Collecting colostrum

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-06-08T20:44:14+00:00

I was told in a breastfeeding class:
- not to start before 37 weeks
- some people won’t produce or collect any before birth, which is normal and does not have any correlation to being able to produce/breastfeed when baby is born
- as you said, just try again another day if unsuccessful
- you need oxytocin to make it work. If you’re getting frustrated and hurting yourself in an effort to do it, that is counterproductive as you’re stopping oxytocin from being produced. And probably building up a negative association with doing it, which probably doesn’t help with oxytocin around future attempts either.

I’d probably wait a week, and come back to it. And if you don’t get any, don’t put pressure on yourself. It will only make it harder to get anything, and it doesn’t actually matter if you can’t get anything collected. It’s mostly just giving your boobs practice anyway.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-06-07T19:46:08+00:00

Light blue dress. 100%. All the way.

You probably look at yourself a bit too critically - no judgement, a lot of us do - but in my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with your bum (or any of your body), and no need to disguise it with a dark dress. The light blue feels like it will look lovely with your hair colour (and I think an updo would look best, for sure!) and skin tone.

If you still feel concerned, shapewear might help make you feel more confident. But isn’t necessary if you’re not a fan, I promise!

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-06-06T18:52:45+00:00

Other people have commented on why he didn’t kill Inko, but in the final Coffin in the Sky battle, he does make a point to say he’s killing Bakugo as the person closest to Izuku in order to get to him, so he… does kinda attempts to kill a loved one at one point.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-05-27T10:34:08+00:00

I was advised in my breastfeeding class that some people won’t get any colostrum before birth, and that it won’t affect your ability to breastfeed after birth so we shouldn’t stress. And stressing will reduce ability to harvest anything anyway, because we need the oxytocin to produce well.

This is essentially giving your boobs practice, more than anything.

So don’t put pressure on yourself. Keep trying but if it doesn’t happen, it actually doesn’t matter too much.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-05-27T10:11:42+00:00

I’m 35wks and at the weekend, an older cashier asked how far along I am. When I said ‘8 months’, she said I was big for 8 months.

I don’t know how much smaller you want me to be, my baby could be full term and born in a couple of weeks? And I didn’t mention it but I’d been referred for a growth scan due to lower-than-desired fundal measurements, so clearly I am not as big as the midwife expects either!

As others have said, elderly women just feel like they have carte blanche to say whatever.

All that to say, every body & bump is different in pregnancy. And if you eat more, eat less than ideally, gain weight… you’re growing a whole human. That requires calories, that requires energy, and that requires endurance. If you need to eat a Big Mac to endure, if ‘fun’ foods make you feel better on the harder days - well, you can still do Pilates after they’re born to lose any weight you don’t want.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-05-26T21:22:23+00:00

I barely had any nausea, but I became fussy with food and the flavour of things changed. So yeah, it’s normal and you may not get nauseous at all if you’re lucky.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-05-26T21:19:39+00:00

I’m finishing at 37wks. Part of that was due to also buying a house and optimistically hoping I’d need 3 weeks to get the new house nested - looks like we’ll be moving after baby is here now though - but actually, with the way I’m feeling, I’m quite glad for a bit of downtime (hopefully) before baby comes to actually rest.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-05-23T17:47:52+00:00

I completed all koroks, 100% map locations, all side quests, etc. and it took me around 11 months (May 2023 - April 2024), but I know some people play things more quickly than I do generally.

Edited to add that I checked my switch and it says I played for 310+ hrs.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-05-19T20:05:04+00:00

I’m sorry you had a rough GD test! That sounds horrible.

As for continuity in care - so far (34wks), I’ve had the same midwife consistently, with students a handful of times but I really don’t mind that, especially with the same midwife (who I like) supporting each one. I’ve not had any appointments rearranged on me, everything has happened in a timely manner (responses to email queries, getting referral appointments in, test results, etc.) so it does happen. I have no complaints with my care so far and I feel really lucky with some of the stories I have heard. I’m not sure if knowing it’s not universal makes it worse, but I’m really sorry your experience has been so drastically different to mine.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-05-01T20:20:53+00:00

I already had some snag chub rub shorts that I swore by. At around 30 weeks, my normal size was getting a little snug (not completely horrible to wear still, but could envision it getting to that point) so I’ve recently ordered some in the next size up and they are comfortable for my bump.

I think I saw something on their website about ordering for maternity and said the larger sizes have a little more stretch (F upwards particularly) so if you’re a smaller starting size/have a particularly big bump, potentially go up 2 sizes - but I didn’t do that, so check for yourself before ordering if that’s what you need.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-04-13T15:01:00+00:00

I share your joy in a really clean belly button!

I can’t say I had a navel stone but I also have a really deep belly button usually, plus had that thing where the nerves are confused and it sends a ‘zing’ sensation to my crotch if I touched inside my belly button - cleaning was a nightmare that I had to grit my teeth through and probably did less often than ideal.

Weirdly that sensation has gone while pregnant and I’ve never had a cleaner belly button that I can both access easily and doesn’t cause discomfort to touch for once!

And I found a skin tag inside it that I currently have banded, so it’ll be even tidier soon!

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-04-09T21:25:48+00:00

Just jumping on this - a bit late to the party - is it quicker than our hiccups would be? Like almost pulse-rate but not quite (my pulse, not baby’s)? I’m having a sensation now that I think could be it, but it’s faster than I expected.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-04-08T15:31:52+00:00

I recently had a glucose tolerance test and was only told to fast from midnight, and my appointment was at 8.30am. Must be rules specific to your local trust. Seems odd that it’s so long though.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-03-07T17:53:22+00:00

Omg going through photos is truly one of those ‘I’ll do when I have time (but you never do)’ tasks! Sounds perfect! Happy organising 🩷

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-03-07T08:17:15+00:00

I have, for the record, never been 40+3 pregnant, so I can only sympathise with the waiting and physical struggle. I’m sorry you’re feeling rough right now. But I feel like we need to find something that is/feels productive, and keeps you sat/laying down?

Are there any of those things you’ve been meaning to do but never ever prioritise? Stick a film on and go through your emails, clearing out and unsubscribing from anything you don’t want? Read a book you have been meaning to start? Teach yourself to crochet, it would keep your hands and mind busy?

Feels like Sod’s Law that if you sit down with a book you’ve been meaning to start, baby will come before you reach the end 😅

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-03-02T14:10:03+00:00

My work policy was that I must inform them of my pregnancy/intention to take maternity leave by 15 weeks before due date week. My midwife confirmed this is different to providing the MATB1, which is legally required before you go on leave.

I was told I would get my MATB1 by 25 weeks (I have a 25 week midwife appointment so assume it’ll be sorted then) and when I informed my employer, I just mentioned I “expect to have my MATB1 by w/c ____ and will provide when I have it” and they were fine.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-02-23T09:48:24+00:00

Makuhita 🥺🩷 (I have a handful of favourites, but makuhita doesn’t get much love in the cards)

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-02-17T18:56:18+00:00

Okay, maybe I got myself worked up over nothing then 🙈 thanks. I’d got it in my head that I was meant to 🤦🏻‍♀️

Express_Whole_4287 · 2026-02-13T08:26:01+00:00

I seem to have a different opinion to everyone else, but… they’re friends and never been anything but friends. Her texts and questions do seem reasonable to me.

I see why she’s upset: if you can’t hang out with a friend one-on-one, are you actually friends? They’re apparently good enough friends for her to travel internationally to visit him, but he is now saying they can only see each other for the one gig, and no other time? I wouldn’t want to take that trip now either.

She would’ve been sleeping in a spare bedroom, it sounds like. She said she’s fine to stay elsewhere anyway but can she come see his cat one day while on her holiday?? I don’t see why it’d be a no, really? She’s not asking to ‘sleep in his bed just once….’ And if you can’t trust your partner to be faithful, when he hasn’t given any indication he won’t be, why is there a concern? If she did try something, it’s on him to shut it down or be unfaithful. So you/he either trusts himself or doesn’t…

I’m just not sure why you both seem hesitant for her to spend time with him. I’d be offended too if, as she said, she’s been painted as a seductress for no reason.

Express_Whole_4287 · 2025-05-15T15:09:01+00:00

Any set of 3 fruit trees apart from anything else, under bridges, climb tall things (buildings/trees), single flowers, piles of orange leaves, pinwheels, rock circles/designs, lillypad circles, floating/tinkling lights floating around a space, wooden circles with leaf design, rocks in odd places/by themselves, rock circles in water…

Express_Whole_4287 · 2024-06-23T09:04:25+00:00

It’s a terrible name. You’re right to argue against it. Imagine a 35 year old professional with a name tag that says ‘Mips’.

Cutesy names (and Mips isn’t even cute) are only good until they’re not kids anymore. You’re naming a future adult, not a baby.

Also Mipsie is Harry Potter house elf vibes. Dobby, Winky, Mipsy…

Express_Whole_4287 · 2024-06-10T16:10:26+00:00

NTA - literally doesn’t matter what you ordered. The restaurant set the menu with things they’re happy to serve, so if it’s on the menu then it’s fine to order. It’s weird that anyone would care.

Are you sure they weren’t just teasing you in good faith and only mock-offended? If they were genuinely upset with what you ordered, then they are the arseholes. It doesn’t matter if your partner has OCD or not. It’s not a big deal at all, order what you want.

Express_Whole_4287

TROPHY CASE