The Postpartum Thread - Page 3

[brandyk]

hello ladies - thought i'd post a quick update on my situation, and hoping it helps out someone else. my baby is tongue-tied!! i am too! i was not aware of it, although i did know that my mom couldn't breastfeed me successfully. the LCs have me using nipple shields (medela, we found the one without the cutout easier). i am not actually having any nipple problems (soreness etc) at all, and my baby CAN latch without them, she just doesn't want to continue sucking. right now i am thrilled with the kaiser newborn club because i can make an appointment for whenever and the LCs will assist with whatever problem you are having. i just don't know why the help i got upstairs was SO BAD!! and why it wasn't available on the weekend, because the newborn club is!! i will just move on from that issue and put it behind me.

they have also advised me that for right now pumping is way more important than putting her on the breast. they said only actually BF/attempt every other time so i don't get so overwhelmed with everything. which is good. last night i got 45 mins of sleep, yesterday afternoon i got 2 hours.

i found that the chlorophyll i was taking (and still am) was really effective for pooping. they gave me all this colace (seriously, 100 pills) but i'm not using it.

i have gotten weepy about the feeding issues but that's passed since the TT diagnosis. now i don't feel like an abject failure. i will cry about lack of sleep for a minute or two but that's it. my goal this morning is to feed the baby, sleep, and then deal with everything else later!

[spiraldancer]

Just a quick update, on my way to getting better after a little struggle with plugged ducts or mastitis. A few nights ago I started to feel kind of funky, really hot, then really cold and shaky. Sure enough, a low grade fever, and soon after, a sore breast. : We're totally snowed in, so I called my m/w and she gave me a bunch of recommendations over the phone. Ibuprofen for the inflammation, Vit.C, arnica + phytolacca (homeopathics), lots of rest and fluids, and hot compresses/baths/showers, plus massage of the sore area while nursing, and lots of nursing (in various positions). It was a good 24 hours of feeling crummy and worrying that I might have to get dh to drive through a blizzard to go get antibiotics if the fever got too high - started to get stressed and a bit weepy. With lots of consistent effort and some serious time in bed, managed to work it out on my own. Still a bit tired but much better. Think I was doing a bit too much housework, was a bit too casual about some of my nursing positions, esp. at night, (baby #3 is not a toddler, I must remind myself), and my nursing tank might have been a bit too tight around my ribcage (I am flopping around braless in t-shirts for now, luckily the snow means no visitors!). So to all you lovely mamas worrying about the state of your house as Christmas approaches, take my situation as a reminder to to take it easy if you can, apparently lack of rest is the biggest cause of early breast infections!

[FondestBianca]

Originally Posted by brandyk

. my baby is tongue-tied!! i am too!

just wanted to jump in and say that you can have TT kiddos clipped. My little one is a bit TT and I was a lot TT up until I was 20 and finally had it clipped. OH IT IS SOOOOO MUCH BETTER NOW! Have a ped take a look at your babe. If baby can get their tounge over their gums they should be able to phase out the shield. I had to use a shield with dd and am using one a majority of the time now with ds (a bit over 2 weeks old now). it does create nipple confusion and would even for a non TT baby because the shield is so much easier for them to latch onto. So, I'd suggest just trying to go without at every other feeding. Even though it's super frustrating try to keep going at it for at least 10 minutes to see if you can get a latch before you throw the shield on. I've been able to feed ds without the shield (full feeding) a few times in the last couple days since I've been trying more often. He's pretty mad at first and clawing away at me fussing for the shield but, eventually once he tastes some milk he is a more willing to try without.

I'm not having ds clipped simply because I don't think his seems too bad. Maybe later on. I'd rather keep him as is unless it becomes very apparent he'd be better off with it clipped. I wish I had been clipped as a baby or child honestly. My TT effected my speech a bit (still does even now that I can full mobility because I went so long without and now have t retrain), and by the end of every day I was pretty close mouthed because my tongue and the area under my tongue hurt so bad from eating and talking. it got worse as I got older actually. When I finally went in and had it taken care of it was so much relief. No more pain, I could eat and speak without difficulty and pain, and couold finally stick my tongue out at passing offenders!

Anyway, sorry so long. Just wanted to share the expereince I had and have with this from both ends of the spectrum.

[hollyvangogh]

Originally Posted by AutumnMama

Just a thought, but maybe you could try a nipple shield?

I tried it that night after my original post. It's my new best friend. I'm able to feed pain free. It seems my nipples are pretty flat too, so I'm hoping this will help Lucy latch on better and draw them out.

Today I'm engorged. I woke up this morning and had soaked the bed through my breast pads, bras, and two shirts. Wow! I've been using the manual pump to get a little relief. It's so fun watching the streams of milk.

Feeling much better today. Still having my hormonal moments, but both DH and I are doing a good job of recognizing them for what they are. He's awesome. He's been so supportive and takes great care of Lucy and I.

[brandyk]

thanks tracy!!! i have zero speech problems, but i do consider my tongue-rolling ability to be unique and valuable the LC yesterday looked at my tongue and assumed i had been breastfed, and assumed baby could be too. today's LC said i could consider the clipping. i need to do research on this first. mine at least must be very minor, but enough to prevent a good latch. right now i'm concerned about supply. i'm producing milk, and more than i was, but i'm not engorged or anything and nowhere near producing what she needs to eat.

interesting question - anyone else's nails growing like crazy since giving birth? mine are OUT OF CONTROL!

well, finishing up baby's massive nighttime feeding in the middle of the day so i can have more than the 45 minutes of sleep i've been going on. after this it's back to every 2 hours i feel like i'm getting the hang of it slowly. it will be more fun once baby sleeps more at night and is more active during the day.

[Starfish11]

I'm so glad some of the b/f issues have been cleared up I've been thinking about you all and sending you positive booby vibes We had a hard time at first but it has all worked out so keep the faith! Also, when I started using the pump I got sore again.

I've worked out a night routine that seems to be doing ok. Four out of the last fivenights have been pretty peaceful at our house.

[dsaucone]

Wow, I'm really excited to be joining you all in this thread, finally!

That being said, I'm not so excited about all the aches and pains associated with being in this thread. Apparently I overdid it yesterday as the first day home. DH has been awesome taking care of DD on his own the past few days so he wanted to take a nap and I couldn't really say no. I ended up doing a couple loads of laundry, folding about 3/4 of the laundry we own and some minor clean up. Then towards the end of the night I started bleeding a bit more heavily and passing clots, which I hadn't done for about 24 hours. I'm guessing I should stay home today, but I hate staying home.

We were suppose to go out yesterday on the way home from the hospital, but there was a huge snow storm, so we couldn't. We talked about going out today and I really need to. I need to get a pump, these boobs are absolutely killing me. (the pump from my last just didn't last the year in storage) And while I've got all this extra milk just laying around I figure it'd be a good idea to start pumping/storing for when I go back to work. I'm really anxious to try out this sling, but my boobs are just too sore, and their size is making the sling a bit tighter than I'd figured. : I also need to get out and do some grocery shopping. Looks like I'll be attempting it to get out.

I don't remember hurting this bad after dd. I don't think I took a single pain pill with her and I've been popping Motrin and Tylenol like it's going out of style this time.

[Starfish11]

Before I started using the pump I would manually express in a hot shower which made me feel so much better.

[dsaucone]

Originally Posted by Starfish11

Before I started using the pump I would manually express in a hot shower which made me feel so much better.

That's what I'm doing! I had to last night, and this morning I'm going to have to before I run out and grab a pump. I feel like I'm going to end up with milk all the way up to my collar bone and around my back if I don't.

[brandyk]

sigh. my milk hasn't come in yet. tonight is 6 days PP. we don't have the time set yet but we will be getting baby's tongue tie clipped. i was able to do my research yesterday and am ready to go on this one! all i want to do is feed my baby. breastfeeding is hard enough as it is!

i have been overdoing it and need to lie down more. i have some serious swelling in my legs & feet from having the c-section. it's disgusting.

[jspring0308]

Not sure if I should post this in "happy news only" but since it's related to being pp here it is... I'm 2 pounds under my weight at 6 weeks pregnant! :

[avivaelona]

I still haven't pooped post partum -- four days now. Should I be worried?

Nursing is going so so only, we are having some latch issues and some baby is crazy issues and my milk seems to have "sort of" come in but not really well like with J.

I want to get to see an LC but the snow keeps coming down. Hopefully tomorrow I can hobble out though I'm still so sore I don't know how I'll manage. The recovery from J. was easier than this.

[waldorfknitmama]

I'm glad everyone is doing well! Or at least managing!! We all do the best we can!

Had my babe on Monday (the 15th) little Finnley is a week old tommorow!! And I hate to say this (for all the wonderful mamas struggling, bless your hearts) Everything is going so so so so wonderfully it's not even funny! Honestly it's like I never had a baby! My baby nurses like a champ, never had any problems yet. . . ! i pooping peeing and gaining weight well. He sleeps 4+ hours a strech at night from day one. He sleeps wonderfully in his bassanet or crib, my 2year old sleeps throguh the night in his own room in his own bed, and DH has 5wks off. I am truely blessed.

But. . . I've been reading the Dr. Sears fussy baby book while I was pg (just in case) and I'm hoping I don't have the "easy early baby, fussy later" one!! My bleeding has nearly stoped, today I put on a one of my *lights* cloth pad and barely spotted!!! I think it has to do with my supplements I'm taking. I think that the evening primrose oil capsoles along with my iron pills have been really helpful with the lochia. I feel amazing.

Anyways I wish everyone a great babymooning time!!!

[brandyk]

erica - i pooped like 4 days PP and all was fine. i wouldn't worry unless you are having bad gas pains.

what is with all the GD people having milk issues. my milk hasn't really come in still, or it has come in and it sucks. we are dying for tomorrow a.m. when we get a call about getting the tongue tie clipped. all i want to do is feed my baby. it is horrible to feed her formula and EBM. rented a hospital pump today and it is no better than my freestyle - just quiet

dh's project ended last night. i was finally able to sleep and some of the swelling went down. of course its nearly back to what it was but i'll take any improvement.

jspring - that's awesome! i know none of us with post baby issues begrudge anyone their happiness@!!!

[waldorfknitmama]

Hey, I finally pooped 5 days pp. Don't worry about it, my m/w said it's typical to not have a bm for even up to a week.

[Swandira]

After my first baby I went for nine days without pooping. I was fine, though. I think anything less than a week is fine.

Sorry to hear about the mamas with milk issues. That's got to be so frustrating!

How's everyone doing mood-wise? I've been a bit weepy here and there, but usually OK. I'm worried about when my DH goes back to work, though. Three kids is a lot.

[hollyvangogh]

Finally not engorged anymore! Hooray! Feels so much better. Still using the shield though. I'm full enough that Lucy can't get a good latch on my nipples (which were pretty flat to begin with).

Wow to all those who took days to poop. I pooped within the first 24 hours. TMI?

I cannot wait for these stitches to heal (3rd degree tear). I'm tired of it hurting down there.

I cannot believe how fast my body is changing. The first few days PP I still looked pregnant. Now I just look fat.

Lucy had her first doc appt. today. Doc said she has gained a "remarkable" amount of weight (yay breastfeeding)! I'll have an appt. at 6 weeks PP to see how I'm doing.

Lucy is making life so easy for us. So far she's a very happy baby, so easy to please. I feel very blessed.

ETA: Who else is going a little batty over clothes issues??? I have nothing to wear! And I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff because I know I'm about to lose a lot of weight, especially the way this little girl eats.

[FondestBianca]

I could use some more sleep...

I thought I had it made the fisrt 8 to 10 days when ds was fond of going right to sleep after each feeding. Not so much these days... oh my sore back, so much breastfeeding is killing my back and hips. No comfortable position, not even laying down.

I want to sleep in my bed soooooo baddly but for now I'm still stuck on a futon on the living room floor and dh is still stuck on the couch. I miss my bed!

[jspring0308]

Baby is sleeping great for a new baby but the lack of it is starting to wear me out. This is one of the big reasons it took me 4 years to decide that another LO was a good idea.

My mom leaves next week after being here for 7 weeks (she arrived 3 days post delivery) and I totally wish she lived around here. We have no family close and I'm realizing just how isolated we really are and it makes sad.

DH and DD1 and foreign student are pretty much driving me crazy from no fault of their own and the very small amount of patience I have seems to be reserved for baby and keeping the peace with my mom so unfortunately the household is a little tense. DH definitely is thinking I am aright about now!

So even though I am soooooo tired :yawning: I'm having a hard time actually taking the opportunities when baby is sleeping to do the same but maybe I'll try tonight and actually go to bed after she eats. Wish me lots of good sleep vibes. They are going out to all you new Mamas.

[dsaucone]

Mood Wise I was doing great, until last night. I had my first cry for no reason spell. Ugh, I hate those. DH - "What's wrong?" Me- "I don't know" DH - thinking to himself about how in the world I could not know why I'm crying.

hollyvangogh - I had stitches like that last time and it took a long time. I hope yours heal much quicker and easier than mine did! This time the tear was minor and I feel like they've healed already.


We have our first baby well visit today. Let's see how much the little chunky monkey has gained. His diapers don't fit on the same snaps anymore, so I know he's gained a little bit since coming home on Friday.