Postpartum Chat - June - Page 3

[jshannyn519]

Originally Posted by kawa kamuri 

M.E. - did the LC check for a tongue tie? Your pain reminds me of nursing my oldest, tongue tied, perfectly latching daughter.  

I had issues with getting Ezrah to latch 100% "right". The LC that I talked to asked about his palate. The roof of his mouth is high and arched instead of being broad and flat. That makes way more pressure on my nipples and it forms them into an unnatural shape, as in when he's done nursing my nipples look like the top of a lipstick with that oblique angle.

[kawa kamuri]

I got that with her as well. It took a little while but with practice we eventually got nursing smoothly and pain free. The first couple of weeks were awful and I'd cringe every time she latched. 

[MaryElizabeth]

Kama- Yes, I did have him checked, bc I and a few nephews were tounge tied. He isn't, thankfully. And today I noticed the pain getting better and going away faster. <--- I hope I am on my way to pain free nursing! BUT, I am getting engorged a lot faster than before. If he hasn't eaten in a couple hours, the tightness and twinges start and I'm begging him to get up and nurse! I guess it's time to start pumping :)

I keep forgetting to rave about Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple cream. OMG it's amazing!!!!!!!! SO MUCH BETTER THAN LANOLIN. I was a lanolin freak until I found this stuff. It also is great for any thrush/yeast prone mamas and babies as the lanolin provides something for the thrush to feed on. I wish I could buy a tub of this and send it to every mama on here. It is that amazing. I have been using it non stop and I can tell a big difference in my nipple condition since then. As an added benefit, it has turned out to be an amazing moisturizer for Finn's face! It's super soft and smells amazing :) 

Finn has been sleeping for 2 hours---- I haven't. Danget! I always forget to go to sleep when he does unless it is late at night. I get too excited and start cleaning and doing other random things haha

[BarefootScientist]

Congratulations to everyone newly postpartum! I haven't had as much chance to get on here lately (which is probably a good thing) so I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep up and congratulate everyone.

Baby boy is 2 weeks 2 days old today and doing great.

I am still having hip pain too! Grr! However, it is better than it was when I was pregnant. I had noticed that every time I would have a run of prodormal labor it would get better...weird. So I was excited to see that it was gone after birth, but it may have just been the contractions because after a few days it came back, but it seems to be gradually going away.

Nipple pain is pretty much gone here! Yay! I am starting to notice signs of oversupply though, probably because I am looking for them. Foamy, greenish poops. So I am trying to keep him on each side a little longer to get him some of that hindmilk. I had oversupply with my older DS, which is why I'm on the lookout for it this time, but it didn't show up until I went back to work at 3ish months last time.

I am still bleeding! Not a lot, but like a light period. Is that normal? I seem to remember I bled for quite a while last time, like weeks, but everything I read says I shouldn't be bleeding anymore. I have been taking it really easy...

Is anyone else doing EC?

[jshannyn519]

Good news! The labial tear is starting to heal and it doesn't hurt as much!

Bad news: The combination of healing skin and wearing a pad is causing massive ITCHING!!! Will witch hazel help with the itching? It's driving me nuts! It seems like the only thing that helps with the itching and swelling at all is epsom salt baths, but the effect only lasts for a few hours. I can't spend all day in the bath!

Barefoot, I bled for 6 weeks with my oldest two, but I also wasn't really taking it easy after they were born. I'm still having bleeding too, baby is 9 days old now, but it's pretty much like a light period too. I think everyone is different and "normal" is a pretty big range.

[painefaria]

Originally Posted by kawa kamuri 

Ouch! Do people still use Dermoplast? 

I used Dermoplast this time around and it was my savior! I think that I healed after just a few days. I didn't even use a whole can between both pregnancies

[heathenmom]

This is the first chance I've had to post in the postpartum thread.  We've had a bit of a rough go; the Little Man was doing well, but gradually slowed down nursing and had all but stopped on Sunday.  He spiked a fever Sunday night and we ended up admitted to the hospital early Monday morning.  He was severely dehydrated.  It was hard to see our sweet boy go through so many blood draws, but he desperately needed the IV fluids.  They never did identify any infection, but he's nursing better and we're home.

I haven't had the time or energy to deal with postpartum issues yet.  Thankfully I had no tearing, but the swelling in my feet, which was awful the last month or so of the pregnancy, is even worse now and has spread to my legs as well.  It hurts to walk.  :(  The mw can't see me until Friday midmorning, but a friend of mine suggested epsom salt baths and eating plenty of watermelon and cucumber.  I'm willing to try just about anything at this point.

[jshannyn519]

Originally Posted by heathenmom 

This is the first chance I've had to post in the postpartum thread.  We've had a bit of a rough go; the Little Man was doing well, but gradually slowed down nursing and had all but stopped on Sunday.  He spiked a fever Sunday night and we ended up admitted to the hospital early Monday morning.  He was severely dehydrated.  It was hard to see our sweet boy go through so many blood draws, but he desperately needed the IV fluids.  They never did identify any infection, but he's nursing better and we're home.

I haven't had the time or energy to deal with postpartum issues yet.  Thankfully I had no tearing, but the swelling in my feet, which was awful the last month or so of the pregnancy, is even worse now and has spread to my legs as well.  It hurts to walk.  :(  The mw can't see me until Friday midmorning, but a friend of mine suggested epsom salt baths and eating plenty of watermelon and cucumber.  I'm willing to try just about anything at this point.

Oh how scary for you! I hate it when my kids are sick, especially when they're really little. I'm glad he's doing okay now. Do they have any idea why he got sick in the first place?

Yes, epsom salt baths will help pull the fluid out of your tissues and into your blood stream so you can pee them out. Make sure that you're drinking TONS of water too. I think a lot of people have a tendency to drink less water when they're all swollen from extra fluids, but that only makes it worse. Staying really well hydrated can kick-start your fluid levels balancing out. If you can walk at all I would do that as well. Moving your muscles will help move the fluid out of your tissues as well.
 

[MaryElizabeth]

HeathenMom--- Praying for you and your little one!

[jshannyn519]

TMI warning...

I haven't been bleeding today. Instead I've been having what looks more like discharge, except that it's kind of a brownish-yellow color. It doesn't smell bad, it doesn't smell like anything actually. And it's such a small amount that I was able to switch from pads to pantyliners. I can't remember if this is "normal" or not for an end to the PP bleeding. I sure hope this is it because that would be awesome!

[Klynne]

Originally Posted by heathenmom 

I haven't had the time or energy to deal with postpartum issues yet.  Thankfully I had no tearing, but the swelling in my feet, which was awful the last month or so of the pregnancy, is even worse now and has spread to my legs as well.  It hurts to walk.  :(  The mw can't see me until Friday midmorning, but a friend of mine suggested epsom salt baths and eating plenty of watermelon and cucumber.  I'm willing to try just about anything at this point.

Not PP yet but I had to chime in. Have you heard of dry brushing? It stimulates the lymph drainage system and works extremely well for edema. I've been doing it the last few months sometimes with a brush, but mostly with light strokes with my fingers (like up my arms towards my arm pits) whenever I feel swelling in my fingers. This lady sums it up pretty well. Hope you find relief! 

And I'm so glad your little one is doing fine now. What a stressful ordeal!
 

[MaryElizabeth]

Jenni--- I know what you're talking about. I'm having it too. I am just assuming its the sign of the end of bleeding, like with a period. Yay to no more huge pads!

[mad4mady]

Originally Posted by MaryElizabeth 

I keep forgetting to rave about Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple cream. OMG it's amazing!!!!!!!! SO MUCH BETTER THAN LANOLIN.

Laurel will not get near my nipple if there is as much as a trace of Lanolin on there but she is fine with the earth mama cream.

[mad4mady]

Originally Posted by jshannyn519 

TMI warning...

I haven't been bleeding today. Instead I've been having what looks more like discharge, except that it's kind of a brownish-yellow color. It doesn't smell bad, it doesn't smell like anything actually. And it's such a small amount that I was able to switch from pads to pantyliners. I can't remember if this is "normal" or not for an end to the PP bleeding. I sure hope this is it because that would be awesome!

I cant wait for that  I still need a full on pad.

[jshannyn519]

Originally Posted by MaryElizabeth 

Jenni--- I know what you're talking about. I'm having it too. I am just assuming its the sign of the end of bleeding, like with a period. Yay to no more huge pads!

Originally Posted by mad4mady 

I cant wait for that  I still need a full on pad.

Well, apparently my body thinks it's funny to mess with me. :P  I'm back to bleeding again. Sigh. I'm sooooo ready for this part to be over. It's my least favorite part of the whole baby-having business.
 

[Mommy2Austin]

I'm stuck in the endless cycle of no bleeding/bleeding. So annoying. Little Bit has decided she can't possibly sleep without someone near/touching her for more than 5 minutes. Thankfully we have 4 adults in the house to play pass the baby so mommy's arms can get a break.

[MaryElizabeth]

Oh man... I was hoping that I could be done with the bleeding. I haven't started again yet, but seeing that everyone else has been battling the on again/off again.... I'm sure I will follow suit!

I pumped today and got 4 oz! I am really a bad pumper, so it was encouraging to get that much AND see that it was a thick "whole" milk, not my usual watery "skim" :)

I wish Finn's stump would fall off already... I want to give him a bath! I normally am not a baby bather-- but he is getting really oily and the sponge baths aren't really getting the job done :/

[jshannyn519]

Originally Posted by MaryElizabeth 

Oh man... I was hoping that I could be done with the bleeding. I haven't started again yet, but seeing that everyone else has been battling the on again/off again.... I'm sure I will follow suit!

I pumped today and got 4 oz! I am really a bad pumper, so it was encouraging to get that much AND see that it was a thick "whole" milk, not my usual watery "skim" :)

I wish Finn's stump would fall off already... I want to give him a bath! I normally am not a baby bather-- but he is getting really oily and the sponge baths aren't really getting the job done :/

Yay for getting milk from pumping! I pumped when Ezrah was 3 days old because I was engorged and it hurt. I got 2 oz from each side, which was awesome. I haven't pumped again since, but I did just get a new pump from WIC the other day. I'll probably test it out in another week or so.

Ezrah's stump fell off last night! Actually, it stuck to the inside of his diaper and was pulled off when I changed his diaper at 4 am. I'm thrilled because this means we can go swimming now! I've been doing baths in the baby bathtub, which only submerges his bottom and legs anyway, and I didn't have any issues. It will be nice to be able to bring him in the bath or the shower with me though. I've always thought that was a much easier way to bathe a baby than trying to mess around with the baby tubs on counters and such.
 

[MaryElizabeth]

Jenni-- I feel so accomplished when I pump a decent amount haha that is sooo sad... I have been having problems with being engorged too so I might as well pump and get a stash going for Disney and such. When do you find the best time of day is to pump? I heard morning .... and do you do both sides even if baby just ate off of one? Finn is starting to get full off of one breast so I would like to pump the other at least once/twice a day. <--- sooo time consuming!

-- I've been putting a little cornstarch and zinc oxide powder on his because keep the pee pee off of it is getting difficult. I ran out of newborn diapers(disposables) and all of my diapers(cloth) that have the umbilical cord snap do really fit that well or either they let the pee seep up that way anyway.... it's not wet per say... just moist unless I keep some sort of powder on it. I have a feeling that he is already getting cradle cap and he woke up today with a mask of little red bumps/rash.... I'm hoping it's simply baby acne and not a reaction to a lotion that I used last night. Maybe I will put some California Baby Calendula cream on it and see what happens. 

My boobs are still sore. It's not so much the nipples as in the whole boob is just SORE. Put together with my all over achey-ness from the C-section incision and laying around so much... and I'm getting a little grumpy.

By the way.. I am STILL constipated. I even took a couple of stool softeners and Cholorphyll  but still ... it's very frustrating!

How is everyone else doing??

I'm starting to get nervous about being alone with a 2 year old and a newborn who loves to nurse and be held..... yikes! 

[jshannyn519]

I don't think it's sad at all! I pumped for my birthdaughter for 4 months, and she had BM for 6 months. At my highest production amount I was getting 50 oz a DAY. It was so cool! I seriously made a spreadsheet and kept track of it all. I think all in all I pumped over 20 gallons of milk or something like that. It was crazy.

If he's only nursing on one side at a time, you can pump on the other side while he's nursing. If you have everything set up and ready to go then you can pop him on the boob and stick the pump on the other side and go. The WIC breastfeeding lady said that you can also pump after he's done nursing, either one side or both (I'd do both) to stimulate more milk production.

I had a few days where my boobs were sore too, that all-over soreness and achyness. I think it was just part of my boobs figuring out what they're doing this time around.