Post Partum Weekly Thread May 8-15

[CookAMH]

I saw that other DDCs have a weekly thread for pp mamas in addition to those still waiting (I think, I hope I'm not segregating!!).

How's everyone doing? Any crazy visitors or family members? We've been getting flowers and gifts all week, so fun. MIL told us a story of when her firstborn was a newborn, she got up from bed to go to the bathroom and her dd rolled toward FIL, and she latched on to his breast!! MIL said FIL let out the biggest laugh and startled dd.

DH and I CRACK up at Ezra's night bottom rumblings. Too funny.

I've cried every day over something, love the hormones.

I'm getting stronger each day and Ezra has really eased us gently into parenthood :. My MIL has been GREAT and it's been wonderful having her here (she was the one who was soooooooooooooo eager to be here and we were a little nervous). I make sure I give Ezra to her a little each day. She's really doing a lot around here. My mom comes Monday.

We haven't had any visitors to the house. One good friend is coming tomorrow but we've held off DH's relatives and his family friends who want to come by. It's been very nice and quiet.

Those who have recovered from a section before, what were the first two weeks like? I'm 9 days pp get fatigued after walking around the apartment for a bit doing things. I don't expect that I should be able to do more. I plan to stay in bed a little more today.

I've had trouble falling asleep at night when dh and I first go to bed around 11-12. I end up being awake until Ezra awakens at 1 or so and then I'm up till 2 or so with feeding. I have a week and a half befgore there is more activity with family for Dh's seminary graduation (we are so thankful Ezra came early) so I can continue to rest during the day. I did some straigthening this morning and feel worn out now after about 45 min of putting things away (slowly). My incision seems to be doing great as well as my 'roids. Nursing is going so well and ezra is on a pretty consistent schedule on his own with some occasional cluster feedings. I'm wondering if the percicet is making him more mellow, anyone seen that?

What do you do when your LO is awake at night after a feeding? He's content and calm, but awake. Ezra is haing more awake time all around, and at night so far we've just tried to stay quiet and not stimulate him too much and we have a pretty dim light that is on. I'm sure he'll eventually get the idea that it's nighttime. He's in our room in a cradle but we don't co sleep (we don't feel like we're able to make that safe or work for us).

Off to shower my smelly self...

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by CookAMH

What do you do when your LO is awake at night after a feeding? He's content and calm, but awake. Ezra is haing more awake time all around, and at night so far we've just tried to stay quiet and not stimulate him too much and we have a pretty dim light that is on. I'm sure he'll eventually get the idea that it's nighttime. He's in our room in a cradle but we don't co sleep (we don't feel like we're able to make that safe or work for us).

Heh, if you figure it out, let me know...

She will NOT lay down in the bassinet if she is not asleep.

I've taken to just walking around holding her (kind of belly-to-belly with her head against my chest). If she is hungry at all, that just winds her up, but if she's full, it can sometimes make her sleepy (and is sometimes the only position to calm her if she cries).

I'm finding that's my favorite position to hold her, ever. It makes her sleepy, it calms her down, it's the only way I can manage to actually burp her (she HATES going over one shoulder), and it's the sure way to tell if she's really done eating or just done on that boob and wants the other. She goes into "Shark Attack" mode and just starts gnawing at me, rotfl.

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

She goes into "Shark Attack" mode and just starts gnawing at me, rotfl.

Ezra does that too. I call him my baby bird because when he's up on my shoulder and hungry, he lifts his head and pecks me. It's so funny.

[lotus.blossom]

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks pp for me and today I am up and around and puttering without any pain. I quit the percoset 2 days ago and am still on 600mg of Ibuprofin twice daily as well as homeopathic arnica.
Alicia, give yourself another week or so! Happy to hear that your MIL is working out!! Its absolutely necessary in the weeks following surgery!

I am the luckiest mama in the world that Griffin only wakes up once a night to nurse. He usually fusses for about 20 minutes or so. Just grunts groans and poops and then we change and fall back asleep all without me getting out of bed. I figure I put in my dues with an extremely needy babe the first time around!!

Nursing is different this time too. I think my nipples must have gotten bigger after Lochlan. And G's mouth is smaller. He is not the best latcher. I have to use the football hold and shove my nipple in there. I usually wait till he is crying because otherwise I can't entice him to open his mouth. I am so not ready to NIP even though I had to at his ped appt. I feel so leaky and unsure of myself this time around. Funny how babies can be so different!

Lochlan is an absolute terror. I have had a couple of days where my mom took a few hours and left me with both of them and I was almost insane. I had to take some rescue remedy. I really don't know how I am going to function with two. Its great when the baby is sleeping, or when the baby is awake and someone else has L.

[CookAMH]

April I'm glad to hear you're feeling well. I just got up from a nap . I've gone a couple hours past my dosage at times and start to feel a little. I counted my percicet before my nap,and I have 4 days left. My rx was for 30 pills. I cut them in half and to stretch out and ease off. If after a while that's not working, I'll go back to full strength. I bet I could get a refill? should I stay full strength now and call now for a refill? MIL is a retired nurse and has been able to check my incision someand thinks it looks good. My steri-strips haven't started to fall off yet. How was your incision dressed? I had staples removed 3 days pp and the adhesive strips put on which last 7-10 days.

I have been doing the football hold a lot too with Ezra right up under my armpit with the boppy and another pillow underneath. That really saved us our second full day in the hosp and the LC got me set up like that, big difference for us. I like the boppy but also don't as there are times I miss holding him when the boppy is holding him and my arm is around him (with my hand controlling his head), so we've done the regular cradle hold some wiht success so I could feel his weight in my arms and feel the cuddles. However, I wasn't watching, and two different times, once on each nipple, he slipped off the nipple and sucked my areola only for just a minute or two and gave me hickies! lol.

I'm sorry about Lachlan... I can see how tht would give you anxiety when you think about being alone with him and G.

[Kelly1101]

We're officially addicted to side-lying hold. I didn't even try it for the first week or so, but now oh MAN is it awesome, especially when I'm only half-awake at 3 am. She definitely likes it a lot more, too, a lot less "popping-off-and-relatch" action. Cause she loves to do that-- spit out the nipple, and then look up at me all wide-eyed with this turtle look, and then get pissed off "where did the milk go?"

[major_mama11]

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom

Nursing is different this time too. I think my nipples must have gotten bigger after Lochlan. And G's mouth is smaller. He is not the best latcher. I have to use the football hold and shove my nipple in there. I usually wait till he is crying because otherwise I can't entice him to open his mouth. I am so not ready to NIP even though I had to at his ped appt. I feel so leaky and unsure of myself this time around. Funny how babies can be so different!

I seem to be having the same problem. I figured after nursing Jubilee into toddlerhood, starting over with a newborn would be totally easy! I have found breastfeeding to be waaaay harder this time. Plus he's a baby who wants to nurse 24/7. My right side has finally recovered, but I still wince every time he latches on to the left side, because that side is still cracked and ouchy.

I'm a big fan of side-lying, but so far that's the ouchiest position to nurse in because it seems to make him gnaw right on the raw parts. I can't wait until nursing gets more comfortable.

But he is gaining weight well, so that's the main thing...

[Amydoula]

Glad to hear you guys are doing so well! I'm excited to be on this side of the board now as well

Things are going well here. He was a bit jaundiced in the beginning b/c of being early and small but no need for the lights so that was great. BF is going VERY well, much better start than with his brother. I can't wait until he gets weighed at his first Dr. visit tomorrow. He hardly lost anything, only down 4 oz on discharge. He was already getting BM poo on DAY 2, as he passed all his meconium the first day. My milk came in with a vengeance last night, so much so that he keeps spitting up, but that will regulate soon. I'm just so grateful he's nursing well. My nips are sore but not extreme, no cracking or bleeding just the usual got to get used to being sucked on all the time stuff. First two nights he was up a LOT but last night he only got up twice to eat, I think the milk really coming in made a difference b/c he was so full afterwards and was able to sleep really well. Happy Mother's Day everyone!

[Smithie]

Crashing this thread to say...

1. I love the side-lying hold for nighttime nursing as well. My dd#1 latched on side-lying about 20 minutes after she was born, so I knew it would work well for her! With my ds there was more of a learning curve, but it was sooooooo worth it. I hop this baby is a side-lying nursing champ! (Warning: side-lying may lead to cosleeping. Do not panic if you wake up 3 hours later and find the baby still on your boob, asleep.)

2. Right from birth, I differentiated between night and day with my kids. During the day, waking meant seeing my face, playing etc. During the night, I kept all the lights off and it was boob and then right back to bed! Other than some cuddling during the beginning of the feeding, I pretended to be unconscious. I did not change them unless they pooped, and even then I learned how to do it in the dark. If they cried, dh and I snuggled them without talking or getting up until they were soothed. I really think it helped them to get off of a fetal schedule and on to a human schedule. I am fairly obsessed with getting enough sleep, as I seem to go crazy when I don't.

[RomanGoddess]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

She will NOT lay down in the bassinet if she is not asleep.

Same with my little guy, except that even if he is already asleep, he wakes up if I lay him on his back. I have taken to lying him on his tummy : and that generally keeps him asleep.

I'm having a lot of trouble with the side-lying position. He doesn't seem to be able to latch well in that position.

I have stopped using CDs for the past week. I was finding it exhausting to change him all the time and to do the washing in my post-partum condition. It's been two weeks since the birth and I still find that I can't walk very fast or for a very long time and I am in no condition to wear the baby around yet either. I hope I will feel able to use my wrap soon because taking him out in the stroller is very cumbersome where we live.

[Kelly1101]

yeah, she hates her back, always wants to sleep on her side. She has already mastered the art of twisting and arching her back to roll over onto her side. She particularly loves doing that while changing her *sigh*. The other day I was changing her and she did a twist-roll, pointed her butt at the tapestry that's on the wall by the changing-table, and PROJECTILE poo'ed onto the tapestry.

She can seriously get some distance.

[surprisedmama]

Happy Mothers Day Ladies! I was so happy to see this thread this morning. It is so nice to read other mama's stories with my morning coffee.

Liam is 1 month!!! But still 2 weeks until my due date Having a preemie has been a strange experience. It took about 3 weeks to get into a good grove. We have started cloth diapering and using a wrap! These are things I was very excited to start. The diapers are a little big but he doesn't have explosive poos yet so we are doing OK. I am surprised they fit he is now 5lbs 12oz and they are one size pockets. He fits into the Happy Heiny's, Hault Pockets and Bum Genius. The Bum Genius are the trimmest. The CD are handy because I can actually do a full load of baby laundry a day. He doesn't have very many outfits that fit because he is so small so I need to wash them a lot. Preemie clothes are to short and NB are to long

Having 3 kids is interesting. I was very overwhelmed the first couple of weeks but after being left alone a few times we worked out our groove. Be gentle on yourselves mamas use the TV or Movies or straight out bribes. It will get easier and a little TV now and then and a relaxed mama is worth it. I am lucky because my other kids are big so I can straight out ask them to leave me alone while I feed.

Sleeping has been good thankfully! I am hoping Liams personality so far is his and not due to his prematurity. He never cries! He fusses a tiny bit at a diaper change and that is it. One night he cried for 30 min (which was scary) due to a nasty gas bubble. But we fixed it by getting him naked and having some skin to skin time and a nice feed. We will see in 2 weeks when he wakes up. I hope he is as chill as he is now, mind you he sleeps 23 hrs a day

Thanks for letting me get it all out!

[jeliphish]

Originally Posted by CookAMH

Ezra does that too. I call him my baby bird because when he's up on my shoulder and hungry, he lifts his head and pecks me. It's so funny.

LOL I think it it sooooo darn sweet when they do this....their little mouth in the "O" position and just boinking up and down, up and down. Maggie occasionally finds my chin and will latch on

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

yeah, she hates her back, always wants to sleep on her side. She has already mastered the art of twisting and arching her back to roll over onto her side. She particularly loves doing that while changing her *sigh*. The other day I was changing her and she did a twist-roll, pointed her butt at the tapestry that's on the wall by the changing-table, and PROJECTILE poo'ed onto the tapestry.

She can seriously get some distance.

I read this out loud to my DH and MIL and we howled!! Too funny.

[CookAMH]

I showered yesterday AND today!! Up till now, I was showering every other day. I even shaved yesterday. My hair is pretty easy at this point - I got a cut and highlights the day before I went into labor.

Ezra's been having about 15 min of awake time after feeding which is fun during the day. He did well last night though and wasn't awake as long. He got up twice last night and I got the most sleep from 10pm - noon that I have so far (8.5 hours). Feedings take about an hour.

Side lying: I've done it a few times. Ezra does great with it but it's uncomfortable for me largely because of my larger breasts. I have to keep one hand on the breast by his nose and smoosh it to keep it from smothering his nose.

I never really had engorgement. I had firmness and tenderness on each outer side of my breast on day 3 and 4 but they're always soft now but he eats well and if I express milk after he's done, it's pretty creamy looking. He usually does about 15-20 min on one side then 5-10 on the second after a little intermission. Is that creamy milk the hindmilk? I do leak some so I've got nursing pads in. Does all that indicate a milk supply that seems to be normalized already based on Ezra's eating? He goes 3-4 hours between nursing on his own with an occasional burst of hunger where he wants to go a lot longer (like this afternoon, 10 days old, possible growth spurt).

I can't believe Liam is a month old already!! Glad CD is going well.

I'm thrilled with our diapers and covers. Thirsties are great but were rubbing his cord stump causing a little bleeding, so we went back to the almost-too-small NB size Bummis snap that have a lower front. Much better. I have two of those so will rotate until stump falls off.

Kudos to you ladies adjusting to a newborn with other kids! I hope you have the help you need.

I need to email my bradley class about the birth. I am kind of putting it off as I feel nervous to relive all the events of the day with the c-secdtion at the end. It wasn't a terrible day but I do think back, what if we had tried this or that to get him to turn or get under my pubic bone. I think it'll be good to write it out though. I will probably post the same write up here in the DDC for the birth story.

[lotus.blossom]

Originally Posted by CookAMH

Side lying: I've done it a few times. Ezra does great with it but it's uncomfortable for me largely because of my larger breasts. I have to keep one hand on the breast by his nose and smoosh it to keep it from smothering his nose.

I have to do the same thing!! I have been having to lean up up my elbow or sit up to nurse because the side lying was making him latch improperly and making my nips sooo sore.

Hooray for showers!! Thats one thing that I insist on everyday. I'm really disgusted my the post partum smells, lochia and sour milk (i oversupply and have floods all the time despite breastpads.
Oh, and Alicia- I took my steri strips off a couple days ago. My incision looks good. Better than the last one actually!! And I too had staples. I have some bruising on the right side so my pubic area is still kind of lumpy, but based on last time it'll flatten out and fade after a few months.

Griffin lost his umbilical stump today, and I am finally feeling well enough to wash diapers so we'll start them soon. I have been really bad about changing him because the disposables are so absorbant. I briefly thought about forgetting cloth, but I really hate buying diapers. Such a waste of money and resources! So I just need to DO it.

I'd love to read your birth story Alicia. Mine is in the birth trauma forum. And I am putting together a slide show. Almost done with that so I'll share when its ready.

at Emma's tapestry poo! Is that the same tapestry that you posed in front of for your pregnancy photos?

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by CookAMH

I never really had engorgement. I had firmness and tenderness on each outer side of my breast on day 3 and 4 but they're always soft now but he eats well and if I express milk after he's done, it's pretty creamy looking. He usually does about 15-20 min on one side then 5-10 on the second after a little intermission. Is that creamy milk the hindmilk? I do leak some so I've got nursing pads in. Does all that indicate a milk supply that seems to be normalized already based on Ezra's eating? He goes 3-4 hours between nursing on his own with an occasional burst of hunger where he wants to go a lot longer (like this afternoon, 10 days old, possible growth spurt).

I think that the creamy milk is the hindmilk, yeah. I've not been too worried about it at all because she's been putting on weight so good, and produces plenty of poop. I think as long as you're getting a good number of poo diapers out of him, he's getting plenty of the good stuff.

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom

at Emma's tapestry poo! Is that the same tapestry that you posed in front of for your pregnancy photos?

Haha, no, another one... the preg photos were in the computer room, and right now all her stuff (changing table, bassinet, dresser) are in the bedroom with us. The tapestry near the changing table is kind of a dark green/white pattern, which she likes because of the contrasting colors, I think... although guess she wanted to add a little more color to it herself.

It really IS funny when she projectiles, even though it means a lot of cleaning up... just because she makes this little pursed-mouth, eyebrows-raised interested face right after she does it, that is hysterical.

[major_mama11]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

It really IS funny when she projectiles, even though it means a lot of cleaning up... just because she makes this little pursed-mouth, eyebrows-raised interested face right after she does it, that is hysterical.

I love those funny newborn faces. We always call that type of face "Blue Steel" (only funny if you're immature Ben Stiller fans like me and DH.

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by major_mama11

I love those funny newborn faces. We always call that type of face "Blue Steel" (only funny if you're immature Ben Stiller fans like me and DH.

ROTFL YES it is that exact face!