Due in March/April/May 2013 Roll call!

[spinningmadly]

And yes 10% here too in the US would warrant supplements. Most hospitals won't let you leave if baby has lost that much without supplementing. But the goal is to keep that from happening since supplementing itself is a slippery slope.
Surgena- maybe the midwife could use a doppler since she's coming today?

[suregena]

She's coming tomorrow - she's only coming to get some blood samples so likely won't be bringing that. I do have my own little cheap doppler thing I used for reassurance with my son, but I only ever tried when I was like 15 weeks with him. I'm only 10 weeks on Monday - think I should get it out and try it? I would have thought it'd be too difficult to find this early.

[spinningmadly]

I don't know. If it wont scare you to not find it because I would be too optimistic to find it then. My Mw tried with one Doppler , still a pricey one. Then went and grabbed the $1000 one and that's the one that picked it up for me.
I tried my own but I couldn't find it. Obviously mine is no where near that expensive.
But if you will freak out if you don't I wouldn't bother .

Can you ask her to bring the doppler?
My midwife is my good friend so I am lucky in that sense

[mrshonyez]

Allergic to your breastmilk? From what I understand, that's not really possible (though doctor's have told mother's that often.) What can be the cause is the baby can have extreme sensitivity or allergy to things you eat, but that can be hard to pinpoint. So it isn't *your milk* per se, it's likely other things.

Also, I know in the UK they do it, but do they use 1 chart for weight gain in infants there or are there two? Here there is a growth/weight chart for formula fed infants and another one for breastfed infants, because both will grow/gain completely differently. The UK used to use a standard formula-fed infant one for all infants but then that made breastfed infants seem to be slow gainers and smaller so they went back and looked into it. For all I know, in the US it's likely possible they're still using a very general chart that may not correspond accurately for breastfed baby weight gain and growth.

Your milk will always make the right calories for your baby. The calories adjust constantly - they're never the same. Breastfed babies will not gain as fast nor as much as formula fed.

Well they said it was a milk protein and soy allergy. He was 8 lbs 3 oz when he was born, and was only 9 lbs at 4 months old. His poo was green and pure liquid. It was awful. I think you're right about one general chart here. The ped wasn't too worried about DS2 being below 0%, but what worried him was that he fell way off his own curve and his height dropped down too. I was taking fenugreek and even pumping after he ate but he just wouldn't gain. I just don't know why my babies have so many issues! He was born with a collapsed lung and on oxygen for a couple of weeks, so he had a rough start to life anyways. I'm getting nervous about this labor too bc they said it was from him being born so fast. My labors are really short, and both times there has been a complication. First time was me, second time was him. Scary stuff! Hopefully this one ends up going smoothly!

[spinningmadly]

Also it depends on the midwife I think. I have a couple and the nurse midwife who has access to the u/s said she usually can't that early. But the Homebirth/birth center midwives (which is who found it) seemed to be more skilled early. I think just because they don't have u/s to fall back on

[spinningmadly]

He wasn't allergic to your milk... Rather Wha was in it. But an elimination diet for you is what would have helped. Like no dairy and no soy .

[suregena]

Well they said it was a milk protein and soy allergy. He was 8 lbs 3 oz when he was born, and was only 9 lbs at 4 months old. His poo was green and pure liquid. It was awful. I think you're right about one general chart here. The ped wasn't too worried about DS2 being below 0%, but what worried him was that he fell way off his own curve and his height dropped down too. I was taking fenugreek and even pumping after he ate but he just wouldn't gain. I just don't know why my babies have so many issues! He was born with a collapsed lung and on oxygen for a couple of weeks, so he had a rough start to life anyways. I'm getting nervous about this labor too bc they said it was from him being born so fast. My labors are really short, and both times there has been a complication. First time was me, second time was him. Scary stuff! Hopefully this one ends up going smoothly!

Oh, my. It sounds like the milk protein wasn't YOUR milk (I mean, that really just doesn't happen - not literally, anyway) but protein from elsewhere, i.e. milk protein from your diet. What we eat goes into our breastmilk.

Well I can only hope you have a smoother experience this time! Sometimes birth complications on either end can affect things, too. This bringing life into the world business - it's tricky! I really hope everything goes smoothly this time, truly.

[mummypink]

Thanks for all the fab tips lovely ladies, I will definitely get some supps in for when the baby arrives so I can give it my absolute best this time.

I did have plenty of skin to skin contact, the only other thing I can think of that may have messed things up was they put me on a drip both times to speed labour up. My labours were actually pretty quick with both but with ds1 I was pushing for nearly an hour and they were worried he may start to get distressed so put me on a drip to increase the intensity of my contractions to get him out. With ds2 as Group B strep had been picked up during my pregnancy I had antibiotics during labour and they put me on a drip to increase contractions too to speed things up (even though from my contractions starting to giving birth to him it was only about two and a half hours!!). I didn't have any pain relief but I do wonder whether they stuff they use to induce you could interfere with your milk supply?

Hope you're back with lots of pink news soon Rosie xxx

[suregena]

Also it depends on the midwife I think. I have a couple and the nurse midwife who has access to the u/s said she usually can't that early. But the Homebirth/birth center midwives (which is who found it) seemed to be more skilled early. I think just because they don't have u/s to fall back on

I remember with my son, I think it was my 16 week visit and she only just clocked they hadn't tried to listen to the heartbeat (but I had listened to it before them on my own)... so I don't think it's typical they wait that long, they just realized they hadn't.

I'll ask her about when I can hear it tomorrow and see what she says!
It's far too late at night to call her now. I don't yet have a 'named' midwife... have only seen one. The one who called me today, I believe, is one that I saw the most with my last pregnancy. I think, anyway... if my memory is correct by her name. I hope she is, because she's aweeeesommmmeeeee.

[suregena]

Thanks for all the fab tips lovely ladies, I will definitely get some supps in for when the baby arrives so I can give it my absolute best this time.

I did have plenty of skin to skin contact, the only other thing I can think of that may have messed things up was they put me on a drip both times to speed labour up. My labours were actually pretty quick with both but with ds1 I was pushing for nearly an hour and they were worried he may start to get distressed so put me on a drip to increase the intensity of my contractions to get him out. With ds2 as Group B strep had been picked up during my pregnancy I had antibiotics during labour and they put me on a drip to increase contractions too to speed things up (even though from my contractions starting to giving birth to him it was only about two and a half hours!!). I didn't have any pain relief but I do wonder whether they stuff they use to induce you could interfere with your milk supply?

Hope you're back with lots of pink news soon Rosie xxx

Hey, anything is possible, truly. Maybe, since you obviously had no pain relief, if you can get away without using drips this time, etc, it can help?

They don't even CHECK for the group B strep in the UK.... as far as I know? Maybe they do in a sneaky way but I've never heard of it done here (unlike I hear all the time in the US. Same thing with the eye drops - they are not done here... and routine glucose check thing, they don't really do either unless possibly if there is a confirmed history of it)

I was looking through my notes earlier and I've been pretty much checked as risk-free for everything so that means they'll be pretty hands off and not do much 'checking' of anything outside of a couple/few routine blood tests.