Post partum chat - Page 2

[mcimom]

I'll be 4 wks pp tomorrow. I stopped bleeding about a week ago (or more?) I think. That's the earliest I've stopped I think. So ironic given I hemmorhaged so much after birth I had to have a transfusion! Ah well. I'll take it! So glad to be rid of the pads!!

Mateo is starting to give a few "real" smiles and a couple vocalizations here and there...soooo sweet! He'll hold his head up for a bit, but he's still a bobble head for sure.

He was 9/5 at birth and dropped down to 8/9 but was 11 pounds even yesterday when I weighed him. No surprise given he nurses all.the.time. I do get a block of 4 hours most nights but otherwise he is on at least every hour. I don't mind though. This being my sixth I'm all about the on demand feeding. a) it gives me an opportunity to sit! b) it gives me an opportunity to hold the baby (I have a LOT of helpers!!) and c) since I'm a WOHM and will have to go back in January, I just relish being able to BF all day/every day and not having to pump at all!

My BP is still high and I'm still on my meds. I tried reducing them for a week to half the dose, but when I took my BP today it was 140/90 so I'm putting myself back on the full dose and hoping this gets under control...SOON! Other than that, totally enjoying my babymoon. so, so, so, so, so, soooooooo very much!!

[CherryBomb]

I'm glad you're enjoying your babymoon, mcimom!

Finn is 16 days old ! His umbilical stump fell off yesterday, thank God He's getting more alert and staying awake longer during the day, too. Which is great, hopefully it means he'll start sleeping better at night. My incision is feeling much better, though I still get sore if I stand too much or do too much.

[mauri456]

My girls are 11 days today. I did get a scale bc we were going from bottles (when Charlotte needed to be in the PCN for bili issues/blood count) to all breast feeding and I just wantd to make sure they were both doing okay.

Charlotte is back to her birth weight (5 lbs 4 oz) and Johanna is 1 oz from her BW (6 lbs 3 oz). Im really proud given that I've only had since Saturday with my babies together abd at that time Charlotte was 4 lbs 15 oz and Johanna was 5 lbs 14 oz.

They are good nursers -- I'm esp proud of Charlotte who was on bottles and I was so scared that she wouldnt transition back to breast well. She actually rejects bottles for mommy. Johanna just loves to nurse. That girl would spend ALL day there... and she pretty much does...

I am trying to add in some pumping just to up my supply. My goal is right now three times a day. Im getting about 1 oz after a feed which for two babies I think is pretty good.

I feel pretty good... I've lost 40 out of the 50 lbs I gained with the babies and I have been eating like crazy. This recovery (VBAC) compared to the c/s with my daughter is soooo much better. I think it is more emotional, but I just feel so calm and at peace now. I hate to say it too early but I dont think Im going to get the PPD I got with my daughter.

Physically my only complaint is hemmhroids... hoping those will get beter with time..

[outlier]

I have a question for the experienced mamas here, or at least those who are farther along than I am.

Ds is 2 1/2 weeks old now and has had nothing but the breast (not even a pacifier). I get horrible stabbing pains in my nipples when he nurses, especially during the first few minutes. Will this pain go away at some point? I've been chalking it up to both of us not being good at this yet, plus it seems he prefers to have a shallower latch, which I break and re-latch as much as I dare during a session. He can stick out his tongue so I don't think he's tongue-tied.

Seeing him chunk up makes the pain more than worth it , but it'd be nice if I didn't dread his getting hungry!

[CherryBomb]

LLL Hat on Outlier, do the shooting pains start in your breast and go to the nipple? Does it go away after a few minutes, or continue on through out the nursing session and even afterwards? Are your nipples pink/red and itchy?

If the pain only lasts a few minutes and then goes away, it could just be let down. If it persists, and especially if your nipples are red and itchy, it might be thrush. Also, can you have his latch checked? If his latch is fine and the pain is persisting through out the nursing session, I'd try treating you both for thrush.



mauri, so glad to hear that you and your girls are doing so well!

[MaybeJ]

Hmmm well I'm a first time mom but I did have terrible pain in the beginning and it was the result of a bad latch. My midwife worked on our latch at our 5 day pp visit when the pain was really bad and as the latch improved the pain improved. We had a harder time on the right side so I used to avoid that side sometimes and I dreaded when I knew I'd be using that side!

Now at 5 weeks pp, I have some painful discomfort when first latching but only if the baby has gone for a longer stretch without feeding and I'm feeling kind of "full". Otherwise, I'm feeling much better and I believe the better latch is what helped.

If it is a latch issue, I think it would be worth working on the latch as that can also ensure they get more milk at each feeding (at least I was told that).

I asked my midwife about thrush and she said that I would feel sharp shooting pains in between feedings and not just when latching...

Maybe some more experienced mothers have more insight! Good luck!

[MaybeJ]

I posted at the same time as CherryBomb but everything she said about thrush is what my midwife said and I was too lazy to type.

I also thought about let down as I get a tingly sort of itchy sensation with that, but definitely not pain that would make me dread breastfeeding like in the beginning when I had a bad latch...just my 2 cents!

[EzzysMom]

yeah I'd try to find help with the latch, sounds like issues I had with my first. He is latched too shallowly likely or biting, which mine did. One session with the LC and it was fixed and she's still nursing

[hotharmony]

Could be vasospasm; Nipple blanching (turning white) after a feeding occurs when the blood flow to the nipple is limited or cut off. Blanching is most often related to latch problems. Nipple blanching is often, but not always, associated with pain. Because women may describe shooting, burning breast/nipple pain, this can be mistakenly diagnosed as thrush. If the normal color returns after your baby has finished a feeding and there is no pain, then the blanching is not a problem.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...blanching.html

[corban's mum]

how do you treat mommas n babbs for thrush?? i *think* we may have it as my nipples are bright pink after each feed and im getting shooting pains starting in my breast going to nipples when we nurse, also my right one feels itchy when she feeds???? different from let down which to me feels like sharp pins n needles

just wondering how it's treated and how urgent it it because my family doc/mw is shut for another two days. is it worth a trip to a+e?? i think that may be overdoing it but at the same time is it fair for baby to wait another 2 days for treatment??

is there anything over the counter babies can have?

totally un-informed on this subject

she may also have it down below as her inner girly parts look a bit red?? just noticed today

[outlier]

My responses are in red:

Originally Posted by CherryBomb

LLL Hat on Outlier, do the shooting pains start in your breast and go to the nipple? The pains are pretty much limited to the nipple only, though it's difficult to tell how "deep" they are. Does it go away after a few minutes, or continue on through out the nursing session and even afterwards? It does seem to go away after the first few minutes, or at least dull down to a managable level. My nipples are sore afterward, but I don't know if I'd describe it as pain, more like I can tell they've suffered some trauma. Are your nipples pink/red and itchy? They're pink, maybe a little pinker than before ds was born, but not itchy.

If the pain only lasts a few minutes and then goes away, it could just be let down. Would letdown pain start immediately, like with the first suck? If it persists, and especially if your nipples are red and itchy, it might be thrush. Also, can you have his latch checked? I'll try to have my local LLL leader check it. If his latch is fine and the pain is persisting through out the nursing session, I'd try treating you both for thrush.

I hope it's not thrush! I looked it up on kellymom and see I've been doing several things to encourage it, yikes! I'm going to stop using nursing pads and quit eating so much sugar. Should I be worried that his tongue is coated with a white film? He's also developed some butt redness in the last couple days.

Originally Posted by MaybeJ

Hmmm well I'm a first time mom but I did have terrible pain in the beginning and it was the result of a bad latch. My midwife worked on our latch at our 5 day pp visit when the pain was really bad and as the latch improved the pain improved. We had a harder time on the right side so I used to avoid that side sometimes and I dreaded when I knew I'd be using that side!

Now at 5 weeks pp, I have some painful discomfort when first latching but only if the baby has gone for a longer stretch without feeding and I'm feeling kind of "full". Otherwise, I'm feeling much better and I believe the better latch is what helped.

If it is a latch issue, I think it would be worth working on the latch as that can also ensure they get more milk at each feeding (at least I was told that).

I asked my midwife about thrush and she said that I would feel sharp shooting pains in between feedings and not just when latching... Okay, good, I don't get any between feedings.

Maybe some more experienced mothers have more insight! Good luck!

Originally Posted by EzzysMom

yeah I'd try to find help with the latch, sounds like issues I had with my first. He is latched too shallowly likely or biting, which mine did. One session with the LC and it was fixed and she's still nursing I hope it's an easy fix like this!

Originally Posted by hotharmony

Could be vasospasm; Nipple blanching (turning white) after a feeding occurs when the blood flow to the nipple is limited or cut off. Blanching is most often related to latch problems. My nipple is a little whiter when he first unlatches, but it goes back to its normal color soon afterward. Nipple blanching is often, but not always, associated with pain. Because women may describe shooting, burning breast/nipple pain, this can be mistakenly diagnosed as thrush. If the normal color returns after your baby has finished a feeding and there is no pain, then the blanching is not a problem.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...blanching.html

Thank you all so much for your help! You've given me lots of things to think about.

[Magali]

Originally Posted by outlier

I have a question for the experienced mamas here, or at least those who are farther along than I am.

Ds is 2 1/2 weeks old now and has had nothing but the breast (not even a pacifier). I get horrible stabbing pains in my nipples when he nurses, especially during the first few minutes. Will this pain go away at some point? I've been chalking it up to both of us not being good at this yet, plus it seems he prefers to have a shallower latch, which I break and re-latch as much as I dare during a session. He can stick out his tongue so I don't think he's tongue-tied.

Seeing him chunk up makes the pain more than worth it , but it'd be nice if I didn't dread his getting hungry!

I was having the same kind of pain the first week with my dd. I had zero pain with my son, so this was something new. I think the problem was she wasn't opening her mouth wide enough and taking enough breast in her mouth. I found it really helpful to aim my nipple up at her nose and tickle her chin with the bottom of my areola. This would make her mouth open wide and then I'd let her take the nipple. Also, my dd was curling her top lip in so you couldn't see her lip while she nursed. So, I'd try at first to get it uncurled by latching her again, and it that didn't work, I'd gently uncurl it for her while she was was latched on.

[CherryBomb]

Sounds like it's probably a latch issue, then!

corban's mum, there are a number of ways to treat for thrush. Gentian violet is a favorite in natural circles, as is GSE. You can also go to your doc and get a prescription for nystatin. Diflucan is another option. I like GSE (grapefruit seed extract) as a first attempt, personally.

You can let down immediately, or even when baby is not nursing (think of when baby cries and you start to leak), but this is usually just in the first few weeks of nursing and stops for most moms (who don't have an oversupply issue) after a month or two.

[corban's mum]

*has purple nipples and a purple-mouthed baby* lol pretty apt for halloween!!

[honeybee]

Thrush. I feel like an expert at this point, although I am not having a lot of success in getting rid of mine. Gentian Violet is NOT a natural treatment. It is petroleum based, and is actually pretty nasty stuff. That said, it has at least reduced the pain for me, although the thrush is still there after a week of gentian violet (which is all you're supposed to do). It would not be my first choice.

Here is Jack Newman's thrush protocol. Click on candida protocol.
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...id=5&Itemid=17

As far as natural treatments, stop eating all sugar/sweets and refined flours (although I've also stopped all bread, even whole grains and cut down on dairy and carbs in general). Take lots of probiotics. For topical treatments, you can use coconut oil and I've even heard of using plain yogurt topically. Anything you wear next to your breasts should only be worn once and then washed in HOT water, and adding a vinegar rinse can be helpful. This includes things like bath towels. I haven't been wearing bras at all. Airdrying your nipples or trying to expose them to sun also helps.

For baby, I have been dipping my finger in probiotics (from breaking open a pill) and then having him suck on my finger, and I kind of rub it all around his mouth. I do this before each feeding. You can also swab baby's mouth out with a baking soda and water paste after feedings, but he hates that (Plus he always falls asleep on the breast), so I haven't really been doing that.

Thrush is very contagious and it gets passed back and forth between mom and baby, so it can be very hard to get rid of.

I have done just about everything in Newman's protocol, except for the diflucan, which is my next step. I've had some success in that the thrush was improving, but now it seems stuck at this current level.

[corban's mum]

ive got GV with glycerin base, also diluted with coconut oil. fingers crossed! cant stand the pains anymore n baby is getting narked too poor thing she doesnt seem to mind the mixture at all either, lil piglet

[oliversmom7213]

Raises hand.....We have thrush too. Ingrid has been clicking my nipple and biting the bottle nipple and my nipple the past couple of days, which is adding to pain. Ours isnt too bad yet but let down and pumping are getting uncomfortable. (we are still working up to ebf but I have way more than she is eating and don't want to lose it so I'm still pumping). Although this explains why she is rejecting breast and bottle all while still rooting.
She is also super gassy and uncomfortable after feeds while passing gas (I read this can be related to the thrush). She hasn't pooped since monday but I don't think she has to as her gas can be very powerful and you would expect some poop to come out with it if there was any to begin with. Plus the Dr said the same thing, that she is not bothered by not pooping. He was feeling her tummy when he said it.
We went to urgent care today and got her a rx and I got over the counter stuff to try for now. Although I'm a little concern it is already in my ducts as soon after I pump (an hour or less) I feel like engorgment pain in my breasts but they are "empty". I actually ended up pumping 2 hours early one day b.c i was listening to my breasts and not watching the clock. I was surprised to see only an ounce out of each, then I realized I wasn't due to pump yet.
The most important thing will be to keep boiling my pump and bottle pieces until this gone. I would say I am giving up sugar but I just ate 2 mini donuts and some carmel apple coffee cake.......damn you yeast!

[Melly24]

Hugs to all the mama's dealing with thrush! Sounds ouchie and annoying

Anyone else have a tummy sleeper? Ben seems to have reflux type symptoms, but hopefully it's just because he's so new and it will settle down. He's not even two weeks old yet. But sleeping him on his tummy makes a huge difference! I was nervous at first, but last night thought stuff it. It's not like he's in his own room where I cant keep an eye on him. He's in a side-carred cot, and after our NICU experience with his breathing after birth, I'm pretty paranoid about checking him anyway. Woah, look at me justifying myself

[hyz]

We've been dealing with thrush, too. I noticed a little thrush patch in DS's mouth on his 1 week birthday. I called his ped, and they said just to watch it and it would probably heal on its own--I told them that's super, but I was already starting to have horribly burning nipples and shooting pains in my breast--they said to call my OB. She prescribed Diflucan for me, and I've been on that for a week now. I've also been using an antifungal cream on my nipples after nursing, and taking probiotics, and letting my nipples air dry after nursing as often as possible. I haven't seen any patches in DS's mouth for days now, and the nursing is a lot less painful. It still hurts, but I don't feel like crying anymore every time DS gets hungry. On top of this, we were also dealing with engorgement (that's better now), shallow latch (caused open wounds on the tips of my nipples--we're working on this now though, and I think it's much better), and DS is biting sometimes when he nurses. Oy. Nursing was very painful at first with DD, too, but it got better after a few weeks and we had a successful nursing relationship for 18 months, so I think this will all get better eventually.

[CherryBomb]

Melly, Finn is a tummy sleeper, too. My dd3 was the same way. I try not to feel guilty about it, but I wish he would be content to sleep on his back! He's got reflux symptoms, too. I bought him some gas drops and they seem to help some.