Due December 2024 - thread 2

[CatCaretaker]

Follow on from the first thread here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/5032929-due-december-2024?page=40

That sounds really lovely

I think if baby was a couple of weeks old I'd be really happy with this set up but I don't think I'll be up for it so soon after

Plus they moved last year from my childhood home and their new one is much smaller, it's not as easy to escape for some quiet haha

@RedRobyn2021 I'm pretty lucky with it, I know.

I have said to them that it will be a case of see how it goes, I might just not feel like leaving my own bubble and they understand. I will possibly still send the kids down for their dinner etc if that is the case right enough, and it means I'll get some peace too.

They were meant to be coming to us for the first time this year but I pulled the plug on that idea.

We’re just doing our own little thing as a family - no visitors, just a cosy day just us.

it’s too much with a newborn.
grandparents are welcome to visit for an hour but that will be about it

@Lunamoon23 yes…. But instead of a clear out I have constipation since last night which is making it worse!!
I’m on iron tablets and they STINK!!! 😂

@Lunamoon23

I'm the same with the toilet habits, I kept thinking it reminds me of the clear out I had before my daughter but it's so early for me! Interested to hear others are experiencing the same

Makes me hopeful this baby might not be late!

@OnNaturesCourse I know what you mean. I was just saying to a colleague, I think he's going to come early, maybe even next week. I'm getting signs indicating labour maybe near... I'm hopeful he'll hold off for another week and a half as I mentioned previously, it ties everything together perfectly for DH time off but, we don't get to decide that. I'm having a ELCS and haven't had my date yet or pre op appt and I'm 37+2 today, so hoping they'll call soon so I have an idea of what's going on. Feel very in limbo....

@Twinkletwinklelil oh no! I've been on iron tablets before and they're awful for that!! 😂

@RedRobyn2021 we are up my grandparents, we go there every year, this year they'll be 9 of us including little man. Hoping I'll be okay as I'll only be approx 2 weeks post c section then. But they're all fully aware and they'll be good as gold. Will also be navigating breastfeeding as a first timer but I've planned my outfit accordingly to make it as easy and discreet as possible. If not though I'll just remove myself from the room when needed and sit in another. Were then up my parents Boxing Day evening and New Year's Day! So jam packed Christmas but that's how I love it. Just hoping I feel well enough to enjoy it all.

@Lunamoon23

I remember with my daughter she was still cluster feeding at that age and it would always start around 5:30/6pm where she would feed and feed and feed for like 4 sometimes 5 hours, just switching boobs constantly and coming off the boob, shaking her head and crying (all normal behaviour to get your supply up). I had to make sure I was back from walking the dog otherwise she would start to cry like clockwork. It was quite intense because I was still trying to get the latch right as well and I always took her off if it hurt me because I didn't want to damage the nipple, then retry again and sometimes she would get frustrated.

Keep thinking I don't know how we're going to manage that with my daughter's bedtime?? Really hoping she won't mind her dad doing bedtime with her for a bit

I'm not due till the 30th, and doing Christmas in my sister's for the first time as she's closer to both us and the hospital, instead of going home to either set of parents. I'm very much assuming she won't be here by then.

@RedRobyn2021 bedtime with the toddler is a worry for me too. It’s always been my thing with husband doing dinner and bath and want to keep doing it as I think it’s nice 1 on 1 time for my toddler.

I envision just feeding the baby as much as possible during dinner and bath and a story, then handing the baby to my husband whilst I give my toddler a big hug (we always do 15mins of talking through the day, big cuddle) before I put him into bed. How this will play out with a breastfed baby, I’ve no idea as it’s so responsive 😂.

I think I’m just going to go with the attitude that we will be there, but strong possibility of not, especially if I do need to be induced at 38 weeks.

I’m trying to assume baby won’t be here, but knowing my luck, I’ll go into labour whilst eating Christmas dinner 😂

My mum’s labour with me was 1 hour start to finish and included a 40min drive to the hospital 😳. My first labour was very long (3 days), so hoping this time isn’t so long but longer than an hour or we’ll be giving birth on the M25 😂

@RedRobyn2021 ahhh okay! Thankfully they'll be plently of people there to help muck on with the getting ready of dinner etc so I can just sit with baby. And I'm not prudish around my family, they've all had several children so they know the drill. I'll take a large Muslim cloth aswell to preserve some of my dignity if I am sat there most the day with a boob hanging out 😂 but will be nice to be fed and watered with not having to lift a finger!

Odd question, but by the two week mark, were you able to express quite a bit of milk too? I've got a day planned away from baby and I'm hoping I'll be able to express some to leave with dad while I'm away from home. Maybe unrealistic and my plans can change if needs be. But just curious. X

I just realised the way i worded that sounded terrible 😂 I don't have a day planned away from baby. But a day planned that will mean I'm away from baby for 5-6 hours. Didn't mean to make it sound like I'd be itching to be away from my baby so soon! X

@Lunamoon23 I’d probably say no, but it’s so dependent on what you are planning in general.

My son wouldn’t take a bottle, your supply is still trying to establish at that point, so you’ll need to be pumping when away etc, but general advice isn’t to pump if you are planning to EBF until 6 weeks.

Ahhh okay that's helpful to know! Okay, may have to rearrange my plans then especially if he takes to breastfeeding and we are managing to do so.

Sadly that's one of the draw backs of breastfeeding isn't it, it's so heavily reliant on you. X

@Lunamoon23

I was told to avoid expressing for the first 6 weeks whilst my supply sorted itself out, the risk is you give yourself an over supply and then get mastitis (fortunately not experienced this but it sounds horrible)

I have heard some people only waiting until 4 to introduce a bottle, there's a method called pace feeding which is particularly important with a breastfed baby if you want to avoid a bottle preference.

Eugh.

Just had a tonne more of mucus come away - soaked another liner!

Will this baby just get a shift on now.

(sorry rant as I'm home alone with toddler so no one to moan to 😂)

@RedRobyn2021 I'll have a Google of that. There's so much to learn isn't there! None of my closest friends even attempted to try to breastfeed so I can't even feed off their knowledge. My mum did briefly but we're talking 32 years ago.
Strangely, my colleagues baby was premature and had to stay in hospital for a while, and she was pumping from the day she was born and bottle feeding her with expressed milk, and one day she forgot to take her pump with her (she was having to travel a distance to the hospital baby was in) and within two days her supply dried up.

@OnNaturesCourse are you close to your due date? You don't sound like you're far away from having baby here with all the signs and symptoms you've been having! Hang on in there, not long to go ❤️ xxxx

@Lunamoon23

That sounds like me! My mum bf me for a few weeks and then I went on to formula and I didn't know anyone that breastfed and I didn't know anything about breastfeeding!

It was during Covid with my daughter so the only thing I did do was join a breastfeeding page on Facebook called Breastfeeding and Lactation Support UK, which actually really helped because a lot of normal behaviour can be misconstrued as the baby not having enough milk.

I found my mum was making comments a lot about how often my daughter fed, because she was thinking the baby should be feeding every four hours, but breastfed babies feed a lot more than that. That's quite hard when everyone wants to hold the baby but the baby just needs mum and milk, apparently that's why mastitis is more common at Christmas.

I also found friends and colleagues didn't really get that I couldn't just leave my daughter because I was breastfeeding she needed me. The first 3 months were really hard, then it ever so slowly got easier.

@Lunamoon23 I'm only 36+4 but all my babies have arrived between 37 & 38 weeks so I wouldn't be surprised if this one is a little early but not this early!

@RedRobyn2021 that makes sense regarding the mastitis over Christmas 😂

Thankfully, I've taken the stance from the get go that I'm not going to apply too much pressure to myself.
I absolutely want to try to breastfeed but if I'm finding it too difficult or mentally too much, I'm very open to changing to formula if needed.
In my opinion if two people were stood In front of you, one breastfed and one formula fed you wouldn't be able to tell the difference, fed is best and I think it's important for me to not apply to much pressure mentally, because I suffer with mental health (although I've managed it extremely well for the last couple of years) I want to maintain that. Happy mum = happy baby.

Even if I can manage those first few weeks. 🤞🏼

What's everyone's opinions of people kissing baby?? I've told all my family they're not to kiss baby, I've had some disappointed looks but all understanding!

Ahhh still a little while to go though but not too long! I'm 37+2 today, first baby though which I've heard normally come later than early! X

39+1 today and been offered a sweep. So tempting.
anyone had any experience? I can have one on Thursday if I want 😬

I also do not smell fresh as a daisy when on the loo! (Nor off it!!)

I think her head has engaged now as I am walking with my legs wide apart, waddling and getting lots of lightening crotch. I bloody hope it has anyway!

It's all getting very exciting now.
I just can't wait until we have all had our babies!

Anyone else obsessed with scrubbing the sides/kitchen/bathroom and making it super soapy 😩 been my thing for like the past 2 weeks or so

I know my sister got offered one at 38 weeks and within a day baby was out :) she said it wasn't too bad just slightly uncomfortable. She has had it for both her pregnancies.