Hellobee Boards

I agree about the pain meds. They delayed giving me meds and I was in lots of pain by the time they were given to me.

@TurtleDoves: I had excruciatingly bad tailbone pain, not broken, but bruised and I couldn't put any pressure on it. Sitting was terrible and I had a difficult time holding LO. They gave me Tylenol, and said that was all they had but I should have been a little more informed about what else was available.

I will hopefully leave the hospital with my baby. Having my LO in the NICU was the worst pain I ever felt.

@littlek: I'm with you on that. I cried and cried and cried that first night I left LO, like hysterically sobbing. That was the worst feeling ever.

I would've continued taking colace too like mrs. Bee said.

Also, I would be less hesitant to ask for help! I was so reluctant asking for help but thankfully my mom knows me and came over daily to help me out. It was rough!

@littlek: Having LO in the NICU for only 2 days and not being able to get to him easily with my C-section was painful enough for me. I can't imagine not being able to leave the hospital without him.

I would have tried to get him on more of a schedule sooner. I realized later that the schedule was what worked best for us. I also think I would have exclusively pumped earlier had I known how long it was going to take him to feed off of me.

I will also meet with an LC right away. I waited too long and it would've been a lot easier if I'd just swallowed my pride and asked for BF help right away.

I would have been better at freezer meals, and started excercising from the beginning. It is so hard to get into a gym routine.

Put the baby to the breast more often. I kept convincing myself she couldn't be hungry, but she was.

Healthier meals. I got so constipated and having that with hemmheroids was hell.

I would have put my foot down about delaying visitors staying with us until longer than 2 weeks pp (even though I had to fight for that as it was).

I would have pumped every day in the hospital to stimulate my milk to come in (it took five days), instead of just the last day.

@MamaMoose: I envy you. I wish my mama was still here and had been here for the birth of DS. DH's mother came for a few days but it just wasn't the same.

The freezer meals and snacks are high on the list of things to have ready when #2 arrives this winter.

Actually prepare freezer meals and have healthy snacks ready.

Take it easier that first week or two. I think I made my recovery last longer, by not taking it easier that first week.

- I would get my pump all ready to go sooner. (I ended up not using it as soon as I should have b/c I still had to sterilize it and figure out how to assemble and use the thing.)
- I would not put so much stress on myself about breastfeeding.
- I would spend more time just hanging out with my baby and getting to know her rather than worrying about work and other obligations.
- I would hire a postpartum doula.
- I would not let my parents visit me until the baby was at least 1-2 months old. (Their visit was not helpful and was incredibly stressful for me. They are wonderful loving people, but they did not know how to support me in the throes of new motherhood.)

@MamaMoose: we've said the same thing - i HATED not being able to get outside when it was below zero all the time.

I would go into the OB immediately when my pain worsened and not try to suck it up, and hopefully avoid emergency surgery. I would then go into the OB immediately.. again.. when my pain wasn't going away completely and hopefully avoid a third procedure.

I would make even more freezer meals, and maybe hire a cleaner for the first few months.

I'd lean on DH heavier and earlier instead of trying to be a martyr and making him force me to step back for my own good.

I'd soak up more of the snuggles and not stress about creating bad habits!

I would use my baby carrier more and just relax more. People kept making me think my newborn was spoilt because she wanted to be held. I will just enjoy that stage

My mom stayed with us for 5 weeks after LO was born and I would have shortened that time period. She's very controlling and didn't make my transition into motherhood easy...

Great thread!

-Have healthy snacks and easy breakfast foods on hand, both for me and the other kids. Freezer meals for dinner just weren't enough- Deere Boy ate a loooooot of cereal in those first few weeks after Tractor Girl was born.
-Have my placenta encapsulated and take it daily.
-Ask for more help and not feel bad about it.
-Also plan for a summer baby. Teehee, I was planning that for this pregnancy and then it happened about 6 months too soon. Oops. Now I'm due in November and a little skeered, which is why I'm already planning on encapsulating my placenta and finding some full-time help for the first few weeks.

-Definitely would have prepared more freezer meals (particularly ones I could just throw in the slow cooker) and stocked up on snacks. My diet the first few weeks was made up of a lot of pizza and Chinese.
-Handed him off to my mom more. She was here, but is the sort that really needs to be ASKED for help. She ended up keeping me company more than anything, which was nice, but I could have used my hands a lot more. I was just to proud to admit I needed help until after she left.
-Painkillers.