Due July 2022 (thread 5)

[Lianna93]

Baby Calendar 🧡 Please add your names & keep it going 🥰

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@Lianna93 definitely a bit jealous of the box. I got the Emmas diary stuff as well so got some Breast pads in that as well as some nappies & wipes.

@HotToddyColdSauvignon I've only read about the massage yesterday so haven't tried it yet. I might give it a go to try & minimise tearing.

@Lianna93 I've got the same stuff as you and I'm going to give the massage a try as well, like you the idea of tearing/cuts scares me 😳 I've read you're not meant to start the massage until you are at least 34 weeks so will start mine in the next week or so and see how it goes

@ShellUK09 It'll be interesting to see if the massage actually works 🤞🏻
I'm 35 weeks now so will definitely be starting very soon 😊

I’m going to start the massage in a few weeks when I’ll be 35/36 weeks and I’ve been doing my pelvic floor exercises too. I will try anything 😅

@HotToddyColdSauvignon try not to be hard on yourself! We are going through so much! If / when you feel ready, just try again, and now you kinda know what to expect, you might feel better about it 💕

I wont be personally doing the perineum massage as I have no intention of a natural birth so I won't be tearing. I did a Ask The Midwife session via zoom on Tuesday about pelvic health and they went over perineum massage. It is meant to cause some discomfort from what they said. And the optimal time to start is 34-36 weeks

I didn't bother with the massage thing with my first, it wasn't for me either. I think tearing is more dependent on your own body and the speed at which the head is delivered, the midwife will want the head delivered as slowly as possible to minimise tearing.

Medjool dates are also meant to be good for softening the cervix and perineum and I did eat those with my first. No idea if it made a difference, I had a second degree tear but I might have torn anyway - who knows.

@NamelessBaby1 the snot sucker gives me the creeps too plus I was far too worried about her throwing her head around and poking her in the eye or damaging her little nose. I didn't get one with my first and she's survived so far, the second one will have to tough it out too. From a certain age (can't remember when) you can get a vix decongestant plug in for their room or use obas oil (but not from newborn).

How do you know how to massage? 🤔 Is there a guide? I'm not sure I want to know. 🤣

Talk on baby sleeping. I have a next2me for upstairs and then a shnuggle moses basket for downstairs. I can take this with me if I know I'm going somewhere for a time. Or I'll just use the pram bassinet. Mum actually has a travel cot at hers anyway, although the mattress bit is so thin, I can't imagine laying a baby straight on it? 🤷‍♀️

@paintfairy If you Google it you typically get cartoon diagrams 😂😂 My expert midwife has a guide on how to do it on their website.
I don't know if I'm gonna be able to have DH do it for me - may just do it myself 🙈😂

I have a next2me for bedtime sleeping and will use a moses basket in the day. My friend had 2 baskets that she gave to me so I will keep one at mine and one at my parents for when I go there or leave him at theirs for a few hours.

@paintfairy the nhs trusts all have links on how to do it - here’s one for example

www.bsuh.nhs.uk/maternity/giving-birth/preparing-for-birth/perineal-massage/

Is anyone thinking of pumping? I purchased the haakaa today to use whilst breastfeeding as it came highly recommended to use on the other breast that baby isn't feeding from but also is apparently great if you need to soak if you've got a blocked duct or whatever.

But I'm looking at an actual pump also but there's so many out there & the prices are insane 😬
The cheapest I've found with the best reviews is Lansinoh and it can be used to directly pump into the bags which I'm thinking when I go back to work, that'll make life so much easier.

Just wondered what everyone else's thoughts/opinions/recommendations are?

@Lianna93 the advice I had last time was not to get anything other than the haakka before hand and wait to see how you get on first as electric pumps are so expensive.
I’m glad I didn’t get one because my boobs won’t cooperate with a pump at all (I borrowed a friends to try and had a cheap manual one of my own and got literally nothing, supply was fine direct feeding but couldn’t get a let down without the baby)
I think the official advice is not to pump before 6 weeks in case you give yourself an oversupply but I know lots of people pump earlier, just something to be aware of (and watch for mastitis if you do start pumping earlier)

I massaged last time, it was horrible and I dreaded it each time.
I ended up having a 2nd degree tear
I'm not bothering massaging this time I feel sore down there already with all the pressure im feeling and lots of rounds of thrush so I can bring myself to do it this time around

X

@SamanthaVimes See I was wondering if I should hold off or not - thank you for sharing that advice 😊
I definitely don't want to go buying one just for it be useless & go to waste - the prices of some pumps are just insane 😬

@Lianna93 you can always Amazon prime one once baby is here if you decide you need it!

@Lianna93 I borrowed a hospital grade pump from my local childrens centre with my first. It was a free 6 week loan but they let me keep it longer. I started pumping from day 2 on advice of my midwife as we struggled to establish bf initially and hand expressing wasn’t sustainable, but I did end up with a ridiculous supply
and mastitis and always wondered if pumping so early contributed to it

Perineal massage 🙈
just turned 34 weeks so guess something to think about.
DH did it once last time. So weird 🙈

Re pumping with DC1 I started at 2 weeks and continued until 6 months or so. I was going back to work at 13 weeks and wanted to ebf until weaning at 6 months. I had 14 litres of milk in the freezer by the time I went back 😱. Later mixed formula with breast milk. I used the Medela swing, I believe it is the most recommended. Don't remember getting mastitis more than once or twice really. Was thinking of getting the haakaa one for my handbag so that if I'm out and about I'll be able to express using that rather than squeezing it out into a public toilet as may have happened more than once. Motherhood- so dignified 😂

I used a medala last time and pumped at 9 pm everyday. Found I could only pump successfully if I looked a pictures of DC or stared at him. Ended up with quite a stash and meant DH could feed if needed to.

Good to know all the breastfeeding information. I brought a haakka style collector from the baby show a few weeks ago and I have a manual tommee tippee pump that was given to me by a friend that never ended up using it as her supply dried up quickly after birth so luckily if it doesn't work I haven't spent any money on it

So is Haaka a manual one? Or do you put it on the other boob when baby is feeding? I’m so clueless about pumps!!

@annie1994 Kinda both - it's like a suction cup that you use on the other breast to catch any unused milk but it does tell you how to use as a manual pump but it's meant to be once your milk starts flowing, you don't need to keep pumping because it'll essentially do it itself - or so it claims 🤷🏻‍♀️😂
It came highly recommended to me so figured it'd be ideal to start off with 😊

@Lianna93 I see thanks! It’s not too expensive so maybe I will give it a go too!

Saw this advertised on Facebook & signed up. Thought I'd share 🥰

www.letstalkbirthandbaby.co.uk/live-online-antenatal-classes/labour-birth-part-1

Signed up too, thanks for the tip!!