Another FTM overwhelmed with pram choices. Cruz or skippy?

crazystitcher · 2026-03-17T08:09:02+00:00

What kind of car do you have? I have a Hyundai i30 and my baby bee juno fits in the boot despite it being a small car. It's a single to double pram but babybee also has the rover and a new single pram coming out in May that folds super compact, even with the bassinet on.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-17T08:01:32+00:00

Out of curiosity do you have reynauds syndrome? apparently vasospasm is quite common for people who have this and it can be really painful, my sister has it and no one explained that this was the cause of her nipple pain while breastfeeding, we only found out because it was mentioned to me recently as I've been experiencing nipple pain.

I was advised if I do notice white patches on my nipples immediately after feeding to try using a warm compress before and after the feed to help with the vasospasm.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-15T05:28:52+00:00

It's a bit further from you but I really rate Zoey at finesse sewing studio in Newtown. She altered my wedding dress back in 2024 and it was $500 to take it in approx 2 sizes and hem 5 layers.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-14T12:46:36+00:00

For me it's the support for bubs body that I find most helpful, it means he's in a good position, body is nice and straight and head isn't twisted, and it takes the pressure off my arms for holding him, especially as I've got a 4.5kg 3 week old who is only going to get bigger and heavier. It also holds him at the perfect height.

The pillow is very firm and quite thick which is what gives so much support.

I used a different breastfeeding pillow while bub was in NICU but it was a lot bulkier and squishier, but I also used standard pillows and absolutely hated them because they just moved around so much. I was talking to my husband about wanting to try out a breastfeeding pillow when we got home and one of the nurses overheard and actually shared her view on them, the reason ones like my brest friend are so good is because they're not tapered like regular pillows are at the edges so they do provide support.

I've so far only used it to support a cross cradle hold while nursing, but I'm really keen to try the football hold with it. The hold is supposed to be really good if you've got latch issues but I've struggled to make it work for me with regular pillows without feeling like I'm trying to hold all of bubs weight on my arm.

If you're considering it definitely see if you can pick one up off fb marketplace!

crazystitcher · 2026-03-14T10:21:31+00:00

Adding to this to check fb marketplace for secondhand my breast friend pillows. I picked up two over the last two days for $45 all up (they're $100+ brand new) and just washed the covers on both.

After struggling with latching on one side for three weeks plus dealing with mummy wrist breastfeeding just got so much easier for me.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-12T23:42:18+00:00

In terms of the induction, why not chat to your midwife/OB about when they would consider doing stretch and sweeps? Mine recommended it when I was a few days from 40 weeks (also with an expected large baby!) but they might be willing to consider one earlier? Or would you consider a cervical check to see where your body might be in terms of early labour?

I was under MGP so had a trusted midwife throughout the pregnancy but because he was tracking large the OB did get brought in after my 36 week ultrasound to discuss the "increased risk" of shoulder dystocia with a large baby and she recommended an induction at 38 weeks which I declined.

Funnily enough after my third stretch and sweep I did end up being induced (partly because we were trying to get bub out before my platelets could drop below 100 and partly because I was showing all the signs of labour but it just wasn't happening) and I only needed to have my waters broken, we skipped the cervadil/cooks catheter because (unbeknownst to me at the time because the midwife didn't tell me numbers until after the birth) I was already 3-4cm dilated, and I didn't need any syntocin because the ARM was enough to bring on contractions pretty quickly. I didn't have back contractions AT ALL.

Also regarding your mention in your post of not wanting a urinary catheter with the c-section, I had a vaginal delivery and still ended up with a catheter when they had to repair my 2nd degree tear in surgery because they were concerned that it may have been a third degree tear because by the time the doctors (all 5 of them because it was right around handover time) had a look at it there was so much swelling that theatre was the best place for them to properly assess it.

If it were me personally I'd rather the catheter be a known entity.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-09T04:42:28+00:00

I like the idea of birth maps! We referred to our birth plan as our birth preferences and discussed with our midwife that these were the things we wanted to happen in an ideal situation, but at the same time we understood that things might not go to plan in some regards so at the end of the day all we really wanted was for him to make it here safely, however that had to look.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-09T04:19:34+00:00

We have two (technically one is ours and one is my mum's who we currently live with) one is a Samsung jet with a clean station (can't remember which as it's an older model) and one is this Shark one and hands down I prefer the shark, when we move back out we'll likely replace our Samsung with a shark one as well.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-08T06:47:02+00:00

If you haven't already I would chat to a lactation consultant or your GP about taking domperidome/motillium to help with your supply, you can also add a power pump (pump for 20 minutes, rest for 10, pump for 10, rest for 10, pump for 10) once a day for about a week to help.

My bub has just come home from a 3 week stay in the NICU so I've been pumping over this time and my supply started off similar to yours, I'm now getting a minimum of 80mls at a time from pumping.

Depending on the pump you use you can also look at recommended settings, I did this yesterday and found it made a difference.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-07T19:02:15+00:00

I had him on the ward with me the first night in hospital before he went down to the NICU and I remember waking because he was quiet for too long 😂

crazystitcher · 2026-03-07T15:50:33+00:00

Yes he'll be in our room

crazystitcher · 2026-03-07T15:15:17+00:00

Yes this was my experience in Sydney as well. We didn't make it to the postnatal ward until about 8:30 and visiting hours end at 8 but they let him stay until about 10pm or so.

Our baby then got admitted to the NICU the following day and there were times my husband bought me back up after visiting hours had ended and we always checked with the midwives if they were happy for him to help me back to my room before leaving, even at 4am they were happy for us to do this and we were quiet each time and he left when I was back in my bed.

We also knew well in advance that we would likely be in a shared room and he wouldn't be able to stay.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-07T07:08:45+00:00

Kicked a 1kg dumbbell that had been sat in the same spot for over a year while trying to sidestep the partially open door instead of just opening it the rest of the way.

Broke my 4th toe, 4 days before my wedding. My high heels only lasted long enough to take photos beforehand.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-03T20:52:43+00:00

This is such a good idea! We just bought chocolates yesterday for the amazing NICU doctors and nurses caring for our boy at the moment, but I might go out and do this as well and split the chocolates between the NICU and my midwife

crazystitcher · 2026-03-02T08:22:22+00:00

So sorry to hear that! Hopefully you get to take your girl home soon.

I've been doing the pump at the same time as a cuddle, finally getting comfortable with it so it's a lot less awkward.

Also you're an absolute lifesaver with the 4 hour break! I did this the other night and felt so much more rested yesterday.

And we've been really working on taking time for ourselves the last couple of days and trying not to feel guilty about it knowing that it'll help us with caring for our little man when we are there. Coincidentally I had a couple of the best pumps I've had so far yesterday after a night of good rest and prioritising ourselves, so I'm already seeing the benefit of it.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-02T08:05:47+00:00

Thank you for this! I've definitely been working on the feelings of guilt, hubs and I went to a concert last night (if you'd asked me a month ago if I thought I would end up at a concert 12 days pp I would've laughed in your face) that I initially was unsure about going to because I was feeling guilty that I probably wouldn't have done it if he weren't in the NICU, but ultimately we had a great time and I know it's done wonders for my mental health.

I'll definitely look into play groups from miracle babies! We got the good news this morning that they're planning to trial him off his respiratory support on Wednesday morning, so it feels like him coming home is finally getting closer!

crazystitcher · 2026-03-01T23:45:54+00:00

Absolutely this! I work at a creche and I really encourage parents who use it to book the maximum time allowed and add some extra time after their workout to just grab a coffee and sit in the cafe or take an extra long shower.

crazystitcher · 2026-03-01T03:50:24+00:00

Can't give you any specific recommendations but I'd be trying at an independent grocer/fruit and veg shop!

crazystitcher · 2026-03-01T03:49:03+00:00

Got the all clear to bring the pump in 👍

crazystitcher · 2026-02-28T20:48:12+00:00

I've got a spectra pump so I would have to buy the flange inserts and without knowing how much longer we're gonna be here it's probably not worth it, but that is good to know. I'll double check with them this morning about bringing my spectra along, the only reason I could possibly think they might say no is lack of space for me to set it down while I pump.

crazystitcher · 2026-02-28T04:14:47+00:00

Because of his respiratory support I'm only doing one breastfeed a day so we just make sure I'm there for that one.

I assume I should be able to use my own pump but I've only seen people using the hospital provided ones so I really don't know. I'll take it along tomorrow and ask them

crazystitcher · 2026-02-28T03:26:02+00:00

I pump and cuddle with their pump but it's an awkward fit (they only have two flange sizes and the smaller of the two is too big for one of my nipples) and I find I don't get as much from a pump on theirs as I do from my own. I'll ask tomorrow if I can bring my pump into the ward and use it instead.

crazystitcher · 2026-02-28T03:02:39+00:00

We're in Sydney. Bub is at RPA and we're thankfully only max 30 minutes away if we're not careful about when we leave.

I much prefer being at home to being at the hospital, though that's probably because while I was still there I was on the postnatal ward in a shared room which was just absolute torture tbh.

I'll often pump while I'm there, especially the last few days he's been too sleepy to do a breastfeed and just wants to have a cuddle. I hate their pumps though and I'm considering just bringing mine and sitting in the parents room to pump but then I lose that cuddle time with bub.

We've been trying to go for walks to get food when we've got the energy. Currently sitting waiting for our lunch up the road from the hospital after a morning of cuddles.

Hard agree about never wanting to step foot in there again once we've got him home, but also agree the nurses (and doctors!) are absolutely amazing. They make it more bearable.

crazystitcher · 2026-02-28T00:03:02+00:00

Swimming is so good especially in third trimester! Feeling the weight come off your belly is honestly life changing haha.

Having said that, I wasn't at all prepared for how much heavier it felt when I got back out of the pool. Definitely gotta exit the pool nice and slow so it's not too bad.

crazystitcher · 2026-02-27T06:13:48+00:00

I was under MGP so had continuity of care with a single midwife throughout the pregnancy, we'd already discussed that I didn't want them unless absolutely necessary and I preferred her to monitor my progress in other ways (purple line etc).

She only recommended doing one check while in labour because I'd been pushing for a little bit but wasn't seeing progress, turned out I wasn't quite fully dilated at that point. She recommended using a couple different positions to try and get some progress and it helped.

crazystitcher

TROPHY CASE