Dashing through the snow... One escaped early, which December baby is next?

[HoneyMum21]

Getting the thread ready when all the Christmas puddings start making appearances...

I wish I had good pain killers. Although pains not been as bad today so hopefully I'm at the tail end of that. My milk came in last night, my boobs look like huge odd shaped boulders all lumpy and hard. Ethan is enjoying the milk though!

Leaving DH in charge and I'm going for a nap now!

DP has gone out to get a Christmas tree and left me alone with two children for the first time. Guess what?? They are both asleep!! I'm going to have a coffee and do the online food shopping!

Spotty, that counts as a massive win!

So I have finally got a midwife coming to see me, only 4 bloody days overdue. To be honest, the most stressful thing about discharge home with new baby has been the issue of the community midwives! Once they've been hopefully I have more idea about what they do, plus can actually try leaving the house because I'm not sat about waiting for them.

I'm not caught up yet, but just wanted to say, I love you, honey - the tip about the nipple shield was amazing. I couldn't get the Medela one but got a Philips one & it has been fantastic. Feeding C is now going much better. Nowhere near as stressful for either of us...though probably shouldn't speak too soon!

We got weighed this morning. He's gone from 6lb 2 to 6lb7, 9th to 0.4th centile. Cue tuts from the hv about weekly weighing, getting bf mw to check my latch. Nicely stressed and worried Pidj.

Bf group was at 1:30 so i go along and tell the mw what the hv said. Mw tells me it's a load of bollocks, he looks fine, 5oz in 2 weeks is great, I'm doing fantastically and don't bother getting him weighed! I cried

What a lovely mw pidj hope I don't have a HV like that! Weekly weighing is ridiculous they made me do it with dd

I'm not entirely convinced on which HCP to believe, but the other ladies at bf group were similarly minded towards HVs and their insistence that babies should grow to guidelines

I think the general consensus is if they're happy with wet and dirty nappies then they're doing well

pidj remember the charts are geared towards ff babies. Bf babies do not follow the curves. As long as you are feeding on demand and he is putting on weight don't worry!

We've had a mammouth feeding session this afternoon while oil were visiting. It wouldn't have been quite as bad if mil hadnt insisted on trying to settle Ethan herself when I told her he was clearly hungry. I eventually got him back and had to take him to the dark kitchen to feed as he'd worked himself up so much he couldn't latch!

Argh to nightmare mil stacey! I'm going to have to bf in public tomorrow. I wouldn't mind but Felix is so fussy before he latches

I haven't braved the public yet. Although have fed in front of whatever visitors happen to be in my house at the time. (including DHs mates, 25-28 year old guys, they don't look comfy lol) but as far as I'm concerned if you're in my house I will feed when/where I want.

Dp has three brothers I don't think I could do it infront of them or his dad.... Or mine!

Hello all - hope today has been good. Stacey, that sounds a bit horrendous. Hopefully next time she backs off.

Mw came - finally! I feel so much more reassured. Little C has gained weight in her first 6 days - takes after her dad - and they've done the heelprick test and told me about what else is to come in term of visits. She also checked my latch and my CS scar - little things that just serve to build confidence. So glad to have that visit done.

Afterwards we took her out - just down the road for a coffee. My husband wore the baby carrier and we rugged her up well. I did ok with the distance but we shall see how I feel tomorrow. I felt it very overwhelming to be out - like I've begun the process of integrating 'old me' and 'new me'. Also felt very protective of her.

This whole experience is pretty surreal, huh?

Seconds We are doing the same re: nighttime formula feed & C is still breastfeeding as well. I was a bit hesitant at first but am happier with it now that I see she's still feeding from me & it doesn't seem to have affected my supply (for breastfeeding "directly" or for expressing). In fact this morning when I woke up my boobs were so full (and leaky) that I decided to feed C & express at the same time. It worked REALLY well....happy baby + loads of expressed milk

Hi all, is it ok if I join you?

I wasn't active on the ante-natal thread as I couldn't keep up. Well we just squeezed into December. Charlie was born on the 01/12/12 at 17:46 weighing 8lbs 4 oz. He came by EMCS as he didn't get his little head in the right position.

Welcome, Penny! Of course you're welcome. Congratulations on little Charlie - I had the same experience with my little Charlie (Charlotte) who ended up coming via EMCS due to head position as well. I got very slightly irritated by the midwife today who read my discharge report and said 'Oh no, you had an emergency C section!' [sadface] I don't feel sad about it, and it didn't feel particularly 'emergency' - I prefer to call it 'unplanned'. Anyway, welcome to the thread.

Have just realised I should technically be on a November thread as Z came early. Please let me stay here!

weejo that's reassuring to know that nighttime formula feeding works for you too. A friend of mine found it invaluable - she'd do a breastfeed at about 9 and go to sleep and her husband did a formula feed at 11 and that got them 3 further hours.

mamapo glad you finally got a midwife visit. I find it so stressful waiting around all day for them.

I did a public feed yesterday! In a cafe and a greasy spoon one too, not a yummy mummy one. All was fine - I was discreet, he latched quickly cos it was his favourite boob, and once he was on I covered up with a muslin.

I feel like I'm running a laundry! Between my tops and bras (v leaky atm) and Nathaniel's clothes (we have had a ridiculous no of poo-splosions and leaked wees today) the washer doesn't stop. I know it's all a sign that supply is good and feeding's going well, but it feels like everything is slightly in overdrive.

On a more positive note,ventured out solo with both boys and it was absoultely fine. Cheated slightly by going to soft-play where there is only a short walk from the car but DS1 was really good at coming with us to the baby-change both times we needed it and didn"t have his customary tantrum when leaving. I've also managed to feed and water him at appropriate intervals so counting today as a success.

seconds I should be on the October thread

honey good point! A friend of mine is being induced tomorrow so assuming it all happens her boy will be born on 12/12/12

weejo glad to have helped :)

Ah don't leave us! We would miss you!

Just had to express boobs were sooo hard and sore! Ethan has been feeding like a trooper today and sleeping nicely in his Moses basket, let's see if he can do that later!

This thread is so reassuring! Good to see (well, not good but you know what I mean) that it's not just me with the leaky boobs and night sweats!

I haven't made it out alone with both DC yet. DM here helping out (had c-section) and tbh I have no idea how I'll cope alone.

DC2 woke up every hour two nights ago, but last night woke just once for food. GOOD BABY!

Am BF-ing and it seems to be going well (born 6.14, was 7.7 at 10 days ). Was an absolute nightmare with DC1 and was FF by 2 weeks so am in shock!

That's some healthy feeding, rarely!

That's weird that some of us are getting night sweats - I'm constantly freezing! Asked the mw, who reasonably pointed out that I'd recently had removed quite a large and efficient hot water bottle.

I wish my baby came with a 'don't fall asleep - keep feeding!' B

Oops - button! I'm constantly playing with her and prodding her to keep her feeding.