Post Partum Update

[Curlita]

Mamas, I have missed you! We came home from the hospital on Tuesday and since getting home, every waking moment has been spent caring for myself, Baby Conrad, or Dylan.

I've decided that I am great at being pregnant but suck at post partum. I don't feel like I'm enjoying a babymoon. There have been lots of tearful meltdowns.

This recovery has been A LOT easier than recovering from a C-section, but I have some stitches that don't feel great. It's hard to find a comfortable position to sit in, especially for nursing. I lost a lot of blood in the delivery and I'm feeling weak and limp and droopy. I'm on massive amounts of iron, which constipate me (see "stitches," above).

Conrad nursed like a champ on his first day of life, blew threw all my colostrum, pooped nine times, and then lost a pound of birth weight in the next two days. We had to start supplementing with formula. We went through this with Dylan and it was no fun... fortunately my milk is in and we should be able to stop supplementing today. Conrad and I need to work on our latching, too... since we have been trying to get a nipple AND a feeding tube into his mouth at the same time, we have gotten sloppy about making sure his latch is good and my nipples are REALLY sore.

And I'm still having heavy lochia with a worrying odor (started a whole other thread for that).

There have been really sweet moments of enjoying Conrad, and talking with Dylan about him, but I feel like I'm having to put so much energy into self-care right now.

Anyone else not feeling the post-partum afterglow?

[Dee-Groovy]

OMG I could have written most of this - lost a lot of blood, have stitches, heavy lochia, straining to stay alive. Nursing has been a huge challenge too. I have flattish nipples and my LO has a tight jaw so it's a painful mix. She hasn't pooped since we left the hospital on Monday, probably b/c she got dehydrated when I didn't know how/when to wake her to feed. We have a pedi appt tomorrow AM and I'm worried that she'll try to start us on formula too. We're doing much better now & I don't want to backslide by introducing formula.

I'm amazed at the mamas that are right back online & in the groove. I think the blood loss is the biggest thing keeping us down. Are you taking stool softeners with the iron? I can't imagine how hard this is with a toddler! I have no advice, just wanted to let you know I'm going though the same thing. My baby is 1 day older than yours and my lochia is just now letting up, so hopefully yours will tomorrow. Instead of an afterglow I just feel burnt out. Hugs!

[GearGirl]

Hang in there! It is HARD for many of us right after the baby is born, but the time really will fly by and get easier and easier.

[Curlita]

back at you, and thanks for posting.

I'm taking stool softeners and drinking prune juice and trying to power down the fluids.

Supplementing with formula isn't the worst thing in the world... the process of delivering it (tube on nipple, trying to get nipple in mouth with a good latch, etc) is the big pain... and then having to pump afterwards. Has your milk come in yet? If it has, then no reason to supplement.

My nipples are killing me.

Maybe we should start a running thread for mamas with afterburn instead of afterglow.

[Dee-Groovy]

Originally Posted by Curlita

Maybe we should start a running thread for mamas with afterburn instead of afterglow.

Sounds like a good idea! I was feeling kinda freakish for barely being alive right now. It's good to have company.

It's awesome that you're using tubing instead of bottles for formula. I'm sure it's a lot more work but worth it.

I've been borderline anemic throughout pregnancy so it's no surprise now. The only problem is how much iron can I take? I was already taking 2 pills a day + a prenatal before delivery. I've added one more pill daily, plus 2 stool softeners & gatorade. They were white yesterday, but now there is a very slight tint of pink to my lips now if you look closely.

Thanks MomtoJandG - I know it'll get better, I just wish I could enjoy this time a little more. Right now I painfully feed the baby then give her at DH to try to catch a nap. I've barely said any words to her besides "open wide... wider." My parents are coming tomorrow so I hope their help will make things better too.

[chrysalis]

i'm now wondering if mamas who have had cesereans have less lochia than w/ vaginal births? should i expect more this time around if VBAC is successful???

also wasn't impressed w/ floradix my previous MW in MN had me take...made me have those cow piles and just didn't seem to help much w/ my low iron. although something ironic is when my MW here in OR did a blood draw from my arm, the iron came out really great...everything looked great! MW in MN used one of those little finger prick things and a little long box she'd look into to see my iron level...i think sending blood to the lab is probably more accurate. i probably wasn't as low as i was told...probably just all the stress in MN...that'll zap a mama fast, dealing w/ an arse of a man/SO. glad i deleted THAT from my life. whew!

i'm trying to remember if i had odor w/ lochia.......i can't remember much from then.............hmmmm. well i'm sure i'll be posting after sheamas is born about all sorts of fun things. i just might even post pics of it all. lol hey why not. we learn from it don't we.

is there a nov 07 playgroup going on MDC yet? i don't want to let you mamas go from my life...i will miss you too damn much. in fact i'm packing my birth bead necklace into my birth bag RIGHT NOW before i forget it.

hang in there mamas... hugs too.

[monocyte]

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Can you get a hold of some floradix to take either with or without the iron? My mw likes it better than iron (less constipating, easier on your belly and babies)

I had my first official tearful meltdown today. Big brother is starting to not being adjusting well and emptied his entire book shelf on the ground, took all the sheets off his bed (ok, did me a favor there) and then emptied clothes out of his dresser. Reason for this - I asked him NOT to answer the phone, I wasnt in the mood to chat. And the person calling wouldnt have understood this. Sigh. I so wanted to yell at him, but I couldnt, I know he is adjusting as we all are. Its still a mess up there, and I'm not in the mood to clean it either.

And on top of it, my mother was suppose to help me tomorrow since DH has to go to the office (he's been working from home all week) just told me she has a bunch of errands to do and probably can't take DS to school. I drove a bit today, but Henry hates the car as much as his big brother did and screamed the entire way. I was crying by the time we pulled in the drive way.

[Isaac'sMa]

Yup, I agree with the recommendations for Floradix. Much better and less constipating than regular iron. From your other thread re: lochia, it sounds within normal.

I have been ordering my dh around for the last week and a half (since Caleb arrived) and I think he's sick of it. I don't think he's vacuumed or done as much laundry in the whole nine years we've been together as he's done in the last two weeks! He's feeling the strain and so am I cause I'm grumpy when things aren't as clean as I want them and there are messes all around me and guests coming in and out.

I also feel like I'm struggling to take care of myself and Caleb (who wants the breast constantly) and Giving Isaac enough attention. I hear you on that one for sure. It has to get easier. I keep wondering how Jessica (crunchywannabe, mom of 7 now!) and Celeste (comfyCozy, mom of five soon to be six) are keeping it together! I'm in awe.

[DeChRi]

Ditto, everything. Blah.

I keep attempting to get out and do something human and then am sore, tired, and cranky after. My afterglowi s dashed too.