Postpartum Problems

[Keren]

I am have been having some problems since I had Keagan.

1. My tailbone is always hurting like it needs to be cracked, but it won't crack, and it is messing up my entire back.

2. I forget to pee. I went 20 hours the other day without using the bathroom just because I couldn't feel that I had to. This is frutrating and has almost caused me to wet my pants a couple of times.

3. Milk. When I first had her, my milk was flowing like Niagara Falls. Now, I can't even get an ounce every 2 hours. I am taking supplements with fenugreek and nettle, and drinking tea that is supposed to help, and it does a little, but not enough. I have been using my pump and filling bottles as much as I can and filling it the same amount I could produce with formula. I hate needing to use it, but I am just not producing enough, and she eats all the time.

I am asking if all of this normal, and what can be done about it. Any ideas? please?

[ladybugchild77]

Hugs, Keren!

1. My tailbone is always hurting like it needs to be cracked, but it won't crack, and it is messing up my entire back.

I had something similar to this and I ended up going to a chiropractor to get popped back into place. It really helped. And I don't have insurance so they worked out a very affordable payment plan for me...Maybe that's an option?

2. I forget to pee. I went 20 hours the other day without using the bathroom just because I couldn't feel that I had to. This is frutrating and has almost caused me to wet my pants a couple of times.

I didn't experience this but a friend of mine who had an epidural did - she had apparently bruised her bladder during delivery. She actually made herself go to the bathroom every time she changed her babe's diaper so that way at least she'd remember. And it didn't last for long with her...

3. Milk. When I first had her, my milk was flowing like Niagara Falls. Now, I can't even get an ounce every 2 hours. I am taking supplements with fenugreek and nettle, and drinking tea that is supposed to help, and it does a little, but not enough. I have been using my pump and filling bottles as much as I can and filling it the same amount I could produce with formula. I hate needing to use it, but I am just not producing enough, and she eats all the time.

Have you been drinking enough water? I swear I drank like a gallon a day - it really affects supply. Also eat oatmeal - apparently the old fashioned oats will pump up your milk supply more than the instant ones. If a bowl in the am just doesn't sound appealing then try making oatmeal cookies!!! I will also post a recipie for baked oatmeal that is really easy and GOOD! Ther eis also a company called Motherlove that sells herbal tinctures which help boost milk production. I know this first hand as I took some to donate milk for someone when Kiera was small. It got me pumping 30 ounces a day on top of feeding Kiera on demand. Check it out...I will find the website if you need me to! Here's that recipie and don't worry - this too shall pass!

BAKED OATMEAL

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup applesauce (or veggie oil)
3/4 cup sweetner of your choice (sugar, Splenda, whatever) *I use maple syrup or honey *
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups regular oats
1/2 cup raisins
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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DIRECTIONS:
Beat together applesauce and sweetner of choice. Mix in eggs, milk, salt,
baking powder, oatmeal. Beat well then stir in raisins. Pour into a lightly
grease pie pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven until firm, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

[noteworthy]

Not in your ddc, in Sept, but sleep depriviation can affect supply. Are you getting enough sleep?

[leurMaman]

Hey there, Keren. I hope things get better soon. Here are my suggestions. 1) can you see a naturopathic chiropractor and/or cranial sacral therapist? I see both periodically and my back problems have really decreased and gotten better. Since there is so much shift in that region during pregnancy and birth, it is important to get "balanced" again after - and these specialists can help.

2) Just remind yourself to pee (maybe go after each nursing), but tell your physician that you don't feel the urge. That could mean that there is another type of problem going on.

3) Just hang in there with the milk. A good site for supply advice is www.kellymom.com. I kept going there when I had issues with BFing DS. As long as baby is peeing and pooping regularly and you change a normal amount of diapers per day, then she is getting what she needs. That is really the only way you can tell what she's getting since you can't see it in a bottle. Avoid the urge to supplement or your supply will just keep decreasing. Have you tried teas? There are a million tricks to increasing supply. My lebanese friend told me that Halva (middle-eastern candy made from sesame) increases it (yum), and I've read that Red Rooibus tea does as well. There are tons of teas on the market, but those two things are yummy anyway.

Good luck!

[Peony]

Are you taking a just fenugreek supplement or is it a supplement with fenugreek in it? Most moms respond really well to a just fenugreek supplement. The dosage is usually 3 pills three times a day, if it is going to work you'll notice a difference within 24-72 hours. It usually makes you very thirsty, and you smell like maple syrup (fenugreek is used to flavor artifical maple syrup). Good luck.