Weekly Chat thread Dec 28- Jan 3 - Page 2

[NicoleS]

Originally Posted by aramat

Whyyyy did I agree to go straight to breastfeeding? It's clearly easier for her to drink the breastmilk from a cup right now! Argh, stupid!!

So sorry. Would using an SNS tube help? Get her used to the idea of being at the breast, but allow her to get more nutrition per suck?

[Snapdragon]

Oh aramat you are doing great, don't get mad at yourself! I am sure this must be really hard to go through. Hopefully things will even out for the weight gain soon. You are just learning as you go.

[jul511riv]

Tamara,

Stop beating yourself up, honey! This isn't the pop quiz that it feels like. It's a great big journey. you live. You learn. If you think there is a better way, well then advocate for it. Try and get your dh on your side. If he's not there then try and get a nurse or doctor on your side. You just wanted to get your baby out of there fast and were trying to not make waves. Okay. So if that's not working, then make waves. Make so many waves that they will practically THROW you both out!

One day at a time. It's a journey. It's a process.

[chai]

Originally Posted by NicoleS

So sorry. Would using an SNS tube help? Get her used to the idea of being at the breast, but allow her to get more nutrition per suck?

Do they not do the tube supplementation in the NICU? Seems they should.
Here is some video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezGIkIkhC_o

[aramat]

Originally Posted by chai

Do they not do the tube supplementation in the NICU? Seems they should.
Here is some video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezGIkIkhC_o

She breastfeeds very well, but I encouraged her to nurse for too long each session yesterday (almost an hour). The thing is just that she needs to conserve her energy for growing. So today I am nursing her on a time-limit and then giving her a cup of expressed breastmilk afterward. This is much, much faster (less than half an hour) -- and if I'd allowed myself to follow my instincts, it's what I would have tried first, before trying to exclusively breastfeed. (Everything I've read said that preemies lose weight when they first start nursing!) So we'll find out her weight in the morning and see if it worked!

I still haven't had the guts to ask if Julianna might still be able to go home tomorrow if she gains today. But, they have continued with the standard going-home preparations -- 'teaching' me how to do stuff for the baby. Which is kind-of funny to me, because this is my third kid... I'm pretty sure there is nothing different about the bathing or diaper-changing!

Just doing a lot of cuddling and pumping and water-drinking and finger-crossing today. Thanks for the support, mamas!!

[TexasMum]

Tamara- I think you are doing a great job through all of this and I admire your strength.

Katie- about the movement thing, from my personal experience movement tends to decrease the closer you get to the end of pregnancy. Like, you should still feel the baby a lot of course but the movements will change because the baby is more cramped. I am 35 weeks (measuring 37weeks) and I am feeling lots of movement still but they are more rolling and squirming Vs. big thumps and kicks.

Although the baby always jumps whenever I fart....

[Keeta]

Originally Posted by TexasMum

Although the baby always jumps whenever I fart....

Had a mw appointment today, everything is pretty normal and standard. Measuring 2 weeks ahead (36 weeks). Baby is head down (yay!) but they think his back is against my back (boo!). No big deal, I'll just add some more cat-cow stretches a few times a day.

I was having seriously bad heartburn and then a new fun symptom, sciatica, so I went to the chiro yesterday. It was like MAGIC! Anyone suffering from heartburn, go to the chiro. I know it sounds weird, and when my friend told me it helped her with heartburn, I thought, "seriously?! with HEARTBURN?!" but it really and truly did WONDERS for mine. The sciatica was still sore yesterday but today it's tons better. I think I'm going to go again later this week (DS and I are going out of town next week, so I want to "stock up" on the benefits!).

Sleeping is definitely becoming difficult. My shoulders, hips, and neck are sore every time I wake up from being exclusively on my sides. And my pubic bone aches even though I sleep with a pillow between my legs.

Yeah, I'm ready to have this baby. I forgot how tiring and achy the last few weeks of pregnancy are. :P

[Ficus]

Originally Posted by aramat

She breastfeeds very well, but I encouraged her to nurse for too long each session yesterday (almost an hour). The thing is just that she needs to conserve her energy for growing. So today I am nursing her on a time-limit and then giving her a cup of expressed breastmilk afterward. This is much, much faster (less than half an hour) -- and if I'd allowed myself to follow my instincts, it's what I would have tried first, before trying to exclusively breastfeed. (Everything I've read said that preemies lose weight when they first start nursing!) So we'll find out her weight in the morning and see if it worked!

I still haven't had the guts to ask if Julianna might still be able to go home tomorrow if she gains today. But, they have continued with the standard going-home preparations -- 'teaching' me how to do stuff for the baby. Which is kind-of funny to me, because this is my third kid... I'm pretty sure there is nothing different about the bathing or diaper-changing!

Just doing a lot of cuddling and pumping and water-drinking and finger-crossing today. Thanks for the support, mamas!!

Hang in there! You are doing fantastic. Preemies are definitely different from full term, but from everything you have said, J is just a champ--and so are you. It can be so easy to feel discouraged and out of control, etc, but just know that you really are doing the best you can, and every single cuddle and exposure you have with her is just building those neural pathways for her to get more and more connected to you.

I am not sure if Brazil has similar policies, but did they do any sort of car seat check? Prior to Miles being released, we had to put him in the carseat while they monitored his heart rate to see if he could tolerate it. That, the hearing test and the circ (yup, I am one of THOSE mommies...sorry) were the indications that the neonatologist told us would signal his homecoming within 24 hours.

Also, have you checked out any of the videos/resources at the stanford website? This, and kellymom.com were my go to sites with a preemie. http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/PMGs.html

Keep us posted Mama!!

[OlyR]

does anyone have any thoughts on a breast pump? I just got my new medical insurance benefits booklet and durable medical equipment now specifically exempts breast pumps. I had been planning on just getting a pump at the hospital (probably the Medela pump in style) because insurance would have paid for it (I had checked with them a couple of months ago, and know that as recently as last month a co-worker used this benefit). But now... that doesn't look like it will work out.

Any thoughts on the Purely Yours or Lanisoh one? They seem to get good reviews too and are A LOT less expensive than the Medela.

I will return to work mostly full time and will pump at work. I will be able to breastfeed directly a little (on site daycare) but will still be using a pump the majority of the time at work.

[TexasMum]

I have heard from the hospital breastpump rental people that Medela and Ameda are the best ones. I have a Medela but it crapped out a couple times in the first year I used it. Luckily DH was able to fix it because I sure as heck can't afford another one. I have been interested in the Avent brand pumps so I guess if I HAD to get another one I think I would try Avent. I have heard great things about them. I think the trick to getting my Medela one to work well for me is getting the right size horns.

[OlyR]

Originally Posted by TexasMum

I have heard from the hospital breastpump rental people that Medela and Ameda are the best ones. I have a Medela but it crapped out a couple times in the first year I used it. Luckily DH was able to fix it because I sure as heck can't afford another one. I have been interested in the Avent brand pumps so I guess if I HAD to get another one I think I would try Avent. I have heard great things about them. I think the trick to getting my Medela one to work well for me is getting the right size horns.

Thanks for the quick advice. I will look at the Avent ones now too.

My hospital only seems to carry Medela, so they say it's the best (of course) and they will happily deliver it to my room and add it to my bill



I am taking a breastfeeding class in 2 weeks, so I'm hoping to get a little more insight there too.

[OlyR]

oh yeah... I had an appointment yesterday. Everything was great (BP was good, no swelling, and no weight gain - even with Christmas! Which makes me even more convinced that my body just gains as it needs to and I shouldn't be worried about it...). The baby is still head down (has been every since they have been able to determine by feel). It was funny though because yesterday the baby was wedged on to my right side all day long - I actually looked lopsided and the midwife could tell from the moment I leaned back for the fundal measurement where the baby was and said she was almost certain it was heads down just by looking because it was so oddly positioned. Her feeling around confirmed it.

It stayed over there until sometime last night. It was so wedged over there that DH could feel the hiccups from the outside - So neat! (although my right ribs are really sore this morning from the constant kicking from yesterday).

This morning the baby is back to the center for the most part and jumping all over the place.

[aramat]

Siggghhh... Another day hanging around the hospital, just holding, nursing, and pumping--on a schedule. Blech. I've been here pretty much 9am to 10pm the last several days. It sucks that I can't bring expressed milk from home.

She gained 55g Sunday, then lost 60g Monday, then gained 5g yesterday. If she has another gain today, mayyybe we can take her home tomorrow.

I want her HOME where I can fatten her up without being on a stupid restricted feeding schedule, and where I can sleep in-between feedings, and where nurses aren't constantly waking her up for baths and exams and crap, and where she will be sure to be held if she is awake, and where she won't be listening to the babies in the regular nursery crying all the time.

Also, my husband is on vacation from work. And so he sleeps late in the morning, and doesn't buy groceries, and lets/helps the toddler make a huge mess of the house (we have a maid who comes most days, but her work is undone by the time I get home), and lets the toddler stay up at night until she finally just falls asleep on the couch. And he can't figure out why I have a problem with this. Nor does he yet understand why I got angry that he left me alone in the hospital for 8 daylight hours while he went out drinking with his friends the day after Julianna was born. NOR does he recognize that I am trying to set resentments aside while I focus on what really matters right now, which is Julianna. So when he said, "That's something you should do anyway, instead of me" regarding my simply/finally sending the maid out to buy some basic groceries (EGGS, BREAD, WATER) before I left for the hospital this morning, I really felt like twisting his face off. The man thinks he is pulling his own weight just by opening his wallet. (WHEN DO THEY GROW UP?)

In summary, the stress of having a premature baby in the hospital is NOT really great for a relationship, especially for two people who cope with stress in entirely different ways. (Me: Staying busy; Him: Drinking)

AND, there is this nurse who gets really freaked out that I get sleepy while reclining in a chair with the baby asleep on my chest. Honestly, lady? Even if she wasn't my THIRD kid, I think I would be able to NOT drop her on the floor if I fell asleep. What. Ever!

[jul511riv]

Tamara,

Focus on yourself and baby right now. No one else is gonna do it. Stay focused. Deal with dh later. So long as your other dd is safe at home, let it go right now.

[lulu_n2]

Oh Tamara! sometimes men can be so clueless!

Originally Posted by OlyR

yesterday the baby was wedged on to my right side all day long

This baby loves my right side! My chiro was able to tell by what she had to adjust. This LO has spent the past 2 1/2 months almost constantly wedge into my right (my ribs also ache in protest). It seems that the bigger she gets, though, the less time she spends over there.

I'm ready to not be working. I'm thinking to take most of Jan off, because I'm going to work part time in Feb (as much as possible). I need some time to get organized and still keep the house clean! (I've been doing a lot of reorganizing this past week, but the kitchen and laundry seriously need some attention)

[NicoleS]

Sigh. Frustrating appointment today. Nothing really wrong, just not what I wanted!

First, it was a different nurse today. "My" nurse always takes of 2-3 pounds for clothing - this one only took off 1. So it looked like I gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks.

Urine was clear today, but since the last UTI was my third one for the pregnancy they are putting me on a daily dose of antibiotics. Guess I better stock up on yogurt.

BP was good, HB was good. It was not my normal doctor, and he didn't measure me. He felt my belly and said it didn't feel like I was growing an 11 pounder - he'd guess based on feel and my history a slightly larger than "average" baby. Not sure what that really means. Also, thanks to my pregnancy paranoia and hormones, I'm now worried that maybe I'm not eating enough or something and that's why this baby is so much smaller than DS was. Or that I did something wrong and that's why DS was so big. Someone tell me that I'm crazy.

Also got the strep test done today - should have the results back next week. I had him check me - I'm still high and posterior and the baby is not engaged. About a fingertip dilated, but he said that's what he'd expect for a mom with as many deliveries as I had. So totally normal - but I was sort of hoping that baby had dropped or I was more dilated or SOMETHING to explain the cramping, the BH contractions every time I do something that gets my heartrate up, and the getting up to pee every 2 hours...

I couldn't get in to see "my" OB next week either - he was all booked up. I'm scheduled with the older doctor I don't really like. Nothing wrong with him, and he's the best surgery guy on staff, but he is very impersonal. He won't even talk to you in the exam room - he makes you get dressed and come and wait in his office and then he'll ask you if you have any questions (all the other OBs on staff just talk to you right there). He's also definitely more "old school" than the other OBs and tends to err on the side of caution with everything. So to make sure I got my OB I also scheduled my 37 and 38 week appointments. I'm really hoping I will go into labor on my own and not need any more after that.

On a side note - does anyone have the dosing for using black cohosh as a labor prep? I know last pregnancy I started it at 36 weeks, and it was a gradually increasing dose, but I can't remember what the dosage was. It was given to me by someone who got it from their midwife...

[JustSimplicity]

I had an appointment today too and luckily it went really, really well. The choroid plexus cysts appear to have completely resolved. They were nowhere to be found on the ultrasound. And his growth and development looked perfect. He's estimated to be 5 lbs. 1 oz. which the midwife thought was incredible considering his single umbilical artery. I just feel so, so relieved that everything is looking well. I'm also pretty proud of myself for growing such a big baby when usually SUA babies are small. He's bigger than my cousin's little girl was when she was born at 34.5 weeks. The little guy is head down. The only bad part is that I gained 9 lbs. since my last appointment. I'm going to blame Christmas. Ooops.

[hapersmion]

I had a midwife appointment today too. She still thinks the baby is head down! Yay! It's taking a lot of convincing, but I'm finally starting to believe I might really have a vertex birth. She spent a while showing her apprentice how to tell the difference between head and bottom (heh, that sounds funny), so I felt more reassured that she was getting it right. With my first, the midwives thought he was vertex for a while when he really wasn't.

I now weigh more than I ever have in my entire life. *sigh* Oh well. They said the average weight gain for appointments this week was 9 pounds because of Christmas, so at least I'm a little bit under that. I've got to put all the leftover Christmas candy in the freezer or something, though!

[rach&becks]

I had a midwife appt today too!
ANd ALso my baby turned head down! Last appt (2 weeks ago) the baby was still breech, so I am glad that it seems to be head down now... now I am going to walk a ton to get the baby to engage so it doesnt flip back.
I gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks, but I also will blame on christmas! hahah although I didnt eat that much more than I usually do, lol.
I am really nesting lately... I cant stop....

[Ninetales]

I had an appointment today too. All is well, measuring at 32, which makes me happy. Head down here, too, but it has been for awhile. Baby's been in the same position for about a month now, which is great - hopefully it means it likes it this way and will stay there.

It was going crazy last night though. I swear it was stretching out all its limbs at once or something. It's like Tae Bo in there sometimes.

I still haven't done much. On Friday I'm going to my mom's to get the baby clothes out of her bins that we've collected for the past year or so. I'll get to washing those this weekend I think. I was going to start my diaper stash but decided I'll wait until my shower in two weeks, in case someone gets me some of it.

My in-laws are in Missouri this week and my sister-in-law texted my husband wanting to know what our name choices were. We haven't decided for sure and we've told her (and his parents) numerous times anyway. Is it weird that I just don't want to text her back? I just feel like names is a topic that is not something I want talked about if we're not there. Like maybe they'll say not-nice things, or put it in their heads and they'll use them later to give other people ideas. If we were there it would be fun, but if we're not it just seems so personal. Am I being weird about it?