Blimey this thread's moving quickly!
Feeling increasingly down and irritable the last few days. Totally worn out, snapping at DP for nowt and had a really daft go at him this morning for eating bagels when we still had (homemade) bread that needed using. Yeah - the really important stuff. And now sitting at work, not working, feeling guilty. I've never got on with hormones, but I don't remember being this crabby last time .
MissP it's not that you're terrible at breastfeeding - it sounds like you had incredibly bad luck with all those infections. And you kept going in spite of it all - I reckon that makes you amazing! Support and information are your greatest tools and I'm guessing you'll know exactly where to get that, and to get it quickly this time around, so I think the odds are very much in favour of success! BTW hope the Kari-me works out now! Feeling responsible . At least they resell on Ebay at good prices
QueenFee WHO training? I haven't heard about that - how did you access that?
JetLi I second QueenFee on getting info on bfing antenatally if you can. And making sure you have all the phone numbers of every supporter within 5 miles or on the end of the phone within easy reach, and use 'em! The phone counselling works very well most of the time - I can see how it's difficult to picture, but IME as a first-time bfeeder, who did use the BFCs a lot, it's not always technical/physical info you need, or at least not only that. Sometimes, after a day when a thoughtless HV or MW has said something unhelpful/ill informed about weight gain, for example, you just need to bawl your eyes out to someone who can reassure you that demand feeding really does work, you're making milk all the time and remind you that you know your baby best. If positioning/latch/something else definintely physical needs working on then yes, it's useful to see someone in person, but lots of BFC/peer supporters will do that too.
hunny that does sound like a good day! The 'no milk' worry is very, very common, perpetuated unfortunately by anecdotes from generations of women told wrongly by HCPs that they had 'low supply'. There is a tiny proportion of women who have a physical problem, and others who for other health reasons, or the drugs they need to take for other conditions, find they can't bf but it's generally lack of the right support/info at the right time that causes problems. As a society we've lost millennia of knowledge about how to do it, all in a couple of generations.
birth stories it sounds like a lot of people had a rough time. I'm almost ashamed to say it out loud, but I just wanted to tell the first-timers, that it can be OK too! Yes, I had a smallish baby, and I'm medium rather than slim build, and I did need a few stitches (although was totally unaware of tearing at the time). But my inner cavewoman took over and it all just - happened. In a kind of a haze. I didn't have pain as such - you can't really relate how contractions feel to anything else, they're incredibly strong but actually not what I'd describe as painful in the way surgery, or a fall, or anything else is painful. Good luck to everyone campaigning for the birth of their choice!
baby's position I thought I was going to have a breech babe with DD, so spent many hours researching how to encourage a good position, and after some of my most hysterical pg moments with torches and frozen peas, and she did turn. So, nearer the time, if anyone want to know the 'lying upside down on an ironing board while watching Dr Who' method of turning a breech baby, just let me know .
God - how long is this post! sorry really should visit more often.