Handhold please - 28+6.

[NewYearsEveWedding]

Previous history - DD born at 32 weeks in 2015 due to waters breaking. No cause found. Now healthy 5 year old.

Currently 28+6 with DS. Yesterday I went in to be monitored as baby had a quiet day. The monitor picked up tightenings in my stomach. Cervical length was measured again, and has dropped to 2cm, from 3.5cm 3 weeks ago. Suddenly told that this could be the start of things again. I'm sure these "tightenings" have been felt a couple of weeks ago even. I thought it was baby moving high up.

I live in the Channel Islands, so have been told to prepare for medical plane transfer to Southampton hospital. DH will have to stay here until we know what's going, looking after DD. The prospect of giving birth alone, and leaving my home, it's horrible.

I've just dropped DD at school and now need to start packing an emergency suitcase. I can't think straight, I'm so frightened.

Congratulations! I've been following this thread with my fingers crossed for you. 33 weeks is good going and I hope you can relax a little now that he is here.

Ah lovely OP, congrats

Congratulations! How’s the baby doing?

Hope all is ok OP?

He is doing really well. Tolerating his feeds well, but still on the slightest oxygen to help him work a bit less when breathing. Doctors are really happy with him.

Yesterday we all got to cuddle him for the first time (I did have a 1 minute cuddle after birth). DD loves her little brother, it’s lovely to see.

I came home yesterday. I felt really sad leaving him in hospital, it feels like he’s missing. But trying to concentrate on the longer term.

So now I’m expressing - milk supply is good, just got 35mls from each boob. But expressing every 3 hours is hard work when there’s no baby around. I got mastitis 4 times when expressing for DD, and I’m worried it’ll happen again. Don’t know how to slow my supply down.

Thanks for your kind messages everyone.

That's wonderful bless him.

So glad to hear that all is well! Congratulations

Amazing news, congratulations!!

Congratulations, what brilliant news.

I hope you're getting decent care even with the restrictions.

Wow, that’s a great amount of milk, well done @NewYearsEveWedding . You’ve got enough for a full term baby there! You’ll have a good stash by the time he comes home.

I had a good supply and I found it a bit less exhausting if I used a spare kit and dumped the night milk rather than getting out of bed to sterilise and refrigerate. I also did one stretch of 4 hours at night once my supply was established.

So glad you’re home. How is your dh coping?

Awww so nice you have got to hold him and that your DD is thrilled with her little brother. The expressing is brutal isn't it. I had a similar problem with oversupply (though luckily no mastitis) which then turned into undersupply once DS started feeding directly and we thought he was taking more milk than he was. It's so difficult to balance. Remember you can put pump parts in fridge - no need to sterilise everything every time. Are you hoping to transition to direct BFing when he's mature enough? I think they let my DS try from 34 weeks or so.

Pleased to update that DS came home on Tuesday. He is doing well - is now 36+6, and weighed 5lbs9 on Tuesday. We are very grateful to take him home, and for everyone’s support on here. Thank you.

Quick update on expressing - I got mastitis on day 5, antibiotics cleared it up. I’m now expressing every 4 hours, getting over 250ml each time. We have 3 freezer drawers full of milk. I’m so grateful for a good supply.

Expressing is horrible - my nipples are purple, I’ve dropped over 400ml of milk over the floor in the middle of the night. Last night I dropped over 100ml on the floor and bed. Breastfeeding didn’t work - balancing a nipple shield, saggy boobs and a wriggly baby was impossible for me. DS hasn’t been strong enough to suck much milk through the shield. We tried quite a few times, but milk taken was minimal, I don’t think we’ll be successful. I am disappointed, I really wanted to nail it this time, but it’s out of my control.

My plan is to express for as long as I can take, then use the frozen milk, and go onto formula. I expressed for 8 months for DD, but no way will we manage that long this time.