Due Sept 08: Come on babies, 'cause we are running out of space.

[kiskidee]

New thread here.

Daft name cause we only have 4 more before we hit 1000.

Hi everyone its blooming hot today.

I think ive just had a show not sure what to do maybe its normal as it my 3rd baby?

What did it look like lolly? (sorry if TMI!!)

Lollyheart,

I can't really remember but i think give your midwives a call just to check and for peace of mind. Good Luck.

I guess the problem, Blimey, is that it means the baby will feed less during the first night which means it can take longer for the milk to come in, which I imagine might knock the confidence for some women. Of course, colostrum is also much much better for baby than formula.

My dd had to have a top up as well, she had low bloodsugar I believe and would only sleep and not eat so I expressed and then topped up with formula. She only needed the one time though to turn around.

It looked liked a big yellow blob of snot

i never had a show with the other 2.

I am also leaking milk maybe i should stop squeezing my boobs ive also never leaked before.

Blimey, lots of babies get formula in the early days and go on to bf successfully. Equally, lots of babies also get formula in the early days and don't go on to bf successfully.

Both reasons why your babies were given formula, from what limited info you provided, do not show any medical need for formula. I am not saying these things to belittle what you have accomplished by any means. It is just further indication that formula is given very often when it is just not necessary. What the mothers really need was some time with a knowledgeable hcp on the ward.

I have personal experience with this giving of formula when actually, it was the bfing that should have been fixed.

It may be that you never had the most frequent problem which cause most babies to get formula in hospital which is bad positioning.
This normally leads to cracked bleeding and painful nipples painful engorgement, a continually crying baby, etc., etc. which is harrowing for a mum who is so charged up with hormones. In most circumstances like this in the early days, bfing will most likely fail.

I hope you have a long and happy bf relationship with your next one!

thanx for the Happybags link, there's a few on there I like the look of and they're not all too expensive. I'm happy to spend £50 or £60 or so as I want one that's going to be a changing bag and handbag so I only need to have 1 bag and it looks respectable ish. I'll have a proper look tomorrow. There's some on oioi.info too that are quite nice too.

DS had a formula top up in the hosp too on the 2nd night we were in. There was no medical reason for it, just that I wanted a rest and my nipples were quite sore. It did give us both some much needed sleep and if anything it helped the breast feeding as I then felt up for doing it the next morning.

We all do the best we can for our babies. I think that as long as women know the facts then we are entitled to make the choices we think our best, be it breastfeeding, formula, top ups, etc.

I felt, with dd1 that I didn't really know enough about breastfeeding after a c-section and I wasn't confident enough. This time I'm going to make sure I get skin to skin straight off and I won't feel that I shouldn't do stuff with my baby. Last time, for some reason, I felt as if I should just leave her in the bassinet as long as she was happy. This time I think there will be a lot of snuggling and cuddling straight away.

I have one thing to add to the Bounty conversation - fish out the free wipes and bath wash before you sling the rest of it! We haven't had to buy bath wash for dd yet, what with what we got from Bounty, and as presents, and the wipes were pampers which are much posher than the supermarket own-brand ones we buy! Wish I'd known to tell the Bounty people to naff off though. The post-natal ward was like picadilly circus and the bounty people came round taking photos 'for security' which is clearly a load of...(feel free to finish that sentence in your head).

My negative bf in hospital experience was that the midwives were so keen to help me that they'd appear out of nowhere and grab my boob and my baby and try and join the two together. I was discharged with a bad latch and an overly sleepy baby and no one had noticed. I soooo wish someone had given her formula from a sippy cup that first night as she was the screaming one on the ward and I'd had no sleep for three nights by that point which isn't exactly conducive to milk coming in. They tried to get me to do the feeding lying down thing, but my boobs are too small and didn't reach! Def feel more empowered this time

...and debi I'd be very interested to know which change bag you settle on. I think I have quite similar requirements to you! I quite like the look of the Icoo rucksack one, but can't find any pictures of the inside, or any shops that sell it.

They tried to get me to feed on my side as well, but after the c-section it made the scar hurt something dreadful so I gave up on that idea. I had to sleep on my back for about 2 months. This time I'm getting a proper breastfeeding pillow though so I won't have to prop her up with a dozen normal pillows. I think I will get a widgey, they look really sturdy.

GIRLS BARGAINS!!!!!!!
BLOOMING MARVELLOUS WEBSITE: THEY HAVE JUST SENT ME AN EMAIL> 40% OFF ALL PRODUCTS WITHIN NURSERY AND TOYS QUOTING THE CODE NTS4 AT CHECKOUT.
I have bought everything already, but you can get real bargains. Have a look!

You can get the Close baby carrier. They call it organic baby carrier, but it is the one, in red or charcoal. for £29.99 plus P&P instead of £49.99!!!!!!!! They have the most popular cot mobiles also. Just in case you haven't bought them yet. Hope it helps someone.

Thanks Potxola, that's a very good discount. Will go have a look as there are still a couple of bits I need to sort out.

that's interesting starlight - the docs gave me a no option scenario on DS1 having formula - they were considering a drip but formula picked up his sugar sufficiently. It was prob more severe than in your case though. He had an infection from my delayed delivery and needed iv antibiotics for a week

and kiski I agree there was no medical indication for the second baby having formula but it really helped me by giving me some sleep. I totally agree that formula is foisted on people too readily instead of giving appropriate bf support but I think that it is also important for mums who want to breastfeed to know that one formula feed is not going to ruin things. I was pretty distraught when they told me DS1 had to have a bottle as I thought all would be lost, but that was not the case.

I should add that both boys had taken all the colostrum going before they had any formula.

I got the autumn Jojomamanbebe catalogue through the post yesterday, it has sooooo many cute things in it. Times like this I really wish I knew whether I was having a boy or a girl!

Glad you found some possible bags Debi, I'm planning to buy one this month (payday today, yay!), so need to start trying to decide what I need.

Really interesting to read everyone's different experiences in hospital - I am determined to refuse formula top up if humanly possible, but its reassuring to know that if I get convinced it's necessary it doesn't necessarily spell the end of BF.

Hello, I'm still here though haven't posted for ages. Hello to you all and I'm glad you're all doing well.
This is my 3rd baby and I successfully breastfed both my boys for 9 months each.
Re getting to grips with breastfeeding, in my very own personal experience MWs and HVs are shite at breastfeeding advice. The most they do is grab your tit and try to suffocate your baby with it. However, a breast feeding councillor will teach you how to relax (very important), how to hold the baby, where to hold the baby, the cues to look out for, why you do what you do when you do it etc, etc. I swear by BF councillors, their numbers can be found in just about every baby book, pamphlet etc you have and will receive.
If when your baby arrives please do not give up on BF if that is the feeding option you choose, call a BF councillor first.

Mornin' all - should be working, can't be bothered!

Quick qn for now - changing bags - any views on the OiOi range? I checked the happybags site and really like the Giraffe bag. At £80 it's a bit steep - worth it anyone? Ta.

Lollyheart - Are you here? Any more ideas on whether it was a show or not?

Potoxola - Thanks for the bargain alert, I'm going to take a look right now!

I've started packing my hospital bag, I've decided that there's no reason not to have it packed and ready to go, even if it does seem a little early (41 days to go!!).