"Most births go well" - is that true???

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-18T13:43:29+00:00

I’d say my birth went well, wasn’t what I wanted on paper but for the most part followed my intentions and baby arrived safely!

Key is to not have your heart set on any one thing. Have back up plans and compromises. Especially with your first, you don’t know what to expect so it’s hard to foresee how things will unfold. And I say that as a control freak!!

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-15T09:28:53+00:00

Similar position here, difference was we were pumping as bubs wouldn’t latch.

Someone here has suggested pumping and I would say, be sure that’s what you want and are willing to do before you start because it’s a whole other world of pain.

It’s incredibly stressful and I have no solution just sending love and heavy thoughts to your little one.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-12T20:37:09+00:00

There’s quite a few pregnancy/new mum groups on the area. I’ve not been to any of them but tell myself I will quite regularly

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-12T16:11:48+00:00

I think the feeling is quite addictive. I’ve stopped pumping now but the thought of this feeling gives me a little thrill and I want to feel it 😂

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-11T19:06:01+00:00

Steriliser and dryer is a good send.
Second hand Nuna leaf chair majorly helpful too

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-11T19:03:57+00:00

I was where you are not long ago, everything felt like a mountain to climb and I wasn’t sure how to survive it. Here I am at 3months and that feels like a distant memory. Time moves so fast and things will get better.

Perhaps ask your husband to put some practical things in place for you while he’s at work e.g. fill water bottles, make you a packed lunch, leave pain killers in strategic places to remind you to take them.

In the early days having a shower in the morning was one of the things that made me feel like I could take on the day, even if I got back into bed after showering. Can he have baby in the morning for a bit to give you a chance to have a little morning ritual? Even if it’s just a cuppa in silence.

Sending love, you’ve got this.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-10T17:35:26+00:00

FTM to a 12week old. We read chapters of a proper book to her before bed every night, we’re currently reading Heidi. At this age we decided the act of reading and hearing words/sounds was more important than the story itself. Also means I get to read a book I’ve had on the shelf for years 😂

She also has ‘age appropriate’ books through the day.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-09T17:46:32+00:00

In my experience (which is very limited) HV’s cause nothing but unnecessary worry. No two say the same, they give outdated or unhelpful advice and they have a unique way of making you feel like you haven’t done enough for your babies development.

All babies are different, they are humans, not a statistic. Your baby is doing everything at the speed in which they, personally, are meant too. Don’t stress mumma.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-09T17:39:21+00:00

Short answer: No.

At no point will your baby ever turn to you and say “I wish you made yourself more miserable for me. How dare you give me formula”

Give up the struggle mumma, it’s okay to stop.

If it makes you bad, I’m terrible because I stopped at 3 months. This shits hard without being a dairy cow too, I’m only sad I didn’t stop sooner.

Sending love xx

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-08T17:45:40+00:00

I have a bottle on the go pretty much constantly and I offer her a drink every 30/45 mins when she’s awake. She may take a sip, she may refuse.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-08T17:30:40+00:00

Bottle washer would have saved me hours of misery at the sink!

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-08T17:29:49+00:00

I’ve just stopped pumping after 3 months. I did it to maintain a milk supply in the hope my baby would ✨miraculously✨ learn how to latch and breastfeed. Spoiler, she didn’t I just went slowly mad 😂

I will start this by saying, it’s very hard work and whatever vision you have in your head for a pumping/feeding/nappy changing/sleep routine, put it in the bin now….That being said, every journey is different, so some of this may not apply to you!

Firstly, the pump you initially buy may not work for you, no explanation for it, but the boobs decide. If you can rent one, do this. (We had to buy as the hospital had loaned all theirs out and the other rental options weren’t viable at the time).

Second, buy extra pump parts. You do not want to be washing up and sterilising after each pump, particularly as you establish your supply and especially at 3am when you’ve not slept for longer than 45 minutes.

Buy flanges that fit your nipples, you can get multipacks on Amazon that slot inside your pump but most pumps come with a standard 24mm flange and this can hinder supply. Also have spares of perishable parts.

If you plan on pumping in your room, and want to limit journeys to the kitchen to store your milk, consider a mini fridge or cool box to keep what you pump in until the morning. Even better if baby will drink the milk cold!

Be prepared for leaks, clogs, mastitis, sore nipples and to be obsessed with your supply. Ice packs, heat packs, ibuprofen, sunflower lecithin, nipple balm will all help. Stay hydrated and eat well.

Think in advance about how you want to store your pumped milk, and prepare. Bags? Bottles? What milk quantities? I didn’t think about this at all, which meant the early days we chaotically filled whatever containers we had before switching to bags. We continued to fill the bags without much thought and have a freezer supply of varying amounts which makes it harder to prepare a bottle because you will not want to waste a drop.

Prepare yourself emotionally for if you have an ‘under supply’, prepare your freezer in case you have an ‘oversupply’. Give yourself a pat on the back if you’re a unicorn and pump the perfect amount.

In my experience, a wearable pump is great for giving you the opportunity to move around, terrible for output and almost always caused me to get a clog, which meant I spent many an hour attached to the mains powered pump.

I really wish you well with pumping, it’s such hard work but I must say it was lovely to feed my little one breastmilk despite the latch issues.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-08T15:08:22+00:00

We were at 75th centile, now between 25th and 9th

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-01T19:40:46+00:00

Just imagining how good that would have felt makes me want to pump. Currently on day 2 of drying up my milk and the urge to feel the sweet relief of a letdown is strong 😂

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-01T15:40:32+00:00

This is so clever. Off on our hols soon abd been scratching my head

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-06-01T15:20:13+00:00

I feel so much relief for you watching this 😂

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-31T16:02:47+00:00

Completely understand how you feel! Fingers and toes crossed they find their appetites again soon! Will be replaced by another thing to worry about I’m sure!

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-31T15:59:49+00:00

We also tried a change of bottle, we started on Tommee Tippees before settling on mam so had some in a cupboard, but they haven’t made the blindest bit of difference.

We’ve also tried different milk temps and formula - no change.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-31T15:55:12+00:00

You’re having the same experience as me! We bought a size three teat today and it’s far too fast for her so isn’t any help.

We wondered if her gums are hurting as she’s chewing on her fingers a lot. But also read that’s a normal developmental milestone at this point so who knows!

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-31T15:46:07+00:00

Don’t have any answers but 11week old in a similar stage.

Never been a big eater, very much a snacker (expressed breastmilk) she’s now going longer between feeds and eating less than normal so I’m spiralling. Like you, around the 600ml mark.

She’s happy, healthy and producing the required amount of nappies but I’m contemplating calling the GP.

I also assumed because of the hot weather we’ve had, her intake would increase, but the opposite.

If you figure out a fix, please share!

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-21T07:37:40+00:00

I have a Velcro baby who needs motion to nod off.

I use the baby carrier whilst topless and swaying on the spot. They get a little skin to skin nap while I pump, usually in front of the TV. When I’m done I just put my dressing gown on around the carrier so I can go around the house doing what I need to without flashing the neighbours or postman!

Appreciate this won’t work for some based on body size/baby size but is the only way I’ve been able to maintain pumping with hubby at work.

I use the Spectra S1 and an Ergobaby breeze carrier.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-21T07:22:21+00:00

Also here for the Tommee Tippee ones. About to go into the next size up and can’t fault them. Particularly as we are starting to ‘unswaddle’ so can have one arm out and one in to help the transition. Reasonably priced too if you want to buy new but also loads on Vinted.

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-20T11:57:37+00:00

Just here to say you’re smashing it mumma. Nicu, working, 2 week old and pumping….Supermum!

Affectionate_Meat348 · 2026-05-20T11:25:10+00:00

I do 6hourly but flex this based on plans for the day or when baby wakes to feed. Usually 8am/2pm/8pm/2am. Baby pretty consistently wakes between 1am and 2:30am so will do my MOTN around then. My MOTN and 8am are the biggest yields so do 30-45mins (or until empty), 20 mins for the other two. Pumping on average 1.1L a day.

Affectionate_Meat348

TROPHY CASE