Weekly Post-Partum thread, May 2-9 - Page 3

[smeisnotapirate]

Jen, . I second Amy's suggestion of the nipple shields. Helped us too when my DS was such a miserable latcher.

Originally Posted by Pepper44

AFM, everything with DD2 is going so well...I don't have anything to say for once. Total opposite from high needs exhausting DD1...I do know how some of you all feel, shew.

YES. My toddler is a mess, but DD is just heavenly. Makes me feel good about wondering whether DS was really high-needs or if I was just neurotic. He is DEFINITELY high-needs.

[GreenTeaGinger61]

My own breastfeeding saga is not latching but worrying about milk production. Never ever thought I'd be freaked out by this. I weighed Rowena this morning and she's only at 9lbs. She was 8.14 at her last dr.'s appointment a week ago. I guess 2 ozs isn't bad but I was shocked because she nurses ALL THE TIME. She doesn't seem high energy. When she's awake she's alert but she's not a thrasher or a crier. Plus my breasts don't feel that full, and I'm not leaking at all which is very not the norm for me. You'd think this would be easy when you're on number four.

And today was kind of horrible. The park was fine. The group wasn't too bad, kids had fun catching frogs, and while I didn't totally click with the moms it wasn't uncomfortable. But then dd2 got a scratch which lead to LOADS OF DRAMA. Sobbing, hysteria. And of course I had no band aids and one of the moms acted like I was the worst mother ever. The drama just kept on coming. We had to go to Target and the girls fought the whole time...not just name calling but hitting. When we got home, I had them get into the bath, and dd2 went into more hysterics because she didn't want to get her band-aids wet. This sobbing lasted for a half hour, and Rowena decided to join in. Remember what I said about wanting five? I need someone to remind me of these nights whenever I get that thought.

[Pepper44]

You can always wean off of the shield later, once the baby has the idea of boobies+continual sucking=happy full belly.

I've read they can cause supply issues for some reason, but we used them for several months and I never had any problems like that.


My stupid cats are fighting. It sounds like a trailer park in here!

Also totally off topic, but these disposable pads have given me adult diaper rash and I am not amused. OWWWWWW.

Time to get out my cloth pads, now that the bleeding has slowed down. I have Harry Potter print pads!

[smeisnotapirate]

I've been in cloth since the day DD was born, but OWWWWWW. My clitoris is totally numb and surrounded in raw red skin. When I cough, I want to faint. When I pushed DD out, her little fist was right in the cleft closest to my clitoris and it scraaaaaped along it and I thought I was going to die. It's a little better now, but the numbness is really painful (that makes no sense, I know). All I do is adjust my cloth pad all day long.

[jsh7809]

Baby now insists on nursing from like 4pm-10pm every night. I can't take this!! She screams if anything else tries to take its place!! ARGH!

[Pepper44]

Originally Posted by smeisnotapirate

I've been in cloth since the day DD was born, but OWWWWWW. My clitoris is totally numb and surrounded in raw red skin. When I cough, I want to faint. When I pushed DD out, her little fist was right in the cleft closest to my clitoris and it scraaaaaped along it and I thought I was going to die. It's a little better now, but the numbness is really painful (that makes no sense, I know). All I do is adjust my cloth pad all day long.

OMG something similar happened to me with my first birth. It was like...my clitoris was exposed where it shouldn't be and it was numb but at the same time it felt ice cold/burning/too much sensation every time air or my underwear or anything touched it. I was so terrified of it happening again.

Mine took about two months to heal, and it's been perfectly fine since, if that gives you any hope. It will recover! I was very afraid that it might be permanently damaged.

Jsh, cluster feeding can be exhausting! When DD1 did that I distracted myself by watching the box set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched every season, each episode in order over her first few months.

[jsh7809]

Originally Posted by Pepper44

Jsh, cluster feeding can be exhausting! When DD1 did that I distracted myself by watching the box set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched every season, each episode in order over her first few months.

Ha ha, if I hadn't recently rewatched Buffy all the way through, I would totally do that! I just finished rewatching Gilmore Girls today (we don't have cable so it's all DVDs for me) and am at a loss to what's next...
These cluster feedings are driving me crazy. Most of the time it is non nutritive sucking but she will not take a pacifier unless I am super tricky and she's already halfway asleep. Just now I tried to delatch her (before she drifted off) to replace my nipple with the paci and she grunted, scowled in her sleep, and latched on harder. The little demon is on to me!
Seriously, though, I feel like I spent half my day nursing her, which is hard enough, but add to that that I never know when she's actually hungry, and the rest of the time she either barfs up all of the milk all over me (three times today!) or lets the milk run out of her mouth and down her chin, all over me... well, I'm frustrated, she's cranky and screaming all evening long, and everyone smells like sour milk.

ARGH. Tell me it gets easier!

So sorry to hear about sme's clitoris healing situation - ouchie ouch ouch! What a nightmare . I'm sure you'll heal up normally soon but I can only imagine what a drag it is until then.
Every time I think I am making advances with the baby care, or my stitches/ etc healing, or my bleeding, or even having easy bowel movements again, I am humbled but reality and end up bleeding through all of my clothes, or getting puked on by a screaming baby, etc.
On a positive note, we took a nice soothing bath together (her first!) this evening and it was great and SO cute. That little milky stomach floats! I was hoping she'd puke in the bath but no such luck.

I'm sorry for posting so much and so frequently in this DDC but I still feel like I"m in way over my head, and though I have lots of friends with kids, it's hard to get the advice and support I need somehow.
OH and today DH came home from work saying people are telling him we should just let her cry longer... ARGH! I can't believe they're already telling him to let her cry it out - she's only 16 days old! I can't even imagine how that would work (not that I would want to anyway) or how a bottle feeding would possibly work, since neither of us can stand to hear her cry AND she would never take a bottle yet anyway.

[justamama]

Pepper- Buffy got me through the insomnia with dd2's pg.<3 Joss Whedon <3 This time its been Bones.

[jenfl]

Another one here who turned to Buffy marathons in the early days of DD!

Jess -- You might seriously look into reflux. It can be hard, because the symptoms vary so much. But if you suspect it at all, trial some medication for a week or two. It made a huge difference for us. (Personal experience note -- we tried Xantac, but it made DD worse. Switched to Prevacid, got a new baby!)

Okay, you might have convinced me to give the nipple shield another shot. I'm just scared it'll reinforce poor sucking behaviors.

If you've used one, when were you able to stop using it? How hard was weaning off?

[sanguine_speed]

[rhiOrion]

Jess- since we have parallel babies, I thought I'd give you some hope.

Things are getting so much better. I'm sure we'll still have awful days and awful nights sometimes, but it's getting better. She still eats a lot, and she still screams her head off during the traditional witching hour (poor dh), but there's less bloody murder screaming the rest of the time. And the past two nights I haven't even had to get out of bed. Last night she finally fell asleep at about 11 pm and slept pretty much until I got out of bed at 8:00 (well, she started the whole grunt/squeak routine at about 6 am) and put her in the crib (she still hates the crib and sleeps on me). There was some feeding in the middle... at one point I'd left my bra flaps down (yes, I'm a wet mess this morning) and I realized she was rooting around for my nipple while I was asleep! She actually found it pretty much by herself a second after I woke up (which is good, since her latch is bad it would've sucked to have woken up to her latching on!).

The night before that I got up with her for maybe an hour.

I had one REALLY rough day on Monday, but yesterday was much better.

So, I'm just telling you this so you know that things will get better!

Mylicon is working well for the gas for her. I really don't think hers is related to my diet, I ate a TON of cheese/peppers/onions the past two nights for dinner and have had great nights!

[MaterPrimaePuellae]

I ordered DD's new car seat yesterday. I found a Radian Xt Sl for 239.99 [babycatalog.com, for anyone else who is looking!], and (despite the fact that DS will be using it someday, hopefully), I bought it in Flora It's just so pretty! That means DS will be transitioned to the Radian-- I will be so happy to get him out of that annoying Graco Snugride.

Speaking of car seats, I just have to comment again about the astonishing number of people who carry around their babies in bucket seats. Holy cow! Every time I go anywhere, I see zero babies-- I just see bucket seats. Ds can barely get through the 5 minute trip to target in his Graco, so those other babies must feel differently about them.

Breastfeeding-- the leaking continues to be ridiculous. I only have one nighttime nursing bra (which I LOVE, but I have since sworn off buying anything at Motherhood Maternity, and they are the only place I've found the sports bra type nursing bra), and I soak through it every night. Wow.

I pumped a bottle of milk last night (I'm trying to see if DS will take a bottle because we're going on a seven hour car ride next week ); he likes the pacifier, so I thought he might accept the bottle.

Anyway, I had the bottle in the fridge, and DD said, "Oh, Mommy, is that breast milk??" I said it was, and she asked if she could have it. I thought for a minute and said, "Oh, sure." Her face just lit up when she started drinking it. I asked if she liked cow milk or breast milk more, and she said, "Oh, breast milk!!" It was sweet.

Nighttime fussiness-- I have found that taking DS outside works amazingly well. he calms right down, and when he does cry, it doesn't seem as loud. I highly recommend it. And thank you, thank you, to those who suggested the glass of wine. Between helping me sleep through early labor and helping me cope with the "witching hour," this cask of Pacific Peak Cabernet has served me very well.

In other news: we close on our house on Friday!!!

[smeisnotapirate]

Amy, sooooooooooo glad to hear it does heal up. It's really scary right now.

Jess, try The X-Files!

Jen, we used the shield for 2mo. It wasn't hard to wean him off it - it was harder for me to get the courage to put my nipple in his mouth WITHOUT the shield than it was for him to switch.

[Pepper44]

I'm laughing that so many of us watched Buffy as a coping method.

What about Big Love? That show isn't sci-fi but certainly distracting!

I'm watching True Blood at nights now while DH is at work. I totally made myself scared of the dark last night.

My DD did the same thing when she was a baby--she would suck for comfort until she puked, or milk would just dribble out of her mouth everywhere. It was so exhausting and rather depressing because I felt like I could never leave the couch.

I promise it will slowly get better! I promise. Things were to a level of normalcy by 4 months, though at age 3 DD still doesn't sleep well...I just gave up on that and went with her flow as much as possible. It's easier if you have no expectations and just take it one day at a time.

We eventually tried a pacifier too. I bought every type of paci the store had and tried each one. DD only accepted one certain nipple shape. The rest were offensive, lol.

Don't be afraid to have a second baby. My new DD is nothing like DD1! I don't even have over supply this time. DD2 will sleep by herself, she doesn't spit up...It's crazy compared to DD1. I don't know what to do with such a content baby!

[sew_crafty_girl]

The past 2nights Anna has gone to bed with us without having to nurse as soon as I lay her down. We nurse downstairs then I carry her up asleep. But...she has woken up at 2am each night pooping, gassy and alert as can be for a good 1-2 hours. Thankfully, the stepkids can get ready and off to school without me (we live next door) and Anna likes to sleep in until 9 ish.

She's been nursing so much the past few days my breasts rarely feel full. She really prefers my left breast and often just plays with my right nipple for a while before I can latch her.

How is your baby's breathing rate? Anna often has periods of rapid breathing.

She's getting more vocal and grunty when she's stretching, nursing, pooping.

Anyone have an inkling of what colour baby's eyes will be? In certain light they look like they might go brown. I have blue and dh has hazel. My firstborn are blue.

[jsh7809]

Haha, DH has been watching the X Files!!

I just got puked on again - I can't call it spit up when there's this quantity and force! - and I feel so sad for both me and DD. She was sounding really stuffy like she had fluid blocking her throat, and then all of our morning feedings came up. ARGH. We're going to a LC tomorrow and the pediatrician friday, but I am really feeling like I can't take this part anymore. I'm worrying about her (though she has lots of nice poops and pees every day) and I'm frustrated and grossed out. I've tried nursing in different positions, really holding her back till the flow of milk is more tolerable, gently burping her, not burping her, holding her in the reclined position, holding her gently upright - nothing seems to help.
FRUSTRATION. You know it's bad when you find yourself wishing it was GERD so that there could be something to do!!

I'll keep trying different pacifiers. She likes them all okay when I get her milked up and half asleep but as soon as she catches on, she's like WAITASECOND... and gets mad.

Glad to hear things are getting better for you and L, Rhi. I am grateful because my LO's sleeping has been going pretty well (knock wood) - it's just the awake times that get me, ha ha. Between evening grouchfest and vomit and constant constant feeding... well, I find myself looking forward to every nap more than I want to

My DD's breathing is pretty funky, too, lots of tiny pants and hyperventilating sounds, grunts, and a little stuffiness too. I'm wondering if her digestion and that snuffy sounding breath are connected (since she was doing it big time right before barfing) or if she has allergies (we have one of the highest pollen counts anywhere and I have been sneezing up a storm) or what.

I think I'll ask for some help in the "Life With a Babe" forum too re: spitting up.

[Pepper44]

My baby has periods of rapid breathing too! It freaks me out a little, but she seems otherwise totally healthy so I was hoping it's normal. She breathes really fast when she first falls asleep especially...

[loveneverfails]

TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!!! I WANT OFF THE ISLAND, DANG IT!! HELP! I'M STUCK! HEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!

Might be getting slightly punchy. This may or may not have anything to do with the placenta wars that are currently going down on my FB. Someone asked what they would win for winning the birth pool, I said naming rights over the placenta. Drama ensued from my crazy family because OH NOES!!! PLACENTA is EWWWWW!!! And these dopes are pulling this stuff when I'm, say, about 41 weeks pregnant.

Dopes isn't a UAV, is it?

[jenfl]

Today has been a promising day!

First off, after the day of fresh air and sunshine at Disney World, Sprout slept for 5 hours in his first stretch last night! His wakings were a bit longer than usual, but that's the longest stretch he's had yet.

Secondly, I met with yet another LC today (for the record, that's 1 midwife, 2 LCs, 2 oral-motor therapists, and 1 ENT doctor). She spent a while listening to me, then actually spent a while checking out Sprout's latch and suck. She said that, sure enough, he wasn't pushing his tongue past his gum. He CAN do it, but it seems like he can't keep it up while nursing. She also noted that he wasn't cupping correctly and that it felt tight under his tongue. She thinks he has a posterior tongue tie -- exactly what I've suspected all along! The problem is finding a doctor around here who's familiar with them and will clip his.

I have an appointment with a pediatric ENT on Monday, and the LC is going to write him a letter saying that although the tie is relatively minor, that it's impacting breastfeeding. She's going to site various sources that say that clipping is the right thing to do.

So I'm hopeful! It's so nice to at least have someone on my side!

[leavemealone]

I found out my little guy is probably tongue tied. I noticed something weird in his mouth last night and I called my doula to ask her opinion. She came over to look at it and said he was probably tongue tied, but that she didn't know about the issue I originally called her about. She said they could be related, but that she hadn't really seen the original issue before. She referred me to two places where I could have it looked at a bit more.

The original issue: My little guy has some sort of bubbles or blisters under his tongue. Has anyone ever seen this before? It's not on the tongue or the frenulum, but it's under his tongue. I can't really explain it, but it's something I only noticed for the first time last night.