Thought we needed a place for all the mommas who've had our little New Years' babes and are ready to chat and share.
How is life with baby? How are you doing?
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@travellingbee: Thanks for starting this! I was trying to catch up on the due date thread but just couldn't gather my thoughts together. It moved so fast! Baby girl is such a sweet, sleepy newborn but our nursing moments are awful. I had and still have low supply issues so I chose to supplement with formula right away. It appears now that she prefers the bottle so I have to start pumping now.
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@Kimberlybee: Bummer about nursing! We have had a little bit of a rocky road with BFing so far. His latch has been rough and I am pretty sore. I've had a couple of blisters and bleeding nipples so far, and I hoped that it would be easier in the beginning this time. I nursed my son for 13 months but had a terrible start last time. I had high hopes that this time it would come naturally. It isn't nearly as bad as last time, but still, not easy at all.
Overall, I think recovery has been a little easier so far. And he is a good sleepy little guy. He wakes every two hours to eat, but otherwise sleeps all the time! Almost no awake time except for eating. I don't remember DS1 sleeping this much!
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@travellingbee: Yes, thanks for starting!
Our day started out really well but we found out that her bilirubin levels had doubled at her pediatrician appointment. She was super sleepy all afternoon so I've been trying hard to wake her to drink every two hours. I'm also replacing half of her feeds with formula to try to flush out the bilirubin faster. She gets retested at 2pm tomorrow and I really want to avoid the hospital!
@Kimberlybee: Sorry you are having a hard time with the nursing. We had a rough beginning with my first also, and needed a few visits with a LC and about three weeks before we finally were in a good place with it. I supplemented with formula and pumped a bit in the meantime. It was stressful and painful! I hope you're able to get your supply to increase with pumping.
@travellingbee: I don't remember newborns being this sleepy either! Maybe we both have very mellow second children (please?)?
Still recovering from L&D. I had a significant hematoma form after delivery, which is the main thing causing me pain. I think I overdid my first day home and may need to force myself to be on a day or two of bed rest. I see the ob for a followup on Friday and I'm really hoping that it will be feeling better by then.
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@QueensBee: Seriously. We deserve a chill kid with these high energy willful big boys, right? I need a sleeper.
Sorry to hear about the jaundice. Hope it is significantly lower tomorrow!
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@travellingbee: yes, thanks for starting!
@Kimberlybee: nursing issues are so tough! How's it going now? Does your hospital or some place offer a nursing support group?
@QueensBee: our first son had jaundice, but we were able to get him a bed for our house instead of the hospital. It look longer to clear up (and we had more heel prick appointments), but it wasn't too bad in the end.How's everyone feeling? My girl was born yesterday & the uterine cramps are KILLING me. Some are worse than labor contractions!
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@JoyfulKiwi: congrats!!! The after pain cramps were HORRIBLE this time. I was writhing in pain. Oh so glad that is done. They lasted until the day we went home.
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@JoyfulKiwi: congratulations!
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@JoyfulKiwi: Congrats again!
@travellingbee: @JoyfulKiwi: Uterine cramps worse than labor? Yikes, I didn't know those existed. I guess that's one side effect I'm lucky I didn't get. I hope they subside quickly!
We're continuing to work on her bilirubin level. It's still going up but the pace has slowed, so she gets daily heel pricks at the ped. We're waiting to get today's results from the lab to find out if we have to go into tomorrow or if we're in the clear.
G has been super sleepy. I wake her every 2-4 hours to feed but she pretty much falls back asleep right away. She hit her 7 pound birthweight today so we were all excited about that. I see my ob tomorrow for a followup to see how my hematoma is healing. It's still quite painful and definitely slows me down a ton, but I hope it's moving in the right direction.
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@QueensBee: Liam's been so so sleepy too! He is back up to birthweight too! 8lbs 11oz as of this morning. He's been cluster feeding so I figured he might be having a growth spurt.
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@QueensBee: I hope that bili level is good today!
L had high bili levels when we left the hospital so we had to have a follow up appointment 2 days after we were discharged to look at them again. At that appointment, they sent us to the local children's hospital to be admitted and start the lights. We fortunately did not have to stay overnight and they discharged us after about 8 hrs under the lights. His levels have been good since then. All of this compounded by the fact that he was basically getting nothing when nursing and we didn't realize it, so he wasn't getting the fluids needed to flush out the bili.
Nursing is not going so well - L's mouth is not big enough to latch on to my nipples and he has a small posterior tongue tie which has made nursing impossible. The LC thinks that the tongue tie won't be an issue because of the (apparently gigantic) size of my nipples, but that his mouth is just not big enough to accept them yet (even with a shield) and that he should be able to in a month or so. Hopefully we won't have ruined it by bottle feeding. Pumping for every feed is a PITA.
In other news - our nanny unexpectedly quit.
We really, really liked her and it was just more upheaval for LO1. Luckily the learning center that we wanted to get her into had a spot, so she started school this week. PP hormones had me crying every time I thought or talked about it. I'm sure the school director and her teachers think I'm crazy. Now I need to find a new nanny for L.
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@mrs.shinerbock: that is messed up that your nanny just quit. Did she give a reason?
I had bad uterine cramps too right after my c section. But it got significantly better after 24 hrs luckily. I was wondering why I was feeling such pain despite getting my pain meds!
Laura is huge already at four weeks, and already fitting in her three month old clothes. To me she looks huge but everyone around me comments on how little she is! Haha she is relatively little, it's true.
Sigh, I forgot how badly babies get gas though. I remember my first LO got it too but ugh it looks like she is sooo uncomfortable!! Can't wait till their bodies get more mature in that regard.
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@mrs.shinerbock: I can't believe you nanny quit! That's awful!
We are still in the hospital, will likely be discharged tomorrow. Aurora has had an endless stream of medical exams. Her blood sugar hasn't been steady so we've been supplementing (my milk isn't in yet) and testing her sugar every two hours. So in 24 hours she's had her heels pricked about a dozen times. It's so heartbreaking.
Fortunately she's just passed her final test so we won't be hurting her anymore.
We call her meatball. She's absolutely enormous and quite popular with the nursing staff because of it.I'm so relieved we did the earlier c-section date. I can't imagine how big she would have been had we kept her until her due date.
My recovery is going well and I'm feeling better than I did last week.
@QueensBee: hope your hematoma is healing, that sounds uncomfortable!
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We passed the today's bilirubin test! Hooray! No more heel pricks and now I can finally let her go more than two hours between feeds!
@mrs.shinerbock: Wow, you have had a crazy week. I'm glad the jaundice went away with the light treatment. I hope your nursing plan works out and his mouth grows quickly. You are a champ for pumping each feed for two months! Ugh, the nanny situation must be so stressful. How could she quit a few days after you give birth?! That's terrible! Fingers crossed you find someone great soon!
@oliviaoblivia: Awe, I'm glad the heel pricks are over. I dreaded getting them once a day, I can't imagine every two hours! And yes, imagine her size if she stayed until her due date!
Happy to hear recovery is going very well!
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@oliviaoblivia: @QueensBee: hooray for no more heel pricks. Poor babies - it always made so sad to see him cry when it was done.
@gracecat: she had a family situation that made it unsafe for her and her kids. Unfortunately she did not have any family close that she could stay with - her mom and sister live 3 hrs away and she is moving in with them. It sucks, but I guess better now than the week I go back to work.
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@oliviaoblivia: liam had to have the heel pricks every two hours in the hospital too. It was so sad. He dropped twice below the level so they went on longer than they would have otherwise.
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@gracecat: Oh the gas!! I have a bit of an oversupply and forceful let down this time and it is causing him to gulp and splutter and have tons of gas.
@mrs.shinerbock: I'm so sorry to hear of your BFing problems. pumping is a PITA.
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@mrs.shinerbock: oh my, what a whirlwind you've had! The nanny situation is such a bummer, but the nursing issues must be really discouraging. Keep up the hard work - you're doing great!
@gracecat: our girl is already a spitter-upper. I remember that from our first now, but the constant burping is nuts.
@oliviaoblivia: I hope you get to head home. An extended hospital stay is tough - it makes me go stir-crazy!
Little girl is also getting those blasted heel pricks. She's due for another in a few hours & hopefully her bilirubin levels are good so we can leave tomorrow. We all just want to get home
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@oliviaoblivia: how did you decide her name?
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We've had a lot of spitting up already and even some projectile puke, but he is gaining weight and the nurse thinks he is just over eating, based on my oversupply.
My chunky monkey is up to 9lbs already! -
So many babies with the heel pricks!
At our hospital, they actually used a little scanning device that scanned her chest and would report the bilirubin level electronically. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but after witnessing the heel pricks at the pediatrician's office and hearing about heel pricks every two hours from HB, I'm so glad they had that magical little machine!DH starts a new job on Tuesday, so we have a lot of change happening this month! My ILs are arriving on Sunday to spend the week with us and help keep the household running, so he can get sleep and be focused on these first few days at the new office.
@travellingbee: Wow, 9 pounds! That's great! He's going to be a big boy, like his older bro! I hope your supply regulates soon.
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@QueensBee: Its crazy how much he is gaining. Some days he gains like 4 ounces! L gained a lot quickly in the first few months too.
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Hi everyone, I'm happy to find this website. My newborn is only 10 days old and I have been crying quite often. The feeling of hopeless and don't know when it will end really scared me. Both me and my hubby haven't had much sleep. And sometimes the newborn jusdt cries for reasons that we don't know. How are you handling your newborn?
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@travellingbee: @QueensBee: @JoyfulKiwi: I think I am going to stick with pumping and supplement with formula. DD latches for a few minutes, then screams, latches then screams, I think it's not producing fast enough for her. My left nipple has issues too, it became inverted towards the 3rd trimester and still looks that way. I really do need to see a lactation consultant. But DD loves her formula so I am not stressed about it. I know I should try harder but I plan on just going with the flow.
@QueensBee: Our hospital used the chest scanning device this time too. I thought it was so neat since DD1 born in 2013 at the same hospital, had to have lots of heal pricks since she was jaundice. It made my heart ache and feel uneasy watching it being done.
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@Kulala: Congratulations on your baby! I remember feeling that way a lot with my first. I cried over everything and really didn't enjoy having visitors because I was super emotional. I think it's the hormones taking over. I don't have much advice other than I would sleep when she slept. Even 30 minutes power naps helped restore on energy. Hope you get some rest soon!
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@Kulala: yes, I was very overwhelmed with my first and the lack of sleep killed me. It can make you feel like you're going crazy! See if you can help each other get some sleep here and there or ask family to help. Yes, sometimes they just cry. My first son did this a lot. This little one just wants to eat constantly. Line every hour sometimes. I feel like a milk factory!! If you feel unbearably sad/overwhelmed Id call your OB and tell them. It's likely PPD and very common with the hormone drop after birth. Very treatable!! Hope things get easier soon!
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@Kulala: Hugs!
First, congratulations on your baby and welcome to the January Moms thread! The first few weeks can definitely be overwhelming, especially with your first baby. Your body is recovering, your hormones are crazy, and you're exhausted all the time. Definitely try to prioritize sleep, if you can. Sleep when the baby sleeps and forget about chores for a while. Try to alternate care with your DH so you can each get some rest. Do you have any family nearby who can help watch the baby while you take a nap? And like @travellingbee: said, please call your OB if you're feeling overwhelmingly sad. PPD is very common! Getting the proper treatment for PPD from a doctor will make a world of difference.
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Question for this group- once your baby has regained birth weight, do you all wake to feed every 2-4 hours overnight? I've been setting my alarm to wake G so she eats every 4 hours overnight, and I'm wondering how long this is necessary? Sometimes she wakes up on her own around 3 hours, but other times I have to work hard to wake her up at 4 hours. I might call the pediatrician and ask, because we won't see her again until her one month appointment, but I wanted to ask here first!
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@QueensBee: both peds I've been to (LO1 and LO2) said once they hit birth weight, we didn't have to do that anymore and it was fine to skip a feeding overnight as long as they are still getting about 22-24 ounces per day.
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@QueensBee: I don't wake him overnight to eat anymore, but he never goes more than 4 hours anyway.
Ugh I now have a yeast infection and I think thrush on my nipples. They are so sore and burning after finally not having pain. I have to resist shouting out in pain when he latches. Ugh. I was worried about this because it happened last time too due to being on antibiotic drop in labor (GBS). I'm very sensitive to antibiotics.
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@Kulala: (((hugs!!!))). congratulations and welcome to the group. I felt very overwhelmed with my first, especially around week 2/3 when the baby started being awake more and crying more. It gets better, I promise. There is a growth spurt at 2 weeks that I swear was the worst thing ever because LO wanted to eat constantly, I wasn't confident in what I was doing and was so sleep deprived - but once we got through it and she wasn't cluster feeding things got better, bit by bit.
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Thañks everyone. I did manage to get some sleep last night and feel better today. Not an easy job to be a mother. Hopefully it will get better soon
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@Kulala: A little sleep makes such a big difference! Glad you're having a good day!
@mrs.shinerbock: @travellingbee: Thanks for the feedback! I didn't wake her last night and she ended up sleeping from 10:30pm-2:30am, 3:30am-8:30am which was pretty good. I'm going to track her eating today to make sure we still get in enough feeds.
@travellingbee: Oh no! I've always dreaded the idea of getting thrush. It sounds painful and so hard to get rid of! I hope it turns out to be something else. How are you feeling today? Do you see any white spots?
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@QueensBee: Damn. I'm jealous. Will I ever have a kid who sleeps??? He woke every two hours last night to eat and he also wouldn't let me put him down all night. But he is clearly having a growth spurt so I am hoping that is what it is. He weighed 9lbs 7.5 oz this morning. He is gaining so quickly!
My boobs are killing me since he is on them all the time. I can see some white on his gums but I can't tell if it's actually thrush. My nipples are all raw pink and burn terribly while he nurses. Which is what happened with Lukas when I had thrush. I've washed everything in hot water and started putting some monistat on my nipples which is apparently helpful. We'll see.
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@Kulala: welcome and congratulations! Motherhood is by far the hardest thing I've done and the adjustment can be so difficult, throw in a cranky baby and it can be downright miserable. Know that it does get better. If you need outside help get it quickly. Your sweet baby deserves a happy and healthy mom. It's important to take care of you and to be gentle with yourself.
@travellingbee: thrush is so awful. I had it with my first two. Ouch!
@QueensBee: I'm in the never wake for feeds unless my boobs are exploding. My girls were all big so weght gain wasn't terribly stressful.
Our heel pricks were for hypoglycemia not bilirubin. the worst was when she tested poorly and we had to do a bigger collection with a test tube. Her poor feet have so many booboos.A has been a really easy baby so far, very sleepy! But was cluster feeding every half hour from one to five last night. The night before she only woke up twice. And then my preschooler woke up with an awful cough as soon as we had the baby back to sleep. Bring coffee!!!
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@travellingbee: with thrush you can't scrape the white spots off. If it's just milk tongue the spots come off.
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Has anyone ventured out in public with their babes yet? We all went to the mall yesterday to meet my parents and sister's family. We were celebrating a birthday and took the kids to play in playground before lunch. I wore Lucas in my Moby and was really surprised how many people commented "Oh, there's a baby on her chest!" like they've never seen a baby worn before. I even had some grandmother types tsp-tsk that I shouldn't have that baby out. Um, it's winter and I have a 2 year old that needs to run and play - what else am I supposed to do with the baby?
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@Kulala: hello! I'm glad to see you're feeling better with some sleep. For real, being properly rested makes a huge difference in dealing with a newborn. With my first, I was a wreck in the beginning. I doubted everything, couldn't think rationally (I was so emotional), and definitely got the "baby blues". It usually subsides with time & you'll become more confident in yourself, but if you feel it getting worse talk to your doctor.
@QueensBee: I haven't been waking to feed for little girl, but I did for a bit with my son. Once baby is at birth weight, I think it'd be okay to let it ride and just keep an eye on dirty/wet diapers (and your own milk supply/comfort!)
@travellingbee: our first was an awful sleeper (he honestly just started sleeping through the night when he turned 3!) and little sister seems to be the same - up every 3 hours & insistent on being held all night. I hope you don't have thrush, or if you do that it gets resolved quickly.
@mrs.shinerbock: our son has a birthday party on Saturday, so our girl will be 11 days old when we go. I hadn't thought of it, but I should definitely wear her! She won't have any shots yet and the party will be absolutely full of people wanting to see/hold her!
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Does anyone else's baby sleep ALL DAY? Literally, she is alert for like 2 hours in the morning, then sleeps/eats/sleeps for the next 10 hours straight. I'm probably exaggerating a little, but I don't remember so much sleeping with my first!
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@JoyfulKiwi: Yes, mine sleeps all day too. In fact, I'm not sure if he's ever been awake for 2 consecutive hours... Ugh I hope he's not going to be as bad a sleeper as DS1. He still doesn't consistently sleep through the night at almost 3.
@mrs.shinerbock: Not out in public yet. I'm too paranoid about germs right now. But DH has been able to take DS out to several parties etc. And he is in daycare during the week. I am starting to go a little stir-crazy though.
@oliviaoblivia: It's hard to see in his mouth. He won't cooperate and open his mouth.
Sorry to hear about the jaundice. Hope it is significantly lower tomorrow!
We really, really liked her and it was just more upheaval for LO1. Luckily the learning center that we wanted to get her into had a spot, so she started school this week. PP hormones had me crying every time I thought or talked about it. I'm sure the school director and her teachers think I'm crazy. Now I need to find a new nanny for L.
Happy to hear recovery is going very well!
At our hospital, they actually used a little scanning device that scanned her chest and would report the bilirubin level electronically. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but after witnessing the heel pricks at the pediatrician's office and hearing about heel pricks every two hours from HB, I'm so glad they had that magical little machine!
First, congratulations on your baby and welcome to the January Moms thread! The first few weeks can definitely be overwhelming, especially with your first baby. Your body is recovering, your hormones are crazy, and you're exhausted all the time. Definitely try to prioritize sleep, if you can. Sleep when the baby sleeps and forget about chores for a while. Try to alternate care with your DH so you can each get some rest. Do you have any family nearby who can help watch the baby while you take a nap? And like @travellingbee: said, please call your OB if you're feeling overwhelmingly sad. PPD is very common! Getting the proper treatment for PPD from a doctor will make a world of difference.
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