Due in June - Thread 9

[teabelly]

Brand new thread as ordered...

Trib, I'm impressed chocky at that time of the morning ...soooo how do you have yours?? I bite the top off, suck out the filling and save the choc til last, yum!

I know I shouldn't have weighed in today but just couldn't find the wherewithal to keep quiet. Have stopped now.

Hi all,
Don't look on that other thread!! I am not as it really began to bother me. Well actually now I will have to go and have a look after all....
I breastfed last time and would encourage any one who wants to b/f to give it a go. I loved it, but don't beat yourself up if you don't enjoy it. I do believe it is the best thing for the baby but only as long as the Mum is still happy healthy and well with it. Hope this makes sense. To begin with I used to have to get my WHOLE boob out to get the position right which was when I skulked off into changing rooms however with practice I used to tuck dd under my top and fed anywhere, in the pub, infront of my dad and stepdad, on the plane etc etc and people didn't ever have a problem. I loved the place in York because I knew I could feed there without any chance of being challenged and so could take my feisty head off.
Charley - I don't remember any jumble sales as I thought it was just a food place now but I could well be wrong. I wasn't there long and only discovered it when I had dd.
Will def record Desp HW then, thanks for advice.
Catch up soon

No KVG - don't leave us please! Things like this happen everynow and again on MN - I think some people enjoy a bit of controversy for a while then it burns out again. I'm posting on here in my normal way because i like it and I want us all to get back to normal as soon as possible.

Lua - I'm going to see if I can find an NCT class near me. My doc says they're very good with breastfeeding advice, and I need to be prepared cos I had a reduction in "88 and forsee problems...

Lua - I'm planning to give it at least 6 weeks to settle down but I am very lucky in that dh will be around full-time, so I can focus on this to the exclusion of other household tasks (particularly nappies - got to let dh have his bonding time, after all! ) For me personally, I think it's vitally important to give it a whirl as dh has a number of food intolerances and an autoimmune condition, so whatever I can do to give the bean a good immunity boost from birth I want to do.

KVG and everyone else - I share a lot of your frustrations, just keeping hoping that we can get back to normal soon.

Forgot to add I b/f dd for 12 months and the idea of the hassle of bottles fills me with dread. Like Lua we travelled around alot living in York all family in south then moving to Cyprus etc and it was great to know that apart from nappies I only needed me for the baby. Very convenient. First four weeks were the worst for me but fab from then on and I only realised how hectic the first four weeks were when it settled down as I didn't know any different. HTH for those interested anyway. I know it is not for everybody but the support if you do go for it is crucial. My DH was fantastic providing pints of water, remote control, phone and sandwiches on demand. I read about someones DH who made sandwiches and left them in the fridge when he had to go back to work and this sort of thing would have been the KINDEST thing anyone could have done for me at that time. I was lucky that DH came home for lunch every day and made mine. I was spoilt but then also had a baby welded to me for much of the day. I do appreciate I was v lucky with our situation though.

I write too much. You all post while I am still typing!!!

another breast feeder here an di echo others comments, it took me nearly 12 weeks to get it sussed, partly due to her incorrectly latching in the delivery room and the nipple never recovering!!! i expressed bottles for her off of one side for about 6 weeks when the nipple went completely to pot!! but once it had healed it all just fitted into place and i ended up feeing her until 11 months, which was never my plan!

Hi,

I just wanted to pop in and say hello - todays my 1st post since I lost the baby.

I wanted to draw your attention to this

Sweetheart return

It was just my opertunity to let you all know what happened and also to say a great big thanks to all of you for your love and support.

Take care xxx

Sweetheart!!! So good to hear from you!!!!
I'll go and read your other post!
Just wanted to let you know how happy I was to hear from you!
{{{{{{hugs}}}}}

Lua : Hubby says we don't need to go to see anyone else as he doesn't see what else they could tell us. 4 weeks isn't that long away. I was getting in a state because I didn't kow what it would mean the baby would be like if he/she had Edward's syndrome but I understand a little bit more now.

I have been quite surprised how many people I know who bottlefed because they thought it would be easier?! It is from the point of view you know how much milk baby has had but you still have to sterilise, boil the kettle, make up the feed and by the time you've done all that baby has gone to sleep.. Waste of a feed. It is such a lovely thing to do if you can, but don't beat yourself up if you can't. And don't try and feed in Sainsbury's cafe. I did in Sevenoaks and they told me it was company policy not to allow it as people had complained. I went back the following week and fed my baby. This was 2001 so things may have changed....

welcome back sweetheart - my thoughts are with you and your family.

Welcome back, Sweetheart. Have been thinking of you lots.

Welcome back Sweetheart, and thanks for sharing your story with us. Take care.

Charley, if you're after NCT classes you will have to enquire fairly swiftly, they get booked up early. I was on our committee here until recently and ours were booked up by the time people were 15 or 16 weeks pg. They do do postnatal too, and the bf counsellors (assuming there is one near you) are available to everyone.

I'm booked in for breastfeeding classes at the hospital, but was going to give NCT a ring too - hope I haven't left it too late! A friend with two kids had rather unsympathetic midwives in the hospital after she had her first, who basically responded to her struggling to get b/f established with "well you should have gone to the classes". Hmmm. Helpful. I'll just step back in time and get right on that then.

She went to the classes for the second one and has found it much easier as a result. So definitely worth going along if poss, I reckon.

I wonder what it is that makes people complain about breastfeeding in public? I can imagine the vast majority of women, if they needed to get the whole boob out (which I can well imagine in the early days) would not sit there and do that in Sainsburys' cafe anyway. (Nab, not suggesting this is what you were doing, of course!) But even if they did, it's not like they are indecently exposing themselves just for fun. I was astounded when the Scottish Parliament passed legislation on this but I assume there must be a need (rather than the MSPs were bored and couldn't think of anything else to legislate on!).

There is a really good book about breastfeeding here which I found really helpful when ds was born. I read it through before i had him and then dipped in and out in the first few weeks. I bf him exclusively until five and a half months and I'm hoping to do it again with this baby too. You do need support in the early days and you really need your dp/dh to be on your side, and to understand about things like latching on (my dh got really good at seeing if the latch was wrong for instance). My community midwife who was coming to the house for the first couple of weeks was fantastic, although the hospital ones were a bit useless tbh, too busy. Ask for help and keep asking until you get it is my advice. It is generally true that if it is awfully painful then there is a problem, don't let anyone say 'well it just hurts' - it does at first, but even in the early days the pain should be gone once you've counted to 10 (my fantastic midwife's top tip).

Sweetheart, thanks for your post. Like I said in your "return" thread, it's so, so good to see you back. x

Oh dear MrsFP - I bet I'm too late I just tried to call them and there's no one answering the phones on a Friday. I ws going to book with them ages ago, but couldn't find a local group on their website so didn't pursue it, and my doc only just told me this week that there actually is one here after all

Nab I'm so about the Sainsbury's "company policy" how can they in this day and age. What kind of people complain about this ffs . It's just not right! Is it still their policy? It's disgusting. I shall complain if it is. Good for you for going back and doing it again!!

Trib - are you saying Scotland has legislated against bfing in public??

I'll be gutted if I can't breastfeed at least for the first few weeks. I don't care if he has difficulties latching on, or I have to wear shields (although I know these methods in the long run aren't helpful), I just really want to get that good stuff into him, even if I have to express. I'm trying not to worry yet. I love the idea of not having to mess about with bottles too.

Welcome back sweetheart (((((hugs)))))

Nct classes Charley? You have left it a touch too late - We are having a bidding war here for classes and I put my name down at 3 1/2 weeks pregnant. They are offering the places to people who were first but basically there is a waiting list as long as your arm and the teacher had to hurry my reply because there were so many people hoping - they just left it too late. They were hoping for my spot as I wasn't sure because of college.

I was told that on my first appointment with the midwife - if you want NCT you have to get in touch before you are preggers practically Well I have arranged with college so I'll be starting them. I hope you get a last minute drop out or something.

I haven't time now to catch up - Midwife said bubba was fine and more like 25 weeks in growth (she said from the size of his head) and she says I'm lucky I am not carrying such a mound yet. So he isn't actually small like I thought from the belly dictionary. I am most distressed to find out he is rather large more pain if you ask me. God I just can't be pleased can I My belly seems to be a bit bigger the last few days though, growth spurt I think.

I actually think that there is value in the NHS antenatal classes. They tend to be more focussed around your hospital, and are often taught be the midwives who do your antenatal appointments. You also tend to learn more about your hospital (like the birthing facilities, etc.) AND, most importantly you meet other women going to your hospital whose babies will be the same age as yours.

I did NHS the first time round becase it was too late for NCT. But, they were pretty good. I still know the women from my antenatal class two years on.

BTW, sorry for neglecting the thread yesterday and today. I just go so bloody at the whole charade I tried to stay off of mumsnet. But, then this morning when it rose back up, I just couldn't let that damned thread go on without me defending myself... so I jumped back in. I guess you just have to focus on the nice people here (like this thread!!) and take the rest with a grain of salt. Charley, your post earlier was one of the nicest defenses of my tendancy too shoot my mouth off that I have ever read or heard. Thank you.

It's lovely to see you back on here again Uwila - just waiting now for Lippy and KVG.....

I guess i have to accept I've probably missed the boat with the NCT classes, however, I've been invited to "Active Birth" classes at the hospital which sound excellent. It's just the drive down the A3 every week that puts me off a bit, but it'll do me good to get back in the car I should think. It will be very good to get to know the staff and facilities there. Also it's an opportunity to engratiate myself with them so I'll in with a fighting chance if, when the time comes, there's any competition for the birthpool room

Charley - no, the Scottish Parliament passed a law stating you could be fined £2500 for trying to prevent a woman breastfeeding in public.

I've obviously missed the boat on NCT as well, I'll give them a call on Monday but what's been putting me off is their policy of using 0871 numbers. I know they're a charity but I really hate the use of these numbers.

MrsF - my cousin has lent me the same book about breastfeeding, I must give it a read sometime

Uwila, Pink, good to see you both again!

If you want to find the NCT branch nearest to you, you can click on here and you should find local contact numbers. From experience the 0871 number will often give out of date info (I get calls still and I haven't been involved since the autumn).

Hospital ones have the huge advantage that you can see the hospital and all the facilities while you're there. Don't know what the situation is now Pink, but in 2001 when I had ds, Southmead wouldn't contemplate visits to the labour ward beforehand, which I found really disconcerting at the time (not that it mattered in the end).

I think some kind of post natal course/group is great too for making friends locally if you haven't got a support network - tbh I am more in contact with people I met afterwards than with my antenatal group.

Hmm, my local NCT branch (along with several others) is using a 'Find Me Anywhere' 070 number, typically charged at 20p/min! And no email option. In fairness I don't think they get a proportion of the call cost as you do with an 0870 number, it just ensures that the call cost is covered even if the number is switched over to a mobile. But I'm not very impressed.