~*~ Postpartum Chat Thread Aug 22 - 28 ~*~

[Surfacing]

Previous chat thread for Aug 15 -21:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...4#post15763774

Wow, August is just flying by!

Ds is almost 5 weeks old now and has a lot more alert time. He's so cute!

Dh and dd1 went camping for 4 days so I was home with my toddler and ds. It was a great first day but got a bit more rough as the days went by. I'm pooped! I'm really glad dh and dd1 went camping, even though they got soaked to the bone for two days. It builds character!

How was everybody else's weekend? I hope everyone is doing well.

[Noah's mommy]

Stella's 7 weeks old now...lots more fun! She's been going to bed consistently around 7-8 and sleeping until 7 or so (with two feeds in between). It is so nice to feel like she's a little more predictable, at least in the evening.

Surfacing, I hear you on flying solo...DH and DS went to Peru when Stella was a week old! We did fine, but I was SOOO ready for them to come back. DH has a lot of travel in the next few months and I already nervous about it all. I have help during the day, but bedtimes and weekends make me nervous!

Our weekend was great-it is "winter" here, but it was 80 and sunny this weekend. We spent a lot of time by the pool with Stella and I lounging in the shade. I feel lucky that at this point she's content napping in my arms or at home in her crib. I know the day will come when it isn't so easy! She really seems to enjoy being outside though.

I've been able to consistently use cloth diapers for the last few weeks! I just use a fleece liner in the prefold and change her often so for now it is working. I'm looking forward to returning to the States to pick up some other cloth dipes.

Still waiting on scheduling my other DD's arm surgery. Hopefully this week!

I'm taking Stella to get her Brazilian passport photos today-wish us luck! It can take awhile with a baby!

[mummy marja]

Reading how happy everyone's babies are on here is making me grumpy. I am tired, my shoulders ache, and I don't have even a minute in the day without my baby in my arms or in the wrap. Any one else here with me?

[mummy marja]

ok, sorry, just having a bad moment. DS is pretty great most of the time, I just can't put him down at all. And I'm hungry right now...better go.

[terra-pip]

I'm with you mummy marja...although dd is happy, she just really seems to still prefer being in arms. Or resting in my lap. I can sit her in the bouncy for a few minutes, enough to take a real quick shower or make a real quick meal. I'll lay her in the arms reach if I need to do something for my older kiddos but she hates that. And she doesn't like the carriers long enough to justify putting them on...much easier to just carry her in arms when at home. She does sleep really well at night though. And she'll fall asleep on her own too. With my older kids I had to carry them, walk them , lay them on my chest, nurse, for ever until they fell asleep. So far all I have to do is lay down with dd at bedtime nurse and she'll pull away when she's done and kind of wiggle herself into a comfy place and look about and coo herself to sleep. So cute!

[majazama]

aww, terra pip.. that sounds too cute!

[Surfacing]

Marja I hope you got a good meal and some rest. My babe likes to be in arms a lot of the time too, and specifically near my breast. Even if he doesn't want to nurse he wants to look around from that position, and just be near the mammary. I guess he likes the smell. But yeah, it is tough when baby wants to be held all.of.the.time.

Over here, we participated in a research study today at a children's hospital and the doctor commented that ds looked like he had a bit of jaundice. Ds is 5 weeks old, I had never heard of jaundice lasting this long. So thanks to Dr. Google I see it is possible, but rarely a huge problem. I guess I'll try to stick him out in the sunlight some. It's frustrating. Well, I *had* been thinking he looks a little yellow so I guess it's good to know that it was confirmed. I haven't seen my MWs since the 2 week appt. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea?

[welsh]

Hey Mamas - Cerys is nearly 6 weeks old and also likes to be held! She hates being worn so far but loves sleeping in the bassinet stroller (we call it a pram in the UK) when we're outside.
She has gained 7 oz a week for the past 2 weeks which I'm delighted about. When we were struggling with nursing, she was gaining really slowly. We're finally moving out of the newborn clothes and into 0-3 mths.
Hopefully we're flying back to Moscow next Friday. Waiting on her visa though...sooooooo ready to get out of the in-laws house!

Do any of you pump? I am rubbish at it!!!
It's our wedding anniversary on Saturday so we want to go out for dinner and MIL will babysit.
I just pumped after feeding DD and got 1 oz total after pumping both breasts for about 10 mins. The most I have got was 2 oz.
Could this be because I don't pump daily? Any advice? I have a Medela Swing fwiw.
TIA

[mummy marja]

I'm no pumping expert, I never did it much so I don't know, Welsh. It doesn't sounds like you got much. I used to hand-express to mix with DS1's food (he was a really picky eater even then!) and got pretty good at that.

I am having an awesome day. I am in love with my sweet baby who is just totally coming alive now, cooing and smiling and just adorable. We had our last midwife appointment and he's gained 5 pounds and grew almost 4 inches in just 7 weeks! He was 25 inches long and the midwife had to measure him 3 times, because she thought it had to be wrong. He is growing out of 0-3 months clothes now and wearing 3-6...I guess he isn't a newborn anymore.

I put him in the wrap facing out today, and he just loved it. Then he started to fall asleep though, and that position just doesn't work for sleeping.

Glad the late jaundice is nothing to worry about, Surfacing. I wouldn't have known about that either.

[kosheng]

welsh, after nursing umpteen kiddos, i just last week found that if i pump the opposite side while princess poopypants is nursing, then i'm much more successful. takes a bit of juggling, but doable with the right pillow helping to support dd. i kind of loosely follow block feeding, and dd nurses off one side per feeding.

hth!!

[livelovelaugh]

Surfacing - ds has a really bad case of jaundice after my emergency c-section with him, and then once he was getting better the jaundice lingered, as it tends to do, but as they get older it is much less dangerous...you would know if there were a problem, because, as the docs have told me, when it starts to cause problems those babies are extremely lethargic, have to be woken to be fed, etc. Also, they get rid of the bilirubin through bowel movements, so that should be pretty much taken care of by now! Probably just lingering yellow...hope everything is ok!!!

[ProtoLawyer]

E's been sleeping nearly 4 hours in a row so far tonight ....too bad his (she's nearly 8! she's not sick or anything! go to sleep already!) sister's been yelling her head off every 15 minutes so I can't actually take advantage of it. (I do not know how you moms of many/moms of 2 under 2/etc. do it.)

[Surfacing]

Originally Posted by livelovelaugh

Surfacing - ds has a really bad case of jaundice after my emergency c-section with him, and then once he was getting better the jaundice lingered, as it tends to do, but as they get older it is much less dangerous...you would know if there were a problem, because, as the docs have told me, when it starts to cause problems those babies are extremely lethargic, have to be woken to be fed, etc. Also, they get rid of the bilirubin through bowel movements, so that should be pretty much taken care of by now! Probably just lingering yellow...hope everything is ok!!!

Thanks for that!

Proto -

[matthia]

Originally Posted by welsh

Hey Mamas - Cerys is nearly 6 weeks old and also likes to be held! She hates being worn so far but loves sleeping in the bassinet stroller (we call it a pram in the UK) when we're outside.
She has gained 7 oz a week for the past 2 weeks which I'm delighted about. When we were struggling with nursing, she was gaining really slowly. We're finally moving out of the newborn clothes and into 0-3 mths.
Hopefully we're flying back to Moscow next Friday. Waiting on her visa though...sooooooo ready to get out of the in-laws house!

Do any of you pump? I am rubbish at it!!!
It's our wedding anniversary on Saturday so we want to go out for dinner and MIL will babysit.
I just pumped after feeding DD and got 1 oz total after pumping both breasts for about 10 mins. The most I have got was 2 oz.
Could this be because I don't pump daily? Any advice? I have a Medela Swing fwiw.
TIA

I'm absolutely not an expert and haven't pumped since DS figured out he liked eating (day 3-4) BUT the facilitator of the mom and babe group I go to was talking about this last week. Her recommendation is to pump first thing in the morning, at the same time everyday if you can too. Her other advice is to do this little routine. She said you'd get another oz at least garunteed...so hopefully it works.
The routine is (and I'm pretty sure I remember all the steps but mommy brain and sleep deprivation don't mix well) Heat, Massage, Scratch, Tweak, Pump.
1) apply a hot compress to your breasts, or take a really hot shower.
2) massage your breasts for a few mintues
3) gently scratch your breasts from the outside towards the nipple
4) tweak your nipples a few times
5) pump away.

Also, pumping while you're feeding your LO was also recommended.

[KatWozBlue]

One month check up today and my daughter is still yellow as well and my dr didn't even blink, she said "sometimes it lingers" but as long as she gets up to feed and is starting to "wake up" and look around, there's no reason to worry. So that was good.

My little one is a chunk, 98% for weight and I have had to put away some clothes...makes me super sad, want her to stay a baby for a long long time. I guess it is because she's my last.

I did find myself looking at my first born's baby pictures (he started 1st grade) and just bawling like a baby over how big he has grown.....I need to not do that anymore :-).

[terra-pip]

my dd is outgrowing a ton of clothes...some she wore once or not at all. She's also my last so I'm trying to treasure and enjoy every moment...I know it goes so fast...my 7 yo and 3 yo sons are getting all grown up too.

[chattyprincess]

just a quick check in. Finally home!!YAY this is our second day home and I have offically unpacked and organized my house, it feels lovely to have all this space to spread out in and to just relax and enjoy my house and family. DD1 is having a bit of a hard time, she missed her friends so much this summer and is super emotional and crys when we leave etc etc...I think she just needs some time to break back into her schedule.
We had a new counter/sink/facuet and back splash installed in our kitchen this summer while I was gone. It is SO pretty we just love it!
hope all is well with everyone. tomorrow dh goes back to work so its my first day alone with them in my own house. plus we have a birthday party to go to and dd's birthday party is sunday!

[Momma2DoubleCuties]

Just checking in, life with 4 is crazy but so much fun. We are in the last week of summer break then my 2 oldest boys go to school. Its going to be so quiet here! We weighed Ben today at a day shy of 7 weeks and *drumroll please* he's a healthy 16lbs 4oz!! BIG boy! That puts him at about a pound a week he's gained! Crazy eh? I think I've got cream in these girls!

Hope everyone is good!

[chattyprincess]

WHAT? momma to 2??? 16 holy moly...lol. Chloe is 7 weeks today and now I cannot wait to weigh her on the 7th! I thought she was big, she was 9.13 at 4.5 weeks! Are you producing straight butter or what? You have offically beat our cousin out! lol..her son was born 8lbs even and at 3 months he weighs 19lbs!!

[Terrilein]

Wow! And I thought I was producing cream! That's an incredible weight gain there mama! Bet you're proud of your girls.