Due June 2022 (thread eight)

[Annabell1]

New Thread.

I've purchased the Milton cold water steriliser but it seems to simple and easy to be true! Also purchased some Tommee Tipee baby bottles x 6.

How many do you need?

@Vimto1991 - Hope you feel better soon!

@pansytub - Being able to express by hand sounds like a skill and a half! I will definitely take some formula to the hospital with me just in case. 😊

@CurryandSnuggle - Ooh yes, it was the MAM bottles I was looking at in particular as they seem to be the brand with the best reviews. Thank you for the tips for if breastfeeding doesn’t work for me and baby. Adds Perfect Prep Machine & Powder Formula to potential post-birth shopping list 😊

@Roxystar23 thank you! Hoping an early night I’ll feel better tomorrow. ☺️

I’m also going for MAM after all my friends recommend for hybrid feeding!

Hi everyone. Not been on in a while, just reading back a bit and see you are talking about some of my questions…bottles!!!

I am so confused on what to do. We had tommee tippy anti colic last time and the same brand steriliser. Kept the bottles but unsure whether to change to dr brown or even mam bottles. Mixed reviews on all.

I would love to I initially breast feed or combo feed but I have no idea on how to even do combi feeding. Our boy had tongue tie when he was born so it was right to the bottles.
So much to read up on before little one arrives

Hope everyone is well.

@Letsbekindplease I'm the same. I'll be exclusively breastfeeding (if I can) and then starting from 6 weeks DH will need to give baby a bottle of my expressed milk whilst I do the odd shift at work. So it's important I buy bottles that will give me the best chance of baby taking both bottle and breast. I haven't looked into reviews as they do seem sooo mixed, but I love the look of the MAM bottles. Silly to buy them because of the cute raccoons I know, but they're in my basket

Anyone have experience with combination feeding here??

Just to add my penny’s worth (is that the saying!?) I found the MAM bottles leaked a lot. For my DS1 I breastfed for a little bit but really struggled so went onto formula - we started with Tommee Tippee bottles but he had bad colic so after loads of googling we tried the MAM bottles. I would say they helped his colic but they did leak. Once he was over his colic we went back to Tommee Tippee bottles as definitely prefer them.

We just have a cheap Tommee Tippee microwave steriliser (think it was around £15 brand new) which we will use again.

Like others I will bring a pack of ready made bottles of formula incase I struggle again as really don’t want to put any pressure on myself this time round!

Still getting some cramping today but I’m starting to think - since baby is wiggling away - it may be wind/constipation. Anyone else have this? Does it feel almost like period pain cramps? Also tingling/shooting pain. It’s on my left side and lower back. 😬
Might buy some prune juice. 🙈

I'm currently combi feeding my 6 week old, we had to introduce bottles for top ups from 2 weeks of age as he was initially slow to gain weight, but he's currently having 95% breast or expressed milk and about 5% formula overall which I'm really pleased with.
I found a Haakaa hugely helpful for collecting EBM and also bought a Bellababy electric pump which is really good and not too pricey. We use a cheap microwave steriliser for when we use formula.

We used a technique called "paced bottle feeding" to ensure baby didn't develop a bottle preference over the breast, and have used slow flow teats.

My other top tip is to start stimulating your breasts/colostrum harvesting from 37 weeks, you can ask your midwife for some sterile syringes to collect it in, and take to the hospital frozen in a cool bag. Really helps take the pressure off after you have just given birth!

Ugh. Had a call with a consultant today to discuss a maternal request Caesarean. She was very kind and practical and is happy with my reasons for wanting one. But my goodness it is exposing to have to explain that traumatic events in your past mean you don't want certain things happening during labour.

@InvisibleDragon well done doing that. It can’t have been easy!! So glad that she was supportive - as she should be. Is that now confirmed, or is there anyone else you need to speak to?

@EarlGreywithLemon it's basically approved now. I have to get a copy of a document about the risks of a planned caesarean from my midwife and then sign something to say I understand the risks, but that's more just a part of the formal process as the consultant is happy to go ahead with the planned caesarean option.

@SouthwestSis thank you for mentioning colostrum harvesting. I didn’t know about it with my first child. I had a 28 week midwife appointment today and they actually spoke to me about colostrum harvesting because I had issues establishing breastfeeding last time, so they’re going to support me with that

@InvisibleDragon brilliant news! Great that that’s all sorted, and you can put it out of your mind for now.

Just had my 28 week midwife appointment. I mentioned the spasming/fitting type feeling I get sometimes from baby and she said I should go to triage. So just waiting here now. I don't feel like I need to be here but better check I suppose 🤷‍♀️

@Prema112 good luck 💚

So we had a scan done today and I'm so pleased with the results! She was behaving very well and waving at us lots. She's head down currently and facing my back, so fingers crossed she stays that way!

@CurryandSnuggle great that the midwives are supporting with colostrum harvesting. Have they given you syringes and things or said when to start? I'm going to ask at my 28 week appointment I think.

@Prema112 I'm sure it will be OK but always good to get checked. Good luck!

Oh wow @fpeg those pictures are incredible!

@beansprout55 I bought Mam bottles because of the bunnies on them...shhh! The reviews are also great though and no need to buy a separate steriliser - win-win 

@mrkb hope you're feeling better now. The fear of being pregnant and getting covid was making me not want to see anybody, but I'm feeling quite isolated so am going to have to venture out 😕 and I've already had it, along with the 3 jabs.. Sounds like you were very well looked after though, which is reassuring. Get lots of rest 

@PeeAche another vote for the Oyster3, which was my favourite, think I might have to buy too, did you get the bundle with the carseat too? And I had no idea there were colours other than grey, although I quite liked the grey..

@pregnancydiaries I bought the Kallysleep, which has been very useful, although while I was away I used an extra pillow between my legs and honestly slept just as well. My pillows aren't as firm I don't think.

@DaimDillyDoo love the Moses basket! Where's it from? There are so many to choose from, and the price ranges are vast.

@Vimto1991 I have days when I'm super uncomfortable and weird pressure downwards, I think it's when he turns into some odd position. I figure I just have to suffer through until he moves back again - not had it too painful though, just ugh, and yes usually a full day. He must slink about at night and get back into a good place 

@Roxystar23 I've decided I'm going to do a big shop with John Lewis to use the discount we get after the nursery appointment, then move a bunch of stuff from Wish list to Post-birth wish list! There's so many things you don't know if you'll need and it'll be well outside the return window by June!

@SouthwestSis hope you don't mind me asking, but you have a 6 week old and you're due in June, what magic is this? Also any reason why electric over manual pump (to anyone who knows really), another item which will be going in my post-birth wish list.

@Prema112 I'm sure everything's fine, DH said the baby kicked the crap out of him this morning while I was asleep - he thought he was maybe having a little rave as he was non-stop for quite a while. Never felt that while I'm awake so maybe similar to what you're describing? Anyway, thinking of you, hope you don't have to wait too long

@fpeg wow! Amazing pictures

My chicco hoopla bouncer arrived yesterday and well pleased with it. It becomes flat for storage if anyone is looking for easy to store ones

Another shout for the Oyster3 - although this years colours are even better, a wee bit gutted we've already ordered 😂

We went with the Maxi Cosi Pebble 360 and base as a bundle.

We found it online and the store price matched.

@Prema112 how are you? What did triage say?

@fpeg @Octoblockisadick @MrsTwentyNine @destiEos Thanks so much ladies. The outcome was that all seems fine. I had a CTG and I'd advise anyone who has one to get comfy, make sure you have snacks, water and your phone to hand! I couldn't move for over an hour, numb bum and legs! Baby kept kicking and moving so they kept losing heartbeat. Hb ranged from 130-160 which seems pretty erratic to me but they seemed happy with that. They weren't very communicative so I don't know why they did heart monitoring for spasming movement