Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where my toenails is - Due June 2010

[greensnail]

Ok, here it is ladies. Nice new thread for us all to enjoy

Filly - I started a thread on soups and someone sugested the Gordon Ramsay. It's easy to find if you google it. I'd appreciate the other recipe, but only if you have time, of course.

No hoovering for you if you have SPD! (There has to be an upside.) My physio said it was absolutely the worst thinf for it.

We've been on fever alert all afternoon with DD. She's had so few in the 2.4 years that DH and I totally freak when she does. I can only remember 4 times, maybe five when she's had one. Seems to be under control now. It's just so scary how quickly they wilt when they're sick!

Greensnail - can't wait to try. We use Motherease wraps on all two parters. In fact, must buy a couple more. I have no idea how many washables a newborn will get through as DD was in disposables then.

Oh I'd forgotten about the request for soup recipes. I rather like this one, which I make with coconut milk, and also recently tried this one which went down well.

Evening - Re re-usable nappies -
I used Little Lambs - nice and cheap but needed regular changing otherwise they leaked, BumGenuis - fab but after about 1 yr the elastic goes (although I've just repaired mine) and Motherease - my favourite.

Think I'll use disposables for a few weeks and when feeling up to it will switch to washable.

I bought a new car seat from Mothercare - their own brand - it was £45 incl delivery at the time as they had an offer on - but think its normally £50. Someone on here told me it was made by the same factory as Maxi Cosi - so seemed a good buy.

Would love any more suggestions on what to batch cook/freeze in preparation for after giving birth. I know I did it last time and it really was a godsend. Think I just did the usual spag bog/shepherds pie/chicken in sauce etc.

Im off on hols tomorrow to Butlins for 4 nights - just hope I don't go into labour when I'm there. Am also not looking forward to their mattresses as my hips are getting sore from the pressure of lying on my sides. Musn't forget my hospital notes!!

fillybuster absolutely no reason to feel like a wimp for breastfeeding for 5 months. You did all the difficult bits - it mostly just gets easier after that point in my experience.

whenwillisleepagain I'm also quite anxious about how I'm going to cope with 2. Not made any better by a friend I was chatting to yesterday telling me how difficult it is going to be with such a small gap. I'll let her off though as she's struggling to conceive no.2 at the moment so she's probably just jeallous. I was very anxious after DD was born too and have been getting increasingly anxious again over the last few weeks, I even woke DD up this morning at 7.15 rather than enjoying the fact she seemed to be having a lie-in as I was worried something had happenned to her during the night. Hope you find the counsellor helpful.

Loving all the nappy talk. I got 2 huge carrier bags full of nappies off freecycle this weekend. Lots of lovely things in there to try out with DD and the new baby, and some old favourites we already know and love too! I'm especially excited as there were some wool wraps in there too, which I'm looking forward to trying on DD.

I'm sure the little lambs will be great with a motherease wrap LaT, I only found they leaked if using a little lamb wrap. I never needed to change nappies any more often with a newborn using reusables than disposables. I changed more or less with each feed I think in the early days whichever we were using. I had 15 nappies to start with last time and that was fine for a while till I got my head around it all, then got some more so I could wash less frequently.

Enjoy your holiday justbeme

Hello all - hope you are having a lovely long weekend and the weather is being kind to you. It is pouring with rain here in NYC, but I'm not bothered, as after me having the cold all last week, the DCs now both have croup - doctor says just keep an eye on it, but I'm always terrified that croup will turn into respiratory distress, so I'm on alert all the time, and of course not sleeping well as I keep hearing barks from their room.

greensnail having 2 very close together has it's pros and its cons just like anything else. I think if you have a newborn in the house and your eldest is young enough, that can help with jealousy issues etc. There is more work if you are changing 2 sets of nappies etc, but it all smooths out - I wouldn't worry about it for a minute. My DSs are 20mths apart, and this little DD will also be 20mths younger than her nearest sibling - I'm (perhaps naively) quietly confident that it's a gap I can handle.

Re: breastfeeding - I too struggled for 5mths and then 4mths respectively. My supply was terrible - so if any of you have tips on any measures you can take to get that supply going well I'd really appreciate. A friend of mine gave me a great tip re: breastfeeding last time, and that was to always have a book handy for the eldest one so that they didn't feel left out, and you didn't feel stressed about feeding one while the other was around. It worked well for us - I even managed to schedule a feed around bedtime stories and so the littlest one was always involved in the bedtime routine from day one and it served us well.

All this talk about resuable nappies is inspiring me to try it this time (shamefully I didn't even attempt previous 2 times). Could I ask just how grim the washing process is?
We live in a small flat, so don't think we could tolerate having a buildup of dirty nappies - do you just wash them all at the end of the day etc... sorry if this question seems naive...

Thanks for the reassurance on small age gaps DIMB. I'm trying to focus on the positives of small gaps and am lucky that my mum and MIL have both had 17 month gaps too, so at least I have plenty of support from people who've done it too.

On breastfeeding, I think i was just very fortunate that DD took to it pretty quickly so we never had huge problems. Best thing for supply though is to feed, feed, feed as it works on supply and demand - the more you feed the more you make. How did you know your supply was terrible? - what made you think that?

Nappy washing process is not grim at all. You chuck the dirty nappies in a bucket lined with a mesh bag. When that's full just transfer the mesh bag to the washing machine and they all tumble out while they're washing. Hang out to dry and you're ready to go again! With newborn breastfed poo I just chuck it all in the bucket and it washes out fine. Once they're onto solids you need to put a liner in to catch the poo and then flush it down the toilet then wash the rest of the nappy as normal.

I really didn't find it a lot more work when we started washable nappies. Just as greensnail said. I didn;t start until we had bought a tumble dryer though as our house is tiny and in rainy West Wales and I was getting fed up of living with clothes and sheets strewn everywhere. I guess it depends on whether you have one, or how tolerant you are of washing hanging.

I don't tumble dry every time, just when needed.

I've bought some disposibles to start off with too. I'm not sure how overwhelming this baby will be but DD's birth and some problems afterwards certainly knocked me for 6 at first. I don't think I'll be so ... whatever I was .. this time, but I'm not counting my chickens either!

As for supply, again as greensnail said - feed, feed, feed. There are other things you can do but demand feeding is the best. I was going to ask the same as greensnail.

For me, 4/5 months was when DD started pulling off because the world is so interesting and she was finding her voice etc. Drove me nuts. Might this stage of development have contributed to your decision to stop (and you read it as lack of supply)?

I assumed my supply was poor because both boys took a long time to feed (40mins - 1hr at a time), and they were looking to feed again about an hour afterwards. DS1 really didn't gain weight very well at all and so I just assumed my supply was to blame. Also - when I expressed, I didn't get as much as they books told me I should be getting...

I thought I was onto a winner with DS2 because I'd heard that feeding alot was the key to building supply, and the first 48hrs with him involved endless time at the nipple and I hoped he was feeding rather than just comforting himself. It was painful in my tummy (I really felt it stimulate the uterus contractions with DS2, less so with DS1) and I didn't get much sleep, but I thought at least it would set me on the right path re :supply

Perhaps it was just the case that my DSs took a long time to feed and didn't give me enough time to build up supply between feeds. Here's hoping that DD will be a better feeder...

I wouldn't have said it was that unusual, and the amount you pumped wouldn't have any bearing on how much milk you had. Babies are much better at getting it than machines.

It's possible the position DSs on the breast could have been improved. Would you consider taking DD to a breastfeeding group, if there's one near you? It might help you feel more confident. I also found these videos and website really ehlpful.

Agree with LaT, the amount you can express is no indicator of how much milk you have - I could never express very much but DD always seemed satisfied and her weight was on 98th centile. That sort of feeding pattern doesn't sound that unusual for a newborn, but I would expect a baby to get quicker and feed less frequently as they get bigger (I'm not an expert, just talking about mine and friends experiences).

It does sound as though maybe improving the latch could help - help the baby to get into a better position to feed more efficiently. I hope you find things easier this time, but would definitely recommend finding out where you can get some real life support local to you so you can get someone to observe a feed and check your baby's latch if you have the same worries again.

I think DD started feeding for less time around then, but not quite then IYSWIM. It was always a struggle to get her to feed for long enough really.

Around 6 months she was feeding less but I felt confident she was getting as much. Sorry. PRevious post was not very clear.

I'll add some comments re bf tomorrow - have had a v busy weekend and am too tired to post right now, but lots of good advice given so far .

Am in the same boat as dinosaur w breastfeeding. I managed it to 4 months with ds, but never felt we quite got the hang of it. He was constantly ravenous and crotchety if not feeding. I felt that I was feeding on demand, but my supply seemed weedy and, like dinosaur, was never able to express much to give myself a break while dh took over. Consequently bowed to family pressure to give him a bottle of formula at bedtime so I cd replenish my energy, and was hoping to carry on bf-ing to at least 1 yr, but the moment he got a whiff of formula he totally lost interest in the breast, plus shot up from 50th to 95th centile in weight (which is in line w his height) where he's remained ever since. I've probably got another large and hungry boy on the way, so I've been feeling more anxious about making it work this time as the birth gets nearer. I'm hoping to stay in the MLU for a few days afterwards for support w latching on etc, but would also be v grateful for the words of wisdom of you seasoned breastfeeders.... Thanks

Spd back w a vengeance today, so feeling a bit grumpy and not relishing the prospect of my last 3 wks at work. Sorry for the selfish post- hope you've all enjoyed the chilly bank hol

Am in the same boat as dinosaur w breastfeeding. I managed it to 4 months with ds, but never felt we quite got the hang of it. He was constantly ravenous and crotchety if not feeding. I felt that I was feeding on demand, but my supply seemed weedy and, like dinosaur, was never able to express much to give myself a break while dh took over. Consequently bowed to family pressure to give him a bottle of formula at bedtime so I cd replenish my energy, and was hoping to carry on bf-ing to at least 1 yr, but the moment he got a whiff of formula he totally lost interest in the breast, plus shot up from 50th to 95th centile in weight (which is in line w his height) where he's remained ever since. I've probably got another large and hungry boy on the way, so I've been feeling more anxious about making it work this time as the birth gets nearer. I'm hoping to stay in the MLU for a few days afterwards for support w latching on etc, but would also be v grateful for the words of wisdom of you seasoned breastfeeders.... Thanks

Spd back w a vengeance today, so feeling a bit grumpy and not relishing the prospect of my last 3 wks at work. Sorry for the selfish post- hope you've all enjoyed the chilly bank hol

Bloody iPhone keypad- sorry for the double post!

Hello - yes thanks very much for your advice. Interesting to hear that even those of you that breastfed successfully didn't get much when expressing ...I was very disheartened by that, but it sounds like I didn't necessarily have to be.

I really want to go to a breastfeeding group and I think there is one at the hospital that I can go to - it's just tricky getting childcare for the DSs if it is at an unusual time - but wouldn't certainly be worth it. I'd also thought about seeing a lactation consultant and perhaps I'll do that after the birth - not much point beforehand, do you think?

Breastfeeding: I totally hated it for about 3 months...and ds was rubbish at it...my mum constantly made negative comments about why I'd want to do it...I was useless at expressing and it was all horrible. Then it suddenly all started working properly and was great, he never took a bottle so I totally gave up on expressing and I stopped minding that I never managed to 'get away' from him and it was always me who had to get up in the night. I reluctantly stopped after 18 months and am sooo pleased that I kept going past the awful first bit. I'm sure that If ds had liked the formula we tried him on I probably would have given up, also if we had had the same problem as others of having a ravenous baby...ds was quite small and never particularly greedy.

I have known quite a few people who introduced a bottle a day and then had problems with their milk supply and frequent bouts of mastitis (although not necessarily linked, it's something to bear in mind).

Thanks for all of your input on washable nappies. I've just got my fingers crossed that the BumGenius are ok although I think I will probably not start using them until the baby is at least a few weeks old. (Baby is unlikely to be over 7lb).

LaT (and others) Do you think that pocket nappies are actually more faff than 2-parters then? - You said that you couldn't get used to the frequent nappy changes again. Does that mean that you need to change pocket nappies more frequently than 2-part nappies?

Hope everyone is good. I haven't posted in a while, mainly cause nothing is happening here. Am KNACKERED to the point where I think it must be easier to have them out, even if there is two of them! Only 2.5 more weeks of work, can't wait. Then its just down to looking after a boisterous 2 yr old. Simples.

I was a combination (ie formula and breast) feeder with DD1 and found it worked really well for us. Never had much luck with expressing either, and the odd bottle of formula, especially in the evenings really helped my sanity. Will probably go down the same route this time.

Am slowly getting stuff organised for the babies. Have finished the batch cooking (frrezer in garage has at least 40 meals in it) Their room is now painted (a pale green colour) and just need to buy blackout blind, navy blue curtains, shift the nursery furniture from DD's bedroom, buy new furniture for DD, buy new bed for DD, entice her use it, shift cot to twins room/our room, buy maternity pads/pants/breast pads/lansinol & pack hospital bag. Not much then

Good news is my cousin had her first baby at the weekend. Haven't heard much about the birth, but it's a healthy 9lb boy called Logan, so all is good.

Hi all, hope you had a nice bank holiday

I'm 36+1 today and I still haven't packed my bag. TBH I still haven't bought everything needed to go in it!! I just can't seem to get the motivation for anything.

It's DS's birthday on Saturday and I haven't even bought him a present yet I won't see him on his birthday anyway as he will be at his father's house all weekend .

woofie sorry your SPD has come back with a vengeance.

I really wasn't supported at all by my HV in bf. DD was small and put on weight slowly and it all felt very difficult. We do have a local Breastfeeding Network group and they saved the day.

IMO, introducing a bottle can be directly linked to mastitis as it means the breast is emptied les frequently but that's by the by.

I really feel so sad when women tell me that they didn't feel confident about bf, even when they've been doing it for months, mainly because it reflects how little support there is for BF. If your friends and family aren't supportive, where would you go to have someone pat you on the back and tell you you're doing fine?. Only specialist groups like BfN. IME, even those HCP who should support it often don't know how to or don't want to. Most women who stop bf before 6 months wanted to carry on but felt they couldn't and that's really sad.

As for pocket nappies, they just didn't suit us. My friends who get on with them have quite sturdy children who can take quite a lot of padding between their legs. They don't necessarily need changing more often. DD is a skinny girl and walks like John Wayne if I put in enough stuffing to keep her dry for an acceptable length of time. As it was, I could only pad them out a little bit and then she needed changing constantly and I opften missed it, TBH and ended up with a soaking, especially as she was already a toddler and having he rnappy changed less frequently by then. It was difficult to get the timing right for me. As soon as she had a pee, it seemed, she was soaked but when that might be was unpredictable. Two parters are just better for her physique. That's why I think it's good to get in a few different ones and see what suits you.

Hi again. Just want to pick your brains!! Has anyone been getting back pain?? (not an ache a definite pain) Is it constant or does it come in waves??

Hello mampam I started getting backpain last night and thought it might be the start of something. It scared me because I am not at all ready. It was coming in waves, and I had a tightening across my belly too - so I'm thinking it may have been braxton hicks, which I've never been aware of having in previous pregnancies.

I still have the backpain this morning - am thinking now that it is just the position of the baby and the weight now that she has moved lower...

Hi All,
Haven't posted for ages due to manic work schedule but am now on maternity leave (or rather as I am self employed I am now gloriously unemployed!!!) Yipeee!!! So should be able to keep up with the posts...

Have not bought a anything apart form a pram so I think the next few weeks will be spent learning what I need to get (the Hospital Bag contents discussion was very helpful

Mampam I have been getting pains in my back since about 20 weeks and have found that yoga works for me, especially the cat/cow pose...yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/ss/catcow.htm Mine comes and goes and is a consequence of spending alot of time in the car driving for work.

Am also finding the bf talk very interesting and am determined to try to last as long as possible...

Hi All,

Just checking in as not got internet access at home now. Don't take me off the list!!!

I am thinking next time i log on there might be a couple of bubbas arrived....

xxx