The Postpartum Thread

[Funny Face]

As everyone continues to welcome their babies I thought we could share our trials and triumphs during the postpartum period.

It's always nice to know you're not the only one with jelly vagina!!



I had my baby boy this morning and I'm just really surprised by how unemotional I feel right now. This is my second baby and first homebirth and over all I feel great but I thought I would be more emotional this time around and am surprised not to feel that way as of yet. Maybe I'm in shock? Oh and afterpains suck!

What's going on with all the other postpartum moms, how are we all feeling?

[hollyvangogh]

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[AutumnMama]

I'm doing pretty good, had the baby early monday morning and he was my quickest to push out; he was born in 1 1/2 contractions with no tearing (!), so my "down there" area is feeling decent.

I did end up having the midwife call in a prescription for hydracodone for me, I toughed it out with the afterpains after DS2 was born and it just wasn't worth it to me.

My milk started coming in yesterday, and I am getting nicely engorged today
DS isn't nursing all that well yet though, he's having a heck of a time latching, and that was before the engorgement, so I'm not sure how well this is going to go in the next few days *sigh*
My pump isn't working either; for some reason it won't maintain any suction...so kinda SOL there unless I want to spend $60+ just to pump a few seconds to soften things up.
I will probably try manually expressing first.

So, with my milk coming in I am expecting that lovely hormonal shift (read: huge crying jags!). Hoping it won't get too bad, and considering taking the placenta capsules that I have left over from DS2's birth (there are a bunch).

Well, I should probably go wake DS to nurse before I get too engorged, he nursed last at around 3 a.m., and it's 9 now.

Hope everyone else is doing well, I can hardly believe we're here already!

[rebecca03]

Well, having a c-section sucks all on its own. I'm sooooooo sore from the catheter, I couldn't even move when it was in, it hurt so bad. My incision isn't too sore, my ab muscles hurt more than my incision does.

I'm wondering when I will poop next.

Oh, and my nipples HURT. Who knew breastfeeding hurt so bad? I didn't! Oh, and my milk came in. I leaked on myself this morning while I was getting ready. I thought I had drooled some toothpaste on myself, but when I looked in the mirror I had little milk drops coming from my nipple. I was like "oops. maybe I should put a bra on."

It's bumming me out that I can't move around very well. When baby cries in the middle of the night, it takes me forever to get into a sitting position so she can nurse. I just can't wait till I'm feeling better.

[caedmyn]

Well I'm already two weeks postpartum so I think most of the worst is already over. Afterpains were awful again, I gave up and took ibuprofen. My milk came in around 36 hrs post birth and I did get engorged for a couple of days but not too bad. Had some problems latching baby on correctly but didn't get too sore this time and the cracks are already healed. I can finally sit without discomfort as long as I don't sit on a really hard chair, and after lots of kegels my pelvic floor muscles seem to have remembered that they really do need to hold everything up there. The crying-at-the-drop-of-a-hat only lasted two days, thank goodness--I went for a very short walk with DD & no baby on day two of crying over everything and I hope none of the neighbors were watching because I could not stop crying.

Now if I can just figure out how to cope with two kids, one of whom is rather crabby when he's awake. I haven't managed to eat breakfast before 11 am since my mom went home.

[namistenicole]

Thanks for starting this thread, I was just thinking about it this morning.

So far this postpartum period is so much easier than with DS, I don't even know where to start. Lucia pretty much just eats and sleeps, and is a joy to be around. She has a little trouble going to sleep at night however, and will only sleep on me (at night). We're still working on that. But she will sleep 3-4 hour stretches at night. That's a hallelujah moment.

Nursing is going well, but my nipples are raw. It was really irritating me to read (and hear everyone say) that "if it hurts they aren't latched on right" (insert snotty voice). But what I realized yesterday is that this is a work in progress and we'll continue to get better at it. The tips of my nipples are a little scabby, but I'm using polysporin on them after each feeding and I think they are getting better now instead of worse. : But ouch!!

My milk is coming in and she's eating a lot, and I could not be happier about that. DS was basically starving for his first 10 days until we started finger feeding, so this feels like heaven by comparison.

Oh... I'm so in love with my little girl. She is so sweet.

Our biggest struggle is DS. He is 5, and not doing so well with these changes. He alternates between sad and acting out. This morning he had a huge temper tantrum as we tried to get him off to school. It was way too much for this hormonal mama. gotta run... baby's crying!

[Starfish11]

Wow, I can't believe you started this thread and you had your sweet baby this morning!!! I've been meaning to start it for a week or so now but never had time or energy

I'm three weeks postpartum now and life has definitely changed. I had NO idea I would be so emotional after having Evangeline. I cried every day for the first week and a half. When DH went back to work after 10 days at home I was beside myself. He still has more time to take off at the end of December and he works from home two days a week, but I couldn't imagine that I wasn't going to have him close for the next week or so Very dramatic am I.

B/F is going much better. My nipples were definitely sore in the beginning but now no issues really. I use lanolin to keep them happy. The biggest issue was the Evangeline wasn't gaining weight. BUT we went back today and she put on 9 ozs in a week so all is good again. She's only at 7.12 but that's perfectly fine She has an unusual eating pattern so it's been interesting just trying to get used to that.

Up until the other night she was not keeping us up. Monday night, though, she and I were up for 5 hours in the middle of the night. I was constantly changing her, feeding her, soothing her, and then starting the cycle over. She was miserable and therefore I was, too. Thankfully no repeat last night. I have to say that I dread the nighttime b/c I am so tired for the middle of the night feedings and therefore don't connect with her like I think I should Don't get me wrong, I love her immeasurably at all times but have had a harder time figuring out what she wants in themiddle of the night. Plus I am so tired that I get frustrated more easily.

Let's see...I still have some pain but at this point it only hurts when I stop peeing. Does that make sense? When I use those Kegel muscles it can be excruciating. It's gotten much better though and it's the last of it I think.

I am looking forward to my mom being here next week so I don't have to worry about housework and food.

C/diapering is going so well, too! I can't believe how much easier it is than I thought it would be

Finally, I'm just impossibly in love with this creature that has only been "here" for the past three weeks :::

[jspring0308]

Friday will be Caris' 1 month bday so I'm a bit further out pp. Funny, she just almost cried and Daddy just swooped in to grab her. He needs baby time too apparently! Anyway the last month has been oddly easy considering all the craziness. I never would have guessed that I would find having a c-section no big deal. I had very little pain from the get go so that was a major relief. Nursing was a breeze but I definitely think it helped that I'd done it before. Nursing and pumping in the hospital as a 1st timer would have been much more stressful.

Baby sleeps 3-4 hour stretches and seems to agree that nighttime is only for eating and changing. She's starting to be awake for 1-2 hour stretches which is lots of fun. Took our first bath together and she was so peaceful and alert definitely the highlight of the day! Big sis is adjusting well, loves loves loves her baby and only has the occasional "moment".

But I don't get anything done. My mom is here til the end of the month and I don't know what I'll do when she leaves. I HATE driving around with little baby but have 2 others that need me so I'm totally trying to figure it all out.

[phatchristy]

Originally Posted by hollyvangogh

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[AutumnMama]

Well, my milk is in and my breasts are rock hard and huge! I discovered that my pump doesn't work, oh joy
Of course the only place around here is Walmart, and I don't think they carry any decent pumps in our store, but MIL is going to a city that has a Target today so I'm going to beg her to pick me up a Medela manual pump.
Poor little guy can hardly latch on, and I can't seem to manually express much at all.

The afterpains are starting to fade, so that's nice. I just wish he would nurse a bit better, once he finally latches on he ends up not breathing but somehow swallowing air, he takes a few breaths and nurses for a couple more seconds then unlatches and falls asleep. *sigh*

[rebecca03]

Originally Posted by AutumnMama

Well, my milk is in and my breasts are rock hard and huge!

I'm totally right there with ya! My milk came in yesterday, and by yesterday night my breasts were engorged and this morning they were rock hard. I couldn't even sleep on my sides last night without my breasts hurting. I even told DBF this morning "I bet this is what a bad boob job feels like, cuz feel 'em, they're rock hard!"

Baby Jennifer just eats and sleeps...and poops. I don't know if babies are supposed to be this easy, but dang, I'm thanking my lucky stars for this little girl, because she's such a joy.

I saw my SIL, her mom and one of my nieces today...and accidentally started to pick up my niece. She's one, and we were saying goodbye, and I picked her up a few inches off the ground. My SIL and her mom were freaking out at me "NOOOO DON'T PICK HER UP DON'TPICKHERUP!" I was like "Oooops. I forgot." I don't think I did any damage to myself, though.

I haven't been too over emotional since baby Jen was born. I did almost get a little weepy last night, just watching her sleep with her daddy. I think it's just amazing watching the two of them together...daddy with his little girl. I just feel so blessed to have the both of them.

I hope everyone's recovering well!

[namistenicole]

Isn't it funny watching your belly shrink? It's like being pregnant in reverse.

How is everyone doing?

Lucia is 1 week old today. She is doing so well. I can't believe it. She eats, she sleeps. Does all those normal newborn things. She's nursing really well, and my nipples are healing. So it looks like I've got a breastfed baby! I can't believe that either. DS would not, could not nurse for reasons still unknown. So this is such a relief.

I want to get out of my house soooo bad. But I still get really sore in the va-jay-jay area around my stitches. The pain is actually worse now that the swelling is going down. I really hope I can get out sometime next week. There's a LLL meeting on Tuesday I'd love to go to. Does anyone know how long we're supposed to keep LO away from outside germs?

Hope you are all well. Reach out if you're not.

[AutumnMama]

Doing ok here, had a few crying spells, mostly due to DS not latching on and not wanting to wake more than every 6 hours to nurse!
The Midwife actually ended up coming over last night and giving me a nipple shield to help get him to latch. I know I've heard some negative things about them, but it's working for me and thank God he's nursing now!

I have two areas where I apparently have plugged ducts in my right breast.
This is all so foreign to me, I thought that since this was my 4th it would be a piece of cake, but even though I know how to nurse a baby it doesn't mean he knows!
Oh well, we'll get through this and be nursing like normal sooner or later

Hope everyone else is doing well!

[FondestBianca]

had my little man on the 2nd. after pains are no more (oh they were BAD for quite a few days) and bleeding has almost stopped. I felt pretty darn good physically after this kiddo (the opposite with my daughter). Back pain got pretty bad with all of the BFing and pulled muscles from pushing but it seems to be getting better. I expected to be able to get back to better mobility after the majority of the bodily pains went away and most of the weight came off but, oddly I have just as hard of a time getting up off the floor as I did when I was pregnant. I did some overcompensating with my muscles to adjust for the back pain and ended up pulling my ab muscles and some other muscles in areas I'd rather not pull just a few days ago.

When I went in to be induced I was at the tail end of a head cold but the night I spent in the hospital after ds was born I felt like I was getting sick all over again... and I did. So another nasty cold hit me. Then this past tuesday dd came down with the stomach flu (probably from the doctors office) and spent the night 8pm to 5am throwing up (about 12 times. Dh, dd, ds, and I were all camped out in the living room that night. Then a couple nights ago poor little baby ds came down with the stomach icks. It was so horrid to see both of my kiddos going through so much pain and discomfort. Ds threw up 4 or 5 times over 24 hours. Then, I was next. I spent yesterday and last night with terrible stomach cramps (as bad as afterpains!) and hanging out with the toilet. Dh is probably next.

Ok, so since ds was born dh and I have been sleeping in the living room. Our bedroom is downstairs where it is quite a bit colder and both kids rooms are upstairs. It's just easier to be upstairs with quick access to both kid's rooms, the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Dh resides on the couch while I camp on a futon on the floor with a memory foam matress pad over it. Little baby ds either sleeps next to me and falls asleep BFing or sleeps next to my futon bundled up in his moses basket.

I feel much more motherly this time around. I'm coping well with 2 kids... actually, much better than I did when dd was born and I just had her. There have been late nights, sleepy days, and difficulties but, all around good. I still look forward to the first night I get to sleep back in my own bed though! With dd I was so overwhelmed with horrid colic and no naps that I had a huge sigh of relief every time I got lucky enough that she would fall asleep in her own room in her crib for any length of time. But, this time I haven't even wanted to plop ds's moses basket down in his crib for him to nap out of the living room. Such a difference it makes to have expereince. I wish I wouldn't have gotten so discouraged with the difficult time I had with dd when she was an infant. Either way I love both of my kiddos so much it's hard to comprehend. :

and I haven't cried once! amazing.

[MamaSong]

Checking in here - 6 days PP. I am feeling good in terms of emotions - I drank a big placenta smoothie after the birth and I think that has really helped. I have only had one small weepy moment - last time I has some major crying spells...

BUT, my BUTT is killing me - I have a HUGE hemmorhoid now, a small external tear (I re-tore where I tore during my first birth) and an internal tear. So I am sitting with my legs together praying for my tear to heal and for my hemmorhoid to shrink and disappear. I am totally obsessed with pooping - making soft poop - so that I can poop without excrutiating pain and a bleeding bottom. Argh...

Other than that - : Love my little man. He is an avid nurser - has a bit of a shallow latch so I do have scabby nipples, but it seems to be maintaining, not getting worse, so I know that we are on the right track...He is so awesome....love him so....

Good job to all of us PP Mamas - it feels good to be on the other side!!!!

[Funny Face]

Originally Posted by MamaSong

BUT, my BUTT is killing me - I have a HUGE hemmorhoid now, a small external tear (I re-tore where I tore during my first birth) and an internal tear. So I am sitting with my legs together praying for my tear to heal and for my hemmorhoid to shrink and disappear. I am totally obsessed with pooping - making soft poop - so that I can poop without excrutiating pain and a bleeding bottom. Argh...

Awww MamaSong! I know how it is to be obsessed with not dying when you finally poop! After dd I actually held a mirror down there when I finally pooped because it truly felt like my rectum was falling out!

I started taking stool softeners day 1 this time to prevent that and it went much better this time. I hope you have a completely painless experience.

I'm day 5 post partum and feeling great. With dd I was like a crying zombie and this time has been much easier. I am afraid a little though that I HAVEN'T cried because I'm afraid I might be avoiding it or something.

I teared up today looking at our sweet son and thinking that I missed all of this with the baby boy we lost last year. I think that is the hardest part of about this post partum but is also healing in some way.

Anyone else have no appetite? I have to force myself to eat.

So happy to be in this boat with you wonderful new mamas!

[Funny Face]

Oh yeah, and Afterease is a crock!!!!!!!

In no way did it even touch the afterpains, what a disappointment after everyone told me how amazing it worked.

[Starfish11]

I'm sort of hitting a wall and need to push through it. After being a sleepy, mellow baby for the first two weeks of her life, Evangeline has become a fussy, relentlessly hungry night baby. She cries and fusses much of thenight and will do marathon feedings. It's frustrating to me b/c I am not able to relax her Often we start the nighttime rituals at 10 PM, she will sleep until 11:30 PM and then I am up with her until 4 AM usually. We might sleep for ten to fifteen minutes but then she's up again asking to be fed or changed. It's been a rough week. I love our sweet baby girl but I am praying for this "phase" to pass us by quickly, although I know very well it could be a long time before it does.

[Mamaperk]

I gave birth on Monday evening and am finally starting to feel a little better but wow, I was pretty sore and achy. DH went back to work less than 24hrs after Rylie's birth which meant I was on my own with the rest of the kids way too soon ... I hate that! It causes a lot of tearful explosions on my part ... he is so great at taking care of me when he's home but the minute he goes back to work, he shifts gears and forgets that I need help. Makes me wanna scream when I think of it actually. Thankfully my mom took the boys for me on Tuesday night so I had a little break ... and then my brother took them on Friday night so I had another break. I do worry that I'll slip into a depression though because I'm so wiped out and feeling like the least nurtured person on the planet sometimes.

On the other hand ... my sweet baby girl brings me SO much joy ... she is a little angel ... she nurses around the clock but barely cries or fusses. I wish I could freeze time because it all goes by too fast.

I can't believe we're on the 'other side' ... all of the expectations and excitement leading up to our births and now we're holding our precious babies!

(((( hugs ))))

[meetoo]

Originally Posted by AutumnMama

The Midwife actually ended up coming over last night and giving me a nipple shield to help get him to latch. I know I've heard some negative things about them, but it's working for me and thank God he's nursing now!

I have two areas where I apparently have plugged ducts in my right breast.
This is all so foreign to me, I thought that since this was my 4th it would be a piece of cake, but even though I know how to nurse a baby it doesn't mean he knows!
Oh well, we'll get through this and be nursing like normal sooner or later

Hope everyone else is doing well!

we are having some nursing issues too which ironically think the binky from my lovely fromula bag cured I'm still pretty torn up but ever since i gave her that binky she seems to be latching right. This is my 3rd baby you would think i would be a pro too lol.