Baby Thread- July 07

[Mel L]

Since I am one of the firsts, I guess I get to start this.

Things I didn't know or I forgot:
-Labor, when it builds and builds, is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be! My contractions started at 2 minutes apart with Benj so I could only hope that it would be better. It was only the last 1-2 hours that were really bad.
-Hypnosis is GREAT!!!
-Hospital panties are great.
-The second time around is SO much better than the first. There is so little stress because you really have btdt. I really don't know what I was so stressed about the first time.

Going home:
-Those babies look SO tiny in those carseats!
-Every baby is so different! Everything that worked for Benji didn't work for Bella and vice versa.
-Bf babies still have stinky poopy diapers. They are not nearly as bad as Benji's diapers, but they still smell.
-I haven't figured out how to eat an extra 800 calories a day when I am having trouble getting back up to my normal diet. My mil suggested whole milk when I have been a skim milk drinker since I was one. Yep! That would really help...me throw up!

-Cramps are way worse with the second. I kept saying that all the pain is good for me, but man that was a lot of pain. It is getting better...with lots of Motrin.
-Since I never tore with Benji, I didn't know how much pain that can cause either. That gets better pretty fast, too, if you take your Motrin like you are supposed to do.

It is amazing how fast you fall in love with something so tiny.
It is amazing how fast something so tiny has you wrapped around her tiny finger.
Finally, good champagne tastes REALLY good after being pregnant for so long.

[luckydog]

I loved reading this, Mel - oh my gosh, I'm going to have a real baby soon!!

I don't think I have enough diapers either, unless he's big enough that the BG fit right from the get go.

I can't WAIT to have a margarita. I had a teeny sip of wine (kind of like I just wet my lips with it and licked it off ) when I was using it in a recipe the other day. Mmmmmmmmm.

I've always been amazed at how different each of my babies were, right from the moment they came out! Being a mom to two was actually very humbling for me, in fact.

[Lissybug]

Mel-Thanks. Good to hear about labor building up being not as bad as last time. If I remember correctly your water broke first last time. That's what happened to me too and when labor started it was just BAM into active very intense labor. I have some herbs that are supposed to help with after pains, but I think I'll definitely be taking advil too. Did you just start taking it soon after the birth?

Also- I had the hardest time with getting enough to eat while breastfeeding and wound up way under weight. It made me feel awful when I wasn't getting well nourished. Eventually I wound up making a list of easy to grab snacks, as well as ideas to stay well fed (asked on MDC for ideas) and now my midwives even hand it out at their breastfeeding class. I can email you that.
And finally- I'm not looking farward to champange, but a good beer. My dh brews his own and he makes really good stuff. He's brewing me an after baby beer today .

[lucsmama]

i enjoyed reading this too

lissybug, i would love for you to email me that list of foods. i had the same problem with my son, when i was breastfeeding and i am sure it will be even harder this time, since i will have two kiddos to take care of.

thanks!

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by lucsmama

i enjoyed reading this too

lissybug, i would love for you to email me that list of foods. i had the same problem with my son, when i was breastfeeding and i am sure it will be even harder this time, since i will have two kiddos to take care of.

thanks!

Me too. I've only gained about 10 lbs this pregnancy b/c I've been nursing, so I'm really worried about getting enough once the baby comes.

[ahdoula]

About calories-my body never lost a pound until my babies were about 6 months old. It's like my body thought I was living in a thrid worl country and was keeping extra reserves for when famine hit. Finally around 6 months my body felt safe enough to start letting my fat reserves burn off! So getting extra calories wasn't really a priority here-and I remeber it being 500 more a day....hmmm.

As far as wine and the like goes- I know a little bit now wouldn't hurt anything, except relax my muscles and put off any chance of going into labor! So I am waiting until champagne after the birth too!

I enjoyed reading the post Mel, even though it is making us all THAT much more impatient!

[goddessjulia]

lovely post mel! we've got the after-baby wine on the counter!

it's any day now for me... I made it through my blessingway, that was my goal!

[Lissybug]

I'll put a new thread up with the snacks ideas list.

[Mel L]

Since everyone is making up a special weekly thread, I thought I would bring this one up for anyone that has a babe at home. Anyone??

Alissa- Yes, my water broke before labor with Benji. It was so nice to have a slow building labor!!!! With Benji, the pain was insane because every contraction felt as bad as my bad ones this last time.

[springbabes]

Originally Posted by Mel L

Since everyone is making up a special weekly thread, I thought I would bring this one up for anyone that has a babe at home. Anyone??

I'm here. I'm glad you made a baby thread. My babe is 10 days old today and my due date isn't until tomorrow: . Everything is going really well. I'm feeling pretty much back to normal (well except that none of my clothes fit ). I've started going a bit stir-crazy with the whole baby-moon thing so i've been going out--went grocery shopping and to the library today and to book group tonight. Tomorrow I'm meeting some friends for lunch.

Alice is growing fast. I'm so curious to find out how much she weighs now--I'm guessing she's at least 7 lbs. She's a great nurser and wants to do it all the time. My nipples were so, so sore at first, which totally surprised me. I didn't have any issues with my 2nd and 3rd babies. They're all healed up now luckily. And now that she's got a little fat on her she's sleeping much better and is so content. She was so intense those first few days I thought I was really in for it.

So, how are everyone else's babies? How is everyone feeling?

[Mel L]

Bella is two weeks today (38 weeks)! Wow!! We have her appointment in a while, but I just ate quickly so I can feed her. Latch still takes a while and is pretty painful, but she nurses great. Does that make any sense? She is still SO tiny, but I know she will get big fast! I think she has one clogged tear duct, but the other is clear. Who said that a nursimg mom spends 40 hrs/week on it? I know I am now nursing about 10hr/day. No wonder I am tired!

We have been out but only when we had a driver. I still don't feel that I have enough control of my bladder to drive, but I did tear near my bladder. Does anyone else go by that rule? It has to do with reflexes.

[Lissybug]

Ok- no baby at home yet, but I'm the one who heard about the study finding nursing moms spend 40+ hours a week just breastfeeding. Mel- I can't believe Bella is already two weeks old. I know I saw you post in another thread about being a bit sad at how fast it's going, and i've been thinking about that already, how we might not have any more children and how fast that newborn stage goes. I'm hoping to be able to relax and enjoy it this time.

[springbabes]

Originally Posted by Mel L

I think she has one clogged tear duct, but the other is clear.

Ugh, Alice too. It's always all goopy and stuck shut when she wakes in the morning and I have to keep wiping it all day. I'm hoping it goes away soon--one of my other DDs had a blocked tear duct until she was 14 months.

Now I'm curious to know exactly how many hours I spend BFing. 40 hours a week wouldn't surprise me--I feel like we're nursing constantly. Newborns are certainly more work than a full-time job.

[Mel L]

We just got back from our 2 week, and Bella has gained 20 ounces in the last 10 days. That is 2 ounces a day, and that is double to quadruple the norm, isn't it? Wow! She now weighs 6 lb 9 oz, and I think she is really making up for being early and small. That kind of weight gain makes the long hours of bf worth it! Benji didn't gain anywhere close to this, and he was just 3 days later.

We are massaging her tear duct and using warm wash cloths on it. It already looks less goopy.

I am halfway through the day, and I think I am going to make it! Being alone is hard, but dh found out yesterday that he only has to go to work on Mon. and Tues. of next week. YEA!!!!

[~Demeter~]

Just wanted to chime in and say a squirt of breastmilk in the eye will clear up the goopiness. All 3 of my boys had it and that got rid of it.

[sleet76]

I guess I can chime in here. I'm still shocked to have had Owen come a bit early on his own. Both my other kids have been after their due dates, so when my water broke at 38 weeks 4 days, I was really surprised.

Owen is so far really sleepy. I'm wondering if he seems like an earlier baby than he actually is, since my others were late. He seriously sleeps probably 19 or 20 hours a day. He is nursing well, my milk just came in, and I can't get over how tiny he seems.

Is anyone still getting over how big your next-older child seems all of a sudden? My 2-yr-old DS's head suddenly looks remarkably huge!

[Mel L]

Stacy- It sounds like Owen is sleeping on target, but I don't really know since all of mine have been a month early. Bella, at 15 days, sleeps a good 22-22 1/2 hours a day. She is awake long enough to latch on, wakes a little to latch on the other side, and stays asleep the rest of her feedings. She has just started to wake up for a while in the last 3-4 days, but she is hardly awake at all...yet.

Yes, Benji seems like a giant! I have been shocked to discover that he has big boy hands and feet. Don't know why I never really noticed that before now, but he is a lot bigger than before the baby came. I should mention that my son is a big kid, and he has always been much taller and skinnier than the average his-age-old. Even early, Bella is 50% for height so she may be a tall and skinny, too.

Ouch! Speaking of milk, I just got a nice let-down. Time to wake the babe...again!:

[bbrandonsmom]

Mel-might be a silly question, but is Bella taking in all of your nipple and alot areola? I'm just thinking that even though she's gaining and obviously getting the hindmilk, she might not have enough areola in her mouth and is making you more sore than need be? Are you trying lanolin at all? How about a different hold? One thing I did with Brandon when he got to the distraction stage was rub bm on my nipples after nursing and that seemed to help some.

[javamama]

Oh, Mel, I'm so glad you started this! I've been a little lost on the boards since Claire was born.

She's 3 weeks today! I am SO in love! She is already changing and I am trying to soak her up because she is our last. At the two week visit, she had gained 10 ounces and the jaundice was nearly gone. She is still a little sleepy (born at 37 weeks), but doesn't miss a feeding. She gulps the milk down and passes out!

My kids are doing great, but are ready to have mom back. I have missed alot of their activities in the last few months and I can tell they are missing me. We are slowly getting back to normal around here.

I am still on BP meds. I had post partum pre eclampsia and had to be re admitted on day 4. So even after she was born, I remained on bedrest fr two weeks. It was hard, but I believe it is what every post partum woman needs, we just don't let ourselves rest like that. KWIM? Recovery from the birth itself has been my easiest yet. If I could just get the blood pressure to go back down!

Sleet-- Oh my goodness, my 5yo looks huge now! He still sleeps with us and he just looks HUGE next to my 7lb baby!!

Mel-- I had sore nipples for about a week. It got better when my milk came in, though. At the hospital, they recommended putting black tea bags in hot water, and putting them on your nipples with a breast pad. I tried it and it did seem to be soothing. I hope it gets better for you soon!

springbabes-- how long IS a babymoon? Do some people not leave the house for a whole month? Yep, I'm ready to get out here, too. I have been reluctant to take the baby out in the heat, but we've been to a few places in the mornings. I feel like I have to practice getting all of us out of the house by myself. My DH is returning to his normal work schedule soon (he travels) and my mom left yesterday. YIKES! How am I going to get three kids out the door on time?? Good thing it is summer....

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

[Mel L]

Originally Posted by bbrandonsmom

Mel-might be a silly question, but is Bella taking in all of your nipple and alot areola? I'm just thinking that even though she's gaining and obviously getting the hindmilk, she might not have enough areola in her mouth and is making you more sore than need be? Are you trying lanolin at all? How about a different hold? One thing I did with Brandon when he got to the distraction stage was rub bm on my nipples after nursing and that seemed to help some.

She has as much of my areola as she can shove in her mouth. Since they have recently gotten much bigger, that is saying a lot. I think everything is working the right way in terms of her latch- lips seem to be the right way, almost all of my areola is in her mouth, she opens really wide to latch, and all that. I think she just has a super powerful suck, and she was born with the blisters to prove it. We have finally gotten to the point as someone said where I don't swear every time she latches on. I think it is just a learning curve for me to get used to it. If it is still painful in another week or two, I may get checked out again by a lc or someone, but the lc I last saw loved everything about her latch. Her latch hasn't changed either. We will see.

I did try lanolin when I was cracked, but I am no longer cracked. I like breastmilk so much better than lanolin for me, too. I am just kind of sore when she latches, but the pain diminishes when she is partway through the feeding.

Right now, we do the cradle hold and the side position when in bed. I was doing a football hold too, but she seems like she is getting to long or too stretched out for it.

Good luck to everyone who is about to be left alone! It was so nice to wake up this morning and have dh here to help with stuff! Yea!