Postpartum chat - Page 7

[~Demeter~]

bobbi... marah hasn't been an every day pooper but when she goes we have the opposite problem, she explodes out of the diaper. i actually made her belly button bleed :( on thanksgiving because i had to clean out a mess of poop from in there. I think her cord fell off a few days before it was really ready... and that's why she's had some bleeding. Oh.. and as for using all the milk, yes.. it's the perfect food and when they need it to grow they'll use up most of it with very little waste. :)

I am wearing a pair of nonmaternity jeans... totally surprised I could get them all the way up, zipped and buttoned. I can sit in them albeit they are slightly snug but I'm taking this as a victory! :) It took me a very long time to wear 'real' clothes after Sage.

[kittywitty]

I haven't lost a pound in over 2 weeks. I'm sick of wearing maternity clothes!

[~Demeter~]

Desiree, I've kinda plateaued on weight loss for the moment as well... I think because I'm eating a little less right now. Seems when I eat more I drop the pounds a little faster. I'm 145... down from 170, so that's what... 25 pounds? Yeah.. I've still got about 25, maybe 30 (ha!) to go.

[karen1968]

Glad I'm not the only one tired of still wearing maternity clothes!  I haven't weighed myself in over a week, so not sure where I am compared to pre-preg. But my belly is still TENDER and I worry that non-maternity wear will be tight in all the wrong places.

DH pulled FOUR boxes of clothes out of the attic yesterday. Hopefully there is an entire usable wardrobe in there somewhere.

I also worry I set my recover back a little bit. When I was discharged, I was told not to lift anything too heavy (more than 15 pounds, although someone else said no heavier than baby) to prevent pulling open one of the many incisions. But they didn't say how long that restriction would be in place. Well, yesterday, I took DS to the bookstore for a treat, and he was tired and cranky when we left and wouldn't walk. I ended up carrying him - all 33 pounds - across the entire parking lot to the car. I didn't feel so great right after, although I feel OK now. It just sucks to still be tender and restricted; it wasn't like this at all after DS's vaginal birth.

I am not having much luck side-lying nursing. But I have ginormous breasts. I think I'm an H-cup now. Maybe a G. I don't know. Huge! Especially compared to little Paige's head! If I"m to feel like I'm not going to smother her, I have to sort of lean back a bit after she latches, and that is hell on my back. I have to get up to change her diaper every time she wakes, anyway, so I've been going into the other room to sit in the glider and nurse her. SHe's waking about 3 times a night, and most night's it's all OK. But last night was hell. She was gassy and fussy and didn't want to return to sleep after her feeds. So I think I got about 3.5 hours.   I think around 6am, when she fussed awake again (and I"d been up since 4:15), I just hugged her to me and started to cry and beg her to sleep.  Ugh.  And of course it was on a morning when DH had to leave at 7:15, so no sleeping in, even though she was happily asleep by that point!

Well, those are my post-partum woes!  LOL!

Here is a totally awesome picture of my two kids.   Can't believe I have TWO kids!!

[kittywitty]

So adorable, Karen! And weirdly, it said that your picture was outside my safe search filter. What's up with that?

I was always told nothing heavier than the baby for 6 weeks, I would assume that's extra important post c-section.

[birthdancedoula]

Originally Posted by kittywitty 

So adorable, Karen! And weirdly, it said that your picture was outside my safe search filter. What's up with that?
 

Said the same thing for me, too but I concur...very adorable!!
 

[FarrenSquare]

Karen! So cute! I think they have the same nose.

[~Demeter~]

I've been lifting my 3 year old... not much, but occasionally she needs me, too. I miss holding her :( I was thinking that when I was nursing her before a nap this afternoon... I really haven't held and snuggled her for any extended period of time since I've brought the baby home. So I snuggled her down for her nap... and then held her while she slept a bit, then Marah joined in, lol.

[Ellen Griswold]

I actually lifted my 3 year old while I was still in the hospital.  I don't really recommend it, but, well, sometimes that baby needs mommy too.  However, I didn't have a C and just had one little stitch.  I can't remember to take it easy and it's too late now.  Can't believe it but I want to dtd too and I'm out of my maternity clothes as well (do those things relate? ). But more important, I just feel like myself again!!!!!!!!  I'm a writer and the entire time I was pregnant (same as my other pregnancies) I didn't feel like doing a thing.  Now I am ITCHING to get at my paper and pencil.

Went for a weight check today.  Rachel is 12 ounces above birth weight at 19 days.  Think she's actually gaining slower than her brother and sister did, but, man, this girl sleeps.  I've never had a sleeper - it's amazing!

[Lucy&Jude'sMama]

Is anyone else with more than 2+ kids feeling guilty and neglectful of their older kids???

I'm starting to feel really bad for my two year old. I'm trying to get the hang of this two kid thing but I feel like I'm totally neglecting her even when I'm not meaning to. Idk maybe its just hormones but tonight I'm in tears while cuddling Jude because I miss my little girl and I feel like I'm a horrible mommy who's traded one kid for the other! Ahhhh I'm having a hard time adjusting to all this. Anyone else?

[LadyCatherine185]

Last night was horrible.... Ian screamed/fussed from 8:30-11.. I was so exhausted I was FALLING ASLEEP between back-patting and nursing... Then he was awake from 3-4 fussing and pooping. :( :( Not to mention waking every hour or so to nurse... I am so tired today. I ordered some probiotics for Ian yesterday, hoping they will help.. he seems to be very gassy and in pain during these fussy periods.. And this morning he woke up with a TON of man-sized farts and he was crying just before letting out each one. :( poor little thing. I am also starting to limit dairy in hopes that will help his tummy too.

[kittywitty]

Catie-I think cutting dairy might help. Sounds like my #4 with her dairy issues. Molly has been a grumpasaurus, too. And last night she had green mucousy poop in with the regular mustard seedy stuff. So I'm hoping it's not dairy issues starting.

[LadyCatherine185]

I had to cut dairy with Liam too, for pretty much the entire time he was getting milk (my milk dried up when he was about 20 months old when I was 2 months preg with Ian).. he can eat cheese and small amounts of dairy now, but can't drink milk or eat yogurt. I was sooo hoping to not have to do that this time... I noticed a little bit of green in Ian's poop earlier.... and he's had a little rash that comes and goes that looks like the rash Liam had all over when he was a tiny baby and reacting to the dairy. I am really hoping if I just start to limit it, and do the probiotics, that will be enough... with Liam I couldn't even have hidden dairy.

[Stitches]

I lifted my 30 lb 2 year old the other day to get her in the car seat and I could barely do it!  I was lifting her all the time while pregnant and now I've gone a few weeks without and she feels like a ton of bricks compared to the baby.  I was told not to lift her due to my stitiches, but I figure since my bottom has felt totally normal for almost 2 weeks now it should be fine.  I'm just out of shape!  Luckily she's so independent she doesn't have much need to be lifted these days, save the car seat.

So we went to the kid's Christmas party for DH's company on the weekend, and also took a trip to Costco with the baby.  I wore her in the sling both times and it worked great, she slept the whole time and it was no problem at all.  And yet why do people feel compelled to say, "Oh, you are so brave".  She's 3 weeks old, we need to get out of the house and get on with our lives at some point, and it's sure easier to take a tiny baby out than a crawling or walking one.  IDK, I don't think I was being brave, just living my life! 

[Ellen Griswold]

Yeah, the so brave thing confuses me too.  Am I just supposed to sit home all the time?  What about my other kids?  We'd all go nuts if we were together like that!

The only trouble with dairy that any of my kids have had is when I have yogurt.  It made both ds and dd1 MISERABLE.  I'm not even trying it this time.  However, all other dairy products (and I'm a huge dairy-lover) didn't do a thing.  Hope that eliminating it solves the problem.

Dd2 is starting to develop baby acne.  I thought she was going to avoid it since it seems late, but doesn't look like it now.  We also think that her eyes are starting to shift blue like the other 2.  Still not sure about the hair yet.  Genetics crack me up.  Ending up with blue-eyed, blond-haired children isn't what we would have guessed.

[HeatherB]

Catie, remember that it can take up to 2 weeks to eliminate the dairy from your body/milk... Though he may show improvement well before that.  

Eliana has been more fussy but I also have been splurging on drinks from Sonic for a couple of days.  I'm wondering if the caffeine is what was getting to her.  Today, she wasn't as fussy (no sodas!) for the most part... But then she had trouble falling asleep.  I had to hold her in the "baby whose tummy hurts" position - over my arm facing down. She fell asleep like that twice, and woke up laying on her back in between.  Now she's sleeping on the couch next to me on her tummy and seems fine.  

And her last diaper had green, too.  Did I mention she's thrown up each of the prior two days?  That's 4 times total now, I think - and we're talking fully emptying her tummy, not spitting up.  She barely spits up at all, actually!  But the vomiting thing is a bit disconcerting.  Her tummy has been rumbly, too, and coincided with some of the fussiness.  All these signs of tummy troubles but I'm not sure what's causing it. Reflux?  (All my boys have had pretty significant issues with it.) Tummy bug? (Probably not since it's not really acute.)  Allergies?  Sensitivities?  Pedi today suggested avoiding dairy but I'm going to start with avoiding caffeine and see how that goes.  I hope we don't have to cut dairy - I've done it before and know what a pain it is!  Thankfully I'm not too dependent on dairy products, mostly just the butter on a biscuit or whatever's cooked in stuff.

Eliana is really getting into a steady rhythm.  She has a couple of wakeful periods a day, particularly in the morning and evening.  She sleeps a good chunk of the day and I even got to nap with  both her and my 3yo today.  :thumb  I have felt like the fatigue has been catching up... But it could also be that I need to keep up with my fish oil and placenta capsules better!  She really sleeps well at night and it's amazing!  It's taken some getting used to but I am not going to complain! :)  My first was a horrible sleeper and they've gotten a little better with each one... So nice!  (Their hair has also gotten curlier as we've gone on.. Wondering what will happen with Eliana!)

It is so hard to believe it's been over 2 weeks! :) :(  I want it to slow down! I'm also torn between feeling like I should be able to do everything on my own now (which I can do to some degree) and wanting to take it easy for as long as possible and not rush getting back to "normal" yet.  Thankfully my DH is okay with that and the fact that he works from home means it's a little easier.  I was able to take Eliana to the pedi on my own today.  We're watching a couple of things (her vomiting and her eyes that don't open quite the same amount) but her weight has clearly come up despite the differences on the scales.  According to the pedi, she's gained 11oz in the past 10 days, so that seems good.  She's still 20.5" according to the doc (so much for my idea that she was 21"! I guess my MW was right!) and her head is still 14" - all 50th percentile as is her weight.

It looks like we're going to have a baby shower in another two weeks.  There are a few things that worry me but I think it's all going to be fine.  It'll be the day before her one month birthday.  Wow!!  I wanted it to be this coming weekend originally but some things came up and so it didn't get set in stone (all related to the stuff that worries me but surely it'll be good!).  So as it turns out my MIL will be here... I'd wanted to avoid that but with time ticking (I feel pressure because she's getting older!) and the Christmas season upon us, it seemed foolish to wait another week even though it would mean my MIL would be gone and my sister would be here.  

Lochia - still have the on-again/off-again thing going on here.  Ready for it to be off for good!  But it's not too bad for 2 weeks pp.

Genetics - I have dark brown hair and never imagined I'd have 3 blonde-haired little boys!  I'm really hoping Ellie keeps the darker hair she was born with. :lol  My big boys' eyes have continued to change color for years, starting out super blue and making the gradual change.  Eliana's seemed very gray when she was born but they're clearly blue now.  Mine are hazel so blue isn't TOO far off but it's always interesting to see!  For a while, my boys thought boys had blue eyes (the 2-3 of them, Daddy, Papa) and girls had green eyes (me, my mom and sister - all hazel with green in there).  :lol

Other kids - My 8yo was telling us today that he is having a hard time because it feels like he has no one to play with other than his brothers.  Which is kinda funny 'cause, um, they are always playing together even before baby!  But I think he's feeling like we're less available and that's hard on him.  I'm pretty sure we had this discussion at some point before she was born, though, so it may just be an "I'm 8 and want more adult interaction and have parents who have other stuff going on, too" kind of a thing.  So we need to figure out how to carve out more time for the big kids, get more housework done (bazillion tons of laundry, two kids' rooms that are disasters, declining main rooms, and a MIL coming in a week!!!)

I'm rambling on 'cause I never get to post. :o  I need to take my sleeping little bundle to bed and get some sleep, too.  

[kittywitty]

Heather-I would start with caffeine, then cut dairy if it's still an issue and foremilk/hindmilk imbalance isn't an issue. I'm thinking it's the latter in my little gal right now. I hope.

Genetics always get me, too. My mom is blonde haired and blue eyed and I look nothing like her family besides face shape and mouth. I mean, nothing. They used to joke that I was adopted. Then I met my real father and we're just alike. So I've always been interested in these things. I had blonde Shirley Temple hair as a child and blue eyes. My eyes are now blue/green and my hair a dark to medium brown with bronze overtones. I also have sallow but pale skin. My oldest has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes and looks JUST like my mother. It's fairly scary. My son has dirty blonde hair (not from his father!) and hazel eyes and they got their tallness from their father. My next two have my curly brown hair and mouth and hazel eyes (dh has brown eyes and dark brown hair) and they are tiny and pixieish. Now Molly is big and has blonde/slightly red hair like my oldest and a fair complexion like her, too. I'm assuming it's those long lost Viking genes I know I have (from dna tests in the family-I'm into genealogy and almost entirely Irish). I'm hoping her eyes are not hazel just for a mix up!

[DirtyHippyMama]

haven't posted in a while, but i've been reading along!  i only have a moment, so i'll try to be brief...

siblings:  my 2yo DS is getting better with his emotional breakdowns (unless he's overtired), but i've been refusing his requests to nurse :( because his nursing HURTS me!  i keep fearing that i'm developing an infection (i contracted a bad bacterial infection while in the hospital having him 2+ years ago and it made nursing excrutiating as i fought the infection for MONTHS).  when baby nurses, however, it doesn't hurt, unless DS has just nurse, and then my nips are very tender.  so i'm telling him "no, my boobies hurt when you nurse" and he usually responds with "ooookaaaay." kind of sad, but accepting of it.  his suck is just so strong...

my 5yo DD seems to be developing some resentment toward baby, after 3 wks of doting on her and wanting to hold her ALL the time.  she kept wanting to carry her around and swaddle/unswaddle her -- like her own baby doll.  i keep reminding her that she's not a doll, she's a person, and a fragile one.  well, yesterday, she DROPPED HER ON HER HEAD.  baby is okay (DS was sitting on the floor), but cried on and off for a while.  :(  my daughter is kind of a drama queen, so when we asked her what happened (she was supposed to be sitting on the couch holding her and DH and i were both out of the room at the moment), she said she threw her (i highly doubt that).  i asked why, and she said "because she's always nursing my arm and i'm not her mama!"  uhhh, okay.  we made a big deal about how serious dropping the baby is, and she is not allowed to hold her again for a while.  i am nervous about how she is going to feel toward the baby now...

lochia:  i swear i'm having a period, and i don't see how that's possible.  i have NEVER had a period while ebf'ing, and she's only 3 weeks old!  things had slowed down to alternate brownish discharge and the occasional red spotting, with sometimes nothing at all.  but several days ago it started to be red with tiny clots and hasn't stopped.  not as much as a normal period for me, but definitely continuous.  :/  i thought at first i was overdoing it and need to rest more, then i was worried about retained membranes/placenta (which is ridiculous), but now i just have no idea.  this is just so unlike me.

my back has been killing me, too, and wearing baby does not help that.  by the end of the day i am ready to pop a few ibuprofen and sit with my biomat for a few hours.  i have even broken down and taken a muscle relaxer a few times.  i have chronic back problems (mild scoliosis resulting in atrophied back muscles) that require rx meds (muscle relaxers and mild narcotic painkillers) on a regular basis... it's hard for me to decide to take these meds, even though i know they are relatively safe to take while bf'ing... but sometimes ibuprofen is not enough.  i have always had a rough time readjusting after birthing, with the new posture, etc.  our ped told me (several years ago) that it's better to medicate for the pain than risk having chronic pain effect my milk supply and/or cause ppd.  she has a good point, so i just have to remember that.  i need to get in to see my chiro -- it's been waaay too long.

my pelvis has felt better since i started sleeping with a pillow between my knees again.  my tailbone still hurts when i sit on hard surfaces, though, so i haven't been to church yet.  i am also not looking forward to dealing with all the admirers oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the baby.  i got over that 3 babies ago.  also, i'm not sure how our congregation feels about nursing during the service; i'm pretty shy and modest about it and would hate to cause a ruckus (there are a LOT of old people) so i'll probably sit in the back row for a while...i don't want to spend every service in the "window room" because you can't hear anything over the noise of the children in there.  ugh, i guess i have to get it overwith sometime.

as for side-nursing - my main problem is getting her latched on in the dark, and not smothering her with my boob.  my solutions to those problems (which i implemented 3 babies ago ;)) are having a clip-on reading lamp on the headboard that's bent down between the pillows so it's really dim, but enough light to see to get her latched...and it's within reach so i can turn it on and off without moving much.  for the smothering factor, i have to lean back a little after she's latched, so i have a pillow wedged in my back to lean on so i don't have to balance.  just an fyi for those of you struggling with this.  :D

okay, so this wasn't so brief.  LOL

[ocelotmom]

Anyone else have a diaper bag problem?

Today, before heading out to our midwife appointment (last one, because she's SIX WEEKS OLD tomorrow!!!), I emptied out the diaper bag. I found:

8 disposable diapers

2 short sleeved onesies

1 long sleeved onesie

A pair of pajamas

A gown 

4 hats

4 receiving blankets

...plus everything else that wasn't duplicated in excessive quantities :)

(Note that, except for midwife appointments, we have yet to be out of the house for more than 3 hours or more than 20 minutes from home.)

I have a habit of throwing an extra something or other in the bag "just in case" rather than checking to see if I actually have that thing in there. Then I wonder why her clothing selection is seeming smaller and smaller.

[BirdMum]

Ocelotmom - I used to have that problem when DS was a baby. I'd find outfits in his diaper bag that he'd never worn, but had already outgrown! With Charlie, I went and bought a very thin over-the-shoulder bag. Just enough for a couple outfits, some dipes, and wipes. I use a prefold as a change pad.