postpartum mamas, how are you? - Page 3

[miamommy]

Abigail did it again, this time without any rectal stimulation (YUCK!) so we have 2 poops in 3 days. With dd1, she pooped every time she nursed and then some so this whole situation took me by surprise but hopefully she is working it out.

I stopped bleeding for a couple of days and it suddenly came back last night heavy and red. I kinda freaked out and called my mw and refused to even stand up all night and it seems to have slowed down. I haven't been very active so now I am trying to take it easier. It's hard because I feel fine and I want to get out of the house. We don't have a yard so I can't go outside and enjoy this wonderful weather without going somewhere.

Oh, my favorite baby item is a waterproof cotton crib pad. I cut it in half and use it all the time to give Abigail's butt some air and I sleep on it since my milk is flowing all over the place at night.

Also for labor - I am really glad that I practiced a bunch of labor positions so I was able to try a lot of different ones until I found what was working best for me.

Early labor I liked putting a baby blanket on the birth ball, a pillow under my knees and draping myself over it. With the ball stopped up against the bed or wall so it didn't roll away.

Active labor - standing over coffee table leaning on it with straight arms and feet spread apart, sometimes going into a squat.

[ex-stasis]

Ok! I think my world is about to be revolutionized! I've got Istra is a make-shift wrap, positioned upright against my chest and she is SLEEPING! And both my hands are free! Whee. I'm off to make dinner with the baby closely nestled against me!

She is handling this much better than the sling. I MAY even be able to type something later! :LOL

[miamommy]

Anyone having any bleeding issues?
I stopped bleeding for a couple of days after day 4, but it came back dark red with some cramping. I guess it's normal for bleeding to come and go, but I was wondering if the cramping feeling is normal? I talked to mw but forgot to tell her about the cramping...I can call her again but I am starting to feel like a stalker as I have had to call her so many times about Abigails poop issues etc...

[ex-stasis]

Raina, my bleeding is coming and going. There was a longish stretch of about a week where I almost could have sworn that it stopped, but then a couple days ago it came back. It's not heavy, but it is red. I'm not sure about the cramping though. I did talk to my mw about the bleeding and she said that it was pretty normal for it to start and stop. I don't know if that helps at all... ... oh, and my bleeding starting and stopping doesn't seem to be related in any way to the amount of activity I'm doing.

[miamommy]

Mine doesn't seem to be related to activity either. I think the cramping is probably ok, but I tend to worry about this stuff.

[dynamohumm6]

YES on both the return of the bleeding, and the cramps. Seriously, last night they were so bad it was like the beginning of my labor all over again. My midwife said it's normal. The bleeding is red again, also--it's like bloody show again. ]I could *totally* do without this part.

[twouglyducks]

I could do without the month long period too... totally. I'm glad it slows down after a bit though.

ON a side note, my baby is up to 9lb 10oz today! Man... it goes SOOOO fast.

[jerawo]

Do you think I should be concerned?

I'm starting to worry about this a little. I had been supplementing each feeding with 1 oz of EBM given to Ely through a feeding syringe. A couple of times after the supplement, he projectile vomitted everything he had eaten, so I decided he took in too much air during the supplement and it wasn't worth it to get him to gain more weight. However, this morning he did the same thing after a nursing. It was our first feeding of the day, and I know my breasts were very full and probably had good let down so I don't know if he just ate too much or took in too much air. I burp him regularly during the feeding and afterwards and keep him upright. I hate to even think he may have some reflux issues.

[mcs]

what does a cord usually look like when it is falling off? our ped told us not to put anything on it- alcohol ect...but it looks a little yellowy under the stump (we started w/ alcohol now.) today it has a very very mild smell that could be the wind blowing the wrong way, and is hanging on by a string. It is hard for me to type now cause she is in my arms- i hope this makes sense...and, i'm still bleeding sometimes heavily and cramping too. my under/incision feels funny too.
mcs

[dynamohumm6]

Originally Posted by mcs

what does a cord usually look like when it is falling off? our ped told us not to put anything on it- alcohol ect...but it looks a little yellowy under the stump (we started w/ alcohol now.) today it has a very very mild smell that could be the wind blowing the wrong way, and is hanging on by a string. It is hard for me to type now cause she is in my arms- i hope this makes sense...and, i'm still bleeding sometimes heavily and cramping too. my under/incision feels funny too.
mcs

Ditto on the bleeding/cramping.

Cully's stump is way gross--it has goo underneath, which I was told to wipe with alcohol, but not aggressively--dr said the goo is what helps it fall off. His is hanging by a thread, too, I accidentally spun it around and my stomach turned.
I was *really* thorough cleaning Sam's stump, and it hung on for WEEKS, :LOL

[twouglyducks]

I didn't use alcohol on my last two kids. It stinks and i was told it almost preserves it? Not sure. This time I used a bit of witch hazel when it looked gooey, otherwise, just water on a q-tip. I hate when they are hanging by a thread. Weird... and I'm afaid I'll rip it off on accident.
The smell isn't an issue unless it's really bad or if it's oozing puz or red and hot around the umbilicus.

[dynamohumm6]

Oooo, I like the witch hazel better. Switching pronto, when needed.

[miamommy]

My mw had us put Goldenseal powder on the cord when we noticed that it was kinda yellow. It fell off the next day. Abigail's cord fell of really early, after only 4 days. I think it's due to her poop issues since her tummy gets really big and must have put pressure on her cord.

Talked to my mw this morning. She thinks that I may have some placenta still inside becuase I have a lot of tenderness right above my pubic bone. Also, I have this weird "pressure" sensation and she said that my ligaments may not be holding my uterus up enough so I have to lay with my butt in the air every few hours to encourage my ligaments to hold the uterus higher. Sounds so scarey but she told me it was ok. I just want to heal and be normal again!!! :

No poop since Saturday. I think I will wait and see if we get one today and call ped tomorrow and make them see us if she doesn't poop by tomorrow morning.

[ex-stasis]

Poor Abigail!

Ok, for those of you with fussy babies--go right now to the library or bookstore and get Dr. Karp's book "The Happiest Baby on the Block". I got it from the library yesterday and started doing some of the stuff he suggests and can you believe this, Istra actually slept through the night last night.

Well, technically.

She didn't actually wake up for her feedings, but she would make little noises while still asleep and I could tell she was on the verge of waking up, so I just offered her the breast and she actually nursed in her sleep and just stopped when she was done! None of that pulling off and other weird behaviour... she just nursed and then "went back to sleep" even though she was already asleep.

Two of the suggestions that really seemed to work were swaddling her really tightly and laying her on her side instead of her back. When she was fussy before bed last night we swaddled her, propped her on her side on my lap and gave her a finger to suck on (she'd already eaten and didn't want any more) and she went from freaking out to completely dead to the world in about two minutes. And she's been asleep since.

I'm totally in awe here.

[dynamohumm6]

The stump is gone!

Cully seems to have a pattern emerging--he power nurses through the day, and then does 2, four-hour stretches at night. Sammy was a "reverse" nurser, and did all HER power nursing at night, for about 6 months...oy....so it'll be interesting to see how long this lasts.

[dani76]

I hope that Abigail is pooping!!

Ellie power nurses through the day also, and then nurses twice at night. Well, except for last night. But yesterday was my Dad's memorial, so I think she just wanted some extra mama time.

I am feeling less stress lately. But I think it's because we are getting into our own routine.

I still can't believe that I'm a mama. I absolutely adore her.

[Sarasein]

Sam's cord fell off at 11 days. I used the alcohol in the hospital, but stoped when we got home. She was also up to 9 lb 10 oz from a low of 7 lb 14 oz. She has gained almost 2 lb in less than 3 weeks. But, I should not be surprized. All she does is nurse and sleep and poop. Her billi level was down to 13 somthing as of last friday. She does not have to go back to the ped till her next well baby check up. I am happy that her numbers are finaly going down. She is still nice and yellow, but starting to look better.

I also though my bleeding was going to stop, only to have it come back bright red. i am glad to see others with that hapening too. I keep telling my DH that I am doing too much and he needs to take Alexis with him.

[cmili]

two weeks today

My Sawyer is two weeks today. We just had our two week check up and he's now 11 lbs. 7 oz! His cord has come off and his jaundice is clearing up.

My bleeding fluctuates alot. glad to see I'm not the only one.

I'm starting to worry about this a little. I had been supplementing each feeding with 1 oz of EBM given to Ely through a feeding syringe. A couple of times after the supplement, he projectile vomitted everything he had eaten, so I decided he took in too much air during the supplement and it wasn't worth it to get him to gain more weight. However, this morning he did the same thing after a nursing. It was our first feeding of the day, and I know my breasts were very full and probably had good let down so I don't know if he just ate too much or took in too much air. I burp him regularly during the feeding and afterwards and keep him upright. I hate to even think he may have some reflux issues.

Could it be related to something your eating? My (1st) son went through phases of this sometimesd it was something I ate, other times I couldn't find a cause and aftera day or so it would pass.

[miamommy]

Abigail seems to be on a one-poop-a-day schedule right now, it has slowly been increasing from as long as once every 3 days, so I am happy. Now we are just working on her "colicky" thing, screaming from about 10 pm to 1 am. Had an appt with mw and baby therapist cranial-sacrum guy and Abigail didn't have a screaming episode that night for the first time since birth, but then tonight was kinda hard though not as long as before. She's not high needs like dd1, and if there wasn't this screaming time she would be the easiest baby ever.

I'm going back for another appt for dd1 who is having a really hard time losing her "only child" status. Poor kid, she is so angry! I am trying to find ways for her to express her anger but so far no luck.

Abigail is growing like crazy, I haven't had her weighed but yesterday my mw said she felt like she was at least 10 1/2 pounds. She feels so solid and so strong and of course, she is beautiful

Hope everyone is doing well, I can't wait to see more moms joining the postpartum list!!!!

[ex-stasis]

Originally Posted by miamommy

Now we are just working on her "colicky" thing, screaming from about 10 pm to 1 am.

Raina, have you tried swaddling her? For around a week Istra was having screaming episodes like that and we tried so many things that only mildly worked. Then I started doing the things suggested in the "Happiest Baby on the Block" book (swaddling really is the key) and it's going much better. I also cut out dairy from my diet and Istra seems to be having much less tummy troubles. We're actually getting some decent sleep now.

I didn't post about this here, but at Istra's 5 day appointment my mw found a heart murmur and we had to whisk her off to a pediatric cardiologist, who found 2 holes in her heart. apparently this is pretty normal... the holes usually close over with time. so since then Istra's heart has been checked by a few different people and it does appear that they are closing over and the murmur is diminishing. we have to take her back to the cardiologist in august so she can actually look at her heart again rather than just listen. no one seems to be especially worried about her; she looks so healthy, eats and poops well and she's up to 9-5 from her birth weight of 7-14.

DH and I still don't completely feel like parents... it's still a bit strange and we still feel a bit detached from everything, but it's getting better and we are enjoying our new lives more, thank goodness.