Due July 2009 - Part 4 - The Third Trimester.

[Phoenix]

A new thread, the old one's almost full

July 09 List

25th June - Christiana - DC #2 - Surprise
28th June - Woollyjo - DC #2 - Having a girl
29th June - Welshlinz - DC #2
29th June - JLo2 - DC #4 - Having a boy
29th June - Highrise - first baby
early July - lyca - DC #4
1st July - Rattling - first two babies - Surprise - TWINS
1st July - binkerbeany - DC #2
1st July - Mrsmope - DC #2 and #3 - Having 1 boy, 1 girl - TWINS
1st July - trixiechick
2nd July - Nicky6 - DC #2
2nd July - pop1973
4th July - Mum2boys2girls - DC #5
4th July - ActivityApple - first baby - Having a boy
5th July - soozze - DC #2
6th July - xxhunnyxx - first baby - Having a boy
6th July - Wiltedrose - DC #2 - Having a girl
7th July - MuppetGirl - DC #3
7th July - Misspaella - DC #3 - Surprise
7th July - QueenFee - DC #3 - Surprise
7th July - thelollipoplady - DC #3 - Having a boy
7th July - Eviebear
8th July - JetLi - first baby
8th July - deleting - DC #3 - Surprise
8th July - rubyriley - DC #3 - Having a boy
9th July - LargeGlassofRed - DC #4 AND #5 - Having 2 boys - TWINS
9th July - Betsyboo - DC #3
9th July - London11 - DC #2 and #3 - Having 2 boys - TWINS
9th July - bellybaba
9th July - Gillyan - DC #2 - Having a girl
9th July - Hobbgoblin - DC #4
10th July - Baffy - DC #2
10th July - Mij - DC #2 - Surprise
10th July - Newb - first baby - Having a girl
10th July - SafferUpNorth - first baby
10th July - eveningall - DC #2
11th July - Marsmonster - DC #2
12th July - Jenny79 - first baby - Having a boy
13th July - Scully - DC #3
14th July - doublehelp - DC #3
14th July - Naturopath - DC #2
14th July - Dannyg - DC #3 - Having a girl
14th July - LittleDoe - first baby
15th July - Accebar - Having a girl
15th July - Lydiathetattooedlady - Having a boy
16th July - BeccaBump - DC #2 - Having a boy
16th July - Knax - DC #2
16th July - NattyTomAndEllen - DC #3
16th July - SheWillBeLoved - first baby
16th July - plot2 - DC #2 - Having a boy
16th July - Lillabet - first baby - Surprise
17th July - Patchybob - DC #3 - Surprise
17th July - Phoenix - DC #2 - Having a boy
17th July - alibobble - DC #2 - Surprise
17th July - Bozette - DC #2 - Having a girl
17th July - BrumOne - first baby
18th July - maxmissie
19th July - Dinkyboysmum - DC #2
19th July - busyemma - DC #3
20th July - LBK - first baby
20th July - Belgrano - DC #2 - Having a boy
22nd July - ray81
22nd July - chellebelle - DC#4
23rd July - Andie01 - DC #2
24th July - Madoldbird - DC #3 - TWINS
24th July - Lastboxoftampons - first baby
24th July - Moominmoma - first baby
24th July - Lyrebird - first baby
24th July - ilikeyoursleeves - DC #2
25th July - PrincessButtercup - DC #3 - Having a boy
25th July - BonzoDoodah - DC #2 - Surprise
25th July - Mickeylou - DC #2 - Having a girl
27th July - KitCat26 - first baby
28th July - mylilmiracle - first baby
28th July - Cheekycel - Having a girl
29th July - Brainmish - DC #2
29th July - Poppet45 - first baby
30th July - Mavornia - DC #2
31st July - madeinamerica - first baby - Having a girl
31st July - littlepipbumpmummy - DC #2
31st July - EarthMotherWannabe - first baby

Probably they are not as big as a normal carry cot. They had them in a pram inmothercare when I was in the other day if you wanted a nose at one as it comes with some Graco/Mothercare pushchairs. The Phil and Teds one is nice too.

Interesting about the soft carrycots, i was wondering if they would fit into other pushchairs. We've got a Maclaren Techno XT as well as a 3-wheeler but i've got a feeling we will end up using the Maclaren more as the 3-wheeler is heavier. I might have a wonder into Mothercare and look into that .

Re breastfeeding - I only lasted 2 days with ds and moved onto formula and this time i have no intention of exclusively bf but i am planning to give bf more of a chance by doing some bf and some ff before moving onto ff.

I've got sick of getting up in the middle of the night to wee so i've moved our camping porta loo into our bedroom. I did that last time too because to make things worse our bathroom/toilet is on the ground floor so its even more of a pain to keep trekking downstairs every few hours

ActivityApple I intend to have the baby in the Moses basket in our bedroom for at least the first few weeks while I establish BFing and some kind of vague routine (NOT a la she who must not be named mind you - just whatever works ). The nursery will all be set up and stuff but I just think I personally would prefer the baby in with me at least at first.
I believe there have been some studies done to show that co-sleeping/having the baby close is beneficial to you and the baby, but cannot for the life of me remember how it is beneficial or where I read that! .
I do know, when I spoke to a friend of mine who is Indian, she was mortified at the thought of her children being anywhere other than with her in her and her DH's bedroom until they were around 2 yrs old! She is of the opinion that it builds a stronger bond of love and respect between children and parents.
I did also see somewhere on MN that if you tip toe round while the baby is sleeping the slightest noise will disturb/wake them, but if you get on with stuff like hoovering etc it means they are much more likely to sleep through most things - any thoughts from those of you who aren't first timers?

Sorry - another long post!!

Hello all

Belgrano so sorry to hear of your tragic losses, my sincere sympathies go out to you.

Was laid low this bank holiday with vomitting bug sweeping the house - nice!
I too am finding it hard to get a good nights sleep and the tiredness is really starting to kick in now, get very with dh when he mentions he's tired, he knows nothing about tiredness!!

soozze, JetLi did a good post about the salts program, I only took Calc Flour last time and also this time for the elasticity, I also did the fanjo massage and I had no stretch marks or tearing. I'm still taking them now in the vain hope my placenta will go north and I can have a natural birth again this time.

I didn't use a tens machine last time, just gas and air, my labour started fast and strong last time so would have been pointless.

Christiana I really hope your baby turns, I feel exactly the same as you about c-section, not what I have envisaged for myself at all. good luck.

bonzo thanks for the welcome back, hows your vege patch coming on?

I feel terrible I have spent more time thinking and planning the veg patch than I have about this baby arriving!
My final week at work next week, I brought it forward when the potential c-section date was mentioned. I can't wait!
DD will still be in childcare so I can get some rest at least and maybe a teeny bit organised.
I plan to have a big cook up and load the freezer for meals in the early days. My dh isn't a great cook!

I heartily endorse Bonzo's breastfeeding advice, I had no probs and did it exclusively untill dd started biting me at 10 months and then did half formula and half me until she was a year old. So much easier in my opinion than faffing with sterilising and bottles, lift your top and the buffets open!

ActivityApple congrats on the move hope you'll be very happy in your new home.
I kept dd in a crib in our room for the first 6 months, that is what is recommended in the advice on avoiding cot death. In my experience you will hear every snuffle of the baby wherever it is in the house, I think every mother has a built in radar for hearing her baby!

Jeepers enough from me I think I've gone on enough!

Eviebear I've just bought one of these to go inside the car seat but it can also go in a buggy. It was that really hot summer a few years ago when I had DD1 and we were constantly worried about her overheating - she got really sweaty in the car seat! So hoping this will help keep her cool.

Lillabet definitely make as much noise as possible around the baby, have vivid recollections of having to tiptoe round someone else's baby in case we woke them and it was v. irritating. At some point you'll probably want your baby to have naps in their own cot but that won't be for a while!

We combined breast and formula quite easily - your boobs need a while to work out when you want to do feeds and when you don't, so for instance if you wanted to do a formula feed at bedtime so you could have a rest then either you have to bf to start with and then cut down at that feed, or make the decision that you will stick to that feed as a formula feed from the start, as if you don't do that feed as a bf it will later be more difficult to get the milk to come back again at that particular time of day (not impossible, but just harder). If you see what I mean?

I didn't get a hang up about formula feeding alongside bf. You have to do what's right for you and your family. I did beat myself up about it to start with but looking back it wasn't worth it. I loved bf'ing but if I'd had to do that bedtime and dream feed as well it'd have done me in and I'd have stopped a lot earlier - just needed a few hours break a day! I did express for quite a while as I had a hospital grade pump not unlike an industrial milking machine , but what I found was that I'd spend so much time feeding then expressing that there ended up being very little time in between feeds. So I've decided that this time as long as the majority of milk is coming from me I'll be happy

I should say, DD1 started biting at 5 1/2 months so I stopped bf'ing unless she was half asleep, so probably stopped at around 7 months altogether. And that felt right for me.

Sorry to hear of your loss Belgrano
Good to hear your move went well ActivityApple, how's the unpacking going?
I combined formula and bf with both dd's, and also used nipple shields for both, in the first month or two of feeding them, and both dd's coped just fine with all this happening. dd1 I bf for 8mths, dd2 for 12mths. You have to find what works for you as long as your baby is healthy and happy, that's what counts. I was told countless times that shields can affect your milk supply etc, but if I hadn't used the, I wouldn't have continued to bf, my nips take a couple of months to get used to the whole idea, without constantly cracking. I intend bf for dc3, and will see a lactation consultant to see how I can avoid getting mastitis again, but dc3 will still get the occasional bottle and I will still use shields if I feel I need to. Whatever you decide, if it's the right option for you, that's what counts.
Both ddd's were in our room for about 4mths or so, and then moved into their own room, next to ours. I felt much more comfortable when they were newborns, having them next to me, but I have friends who couldn't cope with all their little noises and moved their dc's into their own room within days Again, it's such a personal decision, just see what works for you. My plan is to keep dc3 in our room for as long as he/she fits in the moses basket and then see from there.
Did a tour of the maternity area of the hospital today. I've used various other depts at this hospital, just hadn't seen the delivery/post natal area. dh came along as well and we were both very happy with it, especially the idea of having my own room
Also, saw my reflexologist tonight, this lady has magic hands, I'm sure of it Apart from the reflexology treatment, she exfoliated and massaged my lower legs and feet as my heels were dry and cracked, and she massaged my hands as my fingers have been swelling in the 6wks since I saw her. I don't want to use my hands or feet, they look and smell so good

Hi everyone
Scully your reflexologist sounds a dream. I wish I could find one that would do all of that too!

Tiredness - I am almost feeling 1st trimester tired. Each day is becoming a struggle. I forgot this bit from my last 2 pg. I must have blocked it out. Well if we think we are tired now.....wait in a few weeks.

Christiana have you been doing the gentle birth method then? If you are, can I ask a question. Does wearing a girdle after birth work? I only ask as a women at work did after having her twins and she looked amazing within a few weeks. My tummy muscles are shot after my last 2 pg and this 3rd pg is definitely going to leave me with a saggier tum. I know it is vain to worry about this but I do. Unfortunately although I exercise quite regularly I LOVE MY FOOD. I can't imagine giving up cakes, biscuits etc as a treat.

pheonix Maclaren do one for the XLR here Maybe you could get one off ebay as it seems quite expensive to me.

The sids advise is to keep baby in your room for 6 months. I fully intended to. However my DD made little snuffly noises that kept me awake so I moved her out at about 6 weeks. DS wasn't such a problem.
My DS slept better when he was out at toddlers or if DD was throwing a tantrum by his pram than when it was all quiet. In fact he still has his naps wherever and is totally not bothered by any noise. I am a big fan of not tiptoeing round them.

Thanks for the tips re calc flour I am now off into Chester to buy some.

Hello everyone!

breastfeeding I tried my best last time and unfortunately my milk didn't come in for 9 days. I have since been told that this is becuase I had a traumatic birth. I was BF DD loads and I know she was at least getting the colostrum but she was screaming constanlty as was hungry, I eneded up giving her a bottle on day 9 and she slept for 4 hrs straight - there was no going back after that and then the next day my milk came in!! My nipples were very cracked too and so I expressed as much as I could for a few days and then gave up. Not sure what to do this time, I will definately BF when she is born, at least for a few days and then see how my milk is, I will be tempted to bottle feed though again as I know what I'm doing with that. I have really big boobs too so it wasn't easy getting in a good position either.

sleeping I am going to have baby in our room, I have a crib and the moses basket is for downstairs, I am probably going to put the moses basket in the crib upstairs at night so it's a bit more snug and she will be sleeping with us in that. Last time I read it was good to start a bedtime routine from 6 wks so from then on I will pit baby upstairs after 6/7pm feed and feed her in the dark through the night and not talk too much. Then in the day keep her downstairs all day for naps and hopefully this will get her used to nightime is for sleeping. It seemed to work with DD and she was sleeping from about 10/11pm through to 6/7am from about 8 wks old. I put her in her own room when she was 16 wks old. Teh guidelines say to keep them in your room till 6 months but she used to disturb my sleep too much.

notsleeping Bloody hell! Last night was the worst yet. I went to bed at midnight and had to get up at 2.50am!!! My hips were so bad, sat on the sofa till 4 am and then nodded off sat upright till about 5.50am then lay down on my side and slept till 7.45 till my hips hurt and woke me up! I'm shattered.

DD at home today so I got up anddressed and then went to pick my friends little girl up ( the one who has just had the baby ) and took them both to the park for an hour. Then I went out for lunch with another friend and DD and we've just got back! Done loads of walking!

Got Ante-Natal class tonight for 2 hrs. I never went to any last time so we're going to these just in case I do decide to give birth and not have the c/s. reckon I'll pass out tonight from total exhaustion and maybe sleep longer!

breast feeding: There is a really good blog on breast feeding here which is run by a MNer and she is running a BF thread here where you could ask questions.
I had a read through the blog and the posts on the thread and they have given me some much needed confidence about BFing.
Although there appear to be some disagreements about BFing on the thread, I know it must be different for everyone so it is not unexpected Hope this helps .

jetli don't write off the birth pool - I got the one available in the midwife-led end of the hospital last time, and apparently they're not as much in demand as you'd imagine. Didn't get to use it though - no time to fill the bloody thing, it takes hours!

breastfeeding as vast amounts as been written all over MN you'll find a thread to match almost everyone's situation. There are no rules - you 'can' do pretty much anything, but whatever you want to do, go and get some good quality info from a well-qualified (NCT or LLL) BFC. Then, when you've got your baby and you discover you a) feel how you thought you would about bfing or b) feel totally different, you've got all the tools to make a decision, and know the consequences (pos and neg) of that decision. There are so many variables it's almost impossible to give advice, only info. And everyone's situation is different. Yes, bfing is totally natural, but we don't live in a totally natural world any more and we've lost millennia of knowledge about it in just a couple of generations. Which is why good help and support is so vital for those who want to give it their best shot.

sleeping arrangements we had a co-sleeper crib that wasn't used at all for the first 4 months as DD was a high-contact child and we found real (as in bed-sharing) co-sleeping got everyone the most sleep, and that was our priority over everything else! She was also much quieter with her nose tucked in my armpit, weirdly (and no-one warns you how bloody noisy babies can be while asleep - snuffling and mewing and lord knows what else). 6 months came and went and she was such a frequent night-feeder we just bought a super-king-sized bed and stopped thinking about how or where she 'should' be sleeping. As with all things - whatever works for you. But having the babe in your room is def easier for night feeds if you're bfing and yes, the advice is minimum 6 months in with you as 'protection' (along with back-sleeping) against SIDS.

not sleeping just got my 5' body pillow and some maternity PJs, and was soooo much more comfy last night. Didn't get more sleep but lying awake was less of a chore!

Morning ladys, i am having a worry this morning, twice now i have notticed after going to the loo mucus tinged with pink in the toilet bowl, am i being paranoid or is this my mucus plug? i am also feeling achy down below too but am hoping im just being paranoid??. I didnt lose myn with my first son, but with my secound i did during my labour. Have googled this and have mixed info.... x x
ps I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather x x

dannyg phone the midwife. It is always better to be safe than sorry. I lost my plug just before I went into labour with DD but don't remember it at all with DS. I also understand it is not necessarily sraight after that you go into labour. Hope things are ok for you x

I had a 3D/4D scan last night - was amazing! DD liked watching "baby telly" and the pictures were wonderful. I stuck a few in my profile. Only problem was the placenta is right at the front and baby was using it as a pillow. Had to do a cold water and jiggle about malarky to get it to move so could get a good shot.
They estimated baby's weight at 5lb already! At 32 weeks!! Sooooooo it's going to be a big-un if it goes to term. [runs home to scrub the house and wash stuff - panic]

dannyg ... that does sound like the plug - but yes get onto the midwife and ask if you're worried ... and pack that bag just in case ... keep us informed how it goes.

cotinroom well I kept DD in our room til she was just over 6 months old. It was so much easier to breastfeed in the night that way (feed and plonk back)and I was a bit of a "checker" so it was easy to reach into the crib at anytime and check she was okay. We had a spare crib so had one upstairs and one downstairs. In the day she slept downstairs and I deliberately made noise in the day when she was sleeping so she got used to it and I didn't have to creep about. I also reasoned that it gave her a distinction between day and night - night being quiet and dark.

bonzo aww that sounds lovely. No newborn stuff dor you then straight into 0-3 TBH mine both were anyway and they were 8.6 and 8.10. How heavy was your DD?

plot2 - lucky you on mat-leave already! Especially with the lovely weather! Our veg patch is coming on nicely. We've planted onions, potatoes and garlic out already - oh and rocket - but the slugs ate all that. In the greenhouse from seed (ready to go out soon-ish) we have runner beans, mange toute, french beans, pack choi, lettuce, tomatoes, butternut squash, cucumbers, courgettes, sweetcorn, basil, parsley, chillis, lettuce, broccoli, parsnips and I'm sure some other stuff. Plus a stack of flowers. Goodness knows when we're going to find time to tend all this lot. Hubby is already on nightly slug-patrol! What have you got going?

QueenFee you're right ... I bought a cute newborn suit for DD's "going home". Pah - she was 9lb and the vest looked like an off-the-shoulder number and the trousers were a bit on the snug side. So yes - 0-3 straight off. Sounds like you're on for a big-un too. Remind me how are you planning for the birth? Going natural or wait and see?

I'm seeing the consultant next week for a growth scan we have discussed poss induced early due to previous bad tears. Fingers crossed. I haven't had that much probs with my previous tears just the episio so have said no to that which the consultant was not happy with.
Would be nice to have a growth scan anyway just to see bubs again

My ds was 9lb 2oz and he wore newborn clothnes for a bit. He even wore some tiny baby jeans and t-shirt that my useless brother bought for him .

Hi all- I had a quite upsetting birthday yesterday. I went to the midwife for a routine check up and while listening to the heart beat she heard it drop quite a bit. I was so scared, she packed me off to the maternity hospital urgently where they monitored me again as my bump was going and staying hard. The ctg trace for 40 mins or so was fine and consultant said it's a naughty baby that may want to escape early. I'm just on edge now though and want baby to be out and healthy so i don't have to worry.
We had a nice dinner booked for the evening but then we got some news that my DP's sister had given birth to a baby girl, on my birthday . We are very excited but it is tinged with some sadness as she has Down's syndrome. I just can't imagine how they are feeling and I am so sad today. I sent flowers and a teddy this morning as they live overseas. So we cancelled our dinner last night.
It's hard to know how to be when we talk to them eventually, perhaps tonight...

danyg let us know how you get on - I second phone the MW ASAP!

Eviebear Hope you're okay, must of been scary!