hoping that things start to get easier and that it just slowly improves (any experience from mums further in than me much appreciated!!)

Interesting about mid-eve @biscuitcat, I often feel tearful then and close to giving up on bf. DS tends to become more grizzly then and I definitely hit two defined crisis points, mid-eve and later on in the eve/night if he doesn't settle. I've noticed this pattern and now that I'm sort of expecting it, it's easier to go through it? I wonder if it's hormone-related too as with the second one, I also get night sweats.

I had a wave of sweats during the day yesterday too, gosh, if that's what menopause feels like it's not fun! xx

@RandomCatGenerator congratulations!!! Hope you’re feeling okay!

@BertieBotts what a cute little squish! He really suits Alexander too! ❤️❤️❤️

So husband has gone into the office this morning for a meeting, so it’s just me and the baby! Baby been awake since 6am with no signs of napping- not confident enough to wear a sling yet as my tummy muscles have gone! How am I meant to make coffee one handed?! I’m parched lol

@biscuitcat and @PurplePansy05 I’m similar, I get fed up and the peak is around 7pm but I think it’s because baby grizzly and won’t settle either. The night sweats are awful! I want them to go!

What a cutie @BertieBotts!

@Magik01, standard practice to ask about anticoagulants before any new treatment, but not a contraindication for vaccination. There is a very small risk of extreme reduction in blood clotting cells (platelets) both with post op injections and with COVID vaccination, but currently medical advice is that risks of covid infection are greater, therefore ok to go ahead if you want. There’s a possibility I’ll have 6 weeks anticoag injections, and I’m not prepared to wait that long (plus the 8week interval, and 2 weeks for full effect) to be fully vaccinated! As in pregnancy it’s a personal decision, but for me the risk v benefits have shifted.

@HopefulB ahh that’s useful to know! I was going to book mine the other day for this week but a family member mentioned that they ask about blood thinners so unsure if I could have it until I was done with my ten days. I will get on and book it now I know though

@Magik01 FWIW I was on aspirin in pregnancy till 36 weeks and had my first dose of Pfizer at 29 weeks with no issues. I know it's lighter than some other blood thinners but like @HopefulB says, they ask as a precaution, it's not a contra-indication.

@BertieBotts He's gorgeous, beautiful boy 💙

@Inmypjsagain Coffee capsules all the way, girl! Put into the machine, two clicks, done! Easier than faffing with a kettle one handed and what a treat xx

On a different topic, I was going to ask you all, what is your unexpected star of the show post-partum in terms of food and drink??

I cannot get enough of pate. I'm obsessed!!! I am going to have a cheeseboard this weekend too, heaven. And beer, I am craving beer like crazy?! I'm not even a beer drinker, an odd pint on holiday, but now I could drink it daily. Is this something to do with bf?? xx