Due January 2024 - Part 8

[PartRadish]

Couldn't see a new one yet :)

@Kirova definitely get help if you in. I was lucky mine was over the weekend so had DH to sort the kids out, otherwise I would have been screwed as we have no family here

@Kalodin she's beautiful!

@Kirova hope you feel better soon

@buckingmad oh dear, hope he's better soon and you avoid it. We're the same, haven't been intimate in ages. Do feel a bit bad, but also feel so far away from being remotely in the mood

If anyone is looking for a breast pump Boots have some good offers on this week. I spent ages trying to decide and eventually settled on a single Mom Cozy S12. SIL has an S9 and really rates it. It was already on a 20% off offer then I got an extra 10% with the code BABYNOV10 plus 8 Boots points per £ and Quidco!

My thinking is I'm hoping to only need one for light use this time round and I've never tried a wearable one before so didn't want to risk getting an expensive one like Elvie and hating it. If I get on with it I can buy a second single one later to make it a double or if I do end up needing something more robust again (DS3 was tube fed until 7 months old so I exclusively pumped until then) I'll then opt for a Specta hospital grade pump and just use the wearable as a quick back up.

Thanks @PartRadish I'll take a look at that! No idea what our feeding experience will be like but hoping to breastfeed then pump a bit later on, so this might be a good shout to start with 😊

I was going to put off buying a pump to make sure I got on ok with breastfeeding first. It’s hard to know what to buy in terms of feeding as a first time mum but my midwife said it’s generally best to wait as I won’t need a pump straight away. She mentioned this morning that we’ll be going through the birth plan stuff next time. What are everyone’s thoughts on the injection for delivering the placenta? I need to do some more research into it before next time. I think I’m going to go with the Vitamin K injection for baby.

I’ve just got all my hospital bag things out ready to pack. It’s all starting to feel real now!

@Lightningrain i've put down no to the injection, plan is skin to skin/ breastfeeding and pass the placenta naturally, however i'm aware this may change depending what happens, I'm trying to go as natural as possible but prob end up with all the interventions no doubt! We shall see.... I'm a yes to the vitamin K injection though... but everyone will have different thoughts and feelings! My mum said they had no choice when I was born they just got the injection for the placenta, it wasn't even a thing to opt out!

I don't even remember if I got the injection for the placenta last time! I'll have to ask / check, it was such a blur.

On the breast pump id probably wait. Last time I bought a hospital grade one, that also was hands free if needed, and I barely used it. Turns out I got just as much milk much quicker with the Medela hand pump, and that was so cheap, light and easy to clean. I pumped for several months at work also with it and it held up really well.

I'm also wondering about what will happen on the feeding front. Interesting to hear what you say re the medela hand pump... Anyone have any insight as to why you'd buy an electric one. Some of them are literally 10 times the price. I am going to hold out on buying anything but curious about differences.

@suz2285 that was my initial instinct on the placenta injection but I wondered whether most people just went with it.

My midwife was quite big on the benefits of skin to skin and said not to let anyone take baby unless medically necessary, so it was my first thought to try and avoid the injection. She said the baby should instinctively start to wriggle towards the nipple when ready to feed during skin to skin and not need help which I was amazed at. Apparently it could take a while and baby might sleep first but the less intervention the better if I want to establish breastfeeding.

I had a hand pump that was fine with DS1 but I only pumped occasionally. The younger two were both NICU babies so I was pumping 6-8 times a day before they could learn to latch, I couldn't have managed that with a hand pump alonem. An electric double pump, and a bit of tubie grip with a couple of well placed holes cut in, meant I could still eat chocolate and doom scroll the Internet while pumping. Double pumping was obviously quicker too. So I'm greedy, impatient and a bit lazy is probably the most accurate answer 😂 Hand pump should be absolutely fine in most situations though.

All being well this time we'll hopefully not need NICU but I'll still want a small freezer stash of milk.

@Lightningrain i think most people just get the injection unless specified, i'm not sure it's that common to ask not to have it!

I'm also on the same page re skin to skin and breastfeeding, planning to have baby come to the nipple and that to stimulate enough to birth the placenta, however I think that only works if you're able to stay in a calm relaxed state. My midwife is very insistent on skin to skin too and the calm time after birth, however once you're in the hospital i've heard varying reports of whether this is actually achieved or not! My mums a midwife too and she said they do try and protect that time, and not take the baby to be weighed or measured etc until after the first feed, but I guess it depends on who's on the ward and what their own training is! See what happens!

Re the injection-I thought it was standard to have it until the midwife with my second birth suggested I didn’t have it as I’d done everything else naturally. I then stood up to get out the birth pool and the placenta literally fell out 😂🤦‍♀️ I was finding blood splashes on the walls/furniture legs for a good two years despite thinking we got it all.
So for me it certainly came away quicker the birth I didn’t have it, but I wouldn’t refuse it if they were particularly inclined one way or another. Pre birth I said yes to everything they asked so I got agreement to have a home birth, and I assume you can change your mind!

Hello! I'm very late to the party but hoping I can join in the conversation? I'm due in January 15th with my first baby so hoping to soak up some guidance!

@tinyracoon welcome and congratulations!

@Kalodin Clara is absolutely gorgeous. You must be so proud. Well done baby girl and mama x

I’m also on the Hottea tea!!

I suppose this is mainly for the second time + mummies, but may I have some advice re: post birth supplies to deal with potential tears and bleeding?

Would you recommend pads or disposable underwear?
I’ve read that witch hazel foam/pads are worthwhile, and a perineum bottle thing, anything else you think is worth having to hand from day 1?

I’ve said I would like to have an uninterrupted /quiet ‘golden hour’ as my trust has called it. I think they include Dad’s skin to skin and also quiet checks on baby which I’m happy with given it’s my first. I’ve also asked for baby to have vitamin K and for me to have the injection for the placenta. If I’m honest I want that part over and done with 😊

@lackingpatience I would recommend the following.

-My expert midwife spritz for bits

• Always descreet disposable pants
• annusol cream
• annusol wipes

I might try boots cooling maxi pads top this time round but haven't used them before.

@lackingpatience also recommend drinking loads of water, the more dilute your wee the less it will sting on your stitches. So maybe a big water bottle.

Does anyone understand what is meant by 3/5 engagement? Just looked at my notes after seeing my midwife and this has me slightly worried it means she might come early?! Not sure if I'm being totally irrational 🤣🙈

Oh yes I had to look this up recently, it's to do with how far the head is down. If I recall correctly the lower the number before 5 the more the baby is engaged in your pelvis. I'm 4/5 so the baby's head is a bit higher up on me, but I doubt 3/5 is much different really, I think they gradually get on down in there don't they! I wouldn't worry about it esp if no one has mentioned it.

@lackingpatience I used pads last time and found them not breathable and I got a bit of an infection from them that I had to have treated. This time around I've been recommended organic reusable pants like this as they are apparently a much healthier environment for some there, especially if you have stitches. Something like this andsisters.com so I'm going to give them a go. But I haven't obviously tried them before so I'm hoping they work!

Re the perineum bottles, I was given one by a friend who didn't use it, and I also didn't use it and passed it on.

*for down there!

I personally have an active 3rd stage (injection for placenta) but that’s because I’m at huge risk of bleeding (lost over 1000ml first time and 2100ml 2nd time). If everything has been spontaneous and your low risk, either is fine. You don’t need to clamp the cord with active management so either way baby will get all of their blood back that they can. More important is wait for the cord to go white. Vitamin K injection is strongly recommended, oral is double the dose of 3 occasions, and it taste like acid 🤢

for perineal care. Big comfy pants with nice pads (disposable or reusable) - I like Boots own. Baths for 10mins a day with lavender or tea tree oil, plus a shower to do a general body wash. Lie on your bed after both for 10mins with legs apart to let the area air dry. The aim is to keep it clean and dry so change pads very regularly regardless of how much blood is there. And regular paracetamol and ibuprofen, arnica. You can buy expensive pads but routinely don’t think they are necessary. I have a personal bug bare with that brand Frida… check the comments out on their pads, it’s awful.

I’ve seen on TikTok women making pads, like a normal pad, squirting witch hazel on them then freezing them for when the time comes

Also on the golden hour etc, if everyone is safe, baby shouldn’t be removed from you. They should remain skin to skin covered with a blanket and should feed within that time also. It doesn’t matter which midwife it is on the day, I see some awful practice of midwives wanting to get things done quickly but the answer is No. Be firm with it and how important it is

@WitcheryDivine ah thank you! I did think that was all it was. Just seems like quite engaged for 7 weeks left to go 🤣🤣