June is approaching, the end is in sight, time to sort our lady gardens so the midwives don't get a fright - Due June 2010

[ConservativesShouldWinSurely]

30/05 GoodName, 31, #1 BOY
31/05 RnB, 31, #3
31/05 dinosaurinmybelly (DIMB), 37, #3 GIRL
31/05 - mampam, 30 #3
31/05 - minimoonumbertwo, 33, #2, BOY
1st - Appu, #1 Girl
1st - ELM, 29, #2
1st - whenwillisleepagain, 42 #2
1st - PogueMahone, 36, #3 SURPRISE
1st - madamefreckle, 34,#2 GIRL
2nd - meggymegmegs, 31, #1 SURPRISE
2nd - Justbeme , 41 #3
2nd - AlwaysHopeful, 35, #2 SURPRISE
2nd - roundabout1, no 2,
3rd - nickytwotimes, 35, #2
3rd - Jenba, ?, #3
3rd - Flossysmum, #4
3rd - marmiteaddict, 31, #1 SURPRISE
7th - MrsC09, 29 #1 SURPRISE
7th - perkster, no 1, SURPRISE
7th - Zeel, #1
8th - LittleRobbo, 35, #3 GIRL
8th - Saucepanman, 31, #4
8th - MrsAlwaysRight 31, #2
9th - greensnail, 28, #2 SURPRISE
9th - Boobz, 30, #2 SURPRISE
9th - Petitfilou, ?, 1
11th - shipsladyg GIRL
11th - woofie, 33, # 2 BOY
12th - Georgee, 38, #1 GIRL
12th - Elena67, 43 #1
13th - sobloodystupid, 34, #3
13th - WaiteH, no 1
14th - Fillybuster, 36, #3 - NOT TELLING!
15th - Ponymum, 41, # 2
15th - Millymollymoo, ?, #4 BOY
16th - NizzyNoodles, 35, #3 BOY
16th - Flossie69, 40,#2
17th - Bluesnowfalcon 28 #1 BOY
17th - Summerhols, 31, #1
17th - Barbeasty, 31, #1 GIRL
17th - chestnut100,30 #1 GIRL
17th - LateforWork,#1, SURPRISE
17th - Plum100, #3, SURPRISE
18th - Virgo1979, SURPRISE
18th - theperfectbaguette 34 #1
21st - Gizmo, 40, #3 GIRL
21st - Bubs1,?,SURPRISE
21st - Sunworshipper, 36, #1
22nd - gaelicsheep, 33, #2 - NOT TELLING
23rd - Bobolana, 29 #1 GIRL
24th - GibberingGinger 34 #2+3 BOYS
24th - lifeinthesun #2 BOY
25th - Ilovemyterrier, 38 #1 BOY
26th - herewegrow 31 #2 GIRL
26th - imkeepingmum, #1, SURPRISE
27th - muchchocolate, #2
28th - Wheredidmyfeetgo 32 #3
29th - CantSleepWontSleep, 36, #3, SURPRISE
29th - MrsDmamee #3
29th - playftseforme, 36, #2+3 BOYS
30th - MonkeyMargot, 36, #2+3 SURPRISE
30th - LaTrucha, 36, #2 BOY
30th - NotGrownUpEnough, 29, # 1, SURPRISE
30th - EssieM, 37, #1, SURPRISE
30th - Monthlymayhem, No.2, BOY

I find making cards for family members (get well card/thinking of you card for grandpa) etc can take up a decent amount of time and then we get to do the whole going-to-the-post-office-and-posting-the-card thing, which takes up another hour or two. 'Making things' kits from the pound shop are great as well, as are the 'paint your own' piggy banks etc, also about a quid. And how about some decorations or 'welcome to the world' stuff for the baby's room?

Oh, and planting seeds (sunflower, cress etc), into small pots, watering daily, watching them grow, fighting off slugs and snails and eating the results is also a total winner from 2 yrs+

Lol @ greensnail and contradictory advice

WRT cluster feeding, goodname, I think it depends on the baby and your patience levels. I did it with ds, who was a) enormous and b) fed incredibly quickly, but only for about 4 weeks, and yes, it was a total bugger. But worth it...I fed him at 4.00pm, 6.00pm and 8.00pm (but 3 hourly from 7am until the 4pm feed) and again at 11pm from about 2 weeks until 8 weeks old. He slept through the night (from 11pm to 7.30am without any noise at all) from about 9 weeks, so it was totally worth it, but it was a complete killer and ruined my evenings....and that was even with dh giving the 11pm feed as an ebm bottle.

With DD, we found really quickly that 4, 6 and 8pm feeds meant she wouldn't take the 11pm milk, and since that was more important in terms of getting her to sleep from 11-7, we moved back to 'normal' feeds at 4 and 7 instead. FWIW, she slept 'through' from about 10.5 weeks, so it might have made a difference, but not a huge amount.

Will I do it again? If I have another efficient feeder then probably. Is it critical? I don't think so, as long as you're getting all the rest of the feeds in between 7am and 7pm.

Hope that helps...and apologies in advance to anyone who doesn't agree with the BW approach to feeding/sleeping etc - I'm absolutely not suggesting that this is the 'best' way of doing things, but it is the way that has worked really well for me and my two dcs

Hi again everyone. Thanks for the lovely messages and sorry for my subsequent lack of posting but things all went a bit mad after my original post. Jimmy's temp was quite low and they put him on a heated bed to warm up, but after a few hours he still looked a little grey and the MWs weren't happy with his colour. He was seen by a paediatritian who decided that the best place for him was special care which is where he's been ever since . He's been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and will be on antibiotics for at least 5 days. It's all been a real shock and thankfully dh has been a complete rock as I've been pretty weepy. Trying my best to breastfeed but it's so tough when he's in scbu and not with me, so lots of hand expression going on (pumps aren't doing it for me yet) and feeds where and when possible. Any tips would be greatly welcome if any of you have experienced similar?

Sorry for the rambling post and probable typos but I'm on my iPhone here!

Gosh this thread is moving fast!

Goodname, don't worry about making friends, in Cupar the midwives/health visitors run a course called Baby Matters which you will be invited to about 4 weeks after the birth. The course is ok (covers things like when to call a doctor/sleep routines etc) but the main aspect is socialising with other women who have babies born the same month. I'm still in touch with a lot of the people I met last time round and will be going again this time too. And if you fancy meeting up with me my mat leave starts Thursday!

LaT, I drag DD to the doctors with rashes all the time - mostly cause she is in nursery and they get send home with the slightest rash and can't go back until the rash has been checked by a doctor! A complete waste of NHS time, however 10 days sounds like its worth checking out.

Am off to pick up DD from nursery now. Its about 5-8 minutes walk from the house but I'm taking the car. Just can't walk any distance any more!

Hi to the newbies (rubyreins are you scottish?)

Just a quick one to send positive vibes to you meggy - must be a terrible shock, especially when you're going to be feeling fragile anyway ... they sound as if they know exactly what they're doing and I'm sure things will turn around soon. Poor you! Glad DH is being so supportive.

Thinking about you, keep us posted (impressive messaging on the iPhone BTW - no typos at all!)

Georgee x

cross posted with you meggy, but sending you positive thoughts. Don't have any experience of scbu or expressing at such an early stage, however TAMBA (twins and multiple birth association) have lots of info on premature babies/scbu if that helps. And as difficult as it is don't let the scbu nurses push you into things you may not want to do (formula feeding, not letting you change his nappy etc) I know its a difficult time to be strong but he's YOUR baby. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery

Hi Can'tSleepWon'tSleep - I was only diagnosed with GD a few weeks ago and I'm controlling it with metformin and diet, although the diet thing is a complete minefield. I have ketones too so I need to eat more carbs which is odd for a diabetic but I'm sure it will be fine. My doc is now happy to postpone induction until my due date which has made me very happy. So it does look as though LO will be a little Junebug.

Hi GibberingGinger - yup I'm Scottish, I live in Edinburgh. What gave me away?!

Hi Meggymegs...have no advice as first time mum but just wanted to say am thinking of you.

Oh Meggy, thinking of you and Jimmy. Hope he's responding well to the antibiotics and will be back with you soon. Sorry, no personal experience of feeding a baby in SCBU, but please try to be gentle with yourself - its normal to be very weepy at this stage even if everything is going to plan, let alone with the added complications of your baby being in special care.

Don't be afraid to keep asking for help with the feeding and expressing - ask if the hospital has a breastfeeding specialist or lactation consultant who you can see for help and support.

Meggy wishing Jimmy a speedy recovery xxx

Hey greensnail I'll let you say "not long to go now" on Monday and not a moment before

LaT I really feel for you. I'm lucky that my DC's are 10 and 7 and can entertain themselves most of the time. They are more mentally draining (especially when they've got a strop on) rather than physically. Thumbs up to your DH

Meggy I hope Jimmy makes a speedy recovery. Have you tried different types of pump? I never got on with the electric type but found a hand pump quite effective. I have heard that if you are not able to express while you are with Jimmy that looking at a photo of him may help.

Welcome to the new joiners

meggy thinking of you and wishing baby jimmy a speedy recovery and hopefully he will be back in your arms very soon.

Meggy sending lots of positive thoughts and thinking of you.

Sending lots of love to baby jimmy and meggy - he is absolutely in the best hands possible and you should certainly keep persevering with giving him EBM and all your love. Here's to a speedy recovery :-)

Hello newbies!

Any babies today? Soon they will start arriving thick and fast!

Had 34 week growth scan today, Twin A is just under 5lbs and Twin B is just over 5lbs. Sonographer said if they continued at this rate of growth they would both be 8lbers! (But they will natrually run out of space in final weeks so won't get that big I'm sure).
Finally met my "twins" midwife who was really good, and also my consultant for first time to discuss birth plan. Plan is to go for natural birth.

Only bad news is I have to go back to hospital tomorrow for another scan, as excess fluid around twin B is a possible indicator of gestational diabetes. Hoping not the case.....

Gibbering are you going for elective C-S?

congrats to meggy and hello to jimmy. biased towards the name james (DS)

hi mampam can you let me know what happened at your pre-op? i've got mine 27th with cs on 28th. my due date was 4th june!

well i say that, but if i wasn't worried i'm being paranoid i'd say i'm in labour now

seriously, since 5ish i've had red hot pain in the middle of my lower back, period pains around my thighs and stabbing pains up me you know where's i also have diarrhea and stomache pains but so has DS so hope thats just a bug.

i took 2 500mg paracetamol 6ish and had hot bath but backs burning like mad!!!

hopefully i've just pulled something and got a dickie tum. i'm just getting things sorted for 28th may, i'm no where near ready for any early arrivals!

meggymog sorry to hear, i only just caught upto the the last page. i hope scbu stay is a short one.

keep trying with the expressing. it is what i plan to do from the start with this one with formula feeding to. (long story.. ) i have the medela pump from first time. i found it a lot better than the machines at the hospital and more portable too.

good luck best wishes

Eek j0807bump sounds ominous!!! keep us updated if you can

Meggy really hope Jimmy gets well soon,sounds like he is having excellent care and will be home in no time.

Ladies do you mind if i have a moan? I seem to have developed SPD i think,i am literally aching all over,can barely turn over in bed,the pain is mostly in my back and groin,also,sorry if TMI,but since i had the tummy bug last week,i have been losing greenish thick discharge,quite a lot actually. I nipped to the post office today in the car,only took 10 minutes,but i felt like i had done a 6 hour shopping trip,had to lie down when i got back,i've never had this in previous pg's. I'm not due for 3 weeks but really dont feel like its going to be too much longer,or is that wishful thinking I feel like a bloody pensioner!

Gosh, what a lot of posts today . Things are really starting to hot up aren't they .

j0807 - have you phoned your midwife or even delivery ward to ask for advice? Can't hurt if you think there's a chance that you are in labour.
I'm interested to know why you plan to express and formula feed from the beginning if you feel like breaking your .

meggy - I think that Aitch had to feed her dd2 whilst in scbu when she was prem. Do you know her? Will see if i can find any of her old threads on it and see if there's anything useful - am sure that she got lots of advice and support and encouragement at the time.

Margot - how is another scan going to establish whether you have gd or not ?

earlyonemorning - that is indeed very ironic!

Ruby - I've not had ketones before, but it sounds like it must make it even more complicated. Hurrah for your consultant 'letting' you go to term though - that is very unusual when on metformin.

LaT - you need to take a big sample from a roll of wallpaper at a DIY store (unless you have good stiff large rolls of paper at home already) and get dd to lie still on it whilst you draw around her whole body. Then you can cut 'her' out together, take a photo and enlarge it on paper to lifesize for her head, and then leave her to make clothes/decorations etc for the rest of the body, to make a mini-me!
Although if you've just built her a sandpit then you might not need to do any more entertaining for a while!

Welcome suzy .

hi cantsleep i haven't phoned anyone yet (sorry TMI but i've been on the loo again..!)

i am pretty paranoid about going into labour early and have had so many aches and pains etc through this pg, i kind of have convinced myself from the begining that something is going to go wrong.

your second question, it's hard to say on here although i've put reasons on other feeding threads. to give a proper answer i risk some serious flamings as i will be honest and long.

it was such a horrendous experience first time. after a not great labour DS never managed to latch well and i began expressing/formula feeding in the hospital. at home though i tried to bf but we only just about managed with sheilds and masking tape for 6 1/2 weeks. i didn't sleep until the dr told me to stop feeding him and go onto sleeping tablets. it only got better when i stopped feeding him.

i also sit here now with already cracked and bleeding nipples. i suffer ecsema and the milk sets it off something terrible though i would have put up with this if it meant he fed well

the timing of this (unplanned )
pg could not have been worse and i am ashamed to say it has taken along time to feel happy about it.

i have had to come off anti depressants because of pg not because i'm better and i've been advised to get back on them asap after the birth. this is mainly to get my sleeping on track, or that's the theory with a moses basket next to the bed

around the time we found out expecting DS discovered the terrible twos and its got no better though he is by no means a terror all the time. i worry like mad somedays that if i can't cope with him i don't know what i'll do with 2

the next few weeks after DDs birth are going to be so mad- we have to move out of our house by 29 june and into my parents because our house has hit a delay. at least i won't be as isolated as i have been the last 3 years though now were going back to our parents city instead of in the sticks.

so basically i had decided to ebf what i could for the goodness as well as formula. i was adament that i wouldn't even try. i am worried it will be a disaster again but am feeling the pressure to give it a go

prehaps she will know what she's doing but i don't know. sorry so long but you did ask and if i'd just put 'it didnt work so well last time' it would not be as simple as that.

i think i might go to bed now and check back in a few days incase anyone writes anything about me being a terrible mother and kicks me off the thread

Oooh Ruby I'm in Edinburgh too! (I think it might have been your use of 'wee girl' that gave your Scottishness away - am I right Gibbering? I'm not actually Scottish myself so I may be completely missing something more obvious!). There are about four of us North of the Border.

Sorry to all of those in discomfort (whether through SPD, nipples, GD etc) ... I'm up again having gone to bed and realised sleep is impossible. Just too itchy and large - and no position is comfy for long. Will just mumsnet until exhaustion takes over I think.

Hello - so exciting to have had some arrivals and also to have some upcoming induction / CS dates! Sending megs and baby Jimmy lots of love - it does sound like he is being well taken care of and will be back home with you soon. Am sure you will get some great advice on the feeding - I have no expertise there I'm afraid.

j0807bump I am livid to think that anyone would've made you feel bad about what you went through last time with feeding. The fact you are planning ahead this time makes you a very good mum in my book and I think you'd be surprised at how many people you help when you write these things on here as you are certainly not alone. You sound like you have alot on your plate, but will have some support around you this time. Please try not to worry too much about the terrible 2s - I've been through this with DS1 (and am about to go through it with DS2 no doubt) and it really is just a phase. I did get very down about it and felt if I was doing something differently he wouldn't behave the way he did - then it felt like he changed overnight and became so much more involved in the world and excited about being a part of it. I do think it is true what they say about this just being a part of their development where their cognitive ability outpaces their physical ability and that frustrates them - plus it is a good sign that they are developing well.

38+1 here and nothing cooking... I think I'll still be waiting in 2 weeks time, as that has been the pattern with me. Very exciting few weeks for us all - good luck everyone!

Hi everyone, thanks again for the positive messages. Had an amazing night last night, I never thought I'd hear myself say it but I was so happy to be called by scbu 3 times for feeding because jimmy has really taken so well now to the breast, he just can't get enough What an incredible feeling! I feel like I'm literally nursing him back to health and he just isn't interested in the formula they were wanting to try him on - what a good boy!

I am fully aware I'm once again babbling and all this might not make much sense, but in summary, I'm exhausted but ecstatic, jimmy is getting stronger and all is well with the megs clan.

I will post again soon when more coherent!!

Glad to hear you had a good night meggymegmegs. My first was in neonatal for a few days and I wasn't strong enough to keep going with the pumping and cup feeding so delighted for you!

That's great meggy, gald to hear little one is feeding so well, this will surely aid a speedy recovery.

Meggy - I am so pleased that Jimmy is feeding well, well done to you for perservering too. My dd was born with pneumonia & spent a few days in scbu & then in hospital til 10 days of antibiotics were finished. I remember what a worrying time it was. Since then she has been so healthy & never gone on to have any chest/breathing problems. Hope he is well enough to come out of scbu soon xx