Postpartum Chat - June

[BarefootScientist]

Thought I'd start a chat thread for those few of us who are already on the other side. If any of us have enough time to chat.

So how's everything going with the new babies? Things here are pretty good. The only complaint I have is sore nipples but they seem to be getting better. They are very irritated and bleeding but I can now actually tolerate nursing, at least past the initial latch-on. I am hoping they will continue to get better. I'm using lots of lanolin. I think the latch is good because I can tell he's swallowing lots of milk...

Today is DH's birthday and I feel bad that I am 3 days postpartum and don't really want to go out for supper and bake him a cake. We will see. I have been taking it reeeeeeally easy since DS2 was born and am hardly even bleeding and feeling great, so I guess it could go either way - I could use that as an excuse to continue to take it easy so I continue to recover quickly, or I could say, well, since I'm feeling great, I might as well go out and bake cakes and so forth...

I know which I prefer but it IS DH's birthday.

Hope everyone is doing as well as possible!

[flavorgirl]

i'm not part of the postpartum club yet, but i wanted to cast my vote for taking it easy. i know so many women who felt great after birth and ended up doing too much. you don't want a breast infection or heavy bleeding.

[Momsteader]

I'm in the do whatever you think feels right in the moment club :D  Course in previous pregnancies.....I've played a softball game 5 days post-partum....gone to an amusement park and rode roller coasters 8 days post-partum.....hmmm what else.  LOL  So...dinner and cake seems pretty tame to me ;) But, doing both might be over-doing it just two days out!

[Smokering]

Well, I tried to bake DH a birthday cake 4 days PP and ended up nearly fainting on the kitchen floor, and DH called the midwife and she got cross with me and I had to lie down on the sofa. So there you go. :p

[BarefootScientist]

Heh heh, well I did bake the cake but we didn't go out.

Last time around I pretty much resumed normal life, and then I was out at Target one WEEK postpartum and then to church, and started bleeding all over the place...who knows if that caused it or not but my plan was to take things easier early on this time for that reason.

[veganyogamomma]

I say definitely take it easy as much as possible! :) I'm finding that just keeping up with the baby's needs, my own needs and even the slightest household stuff is more than enough to deal with right now.

We are doing pretty well over here, all things considered! My milk came in this morning and baby Simone has been eating like crazy! I've been nursing her fully on one side each time so she gets the hindmilk, but WOW does the other side get sore in the meantime!!! I don't have a breast pump yet (really wishing I did!) so I've manually expressed on the other side but I'm not very good at that yet. :( I asked my doula and she suggested that I nurse for a couple minutes on the one side first just to relieve pressure, then switch her to the other side for the rest of the feeding. I'm gonna try that and hopefully it will help! I'm using lots of lanolin as well, I think I would be pretty miserable without that stuff!!

Sorry if TMI but how in the heck are you supposed to poop after giving birth?!?!!? ACK! It's been two and a half days and I haven't had to yet (and granted, my system totally cleared out during early labor) but I'm going to have to eventually and I am TERRIFIED!!!

[jshannyn519]

Originally Posted by veganyogamomma 

Sorry if TMI but how in the heck are you supposed to poop after giving birth?!?!!? ACK! It's been two and a half days and I haven't had to yet (and granted, my system totally cleared out during early labor) but I'm going to have to eventually and I am TERRIFIED!!!

Take it slow and take some stool softeners. And drink TONS of water, if you're not already. I think that the fear of it makes it worse than it actually is. I've always had stool softeners after my babies were born and it's worth it to take them for at least a few days while things are so tender down there.

[BarefootScientist]

Also prunes or prune juice. I've never found it to be that bad, either time.

I'm still having nipple pain at latch-on, but other than that, nursing is going well here (yay). I don't seem as engorged this time, and I'm not spraying across the room.

[jshannyn519]

Originally Posted by BarefootScientist 

Also prunes or prune juice. I've never found it to be that bad, either time.

I'm still having nipple pain at latch-on, but other than that, nursing is going well here (yay). I don't seem as engorged this time, and I'm not spraying across the room.

That is the great thing about second and subsequent babies! I didn't ever have that milk coming in engorgement that I had with my first child. I did get engorged from time to time if we went a long time between feedings or it had been too long since I pumped when I was EPing. But never again did I suffer through the painful watermelon boobs phenomenon.

[kawa kamuri]

I'm so jealous of the magic milk fountain boobies! I've never had such a thing happen. 

[Max'sMama]

Originally Posted by veganyogamomma 

Sorry if TMI but how in the heck are you supposed to poop after giving birth?!?!!? ACK! It's been two and a half days and I haven't had to yet (and granted, my system totally cleared out during early labor) but I'm going to have to eventually and I am TERRIFIED!!!

Time (relaxation), lots of water, and stool softeners!

Love the fountain pic!
 

I have fallen for my min-ishower again.  It provides such sweet relief at the toilet  and afterpains.  They. Suck.  I had forgotten about that event. Bleeping bleep they hurt. 

I agree with Jenni, subsequent kids I didn't see the engorgement as I had with my first, a very nice side benefit!

[junebug2011]

Thanks for the pooping tips! I have been terrified as well :) My milk came in this morning and I am thrilled. I feel like this is going so well. :) My mom is here taking great care of us, I feel like that after-marathon high euphoria and we are so in love with our baby!! It makes everything worth it.

[Mommy2Austin]

Hopping on in :)

My milk seems to be in this morning. I desperately need to buy some bras though lol. My nipples are sore from lack of use for almost a year so, but past the initial latch-on it isn't too bad as long as I make sure to change her nursing position every other time

Laurelyn is doing great. She was all smiles for Mommy this morning. She's sleeping really great so that has helped a ton.

I managed to get a quick set in cold after birth. I've been congested and coughing since she was born. This has been the hardest part on me so far. I'd feel so much better if I could breathe!

As for my bleeding, I'm sooo surprised. Its down to a mediocre period at this point. My homemade mama cloth is working great although I was really wary of using it at first. I had one overflow accident this morning, but that was from not getting out of bed and on the potty right when I got up like I should have.

Oh and yeah no pooping for me yet either. I keep trying, but I also have to remind myself that a) all i did during labor is go to the bathroom (had a BM during the pushing stage) and b) I'm not an everyday pooper to begin with. So without baby in there pushing everything out, I'm trying to just relax about it and let it happen.

[jshannyn519]

How is everyone doing?

We're doing pretty great over here. Ezrah is 5 days old now and we're starting to settle into somewhat of a rhythm instead of the free for all of the first couple of days. Being at home helps, and having the big kids at camp helps even more. I miss them, but it's been an amazing gift to have these few days to get settled in and focus on baby instead of trying to deal with bored big kids and figure out nursing, sleeping, etc.

I actually don't feel all that sleep-deprived either. I take a long nap during the day with him, and since we're co-sleeping and breast-feeding there's not a whole lot of waking up at night. Plus, he'll sleep for a 3-4 hour stretch after doing a marathon nursing session so between the 2 hour chunk of sleep, dozing while he nurses and then sleeping hard during that longer stretch I'm actually getting more sleep now than I was when I was pregnant!

We had some issues with latching on properly and that combined with his really high palate it was KILLING my nipples. I tried a different technique to get him to latch on and that's made a huge difference. I was to the point where I would nurse him and the pain would go shooting through my breast all the way to my back. It was excruciating. I called the LC at the hospital in tears and we talked about what could be going on. My nipples had started to bleed right in the center of each one and they were so tender that each time he latched on and started nursing it was terrible. I talked to her and actually had an appointment to go in that same afternoon, and then I went online to kellymom.com and looked up latching issues. They had some pictures on how to get baby to latch on better and I tried it and it worked!

My poor nipples are still healing, and there is still that few seconds of ohmigodthishurts! every time I nurse, but it's vastly improved and I don't dread nursing him like I was starting to. This is good news because he's started nursing more often the last day or so.

We also had his first pediatrician visit yesterday. It went well, he's down to 6 lbs 15 oz from his birth weight of 7 lbs 4.5 oz. I think that has more to do with the fact that he was soooo sleepy the first couple of days and he would fall asleep after nursing for 5 minutes and sleep hard for so long that I couldn't get him to wake up enough to latch on and nurse. I think he'll catch back up soon, but we're going back next week so the ped can make sure he's doing okay. He also has a little bit of newborn jaundice, but I think it's already starting to resolve. The sclera of his eyes is already looking less yellow near the pupils. I think it helps that we've been going outside for a little while every day.

I just can't explain how totally in love with him I am. I didn't have this experience with my other kids. With Kaleb I was 19 years old and so totally overwhelmed by everything that it literally took me 3 months before I stopped expecting his real mother to walk through the door and claim her baby. With Hannah I had a 17 1/2 month old toddler, a drug-addict husband, and a huge pile of financial worries. And then my husband and I separated when she was only 10 weeks old. I didn't get to really enjoy either of them being a newborn. It was too scary and hard and stressful for me. With Ezrah I feel like I can finally just be and soak him in. I spend hours every day just staring at him. I am totally amazed that this tiny perfect being came from me. I am endlessly fascinated by his facial expressions and the little noises that he makes and the way that he moves his little body. I love the way he feels curled up on my chest and in my arms. I wish I could bottle this time for when he's older because I know that I won't remember every second and I so want to. Thank goodness for iPhones with cameras and video because with technology I can keep part of that for always.

[Mommy2Austin]

Doing well here Jenni :)

Laurelyn was tongue tied when she was born (as all of my kids have been) so we took care of that, but nipples still went through the bleeding/excrutiating latch on phase. Now a week later its pretty much non-existant (unless we get a bad latch.) So any new mamas or soon to be again mamas it will get better!!! Promise!

She's a little jaundiced so I keep trying to get her out in the sun, but at 100 degrees its just not feasible to stay out long. And I have no sunny windows :( Her cord stump came off yesterday...I had to tug it a little, because it was literally being held by a thread that just wasn't going anywhere.

I may be flying to Texas next weekend with my girlfriend and her SN daughter to a convention for families with children with Emanuel Syndrome (what her daughter has.) I still have to look up some logistical things as far as flying with a newborn (are they going to ask for some kind of id for the baby?) before I commit to going.

Went to a movie last night with friends and baby in tow. I was sooo worried she would cry the entire time, but she slept and nursed like a dream :) Ans Xmen First Class was great!

Well the little stinker just poo'd so I'm off to change her!

[jshannyn519]

Yeah, it's been in the high 90s here every day as well. So we're outside in the mornings and the evenings and inside in the AC during the hottest part of the day. We have tons of windows and the ones in my room are sunny through the first half of the day. The dresser with changing pad on top is right in front of the windows so I'll lay him on the changing pad and let him soak up the sun.

I think that Ezrah has an upper frenulum tie. I saw something online about it and how it can affect nursing because the baby can't curl their top lip out. I started flipping his lip out when he's latched on and that helps too. I need to talk to the ped about it on Thursday when we go back.

Where in Texas will you be?

We went out to dinner (myself, my mom, my sister, and of course the baby) on Thursday night for Vietnamese food. It was sooooo good!! Followed by a coconut strawberry boba shake. YUM! Ezrah slept through the whole dinner.

[Mommy2Austin]

Originally Posted by jshannyn519 

Yeah, it's been in the high 90s here every day as well. So we're outside in the mornings and the evenings and inside in the AC during the hottest part of the day. We have tons of windows and the ones in my room are sunny through the first half of the day. The dresser with changing pad on top is right in front of the windows so I'll lay him on the changing pad and let him soak up the sun.

I think that Ezrah has an upper frenulum tie. I saw something online about it and how it can affect nursing because the baby can't curl their top lip out. I started flipping his lip out when he's latched on and that helps too. I need to talk to the ped about it on Thursday when we go back.

Where in Texas will you be?

We went out to dinner (myself, my mom, my sister, and of course the baby) on Thursday night for Vietnamese food. It was sooooo good!! Followed by a coconut strawberry boba shake. YUM! Ezrah slept through the whole dinner.

We'll be in Dallas. Called the airline and they said a note from the midwife would be just fine :) It's more about them not getting scammed out of money by a more than 2 yo being a lap child than anything else

[BHappy]

Hey mamas,

I haven't had a chance to read this thread yet, but I want to jump in with a question:

Baby Quinn's umbilical cord clamp already came off at three days. I hadn't done anything to it to aid healing. I'm wondering if I should put anything on the belly button now to help prevent infection? The inner part of the belly button isn't dried out completely and it keeps getting bumped by diaper covers.

Ideas and experience welcome, thanks mamas!

[BHappy]

Originally Posted by veganyogamomma 

I say definitely take it easy as much as possible! :) I'm finding that just keeping up with the baby's needs, my own needs and even the slightest household stuff is more than enough to deal with right now.

We are doing pretty well over here, all things considered! My milk came in this morning and baby Simone has been eating like crazy! I've been nursing her fully on one side each time so she gets the hindmilk, but WOW does the other side get sore in the meantime!!! I don't have a breast pump yet (really wishing I did!) so I've manually expressed on the other side but I'm not very good at that yet. :( I asked my doula and she suggested that I nurse for a couple minutes on the one side first just to relieve pressure, then switch her to the other side for the rest of the feeding. I'm gonna try that and hopefully it will help! I'm using lots of lanolin as well, I think I would be pretty miserable without that stuff!!

Sorry if TMI but how in the heck are you supposed to poop after giving birth?!?!!? ACK! It's been two and a half days and I haven't had to yet (and granted, my system totally cleared out during early labor) but I'm going to have to eventually and I am TERRIFIED!!!

I used this constipation remedy at night and the following day had my first pp bm. Worked like a charm:

One cup apple juice, warm
Four prunes
One tbs bran

Allow the prunes and bran to soak in the warm juice for 30 mins. Eat and drink all. Yum.

[jshannyn519]

Originally Posted by BHappy 

Hey mamas,

I haven't had a chance to read this thread yet, but I want to jump in with a question:

Baby Quinn's umbilical cord clamp already came off at three days. I hadn't done anything to it to aid healing. I'm wondering if I should put anything on the belly button now to help prevent infection? The inner part of the belly button isn't dried out completely and it keeps getting bumped by diaper covers.

Ideas and experience welcome, thanks mamas!

Ezrah's clamp was removed at the hospital the day after he was born. Some people don't put anything on the stump that's left, I have the little alcohol wipes like they use when doing blood draws and I swipe one of those over the stump once or twice a day. I did the same thing with my big kids, but using alcohol in a bottle on a cotton ball, and their stumps came off in about 7 days.