Babies! (A thread for 'outies') - Page 2

[Nikki Christina]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Nikki Christina, I've successfully made it through four births without asking when we could "resume". I miss DH too. Sniff. Being serious, just HOW sore were you after the tubal? We're still discussing whether we're going to rely on FAM or go for something more drastic, or what the win-win situation is here.

the tubal was not too bad at all! i was sore for 2 days.. but within an hour i was able to get up & take myself to the bathroom.. walk around slowly.

i was 100% sure i wanted her to be my last. i dont see myself regretting it..but it is bitter sweet knowing this is it & also strange knowing i cant get pregnant anymore.

[flapjack]

IKWYM. 90% of the time Steve and I have been together I've been breastfeeding or pregnant or TTC so my fertility and our young family are irrevocably tied in to our sex life. It's going to be so weird having utterly non-procreative sex, with no adjustments round bumps and boobs and anything.

ksera, I'm not leaking/ overspraying as much now either, but we're guessing that there's still a problem with my supply because it keeps coming out of his nose when he's eating and there doesn't seem to be a cleft in his palate. At the moment, I'm trying cluster feeding on one boob. I've been emptying 4 and 6oz of milk out of breastshells on the OTHER side though.

Allyn, so sorry you're struggling with breastfeeding. Have you got help from LLL?

[nausicaamom]

I am obsessing about the weight check we are going to have in an hour or so and praying that he's gaining more. I know he definitely seems more content, he's spitting a bit more and I'm actually leaking so I'm taking that to mean my supply is up. His eating patterns are throwing me a bit - I've been doing straight demand feeding, he'll eat, rest for 20 minutes, eat again, be quiet/alert for 30 minutes, eat again and then nap for 2-3 hours - this is his pattern for most of the day except at night he goes for longer stretches. Lots of poopy and very wet diapers, so output is good. Michael was an every 2 hours kid so this pattern is throwiung me a bit and causing some self doubt. here's hoping I'm working myself up for nothing.

[loraxc]

Hi guys!!

I have another major spitter over here. He even spit up colostrum, which seems weird to me. His sister has silent reflux that went undiagnosed till she was 3 (!), so I'm a bit nervous, but he is a very happy baby, so maybe he's just a happy spitter. I don't like it, though, because it's clear he needs to be upright about 30 min after a feeding, and well, yawn....

I am paranoid about nursing because we had a ton of problems with our first. I can see a bit of my Raynaud's Syndrome coming back--ugh. I only get a painfree session about 30% of the time, but it's still early and I know I just have sensitive skin.

[flapjack]

: Jenn

My imbecilic husband took the message wrong. The height check is NEXT week. I have to get the tape measure out myself, I can't wait that long... he passed his hearing test OK though.

I hope things settle down for you, loraxc.

[nausicaamom]

100 grams on mama's milk w/almost no EBM supplement!!!!!!

s LoraxC - I had a really bad time with my first, but things are going so much easier w/Alex. I hope if the reynauds comes back. it's at least manageable for you. Mr. Man needs to eat...

[flapjack]

Yay Jenn

I'm confused. My huge, where-the-heck-did-I-put-him boy is the shortest of the lot at 21", if I measured right. He LOOKS longer though

Is anyone else looking at their offspring and remembering newborns as being bigger or smaller than this? Or am I just weird?

[nolonger]

All of my newborns WERE smaller than this!

[justmama]

Originally Posted by noordinaryspider

All of my newborns WERE smaller than this!

See now Grace is HUGE to me at 7lbs. She's coming up on doubling her birthweight! 4lbs seemed so small to me that now at 7lbs she's GINORMOUS! We are starting to fit into newborn stuff pretty well and I'm doubling up on preemie prefolds. I am so proud. All that is from mama milk!!! I stopped the extra formula in her first week home.

[justmama]

Originally Posted by birthmommom

Glad to hear about the mamas and babies are doing well.

Here things are ok, stressful. Dh is home and is such a wonderful help. Breastfeeding is not going so well. I cannot get Henry to latch on properly so my nipples are chapped and hurt. I cannot get him to pull down his bottom lip, he likes to tuck it under. I have been pumping and we are feeding him from a bottle. I don't really like it but at least he is eating. He is not however pooping, which is starting to concern me. He also has been kinda fussy today, he is more fussy at night then during the day. I am not giving up on breastfeeding but it is definently hard.

Now today i have diarreah (tmi) and my tummy is upset, not sure what that means. I love, love, love Henry and my dh and would not trade this for being pregnant.

I know what you mean about painful nipples. Grace's latch is HORRIBLE. I think her mouth is just too little and she's used to sucking the nipple instead of the areola. I wish you good latch vibes!

[nolonger]

I'm going to guess that Terran was 8 lbs 4 oz at birth (he was 7 1/2 lbs at a few days according to a bathroom scale) and I alternate from marvelling at ho w much bigger he is than his older brother, who was 6 lbs, and how TINY a human being who is smaller than a cat really is. He's an amazinglu sweet and undemanding baby. This is NOT how I remember those crazy, sleep deprived first weeks at all! I never had any engorgement or supply issues with breastfeeding, it seemed as if my body just remembered after a brief 10 year break.

[loraxc]

Owen is amazingly sweet and undemanding thus far too. He went in the carseat for his first time today and I braced myself, remembering his sister's screamfest in that scenario--not a PEEP. DH and I were straining around to make sure he was still breathing!

First ped visit today. He weighed in at 8 14 at birth, but then we took him out of the sling weigher thing and discovered a huge mec poop in his diaper. Reweighed at 8 11 without poop and dipe. The midiwives weighed him at 8 8 yesterday with the same scale, but the pedi office said 7 14 this morning. : Hmm. I don't love that 7 14, even at 4 days, but he's peeing well, although his poops are still transitioning to BF poop.

Anyone have good tips on getting an easygoing baby to open WIDE for latch? DD screamed so much that I would stuff it in while she was yelling, but this fella is so polite!

[birthmommom]

we are still working on our latch. he gets so upset sometimes that I cannot figure it out. I wonder if I am holding his head to hard...is that possible?
I got him to latch and nurse 2x today so that is good :smile

noordinaryspider...that is so great that your body remembered what to do.

I am still struggling with feeling engorged, especially after sleeping. Will that get better? I am bidding right now on a Medela Swing pump on ebay and I am planning on attending a LLL meeting on Friday. gosh...that will be a lot to do on Friday, we have a pedi appt and lll in the morning, plus my mom will be here.

oh...and how long does it take for my breasts to not be so painful? not the nipple, but the whole breast?

Justmama...do you pump for Grace? how do you deal with a bad latch?

[flapjack]

Allyn, some things you could try:
1) Strip him off and nurse him in the bath. (aka rebirthing) It's a great way of calming down a stroppy baby, and it seems to bring back that initial sucking reflex.
2) Get a new position to nurse in, like lying down. I'm not a big fan of holding baby's head when he's eating, as I don't think baby has enough room to manoeuvre and to get his latch right. What's working for us at the moment is feet flat on the floor, two cushions at my back, trunky (honking great big v-shaped beanbag) across my lap, and either the football hold or the cradle hold, gently supported by an arm which is very well supported by the beanbag. That leaves one arm free for toddler-cuddling, which normal people can use for drinking, eating, the remote control, etc. Those early days, though, you really do need pillows everywhere to make it work.
The engorgement will calm down, but probably not until breastfeeding is well established at 6-12 weeks. In the meantime, there's cabbage leaves for your bra to help ease the engorgement, and also massage techniques (called combing) which might help.

NOS I love hearing about your little guy and how happy he makes you.

Well, we had our first rough night. 2 hours on the boob, fussing and refusing to go to sleep, followed by half an hour on daddy, fussing and refusing to go to sleep. Eventually a hot bath and booby knocked him out, but I got a bit emotional : Steve's last essay is due in today, so the timing STUNK.

[justmama]

Originally Posted by birthmommom

Justmama...do you pump for Grace? how do you deal with a bad latch?

Let's just say she's days shy of 6 weeks old and I'm still pumping several times a day!: I don't know honestly. I've just been working hard at getting her to open her mouth wide so I can shove as much boob in as possible. I figure she'll get it eventually. I just need to be patient and wait for her to grow a little bigger and open wider.

[BabyBump]

Eli went to the dr today for his 2 week check up. He weighs 9 pounds 12 ounces!! He was 8 pounds 8 ounces at birth. Guess all the breastmilk does a little boy good!!!

As far as the sore nipples that someone was asking about. Mine got much better after a week. Some lanolin cream did wonders too.

[nolonger]

Originally Posted by flapjack

NOS I love hearing about your little guy and how happy he makes you.

.

i think i forgot that it was possible to love someone this much.

[firecat]

Originally Posted by operamommy

firecat, ds2 also had jaundice (he had to be under lights for 8 days) - most likely due to the huge hematoma on his head from the vacuum extractor. We're *really* hoping to avoid that this time around.

I love reading about everyone's new babes!

wow 8 days!
we ended up keeping the blanket all week, using it at night and sunning him during the day. I can't tell anymore if he is getting better or worse. we will see this afternoon at the ped what he thinks.
and the suction cup hematoma - bone bruise they say - is the reason for us too we are pretty sure

[firecat]

I am so excited, I caught my first pee yesterday!!! :
I haven't tried to catch many, mostly I have just been cuing as it happens in the diaper or during a change but I was going to give him a bath and thought I would try to pee him just before and he went! I am trying to catch some after-nap pees now but no luck yet...

: some good latch vibes for everyone struggling with the breastfeeding!! no advice here this is my first nursling and, well, he has made it easy.
he opens up big and attacks my boob, shakes his head from side to side a little. I wish i could get it on film, it is so funny!

we had a weight check yesterday at my pp midwife appt and he was 7 lbs 12 oz with his clothes and a dirty dipe. I am hoping for at least 7 - 4 today at the ped. that would be an oz a day gain.

[sunkist33]

Ocean is 6 days old

She is just the sweetest, most content baby. She only cries to nurse and the boob placates her right away
She also had a nice strong latch & suck from day 1 & my nipples are very thankful (I had horrible cracked nipples with dd #1)! She eats *constantly* which I think is great, at least I'm not worried about her getting enough.
Cloth diaper confession: We've been using the Kissaluvs size 0 for the most part, but I hate how soaked they feel next to her skin so I've been using one of the one size BumGenius' for night-time & it's sooo nice! I love how it feels dry on the outside while the insert is soaked! And it doesn't leak, even though she's only 7lb., 8oz. But we only have one, so I've been washing it daily, LOL. Definately have to order some more of those I may try the FuzziBunz soon (I think I have 7 of those, but they are size small, not extra small, does anyone know what weight they start at?)...
We haven't bathed her yet, though I've been putting Vitamin E oil on her wrinkly feet. Her umbilical cord is kind of gross (anyone else?) so I've been using a bit of alcohol (even though current recommendations are to just leave it alone).
Her nose is kind of stuffy so I may get some infant saline drops. What is everyone else doing for congestion/ stuffy noses?
Anyways, I can't believe she's here & I'm enjoying every precious moment with her