September 2011 Whatever Ladies Having Babies! - Page 16

[MarineWife]

i thought i read that SPD was supposed resolve itself after birth but mine didn't. hopefully, yours will just get better.

how about you, carrie? it must not be a problem for you anymore, huh?

i don't think there's anything academic that a baby or toddler needs to learn. academics are things taught or learned in school. i've never been to any of those baby gym classes. i think they are more for fun and to give parents something to do with their very young children rather than being needed. i guess maybe they are marketed as necessary for motor skill development? kind of like preschool. it's not necessary for life, only for preparing kids for school. And i don't mean academically. i mean to train them how school works and how they are expected to behave.

i don't think about academics with kellen at all. the only thing he needs to do is play.

i don't think i'm going to get any cleaning done today. i told the boys i wanted to clean the upstairs playroom and ethan's room but i'm just not feeling it. ethan had chorus today and that's enough work for me.

[onetwoten]

I'm gonna go back and read but just in case anyone is online right now and able to respond... looking for some advice/btdt experience. I've been increasingly sore, which turned to downright pain yesterday. Had to take tylenol today before work. I've also noticed an increased amount of discharge, which I've just been chalking up to just 'one of those things'. Today was just... weird. I am in pain, (like muscles and joints, not contractions), I feel 'off', I've got a lot more discharge, and it's seeming more... chunky? I managed to sit down a bit at work, and then as soon as I went out front and was standing again, baby starting going nuts with movement. She seemed downright angry. And I'm getting BH anytime I walk any distance really (we're talking like from one end of the house to the other), or going up and down stairs. 

I guess I'm just trying to rule out that I'm losing mucus plug too early (or leaking amniotic fluid). I know they say the AF is supposed to be colorless, odorless, etc, and this is not. It's definately colored yellow/slightly greenish. More snot like... except mostly watery- with just bits of 'snot'. If I had to choose a way to describe the smell, it's almost...vinegary? That sounds weird, but it's that kind of almost sharp scent. 

I would think it was more of a yeast infection or something, except I haven't noticed any symptoms- I'm not itchy, no burning, no more frequent urination or anything. Just copious discahrge... followed by the "off" feeling all day, which has me on edge. Does it sound like bits of mucus plug already? They've been small, and I know it regenerates, but obviously I don't want to lose too much of it too early, especially combined with the overall off feeling. 

I should add we've taken my BP and it's a bit low, but not fainting low. Placenta sounds normal to the untrained ear, and baby's hb sounds pretty much normal. It was a bit slow at first, but as I relaxed lying down, it sped up. She's sitting around 130. I'm going to take it again in about an hour. She's moving much more typical movements now. 

Anyways I'm rambling... off to read and research. 

[MarineWife]

discharge does usually increase toward the end. not sure how close, though. BH cxt are very normal and do usually start/increase with activity. i'm more concerned about you feeling off. did you call your hcp? that's what i suggest if you are concerned at all.

[AnnieA]

I'd suggest calling your OB as well. If you can't call until tomorrow go home and get in bed and take it easy. Get plenty of fluids in you tonight and good food if you feel up to eating.

[akind1]

my increased discharge has been clear - not greenish - and pretty odorless. so I think I'd check in with HCP as I've got no idea, JJ, about what that could be.

DS - after 2 whole nights in his room  - woke not long after midnight to come in our bed, and no sooner than he did, I started getting some mild contractions. which have gone off and on all night. He was exceedingly restless and cranky. Even if it was a bit of false labor - which it seems like - as I've not had any more contractions in an hour or so - it makes me wonder how you girls with toddlers manage to labor with toddlers at home? I do think he sensed something, but he was not helpful. since if it was labor - it would have been early labor - I was trying to at least sleep between. Didn't happen so much. *sigh*

I'm thinking he may need to go somewhere, or I need to go somewhere, to labor when it really hits. I do want to labor outside the hospital as much as possible.

MW: any chance it's something other than SPD?

[Baby_Cakes]

JJ - maybe it's BV?  I don't think it has to be itchy if its bacterial.  You should go in.  It can't hurt.  Just for peace of mind, especially if you're feeling oogy all over, too.  Who knows, maybe it's the first signs of the flu or something.  But I wouldn't ignore how you're feeling.

Kat - Laboring with Nora home was incredibly frustrating.  She went to grandma's a lot earlier than I thought I would want her to go.  I was going to wait until things were really active before sending her, but I couldn't.  Everything she did was aggravating.  So, even before ctx got regular (but after my water had broken) I had Chris get her ready to go.  Idk how ppl labor and give birth with little ones around either, after my experience!

AFM - My allergies SUCKKKK.  I wanted to take Zyrtec but one of the ingredients is lactose.  Do you think that would cause a huge issue since dairy affects Finnley so much?  Alavert is also recommended so I might just try that instead.  I can't imagine taking even half a Benadryl when I'm already so sleep deprived (plus it can make baby drowsy, too).

[MarineWife]

Kat ~ It sounds like Gabe really senses something. How interesting that he would come into your room the one night you had somewhat regular contractions. My boys were a bit older when I had the next one, 3 1/2 and 4, respectively, so my experience probably won't help. I also tend to hit hard labor later at night when they are asleep. I went into labor with Ryan right after midnight. Hard labor with Kellen sometime between midnight and 2 am and hard labor with Dylan started around 10-10:30 pm. My mom was here so she occupied the boys. They did lay in bed with me for a little bit earlier in the night but both fell asleep. I didn't really try to sleep in between cxts in the early part. For one, it was during the day and I don't usually sleep then. Two, who can sleep at such an exciting time? Not me, that's for sure.

Can your ILs occupy him for the most part while you are at home? That way he could be with you but not on you, so to speak.

Did I ever tell you guys that at one point during my labor, when I was on my hands and knees on the floor with my upper body on one of my ottomans one of the kittens layed down on the ottoman and circled his body around my head? So sweet.

Carrie ~ Are all of those safe while breastfeeding? I've been thinking about allergy meds because mine have been acting up, too. My eyes are itchy and goopy and my head just feels stopped up, like my ears are full of something. So annoying. (Hm...maybe the chiro can help with that, too.) I'm afraid the allergy meds will dry up my milk. I think I read that somewhere. I wouldn't presume that lactose would be a problem since they say it's the protein in dairy, casein, that's usually the real culprit of digestive problems, right?

Everyone tells me that what I have is SPD. Everything I've read makes me think it is. I have the symptoms. Of course, idk for sure since it's diagnosed by me describing my symptoms. Those kinds of things are always tricky because everything is so subjective.

[akind1]

I've always done Claritin (but don't know if it contains lactose or not?) I mean, it can't be a huge amount, so don't know if it would adversely affect Finn or not.

Much as MIL wants to stay home with DS while the baby comes, I am thinking he is really going need to go somewhere when labor picks up. It's better - especially if I'm in early labor that could be disrupted - for me to stay put. He can always come back when I go to the hospital. I love him, but man, last night was awful. he was wriggly and whiny, wanted a drink (he got one, it just involves carrying him downstairs to get it), but the contractions felt like good ones - wrapping around my belly to my sacrum - so maybe they at least helped things progress a bit. Thankfully I could just breathe through them and not moan.

JJ: let us know how it goes!

[MarineWife]

every contraction you have is helping things progress. like my MW said, every contraction you have now is one less you have to have during active labor.

[Baby_Cakes]

Yeah those allergy medicines are all safe while bf'ing.  It says so little is passed thru milk that it's safe.  Except for Benadryl - they say watch baby for signs of drowsiness.  I took an Alavert.  I'm dying over here, it's enough already!  

Re: SPD - after I gave birth my MW was convinced I never had it to begin with.  She said the positions I was choosing to labor in, the way I was swivelling my hips under the water during ctx, squatting, etc, meant that I didn't have it.  I don't have any pain now.  I'm a little creaky when I run but not in pain.  I think chiro is the way to go if you're still having issues.  True SPD does resolve eventually, but you have to work on it I read.

Re: Baby Gyms and things like Music Together and classes like that - I think they're just something to do.  If you have a toddler with lots of energy, a gym type tumbling class might be great during the winter months when things are just too intense indoors all the time.  Music classes can be fun but I dont' think its going to set your baby up for musical greatness or anything.  

So, I'm still dealing with puke as you all know.  I've been sleeping on the couch with Finn and it's getting old fast.  At 5 am this morning, we both just could not get comfortable, so I tried laying with him in bed again, and sidelying nursing.  It was a major puke fest and I'm just over it.  I want to sleep in the bed though, and I was thinking of a wedge type thing for him to lay near me.  The cosleeper is too flat, he barfs EVERY time I put him down in it.  What do you think of this horrific contraption?  It seems to be better than a wedge, and holds him more like the swing does but w/o the swinging motion.  I could put it on the floor next to my bed.  Sigh, idk.  Idk what to do.  I know it's only a short time that I'll have to deal with this but -- what's the saying -- the days are long but the years are short.  The days are feeling VERYYY long right now.

He sleeps good in the swing but I'm not feeling using that for every nap and every night.  I feel like he's going to get dependent on the motion and we'll have issues when he outgrows it for weight, which at his rate is going to be well before he's ready to sleep flat.  He's already 13 lbs at 6 weeks and wearing 3-6 mo clothes.

[akind1]

Carrie, I've seen those; they seem slightly more comfortable than keeping baby in bucket seat. Will he sleep in a regular old bouncy seat? they are way cheaper. I am so sorry you are dealing with such a puke fest. It would get old in a hurry.

Going to go for  a walk with DS in a little bit. Need to wear him out, and it may help things along.

[MarineWife]

What about the allergy meds drying up the milk? That concerns me, too. Maybe that's from the older allergy meds that were decongestants?

I don't think that wedge thing is bad, especially if it helps everyone sleep better. Why can't you put it in the bed nect to you? Too high to use with a bedrail?

I probably wouldn't worry too much about him getting dependent on the motion of the swing. If all of this is from reflux and he'll eventually grow out of it, I'd assume he'd then be able to sleep laying down.

I should probably admit that I cheat and put D down on his tummy. I did the same with K and probably Ryan since I don't think the back-to-sleep campaign was such a huge thing back then. I'm pretty sure I tried not to put E down on his tummy and he was our worst sleeper. I figure it's okay now because D can pick his head up and move it around and, most of the time, I'm at least in the room with him if not lying next to him.

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by akind1 

Carrie, I've seen those; they seem slightly more comfortable than keeping baby in bucket seat. Will he sleep in a regular old bouncy seat? they are way cheaper. I am so sorry you are dealing with such a puke fest. It would get old in a hurry.

Going to go for  a walk with DS in a little bit. Need to wear him out, and it may help things along.

I can't find one of the parts for my bouncy seat so I haven't tried.  Diane is going to bring hers with her this weekend when she comes to visit so I can try it out.  If it works, it works!  And it's free.  Her baby has out grown it already, so she says I can use it and return it when I'm done.

Don't wear yourself out.  You don't want to be too exhausted when you go into labor.
 

Originally Posted by MarineWife 

What about the allergy meds drying up the milk? That concerns me, too. Maybe that's from the older allergy meds that were decongestants?
I don't think that wedge thing is bad, especially if it helps everyone sleep better. Why can't you put it in the bed nect to you? Too high to use with a bedrail?
I probably wouldn't worry too much about him getting dependent on the motion of the swing. If all of this is from reflux and he'll eventually grow out of it, I'd assume he'd then be able to sleep laying down.
I should probably admit that I cheat and put D down on his tummy. I did the same with K and probably Ryan since I don't think the back-to-sleep campaign was such a huge thing back then. I'm pretty sure I tried not to put E down on his tummy and he was our worst sleeper. I figure it's okay now because D can pick his head up and move it around and, most of the time, I'm at least in the room with him if not lying next to him.

I think antihistamines can theoretically dry up your milk if you use them a lot.  I have an abundant oversuppy and we are well established with bf'ing, so I'm not personally too worried.  I could see it being an issue though if a nursing mama wasn't sure about supply or just starting out bf'ing. 

We only have a queen size bed, so it wouldn't fit with all 3 of us.

If he's 25 lbs (the weight limit of the swing) before he grows out of the reflux, that's what I worry about.  With Nora, she outgrew the swing, but could nurse sidelying for naps and I would just sneak off and leave her to nap on the bed.  If I can't do that for this kiddo...I'm not sure what I'd do!

Nora was also a tummy sleeper.  Took all her naps and slept at night on her tummy.  I purposely put her down that way b/c she slept way better.

Did I mention to you guys that chris's cousin's son who is 1 year old has to wear one of those flat head syndrome helmets?  They aren't AP and used a crib and CIO, and obviously rigorously followed the Back To Sleep guidelines.  Isn't that a shame?  This poor baby now has a misshapen head b/c his parents didn't hold him.  Makes me aggravated.

[MarineWife]

that is sad, carrie. i always wonder what exactly causes that mishapen head. i've seen some babies who spend a lot of their time in buckets, swings and various other baby holders and laying on their backs that don't have that problem and others that very obviously do. I wonder if the person prescribing or providing the helmet ever tells the parents that if they held their babies more that wouldn't happen?

i found a swaddler at the store that goes from 14-22 lbs. so i bought it. got home and realized i have no idea when to put D in it since we don't have scheduled sleep times. i don't want to keep him wrapped in it all the time.

my milk supply has lessened. i'm only collecting about 0.5 oz. if i'm lucky whereas before i was getting 2-3 oz. sometimes i don't get anything. my milk ejection hasn't lessened, though. it still comes out really hard and fast. although, maybe the spraying doesn't last quite as long.

[akind1]

Maybe some babies are just more prone to have flat heads? softer skulls or something. but, yes, poor baby!

Not wanting to wear myself out! when I started feeling some contractions last night after DS came to bed, I was like, can you wait till morning and I've had some sleep! LOL

MW: not an emotional basketcase yet (I've had those days!) but if someone told me she'd still be cooking a week or more from now, I'd probably cry. With DS I was very anti-induction (like pitocin, etc) but with this baby, I am so much more ready to be done. I feel like I could easily be persuaded, if someone wanted to persuade me that way. No one is, which is probably a good thing!

Just hanging in here, working :(

can you put D in the sleeper before you think he might sleep? maybe not for each sleep, but like the night time ones?

[AnnieA]

akind1, fingers crossed that something gets going soon for you! I know that feeling of hating work but not wanting to use PTO time before the baby is born! It's torture!

Baby_Cakes, my DD has been sleeping in this for almost all her naps and a lot at night for the same reason. When she throws up, it's like the exorcist! Comes out of her nose and mouth at the same time. It worries me that she would choke if she was laying down so if I can get her to start the night in her crib, when she wakes up for a night feed, I put her in the rocker because I don't want her full tummy coming right back up. 

MW, I have a snuggle wrap also and I have the same problem as you. DD won't tolerate having her arms restrained while she's still awake so I never know when to put her in it. I've just been folding one of my Aden and Anais blankets in half lengthwise and laying her on it when she's asleep. Then I can swaddle her arms tight and she will usually stay asleep.

I'm seriously considering buying the Medela SNS. I HATE washing all these bottles! I feel like all I do is pump, feed DD, wash pump parts and bottles, pump, feed DD, wash...it's a neverending cycle! I'm also still really worried about losing my supply. If it goes down anymore and I still can't get her to nurse then I'm going to have to rent the hospital pump. Giving her something other than BM is just not an option for me. 

[MarineWife]

annie ~ have you tried taking anything to boost your supply, like fenugreek?

D sleeps really well at night now so I don't need swaddling for then. During the day it might help, though. I guess I could try laying the swaddler down so that I can lay D in it and wrap him up after he falls asleep. I just cannot swaddle a baby in a blanket. It never works for me.

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by AnnieA 

Baby_Cakes, my DD has been sleeping in this for almost all her naps and a lot at night for the same reason. When she throws up, it's like the exorcist! Comes out of her nose and mouth at the same time. It worries me that she would choke if she was laying down so if I can get her to start the night in her crib, when she wakes up for a night feed, I put her in the rocker because I don't want her full tummy coming right back up. 

Well that is significantly cheaper!!  And it does rock, so if he needs the motion it woudl do that as well.

And yep - puke out the nose, the mouth, it seems to just keep coming and coming!  Having to sit up for all the nighttime feedings is torture as well.  How are you dealing with that?  I'm pretty tired.  Though, I'm trying to just enjoy the rest I do get and not get aggravated.  Ha, I find myself though shhh'ing and patting his back when he stirs, without thinking to look at the time sometimes, and then I feel bad when I realize I'm shushing him and it's been 3 hours since he ate last.  Oops.

I cheat with washing.  I keep a pyrex bowl near the sink.  Once I'm done pumping, I rinse everything just in hot water and put it in the bowl.  I figure if I rinse them it's good enough til the next time.  I wash with soapy water just once a week, or if I forget to, I put the parts in the dishwasher.  Have you seen those sterilzing microwave bags?  Those are handy too.

re: swaddlers - ooh, I need bigger ones!!  Where'd you find it, MW?  Finn usually gets swaddled for his morning nap, otherwise he's too quick to startle awake.  That's his really light sleep.  His midafternoon naps can go either way.  If I find he startles awake too much and I don't have the opportunity to hold him, I'll just swaddle him and nurse him back down.  Night is a non-issue.  I get him in jammies and a clean diaper and swaddle him around 8:30 pm.  Even if he doesn't fall asleep til 10, he's much more quiet and at least resting until then.

I'm starving today.  My salad was a joke, even with a burger on top.  I just snarfed a banana, lol.  I'm looking fwd to more coffee in a bit.  I try not to have it before 3 pm, otherwise it wears off too quickly. 

[MarineWife]

i got the larger swaddler at the marine corps exchange. hm...maybe i'll try it after he wakes around 9 pm to at least keep him calmer even if he doesn't go back to sleep immediately.

i'm such a dunce. i just realized my monitor receiver was set on the wrong channel. that's why i was getting so much noise. once i switched it, there was silence.

i'm waiting til after the 1st to check out the consignment shop again. i'm looking for a swing that swings, a bouncy seat and maybe a new bath recliner that goes in the tub. the baby bath i have has suction cups to stick to the tub but my tub is textured so it doesn't stick. it tries to float away.

i feel so good after the chiro adjustment. we're all going back next week. the guy i saw today is certified in pediatric and pg chiro and the webster technique. wish i had known that while i was pg.

carrie ~ he says he can easily treat reflux. you should sneak finn off to the chiro. i understand your desire to respect your dh but, honestly, he's not the one who's sleep-deprived and has to deal with all the mess and disturbances and take care of two very young children all day with no sleep. since you are the one most affected by it, you should be the one making the final decisions on what to do about it. my dh and i look at it this way. i don't go to his office to tell him how to do his job and he doesn't come home and tell me how to do mine.

I also wanted to bring something up about the vasectomy just for you to consider if you haven't already. When I was involved in infertility groups I met a lot of women who were TTC after a vas reversal. It was so heartbreaking to think their situation could have been completely avoided. Some were married to the same man, thought they were done having kids and realized a few years later that they really weren't. Others were 2nd marriages in which the man had gotten the vas after having kids with the 1st wife. Divorce and remarriage changed things a bit. There were also women who were TTC after having tubal ligation reversals. Similar stories. my understanding is that more often than not the reversals do not work.

You guys are so young and have so much time ahead of you. Doing something permanent like that isn't something to take lightly (not that you are. i can't figure out quite what i'm trying to say there). I'm not trying to get you to change your mind or saying you've made the wrong decision. Just trying to give you another POV to think about.

[AnnieA]

Baby_Cakes, for the middle of the night feeds, I just get up. I have to go out in the kitchen anyway and get the bottle so I just sit in the living room on the loveseat with DD. That's pretty much where I spend my days now. It's comfortable to feed her there and the arm is wide enough so I can set multiple things up there like my phone, the itouch, pacifier, etc. I just don't turn on any lights so the only light is coming from the night light above the stove in the kitchen. There have been times though that I'm was so tired, especially in the beginning, that I would worry that I was going to fall asleep walking and drop DD. Last night, I fell asleep on the couch holding her and didn't wake up for a while but that doesn't usually happen. 

MW, I meant to get some fenugreek when I was at Whole Foods the other day and forgot. I'm going out tonight to run some errands when DH gets home so I'll stop by there too. 

I'm second-guessing the SNS now. I tried this afternoon to get DD to latch on and it's just not comfortable for her to be a nursing position. Plus I think my breasts are too big and long and it makes her have to be way out on my lap just get her near my nipple. She's used to being close to my face when I give her the bottle. We spend most feedings staring at each other and there's no way that would happen if she was nursing. My breasts are very large. Is it possible I just can't nurse because they are too large?