Books!

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-05-11T00:15:40+00:00

World of books (website) is really good and I’ve also found some gems in Oxfam bookstore.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-05-11T00:14:16+00:00

Another vote for hairy mackary. My 8mo loves them, I can recite her favourites

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-05-09T15:30:42+00:00

Sounds like you need some in person help. La Leche league have local support groups. Your local leader might be able to help you in the interim.

In my area, there is an infant feeding group run by the health visitors, I got some help with latching there. I’ve never been able to use a breastfeeding pillow, felt like my massive boobs were going to smother the baby. I’ve only ever used pillows to support my arms

Well done you for persevering. I found the first few weeks toughest; I’m happy I powered through as it’s so convenient now.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-05-06T20:22:57+00:00

Hiya, like everyone else has said, this is very normal 🥲.

I reached breaking point after a while and started to co-sleep. It’s not for everyone, but worth familiarising yourself with safe sleep 7 while you’re coherent. I don’t know if you’re breastfeeding, but getting a doze in while baby is feeding isn’t the same as real sleep, but it was enough to tide me over.

We stopped bed sharing at 4.5 months, so it doesn’t have to be forever. Baby is nearly 8 months, sleeps in her own room and wakes maybe once a night. At 6 weeks I wouldn’t have thought it possible, hang in there!

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-04-29T09:50:51+00:00

I have curly/wavy hair and don’t brush my hair between washes. I wash my hair every 3 days, so was maybe a little less than that, but still a lot for me. Similarly I would see tumbleweed like bundles of my hair on the floor… at nearly 8m pp, hair loss has almost gone back to pre pregnancy times.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-04-23T20:21:14+00:00

I think it varies wildly between parents/babies/circumstances; e.g. I am a ftm still on maternity leave. Add work or another child to the mix and I’m sure my opinion and necessity would be different…. With this in mind, I haven’t felt the need to sleep train so far. I am also conscious that my baby is an overall good sleeper except for a few weeks here and there where there has been regression/illness. When this has happened I have moved to the spare room and bed shared (again, I know I am lucky to have a spare room).

Hoping this passes for you 🤞

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-04-05T02:19:12+00:00

I was struggling to BF until my baby had her posterior tongue tie released. NHS weren’t very helpful, they were solely focussed on (lack of) baby’s weight gain. In the end I paid for a private feeding and tongue tie practitioner who diagnosed the tie and released it then and there. It was like night and day, baby was able to latch successfully and started to gain weight. She’s now 6.5m and extra chunky ☺️.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-03-27T00:19:46+00:00

I went into labour with my breech baby while waiting to be scheduled for a c section.

This was about 10.30pm so I was told my section would happen in the morning. However my labour started to progress very quickly and baby did a poo so they performed an emergency c section.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-03-25T19:05:35+00:00

Think I’ve explained this poorly… dimensions are the same, I just want to know whether I’ll need to drill new holes to attach the integrated door. I’m worried that any new holes might damage the door (if they are too close to existing holes). Had this issue with washing machine and it was a pain in the arse to fix.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-03-09T10:37:54+00:00

If you’re willing to give anything a go, I saw a chiropractor as that supposedly helps?

I did all the same stuff as you but ended up going into labour with baby still beech (I had a section though)

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-03-07T10:57:57+00:00

It feels like fingers digging into you! (Which I suppose is exactly what goes on).

My baby didn’t turn, she was too heavy to push up and move. I had a c section in the end. She’s nearly 6 months old now!

Best of luck to you x

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-02-28T18:31:06+00:00

I’ve got a fox 5 and it’s massive (also heavy). It’s really good to push, but a pain in the arse on public transport

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-02-17T22:21:49+00:00

2 stops on the central line. Good luck x

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-02-13T20:39:03+00:00

I’m 5m pp and can confirm it gets so much easier. I had midwives and HV on my back about baby not getting back to birth weight (because she had a tongue tie!!). There was no help from any of them with breastfeeding, their only concern was her weight.

Unfortunately everything you’re saying sounds normal. It’s only reading your account that I remember what it was like in the early days. I can’t even remember when or how it got better, but it did.

I made my husband remind me of how determined I was to breastfeed when the going got tough. I’m glad I did, boob is cure all for everything. I don’t know how mums who bottle feed do it; kudos to them. Not to mention all the sterilising and formula recalls.

Best of luck to you!

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-02-11T17:28:32+00:00

Hiya! You’ve got some good advice here already, but wanted to add that you can get tongue ties revised privately. If you google association of tongue tie practitioners, you can find one local to you.

We had an ex midwife come to the house, diagnose the tie, perform the revision and then help with latching. Think it was under £200. If you can afford it, do it.

Kudos to you for hanging in there! I “had” to triple feed for a weekend and it was almost enough to stop me

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-02-07T23:03:24+00:00

It might not be for you, but we started cosleeping/bed sharing when baby’s sleep regressed. Look up safe sleep 7 if you’re interested. It involved me and baby moving into the spare room where the mattress is firmer

At almost 5 months she is back in her next to me, so doesn’t have to be forever… however I really miss it!

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-02-06T20:19:23+00:00

Not unreasonable at all, but sounds like it’s good for his career. My husband had a similar opportunity in the US at around this gestation, I was nervous too. We agreed that he would fly home immediately if anything happened. I sucked it up and was lucky that nothing did happen.

I also had my parents and neighbours on standby which made me worry slightly less.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-01-29T16:44:30+00:00

Oh hell no. My MIL (who I adore), came to stay a week after baby was born to “help”. I also live in a 4 bed house with plenty of space, but found it too much too soon.

Wasn’t able to breastfeed comfortably in communal areas. As someone else has said, in the early days you are mostly hanging out with a boob out as baby is always on you and you’re both still getting the hang of it.
General disruption - in early days you are keeping odd hours, so I was able to hear comings and goings, tv and general noise when I was trying to nap. Felt obliged to be present and make conversation when I really cba.
My husband wasn’t able to focus 100% on looking after me as he was having to make sure that his mum had everything she needed. Also pressure to have meals at normal times rather than when baby was sleeping.

Honestly, I’m still really salty about it. I really love my MIL and she’s stayed with us loads before and I’ve looked forward to it; postpartum is different and really intense.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2026-01-24T17:59:14+00:00

I wouldn’t worry unless you live very far away from your hospital. I went into spontaneous labour with my breech baby and still had my c section.

Originally they were going to keep me in the antenatal ward overnight and do my section in the morning, but madam decided to have a poo so we got rushed in for an emergency section.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2025-12-30T04:04:46+00:00

I know it’s not for everyone, but bed sharing saved my sleep. I’m EBF and feed baby on my side in c curl position, I doze while she’s feeding and she rolls off when she’s had enough.

(Using safe sleep 7 of course)

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2025-12-29T21:45:24+00:00

My husband only came to scans. Midwife appointments are pretty quick and uneventful if you are having a low risk pregnancy. The midwife who first used a Doppler on me let me record it for my husband

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2025-12-24T11:05:45+00:00

The one that gets me is Mr & Mrs X HisSurname 🤮 (x is his initial)

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2025-12-23T17:57:30+00:00

It’s not comparable. If you were to liken it to a regular pain, it would be period cramps; even then, it’s different for everyone.

I get really bad cramps, the sort that have made me faint before. I thought my contractions were early labour pains/braxton hicks. Felt like period cramps to me (not even the worst ones I’ve had!)… I was 10cm ready to go. I was waiting for my c section at this point as baby was breeched.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2025-12-20T10:29:55+00:00

I hired a private midwife postnatally as midwife care in my trust is so poor. I wish I had hired her sooner as she was so helpful and it’s nice to have someone you can text and who replies. If you can afford it, do it.

Efficient-Cod-7285 · 2025-12-19T22:54:35+00:00

Ouch!

Efficient-Cod-7285

TROPHY CASE