How are all the post partum mama's feeling today?

[MandyB]

Today is NOT my best day so far, although overall I feel good. Today I just got out of bed feeling like crap! The hormones and baby blues have hit with a vengence yesterday and today.

So today DH is back to work, my older kids are still at my mom's house for another day or so (besides Evan). I woke up to the sound of DH's truck driving away and started the morning off in tears because he didn't wake me/kiss me goodbye before he left (gotta love the post partum hormones).

My boobs hurt like you cannot imagine too! I guess I just cannot get a good latch with Evan, which I can't believe it's been so difficult because this is my fourth child, and I nursed all my others for 2+ years each! You would think I could master it by now. Anyway, he's got shark jaws and a very strong latch, but for some reason I have a scab across each of my nipples and it hurts so so so bad everytime he nurses. I just want to scream everytime he nurses.

NOW, I think I am getting a clogged duct in my left breast and all last night he refused to nurse on that breast for some reason. He would latch on, then let go, over and over again....so I'm in pain and engorged now too. I've had mastitis in the past, so of course I've also got anxiety that it's going to get to that point again, even though I'm trying my best to avoid that.

Thanks for letting me vent. Sitting here by myself and I have to get up and go to a Manager's monthly meeting at my workplace for the next three hours. Hopefully I won't burst into tears while I'm there, since that seems to be what I do best the last two days. Ugh!

On a brighter note, my little man is simply the best! I love him so much and he couldn't be more perfect! My body is healing extremely well physically. "Down there" I barely feel like I just had a baby five days ago, so that's great, and my muscle soreness is almost all gone now too.

How's everyone else feeling???

[boobs4milk]

like a truck hit me. i'm 3 1/2 wks pp but i didn't get any healing time. i was a mess this morning at 4 am after an all night feeding binge from miss millie. she will only nurse on one side because the other is tougher to get let down and she still gets tired. she is nursing every 45 mins or so and then every 3 hrs i still pump the one side. i've nursed 4 kids, one of them to 26.5 mos and this is a whole new ball game. my son never went to breast (30 wkr) but he had only breastmilk until he was about 6 mos, then 1/2 bmilk 1/2 formula until 8 mos. i just couldn't keep up with the pumping, feeding, dr appt, two other kids, etc. i'm hoping to get millie all to breast by thanksgiving. we still do 3-4 bottles of fortified ebm for her per day.

for the duct: massage it firmly while either pumping or nursing and use a cold pack on it. it really does help!

[BlueEyedLady]

I'm feeling really good, although a little sore abdominally. During my hemorrhage they worked so hard massaging my abdomen to make my uterus cramp down and clot that I was literally bruised. That part of me is still a little sore (11 days PP) but other than that I feel really great. I had a small tear that was stitched and that feels fine, and I can finally feel all of my joints starting to settle back into place which is great.

The soreness in my breasts is starting to go away...Sadie was nursing well but my high blood pressure never did go down and my doctor wanted to treat it, only I couldn't take the medicine and nurse at the same time (yes I checked), so we had to switch Sadie to formula. I was really, really sore for a while once she quit nursing!

Now if only Sadie would sleep at NIGHT instead of during the day, I'd be great. It helps too that DH is home from work yet this week so I can take a nap during the day, although next week I won't have that luxury with both DD and DS by myself. I'm fighting the hormones hard...I got really bad with DS, super emotional and strung out though not really depressed. DH was pretty worried then but this time we knew what to expect, so I think that's helping.

[Pookietooth]

Have you seen a good LC yet? Has he been evaluated for tongue tie?

[Carlito's_wife]

Awwww, I am sorry to the mamas having a hard time! I am kind of in between. I am working really hard this time around with the BFing because I always have major problems with engorgment that pretty much lasts the whole time I am breast feeding. I am actually keeping it under control pretty well. Much much better than I ever have. I am making sure to keep baby on a schedule and feed her as evenly as possible on each side. Also when I start to feel I have to much milk I am immediatly doing everything I can to get a let down. Warm steamy showers, cabbage, tight sports bras. Anything to keep it from getting out of control. And with the sore nipples I found that if I let my nipples have some air for at least 10 minutes before feeding then it still feels like she is bighting my nipples off but somehow even though it hurts that bad it still feels better than if I just pull the boob out of my bra and try to feed her.

I have actually slowed almost to a stop on my bleeding. I could get away with a pantyliner if I was comfortable with it. But I am still a little scared of an accident so I am wearing pads. I had a lot of pain the first few days because I was contracting so hard everytime she fed but I noticed that everytime I contracted large ammounts of blood came out. I guess that kind of just got rid of most of it. So I am pretty happy about that.

So I am 6 days pp today. I had a major hormone craze lastnight but I think other than that I am doing ok. I kind of threw a fit at the dinner table because I made chicken noodle soup and everyone was slurping when I had asked them not to and I threw all my food in the trash and told my family they were acting like a bunch of pigs as I stormed off into my room. I felt bad about it afterwards but I just figured they knew I am having some hormonal changes right now. They seemed to have already forgiven me by the time I came out of my room.

I am haveing a little anxiety about my weight and the way my body looks. My stomach has gone down well enough that I am not too worried about it. I know I have a good long while before that is going to look normal. But I am haveing some very strong emotions about my weight as well as some changes my body made while pregnant. Namely the cellulite and the strange way one of my boobs hang a lot lower than the other. I know this is just stuff that comes along with age and being a mommy but I am just not ready to face the music yet.

But DD is doing great. Already gaining even though she is not even a week old. She looks bigger every morning I wake up and look at her. She wakes up and is way more aware than I thought she would be at 6 days old. I know they say that at this point a smile is just a muscle spasm but I strongly disagree. I have 3 other children and I know how to distinguish a spasm from a genuine smile. She smiles when I talk to her and play with her. I know she feels happy and safe and that is why she smiles.

[mom-to-jj]

Originally Posted by MandyB

I guess I just cannot get a good latch with Evan, which I can't believe it's been so difficult because this is my fourth child, and I nursed all my others for 2+ years each! You would think I could master it by now. Anyway, he's got shark jaws and a very strong latch, but for some reason I have a scab across each of my nipples and it hurts so so so bad everytime he nurses. I just want to scream everytime he nurses.

This reminds me so much of my DS. For the first seven weeks of his life, I wept while he nursed because the pain was so bad! He had a minor tongue tie that was missed by his ped and only found by the LC at the hospital because I complained of so much pain, not to mention bruising and bleeding. Even the ENT specialist thought the tongue tie was minor, but I made them clip it anyway...my son ended up nursing for a year with no other problems. I would absolutely see an LC, especially since you are experienced with nursing and know what is normal/abnormal pain. Good luck!

[Bromache]

My sympathies to all of you having difficult times right now.

I'm feeling really great right now, myself. I was a good girl and followed my midwives' recommendations to stay in bed for the first three days (well, mostly), and I think that made a big difference. I remember feeling like utter poop at this point (four days pp) last time around, and I think that may be because I was pushing myself too hard and trying to do too much right away. So I'm taking it real easy this time. Seems to be working! I stopped taking Tylenol/Advil yesterday, bleeding is slowing way down, and swelling is also down. Yay! Breastfeeding is going great, too. We need to work on a better latch (owie!) but he is definitely getting milk and lots of it, based on the diapers I've been changing.

Emotionally, things are good as well. Jonah's a really easy baby *knock on wood* and Liam has been adjusting remarkably well, so my biggest worries have been resolved... hopefully. We'll see how things develop in the next couple of weeks, once my mom goes home and we settle into our new normal. Getting more sleep this time around is making a HUGE difference in my mental state, too! Now the next thing to be on the lookout for is colic, which started at about the three week mark last time... *gulp*

[Harmony96]

I'm having lots of bone pain in my hips, so am going to attempt to go to a chiropractor today.

But everything else is doing great. MW came out yesterday evening to check me and said I look great and am healing nicely.

[Katica]

2.5 weeks pp here. Sometimes, I unexpectedly burst out crying and it can get pretty embarrassing when other people are around.

DD is nursing great. She has an excellent latch but I think I have a bit of an overactive letdown. With DS I never got engorged. He stayed latched for the first few months of his life (and I mean that almost literally). Speaking of DS I`ve been having a hard time with him. He`s always been a high needs/high maintenance child and now he is practically out of control. It doesn`t help that my mood changes all the time and one moment I`m patient but at other times..

Having a little hard time with my body too. I`m only about 5 lbs over my pre-preggo weight but I got round and none of my old clothes fit. So, I`m stuck with just a few pieces of clothing and I don`t like my body at all. Gotta love pp hormones