new mommas... how's it all going?

[aweynsayl]

Anyone who has a new babe checking in?

I'm emerging from the chaos of the past month... we finally have had some good days!

Brady is three weeks old, and hasnt regained his birth weight, but even though the midwives were freaking out, the peds at children's hospital basically told them to chill out, so we're feeling SO MUCH BETTER.

Any and all tips on getting babies to gain weight appreciated!

How are you all doing???

[hairpin]

I don't really have any tips for gaining weight. But we do try to breastfeed the baby 10 times a day (every 2 hours approx.), which is difficult. Ours seems to be gaining back the weight he lost - about 11 percent - mostly because I wasn't able to nurse him too well.

Things seem to be getting better here, in regards to feeling more confident about changing diapers, nursing, etc. But I still haven't figured out how to use carriers effectively. And baby still doesn't really like being swaddled. But we're trying to work on that because he stays up from midnight to about 4 or 5 in the morning every night. And the lack of sleep is getting hard on us.

Also milk milk everywhere... I had a dream the other night that I was breastfeeding him, but I wasn't. And well the sheets got soaked... :/ Also we have lots and lots of spit up. I've switched to only feeding him from one side, since he seems to get too full if I burp him and switch to another side. I'm hoping that with time his digestive system will adjust and we'll get less spit up, hiccups, etc.

So does anyone have tips on adjusting a babe's sleep schedule to ours?

[JefsJen]

everything is great, except I can't keep the laundry done and I can't get my house clean. Hahaha. This girl constantly has a boob in her mouth! It's NUTS here! And I am SOOOOO Lovin' it!

[Daphnes_mama]

I have lots of tips. First, for the weight gain - feed that baby on demand. Meaning, feed the baby every hour for awhile if that is what he/she wants. Forget the every three hours rule and nurse him more if that is what he needs. I've basically been doing that, and my baby is gaining like a champ. Actually, I think my nursing his older sister for 2.5 years meant that I knew what I was doing about nursing, so I let him cluster feed for the first several weeks on demand. It builds your milk supply and gets that baby gaining weight. My son was born at 5 lbs, 15 oz, and is now 7 lbs 7 oz. He gained two whole pounds since leaving the hospital. He was kind of amazing, though, because right after birth he took to the boob immediately!

About sleep, have you tried co-sleeping? I say do whatever gets you the most sleep. The midnight to four am thing would definately not work in my house. I keep Henry in our bed. When he wakes, I roll over and nurse him and we both fall back asleep. Actually, he has a little trouble latching on to my left breast, so I hold him in the boppy, get him latched, and then lay him down. After one breast, I burp him, change his diaper, and then go for the other breast. I often forget to burp him cause we go back to sleep, but I am lucky, because my babies are often good burpers and don't spit up much.

Keep it dark in the room to promote sleepiness. We have a night light. We might turn on the lamp to change his diaper, but that is it. I don't get up and watch television (did that during my pregnancy insomnia days) or anything. I might get myself some water if I run out, but other than that, I stay in bed.

[Titus2fam]

Hazel is nine days old and has fallen into sleeping ALL THE TIME, so I'm actually able to get some things done. Last night I felt relief from the nipple soreness~woohooo! OH YAY! We've beem taking walks with Hazel in the sling, and OH I just LOVE to show her off! (Terrible, huh?) I expect to get back on a cleaning schedule this week (the children and myself), and next week jump back into homeschooling. I think that's about it! Just LOVING and ENJOYING my family sooo very much right now! (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[hairpin]

Thanks for the sleep tips. I did try the laying down nursing position once, and it was great cause I didn't' have to worry about hurting my back. I'll give it a go agian.

[Daphnes_mama]

Originally Posted by hairpin

Thanks for the sleep tips. I did try the laying down nursing position once, and it was great cause I didn't' have to worry about hurting my back. I'll give it a go agian.

That laying down nursing position is the greatest ever! It gets easier when the babies get older, too. Sometimes, it can be a little overwhelming for the tiny babes.

[BetsyPage]

Gwendolyn is one week old today! It has been very up and down emotionally for me... some IRL support that I expected has not come through yet (meals and such) while some unexpected people have helped us (acquantainces really!) so that has been kind of tough emotionally if that makes sense. Also, I had a second degree tear that my MW did not stitch so I was confined to upstairs for 3 days with strict instructions to KEEP MY LEGS TOGETHER so that was kinda tough and I was lonely during that time. But I did enjoy lots of cuddles with Gwen!

Nursing is going sooooo much better this time than it did with my first dd. I have OAL/oversupply, and at this point with dd#1 was pumping to relieve engorgement and struggling with latch issues and she cried and screamed bloody murder about half the time b/c I was drowning her in milk. So it is much better to be tandem nursing this time around! DD#1 just takes the edge off of everything so that Gwen can nurse comfortably, and it is just so much better.

I still get up for 1-2 feedings a night, just to make sure they are really good ones... then I do 1-3 feedings laying down. It is just really hard to make sure the little ones get a good latch laying down, and they tend to fall asleep before feeding too long, haha. So even though it's a pain I try to get us both woken up really good for a longer feeding b/c I want to make sure she is gaining well. I don't even keep track of how much/often she nurses, it's just sort of throughout the day... sometimes she clusters, other times she'll sleep 3-4 hours. I haven't had to wake her up, though- she is sleepy but she'll stir after 4 hours max.

I feel really really happy today. I can't believe it's been a week! I have also been enjoying slinging her a bit... I just love having a little baby nestled in the sling, it is the *best* feeling!!!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their babymoon!

[Hollycrand]

My babe has been feeding like a champ and has been going through a growth spurt (nursing every hour or so). Luckily dh is around so he's been able to keep dd#1 occupied while I'm nursing/burping/soothing.
This babe doesn't like nursing while lying down so far...but I'm going to give it a go in a couple of days/weeks when my boobs aren't so big and heavy.
She loves being carried all day, everywhere. I've put her in my wrap and have attempted the sling - both of which she loved.
Now I need to get the hang of bfing with the sling/wrap. All in good time.

We had our first bought of colic/restlessness/gas? last night and it was hard. Babe and I slept in late this morning, but she was still restless afterwards. I hope tonight's better!

[Daphnes_mama]

Originally Posted by Hollycrand

Now I need to get the hang of bfing with the sling/wrap. All in good time.

I need to get used to this, too. I also love having my baby in the sling. Like Dr. Sears says, it is good for the baby and makes life easier for the mother. But I do have trouble nursing him in the sling. Part of that is I feel like I need to prop up my breast when he nurses, otherwise he looses the latch. HA! I guess my boobs are just too enormous for him right now .

My son is so sweet, too. I swear he wants to smile. He is 3 weeks old today, so maybe in a few weeks, we will finally see those smiles. I can just tell he is good natured.

[Mel38]

I'm with you all on the nursing while laying down. It's the best if you can get it to work. I'm going to read up on the co-sleeping boards this morning, though, because my ped. (who is generally very AP friendly) cautioned us against co-sleeping! Yikes! I still plan on doing it, but I guess I just need to go gather some reassurance about its safety. We co-slept with dd2, and it was so much easier than getting up to sit in a chair and nurse like I did with dd1.

My son will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. He's a great baby - nurses all the time and has gained lots of weight. I could have sworn he smiled at me with a big goofy grin just 2 days after he was born. He will give me that big old grin face about once a day, when he's got a full belly and a dry diaper and is just feeling generally satisfied. I love it. Babies are the greatest.

[txgal]

We are doing well, Kathryn is a good natured baby so far and her big brother is adjusting well. This will be our first week without Guyler in daycare and me alone with both kids, so that will be interesting. Dh has only been home for 2 days since she was 5 days old (she will be 4 weeks on Wednesday). My mom was nice enough to pay for Guyler to continue at daycare until the end of April. That gave Kathyrn and I time during the day and let me recover without a toddler to take care of too. She is nursing great had gained a pound at 3 weeks and sleeps well at night too. The only bad thing is Guyler is an early riser and Kathryn likes to stay up late, it is hard when one goes to bed at 12 midnight and the other gets up at 5:30AM. I gotta teach that kid to sleep later
My recovery has been super easy, I was lucky and didn't have a tear, just a skid mark where one of her hands was up by her cheek. Aside from being a little sore for about a week, I felt pretty much back to normal really quickly. A big difference from my Csect recovery, which was easy as far as those go. I am also having a great time checking in here and reading about all the new babies.

[KKmama]

Our baby is just 2 days old, but so far, things seem to be going smoothly. I'm trying to write up the birth...

Weight gain... Brady is a big baby, and I think you have to work doubly hard with them (because they require more calories from the get go). A lot of skin to skin contact, nursing *ALL THE TIME* (yeah, forget about the "every however long" recs). If he's not asking for it, then you might need to encourage it (skin to skin helps, stroking his cheek while he's nursing to keep him more awake helps, changing/checking his dipe beforehand helps). Drink a ton of water, get a ton of rest. Just hanging out in bed with the baby can be good for both of you.

[steelcitysistah]

Hi mamas! So glad to hear that everyone is doing well!!!
Haven't been on in weeks - but am back at work as off today ( ) and will have computer access now.

My early babe (35 weeks) is now 8 weeks old and doing very well. He is so adorable and sweet - I just can't get enough of him!

We weren't able to get nursing established and I have been pumping to be sure that he still gets breast milk - which is a major challenge. That darn pump has been working but still causing me plenty of troubles.... Had a plugged duct some weeks ago and am now just recovering from a case of mastitis (the machine definitely isn't effiicient as a babe at removing the milk from my breasts ! I have to say it's still all worth it, though! I'm so happy that he's getting the breast milk, even if it is from a bottle.

And - babe has gained 6 pounds since his birth! I am amazed! It's incredible how big he's getting already! Oh - and he's starting to coo and smile! I'm so in love with him!!!

Take it easy and enjoy your babymoons, mamas!
Many blessings to all your new babes and families!

[duckat]

We're doing well over here. Baby is a month old today. He still likes to nurse all.the.time, but after a good cluster feed he'll sleep alone for an hour or more so I can spend quality time with ds1 or try to do something about the state of our squalor.

I didn't sling ds1 until he was several months old, and now don't know how I survived. DS2 is in the pouch soooo much. He rides in it when we go shopping, I sling him around the house, in to get ds1 from school. Everywhere. He purrs/snores the whole time he's in there, so we sometimes get odd looks. lol

DS1 loves his brother and is really adjusting well. It helps that he's in a big fairy tale phase right now, so I can tell him stories while Brother nurses. Then during baby nap we can do puzzles, clay, or draw.

I love having two kids.

[Titus2fam]

Hazel's face is filling out~OH is she BEAUTIFUL! She came out sneezing and has had nasal congestion since birth. It's so difficult to listen to her! Allergies, maybe? I am DOG TIRED. I don't know what happens~today I passed out for like, a three-hour nap! For some reason, since I've had her I've been FREEZING. This is very unlike me~I'm a BIG MAMMA, and it's been in the 60's and 70's. (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[AdinaL]

Everything going fine here. Nursing when Brigit wants to - which isn't as often as everyone says - but she stays latched on for at least 30min each time-if not more. She has lost her weight, and the midwives think that she will go up from here. She is looking prety good. She also enjoys sleeping a lot. Which didn't surprise me or DH as we both love to sleep. All within the range of normal.

Seems like my milk is coming in, or has come in. I am assuming I will know when it happens.

Brigit has been sneezing too. Sandi, forgive me I can't remember - was Hazel born at home? My midwives said it was pretty normal for babies who weren't suctioned to have a little congestion going on. Brigit has some.

Really ready to be not sore and swollen. I want to be able to get up and move around easily without feeling alarmingly tired. But I am being good, and recovering both from the blood loss and the tears and swelling.

MIL comes today. I am both happy that DH will have some help taking care of my invalid behind, and slightly nervous about having her here for 10 days.

Off I go -Brigit calls!

[squeakermansmom]

nak...........

hey all! alden is 3 weeks old today! and so stinkin cute. we're all doing well. dealing with some possible yeast/thrush issues but otherwise all is going well.

dh goes back to work in 2 days which scares the heck out of me he works evenings so i'm not sure how i will get dinner ready and do the bedtime routine (books,teeth,etc) w/ my 4 yr old ds. but i figure many other women have done it, so....

[2+twins]

My babies are 5 weeks old already! I can hardly believe it! Things got off to a bit of a rough start. The ped make a big deal of Finn's weight loss, which was amusing to me b/c he's the bigger of the two and nursed like a champ from the get-go. I was totally not concerned about that, of all things, yet they recommended (surprise surprise) that I supplement with formula (and this was with only 9% of birth weight loss)! Thankfully I'm more educated than that so I didn't mess up our bf'ing relationship. Anyway, both boys had jaundice pretty bad - Finn is still recovering (his eyes are still yellow). We haven't done all the testing - that's a whole other story about horrible lab techs who didn't want to allow me to hold the baby when they'd do the heel stick/blood draw - so we only have one initial value per child and have just been watching them from there to make sure it doesn't get any worse. Anyway, Roan spits up notoriously. It's really awful. He can't seem to keep anything down and the spit up frequently shoots out his nose. I feel so awful for him! Oh, and there was a scare that his frenulum was too short (I think it is short, but from what I've researched I don't think it warrants clipping). He is somehow gaining weight though. My friend lent me her baby scale and he was up to 8lb 6oz on his 1 month bday (from 6 14 at birth) and Finn was up to 10lb 4oz (from 7 13 at birth). Overall, things are going really well. I had only minimal soreness from bf'ing this time. Recovering was easy in the vaginal area (I only had very minor no-stitch tearing). The worst part was regaining my blood supply those first few days and the pain in my abdomen from all the room I now have in there (loose organs free-floating doesn't feel great).

Kate: We co-sleep here too and the side-lying nursing position has always been my saviour. It *is* a bit hard with an itty-bitty one, but it's already at the point with them where it's not hard at all. I'm also finding out what a life-saver swaddling can be. I never did it with my other 2 but I recently tried it again with the twins (I only did it their first few days initially) and they're sleeping MUCH better at night. Sometimes wrapping them up tight like that is all it takes to make a screaming baby fall asleep! Anyway, that might help.

Today I finally tried my Didy wrap for the first time. It's wonderful! There was no strain on my back. Now I just have to get the hang of tying it and I need to figure out how to get them both in there (I know there's a way).

Dh returns to work on Saturday so I'm nervous about that. Wouldn't be an issue with just one baby, but I'm not sure what I'll be able to do if they both start screaming at the same time or something (which will surely happen). Yikes.

Hope all you mamas are recovering well.

[hairpin]

Oh man... this is my second day that my husband is back at work and it's going pretty well logisitics-wise. I have my mom here helping me. BUT she is driving me crazy. Really bad. I feel like a spiteful, angry, teenager again. I love that she can help out with the baby. But I get so upset when she cleans and organizes my house. I know she's trying to help out. But it drives me up the wall to have people doing things in my house that I don't need done, don't care about, or would do entirely differently. My husband's mother (MIL) comes to visit, but she doesn't feel the need to clean my house for me, or garden, or reorganize the refrigerator...

I end up taking a lot of walks with the baby or plain cursing out loud in the house to let off some steam, which isn't good. I was great up to this point, with only one spell of crying after the baby was born. No baby blues on the third day. No postpartum depression feelings. I even forgot my placenta at the hospital. But I feel like crap now.

Maybe I just need to have one more talk with her. Maybe I need to meditate or just need to cry. My husband says I should ask her to leave early instead of having her stay a whole week.

Anyways, thanks for letting me vent here. It's helped a bit, I think.

Love_homebirthing: The wrap is helping us a bit. I'm not even trying the sidelaying position yet. The position doesn't work without the breast shield and I'd rather not use those at all anymore. Last night the baby seemed to sleep through the night too, 4 hours or so in the wrap. Yay.