👣 Due late Nov/Dec, it's bump time ladies! 👣

[ChampooPapi]

Thread 3 👣👣👣

@peachypetite I’ve not been having aversions as such, but do agree that in the evening it’s so hard to eat! I feel so full in an evening and my bump gets so tight and hard! Last night was a real struggle and I couldn’t settle in bed because of it.

Thread signalling 🎽 for those who need more pram information. Or for people like me who have a buggy fetish and LOVE reading about them ☺️

Prams Buggies travel systems

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3879231-Prams-buggies-travel-systems

I don’t feel full, just kind of nothing/empty!!
So I just sent an enquiry to NCT and was quite shocked at the price!! It is in theory going to be in person but my hospital also runs them for free. Any thoughts?

@Peachypetite - NCT isn't cheap: I'm doing it on recommendation from a friend that it's really good to meet other first-time parents locally (as well as for the content obviously - I think I'm more likely to remember stuff if it's in a course) - my friend is still in regular contact with her NCT group 9 months later. They do offer discounts if your household income is below around 26k (which ours... er... isn't) but I think you're London-based which means it might be quite a lot more than what we're paying (ours is about £200 for a 20 hour course which, when you consider the hourly rate seems more reasonable). I don't think it's at all a necessity to do the course (a bit of a luxury, really) - just a nice thing to do if you want to you can definitely get all the info from the free courses and online :-)

@excitednerves I am so in love with the pushchair, cannot wait until I can use it. Did you use yours in the forest? If you did how did it handle that? I walk our dog alot in our local forest, it has a path that I follow which can be a bit bumpy in places.

@jojanna I wouldn't worry to much about nappy changing, you will learn very quickly, it definitely comes naturally. The midwifes are more then willing to help if you ask, they helped bath my son the morning after delivering him. It is however worth getting as much help with breastfeeding as possible, I only managed to feed my son for 1 week before giving up. I was really struggling, my nipples were so sore & bleeding, I'm sure the latch was wrong but no one showed me any different. I was young then & didn't seek advice, which I would be more willing to do this time around.

Yes in London and it’s over £300! For 17 hours. My worry is that there will be a second wave and it will mean they are online. It’s a lot to pay for online and you don’t have the same rapport with people. My hospital runs them too, again, currently online but hopefully they would be in person in October and surely most people at those would be local too, as you can only attend if receiving maternity under the hospital.

@Peachypetite - HOW much?! Yikes. Given that the Bristol ones on offer for the same due dates are already online (earlier start dates I think), it going online is definitely a risk. I think I'd have drawn the line at about £250 -- you could always wait and see? With all the uncertainty they're less likely to get overbooked?

I agree with @kkr168 nappy changing etc. comes so easy and the midwives in the hospital and community midwives are great for that! @jojanna - the amount of aftercare really is amazing!
I really wanted to do NCT this time around as I didn't with my DS. But to me the only real benefit would be making friends with children etc. And I don't think that would be really possible on zoom!

I understand doing it for the help on breastfeeding but I wonder if there'd will be free help groups available by the time we give birth? I couldn't at all with my first as I was to weak after birth so not sure how I feel about it this time around.

I've just sent off my memorandum of sale to the solicitors on our house so excited! we nearly did a new build - but it wouldn't of been ready till October @MummyShark97 I'm so happy for you 🥳💕
I love Arlo @roro87 - I really fancy Hudson now. My mind changes daily!

@ChampooPapi my friend named her baby Eben I think it's lovely I love Noah as well!

Just linking a YouTuber who makes baby name videos - she has some amazing ideas! www.youtube.com/user/TheSJLjungstrom

I love Arlo & Hudson too, unfortunately had to rule them out as a family member has named there son Arlo & Hudson is to similar to our surname (both end in son).
My name list currently consists of Jaxon & Logan. Our son is called Jack so may be to similar?

Yeh I think you’re right. I’ve been advised by my hospital to register a spot on theirs after 20 week scan, for sept/Oct because they get booked up fast. www.laleche.org.uk/ Are meant to be good for breastfeeding @nearlyamummyof2boys, I agree that’s probably what I will need the most help with and I think it’s why we have one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding is the lack of support not the lack of wanting to!

@kkr168 yeah we had to rule out Noah as it rhymes with our surname so annoying! I love Jaxon and Jack but my sister in law is called Jackie so we thought it might be wierd!
I also love Finn and Finley but we have those in the family - it's a minefield choosing names.

Thanks @peachypetite I'm hoping there's some kind of groups when we move as I think it's so important to have a network of people - plus any advice is good ❤️

Interesting to hear those of you who already have children say the community midwives were really helpful after baby was born. Our trust is planning to discharge anyone who's low risk 6 hours after birth, and the only face to face visit will be the heel prick. That being the case I can't see how I will get any help with feeding etc (other than from my mum!)

I never found the midwives any use with breastfeeding whatsoever. They all come round with a knitted boob and have different ideas about it. I had about 5 different people try to advise me plus two admittances to hospital with breastfeeding none of them picked up I actually had hypoplasia ( lack of glandular tissue). It's really not that difficult if you have a decent supply and the baby isn't tongue tied. Babies instinctively know how to suckle. You just have to make sure you put your finger in to latch them off otherwise they will kind chew off your nipple coming off.

Let's hope the boobs are milky and the baby has been practising its sucking reflex!

Sorry to hear you had a rough time of it @chubbyhotchoc.

@RestorationInsanity thanks. I'm quite looking forward to having a baby free of guilt and worry about breastfeeding this time. Although I'm not looking forward to having to tell my midwife I'm not attempting bf this time. They don't have my notes from previous as I've moved counties so won't know.

How easy/difficult did you ladies find it to decide between breastfeeding and formula feeding? I feel like I should breastfeed, especially for the first week or so but don't actually particularly want to. DH thinks I should BF too and I know its beat for baby but formula just seems so much easier and you know how much baby is getting.

@pinktruffle this will be my first baby and my intention is to try breastfeeding but equally I’m not going to beat myself up if I switch to formula or can’t get to grips with it. I do think there are benefits to it like not having to cart bottles and formula around but it is of course more pressure on you as the mum who will be doing the feeding if expressing doesn’t work/baby won’t take a bottle. I reckon even if I did it for six months it would be an achievement.

@Pinktruffle I really think it depends on you and the baby once the babies born.
I think some women find it so easy and it is handy when you're out and about - and they're are many benefits obviously to breast milk, but they're are also benefits to formula (such as sharing feeds & knowing how much your baby gets)
But a lot of women do struggle and I think if it does get to hard the formula now is amazing - I know it can cause a lot of women a decline in mental health if they do push themselves too much when it's not working for them.

The problem is once you try it it's not that easy to give up even if it's not really working. Your hormones kick in massively and it's such a lovely feeling to breastfeed your baby. I sobbed my heart out when I had to top up with formula after 5 days because my dd lost a pound and was dehydrated. When dd eventually started refusing the tiny amounts I could give her at the breast at 3 months I can tell you I grieved. I used to have to walk out of mother and baby rooms if someone was breastfeeding. I was so sad. It's not rational and there's so much pressure once you start. And everyone has an opinion or an idea to try to make it all work better- pump, skin to skin, eat this, eat that, cluster feed... you can pass months trying different things and driving yourself crazy and all the while you're sleep deprived and hormonal. In an ideal world it would be simple; you would give it a go but if it doesn't work move on to formula without a backward glance but we are women and women are not simple creatures and mothers are definitely not simple creatures.

@Pinktruffle obviously I've never done it before but am intending to. You should not feel pressured into breastfeeding, but it might help to try and think about why you would prefer not to so you know why you've come to the decision. You shouldn't have to defend your choices to anyone but it's good to feel secure in your choices.

Personally I feel the opposite about formula feeding, sterilising, preparing bottles, getting the temperature right, always having to have the equipment with you if you go somewhere, the cost of formula when breast milk is free, having to keep track of how much you feed them so you don't overfeed. So for me, if I can get the hang of it, breastfeeding seems like the easier of the two.

But that's why it's so important that everyone considers their own preferences. You definitely should not breastfeed because someone else makes you feel you should if you don't want to though.

Thank you so much for your feedback ladies, it certainly gives me a lot to think about.
Things like my husband being able to do feeds, other people being able to help out, formula babies generally sleeping better due to being fuller make me sway towards formula. Also, I know that breastfeeding is often painful and I'm not sure I'm cut out for it. Lots of things to think about

I personally am going to give breast feeding another go this time, but I won't beat myself up if it doesn't work out. I have got bottles & will get some formula once baby has arrived, some people see this as setting yourself up to fail but I want to be prepared. I ended up breaking down in the early hours of the morning with my son & dh had to drive round local 24 hour garages to get bottles & formula.

@peachypetite I’ve signed up with Le Leche - they’re going to book me in for some free online sessions nearer the time. Here’s the link: www.laleche.org.uk/product/beginning-breastfeeding-online-free-interactive-antenatal-session/

I know it’s nothing to do with BF but this looks like a good course, too. It’s only £27.

www.thebumptobabychapter.co.uk/online-hypnobirthing-and-antenatal/?utm_source=23844923893470724&utm_medium=23844923894090724&utm_campaign=23844923893590724

I enquired about NCT too and got a similar price back for online! They also called me a few days after asking me my thoughts and whether I was going to book.

I understand times are hard for businesses, but as I’m on furlough and my job is at risk of redundancy, it’s just not a luxury I can afford in and amongst all the other bits I need.