I thought I would start a postpartum chat thread so we could check in about how our LOs are doing!
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Things are going pretty well over here aside from nursing issues. Adjusting to life as a family of 4! M seems to really love her baby brother and is so cute wanting to help all the time. Baby bro is a very sleepy little guy who I can barely wake to eat, but I keep trying...C was 7lbs 1oz at birth and at discharge was 6lbs 12oz. Such a peanut! We found out at the pedi he has a tongue tie which is probably why he won't latch/suck, so I'm hoping to have it clipped mon or tues. I've been pumping and bottle feeding in the meantime. I hope he picks up on nursing after we get it clipped!
Hope all you other new October mamas are doing well!
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Can't wait to be on this thread!
@NovBaby1112: L had a tongue tie as well--is it a posterior or anterior? Regardless, I would have them check him for a lip tie and have that clipped as well! They can also affect nursing.
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@hilsy85: hmm they didn't say which it was...I assume the ENT will know though...good thing to have them check the lip too...I hope it fixes his latch/sucking issues! Pretty soon your sweet girl will be here!!
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@NovBaby1112: yay! Good idea
We are home! Big bro did way better with the baby when he was home, and I think he was really happy I was back too.
Little man is good! Nursing well so far, waiting for milk to come in, I know it's going to hurt! We go to the pediatrician on Monday! I think I need to call actually......
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Oh, and I've already googled about 6 newborn-related questions, ha. I feel like a newbie!
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@hellobeeboston: yay glad you guys are home and J has warmed up to him!! OMG me too...I feel lost almost bc so far he has been the opposite of M and I'm not sure what's normal!
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@NovBaby1112: R had a tongue tie that we got clipped right away and i'm so glad we did it! hope that's the answer for you guys.
@hellobeeboston: i think i'm going to be the same way. i need to brush up on my newborn care, because at this point, i'm just remembering how R was instead of remembering that each kid is different! -
@hellobeeboston: @NovBaby1112: great idea for this thread! It feels sooo nice to be home and sleeping in our own bed. Dd mostly ignores J but once in a while she will come over and give her a kiss. At least she isn't as jealous as she was when my sister's baby was born - I think my niece was good practice for her!
We had some BFing issues which was to be expected since it was a long, emotional battle with C. This time I have the benefit of knowing what to expect and what would work, so I'm now happily EPing and using formula. No guilt like the last time which is very refreshing! Overall I feel so much better, less hormonal, and my recovery has been 10x easier. Here's hoping it keeps up!
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Ok. Nursing question. Little man just ate for what felt like the entire night. Starting at 10:20 here's how I tracked the night:
10:20 right (10 min)
10:45 left. Big poo & pee
11:15 right 20 min
12:10 left : burp : 12:20 left
12:35 right
1:30 left. Major poops during this
1:45 right
2:40 left sleep on chest till:
3:45 right (tried move to RnP) slept on me
5;30 leftUgh. The longest stretch was the last because I let him sleep on me. But the second he is waking his mouth is open and he is rooting or looking for food.
Oh and of course he slept 3 hour stretches all day, so that needs to change.but we've had people over the last 2 days so no rest.Thoughts? Commiseration? Help?
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@Charm54: sounds like things are going great! I am EPing as well right now and am finding it so difficult...I have no clue what I'm doing! Right now I'm pumping every 2-3 hours during day and about every 3-4 at night, and getting around 3-4 ounces total during each session, does that seem ok? I don't know how much newborns are supposed to eat
@hellobeeboston: ugh I feel you. Our C sleeps all day long until about midnight and then wants a bottle every hour until 5am...I think he has his nights and days mixed up. M never had that issue so I don't know what to do...going to try and wake him more during day and get lots of natural light? It's totally normal for newborns to cluster feed like that though...I just wish it were during the day!
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@NovBaby1112: thanks! Yeah I knew once the milk came in it would change, of course once daylight hit he started sleeping more! Little vampire! Ha. J is at school today! Yay!!!! Lol. Friends and family brought a million new toys over, I need to organize and put some away, it's been overwhelming I think. Big bro is super into brother, wants to know where he is constantly, which is both nice and tough to monitor.
Bring little man to doc at 11, hopefully he's doing OK weight-wise, circ, etc!
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@hellobeeboston: I'm a late Sept mama (DS #2 born 9/18) but wanted to commiserate with you! My little guy definitely did that the first few nights home - the only thing that saved me was co-sleeping here and there to get some rest. Gradually it just got better. After the first few horrific nights, it was followed by many nights of waking every 1-1.5 hrs... Finally the last 3 nights (he's 2 weeks old now) he's been giving me a few 2-4 hr stretches, which seems more typical for a newborn. I honestly think it's a combination of wanting to eat and just really wanting to be held and close to mama. Just like all things, it will get better! I have been trying to keep him awake a little more in the daytime (hard bc he's been so sleepy) and making sure he gets nice full feeds during the day time as well (less snacking), and that with time seems to have helped. Good luck!
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@hellobeeboston: good luck at the dr! Yea thank god for school lol....M is the same way, really into him and allll over him wanting to hold him kiss him touch every body part every 5 minutes lol. I think we've said gentle hands 500 times now ha
C just had his tongue and lip tie clipped, really hoping it helps and we can start nursing now. I'm so angry that not one of the nurses at the hospital thought to look at his tongue when we were having issues- the ENT said it was such a classic lip and tongue tie. I'm mad at myself for not even thinking that could be a possibility, but I just wasn't thinking straight. I just hope he is able to relearn how to nurse.
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@NovBaby1112: that's amazing that you are able to pump so much! I'm only getting 1-2 oz per session but I can feel my milk coming in so I'm hopeful it will ramp up soon. I try to get 8 sessions per day in but sometimes I only get 7. Dd is eating 2.5-3.5oz every 3-4 hours right now.
Hopefully the clipping does the trick and you are able to switch back to nursing! I'm one of those weirdos who actually likes pumping, lol... So I think I'm in it for the long haul
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@SproutBee: thank you!!! Yeah, going to try some different things today/tonight!
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@Charm54: my milk came in 2 nights ago and I def saw an increase in milk so I'm sure you will too! Yea, it's not that I hate pumping, and I actually really love DH being able to take over some night feeds, but I just find nursing to be easier logistically wise! Right now I feel tied to the pump but I'm sure as time goes on it gets better! We'll see if the clipping helps...
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@hellobeeboston: that sounds pretty normal, especially for a baby who has his nights and days confused. My LO is 3 weeks old and is still doing something similar....I never get longer than 90 minutes at a time out of her during the night. But of course during the day, she will take a 3 hour nap!
I brought it up to my ped and asked if I should be trying to get longer stretches at night, and he said he thinks I'm doing the right thing. He said he firmly believe babies shouldn't be fed according to the clock, but according to their own cues. So that made me feel a lot better!
I didn't think nursing #3 would be the most difficult, but it was! We are out of the dark now, thank goodness, but those first two weeks were rough. I was sooooo engorged and just couldn't get any relief! I was trying to just pump enough to relieve a tiny bit of pressure, because i didn't want my body to think it should keep making that much milk. But at least the silver lining is that I already have 90 oz in the freezer! Things are going smother now, just waiting on her to start sleeping a bit longer at night.
She was 7. 03 at birth, and currently weighs around 8.13 and she will be 3 weeks tomorrow!
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@NovBaby1112: that's great they fixed his lip/tongue tie so fast! Can you start to try nursing right away? Hopefully he can re learn if that's what you want. Btw, you are pumping an amazing amount! Wow!
@Rainbow Sprinkles: yeah, it does seem typical. I don't remember this with my first somehow. Haha, I blocked it. C is pretty much back to his birth weight (9lbs 6oz) today, 4 days old, so he probably doesn't need to eat quite so much. But clearly he likes to.... I'm going to try some different things tonight and maybe give a paci to see if that helps him sleep.
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The twins are a month old now. L is now heavier than her brother K. At birth she was 3lbs 11oz and she is now 5lbs 14oz. K was 4lbs 3oz at birth and he is now 5lbs 10oz. They both were gaining weight well until this week. L is definitely the champion eater and K sometimes doesn't eat as well. He also is a bit more vocal, active and fussier, so maybe he burns more calories. We were feeding them when they woke up (every 3-4 hrs) but since he only gained 2oz since last week, we have to keep to feeding him every 3 hours. Oh, we are supplementing with formula. We were on 24 calorie formula but last week the Ped said they were gaining enough to drop to 22 calorie formula or supplementation. FYI- breast milk is about 20 calories.
Otherwise, DH and I are doing well. Well, as well as we can be with twins. My brother was in town last week and then he left and my mom and sister were in town and then they left yesterday. They were all so great with helping us. I'm so happy they flew out to help us. MIL will be out on the 20th.
Oh, today the 7th is my birthday. Such a great birthday to have these two in my arms. So thankful. -
@bluestriped bee: good update! And Happy Birthday!! Sounds like you all are doing well!!
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@bluestriped bee: happy birthday! So glad the twins are doing well and gaining weight! My mom is also here now and I am loving having the extra help.
We had an LC come over yesterday bc C is still having trouble latching on and sucking, she was here 2 hours and we still couldn't get him to latch even though his tie was clipped. She thinks he needs a few chiro adjustments to his jaw and that working on tongue exercises will help. pretty bummed about how difficult the whole nursing thing has been so far, why can't it just be easy?! So I'm pretty much just going to continue EPing, getting more used to it now and I do love that other people can feed him.
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@NovBaby1112: oh yay that your mom is there!! Is she staying for a week?? Totally a huge benefit to EPing that others can help!!! And if you guys are in that groove and it's working for you both then yay!
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OK, these nights are awful--I've got to come up with a better routine!
Right now, DD will sleep in her RNP no problem during the day, but refuses to sleep in it at night. She lasts maybe 10 or 15 minutes before waking up and wailing. Of course, she will sleep fine on one of our chests (but not if we are laying flat back, just if we are reclined). DH and I have been taking turns laying out on the couch with her, then switching back and forth taking turns sleeping in the bed (and therefore each only sleeping in 90 minute to 2 hour increments, if that). Then, by the time the older girls wake up at 7, DD3 is ready for a long stretch (of course, once the sun comes up), and I am so tired by then I could barf.
I miss my bed, and I miss sleeping next to DH! I am dying for just a 3 hour stretch of sleep!
What's your night routine? Where is everyone sleeping?
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Hi everyone, just catching up on this thread... We are at a few days old, lo is not super fussy but also has his days and nights confused and likes to be held all night long which I hope he outgrows when he figures out days and nights. He'll go in the swing in the day for awhile or even just lay on the floor or wherever. I'm pumping and giving formula, and caring a lot less about whether I bf than I thought I would. He actually is a better nurser than dd was but I find the bottles make the transition a little more seamless and give me just a little time to spend with dd. I am way more sore from the delivery than I remember being with dd and I expected that part to be easier! And maybe it's the hormones but I have to admit I'm kind of struggling with not having time for dd even though dh is off and his mom has helped with her, it sucks that I'm so sore I can't even pick her up, yet anyway. On the other hand having a newborn in and of itself, despite getting very little sleep, is easier than I remember it being last time.
@NovBaby1112: sorry about the tongue tie. Sounds like you're doing everything you can, hope it improves!
@bluestriped bee: yay for the weight gain!
@hellobeeboston: we're right there with ya.. I'm so sleepy! I just keep thinking if I could recover from labor..
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So exciting how many of these October babies are here! We are also late September (but our due date was October). We are struggling with breastfeeding and I am pumping more than I am feeding at this point. A had his tongue clipped in the hospital (they said he had a small lip tie but nothing worth clipping). He latches (although it is still somewhat painful) but must not be a very effective eater because after he nurses he takes 1-2 ounces out of a bottle. It is so frustrating. I don't mind to pump but I wish I could just nurse at night time (and not hook myself up to a pump). I am going to try and get with a LC that can come to the house. I had a c-section and still can't drive.
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@bluestriped bee: great update! They are gaining so well. Happy birthday to you!! Hope you can enjoy a bit of time to yourself.
@NovBaby1112: I'm sorry the clipping didn't fix things quickly
I'm also EPing (pumping now as we speak! ) ... If you ever want to chat about it let me know!@Rainbow Sprinkles: that's what I'm finding the hardest right now...when DD1 wakes up and is ready for the day. I just want go back to sleep at that point!!
@2littlepumpkins: J is also a much better nurser than her big sister was and the LC thinks we could make it work, but I too like the flexibility of bottles so am sticking with EPing and supplementing. Luckily my hospital was much more supportive this time - it was a bit of a shit show with DD1 so I was nervous about letting them know my choice this time around, but they were great. I'm sorry you're still sore
I'm having a hard time adjusting to splitting my time between two...i was off all summer so C and so spent all day every day together. I feel guilty and sad and it's only going to get worse once Dh is back at work 
@mrsjenbug: hopefully you are able to meet with the LC and get things sorted out...those first few weeks are so difficult trying to establish feeding and sleeping norms!
We are doing pretty well over here, but we have lots of help and Dd1 is still going to daycare 3x a week. Talk to me in a couple of weeks when Dh is back at work and I've had both kids home alone for a few days, haha. But C is a relatively easy baby so far and has made the transition as smooth as possible. I'm pumping 7x a day, she is giving me 4hr stretches at night which is awesome at this point. I'm still not making a ton of milk, maybe 1/2-3/4 of her daily intake...going to start domperidone this week and hope that it ups my production. It's Thanksgiving weekend here so I'm looking forward to that, my ILs are coming up and they are so amazing with DD1, it will be nice to know she's getting special attention too.
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@hellobeeboston: staying until Monday! Total lifesaver right now
@Rainbow Sprinkles: you poor thing, that does sound rough, esp having to actually function the next day and watch your other 2! I hope sleep improves for you soon! My only saving grace right now is that DD is in daycare and preschool!
Our nightly routine so far goes something like: me putting DD to bed around 8 and getting a couple hours of sleep as well. DH stays up with DS and gives him bottle if he gets hungry, and then wakes me around 11:30 to pump and then feed DS again. After that feed, we put him in the bassinet and he sleeps until around 2:30-3, I pump again and feed him. Then I wake up around 6:30 to pump and feed him again.
I hate pumping at night!! During the day it's fine, but at night I am just so tired. I can't wait until I don't have to pump overnight anymore.DS is doing well, so far he's so calm and content compared to my daughter. I think he's sorting out his nights and days bc he's been awake more and more during day and sleeping more at night. I'm pumping about 8-10 times a day at this point. I'm terrified for when my mom leaves and DH starts working long hours again, no clue how I'm going to manage but I'm sure it'll all work out , hopefully!
@2littlepumpkins: I'm also feeling guilty about how DDs time with me has been cut short, but trying not to be too hard on myself too. I'm really trying to just focus on her for even 10-20 minutes her and there and remind myself it's quality not quantity
@mrsjenbug: sounds like we have a lot of the same issues! I hope the LC can help! I totally hear you on night time pumping- such a pita
@Charm54: sounds like everything is going pretty well! I hope you have a nice thanksgiving weekend
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@NovBaby1112: I'm hopeful! No one can come out until early next week so I am still trying to get him to latch and eat. I was reading that since he was "early term" that possibly that is contributing. I had some issues with my daughter but she was 34 weeks. We'll see! I just hate pumping at night, doesn't bother me a bit during the day! Hopefully this will be short lived for both of us!
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@Charm54: that's great that the hospital was supportive. we went to our first ped appointment today and I just flat out told the doctor I have no interest in bf/fully pumping l, I'm just not that invested in it. There is a tiiiiny bit of guilt but I dunno, it feels way different than last time in that regard.
@Charm54: @NovBaby1112: glad to know I'm not alone with this two kid thing. I keep telling myself it'll get easier as I heal and we get into a better groove with baby as he gets older. I'm glad we made an effort to do things this summer with dd (a trip, new classes and experiences, etc. ) She is being so sweet to her brother, I hope it lasts!
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I'm excited to get to join y'all here!
DD is pretty content most of the time. She's taken to nursing really well. She has had 4 poop diapers since birth, but no wet ones. I'm starting to get concerned about that and so is her nurse. I'm waiting on the pediatrician to come around today to see what she says about it.
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@Mrs. Pickle: hopefully she gets a clean bill of health and you are able to head home soon. How are you feeling and recovering?
It's Thanksgiving here today, we are heading up in the woods to my aunt's camp. It's an hour away from civilization in the middle of nowhere so it's a bit overwhelming trying to think of everything I need logistically for a 1 week old and a 2 year old while we are there. I'm excited for some outdoor time, good food and family though!
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@Mrs. Pickle: hope all is well with your LO!!
Question for you all- how often is your baby pooping? Mine poops probably 5-6 times a day but they are very tiny ones, not big ones like I remember with my DD.
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@NovBaby1112: Maybe 3-4x? But we've been combo feeding.
@Mrs. Pickle: Welcome to the other side!!
I saw your post about your lo's test, hope you're home soon! Does anyone know if you can stop bf'ing/pumping cold turkey in the first few weeks? I think we are going to ff. I also have a lump in my armpit and am just not sure if it's a clog so I'm afraid stopping might mean mastitis too. After six months recovering from an illness and nine months of pregnancy I just feel so depleted and I know a lot of people would love to pounce on me saying this but I just really want to work on getting my body to feel "normal" again. I'm at peace with ff'ing (did it with lo1) but I can't seem to figure out how to actually stop this... I was trying to pump with lo1 and dried up on my own.
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@NovBaby1112: mine poops pretty often, but they're also small. I remember blowouts with LO 1! Maybe those are still going to come. Haha.
@2littlepumpkins: I'm not sure if it's better to quit cold turkey or to wean slowly.... I would massage that lump though and try to work it out, hot water on it should help too and rub!
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@hellobeeboston: I have been but it doesn't seem to be changing at all... Starting to wonder if it's just a swollen lymph node or cyst. Sometimes it's actually hard to find except I know where to look, and generally it's not as painful as I would think a clogged duct is? I dunno.
I'm not even sure if there's anyone I can see to tell me? There's so much advice to increase bf, not so much the other way around.
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@2littlepumpkins: yeah maybe a lymph node then! Hopefully!! Could your doctors office help maybe? I would be scared to quit cold turkey same as you, so maybe try to space it out slowly over the next few days, like 4-5 hrs, then 6-7, etc?? Hopefully someone else can give some better advice.
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@hellobeeboston: I think I'll call the nurse line tomorrow, but it's Sunday so I'm on my own for now! I was only ever pumping every six hours, so I guess you could say I brought this on myself. I just thought if I never established a supply it wouldn't matter..and on the one side it really didn't. Ugh, why do I always need a doctor/medical advice on the weekends! Lol
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DD received a clean bill of health and we went home yesterday evening. She certainly has no trouble peeing now and is the master at open air accidents.
@2littlepumpkins: were you able to talk to a nurse?
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@Mrs. Pickle: oh good!!
I'm also EPing (pumping now as we speak! 
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