Due Sept '08 - Counting Down Rather than Up Now!

[Sunshinemummy]

Thought I'd do this and post my last comments:

Hi all. Glad to hear more good scan news!

We had MIL visit this weekend and she is such hard work. She literally never lifted a finger and kept going back to bed every couple of hours. I've asked DP not to let her come again for a while as it's hard work waiting on someone.

We also finally put DS in his 'big boy bed'. Went quite well - he went to bed no problems, but he woke up at 2am crying as he'd got stuck under the duvet. He was then awake for a couple of hours so I'm feeling shattered today. Anyone of you with older children got any tips?

Slinkie we'll be near each other for mat leave won't we? We can have some fun together I'm sure.

Meglet I'm the same as you with the whole bf thing. I hated it last time and was relieved when I gave up. I keep veering to and fro with regards to trying it for this baby. I had such a happy time last time round, really enjoyed the whole experience, and am worried that attempting to bf will make the whole thing fraught.

I've put the link to the official website about free nursery places here.

I waxed my bikini line myself for what I think will be the last time before birth coz I couldn't see it all and then discovered a day later all the bits I'd missed. Will have to grow it then get a professional on the case! I'm loving the new pink veet though, smells like bubblegum!

Thank you everyone for the comments on under the bump trousers, glad I'm not alone!

In terms of 'medicine cabinet' things to buy, you can get colief on prescription, and when your baby has their first jabs (8ish weeks) you can ask for calpol on prescription, and personally whenever I get this I ask them to chuck in a syringe so I've never paid for one.

I'm going to stock up on Always Night-time pads coz they're long and wide, to go under the maternity pads, and last time I found the Johnson&Johnson breast pads the best. I had got cheepo own-brand ones from freecycle, but this was a baked-beans situation for me, that is, its worth paying full price for Heinz. I was a squirt-across-the-room sort of person and round the J&J ones reassuringly thick, and the nipple dimple was much more comfortable when I had the thrush. But that's just me. If I need breastpads for more than a few weeks then I plan to use washable ones, coz I spent an absolute fortune on disposable ones last time.

I feel absolutely huge tonight, only 4 more days til I have to squeeze into the bridesmaids dress, and then baby can have a growth spurt!

caesarian

when awake during the day she may want to use the rugby hold to bf sitting up.

Enquire if there is an Infant Feeding Specialist at the hospital to show her how. Most hospitals by now should have one, I hope. or search google videos/youtube so you can describe it a bit for her.

Thanks Kiskidee. I know who the BF specialist is as she helped me when I had DD!

biological nurturing article

picture leaflet click on the link

Just looked at the last 2 links. Won't biological nurturing be difficult straight after a c-section? She can't lay him across her like that?

BTW, how long would you expect her to have to be hand-expressing for - when do they usually wake up and start feeding?

it depends on the baby re hand expressing. it ties in with successful attempts to latch. tbh.

with a c.s scar, as long as the baby is not on the scar, she should be ok. putting his head between her breasts, face down with his face to one side, and his legs frogged up so that his bum is in the air is an ergonomic position for babies.

as i said lying across chest maybe diagonally with her lying on her back on her back and he face down again.

lying side by side so that he can wiggle up to her breasts

even as the biological nurturing article said (the pink pdf one) over one shoulder.

have you looked at the feeding lying down videos I linked from youtube?

Good links kiskideesameanoldmother. I'm having an elective CS and I've spoken to my MW about skin to skin and BF asap after the birth. I've been told it's a see how it goes and that skin to skin (at my hospital anyway) is not always possible as the surgeon has to do his stuff, there's stuff on top of you etc etc. BF can take place (all being well with LO) as soon as I'm in recovery.

I've looked at the rugby ball position and will consider it if I find cradling uncomfortable.

Has anyone used a widgey cushion and found them useful? I'm considering buying one.

johnworf and jearund: if you look search the breast and bottlefeeding section with 'breastfeeding caesarean' etc as your key words, you will find lots of posts of RL experiences and advice and advice from trained counsellors with lots of experience. you can also narrow your search with the nickname:Tiktok as she is a bfc with the NCT who posts a lot on MN.

you will find that lots of women have successfully initiated bfing while the surgeon is finishing his work. I would question anyone who says that the surgeon have to be laying implements on you so you may not be able to start bfing till you are in recovery. You are the patient, not a surgery table. Your job as a patient is hard enough without them putting your bfing second to their convenience for embroidery. To me it is a fob off from the midwife who is not really pro-bfing despite the partyline she has to follow.

But then, i am a wellknown stroppy cow loudmouth on the breast and bottlefeeding board.

Please remember that because some people will experience difficulties with initiating feeding does not mean that it is probably what will happen to you.

I just really really feel, having been burnt the first time round that if you go in with information that many times midwives on the wards should but don't have, then you are in a better position to fight for what will work for you.

Good luck with it all.

Morning all,
Got my dh into the loft yesterday. It seriously felt like christmas
I have sorted thru all the baby clothes. I am currently washing Newborn-6 months (piles of them). I am giving my mum 6-12 months to lauder for me. I have kept one box of 12months to 2 and another 2-3 years. I dont think you keep as much as they get bigger as they really wear out the cloths more.
I have also made a big pile for charity as one child will not need so much stuff and I want him to at least have a few new things. OOH I also discovered 1.5 rolls of the original barnaby bear border . I have worked out that this should just be enough. I am going to have to take the rolls I just brought back. Sorry for self absorbed post today, I am just so excited .
I am working this weekend so will come back to reality .
Biglips I too have the aching fanjo. Is yours worse of a night? I am not due to see the mw for another 4 weeks. Is it worth seeing her before? not sure.
Anyway, off to the park in half an hour. I have promised my friend Ill take us a sausage sandwhich, she is bringing the flask . Chat soon. xx

johnworf,
i use a wedge pillow for my back and neck so that i can still sleep on my back till 30 weeks...for me it's GRREEAAATTT!!! i don't know what brand it is since i stole it from my physio (she charges such high prices and i felt like the pillow would make up for all the extortion.)

here is a thread where someone was having a c/s and wanted to bf.

if you search GA, general anaesthetic, epidural, caesarean in breast and bottlefeeding you will find lots to read. maybe too much.

kiskidseesameanoldmother I had this discussion with my (diabetic) midwife as I'm keen to feed asap to avoid my babies blood sugars dropping and told her I could not stress this enough. She told me it was unlikely and then in the next breath told me that my hospital is breast feeding friendly! Although, I have stressed to her that if my baby is taken off and given a bottle to avoid the blood sugar issue (which has been known) I will hit the bloody roof!

I'm meeting with her at next clinic appointment to discuss my birthing plan in detail and I really do want to put my foot down on this one. I'm trying to be tactful but finding it hard.

This is my first CS so I'm not sure what to expect and what is 'normal' tbh.

kiskadee is right about the skin to skin ds was really cold after birth and they had me with top off and baby in just nappy for well over an hour and it really worked!!

plus don;t know if this has anything to do with the above ds always loved skin (that sounds sooo creepy but it isn't) when he was a baby and you would hold him to sleep hewould stroke hishand up and down your arm (actually pull your sleeve up if he had to) and that was how he would drop off until he was nearly four!!

am am getting the fanjo kicks too and the scrapy feelings which are my least fave i have to say

went for a rummage in my bedroom and managed to locate dd's old change bag and an avent thurmsulate (sp?) bottle holder which is great although the change bag looks like it's seen better days i'd forgotton we had taken it on hols last year- might have to weigh up how much i'll need to use it and think about a new one

ask to have a meeting with the Infant Feeding Specialist and a Matron wrt this. I take it you are under consultant care. Stress to your consultant that you want this meeting as he will have more clout to get it done than the midwife who may not.

read up on breast and bottlefeeding archives and take along any copies of webpages which may back up your case.

Post a new thread on the breast and bottlefeeding board asking for advice, maybe with a title like: how soon can I bf after a c-section? and explain what your mw said that you will probably have to wait till you are in the recovery room before you cna initiate bfing and was that really true.

I had a meeting like this with a Matron and an IFS a couple weeks ago to discuss the crap post natal care my dd received which led to some formula feeding and jaundice. helped me feed her eventhough the records show that she didn't even latch on in over 24 hrs. appalling really when we were in a high dependency unit (it means a midwife was in in the room even if for the whole time) due to a close run thing with eclampsia during labour.

Hi all - obstetrician appointment yesterday so didn't get chance to get on here.

Mentioned the pains I've been getting in the bottom of my bump to the lovely doctor and she found leukocytes in my urine so that's now being tested and I may need yet another course of anti-biotics (my 6th dose)!

Things I foud really useful to have in the house was Colief (DS did loads better when we started putting this into his bottles) but we never got it on prescription and it is expensive, and aloe vera gel which we found to be the best thing ever on nappy rashes. Also because DS was late, all the vernix coating had disappeared so he was born with really dry skin. We olive-oiled him every night until this had gone - was fantastic!

Whoever mentioned rubber gloves they were another must have for me. Because you have to wash each bottle before you sterilise you do get really dry cracked skin on your hands. Rubber gloves were a godsned, as was Atrixo. Also friend of mine bought two steam sterilisers so she could keep clean stuff in one and fill the other with dirty.

On the nappy front, if you can get yourselves a Costco card. They don't do newborn nappies but it saves a lot of money once your baby is in bigger ones to get nappies, baby bath etc. from there. Well worth it.

Is anyone else going to use an Amby Nature's Nest? It's been recommended to me and I think, as the Stokke cot is quite large, I'm going to get one in our room and put the Stokke up in the nursery for when Baloo has reached six months.

Also one other thing I've used religiously in this and last pregnancy is my wedge pillow too. It really does help with sleeping and positioning and was fab when I was in my endless labour last time round. I got mine from John Lewis - well worth it.

Eandz - shaving, I let DP help with it. He goes a little bit shorter than I would (in the lady garden area) but, as I'm having a c-section - I need that to be clear. The dr yesterday told me that they will go through my old scar, so I'm really pleased as it's neat and tight and means I won't have train lines down there.

Well, I have only been away one week and I come back to a whole new thread that is already 14 pages long!!!

Just got back from Mallorca yesterday, first family holiday abroad since Dd was 8 weeks, she turned 4 the day before we went!

Had a lovely time, am nice and tanned, definatly glowing!
Dd enjoyed the beach, and the hotel pool, have hundreds of photos of her having fun.
We went to a place called Marineland to see a dolphin show, fantastic!

Baby Bob (as named by Dd) has been salsa dancing all week! I bought another oufit for him just before we went away, sooo cute

Dh has actually suggested a name he likes, Isaac, I was quite impressed by it.

Hope everyone else is well, will have to do some reading to catch up!

Hi all- I have had 2 cs and on dd2 they had to do more work on me so they gave my dh the baby to do skin to skin with, which he loved and that also warmed the baby up. Funny thing from that day on she has always lied snuggling in to him rather than me. Didnt bother me and he loved it.

oh and also when I was in recovery they then latched her on to feed and she was very good, dd1 just would not.

Hi kiskidee- I have printed all the stuff u have linked on bf after c-section but I cannot fing the u tube link for bf positions lying down. Was it on this thread or the old one. Sorry to be a pain but I never bf lying down last time I always did it sitting up and in the nights and after c section it was quite painfull. Thanks

sunshinemommy,
i'm happy that you wont have train tracks...i will probably get my husband to help with the removal of the hair. i wanted to do it before he got home yesterday but couldn't...i think we'll try together tonight. we'll see how it goes.

Izzybiz,
the name Isaac is beautiful! I was thinking about Isaac or Isiah but my husband was dead against it.

here on thurs 15th May are the video links and the rest

i just put up random pictures...but thats because i don't have kids yet or anything for the baby, so nothing to really look at except my face, my half twin sisters and my baby.

kiskideesameanoldmother I will ask my consultant at my next ANC for a meeting with the matron and infant feeding specialist (if they have one, never been mentioned to me before). I feel like a crank mother everytime I ask about this and get fobbed off.

When she said my DH could 'hold baby' while I was getting stitched up I cannot express how pissed off I was at that answer. And that 'theatres were very busy places'. Well blow me, talk to me like I'm 41 and not 8 ffs!!!

Thanks for your advice and I'll let you know how I go with this one