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Post Partum Chat

8K views 116 replies 21 participants last post by  ballerina85 
#1 ·
A thread for random pp chatting. Hopefully I won't be lonely for too long! :)

Baby number four and here are my thoughts.

I forgot how big and sore my breasts get. Ouch!

I am loving his sweet milky baby breath. And, his sweet baby poo.

Those little cries are oh so sweet too. I could hear them all day. As opposed to the 3,5, and 7 year old wailing.
 
#3 ·
Sweet breath sounds and sweet breath scent. I love my baby's breath. Mmmmmmm.

How is the post partum baby period going for those if you with a baby?

Dexter is almost a week old. He pretty much sleeps all the time. Nurses every 2 hours during the day and every 2-4 hours over night. He's a dream.

I'm doing really well too. I thought I might need a day of recovery after my long day yesterday, but I'm feeling good today. Even getting some stuff done around the house.

And, I'm oh so happy I can bend over again. Help you put on your sandals? Sure! I dropped something on the floor? No problem!

I am starting to have some bittersweet feelings about being completely done with pregnancy and babies, but I think that is to be expected.

So,for now I'm just soaking in my sweet baby and trying to make each moment last.
 
#4 ·
Uh oh, I'm afraid ppd is in the mail. Or maybe just exhaustion/baby blues. Last night, first night home, was TERRIBLE. She cried almost all night, and pretty much refused to nurse. I've never had trouble nursing so it scared me. Finally at about 6:30 I dozed off long enough with her in my arms at the kitchen table to have a dream. I dreamed of pushing the nurses call button to ask for help and pain meds for my after pains and tubal. :(. So I took her straight to dh, got in bed and crashed hard until 8. There's not much hope of rest with all the kids during the day so I'm feeling pretty stressed... I know I'll get through it but man I'm tired.
So happy to have a shrinking belly though!
 
#6 ·
So sorry @MPsSweetie. I hope you find some opportunity to rest. The early days (and nights) can be so HARD!!

"Baby blues" over here. I think it's mostly exhaustion from baby not sleeping well and the big kids' lives just continuing on like normal. I've also noticed little flashes of anxiety here and there. I'm super-extra-hyper emotional about everything. I just want to cry for no particular reason. Things will turn around slowly as life gets more manageable.

The postpartum period can be a real bear. I don't feel at home in my body for a little while and I always feel an irrational sadness for the end of the pregnancy - no more round belly or baby movements. On a superficial level, there's nothing more disheartening than feeling so much smaller, then catching a glimpse of my gut in the mirror. I try not to let it bother me. I know I should focus on the miracle my body has just performed, but ugh. Everything is so soft and squishy.
 
#7 ·
i am married to the pump here. LO too sleepy to nurse a lot of the time, literally cannot wake her up. I think the high of the birth has come off and now it's the reality of my 4 yo waking me up at 6am and nagging me to play with him and me stressing out about feeding LO...
 
#8 ·
Much better night! Of course she still woke to nurse, but no screaming. It stormed all night, huge lightning and thunder, but it all felt so safe and cozy here at home. I needed a good night! I hadn't slept since the night before 4th of July. And that was pregnancy sleep, does that count? Lol
 
#10 ·
I am also married to the pump and have been for a month now. Han was early and tongue tied and pretty severely jaundiced. Not a great combo. Zia (2yo) was bottle fed my pumped milk for 12 weeks and then was finally able to transfer enough milk to stop the pumping.... so I know the drill but dang. It is a pain. The bottle washing and middle of the night crying hungry baby. If I could only get a few feeds ahead. Ugh.

I am having a hard time with losses. The loss of my home waterbirth dream, the loss of a good first latch, skin to skin even in the OR, loss of the first 5 days when he was in the NICU. I am fiercely bonded to him but feel like I missed so much. I can't read birth stories or see pics without sobbing.... :(

But he is healthy and growing finally and I have healed beautifully. We made the decision that he is our last (and all 10 kids are here right now and my heart is full) but I am pretty sad about it. I worry that it is a decision made in fear. I am 40 and we are so blessed, but the decision needs to be made at some point I guess.
 
#15 ·
Things are good around here, still in the rough part of breastfeeding for the first time mama (she is a great nurser, just trying to learn nipple care and not let myself get annihilated in the process of feeding her). Had to use the pump for a bit after my milk came in to relieve engorgement because she wasn't emptying all the way just yet. Happy to not be using the pump now unless I want to give dad a bottle for the chance to bond with/feed her. She is a hilariously loud nurser--does anybody else's baby sound like a honking goose or a growling puppy when they nurse? lol those are her happy sounds...no discreet silent nursing in public in my future, I'm afraid. :)
 
#18 ·
This little guy did what Ana did- he had a longer first alert time, longer sleepy day, and that was when my milk came in like I was about to feed the whole family. Hubby kept laughing at me because I looked deformed. He felt sorry for me too when he saw me stand up about to curse gravity. I have short nips anyway, so they were flat to inverted. My nip shells were lost in the shuffle so I had some expedited from Amazon. That helped immensely! I needed them a couple weeks with Ana too. He's nursing well now, those things are a life saver.
 
#21 ·
@mamamargo, have faith - the nipple pain will definitely subside!
@eternalw, I hear you! DH and I tag-team at night with pumping, feeding, trying to nurse. We also know the drill from troubles with our first. It's been 3 weeks of bottle feeding now and alongside PPD, I am really trying hard to nurse her.
@WildRose (I think you asked), yes we have seen an LC and it was helpful. Also a pediatrician and the general opinion is she will be more wakeful. She has seemed to be these last couple of days, but still really hard to nurse. And now she has the total gum sucking bottle latch : (

What I really need is more support with my very intense 4 yo DS. He is generally hard, but even more so now that I can't give him the attention. Survived one week, just barely though. One more week and then I have him signed up for camp.
 
#22 ·
You'll notice baby fuss for more ifthey are not done and it will feel soft compared to the other side.

After Pain Tincture from HerbLore.com, get some now!
 
#25 ·
Popping in to suggest a way to get the rest of the milk out if it's uncomfortable.... I like to stand in a hot shower and let the water run over my breasts for a few minutes and then start expressing milk. Pointer finger and middle finger surrounding your nipples and push back and then squeeze forward, if that makes sense and at the same time, massage all around your breast from the outside in towards the nipple - especially where you feel any full/hard ducts. The massage and hot water will get the milk flowing while you express it with your fingers.

If baby doesn't get the hindmilk, he might not gain as much and might not sleep as well.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for all the tips! Dealing with really hard rocks that are HUGE!! Joel has a good suck, but had trouble getting a wide enough latch. At the first home visit the nurse said I have large nipples, which makes it hard for him to get enough in. Also it's easier for him to latch correctly on my left side. My right side usually has quite a bit of areola showing and I have blisters on that nipple. I'm not sure if it's because I'm right handed, so I'm better shot to help him latch correctly on my left side? Or if a chiro adjustment would help? Also, due to breast size I am assuming I am engorged, which is why I was asking about empty breasts. I had been feeding him on one side each feeding and alternating sides.... Yesterday I started feeding on one side, burping, then offering the other side. I also tried letting him breast crawl at night for in bed feedings. His feedings have lengthened to almost half an hour now, usually 20 on one side and 5-10 on the other. The breast crawl helps his latch too. I'm still a little concerned about the tenderness and lumps. I want to prevent plugged ducts. On my right side, if he has his hand on my breast while eating it hurts. I have tried massaging the ducts that are hard, the top and outside, putting warm cloths on right before feeding, and cabbage leaves/cold compress on afterwards. Should I be pumping at all? Do you think he's emptying enough? I'd there anything else I should do?
 
#27 ·
Can you try just feeding on one side at each feeding? That way each breast is more likely to be completely emptied at one feeding. If you can massage *while* he nurses, towards the nipple, that should help. I've pumped after a nursing session just to get it all out before, but you don't want to do it too often because more demand = more supply.

I think chiro is always a great idea! It could be that it's not comfortable for him to nurse on one side because of a kink in his neck. It's happened to one of mine before. If you can find a chiro who also does craniosaral therapy, all the better!
 
#31 ·
So much bleeding in my family today!! Stress!
My toddler fell on her face/mouth and ripped her frenulum again for the second time in a month (4th ever ). So much blood! Then my eldest jammed his head on the edge of the garage door somehow and a small puncture in his scalp led to copious scary head bleeding. Let's hope no other kids have blood pouring forth today. I'm watching my younger son suspiciously but assuming the two day old will stay out of trouble. :)
 
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