Femmes Fetales - (PAL) Holding onto Hope 9 months and on...

[lilrojo]

Hey ladies.. hope your all well..

 

[grandbleu]

Morning!

Lil - How're you doing hon??? You're currently in my favorite trimester! Enjoy it

Amber - Thanks so much for sharing your experience - All birth stories are so different and unique - you never know what is going to happen. In the end happy and healthy Mary Grace is the best present no matter what road our bodies take to bring them into this world. We were 10 minutes away from a C-section so I totally understand how hard the decision was but it sounded like after all those methods of induction failing it was the best one for your situation. If I had had a C-section that's exactly how I would have wanted it to go with OH being there with me and holding our babe right away. Glad you got to give Grace her first kiss.

Vix - That's awesome that co-sleeping worked for you last night - 4 hours is amazing...if I could only coax Indy to sleep that long - he's only up to 3 hours max at a time. I'm so happy it worked for you!

Neffie - Congrats hon! Was your drink the orange flavored one? It was super sugary but I could handle downing 50 ml with a straw - that's nice they chilled it for you makes it easier. However I failed my 1hr and had to do the 3hr and that was bleh! 100 ml of that stuff. Yippee for Coco doing superb...can't wait to see 4D pics next week.

AFM: After a good couple days with Indy yesterday was a disaster...tons of tears for both of us and breastfeeding (on the lefty) is getting so painful I called the leche league but they didn't help very much and I'm making an appt with a lactation consultant on Monday (too bad it's the weekend...lefty is dying!) - They say it's not supposed to hurt at all...I don't know what I'm doing wrong but it made for a bad day. I'm trying really hard today to love my little man and bear the pain for his sake but it's difficult.

 

[Beanwood]

Hey all

Neffie so glad that the test all went well.

Amber - your birth story is so detailed. It must have been so hard with all those inductions failing.

Vix - glad you got some sleep hun.

Grand - Oh no don't get upset please. I know it all sounds really obvious but have you tried sitting in bath and putting a warm flannel over where it hurts. I can remember the pain so well and I can remember getting some small relief doing that. You are not doing anything wrong but it does take time to settle. XX

 

[grandbleu]

Bean - Thanks so much for the support...you brought tears to my eyes (I'm so emotional these days) - I'll try your technique and see if it helps. It's nice not to feel so alone in this endeavor...I honestly thought BF would be super easy...um...not so much

 

[sparkle]

Really fast as I didn't want to r&r, Grand, try a savoy cabbage leaf on lefty. Keep it in the fridge and then pop it inside your bra. You are doing amazingly. Xxx

 

[kizzyt]

Was about to say the same as sparkle, it helped me. I really admire you carrying on when it hurts so much xx

 

[shelleney]

So sorry I havent been on here for a few days. And sorry I havent got time now to catch up with you all. I have read all of your posts, and am thinking of you all.
Freya is a nightmare. Just constantly eating and crying. Im at the end of my tether
Will hopefully return here soon to catch up with you all.
Take care xx

 

[grandbleu]

Kizzy and Sparkle - Another big Merci for the BF support - I'm working hard today on getting a good latch with Indy and I will definitely try the cold cabbage between feeds. Hope you girls are well!

Oh Shell - Too bad we don't live nearer to each other - we could commiserate and cry together...I totally get the bad days...I was in tears all day yesterday. Newborns are tough sometimes but there will be smiles and good days down the line. My only technique that works right now is just trying my very hardest to give him all my love even when he's a nightmare or my boob is throbbing during a feed - knowing that being a newborn is hard too - they have no control over anything and are basically need everything from us and crying is their only way to "talk" to us. Another lifesaver has been the Ergo carrier...When he won't sleep but I know he's tired I put him in and we go on a walk and I get some air and he falls right asleep even if he's whinging at the beginning. Another lifesaver has been my birthing/exercise ball - I hold him tight against me like a Koala bear and bounce gently - 9 times out of 10 he will quiet down with the gentle bouncing and even sleep after about 10 minutes even when he's super whinging. Good luck hon and big hugs - It will get better and you're not alone.

 

[Beanwood]

Oh Shell - Both you and Grand sound like you need some tlc aswell. It is so hard and emotional, but all of that is completely normal. I think partly I am happy for baby to stay where he or she is at the moment because even though I am so excited and uncomfortable there are others things to replace that when the baby makes an appearance. Its the tiredness though aswell isnt it - if you can get a decent sleep then you can cope with things so much better.

One thing for sure is that you are not alone - I have found been able to share how I feel on here a life line tbh and am sure that will still be the case when the baby is here.

XXX

 

[kizzyt]

Big hugs shell xxx

 

[shelleney]

So Freya is finally asleep - so I can catch up on you all!!

Sam - glad all went well with your scan and flu jab!

Vix - my blue star is on the inside of my right wrist. I will be having Freya's name on the inside of my left wrist. Yes, you can ask why its blue! lol. We found out our baby was ectopic whilst we were on holiday in Crete. the sea there was a lovely shade of turquoise-blue, and now I associate that colour with Baby C, as it reminds me of him.
Glad to hear Libby is feeling much better now. and how wonderful that she is smiling! i adore it when Freya smiles. It make my heart melt! and I know how you feel about her being in your arms all the time and you getting nothing done. How about getting a baby carrier/sling?
Regarding bedsharing - during pregnancy, I was very against it, as was afraid of SIDS. but i have done it almost every night since Freya arrived, as she refuses to sleep in her Moses basket. Im desperate to stop bedsharing and get her to sleep alone though...

Amber - I got Freya's costume from ASDA (wallmart). They had lots of newborn outfits - skeletons, pumpkins, etc. but this one was so girly, I just snapped it up! I bought it back in september, 3 weeks before Freya was even born! lol. Great news on Grace sleeping for 4 hours straight! that must have been wonderful! hope your weekend with the MIL goes well, and that she doesnt smoke around Grace. Thanks for sharing your birth story. sorry it didnt go as planned, but at least Grace arrived safe and well.

Milos - glad to hear Callum is growing so well. He looks so cute in his pumpkin costume! and sorry to hear about the boob pain. Hope it subsides soon.

Bean - sorry to hear about your DS and his ear/chest infections. Hope he gets better soon.

Grey - thanks for stopping by! still keeping your seat warm for you!

Kizzy - so glad to hear that you and having a great week, and that Georgina is sleeping well. Im jealous! lol. Hope you and G are ok when DH goes away this weekend. Im sure you will be fine. My OH is going away for a weekend soon, Im nervous about it too...regarding bathing, we only bath Freya twice a week. and so far we have done it together, Im scared to bath her alone! Glad G enjoyed her baby massage, we are starting in 4 weeks time.

Grand - glad to hear Indy was so well behaved at his paediactric appointment, and his first meal out. well done Indy! and im glad he doesnt have acid reflux - perhaps it is colic? do you have Infacol over in France? That is what we are using to treat Freya's colic. And well done on your first public breast feed! thats brilliant!! sorry to hear you are struggling with the pain of breastfeeding. I know exactly how you feel...

neffie - congrats on passing your GTT! i bet thats a weight off your mind? and so glad to hear Coco is doing so well. Cant wait to see pics of your 4D scan....

Lil - hi there! almost at V day!!

Hi to everyone else

 

[kizzyt]

Hey girls, hope you are all well Neil is away tonight so I am home alone with tinks watching strictly. She has been colicky the last couple of days and lots of crying poor love, just got her into her swing and she's been quiet for 5 mins so I am going to try to make a quick dinner and hopefully have a skype conversation with my family in washington later!

Anyone else getting back ache from feeding, carrying, pushing pram etc... I have!!

 

[Vixmar]

GRAND AND SHELL,

So sorry your finding things difficult, When I've ever gotten stressed with any of mine, I've made sure their fed, changed etc.... And walked away.... Sounds cruel when its not their fault, but you need some time out at times!! And as time goes by you will start to recognise what their crying for, I'm no baby expert but with having 3 babys I've learnt that if your upset and unsure of what you can do to settle baby your baby can sense it! Have either of you got anyone that could sit with Freya and Indi in between a feed so you could go for a walk or just a bath baby free??

Grand - Have you seen docs about your lefty?? Sound horrid, I think its absolutely amazing your sticking with it no one would have blamed you for grabbing for a bottle!! Would it help to take a break? In UK we have a milk that can be used in conjunction with bf, I used it with my first when I was unsure if I wanted to carry on, or is that something you defo don't want to do?

Take care ladies, and use your OH as much as you can! Ill be thinking of u xx

Kizzy- How's u and Georgina doing whilst Neils away??

X

 

[Amberyll23]

Hey ladies, I survived my weekend with the in-laws! Now I am frantically trying to clean up as my mother is bringing my 85 year old grandmother down for the day to visit with Grace. Hopefully we will get a nice 4 generation picture of the 4 of us (my poor gram wanted so much to be here for Grace's birth, but was in the hospital with pneumonia at the time). I can't wait to see her and Grace together!

Will try to catch up, apologies if I miss anyone!

Neffie--awesome news on the GTT results! I am so happy for you! It is so much less stress for you. Also glad to hear that Coco is doing so well!! Can't wait to see the pics from your scan!!

Lil--almost V day! hope you are doing well!

Bean--how are you doing today? Hope your little guy is feeling better!

Vix--A boppy is a U-shaped pillow (closest thing I can think of is one of those neck pillows they give you on an airplane, only it is much bigger). I have a link to their website here: https://shopboppy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

I LOVE my boppy--I use it for nursing and as a little "throne" of sorts for Grace to sleep in either on the sofa or the bed (ie, wherever I am at)--putting her in the middle of the boppy prevents her from rolling side to side, and it is also plush enough of a pillow so there is no risk of DH or I rolling over onto her.

Kizzy--hope all is well with you and G while Neil is away. Sorry to hear she is colicky---Grace had developed colic also, and we had to put her on some drops for it. Hope G feels better!

Grand/Shell-- to you both, I hope that your days are improving. On Friday Grace had a crying spell and I could not stop her from crying, she didnt want the breast, didnt want the expressed bottle, didnt need changed--so then I started crying because I couldnt fix it! Turns out I think she had a bellyache--as soon as DH came home with the meds from the doc and we gave it to her, she improved. I was so upset though, it is such a horrible feeling to have your baby crying and not be able to help them/figure out what they want. So mega hugs to you both!!

ON BFing--My left breast/nipple is a nightmare for me. I think part of the problem is that it does not "stand at attention" as fast as my right does. I use the shield and, at the advice of a lactation consultant, I also purchased a small hand pump to get it in better shape for a feeding, but it still ends up cracked and sore--and when I hook it up to the pump to express, I want to cry sometimes, it hurts so much. my biggest relief has been the HPA lanolin cream--I put it on every time after a feed or express, and it has helped a lot. I really hope that you can find something that works for you hun. BFing is indeed a lot harder than I thought it would be too!

Oh and happy 1 month to Indy!

AFM: In-laws are on their way back to Michigan. Aside from a few minor housekeeping mishaps (I'm a clean freak when it comes to my kitchen--lets just say they are not, lol), everything went rather well. MIL also did not give me too much "advice". They were also very impressed with how their son (DH) was being "such a good father". I was like "Duh, of course he is!" I guess DH's brother did not set such a good example with his kids, haha.

Grace is getting very good at sleeping for 3-4 hours each night. She usually wakes around 4 am for a feed--and that is the hardest feed for us it seems, she is always so hungry when she wakes up, that she attacks my nipple (ouch!) and then fusses when she can't get as much as she wants--I have resorted on nights like that to a bottle of expressed breastmilk because I am so tired and sore when that happens and the bottle seems to work in getting her back to sleep. It is just so much easier to do the breast though---if she would just be a bit more gentle about it with me like she is throughout the day!

Hope you ladies have a good day!

 

[Beanwood]

Hi all

Amber glad the you had a good weekend. It will be nice to see your gran and great that she is recovered aswell and well enough to see you all.

AFM - Was in the bath at midnight thinking that something was happening. Having loads of pain every 5 mins for about an hour. Baby was moving loads though, which made up for the last couple of days when he/she had not moved much at all.

 

[grandbleu]

Happy Monday to All mums and preggos!

Thanks immensely for all the support regarding BFing...I think my problem is latch and I've been doing the Rugby position and it seems to work better - not perfect but it doesn't feel like knives scraping against my nipple now...OUCH!

To all the Pregnant ladies I know I've been lax about front page updates - pls let me know any results or upcoming dates for scans that you would like me to put - I promise now that I've gotten over the initial baby hump to be better at updating. All the new babes and bdays have been added! I'm missing Bellasmummy - if anyone has an update from her let me know

Amber - Congrats on surviving Parents in Law weekend! I love that your grandma is coming over and you'll have 4 generations together...that is super special. PS. I use my BF pillow in the same way!

Kizzy - Do you have family in the States - you mentioned Washington? Just curious since I grew up in Baltimore. Hope the night went well with Neil away. PS. My back is killing me too...mostly my neck and shoulders from holding/rocking/bouncing Indy and contorted breast feeding positions LOL.

Bean - Sounds like pre-labor maybe! Exciting

AFM: I went to a mom's group today and it was amazing...The lady who runs it knows so much about babies...she stopped one lady's little munchkin from hiccuping by applying pressure in between the eyes (miraculously they disappeared!) - must be acupressure stuff - she is like the baby whisperer. All the other ladies were super tired and their babies cry during the "witching hour" as well so I felt more normal. We did singing and playing with patterned scarves and baby massage...it was so fun and Indy loved it too! So I'll be going next week - I definitely suggest mom's groups (led by a professional) to you all - it was a dose of sanity for me. In other news for the last two nights we moved back to our bedroom and Indy has been sleeping for the 1st time in his crib after 4 weeks with me on the couch. It felt so nice to be with just OH again and Indy is in the crib at the foot of the bed so still not too faraway for night feeds...He seemed just fine about the transition.

 

[lilrojo]

As for Bella she updated a while back she had a 41 week sweep and was hoping that would help.. no news since..

Thank you all.. feel like the baby of the group... lol your babies will be 3-4 months old when mine comes.. lol hope all is going well though with you all.. just been trying to get organized around here.. with no success.. need to crack on the nursery.. have my 24 week appt on wednesday.. hope to paint the nursery this weekend.. fxed.. lol and then i can get organized..

Have a great day all..

 

[sparkle]

Grand- well done on braving your first Mummy group, I remember how terrified I was when I went with C! Glad to hear the feeds are going better too.

Shell- how are you doing? Sending you and Freya lots of love xx

Bean- really hope this is it for you...

Amber- well done on surviving! Hope you have a lovely time with your Grandma

I've forgotten everyone else- sorry! xx

AFM- 3rd Tri today!! I really can't believe it... We had a little scare this weekend, I thought I was going into labour. Had a couple of really strong bh, went to the dau to be checked and all was fine! Still got a little funneling, so they are going to speak to my consultant and see if she wants to see me any earlier at the moment I'm going on the 18th. Have attached pic of my little spider and another on his birthday!!

 

[BellasMummy]

Hey ladies,

Hope you are all ok.

I am still waiting, this baby is very comfy in here!!

Hopefully have some news soon xx

 

[IMPPEARL]

Hi all! I've been keeping up with everyone, and will continue to do so. I've been kinda tired though as I'm not sleeping well lately, and am starting to get quite uncomfortable. So trying to just take things easy. Glad everyone is doing well and I enjoy reading all your advice, and information on BFing etc. My time is coming fast...