So how are all the PostPartum mamas doing ?

[JesiLynne]

Baby has thrush. I'm still coughing from getting bronchitis right after baby was born. Coughing irritates my sore cervix. Boob hurt, I don't know if it is from thrush or just engorged from lazy nursing baby. I'm soooooooooo tired still.
SPD is still hanging on, somewhat less though. I can sleep on my side with just a bit of pain now.
I want to start exercising so bad. AM I NUTS? I really do, just b/c I really want to lose weight. I saw a pic of me during labor and I guess I never realize just how big my rear end really is. I tried to brush it off, blaming it on being swollen from my epi, but dh broke that bubble.

My baby needs a bath, but I hate bathing babies, it makes me so nervous.

[Mainstream Hippie]

I hear you on the exercise thing. I feel ready. My lochia is practically gone. But, then, last night, flipping sides to nurse, I felt a gushing, and ran to the bathroom, holding my pad to myself. I had saturated the thin overnight extra-long pad. What's up with that? I hadn't done anything stressful. It makes me nervous to jump back into things, though.

We did our first baby bath at a week old. He HATED it. Screamed at us the whole time. I was very glad to have my husband there, an extra set of hands. I think I am going to go back to what I always do- take the baby in the bath with me, rather than the infant bath.

Oh, and my labor and birth photos were AWFUL. I was so disappointed- I looked great at just 15lbs less, 5 years ago, for my last birth. I wish I could do retakes.

[heinz28]

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one feeling a bit enlarged still, and in need of exercise. We had record high temps here today and during a walk with the dogs, I ran a bit -- not a good idea. I'm 2 weeks post-birth and I felt it in the lower area.

Realistically, I'm also too tired to really exercise right now. I'm just trying not to stress the fact the whole body image thing. -- I guess I'll just try to eat healthy in the meantime.

Yes, I'd also like to retake my post-birth photos.

Question: Do you ladies use any lotion on your newborns, other than in the diaper area?

[nighten]

I used California Baby lotion on her hands and feet when they started getting all peely. But other than that, nope. And no soap either -- too drying.

We did a bath (me holding her in the tub with me) the other day but she wasn't a fan. So it ended up being a nekky nursing session, basically. I just do little sponge baths, drying her off as I go in sections kind of.

Tomorrow's my husband's first day back in the office and I'm a little emotional about it. Feeling a tad needy. Other than that I'm doing okay. So far.

[JesiLynne]

I'm dead tired right now, but I so totally want to do something to drop a few inches.
I was just starting to lose the weight from my twins when I got pg with Sephie.
She's peeling and I think I might try olive oil.

[MomtoXane]

I'm so sorry for all you mommas who are still recovering/adjusting. This has by far been the fastest and easiest for me. I was back to pre-pg weight by 2wks. That GD diet really did it for me, lol. I can't wait for my spotting to finally stop, I'm ready to be intimate again!

Re Baths - Yes they make me so nervous too! The baby is so tiny and wobbly add that to slippery and soapy, you're almost asking to drop them.

Re PP pics - I have no pictures of the birth! It really went quick. I also have no PP hospital pics or any newborn pics, guess it was just in the back of my mind to take some...

Re baby lotion - I'm using Burt's Bees Baby. The Apricot oil is what I used exclusively for flaky newborn skin and to help dissolve sticky meconium. I love it!

[AllyRae]

We're battling thrush here too now...Mia's likely had it for 2 weeks and I just chalked the white up to milk curds, and my red nipples up to her bad latch. Um, oops. Yeah, it dawned on me yesterday that it's not milk and bad latch.

And I'm 7 weeks out and nowhere near my pre-pg weight. And I have to be below that for my sister's wedding in September. I probably should start doing something about that. :

[JesiLynne]

ALLYRAE 2 of my sisters got engaged a week after my c/s with twins. They both were married 5 months later, I felt like a whale in a red dress. I didn't have any time to lose weight, I was still in a ton of pain by the time the weddings rolled around.

[Nillarilla]

2 wks pp here. I wish I could stop spotting I miss my hubby. I'm dying to start exercising here too but I know that I get sore from too much shopping. Hopefully in 2 more weeks I will be ready for both sex and exercise. Both do wonders for the emotional system.
Does anyone else's baby poop all day? Seriously every diaper has poop in it.
We fixed our sleeping arrangement last night moving my ds's bed into our room, getting rid of the boxcarred crib and putting our bed on the floor. We all stayed in bed all night last night and ds slept through. Baby was up for 2 1/2 hr periods but didn't bother anyone. I still have some hip pain when sleeping on my side. I think I need a chiro appt.

[LionTigerBear]

My baby poops all day. At least I know she's eating a lot. I'm interested to see how much weight she's gained so far.

I also am eager to lose weight. For me, I know that the answer will be mostly dietary/nutritional. I will need to supplement, too. When I get my diet and supplements right, then I have more energy and my metabolism improves and the weight just falls off. So that's my focus at the moment, but I also went out and bought the resistance band and a workout outfit so I can start the Tupler postpartum exercises, too.

Oh, my butt got much huger than I realized, too. Funny how that belly bump made everything else look smaller. Now they look plenty big. Joy joy joy. I am 11 days postpartum and I have about 40 pounds to lose, to get back to my prepregnancy weight. I would be perfectly happy if I lost just 30 pounds though. Still seems a little daunting, though! I am hoping to lose most of this in the next couple months, because I have a little family reunion to attend in May. I won't do anything unhealthy to get there, but I certainly will do everything healthy that I can do!

I just bathed baby for the first time in the shower this morning-- her first bath or shower. She seemed unsure of what to make of it, nursed some, and finally fell asleep. Then I moisturized her skin with pure almond oil in lieu of baby lotion.

Another night of very little sleep last night. And plenty of tears-- on my end, not the baby. Third night of Very Little Sleep in a row and I just want to sleep SO BAD. She is just so gassy. I'm pretty sure that this is because my diet got pretty bad during pregnancy and I need to work on my (our) gut flora and everything. I know this is the reason for my moodiness right now, too. When I have my diet and supplementation back to where it needs to be, and start her on an infant probiotic, I am certain her gassiness and trouble sleeping at night will correct itself. Can't. Wait.

[Jenivere]

I'm having some rather sleepless nights because Wren has a cold. I'm really feeling quite good though I'm still having some pelvic pain if I am up and about to long. We spent all day Saturday running errands and at 2 weeks pp it was way to much. I was limping and exhausted by the time we left for home. I am slightly below my pp weight now but I only gained about 12 lbs with this pregnancy. I still have quite a stretched out belly but thats to be expected. Overall I look pretty good for having just had a baby and and that lifts my spirits. I started feeling pretty emotional the last week or so which is driving me crazy because the recovery has been so smooth.

Wren is doing beautifully! I think she has mild thrush and she does have a plugged tear duct. She doesn't like it when I squirt milk in her eye or clean it with a cotton ball but she doesn't mind when I massage it. We weighed her a week ago and again today. She is 10 lbs already! Last week that averaged out to an ounce a day but she's gained a pound and a half this week so now it averages 1.5 oz a day! She's a beautiful, chunky, happy baby.

[firefly mama]

2 weeks pp here too. After worrying about milk supply we finally got confirmation things are okay. Sadie was weighed last night and she's gaining fine, which is a huge relief after she lost almost 10% in her first 3 days. My first two kids did not gain well and I did have supply problems, so this is awesome to have things working well right now. Sadie still doesn't poop often (once every 4-5 days), but it seems to be okay for her. My first two kids pooped once a week, so this is an improvement.

I'm doing okay. I weighed myself yesterday for the first time since last spring. I'm 25 lbs UNDER pre-pregnancy weight. I knew I was sick during that pregnancy, but dang! I still have lots to lose, but I admit it is somewhat of a relief to be in a good starting place. Still, I'd have rather not puked for 9 months. :Puke I've gotten sicker with each pregnancy, so it makes me a bit nervous about next time (we're already thinking of next time!).

Otherwise things are okay. Sleep is so-so. Sadie sleeps attached to me or next to me, which isn't the greatest rest for me, but it is okay for 2 weeks pp. My older kids are good with the baby. My body feels okay. I have to be careful with walking too much and picking up heavy weights. My stomach mucles are hurting still. But overall this is so much better than my other pp experiences...

[DreamsInDigital]

It's been 4 weeks and 1 day since Lucius was born and I feel completely normal again. My SPD is completely gone, all my pains and complaints have disappeared, nursing is going perfectly and life is fabulous. Lucius is a wonderful, snuggly, chunky little guy and I can't imagine how I ever managed without him.

[chaoticzenmom]

I'm doing ok and we're 5 days PP. I'm wondering...when can I do kegals again? That whole area doesn't move when I try. I'm a little worried that it'll stay like that and I don't remember the last births and how they effected my pelvic recovery. I had a 2cm tear that I chose not to stitch, so part of me is worried that I made the wrong choice and maybe I should have had the 2 stitches

I haven't weighed myself yet. I was 206 the day I had him. I'm usually about 150lbs. If I weight close to 180 right now, I wont' have to worry about losing the weight. Breastfeeding makes me thin.

Teo won't let me put him down. He's in the sling or on me in some way all the time. So far, he sleeps all night from about 7 until 5am. I wake to feed him and to change/burp him, but he stays asleep through all of it. I haven't given him his first bath yet, but I'm thinking that I will tonight. He hasn't lost his cord yet, so maybe I'll just sponge him down...his neck is stinky!

Anyone else worried about their vaginal tone? Any tricks?

[mckittre]

So how bad is exercise, really?

I can't stand not being active, and I deal much better with winter (and life in general), if I get out in the daylight every day. So I've been sticking Katmai in the wrap and hiking up the hill every day like I've always done (starting at 1 week after his birth, which I'm sure isn't recommended).

It's 17 days now since he was born, and the lochia isn't bad, but it's definitely still here, and still reddish brown. If I feel good, do I need to worry about it? Or can I just listen to my body, exercise as I want to, and let things work themselves out? This is my first, so I'm not sure what's normal.

[Enudely]

hi everyone
7 days pp here and I hear you on the weight thing! I gained the same amount as I did with my first (50 pounds!!) but for some reason am more worried about it this time. I am a naturally thin person, and last time my dd just sucked it right out of me, so I'm sure I'll have no problem, but I still just feel so chubby~!
It doesn't help that I have no clothes that fit, other than the maternity clothes that I seriously want to burn!
Little Wes is a PUKER! My first never even spit up and this guy seriously pukes all.the.time! I smell like rancid baby puke!
I think I probably need to try cutting dairy out or getting a pro-biotic going like a pp said. I had a TON of antibiotics pumped in during labor so I'm sure that didn't help the intestinal flora situation.
DD is doing well w/ transition but bedtime is not going well because she's used to me lying down w/ her and baby keeps waking her up just as she drifts off. dh can only hold him off for so long.
She's napping now, praise god!
Wes has a little hand deformity which really freaked me out at first but I am now starting to feel better about.

[Everrgreen]

I had my 6 week midwife visit today - the last one! We attempted a pap test but it hurt too much so we had to stop. My midwife felt I may have had a tear on my cervix which hasn't healed yet. So I am to wait another 6 weeks. I'm disappointed that I'm taking so long to heal down there. And dh was disappointed b/c we obviously aren't read to dtd yet .

As for Royce, we had him weighed and he is up to 10lb 6oz. He is doing very well. Sometimes he can be quite gassy and will spit up a lot. I'm going to be getting him a probiotic the midwife recommended.

We do have one issue I'm dealing with right now and that is sleep. I love sleeping with Royce right next to me but I think it is affecting my sleep. We have a crib side carred to the bed but I can't actually get him to sleep in it. He needs to be right next to me. I'm not too worried yet as he is still so little, but I would really love to get him moved over to his crib so I can flop around a bit.

re baths - I always bath with Royce and he enjoys it. At first he would want to nurse, but the last time we had a bath he really seemed to enjoy it.

re poop - Royce has poop in just about every diaper. Most are just messy farts, but he has a few good ones every day too

re lotion - have only used olive oil if needed, and I try and only use soap if really needed.

re exercise - nothing yet. I would love to get outside more but it's still so cold here. Although Royce loves when we hold him and bounce on the exercise ball, so I guess that counts as exercise.

re birth pics - I just have ones my mom took, nothing professional, and I look pretty bad in all of them But they are special to me. And the pics of right after the birth all have my boobs showing so that limits who I'm comfortable sharing them with.

[Mainstream Hippie]

My daughter pooped constantly. This guy is about once a day or so. I have a friend who has a nine week old, and he poops every diaper. Never a ton, but always a decent bit.

LTB, my little guy had awful gas, and would wake up every hour or so squealing in pain. Baby acidophillus, about a fingertip twice a day, it was better within a couple of days. We also do simethicone drops when it gets acute (about every other day now).

[Queen of my Castle]

I'm not sure how much I weigh now, but I had put on about 45lbs. I'm never in a hurry to lose it. Between wearing the baby a lot, chasing after toddler/preschooler and nursing, I lose it fairly quickly. I am looking forward to spring and getting outside and being more active, but for now I'm happy snuggling in the sun.

I've bathed with the baby 2 times, other than that, just wiping down with a wet washcloth. I use olive oil for his skin, too. I might use sweet almond oil, or the burt's bee's apricot oil, it smells sooo lovely.

My recovery has been so fast this time. We're only 12 days postpartum and my lochia has really diminished, I'm not sore, and I feel very capable. Someone asked about kegels- go ahead and do them as soon as you are comfortable! They're so good for you!

[CandyApple]

We had a very scary weekend- Milo was admitted Saturday morning to the hospital with a nasty respitory virus. Poor little guy was so congested and uncomfortable, it made me cry every time he sneezed or coughed, so we saw the Dr on Sat am. They referred him to the ER, who did a breathing treatment and checked for RSVirus. It wasn't that, but his resting oxygen levels were low, his respitory rate high and his lungs were retracting. So they admitted us to pedriatrics, since he was only 25 days old, and the virus was mimicing RSV. The hospital staff was great, they had him feeling much better by Sunday, but it was a nervewracking couple of days. I've never been so scared.

I hate it when my babies are sick and I can't take away the pain or explain why they hurt so much. It makes me feel so helpless. Thankfully they were able to open his airways and make him more comfortable fairly quickly. We are so glad to be home now, and so sick of winter and sickness!

Back to the thread -

Still pooping w/every dipe!
Little dab of lotion on forehead, cuz I love the smell! Apricot oil on feet.
Kegels- been doing them since birth, I think. Start when you feel comfortable
No exercise yet, but hoping to try again this weekend. Bleeding has stopped.
Still have about 10 lbs to go, tummy about gone, but just bigger all over.

I did get a new haircut and bought some new lotions and make-up on Friday. Of course, none of them got used due to the drama this weekend, so I'm looking forward to playing with my new look this morning. Hopefully that will help boost my self-image spirits!