Due November 2023 - chapter 6

[Spareincoming]

Definitely missed people but hopefully they find the post…
Please tag anyone else!

@spareincoming@Pinkplantcase@leeanneD11 @LilmissCa@FlyingHighFlyingLow@Psqueak87@spanglesj@BabyBabyBaby123@Houseonthehills@GreenAventurine@reememberly@Cegbee@DollyGx@38andtrying@JD90@travellingislife@mldn@sb86@TMI2000

@Taybz that sounds promising! Especially as it’s in the lower back and front too. I’ve never had painful BH, just tightenings that come and go, usually when I walk fast.

@Taybz on my first I thought that the early contractions were constipation pain, this time I thought more like period pain. There isn't a textbook answer of how it feels (or so I'd argue!).
Your body is getting ready, which is exactly what it needs to do 🙂

@BabyBabyBaby123 how has feeding gone today?
We had slow weight gain (20g in six days) and had the same advice to feed on both sides and not go too long between feeds. Midwife was also making sure I was eating enough and full fat everything... She said that baby needs me to make whole milk and not semi skimmed!!

Finger's crossed little one has turned the corner. Did they have any jaundice?

@Thack he is still quite reluctant to take both sides, but I have spent most of the day feeding and offering him both sides at each feed, so I’m really hoping that there’s been a change tomorrow when he is weighed again.
I have been setting a 2 hour timer everytime he starts to feed, but he is generally hungry again before then.
I hand expressed 10ml in less than 10 mins after one feed yesterday - for my peace of mind that I was making milk, so I don’t think it’s lack of milk that is keeping him tiny.
I have made a log of his nappies too today and he has had 5 heavy wet nappies and 4 yellow poos, so he is getting milk, just doesn’t seem to be putting the weight on …
he had no signs of jaundice, where my DD2 was very yellow when she was readmitted to hospital, but was just below the levels to be put under the lamp, so I feel like there was an obvious reason why she wasn’t gaining that he doesn’t seem to have.
So I’ll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.
When did your LO’s weight gain pick up?

@BabyBabyBaby123 from day 9 to 10 they gained 40g and were at birth weight at day 12. By day 17 they'd gained another 300g, so after a slow start it ramped up.

You've reminded me, we also topped up feeds on day 9 to get that bigger number. After they'd finished on breast we finger fed with expressed milk. Only a few ml, but it was a little extra volume.

It sounds like you have a happy healthy baby, they are just growing at their own rate! Sometimes the numbers make this far too clinical

Error: day 19 (not 17!)...10oz in a week of I've got the numbers right in grams

@Thack I’m glad to know that they can build up weight in such a short space of time!
I’ll report back tomorrow with how he is getting on.
We have a set of baby scales in the loft that we bought when DD2 was slow gaining weight, but I’m reluctant to get them down because I became quite obsessive with weighing her and I’d rather not put myself through that again.

Another little baby here. She was 5lb 12oz at birth, dropped to 5lb 6oz on day 4 and was 5lb 8oz at 10 days old. Will be weighed again at 14 days so will see what that brings.

@GreenAventurine 🤞🏻fingers crossed she’s had another gain on day 14!

I'm currently 38 weeks but the late few days I've had horrendous stomach ache , it's not wind or anything . It's not followed by anything I get the odd niggle and there , the tightenings also . Has anyone else experienced this before and what was the outcome , the pressure down there is also horrendous to the point I'm struggling to turn and I get a little upset by it cause it hurts so much and affects my sleep. Is this a sign labour is nearing? Or my body getting ready

Hope all the new mummies are doing well xx

@BabyBabyBaby123 - Good luck with weigh in today! Sounds really stressful. Was your boy born on the 1st? Think we are the same day post partum. Also having issues with feeding, although think I’ve got the ones you haven’t and vice versa. Baby is gaining but I’m in misery with the pain.

@Spareincoming - good you’ve recognised the signs and asked for help. I‘ve got a no googling policy atm and if anything actually needs looking up, my husband does it for me so I don’t spiral. I also try not to talk/think about anyone around me getting ill because I know I get really jittery about the worry of getting a cough or sick bug before the section has healed. Denial probably not the healthiest response but does help me!
Hope you managed your drive this morning. I’m still finding the section recovery so slow, trying to be patient but it’s very fruatrating.

Thinking of those waiting/watching for labour, especially when overdue. Been there before and it’s really tough! Wishing for quick smooth arrivals soon for everyone!

And hope you’re doing ok @Psqueak87, although I’d expect you to need time after that tough delivery. Hope you’re getting looked after.

@LeeanneD11 it could be but I’ve had the same since 37 weeks and I’m nearly 39 now, I could cry because I was so convinced I’d have had him by now, I’ve had so many signs and nothing 🥲 I’m so ready to have this baby! I hope this is the start of something for you though!

Oh no I hope you meet your little bundle of joy very soon. It's so frustrating isn't it the waiting around . We are so nearly there it's crazy xx

Hope everyone is doing ok and hanging in there! Currently 40+2 and getting a bit impatient/paranoid something is going to go wrong. Had some period pains over the last couple days which I thought might have been the start of something but not sure now, this waiting game is hard going! As much as I am dreading labour I just want baby here safely now 😕

Afternoon all
We’ve had a rough few days- at his 5 day check baby had lost over 13% of his birth weight, so as well has bfing I’m now having to pump/express 400ml per day so we can give him a 50ml bottle feed every 3 hours… we have to take him to hospital to be weighed every other day and he’s also very jaundiced so has had to have a bunch of blood tests too… his poor little feet are black and blue 😢 he’s slowly improving but oh my god it’s exhausting!!

@AngeloMysterioso we've just had our 5 day check and DS also has jaundice. Fingers crossed we can flush it out with feeding.

The thought of being readmitted makes me feel very stressed as I had a horrible time with DC1.

@reememberly Yes the section recovery is a pain isn’t it! I had a
much better recovery last time and I’m struggling with over doing it this time. I’ll have to talk to the Dr at my appointment as I’m still bleeding a lot which is probably down to over doing it but I’ll discuss it at my appointment, just incase.

I did make the drive and I’m really pleased I did. Only 2 of “the lads” were able to attend today; talking to one of the other daughters she agreed this year will probably be the last. It was very poignant and dreadfully sad that this is the end.

I think I resort to google because DH is out at work and I can be quite isolated and alone in my bubble, even with the other DC about; I have actually decided today that I’m going to make new baby an appointment with the GP as even with the anxiety wolf knocking at the door and lack of rational thought, I think they’re showing symptoms of a dairy allergy and that’s worthy of the GPs time.
I ended up posting on here early this morning but made my mind up on the drive this morning - I probably needed the peace and headspace!

@DollyGx I’m feeling the same, 39+3 so not quite as far as you but I’m worrying incase anything goes wrong and just wanting baby here safe now.
had some braxton hicks but nothing other than that! X

@AngeloMysterioso we had something similar with our daughter, she’d lost 10% of her birth weight at day 2 and she was jaundiced. The doctor almost re-admitted her but I managed to get her to take a 35ml bottle in 30 mins (under the supervision of a nurse who was tasked with ensuring I was feeding her right) and so they held off as they were satisfied it wasn’t how I was feeding her and the weight loss was down to her jaundice. It apparently makes them very sleepy and not wanting to feed. Was your little one early? I’ve since found that the earlier they are, the less they want to feed at first which makes the jaundice and weight loss worse/bigger. My daughter was born at 37 weeks.

Shes been weighed and had blood tests every few days and as of Friday, which was day 10 she had gained most of her weight back and was only an ounce off her birth weight. She was born 6lb and went down to 5.4lb and was 5.15lb on Friday. She’s got another blood test next week where we are hoping her jaundice levels have decreased. Her skin colour looks much better so we are hopeful. I think for us she just needed to master the feeding first and settle in and in turn that seems to have flushed the jaundice out and allowed her to gain. It’s definitely a worry though so I’m with you on it, hope you’re getting through it ok. I’ve tried not to look at my daughters feet as it upsets me how bruised they are but luckily she doesn’t seem bothered by them.

For those of you that have had a previous c section! I need to ask a personal question sorry tmi- so basically I've got a section booked for Tuesday . But my biggest question is did you shave before having the section or leave it? Sorry 😂😂 Google is not helping one bit lol ,

@LeeanneD11 some trusts tell you to leave it but I’ve always made sure things were tidy as one midwife told me they’d use a disposable razor if needed in theatre and frankly I’d rather they didn’t!

Ok perfect thank you , that's really helpful 💙

@Spareincoming That does sound sad - even more important that you were able to make it today though. Yes, I suppose I’ll need a new strategy when DH goes back to work! Hope the GP is helpful about the potential dairy allergy, that sounds like another worry you don’t need.

@LeeanneD11 - I tidied up earlier, but was told to leave alone immediately before for infection control, then they used an electric razor in theatre to clear a strip at the top where they’d be cutting. Are you going for pre op tomorrow? Could maybe ask then?

Anyone else been given prontosan wash and gel for their section wound? I haven’t been given clear instructions on how I’m meant to be using it. (Leaflet is about in conjunction with dressing but no dressing now.)

I shaved a few days before my section. I was going to go over it the night before but was told not to in case of infection.

C section recovery is going amazingly here still! Two weeks pp tomorrow and I feel completely back to normal and have done for a few days. I’ve been out and about since day 4 and feel great. I still can’t believe the difference to my last C-section and I’m wondering what it is that I’ve done differently this time round to have made it so much easier. If my pregnancy wasn’t so bad I would even do it again. I feel very lucky.

Great thank you, it's so embarrassing to talk about but I didn't have time last time due to emergency but this time I would rather look clean even tho I can't see anything with the huge bump, but the thought of them all looking down there while having the incision cut makes me feel embarrassed lol but thats really helped me a lot , and especially your recovery story too. I'm hoping to be ok this time round myself due to have older kids at school , I am hoping to be home the next day just need the motivation 😂😂 hope your well xx