Postpartum Healing - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[jbk21]

I forgot to mention- for itchiness or rashes it is probably the pads.  Switching to cloth would help, or if you don't have cloth I'd recommend Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm (the earth mama balm not the angel baby balm).  it is AMAZING.  

[TalkToMeNow]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

DH is suddenly a boob man as well.  He LOVES the girls now, OMG.  I have been pregnant or nursing for the past 3.5 years but there was a brief (month long?) time right after I weaned and right as we got pregnant where I got a glimpse of what the twins will look like after I'm done breastfeeding.... It's not pretty.  I used to have cute perky little things- 34C- and now they have stretch marks and when not nursing are just sad and floppy.  Someone please tell me that maybe if I work out I can get some of that perkiness back????  Otherwise DH says he wants me to be a wet nurse forever LOL!

I nursed for 4.5 years nonstop between dd1 and dd2 (1 of those years tandem nursing). I stopped five years ago. My breasts looked like what I called "empty milk sacks". Horrible. I hated it! Also, big crazy nipples. Lol. I can't tell you how long it took (I don't remember!) but they went back to normal. They perked up more, looked a lot like my pre-baby breasts. Ok, not my nipples, but at least the rest of my breast did! Maybe the skin has to shrink back some? Not sure. But there is hope!


My dh is really into my boobs now, too. He's also pretty fascinated that they make milk. It's funny!

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

DH is suddenly a boob man as well.  He LOVES the girls now, OMG.  I have been pregnant or nursing for the past 3.5 years but there was a brief (month long?) time right after I weaned and right as we got pregnant where I got a glimpse of what the twins will look like after I'm done breastfeeding.... It's not pretty.  I used to have cute perky little things- 34C- and now they have stretch marks and when not nursing are just sad and floppy.  Someone please tell me that maybe if I work out I can get some of that perkiness back????  Otherwise DH says he wants me to be a wet nurse forever LOL!

Umm...no. And if you lose additional weight, they'll even more sad looking. Believe me. The 15 lbs I lost before getting pregnant, I bet I lost 2 lbs from each boob and they looked sad and deflated. And I seriously don't care what anyone thinks or has to say about this, but after I'm done nursing and hit my goal weight, I'm SOOO going under the knife to get a lift.

Is anyone having a problem with their post partum moods? I get mad easy and stuff I used to find funny now seem hurtful or offensive and it makes me cry. Anyone else?
 

Edited by IwannaBanRN - 12/5/11 at 10:44am

[Code Name Mama]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

I forgot to mention- for itchiness or rashes it is probably the pads.  Switching to cloth would help, or if you don't have cloth I'd recommend Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm (the earth mama balm not the angel baby balm).  it is AMAZING.  

omg the new mama bottom balm is the BEST!!! i highly recommend it.

[TalkToMeNow]

Originally Posted by Code Name Mama 

Originally Posted by jbk21 

I forgot to mention- for itchiness or rashes it is probably the pads. Switching to cloth would help, or if you don't have cloth I'd recommend Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm (the earth mama balm not the angel baby balm). it is AMAZING.

omg the new mama bottom balm is the BEST!!! i highly recommend it.

I need to try this. I'm so irritated by these disposable pads I can't take it!! But I don't have any cloth.


Becky, you reminded me... I also gained weight after dd2 weaned. Maybe it was the weight gain that made my boobs look better. Hmmm...

[jbk21]

Seriously Amanda get some EM bottom balm.  It is tingly and wonderful and eliminates itching and swelling and pain.  It's like heaven in a balm.  It makes your fine china feel AWESOME   Disposable pads suck.  I'm still using them since I had some leftover and want to get rid of them so I can just use cloth exclusively, but now I'm feeling like it was a bad choice to do it during the pp period since everything is so... moist and tender.  Oye vey.  But cheers to not having a period for MONTHS after this is over, right?!

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by TalkToMeNow 


Becky, you reminded me... I also gained weight after dd2 weaned. Maybe it was the weight gain that made my boobs look better. Hmmm...

My breasts looked FANTASTIC when I was pregnant this time. They were nice and full and not deflated looking. They still look okay but they are heavy with milk. So I'd say the gain would make them look better. I'm one of the unlucky ones that every weight fluctuation shows in my boobs.

[Abraisme]

Ha ha, yeah, why is it that engorged boobs have to look so sexy to men?  Yesterday my dh told me that I'm looking really good for just having a baby..  I told him that's because my boobs are so huge that it's canceling everything else out.    He's also instantly interested in dtd again, which he had been decently avoiding at the end of pregnancy.  As soon as there is no baby in there, it doesn't matter what my tummy looks like..  ha!

As for boobs, mine have actually gone back to a decent place each time that I was done nursing.  I think it's just a mix of genetics and how many stretch marks you get (I do have a decent amount on my boobs though).  It's totally possible that they will look okay in the end, or not, who knows?  I also totally open to the idea of a boob job if I end up totally flat and saggy in the end.  

[jbk21]

Ugh stretch marks.  Thankfully I didn't have any new ones on my boobs this time, and the ones from last time have faded so much they are hardly noticeable.  You can *feel* them though, which is so annoying.  I didn't get any other stretch marks   so I don't understand why I got them on my boobs.  Oh well.  I would think working out and just generally not breastfeeding anymore would help the breast tissue to fill back out.  Once there is no milk in there maybe the fat stores will build back up again?  We'll see!  

Either way, I have so much more appreciation for my body after this birth.  I think my hospital birth wrecked my self-esteem in more ways than I realized.  I lost the weight quickly (2 weeks) last time too but I still felt unsexy.  This time I feel like I look really great and appreciate the size that I am more than I did before.  I always felt self-conscious, even though I'm a size 4.  I just never felt like I was an ideal body size.  Now I realize I shouldn't take it for granted!  The female body does such an amazing thing- growing babies.  It's not something we should take lightly   Oh and my lady bits?  Wow, did I ever take that for granted.  I don't know about anyone else but it looked ROUGH down there during pregnancy. I couldn't imagine how DH found that area attractive, though he said it looked how it always did (he was clearly, CLEARLY mistaken)  Increased blood flow = swollen and bruised looking.  Now it's back to normal and I guess I never appreciated it for what it is  haha.  So yeah, after this birth I'm feeling pretty sexy.  Meow.  

[Paigekitten]

I was looking at my clothes last night (because I REALLY REALLY need to get some new ones) and I realized that even though I am 20 pounds heavier then my "ideal" weight, I think like being this size when breastfeeding because I feel more balanced with such huge breasts.  I need a size large to not smash my breasts, but it's nice to not feel like the rest of me is swimming in it!  

Ugh.  Stretch marks.  

[TalkToMeNow]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

Seriously Amanda get some EM bottom balm.  It is tingly and wonderful and eliminates itching and swelling and pain.  It's like heaven in a balm.  It makes your fine china feel AWESOME   Disposable pads suck.  I'm still using them since I had some leftover and want to get rid of them so I can just use cloth exclusively, but now I'm feeling like it was a bad choice to do it during the pp period since everything is so... moist and tender.  Oye vey.  But cheers to not having a period for MONTHS after this is over, right?!

Unfortunately, my period comes back the week after I stop my postpartum bleeding. Awesome, right? I'm soooo lucky. On the bright side, I suppose that means I could get pregnant ASAP.



Just kidding.

[jbk21]

Originally Posted by TalkToMeNow 


Unfortunately, my period comes back the week after I stop my postpartum bleeding. Awesome, right? I'm soooo lucky. On the bright side, I suppose that means I could get pregnant ASAP.
Just kidding.

shut up no way.

omg.   

[FaithF]

Originally Posted by IwannaBanRN 

DH and I had to stop ourselves last week from doing anything. lol Kissing got a bit hot and heavy.  Hey, at least I know he's interested. I wish the damn wait wasn't 6 weeks. That's how long I bleed usually, and DH won't go near it until it's done bleeding. Also, we need to figure out what to do about birth control. He wants a vasectomy, but doesn't want to trust just anybody with his junk and we don't know what to do for birth control until the vasectomy takes full effect. I can't do the IUD(complications in the past) I can't do the pill because I won't remember it everyday, I can't do the patch because that's how I wound up pregnant in the first place, the depo shot makes me gain weight and I want to LOSE weight, and neither of us find sex with a condom enjoyable at all. Pretty much rules out everything except me getting my tubes tied.  Oh and I don't trust the natural family planning since I'm so fertile.

We hate condoms too. Especially since I'm sensitive to latex so we have to buy the pricier ones, which suck anyway. But we were using vaginal contraceptive film for quite a few years and it worked perfectly. I love it. Here's a link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vcf-Vaginal-Contraceptive-Film-Contraception/dp/B000RT9JD8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

You can also find them at most stores too. Natural family planning is how we got oops pregnancy #1 so I don't use that either. We were using these for a few years like I mentioned earlier, then decided it was time for baby #2, stopped using the films and got pregnant that month. So I'm guessing I'm fairly fertile as well. We had tried another product called Encare and I didn't like that one, I could feel stuff coming out of me. With the film, it dissolves very nicely. Its sort of scary to use it at first because it feels like nothing but it does work well! I think 99% effectiveness rate.

[Code Name Mama]

Originally Posted by TalkToMeNow 

I need to try this. I'm so irritated by these disposable pads I can't take it!! But I don't have any cloth.

cheap gerber prefolds! that's what i used with kieran - when i was really sore i wrapped a soft ice pack in them, or doused them with witch hazel and stuck them in the freezer

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by Code Name Mama 


cheap gerber prefolds! that's what i used with kieran - when i was really sore i wrapped a soft ice pack in them, or doused them with witch hazel and stuck them in the freezer

I'm making cloth pads out of receiving blankets and microfiber towels from the automotive department in Walmart.

[TalkToMeNow]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

shut up no way.

omg.   

Yes way. So sucky. And I do everything right for LAM. Guess I'm that 1%.

Originally Posted by FaithF 

We hate condoms too. Especially since I'm sensitive to latex so we have to buy the pricier ones, which suck anyway. But we were using vaginal contraceptive film for quite a few years and it worked perfectly. I love it. Here's a link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vcf-Vaginal-Contraceptive-Film-Contraception/dp/B000RT9JD8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

You can also find them at most stores too. Natural family planning is how we got oops pregnancy #1 so I don't use that either. We were using these for a few years like I mentioned earlier, then decided it was time for baby #2, stopped using the films and got pregnant that month. So I'm guessing I'm fairly fertile as well. We had tried another product called Encare and I didn't like that one, I could feel stuff coming out of me. With the film, it dissolves very nicely. Its sort of scary to use it at first because it feels like nothing but it does work well! I think 99% effectiveness rate.

I used VCF between dd1 and dd2. Worked great for me! I think you have to put it in 15 min beforehand? Can't remember... However, that was when an oops wouldn't be great, but wouldn't be awful, either. Got the paraguard after dd2. Going to get a Mirena  this time.  

Originally Posted by Code Name Mama 


cheap gerber prefolds! that's what i used with kieran - when i was really sore i wrapped a soft ice pack in them, or doused them with witch hazel and stuck them in the freezer

Thanks for the tip!

[Abraisme]

My toddler noticed my pad today and exclaimed, "mommies diaper! You go pee-pee in your diaper?". Lovely, how do you explain that to a newly potty trained 2yo, ha ha ha..

[Paigekitten]

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by Abraisme 

My toddler noticed my pad today and exclaimed, "mommies diaper! You go pee-pee in your diaper?". Lovely, how do you explain that to a newly potty trained 2yo, ha ha ha..

 Casey asked about my pads the other day too. She said "is that a mommy diaper?" I didn't know what else to tell her but no.  LOL
 

[TalkToMeNow]

I'm so glad I get to go to the bathroom alone these days. I do not miss bathroom conversations with my dds!

I ordered some of that Earth Mama bottom stuff last night. I wish it was already here as I seriously need it. Hopefully it won't take too long to arrive!