Weekly Post-Partum Thread, Apr 18-25

[jenfl]

It must be the PP thread -- it's being started at 3am!

[lizziebits]

We have awesome news -- Elise is off the biliblanket! It's so nice to be able to put her regular clothes, start babywearing with her, and travel around the house with her without dragging a box!

So last night I was putting my DS to sleep and all of the sudden I started bright red bleeding, and rather profusely. I hadn't bled for a few days. It easily soaked 1/2 a pad in 15 minutes and kept coming, so I called my OB. Thank goodness she told me it probably was fine, and to just take it easy and call her if it got worse. She said with my delivery and everything she wasn't worried. I can't tell you how freaked out I was that the day Elise came off the blanket I was going to have to go to the hospital. Things did calm down and now everything looks ok.

Today is my first day by myself with the two kids. Thankfully my mom is going to stop by for a little bit. We'll see how it goes!

[jenfl]

lizziebits! Yea!

[Carita]

ya for ditching the bili blanket!

my mom came over to cook us dinner, but it was more hassle than it was worth and she took the leftovers back with her. compulsory gparent visits are over, now everyone else who visits needs to help us in some way... i wish i could make a sign that is nice or funny to this effect, because I think if i say it myself i'll come off as snotty. i am just sick of people coming over watching bad tv and just wanting to hold the baby. i really wish they'd do some dishes. how are others handling this?

stitches are a bit bothersome. ugh... hate this part. still feeling sore. not as bad as last time & proud to say I have been having BM yay! LOL.. who knew it could be so exciting. if anyone has any suggestions for healing that stitched area, i am all ears.

[justamama]

Originally Posted by Carita

ya for ditching the bili blanket!

my mom came over to cook us dinner, but it was more hassle than it was worth and she took the leftovers back with her. compulsory gparent visits are over, now everyone else who visits needs to help us in some way... i wish i could make a sign that is nice or funny to this effect, because I think if i say it myself i'll come off as snotty. i am just sick of people coming over watching bad tv and just wanting to hold the baby. i really wish they'd do some dishes. how are others handling this?

I saw a sign somewhere to the effect of "In these early postpartum days, we are pleased to welcome guests, but ask that you help us mother the new mother. Feel free to fold a load of laundry, vacuum, load the dishwasher, and offer the new mama a shower break. Thank you for helping us welcome our newest member, and helping out to ensure the new mom gets the rest she needs to care for and nourish them."

[rolenta]

Originally Posted by Carita

my mom came over to cook us dinner, but it was more hassle than it was worth and she took the leftovers back with her. compulsory gparent visits are over, now everyone else who visits needs to help us in some way... i wish i could make a sign that is nice or funny to this effect, because I think if i say it myself i'll come off as snotty. i am just sick of people coming over watching bad tv and just wanting to hold the baby. i really wish they'd do some dishes. how are others handling this?

One nice thing about people coming over is that DH always cleans up before they get here!

Other than that, I basically take people up on their offers to help. If they ask if there's anything I need, I think of something. I also tell people not to expect much when they come over.

[sew_crafty_girl]

Anna grazed all night long last night. Sore nipples this morning.

[Peace+Hope]

heh, i DID make a sign:

Dear loved visitors:

Please be welcome -- those of you who’ve been invited in -- and remember this new family is adjusting to life together.

Since Charlie was a bit early and (additionally) small for his age, he needs extra time to get organized in the world.

Please remember to….

Wash your hands as soon as you come in
Always talk softly
Give Charlie plenty of space, and wait to be invited to touch or hold him

We love short visits (15 minutes), and we’d very much appreciate your help! Things you could do:

Bring healthy, easy to eat or heat foods
Check the mail and bring in the paper
Take out recycling and trash
Take a quick swipe at the sink and toilet
Do/put away dishes
Run over the floors with broom or mop
Scoop the cat box
Put out food and fresh water for the cats

Thanks for helping to take care of the L___ family!


to be honest, though i didn't say so, i was probably more sensitive and tired than charlie for the first couple of weeks


yay for no more bili blanket

and to all the worrying mamas.

[Dena]

Lizziebits Yay for no more billiblanket!! We went through that with dd2 - PITA for sure!! As for the bleeding, I had something similar happen last time at about two weeks out. My mw just told me to rest and keep an eye on it. I think I was overdoing it a bit.

Carita I am bad at asking people for help and even worse at accepting it, so I understand your dilemma. Fortunately for me, everyone who has visited has brought food and no one has stayed too long. I really like P+H's sign though - I could have used that after dd2 was born. Then, people insisted on bringing their kids and their kids' friends over, making a mess, leaving it for us, and just generally overrunning our house. I was tired and sore and touchy, and it just made everything worse. Funny, I am feeling better this time around, and now is when people have decided to be respectful.

SCG Ugh. I hate grazing nights!! I hope she sleeps tonight.

afm Had a couple of rough nights with the girls. There is just not enough coffee in the world today. I am so thankful I don't have to work just yet, though! And even more thankful for my friend who came over and gave me a shower break! Now I need to get laundry started. I can't believe i am saying this, but the babies are actually running out of clean clothes.

[Peace+Hope]

ack, so my right breast was giving me twinges, so i looked carefully at the nipple. there was a little white plug in one of the holes where the milk comes out. it was hard too, in comparison to the nipple tissue. i used tweezers to pull it out, and the nip bled a little. was that a blocked duct, or a blocked nipple? not sure what to call it, but i'm glad i found it.

whoo, i hope it feels better by the time charlie wants to suck on it, haha...

[crazyeight]

guess we need to merge threads.....

no more biliblanket!

just did tons of laundry so we"re happily cleanly clothed again.

[Carita]

p&h - its called a bleb - glad you got it... it can lead to plugged up ducts and ouch!

well - my MIL offered to help 5 min before she left. she had to leave at 4 and she asked if i needed anything as she was packing. I can't well ask her to fold my laundry. She did bring lunch, but my Dh cooked it and set the table, and cleaned up, and... My dad didn't even offer help. I did ask them for a snack, but they wandered around my kitchen looking lost, and eventually i said nevermind. My mom was sweet to bring dinner and cooked and cleaned herself, but she brought it to my gmas house, so my kitchen did not benefit from the cleaning. i ended up just eating a little bit and went back to my retreat too exhausted to deal with anything else. The cleaning is not for me, its for DH. He is watching my son, trying to WAH, doing all the cleaning, answering my beck and call. I just want him to have 2 seconds to enjoy his new daughter.

gee - that was cathartic. thanks for letting me vent. *sigh*

anyone look back on their birth and revisit the funny things or whatever. Like I remember bossing people aroun when I was in active labor. LOL - My DH compained about his back when I hanged on him and I told hime to shut up becuase if I could do it, he could do it LOL. And when I was in transition, I was begging for an intrathecal, and the MW was all telling me - um dear, I think you are going to be pushing long before we can get you that intrathecal - she was totally right and I feel like a bit of a cliche.

Anyone else have funny or warm fuzzy moments to share?

[Dena]

At one point when I was pushing Maya out my OB suggested to Tom and the nurse that they each take one of my legs and pull it back on the next contraction. I was thinking, "no way" but was beyond the ability to vocalize at that point. On the next contrax, each grabbed a leg, and my primal brain decided I did NOT like being grabbed like that. I just remember yelling "NO NO NO" and kicking at whoever was close by. After that my OB rather politely suggested to Tom that he help me sit up more but not to try to move my legs again. "Yeah, I got that," I heard Tom say.

And I remember apologizing after each contraction for how much noise I was making and expressing the hope that I wasn't scaring any ftm out there. Much different from my two previous births, where I really didn't give a rat's fanny who heard me and what they thought.

Oh, and after the birth the med student who was shadowing my OB that day expressed to me with a catch in his voice and a tear in his eye how amazing a twin birth was. I think he's gonna make a good doctor.

[LenaC]

I'm here and baby is 2 days old today! Just wanted to share my general impressions before reading up on everyone's updates.

First of all, baby Leon is perfect. I'm so happy and relieved he is with us, on the outside now. I'm so glad that I gave him plenty of time and didn't give him to the first doctor's order of induction on day 12 past my due date and instead went naturally on day 16 with everything going incredibly well.

Second, ouch, he is an awesome nurser, ouch. What is up with these intense after pains? I haven't taken a pain med for like over five years, and I had to take a Motrin at the hospital to get a bit of sleep AND to be able to let baby keep nursing.

Third, umm...he loves nursing! Last night I couldn't get to sleep because it seems like he wanted to keep nursing for three hours straight. Today I can barely take a break. Not sure what I should do, if I should try to limit, give him a pacifier, or cross my fingers, that when my milk is in, he won't be as eager to suck all the time.

More updates later. Hoping to be able to nap today, although my toddler doesn't seem to be on board with that idea.

[Carita]

lena - my champ nurser slowed down a bit on day 4 i think? she finally has had long naps, but nurses for 1 hr between. i grin and bear it because i have help w/DS & I want her to have a healthy start.

dena - lol on the no fit!

[rhiOrion]

Funny stories.

At one point after a few hours of intense pitocin contractions, I knew that I was nowhere near transition (had just been checked), but I also knew that I couldn't do it anymore. I jokingly asked my friend, "So, they say that when you say you can't do it anymore that you're in transition. So if I *say* that I can't do it anymore then it'll mean that I'm in transition, right? If so, then 'I can't do it anymore!!!'"

And during pushing, after about an hour and a half someone asked me how I was doing and I said, "Fine. Just HUNGRY!"

[justamama]

As LuLu was crowning, Johnny Cash's "ring of fire" wouldn't leave my head.

I was so, so grateful for my midwife's support during labor. But, very close to transition, I remember her telling me to relax in between contractions. I wanted to be nice, and knew she was trying to help. But I wanted so bad to scream at her that maybe she should be having back to back contractions and then she could effing relax all she wanted to.

Oh, and right as hard labor started, DH was running around cleaning before the midwife came. He tried to make me move my birth ball so he could vacuum. I snapped at him that it was vacuumed 5 hours earlier and if his shoes were that messy then take Tue rammed things off!

[crazyeight]

i thought that if anyone heard me i would have scared them too! i really felt like i was screaming and being really loud. for the first time in birth i needed to actually grab onto something and clench...it just happened to be more of a pinching and it was BF's arm....i seriously thought i was going to leave a bruise and yet later he said that he was surprised that i was never squeezing his hand during ctx that he figured i would want to. he said i didn't even hurt him.....hmpgh....well then i'll remember that later!

but yeah i try and go back and "relive" some of those moments. i wish i had been able to video tape at least the last several hours.

rhi~ i had thought the same thing about my ctx! if i start saying i can't do it then i can be in transition!!! um not quite...i decided to voice my hurting anyways several times and just admitted that "i can't keep doing this....*whiney voice*"

another thing is that i told the MW to just cut me. he isn't coming out just cut it! just cut me. like i was ordering a sandwhich....

[lizziebits]

carita -- I cannot believe all these people are coming over and not offering to help. I would be really annoyed. How do people not get it?

sewcrafty -- better luck to your nipples this evening

Dena -- I'm re-amazed at how much laundry one baby goes through, I cannot imagine two

I love all these labor stories.

We had a great day today. My mom came over in the morning and cleaned for me. Both kids napped, at the same time. I sort of dozed. I have so much trouble napping postpartum. There is so much stuff I want to do around the house, but I keep reminding myself to take it slowly.

[rhiOrion]

Originally Posted by justamama

As LuLu was crowning, Johnny Cash's "ring of fire" wouldn't leave my head.

OMG!!! Me tooooooo! I could hear everyone talking about how I was so focused inward- and I was thinking, "no I'm not! I'm singing Johnny Cash!!!"