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@Circusbee: I'm glad it's going so well! I need to make a follow up appointment to wean C off the nipple shield as well, but I'm so nervous about it. My nipples were in really rough shape before the shield!
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@Circusbee so glad the LC could help.
We got our numbers back from the blood draw and D's bilirubin was a 15. So high, but not too high. We go back tomorrow to get more blood drawn to make sure his numbers keep going down.
Parenthood is a whole new kind of worry.
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How is everyone doing? Things are good over here for the most part. We had her 6 week checkup this week. She's now 9lb 5oz. I look at her and think she's huge but I guess that's pretty small still haha. At 6 weeks her sister was 10lb 5 oz, I always thought that G was getting bigger quicker than B did but I guess not. I packed up all her NB clothes as she's getting a little long for them, it made me so sad!
We discussed birth control for myself, I think I'm going to get an IUD put in. I've never had one before, but I think it's the best option. I was shocked that it's $400 (!) but I think my benefits will cover most of it. They won't put it in until I'm 3 months PP, so I still have to wait another month. I was reading and it said that if you're breastfeeding with it in, you have a higher chance of perforation so that makes me nervous. I only talked with the resident dr, not my actual dr, so I might go and talk to the usual dr before I have it put in. Anyone else thinking of what to do for birth control yet? -
@MrsB2012: I'm not going on birth control, I've always had to use Clomid to get pregnant in the past, and we would be happy to have another one soon, so if I were to get pregnant naturally we would be thrilled.
L is one month old today, I can't believe it!
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@MrsB2012: I had my PP check-up on Thursday & opted for the mini pill. I'm a little nervous about staying on top of taking it at the same time every day (and starting right before DST was irritating!), but I didn't like how invasive the other options are. The thought of IUDs scares me, for whatever reason, I am not a fan of shots, and I'm not ready to commit to 3 years without trying for #2, and my doc said the implant stays in that long. Before trying for C I was on NuvaRing and loved it, but I'm hopeful the mini pill will work for us while I breastfeed!
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@LAZB: that would be so exciting if it happened without the clomid! I didn't go on anything after B, it was so nice to not have to worry about birth control
@HeartAbandoned: yeah, we are undecided if we will go for #3. I'm not sure if it makes sense to get the iud as its good for 5 years and I thinky benefits only cover 1 in 5 years. There was a different one that was good for 3 years but it's newer so not as many studies on it.
Idy for me, if we go for #3 Id like to have it before g is 2, but I think dh wants a bigger age gap. He's struggling with these 2 being 18 months apart haha -
@LAZB: I also used clomid for lo1 and skipped birth control after he was born. my cycles didn't restart until I weaned, and I got pregnant during cycle 3 (had a chemical) and then cycle 5. My 2 are almkst exactly 2 years apart. I hope it works out for you guys!
@MrsB2012: I don't know why the thought of an IUD scares me! I have lots of friends who have them and have had no issues!
We are going the permanent route. I am certain now without a doubt that I never ever want to be pregnant again.
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Been a while since I've been to HB, but oh man has the last week been rough. I think D was going through a semi-long growth spurt and it was really terrible. So much crying, so little sleep, and so much nursing. He basically required my attention every minute of every day and I didn't have time for anything else. I had lots of 2am breakdowns, to say the least. We're on the upswing though, and he gave us a 4.5-hour and 3.5.-hour stretches of sleep last night!! I'm not sure if it's because his spurt is over, or due to the gas drops and/or probiotic we introduced. But we'll take it!
@MrsB2012: I'm still unsure what to do about BC. I felt a lot better after quitting the pill when we started TTC, and I'd like to stay away from it and other hormonal methods if possible. So...condoms?
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@Kbee: I am very sorry to say that I am in the same boat with the TERRIBLE past week, so I feel your pain! I have been wanting to post like every day but things have been so brutal. Hoping this week is better for us both.
After I was so excited about our progress with BFing, I came down with mastitis on Monday early morning - 102 fever, the worst chills I've ever had, I was panicking at the thought of taking care of L feeling like that. I got antibiotics from the doc but the biggest help was when the LC came over on Tuesday. She took one look at my nipples and her eyes welled up with tears -- I got so emotional being validated for how bad things actually were. She made me a plan to heal within 48 hours and I'm delighted to say we've made amazing progress - she said Earth Mama nipple butter (thanks to those who recc'd it!) under gel pads 24/7 when not feeding, and that has made a world of difference. I kept pumping from the more painful side and nursed from the more tolerable one and she said don't even think about stopping the shields! Very sadly, the infection has made my supply take a HUGE hit - it's half or less than it was before
I know we can work to bring it back up and I'm really fine supplementing as long as the pain is gone, which it is. Man, for something so natural, I'm glad I had warning in advance how hard BFing is. Just caught up with all the posts from the last week. Hope everyone is doing well! I'm thinking IUD for BC, too. It took my cycles so long to regulate after I went off BC to conceive this little guy (it took us 9 cycles/10 months) and I don't want to deal with the hormonal ups and downs next time. DH works in pharma, women's health, marketing for BC actually, and he has sold me on the IUD
Can't believe Luke will be one month old on Tuesday… time has passed so strangely… fast and slow at the same time!
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@Kbee: That sounds so tough, but at least it seems like things are getting better. Before having a baby I never realized how good just 4 straight hours of sleep could make you feel.
Our night sleep has gone to crap the last week as well. C is great during the day but as soon as 10pm comes, she wakes to eat and will not go back to sleep. She will cry for two hours or so until it's time for the next feeding, and then after eating it still takes at least another hour of bouncing on the exercise ball for her to finally go to sleep. She's crying for at least four hours and it's just so exhausting. We tried introducing a pacifier, and it definitely calms her, but she can't seem to keep it in her mouth for more than a minute or two, and as soon as it falls out she wakes up and screams. I just keep telling myself that this won't last forever.
@loopedd: So sorry about the mastitis. That sounds awful!
C is one month today and is already getting so big. She's almost outgrown her newborn clothes. How is that possible?! We have our one month appt on Thursday so I'm curious to see how much she weighs.
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@Aria: You're so right about 4 hours of sleep seeming glorious! I never could have imagined that. I'm sorry your nights have been so tough. Are your houseguests gone, at least?? I think you are saint for having people around for so long with a newborn.
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@loopedd: Yes everyone is finally gone! I'm so glad I put my foot down about not letting my MIL stay in our apartment. Also, next time I'll make visitors wait longer to come and not let them stay as long. A week at a time was way more than I could tolerate!!
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@loopedd: @Aria: It sounds like we've all been having a rough time. And mastitis, oh my gosh! I hope you are feeling better...Are things going better for either of you with your LO's so far this week? This newborn age is serious business. I love my LO so much, but wow, it can be so hard. Some days D just completely refuses to nap and cries literally all day, other days he's happy and will go down for a nap just fine. Yesterday was one of the cry-all-day-no-nap days, and I had a few crying breakdowns of my own. I keep telling myself it WILL get better and we'll make it through...
He had his 4-week checkup last Friday and he was 7 lbs 9 oz, which is almost 2 lbs above birthweight, so that's good! He's definitely starting to look like he's got some meat on his bones, which is good because he was a tiny little one. I think the NB diapers might be getting small because some of his dirty diapers have been almost leaking out the top, so I put a size 1 on him for the first time this morning. We'll see how that works! He's still in NB clothing for now, but I'm sure it won't be long before he grows out of them. He'll be 5 weeks tomorrow, I can't believe it!!
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@Kbee: For the days that he just cries, have you thought about wearing him? (And I apologize if you've already tried that...just throwing out an idea!) Sometimes wearing my baby is the absolute only way I can get her to A) stop crying and B) nap during the day.
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@Kbee: Isn't it crazy how much they've changed in 4 weeks?? I'm excited to see how much L weighs at his appt tomorrow. He's definitely gotten longer, his feet were poking out of the end of his outfit today! Agreed with @Mrs. Rabbit: that wearing him can be the only thing that saves us some days. Last night I fell asleep sitting on the couch with him in the Boba and it was the best stretch we got - 3 hours!!
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@Kbee: agreed the newborn days can be TOUGH. My A seems to be so content in the morning, nursing without a nipple shield like a champ and sleeping nicely, and then evening hits and the whole house is crying (ok maybe just him and me). Anyone else feel weird when people ask how we're doing? I feel like the only correct answer is "good," but it is not always good! I mean he's awesome and I love him so much, but it's a daily struggle!
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Also- A has his 1 month checkup tomorrow and I'm so excited! He's still in newborn clothes, but I switched to size 1 disposables (when we use them) because they just seem to contain the mess better. He would still technically fit in the newborn ones, I just think they don't have as much absorbency. I am trying to make the switch to cloth permanently when we are at home, but I can't seem to get a good laundry routine down and end up running out. For those using cloth, I am using pockets/aio at night for ease of use, and prefolds/fitteds with covers during the day, but I don't think I'm doing a very good job with the prefolds and covers... I seem to get leaks even though A hasn't had any blowouts, he still poops with every feeding, so it's never a ton. What's a good fold for the newborn poop?
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@Circusbee we have been rolling our prefolds to make walls that help hold the poop in. But my little guy is 9.5 pounds and his size might help make everything fit a little tighter.
We are also dealing with fussy no naps baby. DH was so worried the first few times it happened. It took a lot for me to explain that baby isn't in pain, just upset.
Baby spends a lot of time sucking on our fingers (my boobs can only take so much) and today we are trying a binky just to see I'd it could give us a break. I know it's really early to give one... I hope we aren't meeting things up.
Hang in there all!
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Anyone else ready to start working out again? I can't believe I'm going to say this, but i'm kinda tired of just sitting on my butt all day. I'm ready to go on walks, at least. I'm sure I could (???) but I don't want to push it. I'm always a by-the-book girl, so I'm waiting for that all-clear from my doc.
(Granted, I say this as I'm about to end a month of having family in town—I"m sure once our new normal sets in, I'll be beyond exhausted from watching the two kids all day).
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@Mrs. Rabbit: I haven't tried wearing him in the wrap in the last week. Except for his first week of life (when he'd just conk out), when I wore him he would stop crying, but would just root around on my chest the whole time. Maybe it's time to try it again though.
@Circusbee: Evenings are also worse for us too. Seems like he is always cranky then and wants to nurse constantly. It seems like that's pretty typical though, apparently that's the "witching hour!" And I feel the same way when people ask me how I'm doing. A friend of mine had a baby in October, and it seemed like she was always doing so great, everything was perfect, etc. So either she was lying, or she had a really easy baby. Either way, it makes me feel weird being honest about it when people ask.
@Mrs. Rabbit: YES, me! I'm going on 5 weeks now of sitting around. I have taken a few walks on the very few days that it's been above freezing and not snowing/icing, and I want to start making that a daily thing now that it's getting nicer outside. My 6-week visit is next Thursday, and I really hope I get the clear for regular exercise again. I was very active during and before pregnancy, and this time has been REALLY hard just sitting around all the time.
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Does anyone else's baby spit up a lot? The last two days C spits up what seems like everything she eats within minutes of finishing. I try making sure I burp her, keep her upright after and not move her around too much but it doesn't seem to make a difference. I have her one month appt tomorrow so I can talk to the pediatrician then but if anyone else has any experience please share!
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Just put D in the boba wrap and he passed out! Thanks for the suggestion again ladies
@Aria: YES! SO much spit up. I also feel like sometimes it's everything that he's just eaten?! Our pedi told us that spit up, even lots of it, is normal, so he doesn't recommend doing anything about it right now.
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@Mrs. Rabbit: I am DYING to start working out again. I had such a crappy pregnancy and I can't wait to feel better. I was in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant and I want to feel like that again! I don't even care about the weight I don't think...I just want to feel strong. I got the ok from my ob to do some light walking (20 minutes or less) so I am hoping to start with that if it ever stops raining here!
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@Aria: mine spits up constantly poor thing
and last night she projectile threw up what must have been an entire feeding.
@Mrs. Lion: glad you got the ok for walking. We have been taking walks almost daily, and it's so nice.
@Kbee: I will hopefully be getting my boba wrap in the mail today or tomorrow, hope to get the same passed out results as you!Has anyone altered their diet because of their baby's reactions to breast milk? L has been getting a rash and is VERY gassy along with spitting up a lot, so I think she might be allergic to something in my diet. I'm going to try cutting out dairy first to see if that helps. Most of my favorite foods have dairy in them, so it will be tough, but worth it if it makes her feel better.
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@LAZB: Have you talked with your ped about it? I think gassiness and spitting up are pretty normal. Does the rash indicate an allergy? Poor thing
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@loopedd: How are you feeling?? So sorry about the mastitis. That sounds awful
Things are pretty quiet around here. DH and LO1 both got a nasty stomach virus. Fortunately baby and I have avoided it. She is sleeping pretty well....I let her nap in the swing during the day and she sleeps in her crib at night. We have to wake her up and make her eat during the day, and she goes 3-3.5 hours between feedings at night...so I guess for a 3 week old that is about as good as it gets
Counting my blessings and sending sleepy dust to all of you. Wearing LO1 definitely helped when he had his witching hours...that will absolutely be my go to if/when we have the same issues. I would wear him in my wrap (like the boba but a DIY version) and swing on the porch swing. Knocked him out cold
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@Mrs. Lion: yes, he thinks it might be something in my diet because the way the rash looks and the spitting up is constant
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@LAZB: ugh! I am so sorry!
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@Mrs. Lion: Oh SO much better this week, thank god! I didn't realize how run-down the mastitis was making me feel until now when I can function again on the 2-3 hour stretches of sleep again. Still tough, but I was breaking down several times daily when I was so sick. Thank you for asking!! So glad you and the little one have avoided the stomach bug. That would be so miserable!
@Aria: So. much. spit up. In the last week I feel like he's exploded! Doc said it's all good. But I feel like I have to change his clothes (and mine!) a dozen times a day!
We had our one-month appt today -- exactly a pound above birth weight at 7 lbs 13 oz! Can't wait until his next appts when he gets all his shots and I feel like he's more prepared for the outside world. He had the second Hep B today and hoooo boy was he pissed!
@Mrs. Rabbit: I took L outside for a walk for the first time (ever!) on Monday and moving my legs felt glorious! I am so happy the Northeast is thawing out a bit.
@maddyz: We gave L a pacifier on day 2 of his life, still in the hospital… and we are combo feeding with nursing, pumped breast milk, and formula, and luckily the kid will take anything you put in his mouth! All that to say if your little guy likes the binky, I'd go with it
Did it take?
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A spits up a lot too, but when I brought it up to his ped yesterday, she said it's normal. She said to pay attention to when he spits up and his mood right before to see if it might be reflux, but that if it's just random and suddenly without him feeling uncomfortable then it's nothing to be concerned about.
Also- A has gained 1 lb 9 oz from birth weight, hooray!! I am so proud
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@Kbee: @LAZB: @loopedd: @Circusbee: Thanks for your input! It was a relief to know it's not anything to worry about.
We had our one month appt and she's up 1lb 13 oz from birth, doing good! It was sunny and warmish, so we walked to the pediatrician and it was so nice to be outside! Sleep was so much better last night, she went back to sleep fairly quickly after eating with minimal crying. Yay! Let's hope it's more of the same tonight.
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You guys, I think my body makes skim milk instead of whole milk. We have our 1 month check up next week (she'll be 1 month tomorrow), and I don't think she's anywhere near a pound past her birth weight. My first daughter was the same way (big at birth and then tiny ever since). I'm trying not to worry about it and just continue nursing as usual, but I wish I didn't have to stress. Hopefully all will be okay at her appointment!
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@loopedd sometimes he will take the pacifier, but mostly he makes the most disgusted face.
@loopedd and @mrs. Rabbit I have been out walking a lot. It's totally saving me. I can only stay in our tiny apartment so much. The last few days I can walk more and it's way more comfortable. We have even been on the subway to go get blood work. I wear him in the sling.
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@Mrs. Rabbit: Definitely don't worry until she weighs in! I know how you feel though. Since the mastitis my supply is still crap and even if he nurses for 40 min I still have to top him off with formula to satiate him. I had the same thought like maybe I have no hind milk?!
@Aria: Yay for getting outside! We all deserve good nights, too
@maddyz: Lol at the disgusted face… you can't fool him!
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@maddyz: haha Lyla makes the same disgusted face when we try to give her a paci about 9 times out of 10.
Silly babies!@Mrs. Rabbit: I am certain you do not make skim milk
Don't worry momma! My little guy was in the 50th percentile until 9 months and then dropped to 3rd, and has stayed there. Someone has to be in the low percentiles -
Happy Friday all! I never seem to know what day of the week it is, but I do still love weekends - it feels like a vacation having DH home during the day to help with the baby! He is actually working from home today and gave me the greatest gift - a four-hour nap from 8am until noon!
We've had a couple of decent nights but this morning when L woke to eat at 7am he really gave me a run for my money - barfed all over me three times and then! This week he's gone from 2ish normal poops a day to only pooping every other day. One of them happened while he was eating and oh my god. I've never seen or smelled a worse diaper and I couldn't stop gagging while I changed it! He seemed very happy afterwards though lol. And I keep thinking, I've become a parent who tells stories about their kid's poop - that didn't take long!!
How is everyone doing?
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I dont know if EC is something anyone else is interested in. We have started to do some EC with Davey and it's going so well! He is so happy when he poops without soiling himself. Way less fussy and it's all over so fast. With a diaper he complains a lot before doing the deed. It's by no means perfect, and at this point he is still using his diapers at least a bit all the time, but the difference it makes for him is clear.
My mom left today, she has been here from the beginning, cooking and cleaning. I haven't had to make a dinner yet. It's really helped my healing. She is so hands off, but still involved and helpful. It's been amazing. I think we are ready to give it go on our own now.
Hope you all are doing well!
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@maddyz: wow - that's impressive! How does it work??
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@Loopedd we are just figuring it out! I have friends who have done it and I read a book called diaper free baby and watched a DVD. It's really interesting to me, but I have just started to try it with this little guy.
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We got our boba wrap and started using it yesterday, thanks for the suggestion!
I know we can work to bring it back up and I'm really fine supplementing as long as the pain is gone, which it is. Man, for something so natural, I'm glad I had warning in advance how hard BFing is. 
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