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@Mrs. Microscope: I wish I had a good answer to this other than "give it time." My son was very much the same way (I also hovered far too much) and I think it took a while for my husband to feel like he had a purpose other than donating sperm! I think you are doing all the right things. This phase (extremely needy newborn) will be over soon!
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@buttermilk: good luck! Remember the number one rule is feed the baby, I know how hard it feels to be facing supplementation, but some times formula is needed. If you don't want her to use a bottle you can always use an SNS. Also, assuming you aren't in horrific pain my motto is "just latch the baby again" I end up nursing way more than any book or doctor says is normal, but baby hasn't read the books! You are doing a great job!
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@OhCaptain: thanks! We talked a lot about it last night and realized that we are each jealous of each other! He wishes he had milk to comfort her, I wish she wanted to spend time with me without wanting milk! After a good laugh, all is well, just realizing these newborn weeks are hard for everyone!
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Omg. the insatiable hunger during breast feeding has started! Evelyn is two weeks, classic growth spurt time. I feel like I've been eating all day!
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@OhCaptain: tell me about it! 8 days in and I've never been so hungry in my entire life! I have to keep snacks by the bed for MOTN.
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No weight check til this afternoon but we appear to be doing so well over here!! Lots of wet diapers, no more urate crystsls, and she finally had her first non mec poop!!! I'm so happy I did a little dance.
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Help! LO not even 2 days old. 2nd night in hospital, going home tomorrow. Last night was rough but ok, BF every 2 to 3 hrs (although we were up constantly with him spitting up). Tonight, wants to nurse nonstop. If he falls asleep after nursing and we pick him up to put him in his bassinet so I can sleep a few mins, he gets HYSTERICAL and only calms down when he's back on the best. This has been since 6pm. It's 3am and I'm exhausted. I'm afraid to fall asleep holding him at the breast. I didn't want to give a paci yet, but maybe that will help? He also apparently has a bad tongue tie so his latch is crap and my nipple are getting destroyed and my milk hasn't even come in. Ideas? I have to get some sleep, I am dying.
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@MrsADS: will he sleep on you? (Not on the breast but just on you?) you need some sleep!!! M slept on our chests for the first week home from the hospital. It's the only way we could get any sleep!
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@MrsADS: agree with @Portboston - some babies just want to be held in the beginning (DD was like that and DS too to a certain extent). Also, I don't know if your hospital is open to it, but there is no shame in letting baby go to the nursery for an hour or so while you get some sleep!! You need to be able to semi-function too!
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@MrsADS: Is baby tighty swaddled when you're trying to move to the bassinet? I was hesitant to try s paci with my first until the recommended 6 weeks but then he wouldn't take one. It worked out ok, he didn't really need one. This time, baby lovessss to suck 24/7 and I was hurting. Once I knew her latch was good and she was feeding well, I gave her one (while we were still in hospital) and monitored that it didn't affect bfing. have you been able to consult a LC for advice? I feel for you mama! It's sooo exhausting. Hang in there!
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Thx all. How do you feel safest holding him while you sleep? I guess I am just not sure how safe I feel holding him when I sleep. But he's definitely less fussy when I keep holding him. He's not swaddled when we transfer him to the bassinet because we are BFing skin to skin.
He went to the nursery for about 2 hours. I feel horrible about it but I had to sleep.
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@MrsADS: we just laid flat and had him right on top of us belly to chest. Although i can't do it anymore cause my boobs hurt! Don't feel bad about sending him to the nursery...you need rest to be a good mama! I would have sent mine to the nursery but my hospital didn't have one
We also gave a pacifier early. As well as a bottle. We've had no issues with nipple confusion but I know every baby is different!
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@MrsADS: don't feel guilty! Take help wherever you can get it. Hang in there.
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@buttermilk: How's everything going with R and the nursing/supplementing?
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@MrsADS: I slept with my first on my chest for a month! I slept at an angle (like in two or three pillows) and then had him in the middle of my chest. I Put a pillow under each arm and then held him with my hands. Involved but it worked. He also wanted to be latched 24/7.
Hang in there mama! You are def in the trenches, but it does get better!!!! -
@MrsADS: if I sleep with P, it's in our recliner, with the boppy helping to hold her. Good luck mama!
Weighed myself for the first time since my 38 week appointment / induction admittance... Down 23 of 33 lbs! In 3.5 weeks, not bad! 10lbs to go, and I'm not planning to workout until after my 6 week clearance appointment. My jeans don't fit right yet, though they do zip, they aren't comfy or cute. But I never dreamed I'd lose this much so fast! How are you ladies doing physically pp?
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@Mrs. Microscope: Awesome!! I'm similar. I've lost 24 of 32, so 8 more to go at 3 weeks. Much faster the second time around, which surprised me.
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@MrsADS: I regularly sleep on my side with LO up against me. I have her head on my arm and usually my other hand is on her chest. I keep at least one leg high enough to press against her feet because when she needs to poop/fart, she likes to push against something. It took a while before I was willing to sleep with her with no light. I needed to be able to check at a glance that no covers had gotten pulled up too close to her face. Now we start each block of night sleep (or if I'm napping with her) with her in her sleep nest, then I pull her to me (as described) when she starts getting fidgety, it usually buys me an extra hour+ of sleep each time.
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@Mrs. Microscope: No clue what I've lost, but I look pretty much like normal. One of the benefits of going so early; I didn't have a chance to gain as much! It helps that my boobs are ginormous, since that makes my waist look smaller by comparison!
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@Mrs. Microscope: well, I had a really high pre-pregnancy weight. I basically started this preg at the delivery weight of my first. I gained about 10 lbs total. As of today im down 35 lbs total, 25 lbs below my pre-preg weight. I'm blown away and already worried about gaining it back, since I didn't have to work to lose it like I thought I was going to.
But, I'm still quite lumpy in the middle and def have a fat shelf/flap/thing above my c-sec scar. -
@Mrs. Microscope: I'm about 8lbs above where I started & I hit that about 3 weeks pp. I'm ok with hanging onto a little because I was underweight to begin with. But I'm pretty sure that last 8lbs is all boobs!
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@Mrs. Microscope: I'm 2 weeks pp today and I'm 5lbs from my pre preg weight. I only gained 23lbs this time around. The crummy part is I went in to this pregnancy heavier than my ultimate goal so I'm actually looking at losing around 15lbs to be at my ideal.
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@MrsADS: R is 10 days old and something I started a couple days ago that helps her right back to sleep at night is BFing skin to skin on the first boob, then a quick burp and diaper change if needed, then swaddle and nurse on second boob. She is usually out then and we can put her straight in the bassinet.
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@Torchwood: I do that too - side sleeping with her swaddled up against me if she gets fussy in the bassinet and I'm too exhausted to deal. Sometimes they just need to be close to you!
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@Mrs. Microscope: At 10 days pp I've lost 16 of the 35 pounds. And my belly is seriously almost back to normal! It nearly was in the hospital too! I thought I was supposed to expect a big belly afterwards still.
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@getjazzy: R only gained 0.2 ounces today since Monday but LC doesn't consider that a failure at all. Her 5 oz weight gain was huge, and we just started phasing out formula over the past 36 hrs. Meanwhile I've been able to pump twice the usual amount today so my supply is increasing. I'm getting 12-15mL now as opposed to 5 mL. So I have to stay the course until Friday morning. BF around the clock and supplementing with 15 mL BM, using formula to make up the difference if necessary. Then if her weight gain is above the minimum (0.5 oz per day) we will start simplifying. LC said your supply is fully in at 4 Wks so I gotta keep at it until then.
I learned a lot today, about finishing first breast first, even if it's a whole session on one boob. Also I've been using a boppy but they have a breast friend at the office and it's amazing!! I'm buying one! I can fucking stand and nurse!
My ass is gonna thank me.
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@buttermilk: I have the Brest friend and it's a life saver!!! I can like, like the dog in/out for a pee, get up to answer the phone, somewhat tend to my toddler.. All while nursing. And when you're sitting, it does such an amazing job keeping baby in place. My fave baby item!
Glad things are slowly but surely getting better with the feeding! Keep at it!
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I'm happy to report nursing is getting better & better each day since the ties have been released! Do you ladies have one side that's more comfortable then the other? I swear my right boob was not cut out for this! It hurts so much worse then the left and I have no clue why!!
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@Portboston: I also favor my left, I don't know why. My right isn't more painful (after my nipples got used to nursing again) but it's just easier on the left.
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@Portboston: I think there will always be a favorite! My left is mine, for now. My right is slightly more painful nipple wise. Although, it yields slightly less output when I pump I think?
When I first started to breast feed my first, I could only feed on my right side in the football hold for several weeks, while I did the cross cradle hold for my left. I don't know why, it just worked better that way. Maybe try a different hold for the painful side? It may change the angle of the latch just slightly and help with pain.
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Here's an interesting thought.. Are those of us having pain on the right side, all right side dominant? Maybe has to do with using our non dominant hands to get baby latched and position well?
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@Portboston: my left hurts more, but my right is like a fire hose!
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Get it ladies! I never dreamed we'd all bounce back so quickly! Hot mamas!
I favor.my right breast... I feel get more milk out pumping too! But I evenly split breaststroke keep the left chugging along too!
Starting fenugreek today to see if I can boost supply a bit, as family is arriving today and I want them to be able to bond via a bottle feed. At almost 4 weeks (what?! Where has this month gone?) I can pump anywhere from 1 to 3 Oz a session, one breast. When offered a bottle, P takes about 2 Oz before being full, so it matches up somewhat. Also, we have some plans this next month where we might be gone from her for feeding, or I might not want to feed her my current milk ( yay great American beer festival!) so I am trying to build my stash. I have about 18oz I think?
So glad to hear breastfeeding is getting better for some of you!
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@Portboston: My left side hurts which stinks because that's the side she is weaned from the nipple shield. It was hurting before she was weaned but she looks at me like I'm an idiot if I try without the shield on the right.
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Just got back from a weight check. C was an ounce short of birthweight at 10 days but a week later has only gained an ounce. Peditrician now says to supplement two ounces every other feeding, pump after three feedings per day, feed straight formula and pump before she goes down for bed. At least we're half weaned from the nipple shield.
Tomorrow we see a cardiologist for her potential pulmonary stenosis. She is so incredibly worth all of these troubles!!
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I haven't weighed myself but I look like I've lost quite a bit of the (non-boob) weight so far!
Really glad to hear BFing is going better for so many- hoping your collective good luck rubs off on me! I'm feeling a bit discouraged. The good news is my nipples are in much better shape thanks to the nipple rest/EPing...but I still can't seem to get N to latch correctly and am really scared of doing damage again. Part of me wants to just continue to EP and the other part is exhausted at the thought. I'm also really worried about my supply and keeping up with his needs (largely thanks to supply/weight gain issues I had with DD although that didn't kick in until she was 2-4 months). In short, I'm a bit of mess right now
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@Ms. RV: I'm hoping to switch to a more simplified routine like yours after my appointment tomorrow! We are staying home and nursing napping all day, trying to beef up this little one! Good luck!
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@abmamma: idk what your nipple care routine is but I couldn't live without my Medela soft shells and EMAB nipple butter. 11 days pp and my nipples have been fully healed for the past 3 days. They cracked bled and hurt for a day, healed for a day, cracked and hurt again for a day, and now I've been pain free ever since! I apply that stuff religiously.
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Do you guys use an app to track feeding and pumping and diapers? I've been using Baby Tracker and it's amazing.
Also I don't have a preferred breast side yet.
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@abmamma: have you had him checked for any ties? I know a lot of them go overlooked and that's the sole reason we had so much trouble to begin with!
@buttermilk: I'm using baby time for feeding. It has the option to do sleeping and diapers too but I haven't been using those features.
My ass is gonna thank me.
Tomorrow we see a cardiologist for her potential pulmonary stenosis. She is so incredibly worth all of these troubles!!
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