April/May/June 2012 Moomies

Bickering has never been my thing. Thanks for the support Michelle1975, truly do appreciate it. I choose not to entertain the topic at hand as I know where my heart and meaning is.

Hi ladies,
Been ages since I last posted. I'm booked in for my c section for 30 April at 39 weeks. So uncomfortable and tired. Wish she would do it at 38 weeks like my son.
Bf, I'm only going to try push it for a month or two. It's so not for me and I won't endure what I went through first time. My son is the healthiest baby I know and he was only bf for 7 weeks. I bled, cried, would break into a sweat and shakes from the pain. I had support and laser treatment but it didn't help. I developed an abscess which I had to get drained 4 times. Never again will I allow myself be bullied by others. I was made to think that a was a bad mother if I didn't bf. basically I just want the first timers to know if it's not for you, don't worry. There is formula and my son is healthy and strong. Never been sick.
Have a scan on Monday. First one in 5 weeks because my dr has been away. Probably won't get to have another before dd. only 17 more sleeps.
Sorry for no personals, gotta run.
Hugs xxx

Anni,

We all get on really well here and you are very welcome to your opinions and what worked / never worked for you but it's not a one size fits all and not everyone needs/ wants it. 2kidmamma knows one heck of a lot too!

Personally 2kidmamma has been nothing but helpful and is a constant on this board. She is one of the group that keeps it going when some of us get slack

I am very sure from what I have read you might have read too much into it.

I think rather than start this for all to be involved with, it's probably better to send a private message if you'd like to take something up with anyone for any reason - it keeps it the nice comforting place we all like coming to.

As I think I said to you a long while back, this is a haven for all of us and it would be a shame to ruin it with bickering and fights.

Let's all relax, we don't need this stress at this point

...

Thanks for the bit on c-sections Firefly. This is how both my previous C-sections were done. So different to the terrible trauma everybody seems to associate it with.

On that note, the date for mine is moved up to 28 May now. Doctor and I have discussed it and it seems I probably have had my dates wrong all along and so we are doing it at 38 odd weeks now instead of 39 weeks. Baby is very big and so the doctor thinks given my history of early birthing that 38 weeks will be fine but he is convinced I will probably be needing to come in earlier like last time.

Thanks Anni for the BF info. This is my 3rd baby so it's not my first time BF.

Have a lovely weekend everybody

Adele - I really feel for you being without help! How rude to just disappear without notice, I've had that happen too. Since we've been in the US I really appreciate the fact that domestic labour is affordable in South Africa, though I'm lucky that hubby is wonderful and takes care of just about everything (pregnancy helps since he's paranoid that I shouldn't be breathing in any cleaning chemicals while I'm carrying our baby!) I hope your weekend and the party goes okay and you get a chance to enjoy your family's visit.

2kmm - I know, I also can't believe it's 31 weeks. Though I've been on bi-weekly visits for a while now, thankfully our health insurance covers it. I'm glad you brought up Le Leche, I've been thinking that I want to go to a breastfeeding class before baby's born and read a few breastfeeding books but I'm putting it off until my exams are over. Thanks for the booklet, I've bookmarked it to read after exams.

Anni - it's funny how certain things can cause associations with the nausea, I have triggers too! Wow, sounds like you've got an uphill battle at the hospitals, I would say you should definitely go for a doula. My parents are coming for my graduation at the end of May and my mum is staying on for baby's birth and then 2 weeks afterwards. Then after she leaves my mum-in-law is going to come help out for 2 weeks until we fly home. My mother is bringing some of the confinement stuff like the hoowa water but she wasn't a big fan of it when she gave birth (she says she refused everything except the hoowa water) so I know she won't push it on me. I guess I'll have to see how I feel. One of my aunts said she would make and send the porridge (whatever that is, I have no clue since this is my first time).

[For everyone else, hoowa water is a traditional Indian remedy that mothers drink after giving birth. It's basically dill seeds boiled in water and then strained. It's supposed to help with healing I think. And the porridge is meant to help with breast milk production. BabyCenter India has an article on all the remedies, it's pretty interesting www.babycenter.in/baby/youafterthebirth/...aditional-beverages/]

Oh, for those doing c-sections, there's this video of a "natural c-section" which you may find interesting: birthwithoutfearblog.com/2011/09/04/help...or-a-cesarean-birth/
They do things like take the baby out really slowly so that they get some compression for fluid to exit the lungs (which happens during vaginal birth) and they lower the sheet slightly so mom can see baby immediately and make sure mom and baby get to bond immediately. It's a really nice video, I think if I was having a c-section I'd want one like that!

Congrats Michelle on little Rebecca! I assume that bubs turned? Remember reading something about her being breached at some point. Hope everything is going well for you. These are the most tiring days and nights.

dts I'm so sorry about your MS. I noticed mine came back briefly yesterday and then realised that DD put on Toy Story on her ipad which made me feel so sick! I used to put it on for her during the first trimester so that I could relax bit it seems like my mind is associating it with ms. Just hang in there and remember that MS is a sign that everything is going well with the pregnancy.

Firefly Dubai has no concept of birthing centers. You are not even allowed to have a homebirth. They do have midwives in hospitals but they are more like nurse midwives then the traditional ones that are pro-natural birth. I can see my birth being quite a fight with the hospital staff. Going to do the tour of the L&D at my hospital and will ask loads of questions when I am there. Now seriously thinking of getting a doula if they allow it at the hospital. One of the hospitals have banned doulas here. Its just crazy how laws just change on a daily basis here.
Haven't had a chance to listen to any of the tracks on the hypnobabies cd's. We are still struggling with jetlag. Our bodies are stuck somewhere in the atlantic now!

AdeleF I know what you feeling without any domestic help. It must be quite tough especially now at this stage of pregnancy. I finally found an agency maid who comes in 3 times a week for 2 hours at a time and they send the same girl all the time so I don't have to go through basics everytime. It really makes a big difference.
Good luck with the VBAC. If you need any info, feel free to ask me as I have studied the topic from the day I found out that I was pregnant. Try drinking raspberry leaf tea (or capsules) - I understand it helps strengthen the uterus and makes 2nd stage labour more effective. I've also started reading up on perineal massage so as not to tear during crowning. So much info out there... just need to put it into practice. Also read up on the Ina May guide to childbirth and "the silent knife". I think with lots of determination, it can be achieved.

Firefly, good luck with exams. Very brave of you to be studying while preggers. At least the timing works out! Are you planning to have any family come over for your birth? I know how hard it is being so far from close relatives and friends during this time. Are you doing the traditional home remedies like hoowa etc after birth? I refused it the first time around as it just made me feel so ill. I don't know how I would feel about it this time.

2kmm some good info on b/feeding. I struggled for at least a week after DD was born and cried so much. She was even so frustrated and bit till it was bleeding before things settled. From my understanding, bubs needs to have skin to skin contact as soon as they come out to help develop the relationship. Since you having a c-sec, might be worth leaving instructions to have some time with baby before they take him/her away for weighing etc. I was without her for at least 2 hours and she was so tired afterward from the epidural that her apgars were average on birth so she slept right through the first night. But when she got hungry, boy was she demanding! I managed to b/feed for 13 months eventually. At first, I went back to work so I actually pumped at the office during the day and it worked out quite well during those 3 months. She did not suffer from any nipple confusion and took to breast when mommy was around. The breastpump was one of my better investments for her birth and I plan to use it this time around as well. Also helped with engorgement and I had stacks of bags in the freezer which I used when I started solids. I would mix b/milk with her first foods and she took to eating immediately.

Its almost the weekend here so we can sleep in for the next 2 days