How are the mama's that have had their babies.

[TabithaB]

How are you recovering? How are your little ones doing and adjusting to the outside world?

Wow. 11 of us had babies even before October hit. I have a 12 day old baby and she isn't even due until the 7th of October. I was so not ready for that quite yet. Every thing worked out though. We recovered well on this end. I am pretty much over the surgery. My ribs and hip still hurt a bit.

I have a chiro appt today so that should help. My chiro is a miracle worker.

My friends and family have been great. I am pretty much back to my normal routine. It is hard to carry babe in car seat so I have just done the wrap thing or take a stroller.

Hubby wants me to take off work for a couple of months. It will be nice to "play house" instead of going back to work immediately.

[blue butterfly]

Today is my due date but instead i'm stareing adoringly at a 10 day old

Things are going really well. All my pain has gone away and i'm getting about 6 hours of sleep at night (broken into 2-3 hour intervals of course). Phinley has really taken to nursing from the get go, feeling very blessed on that front.

We took a week off of schooling while adjusting things so today is our first day jumping back into that. wish me luck!

Hungry babe is calling, back to chat more later

[MaybeJ]

Well this is baby # 1 and she came 2 weeks early, but I don't think the extra 2 weeks could have prepared me for what a life changing event this would be!

Baby is 9 days old today. Mama and papa are very sleep deprived. I have better days and worse days. Last night was particularly interesting as she was up from 4:30 AM to 8 AM (I'm not sure she's ever been awake for that long at one time...) and ready to feed again at 9 am and now she's sleeping...and I am not. I have a hard time napping during the day as tired as I am, but I really, really should try...will get to that soon.

Also, post partum blues hit me hard. Really hard. Things are improving rather than getting worse so that is a good sign. My midwife was concerned at our last visit and will be really watching me for upcoming appointments.

She's generally a happy baby and breastfeeding has been challenging but is also improving. I'm just looking forward to a wee bit more sleep in the future!

Here's one picture taken by DH's cousin (who did our maternity photos)


http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab351/ajh_05/Naomi/1-5s1.jpg

[kallyn]

My little 7-day-old cutie wasn't due until Oct 13, but she's doing great! I'm doing mostly fine. I had a second degree tear and my stitches are still really painful, and my pelvic region and lower back are kind of sore and floppy, but overall I'm good. Breastfeeding started off a bit of a challenge - she swallowed a big mouthful of amniotic fluid on the way out and her poor tummy was just full of yuck for awhile. But we've got it mostly worked out. I gotta say the fact that my breasts are producing milk that is literally keeping a baby alive is a little mindblowing to me!

She's a really chill, sweet baby and she really only cries when she's trying to pass gas and failing, poor thing. DH has been super wonderful and supportive, and both of our moms have been out to help and been wonderful too. Nights are a little lonely because the best way we've figured to work things so far is to have the baby in the bed with me and DH out on the couch.

She really took us by surprise coming 2.5 weeks early, but now we can't imagine not having her!

Here she is today on her 1-week birthday. http://www.flickr.com/photos/geek_patrol/5051224343/

[lotusma]

doing well on day 7, which happens to be my due date. feeling almost back to my normal self, sans the weight and a bit of water retention still, but i'm not concerned. stepped on the scale yesterday just out of curiousity and i'm down 20lbs from when i went into labor. wow. but i gained something like 37lbs, so i'm gonna have my work cut out for me.

back to a normal routine which is bittersweet, and falling so hard in love w/ this little girl. she's so precious and easy-going. i feel incredibly blessed.

i have hemhorroids for the first time in my life. (pushing was long and excrutiating, as she was asynclitic)--anyone have any btdt advice? do they eventually go away?

[lotusma]

here's a newest pic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rabirth141.jpg

[FireWithin]

I am so in love with these babies. Such gorgeous photos.

[Melly24]

Originally Posted by Mammo2Sammo

I am so in love with these babies. Such gorgeous photos.

Me too

[breanna31]

Originally Posted by Mammo2Sammo

I am so in love with these babies. Such gorgeous photos.

I agree! This thread is getting me excited!

[sheashea]

So fantastic to see the photos!! So many beautiful babies.

[happythistle]

My sweet girl is 11 days old and we just passed her due date - wow. Things are pretty good adjusting to 2. I had to go to sleep pretty early last night and stayed in bed for 14 hours in between nursings and diaper changes, other one crawling into bed with us, etc. But the extra rest was just what my body needed to think clearly again. DH is still home but goes back to work on Friday. :-( My mom comes next week to take care of us and we're excited to have her!
Wynter is a great sleeper and eater. My nipples paid the price for not paying attention to bf positioning in the night when I'm sleepy but a little tlc and lanolin has been helping them heal. She's got an aggressive mouth!
Healing is steady although the hemorroids are horrible! Lots of witch hazel...

I'm loving seeing the new birth announcements and stories every day!!

[miso_soup]

Little Dylan is 12 days old today He arrived 3 weeks early, so we were also taken by surprise! He's doing great, after a bit of a shaky start (he ended up in the NICU for a couple of days postpartum for elevated bilirubin levels and hypoglycemia - a very anxious time for all of us; I'll put it all in a birth story when I feel ready). His ped appointment yesterday showed a 7oz weight gain in 5 days, so he's up to 7lb 5oz now - 6oz past his birth weight of 6lb 15oz, woohoo! I was very happy to see this, because I'm currently going through that new mama breastfeeding anxiety - i.e: "is he getting enough?! How do I tell?! Help!".

As for me, I'm doing great physically - I tore a little during the birth, but nothing major. I was surprised how little this bothered me at the time, actually - it was something I was SO worried about before the birth, but that seemed so insignificant afterwards. Breastfeeding was tough the first week or so due to Dylan's elevated bilirubin levels (jaundice makes babies sleepy, and I would have to fight to keep him awake to eat at virtually every feeding), but is going really well now. I'm not sore at all any more - in fact, the physical healing aspect of the birth has been far and away the easiest aspect, imo!

Mentally…. I'm getting there. Definitely super-emotional, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel overwhelmed at times. I'm also carrying quite a lot of guilt with me - stemming from the fact that Dylan had to be admitted to the NICU, I think. I can't help but think: what did I do wrong? Why couldn't I prevent the hypoglycemia? Why couldn't I provide my baby what he needed to prevent this? Logically, I KNOW it's not my fault and there's nothing I could have done, but I'm still plagued by the guilt. I realize that I have to let it go, and I'm working on it. But he's just so beautiful and perfect, and I feel so lucky… there is a lot of emotion there to process, and it's tough sometimes.

Oh, and here's a pic I took at 3:00am this morning after 4 hours of prolonged cluster feeding and fussiness. I even had time to edit it on my iPhone because he just wouldn't settle down and I'm a tragically light sleeper. What an angel, huh?! Or, a devil in disguise!! DAMN, I love this kid!

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...e/dylan3am.jpg

[ILovePie]

Anders is 5 days old and were doing better every day. His birth was so amazing, and there have been a lot of redemptive moments for me - since DS1's birth was so difficult, and our transition to parenthood was so rough.

Anders is tongue-tied (as his older brother was) and it has made breastfeeding a little tough. I'm SO GRATEFUL for the confidence of having done this before - I have not had a single doubt that he was getting enough (all the signs of his getting plenty were there), plus I have a nursing toddler to ensure more than enough milk for the baby (and relieve engorgement, and nurse to keep up supply on my more-sore side while I limit the baby to the less-sore side so I can heal).

I think my in-laws were really nervous for how this whole tandem nursing thing was going to go, but I love it. And they've both commented that it seems to be working out really well - there has not been one iota of jealousy, and I'm able to give DS1 lots of attention, even if I'm feeding DS 2 all the time!

I've had both boys latched on several times, and I adore it. DS1 insists on stroking, hugging, or holding hands with DS2. And I have both my boys safely snuggled with me and totally relaxed.

DS1 has also been a little mama. It's so sweet. When he first met Anders, he insisted on looking at hands, feet, and then "all of him." I half expected him to count fingers and toes! And he's had some MAJOR insistence that "Mom holds the baby!" He knows how it should be, I guess! He's thrown tantrums when I've had someone else hold the baby so I could go pee!

I'm sooooo much calmer this time than last. The LC diagnosed tongue-tie, and DH and I had a day of sadness and a little bit of doom because of how long it took to work out DS1's breastfeeding - but, at the same time, we know it can all work out, and we know how worth it nursing is in the long run (and that we could put in months of work, but we'll probably nurse for YEARS and it'll be worth it!).

At this point, I'm just working with the tongue-tie (we're seeing a craniosacral therapist and Anders is improving daily - it's pretty amazing). We might have it released, but we're giving it a little time. It's posterior, so it's not the easy fix that DS1's was. Next up in my previous experience with nursing was mastitis, clogs, and blebs for months....so I'm counting on my toddler to keep all of that at bay!!

[mcimom]

Day 5 here. Mateo is just perfect.

Considering I had to have a blood transfusion I seriously feel like a million bucks. I've been conscious to take it really easy b/c of the PPH and b/c of my blood pressure, but so far, so good. My bleeding is like 10x less than any of my 5 previous post-partums. Totally ironic given my huge post partum hemmorhage. whatev! I'll take it. I have had this weird sensation of my veins hurting, as if my body can tell it has 'other' blood in it, but it really only happens at night, so I half wonder if it's just my imagination ??? I am not sore at all other than that weirdness and getting used to the neck cricks of different nursing positions all night...

lotusma, I don't typically get hemmoroids, but witch hazel has always worked for my bottom soreness. Do you do herbal baths? That might help too.

My kids are adapting. The first two days my boys had some emotional break downs (2yo and 4yo). My 2yo FREAKED when the baby nursed b/c Mateo was having a hard time getting a latch and was crying and my 2yo thought he was biting me and just started crying and saying 'no baby, no bite mama! no baby, no bite mama!' and trying to push him away. Poor thing. It was terribly cute though and he figured it out. So funny b/c it's not like he weaned that long ago, you'd think he'd remember it's not biting? Freak. LOL Now it appears to be my girls turn to go through their emotions. My 9yo went first but has since recovered. My 7yo is always sensitive so it's hard to tell any difference, but my 11yo totally freaked out over homework last night and I know it was more than division making her cry. But everyone seems to have gotten it out of their system...we'll see.

Otherwise I am just trying to soak up every second of being home. I'll have to go back to work first thing in January and that sounds so far away now, but I know it'll FLY by.

First Bath

Soaking up some sunrays

LOVE the pics on here. SO SWEET!!

[kallyn]

Ugh, found out today all my pelvic discomfort is not just par for the course after popping out a kiddo and that I have a UTI. Yuck.

[mcimom]

Originally Posted by kallyn

Ugh, found out today all my pelvic discomfort is not just par for the course after popping out a kiddo and that I have a UTI. Yuck.

make sure you take lots of probiotics if they give you abx so you don't have to deal w/thrush - that's the worst...insult to injury!

[Monarchgrrl]

I'm LOVING all the pics on here. Keep 'em coming!!!

[Honey693]

Did anyone else feel great 2-3 days pp and now feel like they've been run over by a truck? i felt so good at first and now I just feel awful.

[lunamegn]

I too am loving all the pics. It's getting me very excited to get to meet my babe soon.

Originally Posted by miso_soup

Mentally…. I'm getting there. Definitely super-emotional, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel overwhelmed at times. I'm also carrying quite a lot of guilt with me - stemming from the fact that Dylan had to be admitted to the NICU, I think. I can't help but think: what did I do wrong? Why couldn't I prevent the hypoglycemia? Why couldn't I provide my baby what he needed to prevent this? Logically, I KNOW it's not my fault and there's nothing I could have done, but I'm still plagued by the guilt. I realize that I have to let it go, and I'm working on it. But he's just so beautiful and perfect, and I feel so lucky… there is a lot of emotion there to process, and it's tough sometimes.

How are you feeling today? I just wanted to give you some love. <3

[mcimom]

Originally Posted by Honey693

Did anyone else feel great 2-3 days pp and now feel like they've been run over by a truck? i felt so good at first and now I just feel awful.

Not this time b/c I've been super conscious to take it so easy, doing less than I felt I was up to. But w/past pg, yes! I have totally had that experience. Felt super and then wham! All those endorphins wear off and...

Just take it as a sign to take it easy, BF a lot (that always makes me ) and do a little less than you think you're up to for a few days to get your mojo back...and a little ibuprofen never hurts either, right?