My Waters Went on Monday at 22+4 :(

[WorzselMummage]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience of really premature rutured membranes ?

My waters went on monday as a result of an infection i picked up having an emergency stitch put in last week.

Babys fine and the stitch is still holding, i've not gone in to labour but obviously this is a grim situation and we're likely to lose our baby boy.

I'm on some wacking great antibiotics which are making me feel hideous but i have been discharged from hospital, there is nothing mroe they can do there apparently so i am home on bedrest praying babys lungs develop and he stays put for a few more weeks to at least give him a chance.

Does anyone know anyne who has been though this ?

Read through some of your postings(sorry if somethings have already been mentioned)

Just wanted to give you lots of support and encouragement. Don't listen to what Df says. He's a MAN! (-enough said).

Just a tip for Bfing. Try eating some dessicated coconut half an hour before expressing. I found this worked. Whats more I found that Bounty bars were the best!! Go ahead ... Treat yourself with lots of lovely Chocolate. You deserve it. Especially with what you've been through.

When I was expressing for Tink I couldn't get much out, this time - when I don't need it - I'm pumping loads. I feel and . I've come to the realisation that last time I was only getting stimulation from the pump whereas this time I have a baby taking it most of the time.

What I'm trying to say is it's not that your breasts are rubbish, just that they aren't able to get the right stimulation. Don't look to other mothers, we all do differently on the pump and different pumps suit different people.

I know it must seem like you're a complete failure (I've felt it too) but it's a domino effect. One thing goes wrong that causes you to have an early baby, because your baby is early you don't have proper stimulation at your breasts to bring your milk in properly and pumping isn't really a long term soloution so your milk starts to dry up quite quickly.

W, 40 ml is not a pitiful amount, in fact it's not far off the amount a TERM baby would be taking at each feed. Bear in mind also that different individuals' supply builds in different ways, and the fact that you are not pumping in bucketloads does not automatically mean that your milk will dry up.

I can empathise with the feeling that your body has let you down, this ebbed and flowed for me all the time in the year after dd's birth. From talking to other parents of prem babies, it is very, very normal and part of the process of dealing with what has happened. I think many people don't realise how strong the feelings of loss around premature birth are, and don't understand the need to grieve. I feel a bit saying this, but I wish I could give you a big hug just now.

I'm a bit concerned that you say you are sore. Do make sure that the funnel of the pump is centred over your nipple rather than off to one side. Be aware also that Medela and Ameda (I'm guessing that you are probably using one of these pumps) make funnels in different sizes which helps some people get more comfortable - see www.expressyourselfmums.com You can also get silicone inserts for the funnel which I found made things more comfortable for me. No-one at the hospital told me this, I had to figure it out for myself.

How are the hospital re skin to skin care, especially if George is now off CPAP and well, there should be no reason why you can't have him out for an hour or two each day? You could also start each pumping session with gentle hand massage.

Take care

Sorry stuffed up the link here it is

Oooh don't know how i missed this.

Congrats the pics are lovely.

Hi Worzel....just wanted to say WOW! you're doing an amazing job.

My DD1 was only 7 weeks prem after suffering water loss like yourself and I found that very hard. It's so difficult to have a relationship with a breast pump! and 40ml! WELL DONE YOU!!! That's lashings...honest.

Also wanted to say - that a girl on our "over 40s" pregnancy thread had her DD at 23+4 wks and she's now home - doing fine and at 7 mths, is plump - gorgeous and going strong. Thought I'd just add that - to give you a lovely story!! x

I've been lurking too...

Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy!

I brought my daughter home yesterday, born at 28 weeks, after 81 days in 3 different hospitals. Now she's shouting at me, so must type quicker.

I was also getting about 40ml when expressing, then after a few weeks it was down to 20ml, and so I tried Domperidone, which worked brilliantly for me, got up to 120ml once. Certainly worth a try.

I would second the domperidone recommendation. Only thing which gave me a decent supply (baby had poor suck, my milk never seemed to come in). You can get it from www.inhousepharmacy.com and it will be here in about 10 days. In the meantime you can go to a chemist or get your partner to, tell the pharmacist you are very bloated esp after eating, and the doc recommended domperidone. Unfortunately they won't sell you enough at a time, but it could start you off (and just get everyone you know to hit up their local chemist for the next few days).

Another lurker here as I didn't have any personal experience to contribute.

George is absolutely beautiful and you are doing a fabulous job of keeping it all together. Please don't be hard on yourself; life has already given you enough knocks.

40mls is fabulous at this stage. My dd was term and I would have been delighted with that amount.

I am glad that MN has been supportive where RL friends have fallen short. I am sure that they adore you but are not sure of how best to help. Keep posting and know that there are many people (including lurkers) on MN that are praying for your little one as well as for your sanity.

Oh sweetie, I'm sorry you feel so rotten. I don't know what to say and I really don't have any advice but I do know what it's like when your head and emotions play nasty tricks on you and make you feel useless. I had a great pregnancy with Jackbaby bu this birth went really pear-shaped, I think I told you, and I felt completely useless and a failure because I struggled for so long and they had to yank him out with forceps. And people's thoughtless comments really put the icing on the cake, along the lines of "wow, you're so fit, I thought you'd just pop that little guy right out!" Yeah thanks, that really helps - not!! And these comments were from women who you'd think really ought to know better!!! Anyway... you are not useless or worthless or any of those things.

xxxxxx

whoops, that should be a ((((((((((HUG)))))))))))

Just read another couple of posts so another bit of pumping advice. You can buy a little cooler bag and ice pack and keep it by the side of your bed, then just pop the bottles in there when you've finished pumping, and in the morning put the bottles in the freezer and the ice pack back in the freezer also. The medela pump in style comes with one of these, but you could just buy one at your local shop.

they are being v extreme re freezing immediately, and it actually makes little sense since breatmilk is naturally microbicidal - ie there will be fewer bugs growing in it after 10 hours at room temp than there were when you started - it kills them off.

if you haven't already, think about renting a hospital grade pump, it makes a HUGE difference to pumping volume. the medela symphony worked well for me - you can rent them from the NCT or from www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk and the pump will arrive the next day. Medela UK were very good and allowed me to have 2 pumps at home in parallel at one point while i figured out which was best, but only pay for 1.

Also from expressyourselfmums, get a handsfree pumping bra, wonderful to have your hands free while pumping, and you can just leave it on all night so you don't have to keep getting up and down.

Worzel, I had a look at Fifi's feeding chart and they were giving her 150ml per kg a day. I was going to (she came off the NG a lot faster than I expected) try and aim for that, 300ml when spaced over a day didn't seem like a lot when broken up. Have a look and see how they work it out then break it up, you may find it's not so much when you look at it.

Hi Worzel, sorry you are feeling so upset. Useless is certainly not a word you should ever call yourself, you are truly amazing. Some people sail through pregnancy, other people have a harder experience. Have watched all my family (4 sisters) have uncomplicated pregnancys and deliverys while I have had hypertension and pre eclampsia. Both my babies got stuck and distressed during labour, DS had to be practically pulled out and DD had to be delivered by emergency cs because she developed bradycardia during labour. Have decided that I have a dodgy pelvis!
Please dont blame yourself, you sound like a great Mum. xx

Thank you all for saying just the right things I wish you could come and give Df a kick up the arse and a few lessons in being supportive, as honestly, he's failing horribly at keeping me going emotionally at the moment

Skay, Coconut ?? really ? i'll try that for sure as i really like bountys lol.

I am going to buy some fenugreek tomorrow as apparently that can help and need to try tp get a drs appointment anyway to sign me back on to drive so we ask for a prescription of the Domperidone.. I had no idea you could but it over the counter either.. good good.

Lizzie, I have a Medela Lactina, its a double but i have only managed to double pump sucessfully once, the other times i have fallen asleep and got soaking wet. My nipples hurt but i think because my supply is so poor i have cranked up the suction too much maybe. A few times when i have pumped i have really felt the let down but most of the time not. They have symphonys in the pumping room and they seem to be the most effective, i think its because they have a program especially for starting the milk off and that really helps.

TBM, he's on 200mls a day roughly and i know i make that, i know i am being hard on myself when i am making enough to sustain him at the moment but i know hat happened last time and how utterly shit it made me feel to have to use the donor mlk and eventually formula. Its just another stick to beat myself with i think.

Jacksmama... Thanks, you always manage to make me smile :D

Use olive oil in the horns to lubricate - don't use anything like nipple creams or vaseline they will just create friction.

You're doing a fantastic job.

Hey, got an idea for you - I bought some "nursing tea" a while back when I thought my supply was going funny, it worked like a charm, almost too much - I ended up with "boulder boobs" after a few days of obsessively drinking the tea. I will pack it up and post it off to you tonight. It contains fenugreek and fennel and blessed thistle and I don't know what all... I'd drink it just because it tastes lovely but whew, the effect... {porn star boobs emoticon]
xxxx

Agree with everyone you are fab and your DF is an arse Really pleased to hear all the news about George, that's great - anymore pics? ((hugs)) xxx

Oh bless you ! Please don't post it though, you drink it if you like it and i'll order myself some of it really works.. would it get though customs anyway ? we'd probably both get arrested for smuggling porn star breast enhancing drugs

Whats it called ? is it just Nursing Tea ?

Picante, thats a realy good idea thanks

xx

I do have some more photos as it happens i'll get some online later, df keeps looking longingly at the laptop and i need to eat so i'll pop back later on and do it and you can al have a swoon

xxx

W, glad to hear back from you. It's definitely trial and error with the pumps - if it only suits to double pump with one type, then by all means go with that. I did find the Medela Symphony the one that worked best and once I got the hang of it used to use a similar rhythm with my Avent hand pump.

FWIW I never felt let down as a distinct sensation until dd was breastfeeding. And do bear in mind that for as long as you pump any milk at all, you are breastfeeding your son.

((((more hugs))))

Really hope that coconut works for you.
If it doesn't then you've had lots of lovely chocolate to cheer you up. If it works please feel free to pass the message on. There are probably some other mums out there who although have not had a premature baby, still have problems Bfing.

I had problems with my eldest and had already given up with bfing when I found out the coconut trick. Mind you the little monster was never really happy bfing anyway. He never got the hang of suckling properly. My youngest however, suckled beautifully and it really was a shame to stop bfing with her. But whatever happens, whether you continue to bf or not remember that none of it is your fault. It is just a decision that is made by several factors put together.
Like the other postings have said 40ml is not a pitiful amount for a very young babies.
You are doing your best and that is what matters!

how are you today honey?

if you need a giggle check out jackbaby's newest picture on my profile

hugs and love to you

Hi Worzel, haven't posted on either of your threads for ages so a belated congratulations on the birth of baby George, he is gorgeous and is doing brilliantly! I thought you might like to know that my equally tactless dh managed to come out with "yes, you did make rather a hash of things" when discussing my fairly disastrous pregnancy with prem ds - I think he meant it as a sort of joke but needless to say I didn't take it that way...

I'm really sorry you're feeling so down, hope you are feeling better now. I can really sympathise with the feelings of failure, especially when watching how much milk other women are producing! 40ml sounds great, much better than some of my more pitiful attempts! I would really recommend giving the double pumping a try, I was really sceptical but it helped my supply loads. I am sure there is a psychological aspect to pumping, so that if you start to feel less like a failure and more like you are doing a wonderful thing for your wonderful boy (which of course you are!), then you will probably start to get more.

As everyone else has said, of course your reproductive system is not useless, you have made a whole little person all by yourself (almost..), which is amazing. He might have missed out on the last few weeks of fattening up etc, but think of how far you got him from just a little bundle of cells to a baby! Not so useless eh?

Good afternoon hope you're having a good day.

How are you?

How is your little man?