give your sage advice here...

[meowee]

If you've been through birth/ the early months with babe before, what advice do you wish everyone could heed from you?

I'd say the best (and hardest) lesson I've learned is: even if you feel great and like superwoman after giving birth, stay in bed for three days, no matter what. Just get up for the necessities, and nurse and cuddle your baby in bed for those three days, if at all humanly possible.

[Lorette]

Originally Posted by meowee

stay in bed for three days, no matter what. Just get up for the necessities, and nurse and cuddle your baby in bed for those three days, if at all humanly possible.

That sounds so lovely!

[julesinottawa]

I'd say to have a plan for who you will call if you need a lactation consultant and a place lined up to rent a hospital grade pump so that if necessary you aren't scrambling. If you have trouble with the baby latching, you really need the hospital grade pump to get lactation going.

[veganf]

You will not get anything done for weeks except for baby care and meeting your most basic bodily functions. Period.

[Lorette]

Originally Posted by veganf

You will not get anything done for weeks except for baby care and meeting your most basic bodily functions. Period.

So true!

[HulaJenn]

Accept help even if your instinct is to say no (and even if you think you can "handle it"). It will save your strength and sanity for more important things - like bonding with baby.

[ryansma]

Listen to your instincts and trust that you know what your baby needs. Grand yourself permission to just sit and soak in your new baby.

crashing your ddc sorry

[quarteralien]

Enjoy every stage. They are each different, special and short! This is especially true of the newborn phase. It is so short and it's easy to get caught up in the frantic nature of it, but it goes by too quickly and then your baby isn't so little any more.

[Emily12581]

Make meals ahead of time, say no to visitors if you are tired, and enjoy your baby as much as you can!

[1972momma]

I would say ... if you visit the pediatrician before a week has passed (which imho is too early, but that's another post) ... i.e., before your milk has come in and your baby has had time to return to birth weight naturally ... and your pediatrician starts talking about supplementing ... consider instead calling a lactation consultant who can help your baby learn to feed more efficiently and determine whether there's really a problem with your supply (which is actually quite rare) ... most doctors don't have a clue ...

[catnap70]

Sleep as much as you can, whenever you have an opportunity. Don't "get stuff done" (except maybe bathe. ) Just get sleep and take care of yourself too. You can't provide for anyone else if you are a wreck. Mommies who already have one or more might find this one harder though.

[pazerific]

eat, drink, and then eat some more. you'll never feel good if you're not properly nourished and hydrated. it's so easy to be wrapped up in your new bundle of joy that you forget to take care of yourself.

wear your jammies when ppl come to visit so they get the idea that you're still healing, and aren't up to "waiting on" anyone except the new babe.

no one should come through your door in the 1st couple of weeks unless they have something helpful to offer--food, laundry/cleaning help, etc.

don't be afraid to reach out to someone if you're feeling extra blue. it's nothing to be ashamed of, and chances are you know ppl who have been through it too.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by veganf

You will not get anything done for weeks except for baby care and meeting your most basic bodily functions. Period.

Originally Posted by quarteralien

Enjoy every stage. They are each different, special and short! This is especially true of the newborn phase. It is so short and it's easy to get caught up in the frantic nature of it, but it goes by too quickly and then your baby isn't so little any more.

I am just nodding so fervently to both of these!

[yvonnemlv]

Reiteraring food. Remember to eat! We've been pregnant for most of a year, gone through a lot of work to get baby out and are now nourishing the baby (for those who are able to breastfeed), our bodies need a lot of nourishment during the recovery period to heal our bodies and feed our babies.

For first time moms, you'll get hungry and thirsty every time you nurse (well, at least I did and many moms I know do, lol) so prepare your nursing area with snacks and water and drinks! or have someone available to fetch them as soon as you are settled in.

[Lorette]

Originally Posted by 1972momma

I would say ... if you visit the pediatrician before a week has passed (which imho is too early, but that's another post) ... i.e., before your milk has come in and your baby has had time to return to birth weight naturally ... and your pediatrician starts talking about supplementing ... consider instead calling a lactation consultant who can help your baby learn to feed more efficiently and determine whether there's really a problem with your supply (which is actually quite rare) ... most doctors don't have a clue ...

This is great advice. It almost happened to me last time. I had ds on Monday midday. My milk came in Thursday evening. He lost weight until then (of course) the ped had me all scared and freaked out. I'm sure that didn;t help my milk come in sooner!
This time I will try to avoid a ped appt until at least 1 week.
How do I do that?
Just tell them no when they ask me to come in sooner?
I don't think it's good for mom or baby to be going to dr so soon... germs, having to get dressed, get out of bed, drive, disturb the peace of the babymoon.

Lorette

[Lorette]

Originally Posted by yvonnemlv

For first time moms, you'll get hungry and thirsty every time you nurse (well, at least I did and many moms I know do, lol) so prepare your nursing area with snacks and water and drinks! or have someone available to fetch them as soon as you are settled in.

Yes, I had my dh go out and buy me a gallon water container with a straw. Each time I would nurse in the first week or two I would drink about a half gallon of water.

I needed a container with a straw because it took two hands for me to nurse at the beginning and dh would just hold the container for me and I would drink out of the straw.

[HulaJenn]

Originally Posted by Lorette

This is great advice. It almost happened to me last time. I had ds on Monday midday. My milk came in Thursday evening. He lost weight until then (of course) the ped had me all scared and freaked out. I'm sure that didn;t help my milk come in sooner!
This time I will try to avoid a ped appt until at least 1 week.
How do I do that?
Just tell them no when they ask me to come in sooner?
I don't think it's good for mom or baby to be going to dr so soon... germs, having to get dressed, get out of bed, drive, disturb the peace of the babymoon.

Lorette

I don't know if there is a standard to see doc after 1 week, but where we are, the doc wants baby's first visit to be @ 2 weeks so I'm sure unless there are other health issues that you could refuse a 1 week visit?
We also don't have access to a Lactation consultant so for those that live in areas where that isn't available, hopefully there are other resources out there (be it online or a good nurse at the hospital). We have a midwife helper that isn't a certified consultant but encourages BF and helps with latching etc....

[madiesmommy]

Trying to hit something not covered...use your sitz bath if you tear even one stitch worth. It doubles the healing time and makes your lower region feel so much better. I really had trouble the 1st time finding time to do the sitz bath, but when I did it was heavenly...

[HulaJenn]

Originally Posted by madiesmommy

Trying to hit something not covered...use your sitz bath if you tear even one stitch worth. It doubles the healing time and makes your lower region feel so much better. I really had trouble the 1st time finding time to do the sitz bath, but when I did it was heavenly...

I recall hearing this with my first 2 but then the nurses never told me what it actually was. it's not the same as the peri-bottle is it? Do you sit in a bath full of salts or something?
I've also heard witch hazel on a pad is helpful for healing even if there is no tearing?

[pazerific]

Originally Posted by HulaJenn

I don't know if there is a standard to see doc after 1 week, but where we are, the doc wants baby's first visit to be @ 2 weeks so I'm sure unless there are other health issues that you could refuse a 1 week visit?

my dd didn't see the doc until she was 3 or 4mos. we just didn't call to make the appt until then. no big deal. no one was knocking down our door looking for her. you could always schedule something and then call to cancel (tell them you're too tired from nursing all night) and you'll call back to reschedule, but just don't call back until you're ready.

eta: i just thought about this while posting on spark's thread. keep making plans for your life as if you will definitely be preggy until 42wks. you can always cancel out if you have the babe earlier, but there's nothing worse than sitting home at 40+wks with nothing to do because you were expecting to have had your LO by then.