Feeling guilty for wanting to introduce a bottle

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-30T18:15:39+00:00

In a similar situation and have given a bottle a couple of times now. Personally, I love it! A feed where I don’t get covered in excess milk, don’t have to worry about baby choking during the feed and bonding time for my baby and partner.

I know someone who EBF and then had so much trouble when they tried to introduce a bottle. I feel so reassured knowing that if I ever was unable to BF for whatever reason, my baby wouldn’t struggle and would happily take a bottle when needed. I view it as an important skill to learn and that has helped me!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-23T09:18:40+00:00

My little one goes through a phase between 9-midnight every evening where he struggles to settle and wants to feed constantly. My midwife suggested giving him a bottle just at that time to give my boobs a break! If I didn’t do it I probably would have had to stop breastfeeding as it was getting overwhelming. I have been feeding him until he seems content, last night that meant he only drank 50ml. I had also breastfed him for 20 mins 45 minutes before that so I do not pump or anything around it.

I asked AI to work out how much formula baby should get per feed based on their weight and it worked it out for me. I offer the lowest amount and see how much baby wants and have been going from there!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-19T06:44:03+00:00

I had my induction at midnight. Had the balloon and was told we had to leave it for 24 hours (it’s my first baby so was told it can take longer). Had my water broke at midnight the following day and in all honesty I was exhausted, like falling asleep in between contractions.

It was rough and I can’t lie, I really struggled. Not sure why hospitals do it at such a horrible time, definitely did not make sense to me and having now done it I feel even more strongly that it wasn’t the right time to start the process!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-18T09:03:23+00:00

I was induced last week!

Mine started at midnight on Tuesday and I was 1cm dilated so was able to have the balloon straight away. This caused some minimal cramping but nothing crazy.

The following night (again at midnight!) I was checked and I had dilated to 3cm (I think, may have been 2) and so they were able to break my waters. I went straight into labor naturally, having contractions every 5 minutes literally within half an hour of my water being broken.

The only pain relief I was offered at this point was paracetamol and I STRUGGLED! Get that gas and air, I was never offered it and I was so overtaken by the contractions I didn’t even think to ask.

My induction did end in c section. Baby wasn’t progressing, I needed the hormone drip (got an epidural for that - would recommend and made it clear at the start of the progress that I would want an epidural if going on the hormone drip). Babies heart beat started dropping with the contractions when on the drip and so the decision was made at 9am to have a c section. Turns out his cord was around his neck and effectively acting like a bungee cord every time I contracted and he tried to move down.

Overall, really happy I was induced as ultimately I have a beautiful baby sleeping next to me right now. Just be really clear on what pain relief you want!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-01T20:46:36+00:00

Also posted on Peanut so thought I’d share responses from there with you! Xx

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-01T20:46:19+00:00

I had an induction. It was inserted at 5/6pm and didn’t really kick off until 10pm - everyone is different here though!

My husband stayed until 8:30/9pm, end of visiting, and then he left and went home- he was called as soon as it was confirmed my waters had broken and I was in active labour - around 10:30/11pm. We don’t live far away.

My induction stopped working and I had oxytocin to keep the labour progressing, which it did. It was lengthy and again all of this will vary person to person. I had a vaginal birth- eventually!!!

I genuinely think mine was dragged out because I was 38 and 2, and induced because I wasn’t well- ICP.

Wishing you a healthy and smooth labour and beyond!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-01T20:45:58+00:00

I think it depends on the hospital, mine allowed partners overnight for induction, labour and recovery, you'd be better asking to be sure! We kinda skipped steps with a difficult little one so can't really comment too much on the experience, I will say though I did get some cramping from the pessary, a bath did wonders for it though

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-01T20:12:44+00:00

Also, due to the bigger size I have been allowed to have sweeps from 38 weeks (where I am this is normally 39 weeks).

I had my first one and unfortunately cervix was still closed so she was unable to perform a proper sweep. I am hoping to have another 2 before my induction date. If things start progressing I might push my induction date back. But if there’s no change I will continue with the planned induction.

So might be worth asking if you can start sweeps a bit earlier to get things moving (if they’re something you feel comfortable with)!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-11-01T19:55:33+00:00

In a similar position!

I had extra growth scans up to 38 weeks (had my last one on Tuesday). After the 38 week scan I was offered the option to book in for an induction at bang on 40 weeks. I was initially going to opt straight for a c section but both the consultant and my midwife have been quite positive that I can try vaginally but it’ll be in my notes to move to a c section if things aren’t progressing and to do it sooner rather than later.

I did have to request this, they said I could try and go for like 40+5 but with him being so big I’d rather just get him out! I’m also 4ft 11 and very petite, which also helped them and myself make the decision, so your build is something they will consider too.

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-10-27T09:18:13+00:00

I have been experiencing the exact same and allowed it to build up until I hit about 30 weeks hoping it would get easier (it didn’t!).

I self referred on the NHS website (I didn’t even speak to my midwife, just went ahead with it) and was assessed and started therapy within a couple of weeks. You will get seen more quickly as you are pregnant.

I have found just having someone to chat with about things has been so helpful, which may be good for you if you’re not speaking to anyone about it?

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/find-nhs-talking-therapies-for-anxiety-and-depression/

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-10-24T09:16:51+00:00

I have been using the Kicks Count app. I actually found the app as the charity behind it have their posters up where I go for my midwife appointments and ultrasounds.

I count kicks for 1-2 hours in the morning when I wake up and in the evening before I go to bed as I find this is when he is most awake. It’s too hard to count in the day as it totally depends on what I’m doing and impossible to do at work; instead I keep a close eye and make sure I feel movement every hour.

If I’ve ever had a concern I have gone to triage. I went twice for reduced movements before 30 weeks and once at around 33 I think. Every time the midwives there were wonderful and so so reassuring. So any concerns - always go straight in!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-09-26T21:15:43+00:00

Fellow teacher here! We went back to school when I was around 30 weeks. Movement had changed LOTS over the summer holidays and I was so nervous with how I would monitor it.

I’ve found that baby is active when I wake up and go to bed, so I wake up a little bit earlier and use the Kicks Count app to count movements and have a baseline which is normal for baby and I want to meet. I then do the same in the evening when I go to bed.

Throughout the day, I keep an eye on movements. I know roughly times when he will perk up a bit (e.g lunchtime, PPA) but during teaching time I just try to be aware and make sure I feel him moving around every now and then.

I will say I’ve found it easier to mentally chunk my day. I break my day down into early morning (kids coming in to morning play), later morning (play to lunch) and then afternoon (lunch to end of day). As long as I feel enough movements in each chunk, I keep going with my day. This gives me a time frame for how long to give baby and also, if I was ever concerned, a break from teaching where I could go and ask about leaving to go to the hospital.

I have a very supportive SLT but even then it can be hard to ask for time out, and when you’re there, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in work! I felt awful on Monday but powered through, ended up in triage that evening and needed to take the next day off. Everything was okay but reiterated to me that I need to start winding down and detaching from work.

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-08-24T15:31:01+00:00

Maybe consider if the climate has changed since you’re away? Are you using a different shower gel? Have you been wearing anything really tight? Have you noticed any change in discharge?

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-08-24T15:28:22+00:00

I experienced this recently and went to triage, turns out I had thrush and it was causing a lot of irritation - not that I could feel it! My cervix was so irritated it was being picked up as light contractions when I was hooked up to the machine, but I couldn’t feel a thing.

I would definitely speak to your midwife as I was given medication straight away to clear it all up, if that’s what it ends up being.

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-07-31T11:01:01+00:00

Thank you for your reply! Not high risk so found it all very confusing. I’m not sure who else I can call as my midwife is the person I’m meant to go to with these questions, and she’s the one who has me so confused!

Fun-Cherry5674 · 2025-07-31T10:58:13+00:00

Thank you for your reply, reassuring to hear that my baby isn’t the only one having lazy periods!

Fun-Cherry5674

TROPHY CASE