August 2021 Babies - Final evictions and the fourth trimester

[BertieBotts]

Time for a new thread! :)

29 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 💙
@MrsB2019x - Welcome to the world, baby Ella💖
@Biscuitcat - Welcome to the world, baby Rowan 💙
@Whatshouldbemyusername - Welcome to the world, baby Arya-Nyah 💖
@notinthestarsigns - Welcome to the world, baby Erin 💖
@Aaaaa1519 - Welcome to the world, baby Anum 💖
@Angelesque - Welcome to the world, baby Isaac 💙
@Millymay13 - Welcome to the world, baby Ethan Benjamin 💙
@WolfMother326 - Welcome to the world, baby Alasdair William 💙
@BertieBotts - Welcome to the world, baby Alexander 💙
@RandomCatGenerator - Welcome to the world, baby Solomon 💙
@lucyrp - Welcome to the world, baby Evelyn Rose 💖
@HopefulB - Welcome to the world, baby Chloé 💖
@Mmr224 - Welcome to the world, baby Alasdair 💙
@Smallbean27 - Welcome to the world, baby boy 💙
@Fran919 - Welcome to the world, baby girl 💖
@Caz1226 - Welcome to the world, baby Dougie 💙
@Ava50x - Welcome to the world, baby boy 💙
@dirtyfries - Welcome to the world, baby Frankie! 💖

Counting down until till they welcome their munchkins:

@Dia12 - EDD 8 August, Girl 💖
@livingwithbees - EDD 16 August, surprise 💛
@Sheisfee - EDD 19 August, Girl 💖
@Alittlexmasmagic - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@LottSE20 - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@ame88 - EDD 28 August, Girl 💖

@biscuitcat DD was feeding for like 20-25 minutes per boob before but wondering if that's because the shields were too small because since we've changed size she only feeds for 5-10 minutes before she falls asleep and I always offer both breasts so get a maximum of maybe 20 minutes a feed

So far so good! She fell asleep on me then we transferred her to the bassinet and she's down stairs with OH so I can have a snooze. I can hear him being loud downstairs but that's his problem if she wakes up!

I've been so rubbish with pumping lately, turning to formula for the feed OH does in the late night. It feels lazy and a waste of the money on the pump! But also means I don't have to find time to pump which can be difficult.

Those on antibiotics, have you been warned of getting thrush on your boobs because of them? I've been having some boob pain so I'm paranoid it's that but it's more likely because DD has been using me as a dummy.

Feeds here differ too. Some long ones where she is dozy and feeds as she wakes to some fast 5 to 10 minute top ups. I heard they are meant to get longer as they age but not seen that yet.

Oh it's a whole can of worms I don't want to open why they can't come to us :(

We tend to drive Germany - Lux - Belgium - France - ferry - UK. Driving totally through France is a bit faster but there are tolls. The ferry gives us a break where we have to get out the car and move around whereas on the Tunnel you stay in the car (I think - never been on it). The ferry is also much cheaper.

What's actually annoying is the UK driving. The other countries are fine except for the Brussels ring road (avoid rush hour!!) but M25 a nightmare and then we get stuck in it further up as well (our families are in the Midlands).

I don't ALWAYS talk to the baby but definitely a bit - like if I'm doing stuff around him or doing stuff to/with him then we'll talk to him. But if I'm just watching TV or something or doing something with DS2 then I don't talk directly to him as such.

BF time could be anything from a few mins to over an hour if he falls asleep still attached. Generally offer one side, then other, then back to first if he still wants more, but sometimes he only wants one side or if it's a quick top up before we go out or something I might only give one. But again I'm guessing as not really tracking. I would guess a "typical" feed is around 10-15 mins per side? But def have longer and shorter ones.

@Daffodil21 and other ladies who are pumping: how long do you pump for, and how often?

I’m doing 25mins on each boob four times a day and wondering whether I can do longer. I am in fear of mastitis but also don’t produce much milk really by the final feed so wondering if I can maximise the milky early feeds by doing 30 min plus.

@dirtyfries we don’t have any routine either, I don’t even feel like there’s a pattern in terms of feds yet. I’m just feeding when I think he’s hungry, if he’s not hungry he won’t drink. He only goes maximum 2 hours between feeds at night though at 6 weeks which I hope changes soon to slightly longer!!

@lucyrp he only feeds for around 5-8 minutes usually, he’s pretty fast. On the odd occasion it will be 10-12 minutes. I don’t tend to offer both breasts as it’s pretty obvious he’s done most of the time. Wish he would go slightly longer at night though so I can sleep a bit more.

@sarah13xx very jealous of your long sleep!! I think you’ve been one of the lucky ones who’s baby sleeps through early on.

@Ready2020 how are you getting on tonight lovely? Hope your managing to get some rest.

@PurplePansy05 good news about your scar not needing to be restiched, what a nightmare that would be. Hope the antibiotics clear it up this time as well.

@Magik01 she slept almost 5 hours! Poor wee thing was so tired. Just had a feed and is in her snuz pod now. I had a good 4 hour snooze too. I'm going to try and sleep now seeing as she's asleep again but not sure I'll nod off really. I'll give it a go.

Hope your night is OK. Hubby on sofa? I'll be on and off here as the night goes on x

@RandomCatGenerator I've gotten really lax with pumping, and my supply shows. I only pump for 5 mins on each side as after that nothing else comes out. I'm sure if I repeatedly pumped for longer it would, but I don't. I used to pump 4/5 times per day, but now it's more 3 times, and because I've gotten a bit lax with it, it now takes me a whole day to get one 4oz feed

@Ready2020 no not on the sofa tonight lol. Just had to attend to DS1 as his nappy had leaked in him bed bless him, then he asked if he could have some food as he was hungry 😂 So he’s just had a 2am snack of two chocolate brioche rolls and gone back to bed bless him.

Glad you got some sleep, I’m hoping to go asleep soon but he’s stirring quite a bit. He started crying while I was with DS1 and think DH thought I was still in bed so didn’t get up with him till he was full blown crying and he realised I wasn’t there. Oh well eh. At least everyone is sorted now. 😅

We're back up for second boob which I was expecting tbh as she would be hungry after 5 hour sleep. Maybe I should have fed her second boob at the last feed but she fell asleep and that seemed more important!

Think I'll mention jumpy legs to HV. Apparently magnesium helps. Usually an orgasm helps !

@Magik01 definitely very lucky, he’s up tonight but just for his 3.30 feed and back to sleep. I can cope with that though 😅

Thanks @BertieBotts do you just drive straight or do you stop of on the journey?
We can do Dublin to Cherbourg ferry then drive Belgium Germany Denmark but that ferry is a lot longer 18 hours I think. Or we can do Belfast - cairnryan or Liverpool ferry then drive through England to do either the tunnel or the ferry to France, it's quicker to do the 2 ferrys but seems expensive.
Dh is adamant we will drive one day . It seems like a long journey to me!
Ds1 woke up needing the toilet at 33 and dd was still sleeping since 11 ofc she has woken up now too. I can't decide whether she was likely to have woken up anyway or whether ds/ I woke her with him calling / me trying to get in and out of bed to go to him. Longest night time sleep she has had in a while!
I know they say to offer both sides but I don't usually. Sometimes when I put him back down after a feed she will wake fully up again and want the other in which case I'll offer but usually she's happy with just the one side and will go back to sleep

This whole active sleep thing is such a riot. She was half crying so I thought maybe she needs a nappy change as it's been about 5 hours since the last one. Turned on the wee light and got the change mat (I change in the bedroom now on the the bed. It's a bit risky but worth it) and went to get her and she's fast asleep again.

Feeds here are the same, vary between 5-10 mins per boob up to 30-45 mins per boob. As you know he also goes through long spells of not sleeping during the day and has two long sleeps every night. He's been overtired and more grumpy too now, it's the growth spurt. But yesterday he decided to have two really good naps during the day, one on me because nothing else worked 🤣. Then at night he was moving lots and so noisy! I can't imagine this was relaxing for him. So we're up feeding already, one feed at 4am and we're on the second one now. Sounds like most babies born close to him are very similar now xx

@sarah13xx I thought the same about sex and having too much on, but actually I'm happier and more rekaxed as a result. It's also nice to be an adult and have some time with DH, so once you're ready, I'd say go for it 😊

@BertieBotts My family from abroad won't come over here 'because of covid' 🙄 They're obviously waiting for us to come which we will not, I've always travelled a lot more frequently to see them than other way round and frankly I feel they should work around us more now and fork out their own money, which they have! They are getting older and more difficult and anxious about their health, I can see this especially since last year. It's all rather disappointing, but I won't be bending over backwards again.

@Ready2020 Antibiotics generally increase the risk of thrush. I always make sure to eat probiotic yoghurts too, it helps to prevent thrush. I wasn't given a specific warning and I'm not sure how common this side effect would be, I personally think I'd be more prone to vaginal thrush if anything xx

It's really reassuring to hear some other babies are also only having short gaps in between feeds - I was starting to feel like everyone else has amazing babies who feed every 3 hours and sleep 6 hours overnight!

@Ready2020 maybe a bit personal - but would sorting yourself out for an orgasm work 😳

@sarah13xx renting a house is such a good shout - most of our planned trips are seeing DH's family or a weekend in a cottage type thing, as we had the same thought that having a house and a bit more space would be better than squashing into a hotel, especially if he doesn't sleep through for ages

We had a much better night last night, which I was amazed by as he slept practically all day - but he was way more settled. I read something a while ago from a sleep consultant saying that 'sleep begets sleep' and yesterday at least that seemed to be true

@biscuitcat ha yeah that is an option but my tear is next to my clit so I don't want to make it worse. I did use that method before pregnancy as I've suffered with it lots before and it does actually work... until you wake up then it's back again. Not that s night full of orgasms isn't appealing but I'm sure you'd get sick of it

Has anyone else considered setting up a savings account for your DC/using any other means to save some money for them? I'm taking a shameless shortcut here because I've not had a chance to research this yet and wondering if anyone else has found something decent yet, fixed or flexible. Interest rates seem so low that I am wondering what alternatives to a standard savings account are out there? xx

@PurplePansy05 how many weeks did you leave it? That’ll be 6 weeks on Monday and it still felt a bit sensitive last week but feel like it’s finally healed or nearly there now

Also, completely separate point but if any of you were under women's physiotherapist during pregnancy, it's likely you're still under their care - I've checked yesterday and it says I can contact them up until 12 weeks post partum for any support, so worth doing it if you're struggling with anything xx

@sarah13xx It was 6.5 weeks lovely xx

@biscuitcat yeah definitely, it means I will literally take the kitchen sink with us 😂 We usually rented a house before we had him anyway because of our dogs but it just means there’s way more space for us all now

@PurplePansy05 will maybe see how it is next weekend 😂 I’m going to get an appointment to go back on the pill next week but I think I’ll need to wait to get a period to start taking it again. Really didn’t want to go back on it, hate all the hormones in my body etc but don’t know what else to do 🙄

@PurplePansy05 I'm thinking of setting up a stocks and shares ISA in my/DH's name for him. I wondered about a junior ISA, but my problem with that was he gets total control at 18, and that seems like a bad idea as I'd prefer for it to go towards a house or something and not be frittered away by teenage bad decisions! And I figured as it's over such a long time, stocks and shares will grow more than normal savings accounts - we'll probably just do a tracker fund or something to keep it simple.

Random - have you heard of Power Pumping? That may be more effective than longer sessions. I don't know much about it but Lucy Ruddle talks about it a lot and she seems to know a lot about all thingd pumping/supply related. Also more sessions in the day I believe is most effective. This has lots of tips: kellymom.com/hot-topics/pumping_decrease/

I want to do a day where I track feeds/sleeps because it's all so random but I just forget!

Pansy - MoneySavingExpert is my go to for questions like that or was in the UK! They often have a good easy to understand breakdown.