Due March 2023 - Thread 7

[TeddyBeans]

Lucky number 7! We were so chatty last thread that no babies arrived! Though we do have 3 on the FB group!

Role call

23/2 - @botleybump💓
24/2 -
25/2 -
26/2 - @TeddyBeans💓
27/2 - @Ubbee💙
28/2 - @BabyNumber3OnTheWay💙
1/3 - @Clarps84 💙
2/3 - @BethBeef 💙, @Cams50 💙
3/3 - @LittleAcorn20💛, @LaForza101 💙, @SammyJay5 💓, @pamplemousse19 💓, @Lauren11x 💙, @Whatsforpud 💛
4/3 - @EastyBaby19 💙, @Cdoc💙, @Katdemar 💙
5/3 - @Babynum2 💙, @hopingforarainbow27 💓
6/3 - @allthingssparkly, @Thirdtimesacharm3 💙
7/3 - @GreenIsle 💓, @Noodle20, @Pickles23 💛
8/3 - @Splashh, @June628 💓, @BabyLimey 💛
9/3 - @Penelope_2023, @91mana
10/3 - @iratepirate 💛, @PeonyPops 💓
11/3 - @Chloe1896
12/3 - @Katlouise24 💓
13/3 - @ToffeeEl 💓, @Franklin321 💓, @paulinesmithson 💓
14/3 - @beatingheartbaby 💓, @rainbowbaby233 💙
15/3 - @Hrf1503 💓, @TTC24 💙
16/3 -
17/3 - @Room4onemore 💓, @Cuppasoupmonster 💙, @broomfig 💙
18/3 - @XjustagirlX 💛, @CristinaNov182 💓, @Shep21 💓
19/3 - @Dreamingof3 💓, @alotoftutus 💙, @AK93 💙, @hellosunshineagainxxx 💙, @Allthegirls3 💓
20/3 -
21/3 - @FirstTimeTryer93, @LifeOfRiley1 💛, @Rose429 💓
22/3 - @mrshenny 💓
23/3 - @Choc2022 💛
24/3 - @whydotheyallhaverubbishwheels 💙, @Charlothevet88 💛, @Mrs2022 💛, @Blocklynn 💛
25/3 - @Whywhwhy 💙, @Missy95 💛
26/3 - @purplerain555
27/3 - @Cats23 💓, @firstlittleone 💓, @dmb91 💛, @AGirlsNameIsAryaStark 💛, @hol92 💙, @Amy1303 💛, @Bobduncan 💛, @OonMP 💛
28/3 -
29/3 - @Perexi 💙, @SenecaFalls1848 💛
30/3 - @ChristmasJumpers 💓, @Moonlighting 💙
31/3 - @Baby2iscooking 💛
1/4 - @diamondbutterfly 💓

@havanamama you seem to be missing off the list!? I'm so sorry I missed you 😱

I figured I'd tag everyone this time so noone gets lost 😊 I'm really sorry if I missed you!

home within 12 hrs*

I would rather be home ASAP too, as the midwife will come soon to do the home visit anyways to help with any baby care questions, but I'm doubting I'll get any sleep in a room of 4 or 6 other mums and babies just separated with a shower curtain....

Also my husband will have to go home between 8pm and 8am, but at home he will be also on paternity leave, so can look after baby and me 24h 😄

I watched Molly Mae's hospital bag YouTube video and pretty much have all the same stuff apart from not having packed or bought any nipple shields.

Do you guys have these and are you bringing them to the hospital? I'm a FTM and will attempt BF, but not sure if all these shields, or silverettes, etc are essential?

They do come but don’t stay too long and often re-admit you if there are any issues. Sorry not trying to be a party pooper, just a few things I wish I had known before!

In my opinion not essential. Baby’s mouths are tiny at first - I’m planning on expressing colostrum for the first few days and just putting them to the boob if they seem awake and alert, but otherwise letting them sleep. You can ask for syringes if you want to do this, they hand them out quite happily.

Last time the midwives pushed me into giving a bottle because DD wouldn’t latch when the whole thing was solved with a few syringes and a pump 🤷🏼‍♀️ they didn’t even suggest that as a first port of call, it was just baby isn’t feeding properly = straight to formula.

I have shields but won’t be packing them, I don’t actually think we ended up using them last time.

Interesting to read just how much advice must differ between areas. We had a tough time getting bf established but when I asked the midwives about switching to formula, they reacted as though I’d suggested something criminal and told me it simply wasn’t an option!

Sadly no bf advice whilst we were in the hospital and none of the “normal” services were running, so we had to figure it out with the help of YouTube research and zoom calls with friends.

@havanamama im with you there, the quicker you get home the better in my opinion! I was in 3 nights having my son and it’s the depths of hell in the wards 😅 midwives and staff lovely but you get no rest and can’t fully relax!

I’m having an elective this time so will be in at least 1 night but my sister in law has had 2 babies vaginally in the midwife centre and home within a few hours of each birth! Much better outcome!

Sorry didn't word that very well 2nd baby was in NICU I was on the ward then once he came out if NICU we got our own room due to the meningitis.

Is anybody thinking about paying for a private room if you have to stay in?

Baby 1 I stayed in for a night because they done it as standard for FTM (this is standard here but different policies in different places).

Baby 2 he was in NICU for 3 days and I was on the ward and it was packed. 5 mums 6 babies all in a big room partitioned by curtains it felt so stuffy. They offered me a private room for £70 and I wished I took it after the first night but wasn't available when I then requested the second. Thankfully we got a private room once he came out of NICU and we was in for a total of 6 weeks due to his illness.

I'm at a total different hospital this time they have a room called "home from home" I'm not sure how much it is but really considering paying for it as I know I will have to stay in minimum a night due to my blood condition.

@Babynum2 I will definitely pay for a private room if its available. I've heard the post natal ward can be really loud and stressful! Xx

Would definitely do that if it were possible at my hospital and I had to stay in and couldn’t discharge myself.

@Bobduncan @iratepirate glad I asked and you would both also do it because I was thinking am I being a bit high maintenance 😅. You just feel so rubbish after having a baby and so sleep deprived. I know you get woken up every few hours anyway but I literally didn't sleep for 3 days on the ward because all the babies crying and the nurses waking up the other mums for obs ect.

I'd consider paying for a private room if I had to stay in longer than one night. One is about all I can manage, but I'd much rather be at home getting settled with my older 2!

I would pay for a private room but my hospital give all private rooms to those Covid positive, as they test on arrival.

So sadly no privacy ☹️

I'm leaning more towards formula so don't think they would discharge me and then readmit me, unless something really went wrong.

My midwife has been very Switzerland about feeding - she has offered me a lactation consultant visit week 36 - they will come to my house and give me a colostrum expression kit as well, but it was very much if I wanted to try BF.

Our hospital rooms have 2-4 women per room, compared to the last one I was in (6!!) so hoping I’ll get the 2! 🤞🏻 I might be cheeky and ask if there’s one spare if they take me to a bay of 4.

Being re admitted is even worse than having to stay in because you get home and settled! Our HV came on day 2 with our first and she was really badly jaundice so she re admitted us I felt so disappointed like I had done something wrong!

With my first I was ready and willing to pay for the £75/night private room, but I spiked a fever after delivery and put on antibiotics so got the room free anyway due to infection risk.
Different hospital this time, only bays available so I'm hoping to be in and out same day or spike a fever again and get a private room 😅 I didn't test positive for any infections in the end - not sure what happened!

Placemarking

@havanamama my cousin was raised bilingual. My uncle (who is English) spoke to her in English and my auntie (who is Greek) spoke to her in Greek. She would reply to you in whichever language you spoke to her in.

Did your uncle also speak Greek? Or did your auntie speak Greek even in his presence? Or did they use English as "family language"?

Asking as my husband is not bilingual (very basic understanding of the 2nd language), but I am.
So we are deciding between the one parent one language method or the one parent one language + family language method.

Hey everyone! Just caught up on all the most recent posts so thought I’d drop a comment to say I hope everyone is doing well!

I can’t believe how fast the time has gone!
I'm 34+6 now, finishing work a week tomorrow and having 2 weeks holiday then starting my maternity leave straight after. This week has been a massive struggle and I’ve been so tempted to finish early - I do alternate weeks of 6am-2pm and then 2pm-10pm, this week was the early shift and it’s definitely taken it’s toll on me mostly due to lack of sleep and then having to get up at 4:30am. Hopefully next week will be easier!

Had a midwife appointment on Monday, she said baby girl is 2/5ths engaged and commented that my bump has dropped quite a lot. Has anyone been engaged at this stage and then baby has moved?

@havanamama not planning on bilingual as such but think we will "teach" some words depending on development as ours grows up as there is intention to travel to his grandmothers home country to visit her there as she's moved back. It'd be more for having a connection to his family history and communicating if needed when we visit. It's not needed to communicate with her given she lived in England for over 40 years and has superior English language skills to me! (other than a few funny 'the' where they don't need to be or missing out 'the' or 'my' where we would typically use it 😆) so no expectation from me for him to pick it up to be classed as a second language. If my partner spoke it himself (other than when he needs to or I guess for fun with certain words) then I'd probably think it would be more important but in our case it's not a necessity.
Obviously if you or baby's father have another language by all means you're free to raise them bilingual just be aware for some children they may not find it as easy as others. My partner for example can understand and speak some of his mum's first language but didn't take to it as well as his sister. Lots of children do just fine though!

My cousins are bilingual English/Polish. I would do it, it’s a huge advantage - what’s the language can I ask?

Yep, i cried! I remember saying to the HV her jaundice had come back because she looked like Lisa Simpson 😬 sure enough we were readmitted for 2 days..!