Due April 2009 - Tralalaboomdiay, our bumps grow every day!!

[BabyBolat]

Place your bets on how long this thread will last, my guess is two weeks!!

Bleuravin, at the NCT class they gave us a leaflet that suggested positions for an active birth - the same poster was also up on the walls in my hospital - but it's not rocket science really, you just go with what your body tells you. I was up on my feet for 20 hours pacing the hospital corridors and doing some sort of belly dance around my husband with every contraction. Did get some funny looks when another woman waddled in to the labour ward with her partner Well at least at that point I was still dressed...

But it can't hurt to read that book!

BabyBolat, am proud of you for putting your foot down on the train. It makes me want to cry how ignorant people can be.

Bleuravin - I went to the free NHS classes organised by the community midwifes at the GP's surgery, and they also encouraged an active birth.

Gosh

Have just had a look around the due in December thread and the mums there are complaining about sleepless nights and crying, vomiting newborns and cracked nipples and all that... brings it all back to me how weird and difficult those first few weeks were!

good for you babybolat, why should she take up all the seats just because shes over weight. I think you must be very fit though to be able commute for that amount of time each day. I feel abit lazy now as i work from home and asked dh to cook dinner tonight when he came in because i was to tired.

hello, hello! wow! I keep catching up and then am about to respond and the conversation has moved on 4 pages before I blink! And everyone has been posting photos ? you are all stunning!

Welcome newbies, or not so new now, but still hello and glad you can join this merry throng of chatterers!

Nutty ? praying all goes well at the hospital ? you will hopefully have had a discussion of your scan results by now and hopefully they are able to fix you. I am betting the thread slows down if you stay in hospital!

So this is probably all old news and half of what i wanted to say I have forgotten in the process of catching up and then there is just pregnant brain to blame for the randomness:

Names - Aurora and Hazel are lovely - all girls I know are sweet and intelligent. Eilidh on Dh's list too. I am preferring Ruth, Eve, Ella and Beatrice but who knows - that is this weeks top 4. They will get a Scottish family middle name, possibly Fife or Mackinnon, anyway so would prefer them to have a name that spells like it says as we live in London and folk won't have a clue. The problem I have with my first 3 is that they are short, i like names that can be shortened and played with, like Beatrice - Bea, Trixie etc but i still like them...

Weight - Started pregnancy No1 at size 12 ended up at size 18 and couldn't walk very far for 9 months afterwards so it all stayed, i am tall at almost 5'11 though so helps to disguise my size. Got down to a 16 just before this pregnancy No 3 and hoping that I can stay there, I am weighing less than my booking in weight due to the pneumonia. This is bad though you are meant to put on weight so those that have good on you, like Nutty was saying the weight of the baby, placenta and waters etc plus what you should be storing for breastfeeding is all good weight. Hoping to be super active and breastfeed/pump the rest off to attain size 14. Am tall at almost 5'11 though so helps to disguise my size.

BarbarellaNz? nice to have you back, yes I get breathless and am not carrying 3. Had the same problem with ds though.

Antenatal Classes ? not doing this time, hoping i remember it all from last time and have the opportunities and guts to say hello to people at post natal stuff. for first timers NCT definatly worth the money seems to me but i was too late in applying. just did hospital one.

sorry for length!

Itching!!!! ? anyone else itching? Had it with ds but still a bit worrying, may ask for a liver function test just to be sure all ok. Am having extra baths, showers and dousing myself with oil. Find myself shutting down though as I try and manage it. Dh not getting very much comunication in evenings when it is at its worst. You girls are a good distraction from it though!!

babybolat

Just read your commute story from yesterday.
Just wanted to say, as a fellow commuter myself, BRAVO!

You were well in your rights to say something.

I wish I had more guts to tell some of the men I have to squeeze in a seat next too that I am sure that they aren't THAT BIG down there and surely could manage to keep their legs a little less open and intrusive into my tiny space.

Also, digging their elbows into my ever expanding sides because they want to read the paper is NOT very considerate!

Anyway, rant over - like I said WELL DONE! I am endlessly shocked by the lack of just general human compassion of people on the trains.

There said!

Ah thanks girls!

Have to say I am fairly lucky as get the overground train most of the time and people are fairly good, although last night I had to get the piccadilly line to a friends house and GOOD LORD how you girls commute in and around London is beyond me. Not only is it so dangerously busy but people are RUDE!

Oooh Nutty how are you supposed to stay still when you have a little rabbit inside of you jumping around!

Oh I have been a regular lurker on the December and January threads - their birth stories made me get excited but the post baby issues bring me back to the tone of our thread in the first few months!! We'll get through it tho - somehow?? At the moments (along my ignorance is bliss theme) I am just imagining a beautiful smiling baby and me taking long walks along the beach. (Remind me of this in three months time!!!)

Oddeyes, showering and baths can make the itching worse as it dries out your skin. Better to cut down the washing and up the oiling!
My sister actually got a horrible rash condition when she was pregnant that made her itch terribly ALL OVER! They had to put her on medication to stop her tearing her skin off - I do try not to look smug about my totally symptom free pregnancies, but I think she sees through it. She gets all the bad stuff in our family - it seems there's always one!

Morning All, Hope you all slept well and that this day brings good news for Nutty and the rest looking for some brightness.

Itchy skin- growing up in a cold climate I'd say with the weather like it's been stay away from the baths and showers too as much as you can. When you do bathe lather on that lotion/oil then put your clothes on right away because it helps to keep the moisture on/in your skin. Likewise lather those bellies and thighs etc. when you get up and when you go to bed. Mom was saying she felt that was her biggest mistake the first time around.

Good Morning Ladies!

BabyBolat I am so proud of you for what you said to that rude woman on the bus! I wish I could be that quick-witted On the bus yesterday a woman wouldn't let me have the last 'special' seat because she had her shopping on it!! I just stood there and stared at her until she very resentfully moved it...

BoffinMum glad to hear your headache is better. How is the SPD? Are you still on crutches? Is your husband still being a hypochondriac ? I hope he has realised all the things you do (your roster-system and planning is so impressive - you ARE Superwoman!!) and is trying to help more!!!

OddEyes my tummy has been VERY itchy too and my boobs get itchy at night. I've been using Bio-Oil which seems to help but I often find myself having a good scratch anyway. Have you tried olive oil? Apparently that can be good if your skin is too sensitive for perfumed/chemical oils. (According to my midwife)

NuttyTaff I hope the MRI sorts everything out for you - it's weird in there isn't it? Your baby would have been wondering what the that strange noise was!

Birth plans - unfortunately that has been chosen for me and I will be having a caesarian - eeek! The babies will be taken out at 34 weeks (only 8 weeks to go ) so presumably they are too small/fragile to be born vaginally??

NCT Classes - I am going to a one-off multiple birth class to learn about caring for premature babies etc. which is in two weeks. I would like to go to normal ones as well though to meet people as my friends have say they've made really valuable friendships/connections at theirs. I also think it would be a bit like our thread -everyone in the same boat at the same time - which is really nice and makes you feel so supported and that the things that are happening to you/feelings you're having are normal - even if they're not pleasant!!

Pooing - I am still going every day but only VERY small amounts - like rabbit droppings (sorry if TMI ) which is very frustrating especially when it feels like you have so much more to offer
Doctor has put me on iron tablets so I'm wondering if this has made the situation worse..

Does anyone else get really hungry during the night? I wake up around 4-5 times during the night to wee and usually have a glass of milk or half a banana or a couple of rich tea biscuits during 2-3 of those times. No wonder I've put on two stone....

Names - we're finding boys' names easy and girls' names hard. What do you all think of the names
Rosanna
Freya
Estella ??
Too 'girly' or ok??

Breastfeeding - I am going to TRY to breastfeed but have been told it requires military-type precision organisation (help me, BoffinMum!!) and that you MUST stick to a precise schedule or you're doomed. I plan to try to breastfeed two at once (!!!Note the word TRY) and the other with expressed milk in a bottle then rotate at each feed so they all get an equal boob/bottle ratio. My dh (who is a sports teacher and loves planning/organisation) is planning to put a whiteboard up above their cot so we can tick off who gets what when etc. He was very excited about it and had lots of ideas on how to make it work efficiently which was very sweet. Can you imagine me remembering to tick off the columns on the whiteboard at four in the morning with two limpets attached to my breasts and another one screaming for its turn?? Apparently I will be attached to a breast pump A LOT in between. I am planning to just see how it goes...

Sorry for blathering on but wanted to try and catch up on what's been posted.

XX

Barb, my friends with twins bf at least for a couple of months and they said it was hard. You need to get someone to show you how to feed 2 at once. They did say that a strict routine was the only way they survived - waking up the babies for a feed if nec. Don't beat yourself up over it though, if you need to mix feed then do what it takes to stay sane, healthy and functioning.

Re the constipation - I get this terribly with pregnancy - it's been my first symptom both times- and I simply have to have a big bowl of porrdge EVERY morning. It is the ONLY thing that works - even the granual things they recommend aren't as effective.

Hi Barbarella, I think you are ultra, ultra organised about this already, far beyond the BoffinMum capability, and the white board idea sounds brilliant, but you're right about the 4am problem. I am so impressed you are even considering bf though.

I would possibly just refine the system by systematically putting a little badge or other symbol on the baby who had the most recent bottle. I would not necessarily track quantities because that way madness lies, and it doesn't always make sense in breast milk terms once babies are at home anyway.

I did have a friend who exclusively bf twins for 6 months (she actually calculated the volume of milk she produced over that period and it was the same as our hot water tank held at the time - rispeck, sister!!) and I think she mainly used the 'rugby ball' position (someone will be able to tell you what that is) and managed fine, but with 3 it sounds eminently logical to use bottles of expressed milk as well, for soreness reasons too I imagine.

I bet if you contact NCT HQ and ask for very special bf support from Day One, they will give you Rolls Royce bf counselling treatment, because it is very on-message for the NCT to someone even contemplate this. You could give TikTok a shout on MN as well - she is an NCT bf counsellor and very respected indeed it seems.

Also I noticed the other day that Medela have a hands free double pumping device that looked impressive and might allow you to continue to get on with life a bit whilst pumping. I am sure you will need a big hospital grade pump as well, which someone might be able to lend or hire to you.

www.medelafreestyle.com/

Barb, 4am begins to feel the same as 4pm after a while! I think your idea is brilliant and am so impressed that you are going to give bf a shot. I hope the NCT classes are helpful.

I am thinking after watching the tasteful film on the Medela site, I could chair a Faculty meeting and pump at the same time!!!!! Oh yes!!!! Or lecture whilst pumping away!! Imagine their faces!!!

Hello ladies

Pumping/expressing - I found it really difficult and it only seemed to work properly when DD was attached to the other breast at the same time, stimulating milk flow. I did have her in the rugby ball position and actually found that more comfy than the 'normal' breastfeeding position so Barbarella I am sure you'll manage to do 2 at once. I'd probably go for mixed feeding though and give the third one formula milk - they still get all the goodness from your breastmilk no? By the way found Clare Byam-Cook's 'What to expect when you're breastfeeding' really useful, covered all my questions and had lots of good advice.

Itching - started at 16 weeks for me and I scratched my thighs until they were bleeding. Doc did liver function test, which came back fine, and prescribed E45 Itch relief cream, which works a treat. Def. recommend trying that. Also def. recommend getting your liver checked OddEyes, just to be safe.

Another thing that worked for itchy belly first time round was to soak a tea towel in cold water mixed with white wine vinegar and put that on my belly. DH hated it because he said I smelt like a pickled onion but it really helped. Oh, and when you have a shower use acqueous cream to wash instead of soap, and use a fragrance free moisturiser (I love the body butter from Bliss and Clinique, pricey but worth it). DH suffers from psoriasis and DD from mild eczema so we've got a whole range of creams and potions at home and I've tried pretty much everything.

Sorry for rambling on!

Yep, lots of people have problems with expressing, so it's important to realise in advance that it's not a "given". I was like a jersey cow and could have expressed enough for 5 babies, but I was just lucky. Have you seen the expressing bras they have on the NCT webite? They look hysterical, but probably very practical. That's what you need for your lectures Boffin!

Thanks for all the advice - yes, the 'rugby hold' has been explained to me and is meant to be the easiest(!!) for two at a time. I imagine the only thing I'll be writing on dh's whiteboard at 4 in the morning is 'oh God help me, please, somebody help me...'

BoffinMum I'd love you to go into work and breastpump whilst lecturing/in meetings!! Please post pictures of audience reaction on MN afterwards!! Thanks so much for tips on NCT and Medela pump - my poor old boobs will never be the same, methinks.....

Schulte LOL at 'pickled onion'!

Nutty I am getting nervous! Poor dh had a bit of a meltdown on Sunday - he is feeling very worried about impending fatherhood and was quite tearful. He worries that he won't know what to do with three at once and that he's scared he might 'disappoint me'! I told him that it was more likely I'd be a bad mother than he'd be a bad father (he's so lovely with babies/children and a really good man) and that I didn't have a bloody clue what I was doing either! Also, we are taking a bit of financial strain now that I am not working and he gets lots of comments from his friends/workmates along the lines of 'do you know what you're letting yourself in for','rather you than me' and, my personal favourite, 'one baby ruins your life so yours is going to be really fu**ed!' I think he felt much better after talking about it and I got him a book on fatherhood which talks about the kinds of things he's worried about. I think he'd just been trying to be 'brave' about it and it all just got too much. I think we've both been holding our breath to get past the dangerous stage that now we're both starting to see the reality of it - excited and happy but VERY VERY scared!!

Thanks, Nutty we should form a posse and go round roughing up his workmates and anyone else who says things like that . I hope I don't sound sickningly soppy but I'm so glad it's him I'm going into this with - he makes me feel more confident just because I know he's there.

I think it's very hard for blokes to adjust because they can't discuss it as freely as we can, on MN for example. So they're lacking a kind of reference point we take for granted. The workmates were bloody tactless though IMO. I note none of them offered to babysit or actually do anything useful.

Although babyhood will be a bit challenging, I think it will get easier faster than for families of serial singletons, because early on there will probably come a point where they play together and entertain each other. I found having one only child for the first ten years a lot harder than having three in that respect (albeit a lot more spaced out than yours!) It's also not such a big family you can't get them in a normal car or black cab, etc.

My only personal experience of all this is that there were triplet girls at my school, and I think the parents had really enjoyed it on the whole, so I am sure there must be upsides to the whole thing.