Due in September 2009 - waiting for an August baby!

[StealthPolarBear]

Hi everyone Can't believe we could have our first baby in 4ish weeks

Sorry ladylush, was doing this as you posted, hope you don't mind but I've copied your last post across so it doesn't get lost:

By ladylush on Sat 04-Jul-09 10:58:55

Thanks twinklegreen. Do you know much about prem babies and bf/expressing? Mine will be anything between 30-34 weeks and I read that even at 34 weeks baby will probably not be able to suckle.

No of course I don't mind
Minshu psml at hoiking up the trousers I was doing this all day yesterday. I have a pair of jeans from Next which look really nice but they keep sliding down during the course of the day. Most annoying.

I spent my last pregnancy cursing a particular pair of trousers that were round my ankles 5 minutes after putting them on (apart from at 9 months!). This time I found the adjustable bits in the waist

mmm I want a J20 but they're all gone

LOL Stealth! I've done that with the adjustable tabs! Doh!

Actually it was DH who said surely you should be able to adjust them, after listening to me cursing them 20 times a day!

I only realised after admiring the ones in DS's trousers and thinking how handy they'd be in maternity trousers

The trousers I was cursing yesterday are adjustable, but the buttons dig in and scrape. I've got a painful patch on the right, underside of my bump, so can't do them up any tighter anymore. I also have another pair with no adjustment, apart from a cord to tie round the waist. They will be burned!!! I have got a few decent dresses now, including a couple of non-maternity wrap dresses that should still fit for the next month and will be OK for next summer, too.

Blue - my LO seems to have really busy days, then "let's scare mummy" / lazy days. Or it may just be the way they are lying. If facing the back, all the movement may be towards the spine and so we'll not feel much. Not so keen on when she's going for the bladder and bowel It's best when she's punching and kicking out front so I can see it through my top (especially when sat in a boring meeting at work).

This baby has been a lot more active than DS ever seemed (although when he was scanned he seemed to be doing sumersaults). I do have times when i wonder if I should worry. I asked the MW about it and she said if I think I haven't felt movement for a while I should sit somewhere quietly, have juice or milk and concentrate - if I haven't felt anything after one hour I should contact the PAU! One hour!! I'm sure I'd go all day with DS I asked if the baby might just be asleep and she said yes, but I should feel something after an hour
Anyway, just thought I'd post that advice but not sure I'll be calling after one hour. Chocolate ice cream seems to be the best thing to get this baby moving

but yes, I think a lot of my panics have been when the baby;s been kicking backwards, so my spine and bladder. Bladder control gets worse and I barely feel the kicks!

Hi everyone, I would like to say that I agree with everything that has been said by everyone else about the bf issues, all very sound advice.

nitnat Whether breasts grow/leak during pregnancy gives absolutely no indication of how successful breastfeeding will be, neither does breast size (they have found that the size/amount of breastfeeding 'equiptment' in a breast is pretty much the same in every woman regardless of the size of her breast, the variation of sizes is much more to do with the amount of fat tissue there is).

Genuine tubular breasts are very very rare IF you did have them it might cause problems with bf but there are things that you can do to help increase your milk supply;

have an unmedicated birth if possible, and put the baby to the breast straight after birth

nurse often and on cue

start to pump about three days after birth

try the herbs fenugreek and blessed thistle or the drug domperidone

breast compression technique to stimulate more letdowns

Correct underlying metabolic or hormonal issues (PCOS, hypothyroidism).

(the first two points are very sensible steps to take for ANYONE wishing to breastfeed!)

Try not to worry too much, it is most likely that it is just the natural shape of your breasts and is completely normal. Personally think that it is unlikely a doctor (or anyone else) would 'diagnose' tubular breast before you even start to breastfeed, it's very hard to tell just by looking. I think that the best thing you can do is make sure you have the contact details of a local bfc (who will be happy to chat to you ante-natally) then wait and see what happens when your baby is here, you will probably have no problem at all. Anyway, hope this helps.

ladylush will post a proper reply to you too later, have to dash now x

Just a disclaimer... dont' know anything about the drug 'domperidone' obviously, wouldn't consider this unless all other avenue's tried, and need to be discussed with a medical proffessional!! which I am not

Hi all

I have been lurking just havent really had anything to post about.

Ladylush, am so pleased that you havent had to be admitted and just wait the 5 weeks out. Have my fingers crossed that baby hangs on until as late as possible.

Went to Wembley last night to see Take That - they were awesome and had an amazing time. Was sat in with the likes of Phillip Schofield, James Corden, Sheridan Smith and i think Girls Aloud. Took bloody ages to drive there and back though. 4 hours going and 2.5 on the way back - i only live 40miles away though! My left leg is so sore from being on the clutch for most of the journey home

Have the children from hell at the moment. Dh has been away for a week and doesnt get home until tomorrow morning. I am totally knackered after having only 4 hours sleep last night (didnt get home til 1.30), ds is pushing every button known to man and dd is copying him. I have friends coming for the afternoon to play with their kids and they are staying over. Beds need to be changed, the house that i blitzed this week twice has now been totally trashed for a 3rd time. I have no sense of humour left and my very last nerve has almost been snapped.

Wow i really am a bundle of joy today, all i have to cheer myself up with is a nice little selection of raspberry and strawberry blancmanges that i made yesterday

Thanks Twinklegreen

I have to agree with others who have said to get in touch with as many breast feeding groups as possible rather than GP, MW or HV. Mine were crap. I have inverte4d nipples and was told 1st time round by all the GP, MW and HV's I saw that I wouldn't be able to breast feed and like a fool I believed them. Second time round I was talking to a friend who does breastfeeding support and she told me that I should be able to so I kicked up a fuss after giving birth till they sent the lactaion consultant round to see me. I struggled and couldn't get a latch but they did lend me a breast pump and I managed to express exclusively for 4 months and then mix fed for another couple of months when I gave up because I was struggling and couldn't get any help. I am trying to get hold of the lactation consultant at the hospital and need to find local support groups as I know breast feeding will be difficult but not impossible.

"express exclusively for 4 months "
wow, that's amazing!

I breastfed for 2 and a half years in total with both DDs and never mastered the breast pump! Need to this time around as I will be returning to work when baby's 8 months...

minshu I have the same problem with the buttons on the adjustable trousers. I found that if you fold the elastic back on itself and put the buttons through the holes a couple of times it pads them out a bit. I went and lay down for half an hr before with a little speaker next to my tummy and played some Ibiza Chillout music to her and she woke up and had a little boogy! Tis worrying when they don't move much for a day.

mummyhill I had 1 inverted nipple when I had DD1. I was never told that this would be a prob, however I hadn't told anyone that I had it, iyswim? When I was up on the ward after having her and a very nice mw helped me to get baby to latch on. I kinda had to squeeze my nipple to get it to fit in baby's mouth. Have to say, nipple is certainly no longer inverted and looks exactly the same as the other one, so I have bf to thank for that! Stick with it and I hope you get the support you need

Thanks, blue - will have a try of that.

Stealth - "Chocolate ice cream seems to be the best thing to get this baby moving"... Sounds like an excuse to me!!! and a good one at that. Warning - TMI moment - mine seems to have a wriggle when I'm having a movement - not sure I'll ever tell her or anyone in RL that, though. I've never seriously worried after an hour of quiet - and don't really think I'll start now.

Oh AprilMeadow - sounds like you are having a mare of a day. Don't worry about blitzing the house again too much, when the friends' kids arrive, no one will have time to notice, surely? They have come to see you and yours (and possibly blancmange), not check for dust!!

yeah that's what DH thinks too
That's what I was (badly) trying to say before - my 'official' advice is one hour of no movement, but I certainly wouldn't be panicking after an hour - maybe half a day where I had been concentrating regularly and still hadn't felt anything.

Hiya How is everyone today?

I havent posted in a while so thought i'd do a quick update

Im 28+3 and due sept 23 but im having a c-section so will probably be a week or 2 earlier, we're 80% sure its a girl and we've settled on the name Macie Jennifer (Dp's choice on 1st name and middle name after his sister)

Pregnancy is going ok at moment except for the SPD which is agony, i woke up crying this morning after rolling over in my sleep Dp has been a star and has been doing all the housework, cooking, looking after the Dc and even helps me dress and bath Bless him i dont know what i'd do without him

I've been having regular BP checks due to having Eclampsia in my last pregnancy, resulting in DD2 being born by Emerg c-section 4wks early, luckily both me and DD were ok after the birth and DD was healthy

This one is a right little wiggler esp at night when im trying to settle down to sleep, i think she's trying to get me used to the lack of sleep im going to be getting night feeding

oh poor you with the SPD MGC

I have huge periods with no movement - and then periods where she is going completely crazy, and i wonder what antics she is up to. I would probalby only worry if i didn't feel movement for a whole day, she can get pretty quiet especially if i'm moving around a lot.
oh to have a spare hour to just lie down and concentrate

i think a lot of 'support' that women get in BFing can be crap and that's a really hard thing to rectify. The people who really need to know about it, the midwives and health visitors, quite often have only very basic training. I really wish more money would be spent on giving them more training and education in respect of BF. My MW didn't even tell me about a fantastic local BF group. Just lucky for me, a lady at yoga told me about it and how good the leader was.

so, if your MW can't help you please please please call any of the following (or drop into a group you know about)

**

La Leche League 0845 120 2918

NCT BF Helpline 0300 330 0771

Association Breastfeeding Mothers 08444 122 949

Breastfeeding Network Supporterline 0300 100 0210

National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212

*

I found details of bf support groups on my PCT website - there was one every weekday I think fairly locally. Luckily I didn't need them all but I planned to go to each one if I had to

I am also suffering with the adjustable trousers - I curse Next jeans, they look lovely and then you take 2 steps forward and the next thing you know, you are waddling like a penguin. Can't wait to be able to wear a belt again! Has been really hard as am 6'1 so limited number of places to shop that do things long enough - end up looking like a nutter with ankle swingers. I bought some really nice 3/4 length casual trousers in DP couple of weeks ago and was in Tesco this morning with DH, who suddenly grabbed me and pulled my top down - they had split all down the back seam and my arse was hanging out the back - thank god for big knickers! Is a fault in the material - boo hiss (couldn't be my huge backside of course

A couple of weeks ago, I didn't feel the baby move for nearly a week, literally was the odd kick, had just worked myself up into a right frenzy before my 28 wk appointment and then the baby did this weird fliping thing and turned over and started moving again - so frightening when you are used to loads of movements and they just stop.

Am going to paint the nursery tomorrow morning, have been putting it off as is sooooooo hot - will have to do it before the men's final tomorrow pm -c'mon roddick!! (phwoar!)

Hi trouser woes here too lots of hoiking up I still haven't posted properly but
Ladylush I hope you are OK and not too daunted by all the prem baby issues. If it helps DD wasn't prem but was very small and Tescos does some good tiny baby things.

The hospital should encourage you to express and may even give you a machine to take home and space in their fridge to keep milk.

Nit Nat I agree with all the other Breast feeding advice do you have a baby cafe near you? You could do a visit before your baby arrives and get advice
www.thebabycafe.co.uk/

Well it looks Like we may have started the potty training with DD although I do feel as if I am doing lots of it on my own.

We still don't know about Dh and the redundancy but may find out this week