Due March 2023 - Thread 9

[TeddyBeans]

Let's see how many babies we get on this thread 🥰🥰

20/1 - botleybump 💓 (due 23/2)
10/2 - Amy1303 💙 (due 27/3)
12/2 - Babynum2 💙 (due 5/3)
12/2 - Cams50 💙 (due 2/3)
13/2 - LizziBee 💙
14/2 - BabyNumber3OnTheWay 💙 (due 28/2)
18/2 - Ubbee 💙 (due 27/2)
19/2 - beatingheartbaby 💓 (due 14/3)
21/2 - suchardchoccy 💓 (due date baby!)
22/2 - muminlndn 💓
24/2 - saltandpepperr 💙 (due 6/3)
24/2 - mrs2022 💙 (due 24/3)
25/2 - JTB123 💓 (due 1/3)
26/2 - GreenIsle 💓 (due 7/3)

DaisyRainbow 💓

26/2 - TeddyBeans 💓
1/3 - Clarps84 💙, MoronikaFaceache
2/3 - BethBeef 💙
3/3 - LittleAcorn20 💛, LaForza101 💙, SammyJay5 💓, pamplemousse19 💓, Lauren11x 💙, Whatsforpud 💛
4/3 - EastyBaby19 💙, Cdoc 💙, Katdemar 💙
5/3 - hopingforarainbow27 💓
6/3 - allthingssparkly, Thirdtimesacharm3 💙
7/3 - Noodle20, Pickles23 💛
8/3 - Splashh, June628 💓, BabyLimey 💛
9/3 - Penelope_2023, 91mana, havanamama 💓
10/3 - iratepirate 💛, PeonyPops 💓, MrsD0147
11/3 - Chloe1896
12/3 - Katlouise24 💓
13/3 - ToffeeEl 💓, Franklin321 💓, paulinesmithson 💓
14/3 - rainbowbaby23 💙
15/3 - Hrf1503 💓, TTC24 💙
16/3 - flawless29
17/3 - Room4onemore 💓, Cuppasoupmonster 💙, broomfig 💙
18/3 - XjustagirlX 💛, CristinaNov182 💓, Shep21 💓
19/3 - Dreamingof3 💓, alotoftutus 💙, AK93 💙, hellosunshineagainxxx 💙, Allthegirls3 💓, obabybaby 💙
20/3 - Nettlestea 💙, MillennialMummy 💛
21/3 - FirstTimeTryer93, LifeOfRiley1 💛, Rose429 💓
22/3 - mrshenny 💓
23/3 - Choc2022 💛
24/3 - whydotheyallhaverubbishwheels 💙, Charlothevet88 💛, Blocklynn 💛
25/3 - Whywhwhy 💙, Missy95 💛
26/3 - purplerain555
27/3 - Cats23 💓, firstlittleone 💓, dmb91 💛, AGirlsNameIsAryaStark 💛, hol92 💙, Bobduncan 💛, OonMP 💛
29/3 - Perexi 💙, SenecaFalls1848 💛
30/3 - ChristmasJumpers 💓, Moonlighting 💙
31/3 - Baby2iscooking 💛
1/4 - diamondbutterfly 💓

Hadn’t heard that either @JG24 but it’s good to know.

I had one at the hospital before they induced me, don't know what the results were. She came too quickly for me to have had any antibiotics either way 😳

Did anyone harvest colostrum? Or is anyone currently doing it?

I have been advised that I will now deliver at 36 weeks. I want to begin harvesting next week, 35 weeks, but quick research says that is too early and to do it from 36 weeks. Surely a few days' difference won't have that much of an impact on quality.

Can you tell I am starting to over-think things a little 😂

Thank you! Have added Kat to the list 😊

@GreenIsle potentially, I had blood thinners after DS and remember bleeding for quite a long time. Can't recall the heaviness of it though. I'm day 3 PP now and it's definitely got lighter in colour but not quantity yet - no blood thinners this time

@Moonicorn

Thank you for the reassurance. I am only 5ft and my partner is 6ft - the baby must be taking after me. In all honesty, I can't get my head around the centiles - I just don't understand it. Their growth markers were always on the bottom of the 3 lines, with the femur slightly off it but touching the 3rd line. They said the legs are in proportion to their body and my screening test results were all low risk. Their growth was normal to their path, following the 3rd line, until last week due to the raised pressure in the umbilical cord.

Yep! Got about 15ml stashed in the freezer I started last week at 34 weeks as I will be induced at 37. You can buy syringes from Amazon (use Sterifeed - they’re used by the NHS), it’s basically a case of squeezing your nipples and catching the colostrum in the syringe (pull the plunger back), then put in a thoroughly cleaned Tupperware box in the freezer.

@JG24 I was offered strep B screening at 38weeks, it was optional but they mention it to all mums as part of antenatal care at my hospital.
However, did the swabs and only partial result (1 neg, 1unknown), so potentially 1 positive. 😣
Too late to wait for another lot of results. Given the option to take antibiotics once in labour, as a precaution..
although this means being attached to IV, with meds administered every 4hrs. Which prob means straight ti deli every suite and not birthing centre (forgot to ask!)

Did have strep B last pregnancy, but doesn’t mean any more likely this time…

@TeddyBeans can you pm the Facebook group please when you can I just realised I've never joined it.

@TeddyBeans how are you finding the aftermath? I'm still struggling and it's been a week. The breastfeeding however has got much easier I'm so glad I've stuck to it.
I can't remember who asked but I am also on blood thinners and my bleeding is a lot worse than it should be due to them.

It was me, I'm waiting on midwife calling this morning for heel prick test so I'll ask her and let you know just fyi. My bleeding slowed then picked up again.

C-section booked for 38 weeks, eek. Placenta moved a tiny bit but still under the 20mm. Doctor did say that even 20mm is high risk so they would prefer not to put either of us at risk. Makes this very real now

Good luck @BabyTalbot1 and @Perexi!

@BabyTalbot1 I don't think harvesting colostrum early is anything to do with quality, just the risk of causing early contractions, which if you're advised to deliver early anyway doesn't matter. I would say try it! You can also hand express after birth if baby is sleepy or needs a bit extra, make sure you nudge the midwives for a little milk cup and syringes. I was also told from 36 weeks onwards if you need to express afterwards and you can get a few ml out then they recommend you use a pump quite soon if baby isn't breastfeeding or as much as normal. But this info only came to me after a couple of days hand expressing hence I'm passing it on!

Q for those that already had their baby and have a partner -

How much sleep are you getting? Are you tag teaming with your partner? If you breastfeed, does your partner wake up too to burp/settle the baby or do you let them sleep?

My DH had to go back to work early but I'd rather he got a good sleep and then allowed me time in the mornings to go back to bed it's just what works for us. I don't see the point in us both being awake during the night, I would not be able to sleep anyways if baby was crying if she wasn't with me. I also have two other children so him getting sleep means he's up early and sorts them both out and takes the oldest to school etc.

You can do it the other way, so for example you go to bed early and baby stays downstairs with dad for last feed then is brought up which gives you some times. Breastfeeding is obviously different.

@GreenIsle I'll do just that 😘

@Saltandpepperr little miss has slotted into family life pretty easily. She went on an all night milk rampage last night though so that was interesting! We got through 500ml yesterday in total. I'm glad the breastfeeding has got better for you! It's nice when you can make those achievements

@Perexi exciting stuff! Will they scan again and give you the option if it's moved any more or is that it now?

@havananana DP does a shift between 8-9ish and 12-1 at the moment (will be slightly earlier when he goes back to work) and then I take over from then til the morning. Works pretty well so far but aware it's only been 2 nights and could be a disaster from here on out 🤣

@TeddyBeans they gave the option but it's only moved 4mm since 20 weeks and the scan would be next week so they said this is pretty much as far as it's likely to get. She did also say although 20mm is the cut off point it's still a higher risk vaginal birth so we're not going to take any risks with it. So 15th March birthday for the little lad. Eeek

Pleased to hear your little one is setting in nicely 🥰 hope you're recovering well?

Anyone who's breastfeeding got any tips for when baby decides she doesn't want to latch anymore? Blood sugar was low post birth so she's always been fed a mix of breast and expressed bottle but now she's refusing breast 😖

@havananana so we have a little routine now i just feel bad making DH wake up when he has to be at work 8-8. I'm solely BF I've only pumped once it just seems to time consuming. Baby has been waking every 2-4 hours at night he's pretty good he just feeds I change him if he is wet and then he goes straight back to sleep. I think if he was up more at night or not settling then DH would probably help me but he's been pretty good so far 1 week in.

@beatingheartbaby I would just keep trying but express just incase to keep supply up if its still not working in a day or 2 maybe contact HV and give a bit of formula if your worried they haven't been getting enough. It's hard work isn't it but in determined to carry on!

@Saltandpepperr yeah it's such hard work, I'm expressing now when she's refusing to feed, supply is ok so far so really need to keep that up. Props to people who exclusively pump because my god it's hard work haha

@beatingheartbaby lots of relaxed skin-to-skin, maybe in the hour before a feed if you can. Could hand express a little so she can smell it.
You could also check what teat you are using on the bottles and switch to one with a slower flow if it exists. Sometimes babies like the method the milk comes easiest, so if the bottle flows faster than the breast they can start having a preference. Reduce the flow on the bottle and it could also help :)
A double electric pump could be a good investment if you want to stick with breastmilk and make pumping easier

@TeddyBeans My little boy born yesterday 2/3 morning at 4.47am weighing 8lbs 14. Didn’t get my homebirth as they withdrew the service on the day due to staff shortage but got a waterbirth in hospital. He is gorgeous but unfortunately we are back in hospital as he
has to have IV Antibiotics for a few days as he had rapid breathing and after blood tests showed infection markers were up. Fingers crossed he is better asap. Congrats to everyone on their babies xxx

@beatingheartbaby I'm only exclusively bf because I pumped and it was just to time consuming I have a tummie tippie pump don't think it's great. If you do end up just pumping maybe get a double pump? Don't be to hard on you4self it's still early days of your journey. The MW showed me a little trick or squeezing a little milk out onto nipple and rub on their mouth before latching also.

Congrats and hope your baby is better soon! ❤️