Postpartum Mama chat thread

[Amandamanda]

I figured there are enough of us now for us to have a postpartum thread! How are you all doing and adjusting?

Adam will be 5 weeks old tomorrow, things are going great! I am really ready to get back into my diet/workout routine, and I said I was going to wait 6 weeks, but I think I will start tomorrow.

In other news- my stitches from birth have not dissolved yet and i am getting pretty annoyed. Has this happened to anyone? I was not even planning on GOING to my 6 week appointment, but now I am thinking I have to. Bleeding is completely gone, but the yellow/orange lochia is still here.. so different from all my other births.. i was DONE after 2-3 weeks total.

I am loving having a son. My girls just think the world of him. He has brought so much joy to our family. One thing I am wondering about though, and maybe seasoned boy moms can chime in, but WHY in the world do people care so much about the state of his penis? Why is it anyones business that he is not circumcised? geez.

Still painfully engorged, the joy of an oversupply. I wish there was something I could do about it. Especially when I leak through pad, bra & shirt.. usually in public. He is such a good nurser, but still has to pull off as soon as he latches on, because it is just too forceful. My daughters get a kick out of watching me spray across the room though!

[Unconventional1]

Originally Posted by Amandamanda

Still painfully engorged, the joy of an oversupply. I wish there was something I could do about it. Especially when I leak through pad, bra & shirt.. usually in public. He is such a good nurser, but still has to pull off as soon as he latches on, because it is just too forceful. My daughters get a kick out of watching me spray across the room though!

Have you tried block feeding to help get your supply down? I had the same thing with DD, and it worked wonders (except she has a left boob preference now?). Glad everything is going well for you!

[Knitting Mama]

You could pump, freeze and donate your extra milk. www.milkshare.com is where I have gotten all of my donated milk in preparation for Cecilia.

[Amandamanda]

Originally Posted by Unconventional1

Have you tried block feeding to help get your supply down? I had the same thing with DD, and it worked wonders (except she has a left boob preference now?). Glad everything is going well for you!

Yup, tried everything. This has happened with my last 2 babies also, and it eventually sorts itself out. Just waiting..

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

You could pump, freeze and donate your extra milk. www.milkshare.com is where I have gotten all of my donated milk in preparation for Cecilia.

I have donated in the past with milk I had already pumped, but that actually wouldn't help my current problem- and would probably make it worse- as nursing is supply/demand. If I were to pump, it would just signal to my body to make more milk..

[ivymae]

Aaaaaa a postpartum thread! We've come through the other side!

I'm... 4 days out? Goodness it feels like it's been longer than that. My milk came in yesterday, and I am hoping I won't have to deal with oversupply this time. Rebecca is a super nurser, and would happily spend every waking moment on the boob, which has left me a little sore, but it's getting better now that I have milk.

Physically I feel pretty good today. The first day was by far the sorest I've felt postpartum, and I was scared I was in for weeks of pain. My SPD was horrible, to the point where I couldn't move my left leg without physically picking it up with my arms. Walking, putting on pants, rolling over - all pretty impossible. I wore a tight hip support for a few days and just rested, and it's gotten drastically better. Still sore, but not painful. Bleeding has slowed down already, which is awesome, since I bled for 8+ weeks with my older girls. Yuck. I'm trying to take it easy, since it always picks up after I am up and walking for a long time (aka long enough to make a sandwich, heh).

Oh, and no afterpains this time! Seriously thrilled that I escaped that somehow.

Today is the first day where I can feel my emotions getting wacky, so I'm taking my EPO, walnut bach flower, rescue remedy, and motherwort tincture.

DH is home full time this week, and may go back to work part time next week, so we can spread out his paid time off longer. I'm feeling really blessed to have him home - last time we had two days, and it was really rough.

[rolenta]

I feel so great since giving birth! All the weight and pressure of baby is off my pelvis and my SPD feels so much better! I'm still sore, but getting better every day. I didn't tear at all, so no problems there. I'm getting around so much better and being so much more active now that babe has been born. Cuddling my newborn is way more fun than pregnancy ever was!

Oversupply... ugh! I had Naomi on Friday and right now, my boobs feel like they're stuffed with two bowling balls.

I'm having a bit of an issue with that, too, that's a bit unusual. I used to have a third nipple in my left armpit with mammary glands and everything. I didn't notice it at all until I had DS and it started producing milk. I had this tennis ball-sized lump in my armpit leaking milk all the time for the first week until it would dry up because I obviously wasn't nursing off it. After having babe #2, it happened again, but this time much worse. It was a lot more painful and lasted much longer. The doctor said I should have it removed, so I went in for day surgery and they removed a whole lot of milk duct out of my armpit and the nipple.

I'm starting to think they didn't get it all, though, because I have these extremely painful lumps in that same armpit again. They are much smaller, but they have nowhere to vent now. Before, I could at least express enough that it wouldn't be unbearably painful, but now I'm wondering what's going to happen. It's actually starting to make my whole arm sore. I should see the doctor about it. They may need to remove even more.

[NH mom]

I have the mammary glands under my arms, too, but never had a nipple there. (With DS #1 I thought I had lymphatic cancer! No one ever told me milk could come in under there!) With every baby it comes in sooner and this time I could barely put my arms down for the first few days after my milk arrived. It's mostly dried up now, though.

Charlie is doing great, just over a week old and gaining weight. I feel good, easiest recovery so far--no stitches! I still can't believe I "should" still be pregnant--he wasn't due until Fri. Question, does having the baby a little early make much difference in their eating patterns? Or is this just his personality? He keeps falling asleep when he nurses and wakes up for more as soon as I set him down. My others were all on time or late and always cleaned me out before snoozing.

My hips still hurt when I move/ walk. I'm hoping that will go away; it's another postpartum quirk I've never had before. My mother still hasn't forgiven me for naming him as we did. (She won't even call him by name!) But...

Oh, I just love my adorable little man!

[SuzieQ3417]

Holden is now a week old. Today was my original due date, so it's kind of surreal to already have my baby. I was convinced throughout the entire pregnancy that I was going to go at least a week "late", but here we are.

He's doing great. He was a bit jaundiced while we were in the hospital, but his level was not quite high enough to warrant him staying extra days for time under the bili lights (he was at an 11, and I guess they hospitalize at 14). We had our first pediatric appointment last Wednesday just to make sure his jaundice wasn't increasing, and when they weighed him he hadn't lost anything from his discharge weight, though he was down a few ounces from his birth weight. We have another appointment next week just to make sure he's still gaining, but given the number of diapers we've changed and the frequency of feedings, I'd say we won't have any problems in that department.

I was so worried about how breastfeeding would go, since this is my first baby, but aside from the first few days of us both learning, things have been going really well. My nipples are finally getting over their initial shock...haha.

My mom flew out to help and has been with us almost the entire time since coming home from the hospital. I was a bit hesitant to have her here, but she has been a tremendous help. My husband had to go back to work almost immediately, so she has been cooking and cleaning every day. I feel so spoiled right now. She leaves Thursday, and then my MIL comes Friday for a few days. Initially my MIL wasn't going to fly out this soon, but since this is her first grandchild she is SOOOO excited (seriously...she literally squealed/screamed at DH when he told her I was in labor) and wanted to come out right away. It'll be interesting to see how things go once they are both gone and it is finally us on our own.

[jenfl]

I'm finally back to Mothering!

We're 5 days out. My milk came in on day 2, and I've hit the engorgement phase. In fact, I've got DH out at Target right now buying cold packs to try to help. Sprout's a much better nurser than DD was, but even he's having problems with my bowling balls.

I'm thrilled he nurses well -- we got no pressure about supplementing in the NICU! In fact, he didn't lose any weight after he was born. He was 7lb 13oz at birth and, 5 days later, is at 8lb 4oz!

I'm doing pretty well. I think the stress of the hospital/NICU experience combined with the crashing hormones so that I had a terrible few post-partum days, but now that we're home, I couldn't be happier.

Still learning how to handle baby + preschooler. DH is home for nearly a month, so that helps a lot. DD is doing well. She really doesn't like it when Sprout cries, but she's rolling with the punches (and handled herself amazingly through the whole NICU thing when I was completely out of the picture for her).

My biggest problem is sleep, of course. I only got an hour or two most NICU days, so being up to 4 hours or so (spread out over the night) seems like a dream. I've got to start feeling it soon, though. Sprout's not as bad a sleeper as DD was, but he still won't go in his co-sleeper. I've given up and taken him into bed with us -- not my preference, but I know I need as much sleep as possible. I'm hoping to have a plan to get him out of our bed within a few months.

[rolenta]

Originally Posted by NH mom

I have the mammary glands under my arms, too, but never had a nipple there. (With DS #1 I thought I had lymphatic cancer! No one ever told me milk could come in under there!) With every baby it comes in sooner and this time I could barely put my arms down for the first few days after my milk arrived. It's mostly dried up now, though.

Hopefully mine will dry up, too, then. I'm only on day 3 since birth and my milk just came in yesterday, so I suppose it has times to just go away.

Originally Posted by jenfl

Sprout's a much better nurser than DD was, but even he's having problems with my bowling balls.

I totally know what you mean about bowling balls. It's hard to get that teeny tiny little mouth latched onto a bowling ball boob.

Originally Posted by jenfl

My biggest problem is sleep, of course. I only got an hour or two most NICU days, so being up to 4 hours or so (spread out over the night) seems like a dream. I've got to start feeling it soon, though. Sprout's not as bad a sleeper as DD was, but he still won't go in his co-sleeper. I've given up and taken him into bed with us -- not my preference, but I know I need as much sleep as possible. I'm hoping to have a plan to get him out of our bed within a few months.

I've more or less resigned to sleeping with Naomi as well, but it's not her that's the problem, it's me! I have a hard time sleeping when there's a cuddlesome little newborn over there just dying to be held and kissed. I'm sure that will wear off at some point!

[AileenM]

5 days old here, and freaking out WAY more than I did with DD. I'm sick, tonsils are swollen, and Gabriel is sleeping a LOT. With DD, we had colic and constant crying. This babe is so chill that I freak out thinking something is wrong all the time. We're going to the Ped tomorrow because he has infected eyes. I do wish that we would have done the prophylaxis at the birth, but I couldn't have known he would get infected eyes. We have no idea why they are infected, but it's an easy fix, so off we go.

[NH mom]

Originally Posted by AileenM

Gabriel is sleeping a LOT. With DD, we had colic and constant crying. This babe is so chill that I freak out thinking something is wrong all the time.

I keep asking DH, "Do you think he's alright?" Maybe I just need to chill out.

[amrijane128]

Hi mamas! We're doing pretty well over here at 2 days postpartum.

I've been absolutely spoiled by friends and family, we have an abundance of food and my house is spotless. Yet somehow our personal time hasn't been intruded upon at all, like I was worried about. It's been really great, the help with my older daughter is amazing. DH has really been such a help too, just letting me rest all the time and handling both the kids. I don't think I even changed a diaper until last night. Huh?

Physically, I'm doing ok. I'm sad to say that my worst issue right now is BF'ing. DS is an AWESOME nurser, but my nipples are SO sore already, it's miserable. I think he has a pretty good latch, but I want to cry everytime he latches on, especially on the right side. I was always more comfortable with DD on the left too. I'm not sure if it's just how much he is nursing (my milk came in the day after birth) or latch issues, but I want the soreness to go away. The afterpains are pretty miserable too.

Kytan is so much easier than Indica, I will say that. The only time he cries is during a diaper change. The second that's out of the way he is either asleep, looking around, or ready to nurse. I love this stage.

[justamama]

Hello mamas!

We are 2 weeks out today. And doing great. Lucy had her 2 weeks check-up. She was 6lbs13oz at birth and is now 7lbs4oz. Looking great. She is making "witch's milk". And no matter how normal it may be, its still weird for your newborn to lactate! She nurses great, sleeps great. Doctor said she looks perfect, and did suggest one vaccination to research for her 2 month visit. But still emphasized it was our decision and he supported it no matter what we choose.

I'm healing well. The afterpains were hell, to put it mildly. I had to ask for vicodin to help, because 800mg of motrin wasn't cutting it. And for the first 5 days or so I had to take them pretty regularly; if I chose not to I had to vocalize through the pains which were as bad as an early labor contraction.

I got my placenta pills the day after the birth and have faithfully taken 2/day. The biggest thing I've noticed is my mood. I'm not super emotional, I feel...normal! I'm cranky because I'm sleep deprived, but that's it. My milk came in by 36 hours, which is 12-24 hrs sooner than with the older girls. My bleeding is almost non-existent, and if it were gone, dh and I would likely be back to dtd, as I feel completely healed. I had a couple hours of very heavy bleeding followed by a small clot, and then back to almost nothing. I will never have another baby without having some placenta pills for postpartum!

The big girls love Lucy. Reese had a nap strike last week before a language explosion, and got upset one day and punched Lulu right in the nose! Lulu was fine, and Reese immediately started hugging her and saying sorry. Reese is a bit rough with her, but she's a chunky 2 year old...its expected. Anna-Lee loves being the big sister and getting to help with baby care.

Next week is a huge challenge. Wednesday morning myself, my dad, and all three girls are driving 1200 miles to Texas. My grandparents winter down there and my grandpa went into the hospital when I was 36 weeks along. He has copd and congestive heart failure. He's back in icu and we aren't sure he'll be coming back to Iowa alive. So we are going for a few days to see him. The girls can't, obviously, but my grandma is looking forward to seeing them. Now to decide if I'm taking prefolds or buying gdiaper flushables...hmm.

[shantiani]

typing one handed here so no caps!

astrid and i are both doing well. her one month doc appt is next week (just a few days after her due date!) i cant wait to see how much she weighs. she lost too much the first couple of days but she is such a good eater, im hoping she is up to 7lbs by now.

question for everyone- how long did your bleeding last? mine is still going strong at 3+ weeks. too long or normal? i think i might also have a very mild uti. not sure because ive never had one and there is no discomfort when peeing, but my urethra has been swollen ever since the birth. its less now, but still tender and annoying. could it be torn tissue from my super fast and intense 15 min of pushing? or does ir sound more like kidney stuff to you? ill give it a little more time before calling a doc since it seems to finally be improving.

i've tried ec'ing the last 2 mornings and astrid has peed in the toilet both times and pooped in there this morning too! i'm shocked she got the cues so fast. i think she must be a little genius now i need to learn her cues and try it throughout the day, but i spend so much time feeding her and trying to feed myself in between that i dont know if i can handle a trip to the bathroom every hour on top of it! we might have to ramp up slowly so mommy doesnt go crazy

[justamama]

3 weeks sounds normal to me. With my other two I had good, strong bleeding for about 5 or 6 weeks then lighter spotting for another week or 2.

[OneWithTwo]

We doing ok here...

Jennings is crying...A LOT. day and night.
He is 5lbs 2oz now and 19". His body is unable to keep up the sodium levels it needs, so he isn't nursing yet cause he needs bottles with added sodium chloride..which is a process to get -> it's so rare that I can only get the mixture from ONE pharmacy. The pharmacist has never seen a baby(or anyone) who really needs it. They have to get it from another specialty pharmacy who mixes it and takes the sodium from a IV bag. so weird. Worst part is they have no clue as to why. His levels just are not sustaining.

He is so alert. Campbell slept A LOT. He does sleep, but he is awake for the most part. He can also flip from his tummy to his back. That took about 5 days of trying. I keep telling him he is too young to start doing things like that.

We just past his due date, April 4....but the OB would tell you I was due April 11 -> IUGR. It feels weird to know I should just be having a baby, yet I have a almost 2 month old.
Things have been pretty rough. No job and no money make it hard to live and I know my parents can't support me forever. I am trying to find a job, but with no luck.
J's dad has come back into the picture. He helps here and there. Especially with the crying lately, but it's only a few hours in the evening.

Pumping is going good. I pump about 38-47oz a day. My deep freezer is full and now I am filling up my fridge freezer. I can't donate because of the meds I am taking for my arthritis and psoriasis.

I never really bled PP. I had spotting for about 2-3 weeks, but not even daily and not enough to wear a pad. I only wore a pad when I was in the hospital after the c/s. C/S scar looks terrible, this Dr. tore me apart. With campbells the Dr. made the c/s pretty and I had a pretty scar. This one is long and crooked. I am back to 100% though.
They have no idea what happened nor why it happened. He doesn't feel it would happen in the future and he does feel it is a coincidence that I had a second 32 weeker. I do want atleast one more.
That's us for now....

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by Amandamanda

In other news- my stitches from birth have not dissolved yet and i am getting pretty annoyed. Has this happened to anyone? I was not even planning on GOING to my 6 week appointment, but now I am thinking I have to.

I'm not postpartum (yet), but my stitches did not dissolve after my last birth. I had no problems with the stitches after my second child, but they didn't dissolve after my third child. I tried to get DH to take them out, but he was too nervous and I didn't want a nervous person with a small pair of scissors and tweezers in that area so I had the OB take them out.

[Oliver's Mama]

We're about 12 days postpartum here, going ok.
We've had some illnesses- ds1 had a super runny nose and cough when I came home from the hospital so I was freaking out about the baby getting sick, but he didn't. Then, I developed Mastitis the other day, which is no cup of tea, but just one day of antibiotics and I'm feeling better.
Nursing is going alright, but it hurts so bad when he first latches on, and he likes to pop on and off. I feel like he may be gumming my nipples, but his mouth is as spead open as it can be and I always flip his lips out to be sure. He also falls alseep at the breast within 5 minutes and nothing in the world will wake him unless I lay him down, so feedings last forever because of all the up and downs to keep him awake.
It would be so easy if I just had the newborn, but throw in the toddler and it's a whole new ballgame. dh usually works 10-12 hours a day, including evenings, and works at home sometimes which is harder because it's a huge tease for ds1 to know that daddy's home but can't play. Luckily, we're getting into a bedtime routine, ds1 helps pick out pj's for the baby and gets his diaper ready, and doesnt seem to mind that now the baby sits on my lap and feeds rather than him. He's very affectionate and says the baby is "so cute.. so soft.. I love him.." it's sweet.. hope it lasts!
Baby's having lots of crying fits today, but I think his umbilical stump is peeling off.. must hurt

[jenfl]

Originally Posted by Oliver's Mama

Nursing is going alright, but it hurts so bad when he first latches on, and he likes to pop on and off. I feel like he may be gumming my nipples, but his mouth is as spead open as it can be and I always flip his lips out to be sure.

Sprout's popping on and off, too, likely because my flow is pretty heavy. I saw a lactation consultant today who showed me how to hold him REALLY tightly so he basically can't go anywhere. That was better in-office, anyway... our first try at home was so-so. I've got to get it figured out soon -- my nipples are KILLING me!

She didn't believe at first that I wasn't supplementing with formula when she saw that he'd gained 1/2 pound in the first week after birth, but when she weighted him before and after and found that he'd eaten 2.5 oz ("a Thanksgiving feast!"), she believed me.

Sprout's still sleeping in bed with me, although I'm not happy about it. On his back, he gets so disorganized and his random movements wake him up. I'm thinking about trying side sleeping in the co-sleeper tonight. I know it's not as safe as back sleeping, but it's got to be safer (and saner for me) than side-sleeping in our bed.

He's a tired one today! I wonder if I'm going to pay for it tonight.... Not that I haven't tried to wake him up!