August 2017 babies! The final thread!

[MissCharli]

Haha for the breastfeeding pain, stick em in your bra! They mentioned it at the hospital and then my mum said it again. Either that or the ibuprofen worked, or both, cos I feel so so much better now!

Ahh that sounds horrible! I had lots of them at the beginning. I worried OH too last night when I was getting upset, he text my mum! Ha x

 

[MissCharli]

Aww congrats kiwi!! X

 

[Rose83]

Do you have Lansinoh nipple cream? It's expensive but worth every penny, put in after every feed to keep them pain free. I've basically had every breast feeding problem there is (not that anyone ever recommended cabbage though) so feel free to ask any questions! Coconut oil is also a more natural recommendation I've had for keeping problems like nipple thrush away x

 

[PeanutButter]

Congratulations kiwi

Ladies I've been having such bad pain that's coming and going in the back of my hip that goes round into the front of the hip. Baby has barely moved today either. Idk what this is? X

 

[MissCharli]

I'm not bf Rose, so just trying to soothe the engorgement atm. That's probably why you've not heard of it haha.

Hmm not really sure PB! Call triage? Your little lady has been such a nuisance! X

 

[Rose83]

PB I definitely wouldn't mess around after the panic I had yesterday - I'd just go in and get checked if you haven't felt much movement. And if the pain is really bad they can at least tell you what it might be.

Ah I see misscharli - sorry I'm in a world of my own today, was forgetting you aren't feeding. I know you don't want to encourage milk in that case but have you been shown how to express some just by hand? I pretty sure friends of mine have said that just relieving the pressure like that helped to stop the pain. I would find that a hot shower would make it spurt out of its own accord thus relieving some pressure - have you tried that? X

 

[Rose83]

P.S so pleased to be able to say I've reached 37 weeks and am considered full term! Will be interested to see what the scan says about size tomorrow and also what the doctor on says too - I feel like they might suggest early intervention x

 

[MissCharli]

No worries It's much better today, no pain really just awkward slightly but bearable. I don't think it will take too much time now to go back to normal in terms of feeling. Yesterday I literally couldn't type on my laptop or reach stuff because my arms couldn't go around my boobs properly! It felt like I had molten lava in my bra! See no one tells you these bits either...

Good luck with your scan though and yay for being full term. I hope he decides to make any appearance any time now! x

 

[MissCharli]

Aww little Theo is really unsettled tonight bless him. Probably cos he slept like a log all day, despite being passed around hundreds of relatives! I can only get him to settle on my chest, which is lovely but I'm massively overheating and it means I can't sleep! Lucky he's so cute he can get away with it

Oh and his stump just fell off when I changed his nappy, I did look at it earlier and thought it was on it's way but I'm a little surprised it happened this early. Probably cos he's such a wriggler when I change him (it's pretty much the only time he screams the house down!). Lack of sleep is getting to me now, I think I managed to run on adrenaline for a good few days but it's wearing.

But I feel so lucky and blessed to have him, I really do! But before I start getting any more sappy I think I'm gonna try and get him to settle on his own x

 

[Hoping4Rainbow]

Awwww congratulations Kiwi!!!

MissCharli, we have the same issue in the night, I don't think our babies like the quietness of the night! I think it comes from their time in our tummies, they would easily fall asleep in the day cause we were on the move (our bellies were like hammocks for them and there was also lots of noise they could hear - on top of our constant bodily sounds esp. our heartbeat or stomach) but they might have had more or longer wakeful periods during the night when we stopped moving and everything was quiet!

Yayyyy for reaching full term Rose!!! I'll be keeping everything crossed for your appointment tomorrow xx

We're persevering with BFing and topping up plan suggested by midwives, have an appointment on Tuesday again to weigh baby and see if he gained any more of the lost birth weight. He has slowly gained about 4oz so far. I don't have a good feeling about this. Feels like it's the formula top ups helping baby to catch up and not my milk. He is so sleepy on the boobs that I just don't think he draws enough And he stays on the breast looooong times because he keeps falling asleep. I guess he has been affected by the c-section/drugs more than I thought? I know I have milk but perhaps not enough? He seems to love the formula top ups for sure. And loves the boob for comfort? Dunno... Shame really as I so wanted BFing to work out this time round. For the first time I have a baby that latched

Love to all of you mamas and mamas to be xx

 

[Elspeth]

Lots of catching up.

Congratulations to all the new mummies, Kiwi, Lunababy and Mummytobe.

Congratulations on being 37 weeks Rose. I hope he doesn't keep you waiting too much longer.

Are you OK PB? Did you go in in the end. The pain sounds horrible.

I think babies go through an initial settled phase MissCharli, right after birth and then they wake up a bit. Our daughter would sleep all day and be more awake at night. My husband and I took shifts to hold her at night for a good 3 weeks. She would not be put down. It wasn't fun. Eventually she got the hang of day and night.
Not sure what it's going to be like this time.
Glad your boobs are getting less sore.

H4R, sorry feeding still feels like a bit of a struggle. I'm sure lots of bf mums feel like this too, so don't get too disheartened.
Are you happy with his latch?
I saw a lactation consultant when my daughter was 5 days old, at a local bf support group. She got her to latch properly and the baby just completely drained me. It was amazing the difference it made.
Just keep doing what your doing but I was really impressed with the lactation consultant as opposed to the midwives and health visitors who all give different advice.

Xxxxx

 

[Rose83]

I'd second Elspeth's thoughts on lactation consultants. After I had my daughter I had a woman come out and watch me latch her on and would watch the whole feed and it was far better than any of the midwife or HV help. Also I don't mean this to sound like a criticism, just an observation from my experience, babies like formula because it's easy and they don't have to work very hard for it. I felt very pressured after the birth of my son to do top up feeds by the midwife because my milk took 5 days to come in but I put my foot down and said no. They were coming out every day because he lost 10% of his body weight (obviously a lot for a 10lb baby!) and they were saying 'we need to have a plan, you need to start giving him a formula top up each night if he doesn't put weight on tomorrow' and stuff like that which I think a first time mum or one who hasn't had a good breast feeding experience before would just give in to because they are the professionals and you think they know best. But I knew once my milk was in he'd be fine and I just knew it wasn't there yet. At day 5 when it came in he was totally satisfied and gained all his lost weight back in a week and more! I think the danger with topping up with formula is twofold: firstly baby finds it easy food and gets used to not having to work as hard for it and when you are effectively missing a feed your body is being told it doesn't need to produce milk at that time and so it doesn't and suddenly you're causing yourself a supply issue. I think if you want to carry on with the formula feeds at the moment and maybe drop them later or get back to exclusive breast feeding then the thing to do is to try to express at the time you are giving the formula (or just after) so that your body knows to make more. That might make you feel better about having enough. Also best time to express to increase supply is about 2am (no fun at all but does help). When I had my daughter I had all these problems with her not feeding due to an undiagnosed thrush problem and had to switch to exclusively express feeding, I used the Medela calma teat/bottle because it makes them work for the milk in the same sucking motion but it is still easier than breast feeding for them and I could never get her back on the boob because she knew how easy it was to just get a bottle of my milk - so I lasted 8 months expressing then switched to formula. Hope that's helpful info rather than sounding like I'm just spouting pro breastfeeding stuff, as I genuinely believe there is no 'wrong or right' way to feed, I just think sometimes the midwives get a bit pushy in the first few weeks and don't think about how tired and overwhelmed we are! Xx

 

[Rose83]

Misscharli the stumps freak me out. My poor daughter was thrashing around at 3 days old when I was trying to feed and she knocked her own stump off, and blood just started pouring out, I was hysterical, she was hysterical and my poor OH was just like 'wtf is happening?!' We applied pressure and it stopped after a bit but went straight down to doctors and they said it was fine and the stumps won't fall off until they are ready (or in this case almost ready). I'd actually forgotten all about belly button stumps until I was looking at photos of my son just after birth the other day!! X

 

[Hoping4Rainbow]

Thank you Rose and Elspeth, really really appreciate and am grateful for the advice from experienced BFing mummies xx
I am using the calma teats too as I have them from my first from when I expressed for him in hospital and later at home using the Medela pump/system.

I've only topped up so far AFTER a breastfeed only (never skipped a breast feed to give formula instead if you know what I mean, hoping that this way I won't interfere with my supply) so baby always breastfeeds on demand or, if too sleepy, I wake him up 3 hourly, and then after the breast feed I give him some extra ml of formula as top up. This is the "plan" I was put into so that he gains his lost weight, with the intention to hopefully cut the top ups altogether eventually and get back to EBF. I haven't expressed this time round as I have somehow associated it with quite sad memories from when my first was in intensive care after major surgery and a small survival probability I'm just worried I might find myself obsessed again with how many ml I produce etc...

Not having a good feeling about this mixed feeding though, I agree with you. Wish I could have stood up to the midwives, but i didn't have the breastfeeding experience to give me that confidence Just want to do the best for him and if on Tuesday things don't look good, I guess I might choose to switch to formula. Not sure whether I've still subotaged my supply following the midwives' "plan" or I just happen to have inadequate supply..

 

[MissCharli]

It's such a shame really that something so natural is so difficult I feel like the decision is right for us though and that's the main thing. I wish he had taken to it straight away but it is what it is. I hope you get there though H4R xx

Ahh that must have been quite scary Rose! I'm glad his didn't bleed, it was like 3am and I think I would have freaked out!!

Off for his 5 day appointment now, so should see how much weight he's lost. Hopefully it's not too bad x

 

[Elspeth]

I really questioned the survival of the human race when I started out bfing. How and why is something so natural and fundamental to life, sooooo bloody difficult.

You absolutely should do what you feel is best for baby.
Just because you are not exclusively bfing at mo doesn't mean you won't get there eventually if that's what you want. It took my sister 6 weeks of persevering and topping up and multiple trips to hospital for things to feel easy. As they grow and get stronger them they do get better at latching and getting out the milk. I understand not everyone wants to put themselves through that though.

Despite being very pro bfing I really resent the pressure put on women.
It made me thoroughly miserable those first few weeks, I felt enormous pressure, I was really stressed out and I found it very difficult to sleep. Also I felt sooooo alone with the responsibility. I wish I'd had more faith that we would get there in the end if that's what I wanted.

There are definite benefits to formula, other people can help you and your baby will sleep better. After a very tough year of sleep deprivation I did wonder if it would have been a better choice to give formula.

 

[Rose83]

It is all a very difficult time when deciding what's going to suit you best I actually tried hungry baby formula with my little boy at about 9 months to try and get him to sleep as formula didn't make any difference but nothing worked. He just still wanted to feed constantly - so greedy!

So I've had the scan and although he is fine it wasn't great news:
He is breech which is bad. 37 weeks is too late to be breech so we have three options:
1) vaginal breech delivery
2) planned c section
3) ECV (where they attempt to turn the baby)

Obviously I don't want a section so I've to go in on Tuesday and they try to turn him. It works 50% of the time but has risks - they could accidentally break your waters for example.

If they can't turn him I'd need a section (and it would probably be at 39 weeks). If you attempted a breech birth about 50% end in forceps or a section and a vaginal breech delivery is more dangerous because it can affect their breathing and they'd probably need to spend time in neonatal unit X

 

[Elspeth]

Oh Rose.
Totally feel for you. Glad baby is looking healthy, thats the most important thing but what a bummer.
I was suspected breech at 36 weeks but the presentation scan showed that baby was actually head down.

I did a fair amount of reading and am in total agreement with your decision. I would have gone for an ECV.
Much as I desire a vaginal birth then I would not have risked a breech delivery so would opt for section if turning fails.

Also I've been a big fan of spinning babies all the way through my pregnancy. If you've not already come across them then they do have specific manoeuvres to turn breech babies.
There is still time for baby to turn naturally too.
How big is he measuring?


Xxx

 

[Rose83]

Exactly my thinking Elspeth, I don't think I could cope with the worry and risks of a vaginal breech delivery but a section would really have to be my last resort. They said if the first ECV failed I can ask them to try a second time too. Size wise he is following a 75th centile line by their scan calculations so are putting him at 7lb 5oz now which would give me a 40 week baby around 9lb which I do find hard to believe, I'm sure he must be bigger than their calculations as I can't imagine having a smaller baby than last time but I guess you never know.

I've heard of spinning babies so will give that a look. Also got my birthing ball and they said to go on all fours with it for best position. The information they gave me was that only 3% of woman reach this stage and are still breech and that he is unlikely to turn himself but it's not impossible. He was head down at a scan at 33 weeks so he is obviously an active little guy! X

 

[Elspeth]

Reassuring he is not measuring mega big.
Do you have any idea when he turned?
Did your midwife suspect he was breech?

That's good you can have 2 ECVs. Have you got a date for the first one?