Weekly Post-Partum thread, April 25-May 2 - Page 3

[SuzieQ3417]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

OK, veteran nursers-- how the bleep do you manage nursing laying down??? Is the baby flat on the bed, or in your arms? How do you adjust them to latch correctly? I don't know if it's the size of my boobs (large) or the fact that Cecilia's tiny (3 weeks on Tuesday and 6 1/2 lbs) or some other factors, but we just haven't been able to get it yet. Sure would be nice to be able to sleep with my husband at night instead of sitting up on the couch!

I'm not sure if I count as veteran since this is my first and he's only 4 weeks old, but I lay him down next to me on his back with his head turned to the side. The initial latch can sometimes be tough, and usually involves me semi leaning over him with boob in one hand and the other hand behind his head/back. Once he latches I ease myself down all the way onto my side and he's good to go. Sometimes I have to reposition his head a bit to make sure my boob won't block his nostrils (36DD here...34C prepregnancy).

AFM - we got sleep last night - you know, that mythical state that involves rest and dreams. He fell asleep at 10pm (which we'd been working on since 8pm!), and he slept until 3:30. It. was. amazing, lol. My body (and sanity) greatly appreciated it. I'm not so naive as to think this will be a nightly occurrence, but I'll take it when it happens.

As for the umbilical cord - his fell off shortly after 1 week, but it kept bleeding and scabbing over until about 2 weeks or so, at which point I was able to give him a regular bath.

[rhiOrion]

her cord fell off at 13 days, but there is still a bit of scabbing down in there

[Amandamanda]

ugh, im feeling really crampy. like AF crampy. i really hope thats not what it is.

the earliest i have ever gotten a pp AF back was 6 months. I would NOT BE COOL with it coming back at not even 8 weeks!

[rhiOrion]

i'm currently sitting here with the dustbuster between my knees because the loud white noise is making L stop crying.

that is all

[jsh7809]

Originally Posted by Amandamanda

ugh, im feeling really crampy. like AF crampy. i really hope thats not what it is.

the earliest i have ever gotten a pp AF back was 6 months. I would NOT BE COOL with it coming back at not even 8 weeks!

Ugh, I would be NOT COOL with that either! Yikes. It's bad enough with this lochia business tricking me every day into thinking "it's trickling to almost nothing" and then suddenly I have a huge gush of stuff and have to change my pad 10 times a day. I hope you're just having randomy post partum cramps?

Rhi - sorry about the white noise/ fussiness. We got a white noise machine, a pretty fancy one (I think $40 or $50 from Amazon) from our baby registry and I started using it even before she was born, as it helps US sleep quite a bit. It might be a good investment if you think she'll continue to want the noise.

Last night was our first night of "ohhh, maybe she's not some kind of magic no-fuss baby after all!". Which makes sense, since it was her one week birthday, but still sucked. I think it was mostly a little normal evening fussing (seems to be how it goes) and then her parents' bad reaction to it. I was trying to take a bath and DH spent like an hour trying to calm her down to no avail, which I was unaware of until he burst in like there was an emergency saying "she won't stop and I can't get her to calm down and you have to get out and feed her right now!!". Okay, bath destressing OVER. So I got out and fed her, crying myself now, and she was still fussy and not really hungry, so I put her in her vibrating chair for the first time... right after topping her WAY up full of milk... tons of baby barf spewing everywhere the moment she hit that chair. So we cleaned up screaming baby and chair, I fed her again (since she had just lost all that milk) and put her back in the chair thinking "it's gas". Instant vomit comet again. I think I see a pattern here... ?
This was all about an hour after I stupidly said, "she's asleep, I think she's going to take a nice long nap." HA!
Then we didn't know if I should feed her again, or if she was just fussy, or if she was gassy, or or or or... both of us felt really incompetent, exhausted, and freaked out. Finally we calmed down, I read the LLL book to confirm that spitting up can be just because of too much milk too fast, and once they spit up, they'll need to eat, so I fed her again and we did lots of breath-holding while we swaddled, patted, cuddled, sang, soothed, and walked. And then everything seemed okay. But then it was bedtime and I was afraid to do anything to nurse nurse nurse for a few hours so we didn't have another meltdown. So much for trying to work on our feeding and sleeping rhythm. AFter she fell asleep I was scared to fall asleep myself - ironically because I was so tired and didn't want to smoosh her - but, miracle of miracles, she slept in her cosleeper for the first time for an hour or more! Hopefully we don't have to both lose our minds with stress to exhaust ourselves again for it to work in the future.

Thanks for the carrier tips, I'm glad to know some kids like being in them for a long time cause I think it will be great to keep her with me but still be able to do stuff. I'm glad she likes her new swing but it's hard to leave her there for very long without feeling like I am being too passive of a parent.

Jenfl (I think it was you with the "almost left the house with no shoes" story, love it!) - I think you're right about the mirror! I keep almost answering the door with my boob hanging out, or at least my shirt pulled down to show the bra on one side. And in the middle of the night I've been so sleepy lately that I am doing things like trying to nurse her through the bra (which almost works, they get so sodden) or trying to snap the nursing bra snap to my nipple instead of the thing that holds it into place. There should be some kind of candid camera for moms of newborns!

[justamama]

SuzieQ- thank you for mentioning a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. It made me think about overactive letdown...and I think that's the issue more than dairy. It's been an issue with the other girls, so I don't know why I didn't think of it with Lucy!

Nursing lying down- I'm a b, maybe a small c right now. I lay on my side aNd put baby on her side with her mouth at boob level. For us it works, then when she's done she tends to stay on her side.

[rhiOrion]

argh. i hate hormones. i'm crying because my previous landlord is charging us for painting and cleaning after all that time i put in while 8 months pregnant cleaning that townhouse before we moved out.

I say that landlords should just expect to paint when a tenant moves out. It's not like we drew on the damn walls.

grrrrrr.

it was already in our lease that he gets to take money out for an exterminator (in lieu of a pet deposit) even though our pets didn't have any fleas. But of course, I failed to make sure it was in the lease how MUCH. I hope he doesn't completely screw us on that.

I see my 875 dollar deposit going away quickly.

but seriously, i don't really think it's worth sobbing over.

[snoopy5386]

Side Lying Nursing - I am big, an F cup I think? I prop the baby up on her side with a rolled up receving blanket behind her back and bring my body in very close to her, pick up my boob to get her latched on and then let it lay on the bed. My nipple and her mouth are at the same height.

Today is our first full day on our own. DH is back at work and we have no guests for a few days. DD1 has watched way too much tv but that seems to be the trend these days. Kelsey, miracle of miracles slept for 30 mins in her crib and is now napping in her swing - she has been in there for about 30 mins too! This is the longest she has not been touching a human in her life! Mid afternoon seems to be her sleepiest time of day and I swaddled her for her nap, I've only done that at night before - maybe it is making a difference?? And am I cleaning the house? Nope, here on MDC while DD1 eats a snack.

Moms of more than 1, what is your older one doing all day? Pre Kelsey we had an activity that kept us out of the house from about 9-1 or 2 every single day of the week, then she would play for a while, then DH comes home, dinner, bath, bed. Now we are both bored being home all the time. It is raining today and is supposed to rain for the next 3 days. I'm not up for going out yet, my bottom is still a mess and I'm in a lot of pain if I try to stand for more than 10 mins or so. And 90% of the time I am nursing or holding the baby so it is hard for me to do stuff with DD1, not to mention sitting on the floor is very uncomfy.

[Dena]

Rhi, I would ask your landlord for a detailed list of WHAT exactly he had to clean and receipts for costs on everything, including the exterminator. As for the painting, I agree that should just be a cost of doing business on his part. Is there anything in your lease specifying what can be taken out of the cleaning deposit? Also, if you are not satisfied with his explanations, look into small claims court - in our state, if a landlord wrongfully refuses to return deposits, you can get your deposit plus triple the amount in damages back. Which in your case may well be worth pursuing.

Sounds like we are dealing with about the same gassy, cranky stuff as the rest of you - well, from Maya anyway. Hannah is just an incredibly easy, laid back baby. Thank goodness - two of Maya would be truly a challenge!! Right now they are crashed out on the nursing pillow with their little foreheads together. Too cute.

AFM, I seem to be healing well - even walked dd1 to school this morning (only 4 blocks each way), and am not bleeding more or anything. I am pretty happy, because I am SO out of shape after a month of bedrest, so am looking forward to getting some muscle tone back!!

Ok, off to the peds for their check-up. Hopefully they have gained enough weight that everyone (including their mama!) can breathe a sigh of relief. They are certainly nursing a lot, sooo....

[crazyeight]

dd has preschool and both have daycare. we are finally getting back into the routine of this but before the kids would just have to play by themselves (and we had just lost our neighbor friends the day after the baby was born so this was hard adjusting again to no friends and a baby). honestly i kicked em out of the house but its safe here that they can do that....

i'm thinking i should really go to class this week...i just don't wanna today! i guess i'll try wed. i do need to get back into the partial swing of things. it's only another month...

doing really well here. nothing new to report. plans are solidifying that BF will have his 2 boys this summer so we're starting to wonder what we're going to do about living arrangments. it's either move or rent another 1 bd thats by us (and live in 2 households yuck) but we don't have the money to put a deposit on something bigger...let alone finding one that we can afford, afford to get all the utilities going and actually pay to move. i really think we need to move though. it's way to cramped here for us as is.

and today my ex gets released officially. haven't recieved a call that he has been yet but i guess i'm supposed to? not sure whether he'll try to call me or not or go harass BF today or not either.

rhi~ i would cry over that hormonal or not! that's a lot of money!

i really hope its not AF either Amanda! i keep wondering if my red blood isn't lochia anymore but my period..haha. not possible right?! it's just THAT kind of blood though....stay away!

we are getting decent sleep over here consistently. he usually sleeps 6 hrs for the first stretch of the night however yesterday he fell asleep around 7 for the night so i didn't get as much uninterrupted sleep as usual. the sun rises way to early around here and then he goes into this hourly sleep barely and i can't get much quality sleep after 5:30 or so. usually though thats my hard sleep time.

[sew_crafty_girl]

Last night's cranky period only lasted about 45 minutes. I need to get some gripe water to see if that helps. I've also not taken any pain meds or cough syrup today to see if that's what causing the crankiness.

She's actually sleeping in her crib right now. She's had 2 decent naps so far. One in her carseat after grocery shopping. Mid afternoon is also her sleepiest time. We went for our a family brunch yesterday and she slept from noon-2:30 while everyone passed her around.

Her belly button started bleeding again a bit today. It doesn't look irritated though. I've been giving her proper baths right from the start.

I made Anna a no sew tutu for when we do her NB photos.

Going to the midwife for a weigh in today.

[smeisnotapirate]

Joining!

Re:sidelying. It's tough to sidely nurse a baby this small, especially if you're pretty well-endowed. I put Nomi on a firm pillow and roll her to me. It takes some adjusting, though, and isn't spectacularly comfortable. At this size, I prefer the football hold.

Gotta go nurse! Just checking in and saying hi.

[aylaanne]

Well, today I woke up and my boob was feeling WAY better, so I went ahead and went to school. I managed to make it through all my classes without falling or making an ass out of myself, though DD did go through three outfits. After class, I had a midwife appointment. The cool thing about transferring is that I get to do post-partums with both my homebirth midwives and my hospital midwife, so I get an appointment every two weeks. The midwife appointment went well. We put the baby on the scale and she's definitely gained weight, but we're not sure how much because we didn't get her naked.

However, once I got home, I noticed that my boob was a little sore again, and when I went to the bathroom, I had absolutely saturated a pad. That's the first time that's happened since I left the hospital. It had to have been between noon and 4:30pm, so that's not too fast, and my midwife did manipulate my fundus, so that could be part of it, but it was a little concerning. It was dark dark dark, so at least not bright red blood, but I'm tired of bleeding. I'd love some clear lochia. And some sex. I'd love to be able to have some sex. I thought my sex drive was supposed to go away after the birth? Um, no.

I think I'm going to have another early-to-bed day, though.

Oh, RE: side-lying nursing, I just remembered that with DS, I used to prop either him or my boob up on a folded receiving blanket during the night. I should maybe try it with DD at some point, since my right side can be a little awkward sometimes.

[jenfl]

No luck at the ENT today. He doesn't believe in posterior tongue tie, which apparently isn't unusual. His suggestion was to give him time ... and a bottle. I'm of the feeling that going to a bottle will encourage his poor nursing techniques. The doc thought it would give me a break and give him sucking practice.

I'm sticking with my plan. I'm not trusting an ENT's opinion on nipple confusion.

Tomorrow's the local La Leche meeting. That's the last of my ideas. There's a doc 2.5 hours away who I know recognizes tongue tie, but that's 5 hours in the car with a baby and a doctor who isn't covered by insurance -- and it might not be tongue tie at all.

On a positive note, DH is home for the week and tomorrow's my birthday!!

[justamama]

Dd2 has had liquid poo all day. And just threw up twice within a minute. She feels warm, but our thermometer is lost...and only slightly warm, anyway.

And LuLu is super fussy.

Someone send back-up. And chocolate- STAT!

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by smeisnotapirate

Joining!

Re:sidelying. It's tough to sidely nurse a baby this small, especially if you're pretty well-endowed. I put Nomi on a firm pillow and roll her to me. It takes some adjusting, though, and isn't spectacularly comfortable. At this size, I prefer the football hold.

Gotta go nurse! Just checking in and saying hi.

Yeah, football hold is how we normally nurse. When we were first learning at the hospital, it was the only way to get her latched on. Is it sad that I measure her growth based on her head size in relation to my boob? My F cups were literally 3 times the size of her face when she was born. Now I can see more of her face when she nurses (have I mentioned that I hate my boobs?)

[ivymae]

I thought you all could sympathize: DD1 (4) had a labial adhesion, which our pediatrician "broke open" today because it was causing her pain, and now she has the equivalent of 'skid marks' on her poor little labias. You'd think, since I recently gave birth I would have thought about the horrors of peeing when you have open wounds, but I forgot and she had to experience that one too. Now I have the peri bottle ready to go, but poor pumpkin, having to go through all of this.

In better news, Becky slept in the carseat for the two hours we spent in the car today, thank God. She also had her first pediatriain appointment (since we were already there) and she's officially huge - 100th percentile for everything. I've never had a huge baby, so it's fun to hear something other than "well, she looks healthy enough for being so small..."

[Carita]

jen - have you tried her on the bfing challenges forums? kup on your LLL meeting. maybe before bottle you can try a nipple shield? i feel blessed not to have latch issues this time. idk why ds couldn't latch, but i was thankful for the nipple sheild to transition him to breast. happy bday!!!!

for sde nursing, sometimes she lays on my arm, sometimes just next to me. my issue is getting my nipple to her mouth because it has to e spot on for her to latch. i think i tried to nurse her chin last night, oops

cord - the nurses left the clamp on and it fell off in 3 days!! i swear ds's was like 3 weeks!

[justamama]

Jen- good luck @ LLL.

Ivy-poor Ella! Hope she heals quickly

Afm- Now I'm feeling sick. My ears hurt, my head xches, and I'm nauseous. And dd2 is still got diarrhea. I really can't handle that with the way I feel. And DH leaves for work soon.

Oh, and LuLu seems to think that the 3 week growth spurt means it lasts for 3 weeks. Nonstop nursing. Crying if a boob isn't in her mouth.

[lizziebits]

So doing the whole two kids on my own while DH works has left little time for posting. Whoda thunk?

In no particular order:

what i'm doing with my older child -- lots of tv...awesome, I know. I've actually had a bunch of help with him, people coming by to take him for a little while, but while we are home he is pretty much playing on his own, reading stories with me, or watching tv. We also had done something pretty much every day pre baby, and I can't wait until I feeling 100% so we can get back to that.

side lying nursing -- i'm not quite there with Elise yet. She's just so little (still not 7 lbs!) sometimes we manage, but she doesn't feed as well as when we're sitting up. I can't wait for side lying nursing to work really well.

what we're up to -- Elise is such a sweet, calm baby. Much different from my son, who was a sweet, no so calm baby. She's sleeping fabulously -- almost every night giving me a 4 hour stretch. She's nurses like a champ. She loves to be worn. Overall, I know it's making the postpartum adjustment much easier than it might be otherwise. I think at this point if I was recovered totally physically, I'd be feeling very confident getting back to our normal routine.

Our little peanut is still a peanut. We had her weighed on Friday and she was up to 6lb 10 oz at 2 weeks. She was born at 6 lbs 7 oz, but went all the way down to 5 lb 12 oz before starting to regain. My ped was very happy with her weight gain, and she has been officially "discharged" from concerns about her jaundice. It just makes me laugh that at 2 weeks she still hasn't broken the 7 lb mark.

OK, the little miss is awake and we are going to head to bed. Hopefully more catching up in the next few days.