Due February 2025 - Thread 4

[UrbanSquirrel]

Just creating this so that we have somewhere to continue when Thread 3 fills up. If you're due to have a baby in February 2025 (or late January or early March, as we have a wide spread!), come join us for support, advice and (at present) some really useful Black Friday recommendations! Big welcoming hugs to all the usual suspects coming over from Thread 3 🤗

@Hhdxx
Don't worry about burps! I burp all day everyday and can't lie down a lot of the time because of it as they get stuck. It's worse than the heartburn for me!

Wow! That's amazing!

Was that done by hand?

@herewegoagain123456 yes all by hand! I did get 2 full syringes but partner accidentally spilt the first 😫 my first baby too! Feeling very lucky 🥰

@apple67cherry oh wow that's brilliant well done! I didn't manage it last time so I wasn't even going to try this time ... even though I did breastfeed for a year I found it very uncomfortable at the start. Maybe I might try at 38 weeks. My section is booked for 39 weeks and they say this can induce labour so if I do try it will be at the last minute 🤣

Very impressed at that full syringe, @apple67cherry. Annoyingly, getting syringes out of my NHS Trust has been like pulling teeth (and my health visitor says they don't have a fridge or freezer to store it at the hospital! What!). I'm 37+0 weeks now and you've persuaded me to just buy my own syringes online so I can hopefully get on with it.

On the plus side, the video online about my Trust's (inadequate rated) hospital maternity ward says that they will let me stay in the delivery room if I'm going for an early discharge, which is a relief (assuming I'm able to be discharged early). Like you, @MaiaForEmperor, I'm hoping to avoid the postnatal ward as much as possible - they sound pretty unpleasant. Hopefully that's a widespread thing.

Thank you so much!!x

Thank you!! I had my syringes of Facebook marketplace as I bought a postpartum recovery bundle off somebody that ended up having a c section so if you can grab a deal go for it!! My midwife unfortunately is pretty useless and not very communicative so didn't go through that route of getting them through her x

Is anyone noticing any swelling in their feet/ankles? My right foot and ankle has been swollen now for a couple of days but no pain or other symptoms so I’m not sure if I should panic. My next appointment with midwife isn’t until 28th Jan.

@apple67cherry that’s amazing, well done! Remember to take it to hospital - I forgot with DD and sent my husband home to get it, then didn’t use it anyway!

@ThisLimeDeer I wouldn’t panic too much but definitely keep an eye; I got a bit swollen at the end of my last pregnancy and it was nothing to worry about, and yours sounds like it might only be on one side? Maybe give triage a ring if it’ll make you feel better just in case!

Agree, call triage to be safe but swelling in ankles and feet are pretty common at this stage. My feet blew up last time, and this time my shoes are a little tight. 😅

@ThisLimeDeer Yep I've got swollen feet/ankles especially if I've been on my feet a lot. Some trainers are a little tighter than normal but I remember this from last time, it's quite normal I think. If I've had tight socks on they leave quite noticeably marks on my legs and you can see the swelling but always subsides one I rest them or by the morning.

Ah, the appointment was at 36+4 - I am actually 37w today! 🥳

Feeling absolutely fine (I realise I have been incredibly lucky with minimal symptoms - I also stopped working a long time ago (redundancy 🤷), which has obviously made things easier still) although sleep has gone to hell. I've been waking 4-5 times a night for absolutely no reason (mostly - sometimes I do need to wee, or get woken by hip pain). By 5am or so I've usually given up.

It feels like the baby has completely run out of room - my stomach is one pretty solid mass of back and bum now. At 36+5 she was estimated to weigh bang on 3kg/6.6lb! 😅 So I'm hopeful she'll arrive a few days either side of her due date of 2nd Feb.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

That's brilliant! I'm expressing too and it takes a while but I was so pleased to have the colostrum on hand last time. I wasn't able to feed in theatre and I was in there so long I was glad my husband could give baby a syringe or two.

@CarrotySnack Definitely buy syringes if midwives aren't giving them out! But if you can't express anything it doesn't mean your supply won't be great.

I've just brought my syringes off Amazon for £9.99. Only 34 weeks so won't start yet but deffo leaking a teeny bit so hoping I should get some in a few weeks

Did you get that colostrum all in one go @apple67cherry 😮? I've managed to do half a syringe over 2 days but I suppose better than nothing and I'll keep at it!

@CarrotySnack my midwife didn't even say they had syringes available I was just told to order online. I got a 20 pack for like £8 on Amazon (all sterilised and individually wrapped).

Hey! Sorry if I sound stupid but how come you get colostrum before the baby is born? I didn't realise you could do this. Does this mean you won't produce it when they're here, or do you still produce it?

My first baby was in neonatal so everything was expressed so this is all new to me. Xxx

@Hhdxx you can start from 36/37 weeks. Talk to your midwife but I think this is a very good guide from King's College hospital - https://www.kch.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/pl-969.1-antenatal-colostrum-harvesting.pdf

That guide is great thank you, I tried with no avail to collect colostrum with my first and wasn't going to bother this time but I'm going to give it a try and see if I get anything this time.

I think if I had probably kept going I could maybe of got 4 syringes in the 1 day but only at the early end of 36w so didn't want to go overboard but I've been leaking since very early so I think it's just pure luck, I hear more cases of people getting syringes over a few days rather than all in one go so it's really common not to have much at this stage!!
This is first baby for me so didn't know what to expect, it's all learning and plenty of research ❤️

Colostrum can come in at any time, some earlier and some people after baby in the first couple days before milk comes in. Doesn't mean anything if you can't get any during the pregnancy and just because I've got colostrum earlier, doesn't mean to say I will express a lot of milk x

Yes, you can start from 36 weeks! It won't use it up, you'll keep making as much as you need until your milk "comes in" a few days after birth.

Even a ml can really help their blood sugar after the birth if needed. I do find it gets easier day by day, not sure if it's because I'm later in pregnancy or because I've been doing it.

Anyone else with hip pain? It's keeping me awake and I'm so ready to not be pregnant!

Well done to those who have managed to express some colostrum! Fab that you have some liquid gold in reserve, it will do your babies the world of good. Colostrum and breastmilk is amazing stuff.

I didn’t manage to express any in my first pregnancy but DD latched on shortly after birth and all was well, so to anyone finding it a bit more tricky, don’t worry either!

Maia I am so with you on being ready to not be pregnant. I remember when DD was a newborn, and thinking this is a lot easier (and more rewarding!) than being heavily pregnant. Very ready to meet baby now.

Hope everyone is doing well! Not long to go at all now…

That's amazing @apple67cherry! I'll definitely keep going and hopefully more will come 😊

In terms of colostrum harvesting, last time I found using a Haaka helped me (I know they say not to use a breast pump but I convinced myself a haaka was fine!). I also only ever did it after a shower or bath as apparently that helps too. First time I tried, I literally got 0.1ml and was delighted with it! Ended up taking about 20ml to hospital (well, we left it at home and I sent DH back to get it…and then didn’t use it! We brought it home with us and it’s still in the freezer now, unusable!)

My hips are also total agony @MaiaForEmperor, I feel like I’m about 80 years old whenever I try to get up!

Braxton hicks have really ramped up over the last couple of days for me. I didn’t get them so much last time, so my husband is panicking as he thinks it’s a sign baby will be on their way sooner rather than later! I’m not so convinced 😂

@retrievermum I'm also having a lot more braxton hicks this time round, I hardly remember having any last time but I've had them for ages this time! They've also ramped up over last week or so!