💙🩷From Bumps 2 Babies & Beyond!🤰👶🍼🤱🤱

[MummyTo4BoysXXXX]

following on from the Due February 2024 thread 7.. now this shall be thread 8! For us all to continue our pregnancy&postpartum journey together 😊

I finally caved last night and tried safe cosleeping, we had a restless night baby was being very wingy after feeds even with infacol, not sure if it’s a growth spurt or reflux? She’s 12 days old. Sent DP into the spare room at about 6am and she slept until 9 lying next to me in bed! I was constantly checking her worrying but at least she settled.

@redxlondon I think the postpartum BO is supposed to help guide the baby to your breasts! I had it until 6 weeks postpartum last time, was especially grim as couldn't manage a shower everyday due to a demanding unputdownable baby. Don't seem to have it this time around but did have the worst crotch sweat for nearly the whole pregnancy so I'll take it!
Sorry to hear you're struggling, any chance you partner could take some annual leave especially since you have a C section recovery to deal with? If not a full week then maybe have a shorter week? Or up WFH if possible? With our first my DH took Wednesdays off for a month so I didn't have more than 2 days solo, which was a lifesaver.

@Mismatc my DH also told me with our first he needed his 8 hours 11-7 for his 9-5 office job where he was WFH so no commute (was during COVID)... He quickly realised that wasn't going to work and would be on call until 2am instead haha. We also do split shifts in separate bedrooms, only way we both get some decent sleep! It's funny how men can be a bit oblivious to how much their life is going to change becoming a dad if they want to be a decent partner as well.

@Mismatc that sounds really tough, as it's such a lot of change for everyone, and a lot of adjustment for the older children. Glad you managed some longer stretches of sleep!

We did shared leave last time and honestly that helped so much. Partner realised it meant I was still feeding through the night when I was full time at work in a demanding job, and so stepped up when he was at work.

OMG slightly jealous of how much support some of you are getting my partner works away so it’s just me for everything, some days I feel like I am winning other days I’m just scraping by 🤦‍♀️ I was expressing when wee man was in neonatal but changed to formula when I took him home my milk supply was low & it was just to much pressure. I admire all of u breast feeding it’s demanding and you are all doing amazing. Love hearing all your stories it keeps me motivated lol xx

@Angelslookingafterus I think I'm way more in awe of you with a partner working away. I'm very conscious of how lucky I am having a partner there to share the load. In fact when either of us goes away for a business trip or with friends for a couple days, the other struggles. And that's with a toddler not a newborn. You're doing amazingly!

Good to hear that im not alone with the struggle! Baby is 8 days old and is perfect during the day, having 4hr solid naps which I really have to force her from to feed but then it comes to the evening and she just turns into this colic monster that won’t stop crying and screaming and no soothing techniques appear to work. I’m using the boob to settle as much as possible but then worried she’s getting sore tummy from having too much milk. Resorted to dummy last night but she spits it out. I just seem to have to walk around with her all night bobbing and shushing her until 4am. I’m a shell of a woman and my partner is fairly useless as he can’t feed and has zero patience for the crying so just gets angry which doesn’t help so I leave him to sleep in our room while I’m pacing the lounge all night. Never thought it would be this hard!!!

@Gardenfingers23 I would try and wake her earlier than the 4 hour mark.
My MW said to go 2.45 in the day at that age and get as much milk into her as possible so she isn't playing catch up/disturbed in the night.

This worked for us as she was going 4 hours in the day also; now it's swapped and only up twice in the night.

@Gardenfingers23 sounds like our little one too. She is a dream during the day with lots of naps in her Moses basket. But of an evening is really unsettled and won’t take to a dummy, my boob is the only thing that soothes her :( and has to be near me.

So little man has gained 9oz since last Friday meaning he's now 8lb5 when last week he was back to his birth weight and that's still not good enough for the health visitor and her effing growth scale 🙄

What more can I do when he only wants to feed when he's hungry and eats as much as he wants in 1 go whether that's 30 then hour later 90 🤦🏻‍♀️

To me a 9oz gain in 6 days is surely good but what do I know 🙃

What was her reason for not thinking that was good?

@redxlondon the growth scale thing in their little red book, he's just under the curve he should be, on the broken line or something

Thank you we can only do our best
I know what it like with a toddler Blake is 3 1/2 and he is in2 everything 🤦‍♀️😂 that child is mad hoping this wee man doesn’t learn from his big brother or I’m in trouble x

@Gardenfingers23 Sorry to hear your partner can't help you much, that sounds so hard. My partner is still learning but is trying. For example he is not very good at putting baby's clothes on but takes ages to change a nappy and baby keeps peeing on himself so then he has to wake me for help dressing baby in fresh clothes. 🤣

@Cheetocat my DH also seemed to get peed on during nappy changes but been much better since started using what I call "penis hats" haha.
Do you have any of those triangle bibs? Useless for actually catching possets but we put them so one corner covers his penis and tuck the other two down his sides, seems to catch the pee well.
Keep a bunch by the changing station.
Unfortunately reflux has increased so still dealing with extra laundry

Ladies, I'm booked for an induction tomorrow afternoon and have no idea what I should be taking with me! Any must haves you can recommend?

Oooh speaking of reflux - how are everyone's babies doing in this regard?

Mine seems to be spitting up loads :( maybe 15-20 times a day, varying amounts. Usually cottage cheese consistency, she seems completely unbothered by this though. Much more sad for me to see!

I'm hoping this is normal - it's not affecting her feeding, general demeanour or nappy output so I haven't asked HV/GP.

Would love to know if anyone's in a similar situation :)

This has happened so much with my little one too, the laundry today was insane!!

I used this list, but didn’t use many items. I think it’s very personal so just try to think what you’d really want. For example, I took day and night face cream - but some people may think “wtf, I have no desire to do my face!”

https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/pregnancy/preparing-for-labour-and-birth/hospital-bag-checklist/

@undercoverhero74 my essentials are peri bottle, lip balm as gas and air is so drying, multiple water bottles and snacks! Plus extra long charging cable and battery pack if you've got one. Then just the generic stuff from the lists you see online.

@msp2023 if well, decent nappies, gaining weight and not in pain with it then health care professionals will label them "happy spitters" and just give advice about keeping up right 20-30 mins post feed, winding well, and tell you you've got a laundry problem not a medical one. If bottle feeding then careful with paced feeding to not overfeed and can consider feeding smaller volumes more often (so spend time sorting bottles potentially not even instead of laundry if doesn't work!). If appear in pain or affecting intake/weight gain then can consider meds if the conservative measures above don't work. Hope that helps ☺️

Regarding hospital bag - definitely take a cheap thin material nightie and a small fan because the wards are absolutely boiling hot. Some open slippers/flip flops so you’re comfy and not bear foot. I also took a pack of Always incontinent pants to wear instead of pads, which did make things a lot easier. I had an episiotomy and actually weed myself a couple of times 🙈 so really glad I was wearing those. A peri bottle to clean yourself and make going to the toilet less painful. Also, a long cable phone charger, a bobble, face wipes to freshen up and just whatever you would usually pack for a weekend away.

Oh yeah 100% flip flops, communal bathrooms can be grim, means don't have to bend over to tie/zip, etc. And can typically be washed off if wee or bleed over yourself. I sat for a while post delivery and flooded when I stood up as bleeding had pooled, went all down my legs and over my flip flops!
So spare clothes as well.
Also I got really bad fluid retention after this time despite being vaginal and no drips, so comfier and roomier having flip flops too.

Good luck @undercoverhero74

My favourite item from my hospital bag was a sleep mask as there are so many little lights on the hospital equipment that stay on all night. You might not be bothered by them though.

I stayed on the postnatal ward for about a week whilst baby was in special care, and lived in nighties and big knickers! Also my husband brought in my slippers as I had an unplanned c section and had to wear compression socks.

Brilliant! Thanks so much ladies that has helped a lot!
Hopefully within the next couple of days I'll have baby in my arms and can continue this journey with you all!
Its just a shame I missed out on the February club 🙈

@undercoverhero74 best of luck, everything crossed for a quick and easy (as can be)delivery❤️

I’d second the eye mask, I also had earplugs so both of them made it easier to sleep. Ear phones and maybe some shows to watch as well. Plenty of fresh pjs (I was induced, it took 4 days so had to get more pjs brought in) good big BIG (bigger than ud think) pants.. everything is so tender after, I didn’t want anything in anyway tight or restrictive. Long phone charger, hair bobble, carmex, water bottle.
something very comfortable for wearing home, loose leggings & jumper or that.

looking forward to seeing ur update ❤️

@undercoverhero74 good luck