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

Good luck @Aaaaa1519 I hope it all goes smoothly for you!! Liked @Ready2020 said there's likely someone on here throughout the night.. it's my way to stay awake while feeding (and an alternative to the random middle of the night Amazon purchases!) 🙈

@Ready2020 we sleep in same room dh seemingly oblivious to all night wakings before declaring he's tired in the morning because he didn't sleep well.. he has offered to give a bottle during the night for me to get extra sleep but tbh I still have nightmares from expressing with ds and can't bring myself to contemplate that and am currently trying to get over mastitis also so really need to do the breastfeeding regularly to try and get over it.
I do have a box of ready made bottles of formula in the cupboard though just in case, I find it helps me to know that I have the option there if I decide I need it.
Dh does take dd in the evenings usually while I go to bed a bit earlier to get some sleep then he brings her up when she's ready to feed again and he sometimes does the same in the mornings. She still mostly eats and sleeps though so I think when she is having more awake times after feeds he will definitely have to take her to entertain her more between feeds

Congratulations on all the new arrivals. My delivery suite is still too busy to induce me. I’m starting to get a bit annoyed with them. Rang at 8am told someone would ring me back because the consultants hadn’t come out their meeting, no one rang me back so I rang at 10am to be sharply told to ring back at 4pm. Couldn’t get through until 5.39 good job I wasn’t in bloody Labour. Still no room but oh “you’re supposed to come in for daily monitoring, can you come in now” … obviously forgot about about. Got stuck in all the football traffic. Spent longer in traffic than on the monitor despite saying baby’s movements had slightly reduced. Think some of my mucus plug came away today, but I know that means nothing. Keeping everything crossed they can induce me tomorrow otherwise I’m getting a knitting needle out (joke)

@Smurf123 it's amazing what some people apparently sleep through isn't it. My OH wants to spend time in bed together (I had the bed to myself during pregnancy so we miss that time together) but I'm finding more and more that it's easier if he just goes into the spare room until 5 or 6 am and then takes over with a bottle of expressed milk. His attempts at soothing are not that helpful. It's like he thinks she should know it's bed time so should just go to sleep. So I'm Co sleeping mostly with her. I don't sleep all that well but better than none.

Morning!

Re hormones/crying I had a horrific hormone ‘crash’ following procedure after miscarriage last year. I wasn’t sleep deprived at that stage, so imagine it will be worse having gone full term. Hope it passes swiftly for you all, but if not do ask for support.

@Smurf123, I got an Izmi wrap (mostly because I saw it half price in Aldi when buying muslin!) it’s one of the cheapest out there, seems fine for a newborn (although not used it yet obvs), I figured if that got me through the first few weeks I’d use a sling library to try a few and see if it was worth investing more!

@Ready2020 the first two nights we all went upstairs in our room, but no one got any sleep. The next two nights my husband did until 5am downstairs with baby while I had the bedroom, then we switched. Last night we tried back upstairs again from 11-6am, then I took baby downstairs abd DH is still asleep. DH did the first wake up feed, then we were both awake for about an hour at 345ish.

To be honest I feel just as knackered either way 😂 even though I know I'm getting more sleep than most because we're combi feeding atm. Still planning on a nap when DH gets up!

But DS did sleep in his crib most of the night!! 🎉🎉🎉

What do you do? How are you finding it?

I also have the Izmi wrap but haven't tried it yet - how soon after CS can you use a wrap?

@Aaaaa1519 and @PurplePansy05 thank you so much - it's just so horrible feeling this emotional isn't it? I'm very lucky that DH is a total gem and my mum is very supportive too, so I have help, but I'm looking forward to not needing it when I feel a bit more like myself again!

@Ready2020 we sleep together in bed, and currently are still going up together. DS is refusing to latch at the moment so we're using bottles of expressed milk (plus some formula top ups as I've not quite produced enough yet), and sharing the feeds/nappies etc. We've only been home two nights so far though, so can't comment on how sustainable it is! DS prefers to sleep on someone or right next to, so currently if he's grizzly after a feed the person who did it will have him on their chest till he's really deeply asleep and try to settle him in the cosleeper (where we have a Ewan the Dream Sheep, who does make a difference), or pop him next to me on the mattress and we cosleep like that as he likes to be close to my boob, despite refusing to eat properly from it!!

Hi! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I saw the new thread but just haven't had the brain space to read and respond to posts. Won't reply to all anyway, just random things that have jumped out at me :)

Still very much pregnant BTW :o

I can't do ANYTHING any more. Even just walking to the toilet is an ordeal and it's so draining/frustrating.

Everyone is going on about how my baby is predicted to be so big (not really IMO) and it's doing my head in. So I'm surrounding myself with the positive bits of big baby birth - I've read a lot of people saying that their biggest was their easiest, that big babies seem to birth themselves almost and that they don't have the space to get into a complicated position and get stuck! I'm sticking to this view so fingers crossed. Will defo check out that link I saw earlier as that sounds really useful.

As for stretchy wraps, I love them, I have tried out loads as used to co-run a sling group. I've tried home made (single layer/double layer), haba, kari-me, Boba and the Boba is my favourite, the one I've kept. Actually the double layer home made was my second favourite but I have no idea what happened to that. I think it's just that my preference is for thicker/more supportive, whereas some people prefer a stretchier more lightweight option. You do have to tie them tighter than you'd think. Don't leave space for the baby, as the stretch in the material will leave space for you.

I've been thinking about declining a sweep even though I'm fed up and want to go into labour soon. I have never had one before, I've heard they are painful and probably aren't effective, also I kind of feel like it's a form of induction. I'm happy to be induced if needs be but if there's no need then TBH I'd rather leave well alone - but appreciate that might be weird!

I think lactation consultants are great TBH. If you are hiring one I'd recommend to look for someone with the IBCLC qualification. Otherwise for free support fon't forget to look at NCT, La Leche League, Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and Baby Café. But in terms of paid support, only the qualification IBCLC is protected so anyone can call themselves a breastfeeding consultant/advisor/etc and charge what they like but they won't necessarily have that training or experience. I'd use the IBCLC UK website to search and then check out each result to see if they have social media etc to get an idea of whether they seem to know their stuff and you like their style - I'd guess some are a bit more hippyish and others more matter of fact.

@BertieBotts I was just looking at the list and wondering if anyone on here had actually gone overdue and was looking at ladies due around the same time as me and one of them was you and wondered how you were getting on! I know what you mean about declining the sweep, I keep thinking I want one but ideally I would prefer it to happen on its own🥴

This is what I was reading the other day which made me lean towards saying no but be warned it's quite negative about them so not very balanced! It also talks about people having them without being informed that it's going to happen which is not quite the same situation as deciding whether to have one or not.

billieharrigan.com/blog/2019/5/6/birth-hijacked-the-ritual-membrane-sweep

@BertieBotts hope it’s not too much longer for you. Comments about baby size are so annoying. I kept being told I was small then had an almost 9 pounder! He wasn’t difficult to get out at all and I didn’t need any assistance so it’s great that you’re feeling confident about his size. Trust in your body and I’m sure you’ll have no problem. Going into labour and birth with a positive mental attitude makes all the difference!

Morning

@BertieBotts @lucyrp sweep wasn’t painful at all & I’m one of those everything hurts type lol mines was followed up by a pessary straight after so I’m not sure which was more effective

Currently only 1cm the contractions hurt already lol hopefully once I can walk around they’ll be better

@MrsB2019x @notinthestarsigns congratulations! Welcome to the world, babies Ella and Erin. Loving the names! Hope you're enjoying the newborn snuggles :)

@Aaaaa1519 @WolfMother326 best of luck. Looking forward to hearing updates.

@BertieBotts can totally relate. End of pregnancy is just so hard... But keep surrounding yourself with positivity as you seem to be doing. You'll get there!

Good luck @Aaaaa1519! Looking forward to hearing your news 🎉 Definitely keep moving around if you feel you can.

@PurplePansy05 I’m glad you mentioned about the bleeding cos mine has picked up again yesterday and today, but I have been most active those days so maybe that has something to do with it?
In terms of pumps I have the medela maxi swing and it’s brilliant. It’s a double pump but there’s another hole for the tubing to be put into if you only want to use one pump at a time. Did wonders for building up my supply too as I’m exclusively pumping for Ella.

@Ready2020 DH and I sleep in the same room but we take shifts to take her downstairs if she doesn’t settle, then in the day we’ll take turns to go upstairs for naps while the other one stays with baby. Works great for us now but not sure about when he goes back to work 🙈

I understand the hesitation about the sweep. Mine wasn't painful, but also doesn't seem to have brought on labour (although studies have shown that sweeps reduce length of total gestation for most women even if they aren't effective in the first 2 days after). So far it's been more than 48 hours and after losing mucus and having a bloody show I'm feeling relatively normal.

@WolfMother326 I've been losing my plug for 10 days now so I can't say the plug is anything to go by 😅

Yeah @lucyrp I think my baby just wants to be a Virgo not a Leo trying to forget about it all and just relax and take walks and put my focus elsewhere.

@WolfMother326 I hadn't even thought of that with the dates but looks like mines the same too 🥱 I've been trying to walk but some days I can't make myself do anything like today I spent all morning in bed and then felt guilty for it 😓

I’m due on Tuesday and I’m feeling absolutely no signs what so ever, no loss of plug at all, movements are strong snd they do feel lower down but I don’t feel like he’s dropped at all I’ll be intrigued to see if he is even engaged at my appointment on Wednesday
Currently walking, ball bouncing and everything else they say but I have a feeling he’s gonna be very overdue at this rate! Xx

@Caz1226 this last week I've had two hot curries with whole chillies in, eaten loads of pineapple and drank pineapple juice and 4 cups of raspberry leaf tea a day, bounced on my ball for at least an hour every day including pelvic circles and tilts, power walked and had sex and still nothing 😂😅

Aaaaa I have always found the 1cm contractions to be really painful as well. It's so frustrating as I seem to stay at that stage for ages. It's like you wouldn't mind so much if it feels like it's getting somewhere! Hope it's better once you can move around. Leaning over forward/being on all fours is my latest tip I'm focusing on for early labour.

It's been really hot here this weekend as well which hasn't helped matters much. Due to cool down tonight thankfully.

@lucyrp haha they are obviously not coming until they are ready no matter what we do 🤣
When are you due? Xx

@Caz1226 my due date is tomorrow! What about you ? Xx

@lucyrp I’m due Tuesday
Have you had any sweeps or anything? X

@Caz1226 no I'm not allowed until a week tomorrow. You ? X

@lucyrp I’ve got one booked in for Wednesday as it’s my first they let me have one so I’ll be 40 weeks plus 1
I’m just getting so impatient now I really hope I’m not waiting another 2 weeks for him to arrive x