~Postpartum check-in: 6/1-6/7~

[Shanana]

Well it's June, so we should be in the majority now, right? Come on all you preggy ladies, it's nice on the other side!!! : (I think that first tomato came from Angela ... unless she's busy having her baby - haven't heard from her in a few hours!

Anyway, thought I'd kick off a new thread. At a local MDC meet-up a little bit ago, another mama was talking about a gauze wrap by Gypsy Mama. I just looked it up, and now I'm in love . This is dangerous stuff! But I do like the idea of a super lightweight two-shouldered carrier. And geeze, these are just so pretty! And you can do so many carries! Including a newborn back carry (not for the faint of heart I'm sure ).

If I could find one used I would pounce on it, but I haven't turned up exactly what I want so far ...

Sophie is doing okay. Still having some reflux-type episodes, but the frequency has gone down. I'm just riding things out for now, continuing to try to find things to help her, and also hoping her system just matures. Fast. She was super gassy and squirmy last night. Bah.

[NatureMama3]

I hope she continues to get better!

we really have nothing to complain about, but whether it's just the very hard PG (and delivery) or being older (or both) we are in agony with newborn sleep here.

we've started using sposies at night (so we don't have to change the freakin diaper once an hour at least) and even got a paci to use during his worst period. : I'm sure my crunchier friends will tar and feather me.

I'd really like a blood transfusion or epoietin shot, but I doubt those are in my future. I do so miss my blood.

[KingsDaughter76]

Madilynn is 5 weeks old today and doing great. She has a little cold and so do I- but we are just nursing ALOT and using saline nose drops and suctioning to keep her breathing clear. She feels kindof crappy and so do I, but hopefully we will get over this gunk soon. She is currently 11lbs 2 oz and is smiling all the time at us now..she started smiling at 4 weeks- but loves to coo and really bust them at us now..lol!

Not too much else going on- all my bleeding has stopped so thats good for me..I hate pads!

[snazzy_mom]

Shanana, I LOVE that wrap too. I have become semi-obsessed with carriers but they are so darn expensive so I think my new hobby will be making some - in my spare time....lol

Ian is getting better about sleeping during the day but if he isn't on me, he isn't sleeping. He did take a nap on daddy last night, though. He is still sleeping really well at night, I can usually get at least a 4 hour stretch.

I think AF might have come back already

I'm hoping that's not the case since it's only been 3 weeks but I had all but just about stopped bleeding and now it's started back up again...ewww. I was hoping for at least a small reprieve.

It's getting easier managing the 2 lo's but only at the sacrifice of housework

[gabbyquilts]

We are doing pretty good here. My DH went out of town for the weekend(hes back today) and of course i was sick as a dog. Link seemed to eat a lot last night, but i just kept him in the bed the whole time instead of transferring back into the bassinet. That leaves me not sleeping very well but i am planning to take a nap this afternoon. I have my last postpartum appt tomorrow and I am trying to get the gifts together. Also my dad and sister are coming to town this week and that is super exciting.

[clutterbug]

Well, we are discovering that Declan is a much fussier baby than DS#1 - I don't think we knew how good we had it! He is just normal fussy and not screaming or anything, but he complains a bit after eating, especially in the early evenings. I know the evening thing is pretty common for this age, but DS#1 neverfussed at all, really, unless he was super duper full and had to power puke (rare). So it is kinda like being a first time parent all over again...!?

And I can hardly believe it but we bought a second-hand Baby Bjorn at a consignment sale today. I have tried Declan in the mei tei and in a couple of different carries in a pouch sling and more often than not, he refuses to settle. It seems to have something to do with when he stretches out and his feet hit fabric (at least that is what I convinced myself of!) so we figured it was at least worth a try to use something where his feet could hang free and clear. Eventually he can sit that way in the mei tei but it's too big right now. Anyway, I was always pretty adament about using slings versus the mainstream dangling legs carrier (isn't it supposed to be better ergonomically?), but I guess you gotta be flexible....!

Anyone else still have some residual jaundice? Declan does and it is starting to freak me out a little, even though the midwife isn't concerned...

Finally, Christine/Naturemama3, I hear you on the pacifier. I am trying to hold out to 6 weeks just to be sure my milk is nice and settled, but we are inching closer to trying it asap. I would happily nurse him for comfort in fussy times but he latches on and then gets very mad when the milk lets down!

[jennythx]

This is my first post in the postpartum check in. Yay. Xander turned 1 week old yesterday and is doing great. He is a big guy and eats nonstop, sometimes every hour for 5 hours straight. It gets pretty tiring, but I figure my body has to catch up eventually. Right????? I feel like I am barely keeping up with him and yes, I have used a paci a few times too. But I figure since he is still latching on like a pro and still eating tons, that it is ok.

I am so happy to not be pregnant too. No nausea since he was born and aside from still being a wee bit sore in the nether regions, I feel great and am loving every moment with my new little guy.

[Molck]

I have two free hands to post! Baby is just a little more than two weeks old, and he's suddenly eating all the time. It's crazy. He was well above his birth weight at the two week check on Friday. Sleeps a good five hour stretch at night, wakes to eat/diaper then sleeps again until sunrise or so. I love co-sleeping-- he's so snuggly in the bed at night. Now we just need to figure out the best way to get DH back into bed with us; he's on the aerobed now as he doesn't feel safe sleeping next to DS.

Started EC from the start and have caught a few poops and lots of pees (and missed lots too ). It's exciting.

Overall, healing pretty well, though I'm still mega tired.

DH goes back to work tomorrow, and I'm nervous.

And now babe's crying-- time to feed, I guess...

[Tizzy]

Gotta start by saying this little guy has stamina! He actually stayed awake for 3 hours straight through church and wasn't at all fussy! Impressive
I have to fight the sleep hormones (prolactin I believe) because middle of the night feedings are just so not helping.
1. he takes 20 minutes to nurse now - improvement over 40!
2. I keep falling asleep mid-feeding
3. he keeps falling asleep mid-feeding
4. I keep forgetting to turn the light off because of #2 and 3 haha

He's such a content baby, he doesn't seem to sleep the day away like DS1 did at this stage but he's happy when he's awake so I can't really criticize.

I feel he's finally gaining signifigantly, when I picked him up last night it seemed to be a drastic difference. His face is also filling out and his diapers are starting to fit him a little better.

Okay, anyone else have a double diaper baby? Every time and I mean EVERY time I change him, he needs to be changed again within 10 minutes from either poop or leaking. So we're going through a PILE of diapers. Fortunately we CD so it's just a matter of washing/drying but still!

Mmmmmm my baby still smells new despite being 2 weeks old. I'm not big on bathing him constantly, especially since he's still peeling. It's more fun to give him a massage with almond oil. And this way he still smells brand new.

Somehow people have figured that it's easier to leave the 2nd child than the first.
Well HELLO! I was suffering from separation anxiety today because DH and MIL were holding him for awhile instead of me. And MIL actually thinks that I'm ready to leave him with her for a couple hours while DH and I go see a movie. Ummmm no.

I'm tempted to introduce a bottle soon but we're still working on nursing. He's latching much better but still "clicks" a fair bit - any tips? Guess I should go ask in the bf'ing forum about that. And he has a hard time finding the nip on his own so until those two issues are resolved, and he's gaining a LOT of weight each week, the bottles will stay in the cupboard.

[Killick]

Kate is now officially a month old today. I can't believe that she is already this old. She is getting so big, though she is fussy when she is awake. I do wish she was a bit more content when set down. She likes to be worn basically all the time. I put her in the Ergo and off we go, but it is quite hard to nurse her in that. Haven't figured it out yet.

Does anyone else get irritated when friends and spouses complain about being tired? It irks me to no end!

[kalisage]

We are here. Little Mac is doing really good, he's already up to 10 lbs and just growing and changing so FAST! I can't believe how fast it all seems to be going.

As for me, I'm having some major anxiety attacks. My whole body will just start shaking, and the rescue remedy isn't helping. I'm honestly considering meds at this point. This week has been horrendous. I don't even know where to start

Z moved out today, and is planning to move the rest of his things on tues. I feel so confused, and have been crying non-stop for about 3 days now. I look at Mac and just start balling because I can't understand any of this. I'm trying desperately not to lose it, I need to be strong for Mac, my other children and myself - but man, it's super hard.

It wasn't this hard to be a single parent before.

Ladies, please (whatever your beliefs may be) pray for us. We really could use some goodness right now.

I don't really have a huge support network, and I needed to just tell someone and get out of my own head. This should be the happiest time right now, and I feel like I'm losing that

[Killick]

Kara. I hope that whatever is going on resolves quickly.

Also - I am a huge advocate for anxiety meds if you need them and nothing else is working. If it will help you and make your life better until you can get a handle on things without them, I say go for it. And don't feel bad or guilty about it.

[clutterbug]

Originally Posted by Little grey mare

Somehow people have figured that it's easier to leave the 2nd child than the first.
Well HELLO! I was suffering from separation anxiety today because DH and MIL were holding him for awhile instead of me.

Oh I am so happy to hear I am not the only one that can't handle not holding baby! I don't remember being this way with DS#1 (well, maybe a bit)...but we were a bit slower to bond, partly because, I think, there were so many people around us the first few days that wanted to hold him alot (hence, this time we took a couple of days to be totally alone as a family, what a difference it made)! So maybe I am ultrasensitive this time. But last weekend we had family here and my SIL was holding him for over an hour (after MIL holding him for probably 15-30 minutes...so like almost 2 hours total) and let me tell you, I was getting VERY tense!!!

kalisage, I am so sorry you are going through this Sending positive vibes and strength your way...

[NatureMama3]

Kara I'm so sorry you're going through that right now. I separated from my ex-husband when my twins were 9 months or so and it was horrible. I had a LOT of anxiety attacks and I did go on meds for it.

If you need to talk or anything, just PM me. I wish we all lived closer and could be an IRL support network for you.

[battymama]

Kalisage- lots of hugs, i am sorry you are going through this now. You are in my thoughts.

Poppy is a week old today, she has already changed so much. It makes me sad too knowing how few these days of newborness are, as much as i am looking forward to her growing up i want to treasure every moment. We went out for the first time today, just down to the market to get some fruit and lunch, poppy did great, until we were coming home, as we pulled onto the high way she started crying and there was nowhere to pull over luckily we were only 2 mins from home. But the sound of her crying makes me physically sick, my mum was driving and she started to panic too, she hates babies crying. I felt like such a bad mum, but there was nothing i could do.

I wore one of my slings today for the first time, and someone asked me if i had a cat in there. DH loves the sling, he wore her for an hour whilst i had a nap, they both were happy, he is still a bit akward with it though, he cant seem to put it on right.

Poppy goes through heaps of nappies too, at least 15 a day more like, yesterday was insane i think maybe one hour was not changing or feeding her, how can a newborn be awake that long? the good thing is that after that my milk supply has settled down, so no more engorement. Breastfeeding is going awesome, i have had no nip pain, and very little engorgement so far.

[Intertwined]

My babies are 12 days old today!~

They are...uncomplicated children. I won't use the "E" word because that would just be asking for it. Don't worry though, Isabella is being enough of a PITA to more than make up for it. Once a high needs baby, always a high needs baby?

Bear just got her first bath because she blew out up her back to her HAIRLINE! Glad I bought that bath sling and Aveeno last night! I knew it was coming, but I HATE bathing my newborns. I do so love how they smell.

We're just hanging out, waiting for my mom to get here on Wednesday. Being home alone with all 6 kids isn't too bad until about 4pm and then I'm tired and cranky. We went to the zoo with everyone yesterday and that was fun! We had to arrange transportation and the hardest part was installing FIVE car seats. I can't wait until we buy our new, bigger, van this summer.

That's all from me. Ben is making "feed me noises"...

[Tizzy]

Battymama - I know what you mean about the crying!

I don't remember it bothering me this much with DS1 either because it's normal for babies to cry. But Everett? Well somehow I figure since he hasn't been traumatized since birth because of having a UC etc. then he shouldn't ever have to cry
DH keeps trying to calm me down and remind me that it's okay for a baby to cry a little but honestly, it just upsets me SO much!

DH didn't understand at first too because it's so unlike me to act like that, I'm usually a very easy going parent. But once I explained it to him he seems to be much more comforting.

What also doesn't help is that Everett has tears already! DS2 waited till he was 2 months before he had tears, instead he had this magnificient pouty lip lol! but the tears just break my heart.

[thismama]

kalisage - i am so sorry! somehow with my derrrr post partum brain i forgot you are dealing with anxiety. and i didn't know you are splitting with your partner. what timing! i will definitely send up some prayers for you.

[cj'smommy]

Hi everyone. I keep meaning to post but time is short! Post Partum has been a bit tough. I'm feeling good but we're having a few problems. I'm having trouble with Gage's latch and have bleeding nipples since Thursday. Now I also have cracks. It hurts like hell to say the least. Since he's either sleeping or nursing, they aren't getting a chance to heal.

Poor Gage is not a happy baby. As I mentioned he's either sleeping or nursing. Anything in between involves constant screaming. He's never awake and content. It makes me so sad. The worst is night time, he just cries and cries. DH has slept with him on his chest for the last couple of nights, it's the only way we get sleep.

My 2 year old has a bad cold. On top of a difficult adjustment for him, he's sick.

My incision was bleeding so I went to the doctor this morning. She said something about a blood clot underneath ? and had to open it back up. Thankfully it's not infected but she had to clean it out (only the last couple of inches) and pack it. I'm on antibiotics and have to go back again tomorrow to have it all done again. She said we should know by now how often I'll have to do it, if it's a lot they'll get me home health care.

DH told me I'm doing too much and I admit I have been. I've been feeling so good so I'm doing a lot. Not because I have to, my mom and Jim are doing it all, but because I want to. I'm up and down the stairs a lot, but DH has said enough. He was going to go back to work Wednesday but he's taking at least another few days. He doesn't want me overdoing it.

I'm still in good spirits, I get my down moments but I have so much support here at home that it helps a lot.

Hopefully now that I'm going to be resting more I'll have more computer time and can catch up. Unfortunately I have to go. Gage has his first appointment today and we're taking Holden to check his cough.

[cj'smommy]

Originally Posted by kalisage

We are here. Little Mac is doing really good, he's already up to 10 lbs and just growing and changing so FAST! I can't believe how fast it all seems to be going.

As for me, I'm having some major anxiety attacks. My whole body will just start shaking, and the rescue remedy isn't helping. I'm honestly considering meds at this point. This week has been horrendous. I don't even know where to start

Z moved out today, and is planning to move the rest of his things on tues. I feel so confused, and have been crying non-stop for about 3 days now. I look at Mac and just start balling because I can't understand any of this. I'm trying desperately not to lose it, I need to be strong for Mac, my other children and myself - but man, it's super hard.

It wasn't this hard to be a single parent before.

Ladies, please (whatever your beliefs may be) pray for us. We really could use some goodness right now.

I don't really have a huge support network, and I needed to just tell someone and get out of my own head. This should be the happiest time right now, and I feel like I'm losing that

Mama - big : prayers and thoughts coming your way. Don't be hard on yourself, you're going through so much right now. There's nothing wrong with taking some medication if you need it. You need to take care of yourself so you can take care of your kids.

We're here if you need us!