From Spotters TTC thread to BFP! Success at last!

[CaT1285]

daydream - 10 hours of sleep sounds amazing, baby or no baby! Good for you guys!

katie - I live in Baltimore, but my husband's brother and sister live in DC and his parents live in Richmond. Plus, we have some friends who live in Northern VA and I went to GWU and UMCP for undergrad. So I know TOO well how horrendous the traffic is around DC. Ugh. I don't blame you for giving up the idea of trying to get around DC while in labor.

 

[CaT1285]

It has been quiet on here. MrsP, are you having a baby?

 

[daydream]

Ohh I can't wait to hear. The countdown to a due date is such an exciting time!

We had family pictures taken yesterday, I can't wait to get our proofs! Otherwise all here is just the normal routine. My mom is coming this afternoon to stay a few days. I love her visits!

 

[Chloe597]

It has been quiet! I've been busy with work/home. Its really hard to balance the two. I only get about 2 hours of awake time with gabby after work, and then i spend another hour washing bottles, filling bottles, pumping, & getting stuff ready for daycare. That leaves maybe another hour to get showered and finish housework. so crazy!

Never take your babies for granted. My friend's baby just passed away in his sleep last night after a bout with a fever/cough. I dont know any details, but I gave gabby extra hugs and kisses last night and had a hard time leaving her in her crib, as she has a bit of a cold right now and is very sniffly. Hard to imagine such awful things can happen. Makes me really appreciate what I have.

 

[CaT1285]

Oh my gosh, Chloe. I'm so sorry to hear that. That is really tragic.

 

[Sbmack]

That is so horrible, Chloe. So sorry to hear that.

I had another scare. Had to cancel all my afternoon appts. and go to the practice to get an ultrasound. I have a synchrionic bleed or hemorage. It's a small sac next to the gestational sac that's filled with blood from a burst blood vessel I guess. Sometimes if it gets agitated it bleeds out or gets absorbed back into the uterus. The US tech and midwife said I could definitely experience more bleeding. Not looking forward to that while I'm on vacation on the beach.

I hope everyone is doing well. Hug your babies tight. That story makes my heart ache.

 

[MrsPTTC]

Omg Chloe that's so awful! Makes me feel sick especially now I'm nearly a mummy

Sbmack, sorry to hear about your haemorrhage Hun, so is it nothing for you to worry about other than the bleeding being annoying?

no cat no baby p yet!

x

 

[Chloe597]

MrsP, you areas close to your due date! Is it getting hard to walk?

Sb, is this bleeding only going to be an issue in early pregnancy, or could this happen in second and third tris?

Gabby has a cold. Such a little stuffy nose and slept all day. Poor thing! I hate thinking she might be miserable

 

[daydream]

MrsP - do you feel ready? Have you had any checks yet?

Sb - how scary! I'm glad they found the cause so quickly

I've had a very fussy boy today, I've been suspecting that were going through the 12 week wonder week. He's sleeping now thankfully. I think it could be teething as well. We bought a slew of teethers and he seems to like the life factory ones. It's hard bc he can't hold them yet, so I've got to hold them for him

 

[MrsPTTC]

Chloe it's fine for me to walk, I really am fighting fit, my friends and neighbours are amazed. A week today I cleaned the car inside & out, including the vacuuming! I've been taking the dog out for walks lasting an hour & a half! Though not every day as we haves dog walker. I think I'm superwoman

Daydream, I'm semi ready, got the bags pretty much packed & nursery half sorted, just need to dress the cot (not that it'll be used for a while) & the Moses basket & check the isofix & car seat works ok in DH's car! I'm due to see the mw again on tues so fxd I'm further engaged!

The bump has dropped a bit so I'm finding it easier to bend I'm taking my raspberry leaf capsules, eating pineapple & bouncing on my gym ball so we'll see what happens!

x

 

[Chloe597]

MrsP, you sound like such a happy pregnant woman! Your story makes me sad I didn't get to see my pregnancy through til labor, but then I hear stories about 36 hr labors, pushing for hours, then ending up with c section and I get happy I didn't have to deal with labor! Would have been fun to bounce on balls, go for long walks, to see if I could bring it on tho! Hope it happens soon!

 

[Sbmack]

MrsP, I hope I'm fairing as well as you near the end. You do sound like superwoman!

Daydream, good luck with the teething! It must be hard when there's fussing and you can't really do much about it. I hope he likes the rings.

Chloe, I hope Gabby's cold goes away fast!

AFM, the midwife said I may bleed some more, but not to worry. I honestly wasn't as worried this time as I was the first because the blood seemed similar. It was light and watery and didn't have any clots. It also only happened a couple times. It was kind of like watery blood just leaked out of me. I was working with another rep in another state when it happened. We had appts. lined up for the rest of the day. I had to continue working for five more hours. The first time it happened overnight.

 

[MrsPTTC]

Ha ha thank you ladies!

x

 

[Jellycat]

Good luck mrs pttc - can't believe you are full term almost!

Chloe - how devastating for your friends I think is any parents worse nightmare to lose a child. I couldn't settle for about the first 6 months with JJ for the fear of him being ill or worse.

Sbmack - my friend had an u/s this week and just found she has a clot/bleed. But no actual bleeding yet she's hoping it will just be absorbed back. Hope it sorts itself out soon.

Ladies breastfeeding would you recommend buying an electric pump before baby arrives or to wait and see if I'm able to feed this time. My concern is I had a lack of supply last time and pumped to try and increase supply

 

[daydream]

I bought one before, didn't even think thati wouldn't be able to tbh. I hope you can this time! Had you tried power pumping?

 

[Jellycat]

What's power pumping ?

With JJ I had little colostrum and hospital told me after 36hrs that some people can't breastfeed and to stop trying.... I refused and asked for their electric pump. Problem was hospital told me to substitute with formula so to try and build supply I pumped. For first 2 1/2 weeks I gave skin on skin , used nipple shields to help him latch on, then have bottle, then pumped for 20-30 minutes. By the time I cleaned and sterilised everything JJ needed his next skin on skin session.

When I pumped I only managed to produce enough for about 4-5 oz a day so he had one ebm bottle per day. Once dh went back to work I couldn't maintain the routine on my own.

Key points I've learnt from last time and asking others:
Skin on skin for at least an hour a time including trying to feed
To feed ASAP once born and for first week put to me every couple of hours to try and build supply
Fenugreek is good to help supply
Also getting support numbers now so if I need additional help I won't need to start worrying and searching
My priority this time is feeding not visitors coming to see baby for hours and hours so I postpone feeding as didn't want to make a fuss
Also to stick with newbirn tears if do use a bottle as last time hospital told us to use the next size up but that meant he got his milk alot easier via bottle so weakened his suckling

Sorry for long post

I just want to give feeding my best shot this time with minimal mistakes

 

[MrsPTTC]

Jellycat it's great you're thinking so much about the bf'ing. I hope to bf but my attitude is if it works it works if it doesn't then... as long as I can say I tried. I have an electric tommee tippee closer to nature pump my friend gave me. I wouldn't have bought one I would've seen how the bf'ing went first as its like £100! Sooo expensive but have heard good reports & it's got great reviews.

I can't believe I've only for 4 days left til due date! Had my hospital tour visit today with dh & I think reality is setting in for dh now!

x

 

[daydream]

Jellycat - it's basically when you do a period of increased pumping frequency, like once a hour for a few hours. Even if nothing comes out, it will put in the demand for that extra milk. I also eat a lot of oatmeal which helps supply. You sound super informed, so I'm sure you will do great this time!

MrsP - yay! I cannot wait to hear your birth story

 

[MrsPTTC]

Happy Mother's Day UK ladies! x

 

[Chloe597]

Jelly, are u in US or elsewhere? In US electric pumps are covered by insurance so I would definitely get one. I waited 2 weeks after gabby was born, but had a hand pump to help relieve enforcement when my milk came in and wish I had one sooner. I have also heard that drinking dark beer at night helps with supply. And to give the boob every couple hours all day/night until your milk comes in. I was convinced I had no colostrum but I must have had something because I woke up one morning with giant engorged boobs. Gabby was constantly on the boob for those first couple weeks. So exhausting, but it did let up a bit after.

MrsP, so close!!!

Happy mother's day, UK girls! Not til May for the US ladies.