Lil' October Pumpkins 2013

I BFed my daughter (still am!) and I will BF my son too.

Honestly? It's a completely different experience to what I thought it would be when I was pregnant 1st time. I thought there was no way I'd BF in public because that's gross, and I'd do it to 6 months tops (lol). Soon changed my mind!

It's a steep learning curve, no doubt about it, and there are so many common myths out there that can trip you up. Most doctors and HVs aren't even knowledgeable enough to support women properly. It's a skill that both mother and baby have to learn and it can be a long process, but honestly it's the most rewarding feeling in the world. :cloud9:

The important thing to keep in mind is that our bodies are designed for it. Medically, there are very few women physically unable to do it. If it hasn't worked out, it is normally due to a lack of support for the mother. Find yourself a really good support network with mothers who have done it all before and trust your body!

As for covers in public, they're great when they're new and find it difficult to latch without flashing everyone, but at maybe 4 months baby will definitely get fed up. But really, I nursed in public hundreds of times and I can honestly say maybe 2 people noticed what I was doing. If you wear a normal vest under your top, pull one up and one down, you don't have to show anything at all and it just looks like a hug from most angles. Plus believe me now, it's absolutely impossible to time your outings around feedings. On demand feeding really is on demand, they could want it 10 mins after you last fed them or an hour later and when they want feeding they need to be fed then and there. After a while though it is easier as they grow and go longer between feeds. I think my daughter stopped asking for it in public around 15ish months, she was just too interested in what we saw. I can't remember the last time she asked me in public!

About nipple confusion, it really can be a huge problem. Bottles have a much faster flow, and baby doesn't have to work anywhere near as hard to get milk then from the breast. They can very easily get lazy and fussy on the breast, which can stress mothers out and have them turn to formula because they think they don't have any milk. My advice is to steer well clear for as long as you can, some babies do fine, but in my experience more have trouble then not. There are plenty of ways for family to bond other then feeding, bathing being a great way.

Sorry to go on and on, hahaha but I just felt a bit nostalgic seeing everyone talking about BFing for the first time! I hope I gave you some good insight into what it's like. :blush: The plus side to BF is that it's much much easier then bottles once it gets going, no getting up and making bottles in the middle of the night is such a life saver. My last piece of advice is most nipple cream on the market is rubbish! Get yourself some lansinoh or similar for pain in the beginning, it's worth it's weight in gold! :thumbup:
 
My goal is to BF and pump for at least a year. I may go on to two years, but I want two years to be my max. I just think that BF would be too weird for me after my son reaches the age of two and starts running around and talking and whatnot. I may still pump a little until he reaches three though, I'm not entirely sure yet. I would like to have him completely weened by the age of three though.

broodymrs: I'm sorry about the issues going on with your face. I hope that your doctor can help you with it.
 
Face seems ok now, phew! Will keep an eye on it and go to dr if it comes back.
 
I definitely plan on breast feeding. I'm not too worried about doing it in public either. I'm nervous about supply issues so I plan on pumping in between feedings to get the supply going at first. I will be going back to work three months after I deliver so I'm going to have to pump while I'm away. I'm in outside sales so I'm pretty much in my car all day...going to have to figure out some places to pump. Luckily, I'm pretty close with some of my accounts so I'll just pop in and use their bathrooms to pump. It may be a little awkward at first, but it has to be done. Better than sitting in a parking lot....

Preggy, do you have any recs. for Lanolin creams?

Also, moms that pumped already....what breast pumps are the best. I've heard good things about Medela models.
 
I never breastfed any of mine. Not that i didn't want to, but after having 3rd degree tears and being in surgery for hours afterwards (after labour too) i just never tried. I'd like to give it a go this time, all going well with the birth.
 
I definitely plan on breast feeding. I'm not too worried about doing it in public either. I'm nervous about supply issues so I plan on pumping in between feedings to get the supply going at first. I will be going back to work three months after I deliver so I'm going to have to pump while I'm away. I'm in outside sales so I'm pretty much in my car all day...going to have to figure out some places to pump. Luckily, I'm pretty close with some of my accounts so I'll just pop in and use their bathrooms to pump. It may be a little awkward at first, but it has to be done. Better than sitting in a parking lot....

Preggy, do you have any recs. for Lanolin creams?

Also, moms that pumped already....what breast pumps are the best. I've heard good things about Medela models.
I cant count the amount of times i pumped in the car!!! LOL.. i just put a cover over myself and there you go!! Alot of the pumps you can buy a car adapter to them aswell!

I have the Ameda pump and loved it :) The Lanolin cream works great!

I never breastfed any of mine. Not that i didn't want to, but after having 3rd degree tears and being in surgery for hours afterwards (after labour too) i just never tried. I'd like to give it a go this time, all going well with the birth.

Oh lord, that is what i am most scared about.... i am planing on going naturally this time (i would have last time but i was in labor for 26 hours so i just got to tired at the end so got an epi for the last 5 hours). The contraction dont scare me at all but I was like 1 cm away from having a third degree tear last time and i am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nervous i will tear again this time. I would say that was THE WORST part of labor.. it was SO painful afterwards.... i hated the fact everytime you stand it flet like sooo much pressure down there... did you tear on both?
 
Hope you all had a good weekend ladies.

Found out on Friday that I have a parital placenta pervia meaning its partially covering my cervix. I need to have another US at 30w to see if its moved up which it can do as the baby grows, which I am hoping it will, otherwise I will be having a C section as soon as baby has reached 37w.
 
I definitely plan on breast feeding. I'm not too worried about doing it in public either. I'm nervous about supply issues so I plan on pumping in between feedings to get the supply going at first. I will be going back to work three months after I deliver so I'm going to have to pump while I'm away. I'm in outside sales so I'm pretty much in my car all day...going to have to figure out some places to pump. Luckily, I'm pretty close with some of my accounts so I'll just pop in and use their bathrooms to pump. It may be a little awkward at first, but it has to be done. Better than sitting in a parking lot....

Preggy, do you have any recs. for Lanolin creams?

Also, moms that pumped already....what breast pumps are the best. I've heard good things about Medela models.

The best cream I had was this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lansinoh-4...UTF8&colid=1RM61OHL43RAT&coliid=IAC2CZI6I1TNN

A little goes a long way too, and the tube lasts forever.

I had a medela swing myself, which was fabulous when I was in the hospital when my baby was about 8 months, but I never really got on with pumping. Different things work best for different people, a manual might be better for one person, and an electric pump better for someone else. Hand expression is also really good, but time consuming and sometimes messy. The way you express can help too, like having skin to skin while you do it, feeding off one side and expressing from the other (I often had let downs from both sides in the beginning), doing it in the bath when you're really relaxed, using photos of baby, etc. Getting the oxytocin flowing is key, so find what works best for you. Try having a go at hand expression when you start producing colostrum. What's important to remember is that how much you get while you express is not indicative of your supply at all, as baby is much more effective of removing milk from you breast then pumps!

Best way to build supply in the beginning is to encourage baby to feed as much as possible, but a pump is a great boost, especially if baby is having problems latching and you're having pain.

Goddess25, I really hope your placenta moves for you! Fingers crossed xx
 
The tearing is what scares me the most too. The last few days I've read some harrowing birth stories because of tearing. I'm planning a natural water birth. The water is supposed to help with tearing. A friend of mine teared with her first three, but didn't with her last, which was a water birth. That doesn't appease me too much though as she already had given birth three times!

June, good to know pumping in the car won't be that difficult!

Thanks for the link, Preggy. I've bookmarked it!
 
I am feeling movement everyday, but still only a few times a day. Usually in the morning, once in the middle of the day, and before bed. Is this normal? Seems like everyone is feeling their baby regularly now.
 
Yes its normal for it to be a little inconsistent still, you will be feeling her kicking you very hard soon, keeping you awake, waking you up, making you pee.
 
The tearing is what scares me the most too. The last few days I've read some harrowing birth stories because of tearing. I'm planning a natural water birth. The water is supposed to help with tearing. A friend of mine teared with her first three, but didn't with her last, which was a water birth. That doesn't appease me too much though as she already had given birth three times!

June, good to know pumping in the car won't be that difficult!

Thanks for the link, Preggy. I've bookmarked it!

Sbmack - try not to scare yourself too much. I had extensive tearing with my first delivery..3rd degree borderline 4th. Here's the deal. Its not fun. Its painful, the recovery is slow and painful. I have been left with lots of scar tissue but at the end of the day you will have your baby and you just have to get on with it. Its not easy but you don't have a choice but to get on and look after your little one. Its horrible at the time but you get over it and move on. Stop reading harrowing birth stories. As long as baby arrives healthy and safely I think we can all cope with the after effects.

Things that can help is water birth and perianal massage in your third trimester.
 
My movement still doesn't seem to have a pattern, some days are constant and others quiet so i think normal for this stage still xx
 
I am feeling my baby move every day, some days he/she is moving a tonne like today, it hasnt stopped, other days i might feel a couple of kicks only.
 
Junebugs, i'm terrified about tearing again too. And yeah i had a 3rd degree tear both time, and have been told i'm likely to again. Although it wasn't as painful with my son. I remember the awful heavy feeling too, like my inside were going to fall out lol.
 
OH yes I have that insides falling out feeling too, pretty unpleasant.

All my movement is pretty still below my belly button on occasions just above it.
 
I'm also scared of tearing, but I know that there is only so much to do to prevent it. I'd rather have tearing than a C-section though (no offense to the C-section mamas, you ladies are troopers!). I just want to get him out safely and for both of us to be healthy, that's really all that matters. I can deal with any pain that comes my way during and after delivery. I do plan to get an epidural though, so hopefully that will help a lot.

I hope that your placenta moves, goddess25! :hugs:

Thanks for the link, Preggy! I'm sure that it'll help out a lot. :D
 
Most of my baby kicks are at waist level, right around my belly button. She seems to be hanging out around head-down, so I always feel them pretty high. She's been pretty quiet all weekend though, which makes me nervous. Dr said today that I'm doing perfect though! Her heart rate is still 151 and my blood pressure was 126/64, so that's awesome.

Kind of off topic, but its "bump picture day" for me, so I thought I'd post some comparisons :-)

Here's me at 6 weeks and 23 weeks with a 10 pound weight gain.

387256_4753728643422_2110486649_n.jpg


https://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s544/girlnboots13/IMG_20130617_171710_zps9e276fc3.jpg


---- Wow, sorry, they're ginormous. Any idea how to shrink them down?
 
Hello everyone! I am alive and I hope that everyone is doing well. I have been having a really hard time with the headaches, and have spent most of my time in bed in the dark. :( My insurance finally came through, so they called me today and told me that they are going to call me by 5 on Friday and tell me when my appointment will be with the neurologist....so of course, today is the first headache free day I have had in months! Yay! However, I am still having this thing going on where one of my eye twitches, but it must be on the inside because I can feel it, but no one can see it. They have me in drugs that they say are safe, but I try to only take them when I can't stand it anymore because I am worried about them and they knock me out. DH has been awesome about cleaning up after himself and making dinners, since I have not done much of anything. But, he has still not told his grandparents, whose house we got married at earlier this year!!! I assume when we go visit he is going to tell them that we picked her up on the side of the road and since she looks like us, we decided to keep her. :wacko:

Baby is fine and only measuring 2 days ahead, but they are not changing my due date. Despite only measuring 2 days ahead, I am HUGE!!! I started this pregnancy in size 10 - 12 jeans and am barely able to zip and button size 18s now. Hopefully, I will be getting this head thing under control and will be back. I have missed everyone and haven't done much more than check facebook from time to time, play a couple games of Candy Crush and go back to bed. The computer makes the headaches worse, so as much as I would like to completely catch up, at this point, I am going to just try to stay on top of the posts that are popping up and stay current if I can keep the headaches at bay.

While we have purchased absolutely NOTHING and are not at all ready for this baby, I can't wait until she gets here. We have decided on the name Emily, but gotten no farther than that. Middle name is still up in the air.

Hope everyone is doing well and babies are all fine! I am going to lay back down for a while.
 

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