PostPartum Thread

[swimmers]

Hey new mommas! I thought it would be nice to hear how everyone is doing! Since its super busy having a newborns, maybe we could just do random updates.


Me:
~BF is not going as well as I thought it would by day 10 (this is new to me, Katie wouldn't BF). We are in a vicious cycle of breast feeding, pumping and supplementing (all of which takes an hour to do each feed). (Didn't I say that I wouldn't do this again?) I have gobs of milk this time so I'm hoping we can make a turn for the better after my Lactation apt on Monday. They have me using a nipple shield (thus all the pumping etc) and I have to see how to get her off it. If it goes well, yay. If not, hello formula. I didn't want to do all this but when your baby is so sick and there isn't anything else you can do but pump...well, you pump. I can pump 10oz!!! Not kidding!!! mooooooo! Despite all my milk, Mallory hasn't gained since Tuesday so now we have to wake her up every 2-3 hours. Gross.
DH is off until July 2 (nice) so I have until then to get the BF established. After that, there is no way I can keep up this AND take care of a 3 year old
~my nipples feel like they have been ran over a cheese grater. Thank goodness for Medela Lanolin Cream! The pump is probably to blame, they take your nipples and put them in Hawaii.
~I forgot how housebound you are the first few weeks...especially when you are dependant on a pump. I spent 90% of my day with my boobs out, sitting on the same spot on the couch. Wonder how many neighbors have seen my boobs?
~baby blues kicked in yesterday. I am very teary! Poor DH and Katie!
~I LOVE my sling. The best thing since sliced bread.
~I LOVE my Fisher Price Soothing Motions Glider.
~I loathe how my body looks. LOATHE! I look pg still but a flabby pg. My maternity clothes don't fit, my own clothes don't fit. I HATE summer! lol! I want winter...sweaters, jeans...I need to cover this body up!
~DH has been AMAZING!!! *swoon*

I'm sure there is more but this is all the time I have. Off to pump!

[KHPKE]

This is day 8 for Sam. Breastfeeding is going well, as far as Sam is concerned. For my part, I'm still in that nips chewed all to pieces phase so each feeding is a test of my endurance. I forgot to buy lansinoh or anything similar- kicking myself now.

Sam doesn't have another doctor appointment until his 1 month check. We took him in to the dr the day after he got out of the hospital, and he weighed 8 lbs 2 ozs, which is 2 ounces more than his supposed birth weight (I am pretty sure he weighed more like 8 lbs 5 or 6 ounces when he was born, because at his 24 hour check he was 8 lbs 3 ozs, and babies lose weight the first day, not gain it.) In any case, the ped said he looks great, and they only follow the newborns until they've regained their birthweight, so he didn't need to come in again until his next check-up.

I usually get the baby blues really bad, but so far this time I've been okay. I had a couple of low days around the last day in the hospital and the day we got home, but I seem to have rebounded, which is such a relief.

The major issue that we're dealing with right now is that Sam won't sleep in his bed. He naps in the bouncy seat. At night, he just wants to sleep on my chest. I have a co-sleeper crib, and I just need to figure out how to get him to sleep in it...

[lisettc3]

Avery is 5 weeks old and dealing with acid reflux. We started meds when she was 2 weeks old and she was doing good on them. She is now in pain again and I will be taking her to the Dr. on Monday. Praying we can get the right medicine for her. I hate seeing her in pain.

She is a really good baby and feel so blessed. She sleeps about 5 hours at night and eats and then down till the morning. Having our 3rd baby has been pretty easy and I feel very relaxed. We take her everywhere and feel like a new women being off bedrest. I have cut the grass twice now because I wanted to! My neighbors think I am crazy! I just feel so good!!

[heavensabove]

*Kianna will be 4 weeks tomorrow. Time really flies. SLOW DOWN!!!!
*She wakes once to eat at night. Sometimes goes all night without waking to eat, like last night. We cosleep.
*She loves to eat, LOL. My poor bbs and nips. She has one hell of a latch and suck. But Ive made it farther than I ever have bfng so Im happy. But she does get a bottle of formula just to make her feel complete. Sometimes she is still hungry after bfing so we finish off with an ounce or so of formula. Also right before bed.
*She loves being outdoors and on walks
*She is such a easy going baby, just like Isaac was.
*Im waaaay below prepg weight and just plain feel good, better than ever.
*No ppd, no baby blues.

[heavensabove]

K also loves to cuddle.

I cant burp her good because I make her fall asleep. She burps right away and very well for dh, LOL.

[ashlee007]

Aubrey was 2 weeks old yesterday - at her checkup she was already 5 oz over her birthweight so she's gaining well. She's also 1/2 inch taller already. They get big so fast! Nursing is going pretty well - I feel like all I do is feed her and change diapers but I'm trying to enjoy it because babies change so quickly.

She's still sleeping tons. She's asleep pretty much all day long and is awake for an hour here and there but it's rare. Ava has adjusted pretty well but I feel guilty because we've been so homebound and she's been watching WAY more tv than I'm comfortable with. It's just SO hot here in Texas and there's not much we can do until I'm mobile.

I'm 13 lbs below my prepreg weight and I'm hoping to continue seeing a downward trend. My c/s scar is healing nicely. It itches and that's driving me bananas. And it's like the last 2 weeks have hit me all at once because the last 2 days I'm just beat down and exhausted feeling. I'm feeling a touch of the baby blues and I hate that. I'm hoping it passes soon. Nothing serious, I just find that I'm crying easier than usual.

LOVE having 2 daughters - I just love to stare at Aubrey and watch the different expressions flit across her face while she sleeps. And I love seeing Ava interact with her. I feel really, really blessed.

[Kylie&Cohen'sMom]

Today has been pretty frustrating here!

We had our newborn follow up appt. to check on Cohen's weight and to see if his jaundice had cleared. Not good results with either. We ended up coming home with a Biliblanket for the jaundice and Cohen has lost another 2.5 oz since Friday. He has gone from 9 lbs 2 oz to 8 lbs 1.1 oz since birth.

I am feeling really discouraged because my milk is in and I am doing everything I can but he still isn't gaining. We don't think the problem is necessarily me at this point either. We are having a difficult time getting him to want to eat since the jaundice has made him sooo sleepy! The nurse doesn't think supplementing with formula is really necessary just yet but we go back for another check up tomorrow to see how his weight and jaundice are doing.

I think it's also safe to say I officially have a bit of the baby blues now. I am feeling guilty though I know none of this is really my fault and I'm doing my best. My dh doesn't understand completely either and wants me to just give him formula. I had a huge talk with him about why I want to try to breastfeed and why his support would really be important on that and I think he somewhat gets it but he is worried about Cohen's weight and I suspect he somewhat blames me even though he knows I'm doing my best. That could be in my head though since I feel guilty and dh has NEVER said he blames me. I am praying things go well at our appt. tomorrow. That would definitely help some with these baby blues!

And ftr, I am not at all opposed to formula as that is how Kylie was fed but I did want to give bfing a 100% shot this time. If I need to supplement I will but I am waiting till it gets to the point where they think it is definitely necessary. Ugh!! Just a frustrating day all around! I'm hoping tomorrow is so much better!!!!

[TwinMama08]

The babies are well, gaining weight well. We tried to switch to Similac Isomil but they did not take it well so we are staying with the Similac Alimentum. I am still sore where my c section incision is. My stomache feels funky above it, numb but sore, almost sunburned feeling from the stretch marks. I use a lot of lotion, it helps some.

My husband is adjusting well to being a new daddy, my 3 older kids are from a previous marriage. Their dad died in 2001.