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

Congratulations ginger! Sorry to hear that feeding hasn't worked out as you'd hoped, but hope that the boys get big and strong and come home very soon.

Hi all.

CONGRATULATIONS GibberingGinger on the birth of your baby boys.

gizmo lovely name

CSWS I bet it's a relief that baby has turned?

I'm sorry for all of you who are suffering with the hot weather. I found it so tiring and not to mention the puffy feet too!

Just a quick update from me.......Tilly has been losing weight all week and has lost well over a lb. She had lost again today so I've been advised to introduce formula once in the evening and once at night to see if that makes a difference. My milk didn't come in until Wednesday/Thursday but I can tell that Tilly just isn't satisfied at the end of her feeds especially in the evenings.
The MW has basically said that the quality of my milk is probably poor as I'm tired (because I have seriously been over doing things) I'm anaemic (haven't been taking my iron pills as thought I could eat my way back to normal levels) and I've got seriously puffy feet, ankles and legs which the MW says is a sign that my body has just had enough.
Hopefully with lots of rest, my iron pills and giving Tilly some formula for a couple of days will give my body a rest/boost to start making some good milk!

My wound on one side isn't quite healing as it should. It feels to me as if it's had more skin gathered together than the other side and pulls. Is a bit weepy and has started to smell a bit which the MW says isn't infected (yet) but is a bit damp so I have to keep some sterile dressing on it to try and keep it dry.

Mampam - the advice that you have been given is ill informed and largely incorrect. If you are happy to switch to formula then that's obviously fine, but if you want to be able to exclusively bf then please contact one of the bf organisations who have properly trained specialists who can help you. I can give you numbers for them if you want.

I wonder if I am anaemic? My Hb level was 100 on discharge but I was told I did not need iron tablets-hooray as they are minging. However I do feel a bit queasy.

CSWS can I butt in and ask which org you would recommend to ring for advice? I might do that before I get chance to go to drop in.

gizmo lovely name...now to properly welcome
baby Hester Rose.

GibberinGinger Congrats and welcome to baby James and baby Douglas.
Hope you do get home soon and the feeding starts to get easier on your two little bundles.

mampam hope your ok, takes a while for the wound to sort itself out,

keeping it cleaned(pat it dry) as often as possible was what i was advised to do after my cs. I eventually went to my gp(8/9 days post op) and got it checked to make sure i was looking after it properly.
If your unsure if its healing get to your gp ask for an emergency appointment.

and as CSWS adviced try bf organisations for advice too on whats best for little Tilly.

Hope everyone else is good, my swollen ankles/feet are really starting to hurt, I even have stretch marks on my ankles now
And my iron levels are low and Im dreading starting the pack of iron tablets. Tomorrow i will

saucepanman - the numbers and opening hours for the various orgns are on the rhs on this page. I am most familiar with the La Leche League, so would naturally be drawn to them, but NCT would be a good option too (open til 10pm tonight), as would any of them tbh!

Congratulations Gibbering Ginger on the boirth of your lovely boys. Here's hoping they are soon sucking strongly. Great pair of names.

Mampam - I would have to third CSWS. MWs are not well trained in bf - and I have this from the mouths midwives. I was given (and followed) very similar advice, so I do understand exactly how you're feeling. I really do sympathise and understand. However, the advice you have been given is detrimental to bf and you can get better information. I'm happy to point places out to. Feel free to CAT me if you want.

Seem to be saying that a lot! Not trying to be a busybody but the problems are ones that I have crossed too, so they interest me.

Saucepanman- If I may butt in: all the well-known bf charities should give good advice (La Leche League, Breastfeeding Network etc). I would be sceptical about individual groups led by HV or MW. They may be very good, and may equally well not be.

Congratulations on the arrival of James and Douglas GibberingGinger! Really hope you can have them home soon.

CSWS Yay! Hope he/she stays that way!

Gizmo - Lovely name. Well done!

Saucepanman - Please make sure you get seen urgently if the bleeding continues/gets worse. My friend had a v. close call with partly retained placenta...quite scary.

Mampam - Really hope you manage to get some good rest to help your milk supply and also will probably help the wound heal. Easier said than done, I know, but leave anything non-essential for a good few weeks.

monkeymargot - I'm going to take your advice re. a walk after 7pm. - dp and dm are driving me bonkers anyway so it's a good excuse to get out!

There are (if the list and our due-dates are right) now 16 of us who are over-due! I therefore feel like I'm in very good company! I am convinced that I am just not relaxed enough for the baby to feel like making an appearance. Does anyone know whether stress can actually delay labour? My mum has now been here for 10 days...waiting... and has to go home and back to work in 3 days...so no pressure baby!!

Congratulations GibberingGinger! What a lovely bunch of names our 'club' members are choosing! (Some of them are on our shortlist )

madamefreckle I feel your pain, and I think your theory might be right. I'm overdue, living abroad and my mum's due to go home in 10 days... My official due date (according to my doctor) was 10 days ago, but I always reckoned I was due 01/06. So it seems like we've all been sitting around staring at my bump waiting for something to happen. And my doula's going away on holiday next week. Aaaargh! I'm trying all the natural induction methods, but no luck so far.

Congratulations GibberingGinger - lovely names!

madamefreckle I am convinced you have to be in the right frame of mind for labour to commence. Maybe the pressure of your mum's immenent departure is adding to this? I was 12 days over last time, and just avoided induction. I think I'd resigned myself to being induced, so probably relaxed a little, then it happened on it's own.
How was your walk?

Gibbering huge congrats on the safe arrival of your double bundle. Hope they are feeding well now and that you're all home soon. Well done!!

P.S. Am on the raspberry leaf tea tablets plus tea. Gave me galloping stomach pains last night which ended only in an over-active bowl - no signs of labour!

Thanks everyone for the concern but TBH I'm quite happy giving Tilly some formula. It's only for a couple of days and last night she was so much more content. She only had one formula feed in the evening and was so contented afterwards. I then fed her myself for her next feed and she didn't need another formula feed as she slept for 5 hours.
I think you know your own body and I can tell that come the evening Tilly just isn't contented with what I can offer her alone. BFing continually from 8pm until about 1am just wasn't doing her any good or me.

Morning All.

the rain has returned here today, so im doing some tidying and cleaning.
My SIL went to babies r us for me yesterday to pick up a few bits and im dying to see them all now

mampam sounds like Tilly is a bit more contented today re:feeding.

im nervous myself on how BF will go with new baby and want things to go smoothly.
Also want it to be end of june so i can be done with this pg i feel too old for it all now

Congrats mampam and gibbering! Am playing the waiting game like MonkeyMargot and MrsDmamee. Hope everyone else waiting is relaxing...

Hello - just a quick one from me today as I have just arrived home with our little newborn Zoe Leila. She arrived yesterday, 5 June at 5pm weighing 6lb 9oz and we are all very besotted.

More to follow after I've caught my breath...

Congratulations on the birth of your baby sons GibberingGinger. I hope they are gradually getting stronger in special care and you'll be able to bring them both home soon.

Madamefreckle I really hope it happens for you soon and you can make the most of your mum being around.

Congratulations DIMB - fab name too!!

Congratulations DIMB - I too love the name. I'm getting excited at another arrival & a little bit apprehensive too! as I'm 4 days overdue.

Congratulations dimb! Another lovely name!

Congratulations to GibberingGinger and DIMB

Congrats GG - sorry your early days have been problematic, after you had done such a good job of growing two great big healthy boys. Still, in 10 years' time I don't think it will be the first thing you remember about their babytime. When do you think you will come home?

Nice to hear about Zoe's arrival too, DIMB - that is a pretty name. Good that you are home quick too. How are the older ones taking it?

Mampam, I get where you're coming from, and I believe it is possible to establish one bottle feed a day as the rule - although I'd talk to LaLeche about the long term impact on supply. Sounds like you're truly knackered (not surprising) and it is normally the feeds at the end of the day where the impact is felt. What can you do to ease your load and help your recovery?

Seems strangely quiet on this thread at the moment with so many people overdue. Or maybe in hospital? Weather here is foul enough to make me think hospital might be a attractive alternative to occupying two cranky halfterm boys who both want more than 100% of my time. Poor Hester is rather low on my list at the moment, to be honest, although that hasn't stopped her gaining a pretty impressive 10 oz in the second week of life. She's feeding every two hours day and night so I shouldn't be surprised .

My only point of uncertainty is around her poo, which is not the usual mustard colour and consistency of newborns but non stop (she probably poos 12 + times/day) darker green and extremely watery - if she were older I'd be very concerned about diarrhoea. She's pretty windy, and my current theory is that she's just getting gallons of foremilk, because the recent hot weather seems to have altered the makeup of my milk, and that is causing the problem. Still, she's gaining weight, and is steadily getting more alert, so I'm trying not to get agitated about it - not least because I feel I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for conversations about baby poo.

congrats DIMB!!!!!

Gizmo I wouldn't worry too much about the colour if she is gaining weight as well as she is. I'm sure DD's fluctuated between mustardy and greeny. How are you feeling? Is your DH around at the moment to lend a hand?

sobloodystupid are you on the raspberry leaf tea/pineapple/etc etc?
Not sure if any of this does any good...but I can't face sex.

Congratulations to GibberingGinger and DIMB on your new arrivals. I am now very of those who have managed to deliver their little bundles.

Last night I had the most scary dreams about the baby and will not share the details, but I called my midwife first thing this morning and asked her to do a sweep on me asap as clearly, I'd got myself into a very unhelpful state over baby's health. I don't know why I was so wound up, since I went 5 days over last time and am only 4 days over so far. But, I was convinced that something was wrong and the baby needed to come out NOW!

Anyway, she came this afternoon and gave us both a thorough check up and did the membrane sweep (which hurt more that I remembered/expected) and left me much more relaxed again because every test she did showed everything is still normal.

I'm still continuing with the raspberry tea and the walking, but curries have started to lose their appeal and there's only so much interest I can muster for sex, even if it's with the expectation of bringing on labour!!

I feel for those of you who have mothers or in-laws staying with you in advance of baby's arrival. That added pressure must be even more frustrating.