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August 2014 - Postpartum Chat!

  1. T.H.O.U.

    wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

    @Mrs.Someone: i'm sorry you're having those issues. I had the same thing happen with my daughter. Pumping for a few days on that side to get the nipple arrest helped. But the lactation consultant did say that baby drinking a little bit of "pink milk" won't hurt anything.

  2. Mrs.Someone

    pomelo / 5228 posts

    @T.H.O.U.: Thanks. After a day and night of pumping, I'm exhausted physically and emotionally I got some APNO yesterday and my nipples feel much better, so I may try and just feed him normally for the next feed and see how it goes.

    In general, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed today. Hoping this passes soon...

  3. chibee

    pear / 1974 posts

    @Mrs.Someone: i know how feeding can be so stressful and overwhelming, i used to sit up at 4am crying while nursing by myself - hang in there!

  4. kodybear

    pear / 1616 posts

    @Mrs.Someone: just wanted to say i know what you're going through in that with LO#1 i had latch issues from a tongue/lip tie and vasospasms. its like the worst pain ever, esp cuz it was winter and everytime i stepped out side the pain got 10x worse! so i didn't last very long the first time.. but hang in there, it seems like you are getting alot of good help and hopefully it will be better soon.

    i have 2.5 more weeks til i start work! its alot sadder this time than with LO#1 bc my daughter only went a couple days a week and stayed home with me the other days. this time daycare doesnt have a parttime spot open so i have to send him full time. he won't forget me right?? so sad! i am happy to go back to work though but at the same time sad that i won't get as much time in the infant stage with him as i did with my daughter.

  5. JennyPenny

    nectarine / 2460 posts

    I've been back at work several weeks now, but DS is just in his 2nd week at daycare. He's already gotten a cold Poor thing just seems so angry that he can't breathe very well.

    So far, the hardest part has been all the prep work needed and getting out the door punctually. Each bottle has 4 different labels on it that I have to do. I bought some stickers online that supposedly are dishwasher safe, so hopefully that'll cut down on the work some.

    I'm really lucky, though that DS is in daycare on site at work. So most days I go to nurse him and spend a little time with him right before lunch. The one day I haven't been able to do it was rough. I was really missing him by the time 5 o'clock rolled around...

  6. LBee

    pomegranate / 3895 posts

    @kodybear: I just posted a thread about this yesterday -- http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/irrational-fear ! He definitely won't forget you

    I am SO behind on this thread. I'm back at work now ( ) so I should be able to "chat" more again. Silver linings, I suppose. Motherhood can sometimes be a little isolating - it's nice to have people who 100% understand.

  7. swurlygurl

    honeydew / 7091 posts

    @JennyPenny: Oh man, I hear on getting out the door in the mornings. It is exponentially worse with 2! I've started dreading the mornings because it's exhausting - it's a 2-hour process still

    @BakerBee: So much sadness for you! It's so hard to go back to work Are you working full days?

  8. LBee

    pomegranate / 3895 posts

    @swurlygurl: I work from home in the afternoons on Wednesday and Friday (starting next week). I may have already cried at my desk ... twice. My mom is watching him and she sent me a picture of him smiling and I just got so incredibly sad I was missing it (even though he smiles all the time). I'm sort of a hot mess right now between pumping at work stress and leaving him. Luckily my boss isn't in the office today so I can take things slow. I can't believe I'm only technically 30 minutes into the day (I come in an hour early, but still work a typical 8 hour day).

  9. T.H.O.U.

    wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

    @BakerBee: Hope the rest of the day goes quick!!!

  10. pui

    bananas / 9899 posts

    Sorry I haven't been posting! I'm going to try and be more involved in this thread from now on.

    I'm currently suffering through my first cold while taking care of an infant. It sucks lol. I feel absolutely miserable and I do not know how I am going to get better when I can never sleep/rest.

  11. swurlygurl

    honeydew / 7091 posts

    I am such a mess at work today, it's almost laughable.
    First, I was like ten minutes late to pump - I'm sitting at my desk and feel some drops on my arm... What the?! I look down and each boob looks like a milk faucet! Continuous drips! Awesome, I'm wearing black, I'm sure this is going to dry nicely...
    Next, I go to the bathroom after I've been back at my desk for an hour - apparently I never got my shirt situated after pumping and my bra is totally showing
    And just now I'm pumping for the second time (been at work over 4 hours at this point), I scratch my collarbone and feel something crusty - apparently K spit up on me this morning! Sooo much dried spit up.

    Can I start the day over??

  12. swurlygurl

    honeydew / 7091 posts

    @pui: ugh, that sucks! It's so hard to recover with a baby I would tell you to get lots of rest, but I know how that goes!

    @BakerBee: that's awesome that your boss isn't around today! Much easier to transition without a boss looking over your shoulder. I'm jealous of your Wed and Fri afternoons at home!! Do you expect to actually get much work done? I'd just want to cuddle my baby... Haha

  13. JennyPenny

    nectarine / 2460 posts

    Are you all as in awe of how fast these little ones are growing and changing as I am? DS smiles and coos all the time now. He's rolled over on his own a handful of times. He's showing real interest in some of his toys and especially on getting things into his mouth! It just blows my mind that all this has happened in two short months...

  14. LBee

    pomegranate / 3895 posts

    @JennyPenny: It shocks me every day how much they are learning! It's crazy!

    @swurlygurl: I have to admit, your day made me laugh a little. I was just looking at my nursing tank and noticed when the light hit it that it was covered in dried milk. Yum. Guess I'm leaking during feeds and not noticing. Post partum is almost as glamorous as pregnancy! I'm going to have a sitter when I work from home - I figure I'll get NOTHING done if it's just the two of us. I'm too much of a snuggle hog.

    Should I be concerned that my mom just texted me to "not feel like I'm missing something" as the baby has pretty much been asleep all but one hour since my husband dropped him off at 7:15 AM. I'm guessing rave at our house around 3 AM.

  15. xInfinity

    cherry / 240 posts

    @pui: I gotta start posting again too, I've been reading though. K and I both got a cold when she was 4 weeks. Not fun! I hate that people prioritize seeing a new baby over the health of that same baby. We had 3 different people come see her while they were sick, without warning/asking me beforehand.

  16. Mrs. Milk

    blogger / apricot / 310 posts

    oh man guys i needed to read this today and your irrational fear post, @bakerbee. yesterday was my first day back at work, and i work again tomorrow, next tuesday, thursday and then full time on the 20th. and i am dreading it. it wasn't horrible in the morning, but by 2 PM i was DONE. i even left work early at 3:30 and barely held it together to make it home to the little guy. he was fine, his great-grandmother is watching him part-time, but it is still HARD. i am not ok with this. he is just a little 8 week thing!

    in other news, i am STILL bleeding postpartum, and took a course of antibiotics and methergine (uterus contracting drug) and it seemed to stop but came back two days after it stopped. bright red again, and now i have to find a way to schedule an ultrasound in between returning to work and trying not to cry. ugh.

    pity party, table of one.

  17. LBee

    pomegranate / 3895 posts

    @yellowskates: Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! Going back to work just sucks - I know it gets better (or that's what I'm telling myself ), but those first few days are ROUGH. Do what you can and don't beat yourself up. I flat out harassed my mom all day (i.e. texts like "it's 9 AM, he should have a bottle in his mouth") and made her send me pictures pretty much every 2 hours. We are leaving our babies - who we have been with 24/7 for 8 weeks of life + 9 months of gestation... that's almost a full year of constant time together. 8 hours suddenly feels like 8 years. I told my husband that I went back to work and it felt like everything was the same (I work in a small office so not a lot of "how's baby" questions, etc) except I wasn't even remotely the same person anymore.

  18. msmug

    apricot / 403 posts

    How are your LOs sleeping at night these days? My boys are 7 weeks (5 weeks adjusted) and we're doing 4-5 hour stretches between feeds but are back at 2-3 hours at night and fussing and crying! Is this the 6 week growth spurt? It's driving me freaking insane right now. I left them crying earlier today and went to the bathroom with the fan on while I gathered my sanity.

  19. regberadaisy

    GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts

    Hey ladies,
    I've been trying to read along but it's hard on my phone. Forget replying to every!!!

    I'm living one day at a time! Some days are halfway decent and others are hell and make me want to jump out of a building. I'm looking at my toddler and knowing the fun that lies ahead helps get me through the non stop screaming some days.

    Just remember "this too shall pass"!!!

    Sleep and feeding dust to all!

  20. chibee

    pear / 1974 posts

    @msmug: scared to actually type this out but after sleeping 2-3 hours max during the night, LO actually gave me a 4.5 hour stretch and a 4 hour stretch the past two nights, that isn't a lot but it felt like magic. The 6 week growth spurt is real - he literally slept 4.5 hours the night he turned 7 weeks old - after going through HELL week when he would be up every hour through the night screaming. He is still fussy during the day and still wanting to feed every 2.5 to 3 hours though ugh! I'm sure this has to do with his habit of "snacking" while nursing, which brings me to...

    I think (for the 3rd time since he's been born) I've made the decision to start weaning. Nursing has actually been going well, but I don't want to pump at work and I'd rather get this part over with, but I'm really not sure how to wean because it is so painful (both physically and emotionally) - I have an Ameda hand pump that the hospital sent me home with so today I've been just expressing just for relief when I feel engorged. The last nursing session was this afternoon when he screamed through it for some reason so it actually wasn't that emotional. I have made this decision before and gave in to his cries so i'm not sure how this will go but wish me luck. I made it longer than i originally thought i would.

  21. Mrs.Someone

    pomelo / 5228 posts

    Some weirdness this week... My mom has been over here a lot since the baby was born, she doesn't have much else going on. A week ago she started getting sick. Several times over the week she has confirmed that I don't want her here while sick. I know she is itching to see DS, but his health is more important. I made the mistake of mentioning allergies, so she convinced herself that that was what she had. She even called her doctor to see if they could figure that out so she could be cleared to see baby. Then suggested wearing a mask, not kissing, etc. Its a bit frustrating that she would even try...

    And in other news... At what age will I stop dreading every day?

  22. swurlygurl

    honeydew / 7091 posts

    @regberadaisy: I know it's hard to respond on your phone - I give you a not-responding pass

    @Mrs.Someone: You should tell her that if your baby gets a fever they have to do a SPINAL TAP because that's the only way to diagnose the little ones (I forget for how long... 3 months?). So, yeah, no risking it Grandma!!
    You will eventually get used to your new routine - it could be another month or two though. I still dread every single morning because it is so much crying and rushing around for 2 hours. I go to bed every night bracing myself for the morning ahead. I really hope I get used to it soon, because it's exhausting just dreading it!

    @chibee: Yayy!! I hope your 4 hours stretches continue! The extra sleeping hours make you feel soooo much better. Also, if you do successfully wean, maybe you'll find he sleeps better at night? I've had 2 great sleepers (please no one kill me!), and I really think it's because I've power-fed them at nights. Light bottles during the day, and then a lot of eating in the evenings - keeps them fuller longer while they sleep? I don't know that you can control that so much when breastfeeding, or at least it takes longer to establish that kind of supply.

    Other EPers or FFers, how many oz are your babies eating? K is around 24 oz per day. L was 50/50 until 5 months and did more like 30 oz, then when she switched to 100% FF she was up to 40 oz, sometimes 45+! Wondering if babies need less BM than formula, because that's what it seems like...

    @regberadaisy: Do you find that you enjoy these newborn days less than with your first? I loved every stage with L (because it was all I knew at the time?), but now with K I know how much more fun it gets, and am really not enjoying her very much. I am anxiously waiting for once she can start sitting - that's when things start to really get interesting IMO

    @msmug: K turned 6 weeks yesterday - I hope she doesn't go through the 6 week growth spurt! She's down to one wake up in the middle of the night, and I can manage that... I can't handle more!!

  23. JennyPenny

    nectarine / 2460 posts

    @swurlygurl: I'm not an EPer but I do pump for work. LO takes 4oz bottles in place of a nursing session. And he he eats 7-8 times a day. I do think babies need less BM than formula and 24oz seems just fine.

    Here's an amusing moment for your Friday: This morning I was changing DS's diaper when he flashed me a giant smile. I took a moment to bask in the glow and noticed his face was wet. I looked at him a bit wondering "Why is your face wet? You haven't been crying? Why is it getting wetter!?" Oh, you know, just my son peeing on his own face cause mommy didn't change the diaper fast enough

  24. msmug

    apricot / 403 posts

    @swurlygurl: I'd like to hear more about this powerpumping that you do!
    I"ve been trying to make sure my boys eat a lot for their last 2 feeds but they are always so uninterested (whether it's because the are falling asleep/passing out, or are full?)
    That may be why they are waking up every 2-3 hours. I long for the days when we can consistently get 4-6 hours. That sounds so amazing right now.

  25. regberadaisy

    GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts

    @swurlygurl: haha sort of. I'm kinda just waiting for the fun to start! But on the nights where she hasn't been screaming at me for 2 hours straight I do stare at her and have the same wonder and awe. In those moments I can imagine having a 3rd!
    M was extremely fussy. More so than A so the newborn days weren't really enjoyable! But I do understand what you mean.

  26. kodybear

    pear / 1616 posts

    @Mrs.Someone: OMG my mil did this to my first and i'm still pissed at her for it!! she claimed she wouldn't get the baby sick (she had a cough) and everyone (bil, fil, etc) kept telling her not to hold the baby but she somehow snuck in and held her for alittle bit. yeah, next day my daughter got sick. so annoying!! ugh. but she annoys me in general so thats probably why i'm so mad about it.

    @JennyPenny: i can't count the # of times i've been peed on (even pooped on once!!! ugh) the joys of having a boy!!

    @chibee: i agree with @swurlygurl: i ep and i did with my first as well and they both started sleeping thru the night at 8 weeks. i think its just easier to make sure they are full during the day and get a big feeding right before bed when you're using bottles. i know this can happen with babies that nurse as well but for me, bottles helped! i feed him 5oz every 3.5 hours and then a 7oz bottle right before bed, so total of 5 feedings so 27oz. i think my daughter topped out at like 30oz? she was about maybe 60%bm/40%formula on average. i seriously want to quit pumping tho.. i got pregnant with dd, then pumped for a year, a month after quitting pumping i got pregnant with ds, and so it's been like 2.5 years of being pregnant or pumping. i just want to drink full caff coffee/alcohol without having to think about it and not have to think about my pumping schedule all the time! i'm trying to make it to 6 months but i think about quitting every day!

  27. Mrs.Someone

    pomelo / 5228 posts

    @swurlygurl: Around here, its only an automatic spinal tap for the first 30 days. What gets me is that she KNOWS she shouldn't be around baby, but she keeps asking to make sure I agree, just in case I say its OK.

  28. Mrs. M

    kiwi / 645 posts

    My toddler just got sick for the first time yesterday (cold and fever) and was up ALL night. She flipped out when I tried nursing DS so thankfully I had a couple of pumped bottles available for DH to give him. Hearing about the spinal tap scares me. Besides keeping her away from baby as much as possible is there anything else I should be doing to protect DS? He is 8 weeks old. I officially reached the point around 4 am this morning where I decided we may have been CRAZY for having two under two....sleep deprivation sucks! That being said, I wouldn't trade it for the world either...oh the lovely highs and lows after having a baby!

  29. xInfinity

    cherry / 240 posts

    Is anybody else doing Halloween costumes this year? I love Halloween and was super excited to dress K up but the only costumes small enough so she wouldn't be swimming in it are those bunting bag style ones or patterned sleepers. Neither of those options were what I wanted so I decided to make her a costume. So excited!

  30. T.H.O.U.

    wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

    @xInfinity: what are you making? We just went for a sleeper style outfit.

  31. regberadaisy

    GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts

    @xInfinity: cute! DD 2 is the very hungry caterpillar and DD 1 will be the beautiful butterfly!

  32. xInfinity

    cherry / 240 posts

    @T.H.O.U.: She's being a My Little Pony unicorn. I already had a white hooded fleece sleeper and I am cutting up strips of pink flannel material to make a mane and tail. Then I just have to make the horn and the little picture for the butt. Super simple but super cute so far. I'll share pics when it's done!

  33. xInfinity

    cherry / 240 posts

    @regberadaisy: I wanna see pics after Halloween!

  34. T.H.O.U.

    wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

    @xInfinity: that sounds cute!

  35. LBee

    pomegranate / 3895 posts

    @xInfinity: He's being a Carter's puppy! The costume still swallows him, but he looks adorable anyways.

  36. kodybear

    pear / 1616 posts

    @xInfinity: my daughter is gonna be anna and so i think i'm making ds olaf! i think i might either just find a hat with olaf on it or a onesie with olaf. still looking!

  37. swurlygurl

    honeydew / 7091 posts

    L wants to be Minnie Mouse, so I'm going to make K Mickey Mouse - black onesie with some red tulle and yellow circles, easy peasy!

  38. JennyPenny

    nectarine / 2460 posts

    We were gifted a monkey costume for DS, so we'll probably use that. I want DH to go as a giant banana but he's not convinced
    http://amzn.com/B003CU4DM6

  39. Mrs. M

    kiwi / 645 posts

    @swurlygurl: Same as us! DD is going to be Minnie and DS is going to be Mickey.

    @xInfinity: It was definitely hard to find a costume small enough for DS (and he is a chunker)!

  40. Mrs.Someone

    pomelo / 5228 posts

    I just ordered a gnome costume on Etsy, only to get a response in the receipt that it is past the cutoff for Halloween! Hopefully she has some wiggle room... The listing was misleading since it was still listed as a Halloween costume.

    DS is getting his 2mo shots on Wednesday and I'm scared... Has anyone else gone through it yet? What was the reaction?

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