New Moms 6/4 updates, issues, questions, accomplishments

btm013

So last night I had a lovely hormonal breakdown. I literally acted like a baby! Haha. I started crying saying how I sucked at being pregnant (hyperemesis), how I failed at delivery (never got past 4cm and baby wouldn't descend into pelvis) and now I can't supply enough milk for my baby no matter how hard I try/pump. My milk is just not cooperating. I can't get more than 1oz per breast per pump and it's been a week since DS was born. So we are supplementing any differences which really isn't much. An ounce here and there. But as abruptly as the breakdown began, it ended as I fell sound asleep haha. My husband just let me sleep until the next feeding.

I realize that I am being irrational but whew hormones are a real bitch sometimes! I know I couldn't control any of the above scenarios. It was/is just my body. In the end I got the love of my life! My little boy.

My biggest hurdle is going to be dealing with my husband back at work. I let him sleep all night. We can't do that. He needs to feed baby at some point. Of course he offered (being the wonderful husband he is) but I refused the help saying it's important he get his rest. How is everyone else handling this? Does SO take first feeding? Early morning one? I don't think I got more than an hour of sleep last night.

Say prayers! We are meeting with the lactation consultant today for the second time this week. I'm also about to pump soon. I'm hoping I get more than an ounce!!

Thanks for listening!

henrytviii

Hang it there. Things get much much much better. I remember being a wreck for about 2 weeks with DS1 and it was hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It's there.

I do let DH sleep all night. Baby and I are in master bedroom, he is in guest room. If our toddler wakes up its all him but otherwise he gets to sleep. He doesn't do well with no sleep and I try to rest during nursing sessions. I do make him handle toddler bedtime so I am in bed nursing baby by 8pm. And I have him bringing me snacks etc during the few hours that I am nursing and cuddling but not sleeping. BUT I am not pumping. Pumping is really hard. You are up both pumping and feeding all night. That is so hard even with help from a SO so I'd say he needs to help as long as you have to pump. I thought babies are usually better than the pump at extracting milk, if you are only 1oz short I wonder if LC could help you get off the pump. At least at night. And you could supplement and pump more during the day? Make sure you are sleeping during the day when baby is sleeping. Let everything else around the house go, and settle in for some daytime naps. I am a total hypocrite for giving that advice but I know I should be doing that.

seesea

I wanted to comment on the last thread since I last signed on but I realized it's another day. I'm. So. Exhausted. I forgot what it was like to have a newborn...

So for the breastfeeding thing.
It's freaking hard. With DS1 I remember the emotional breakdowns. I did it all. The constant pumping, supplementing, plugged ducts, the pain, supply issues, mastitis and later an abscess that had to get surgically removed.

...and I still continued to breastfeed (even after I was told to stop because of the abscess). Through the challenges it's still been a rewarding experience. It took me at least a month to get the hang of things. Through my hospital, I went to a breastfeeding clinic to meet with an LC at least 6 times.

This time around, with my LO being a preemie, there's another set of challenges. He had to bottle feed before I got to nurse him. We still have latching issues but slowly over time it gets better. Fortunately I've learned from my past experiences.

@btm013 pumping an ounce from each breast is pretty damn good in my opinion. When I had to pump while LO was in the NICU I was lucky to get a 1/4 of an ounce total during the first week. So don't stress yourself out too much.

Which brings me to pumping...
Whatever you pump is not indicative of what your supply is like. Especially if you pump after a feeding. It's normal to get a total of 1/2 oz to 2 oz per session. A lot of useful info I got for pumping/ breastfeeding is from the La Leche League or kellymom.com. I swear by it! It's helped me a whole lot!

I know a couple people mentioned not getting much from one breast. I think it's totally normal. I used to get nothing (not a single drop) out of my left side but I continued to pump regularly anyway and milk eventually flowed out. Granted it's not much. Sometimes I'll only get 1/2oz or less from that side but it's also where I had my abscess.

I used to stress out so much over milk output. One day I decided to not give a damn and Lo and behold, I started producing more. Stress can totally affect supply.

I've also tried supplements to increase supply but honestly nothing works better than skin to skin, plenty of rest, eating healthy and staying hydrated. If anything oats and Brewers yeast worked better for me than fenugreek. So for all you beer drinkers a good stout can help!

Anyway I thought to share some of my experiences so I hope this helps some of you out. I know how difficult it is but try to hang in there and do what's best for you and your LO.

Oh as far as the SO thing...I don't have a problem waking him up in the middle of the night if I need extra help even if he has work the next morning.

aliciaspinnet

btm013 said:

So last night I had a lovely hormonal breakdown. I literally acted like a baby! Haha. I started crying saying how I sucked at being pregnant (hyperemesis), how I failed at delivery (never got past 4cm and baby wouldn't descend into pelvis) and now I can't supply enough milk for my baby no matter how hard I try/pump. My milk is just not cooperating. I can't get more than 1oz per breast per pump and it's been a week since DS was born. So we are supplementing any differences which really isn't much. An ounce here and there. But as abruptly as the breakdown began, it ended as I fell sound asleep haha. My husband just let me sleep until the next feeding.

I realize that I am being irrational but whew hormones are a real bitch sometimes! I know I couldn't control any of the above scenarios. It was/is just my body. In the end I got the love of my life! My little boy.

My biggest hurdle is going to be dealing with my husband back at work. I let him sleep all night. We can't do that. He needs to feed baby at some point. Of course he offered (being the wonderful husband he is) but I refused the help saying it's important he get his rest. How is everyone else handling this? Does SO take first feeding? Early morning one? I don't think I got more than an hour of sleep last night.

Say prayers! We are meeting with the lactation consultant today for the second time this week. I'm also about to pump soon. I'm hoping I get more than an ounce!!

Thanks for listening!

Your baby is fed, cared for and loved. That makes you a pretty awesome mother in my book! Look after yourself, if you're healthy and happy then that's best for your son.

karaelaine1991

Last night was rough. It was our first night at home and DD screamed basically the entire night. She was hungry, but couldn't latch, which made us both very frustrated. I was able to hand express some milk into her mouth so at least she got something and didn't go all night without eating, but it was definitely not ideal. At around 3 am I was going to try pumping but then when DH went to put the pump together we realized it needed to be sterilized... So that didn't happen. I feel terrible, I should've made sure that was ready to go. I'm going to ask my sister to take of it today while we're at the pediatrician so if this happens again I can pump and bottle feed. This is much earlier than I had hoped to introduce bottles, but better that than have LO go hungry.

We think the problem was a combination of her being gassy because I did not eat very well yesterday (again, Mom of the Year right here) and her not opening her mouth wide enough to latch properly. I had been concerned about this at the hospital but every nurse who checked it plus the LC said hers was perfect. Well, that supposedly perfect latch has disappeared overnight, I guess. Thankfully, we go to the pediatrician at 11 and we'll be able to hopefully find some solutions for this.

I have to say DH is a champ. He stayed up with me all night so I didn't have to do this alone and actually let me sleep on the few occasions when DD stopped screaming so I could build up my energy to feed her next time she woke up. I couldn't do this without him!

Best wishes and sympathies to my fellow first time moms, especially those of you facing more frustrating issues than I am as of right now!

btm013

@CillyMama thank you. Truly. That post was so helpful with the tips and encouragement. You are a rockstar for continuing to nurse even after the abscess! I had to start pumping bc DS was so low in his birth weight and they determined he was burning more calories trying to get my milk than retaining them. So the pediatrician and LC suggested I pump to give the nips a break. Honestly, I don't think I'm going to go back and instead pump exclusively. I'm so much happier. Much respect to those powering through! You are my heroes.

On a brighter note I got 2oz a breast this morning!!! Yay!! Hoping it continues.

rklinge0

@btm013 yay on the progress! And don't be concerned if you get more at one time than another. I exclusively pump every 4 hrs and get anywhere from 5-7 oz each time. She only eats 2-3 so I know she gets enough.
I am wondering if any new moms feel like their b.o. has gotten worse since giving birth? I know I have still been having night sweats but never smelled this bad during my last month of pregnancy.

laurendutch

@btm013 I remember with my twins it took a good week or two to establish a healthy supply. I think 1 oz is pretty good at this point. With my twins we had feedings at 10/1/4/7. My husband usually gets up at 5, so he took the 4 am feeding. It was amazing. After the 7 am feeding, we would go back to sleep until 10 am.

Sorry, I know I'm still pregnant but I wanted to shared experience with the nighttime feedings.

amabarne

I am so sorry about everything we are all going through but I'm glad I'm not alone. Y'all are the best support and it helps to hear everyone's stories!

So I did end up with mastitis. I had a 103 fever all evening and night. Got an antibiotic and am taking ibuprofen which has already kicked in. Using a warm compress for 15 min prior to feeding and then the gel soothie pads afterwards has been such a relief. My Dr. called in a medicated cream for me to use on my still cracked and bleeding nipples that I'm excited to go get. LO doesn't seem to have any idea any of this is happening so I'm grateful for that!

Must keep swimming. Must keep swimming!

henrytviii

I had mastitis several times with DS1. It's miserable, sorry you are going through that. Lying in bed resting helps a lot, as does nursing as much as possible. I'm sure that sounds miserable with sore nipples.

Anyone else have no appetite? Baby is 8 days old, nursing around the clock. I know I need to eat but I'm completely uninterested? Strange. Any ideas or suggestions why?

seesea

@btm013 sounds like things are getting better. Glad to help whenever I can. Kudos to you for wanting to pump exclusively. That can be such hard work! Just keep it up and don't get discouraged. Pumping output can vary throughout the day.

@amabarne I hope your mastitis goes away soon. The antibiotics help a ton. I totally understand the misery especially with a newborn.

@rklinge0 I've been sweaty and smelly too. I thought it was just me. I was starting to think my deodorant isn't working anymore. I'm thinking its hormonal?

@henryviii I haven't been eating much either. I'm definitely interested in food though. I just think that sometimes it's because I get so tired/ overwhelmed I forget to eat.

@karaelaine1991 I hope things went well with the pediatrician appt!

dancegurl1118

@amabarne so happy you're getting abx before things get really really out of hand. I got that nipple cream today and really hoping it helps.

mindaa

So, I have a quick pump question... shield size is all about width, right, not length?  I am having the worst time getting started because my breast is so hard and engorged and inverted nipple so... inverted, that I can't get it far enough in the flange to get started. The only possible fix I can find is a smaller size, but it doesn't even seem that will help.

dancegurl1118

So I know how many poops/pees per day is too little...but how many is too much? Literally this machine has pooped after every single feeding today and 5 times while at the hospital for 36 hours. All still meconium. And she is EBF. Can't find any Google info and definitely not an emergency to call the pedi ..just a question.

I only ask because I was on an antibiotic for potential UTI after the catheter from the epidural and a study showed it could cause diarrhea in newborns. Maybe I should just step away from doctor Google and let her poop and pee...

amabarne

@dancegurl1118
I think that's normal. LO needs a diaper change just about every time I feed and sometimes again during. It took almost a full week before his poopoo turned seedy yellow.

I just asked DH to sit in here with me while I nurse because I don't want to be alone. He said he wanted to watch tv and doesn't want to be in here if I make pain noises. WTF. I'm sorry half of the surface of my nipples are gone and it freaking hurts.

On the upside-I can wear my wedding rings again!

HoosOnFirst

Hi ladies - small victories: I had my first BM today, it didn't hurt, I feel 10 pounds lighter!

I also found the gigantic hemorrhoid my docs mentioned. It's so painful I can barely sit. My "anal" is also bruised from pushing for 4 goddamn hours (that ended in forceps anyway). My oxycodone is done tomorrow. Any ideas for pain relief besides Preparation H and ibuprofen? I'm 6 days postpartum on Friday.

HoosOnFirst

dancegurl1118 said:

So I know how many poops/pees per day is too little...but how many is too much? Literally this machine has pooped after every single feeding today and 5 times while at the hospital for 36 hours. All still meconium. And she is EBF. Can't find any Google info and definitely not an emergency to call the pedi ..just a question.

I only ask because I was on an antibiotic for potential UTI after the catheter from the epidural and a study showed it could cause diarrhea in newborns. Maybe I should just step away from doctor Google and let her poop and pee...

We change LO every time we feed and there's always either poop or pee there!

HoosOnFirst

mindaa said:

So, I have a quick pump question... shield size is all about width, right, not length?  I am having the worst time getting started because my breast is so hard and engorged and inverted nipple so... inverted, that I can't get it far enough in the flange to get started. The only possible fix I can find is a smaller size, but it doesn't even seem that will help.

Yeah I'm also not liking the fit of the phalange. I ordered a new size, it arrives tomorrow and I'm curious to see how it goes.

mindaa

hoodoll82 said:

Hi ladies - small victories: I had my first BM today, it didn't hurt, I feel 10 pounds lighter.

Seriously, it was such a relief to get that first one done, I was so scared!
I really like the dermoplast spray for my stitches, don't know if it would work for bruising.

klkonwi

@dancegurl1118 Breastfed babies should poop nearly everytime you feed at this stage. Normal

karaelaine1991

Follow up on my appointment: first of all, I adore our peds office! This was our first time actually going there (it had been recommended by multiple friends so we didn't feel a need to do more research aside from double check that they had LC) and I'm beyond impressed by how nice and helpful everyone I encountered yesterday was. So glad we chose them!

DD weighed in at 7lbs11oz, 4 oz down from her check out from the hospital the day before but the doctor said this is normal even if she had been eating at her normal pace. Even with the weight loss she's in the 70th percentile - yay! We're having a follow up appointment on Monday for my peace of mind but I feel very reassured that everything will be fine - especially after meeting with the LC. Our problem ended up being that my nipples aren't long enough for LO to latch onto like she should. This was easily fixed by a nipple shield. The LC also corrected my positioning when feeding her and after our trial run with these at the office she gained an ounce of weight! Feeding since then has been MUCH more successful. This meant that I actually got some sleep tonight (4 whole hours!!!) - AND, unrelated, we actually got LO to sleep in her pack n play for 2 of those (the other 2 resulted from DH accidentally falling asleep in a chair with her while trying to comfort her - not a great scenario, but it was an accident and we got a few extra hours of rest because of it).

@hoodoll82 I also had the dreaded first BM and was SO happy that it ended up being no big deal! I have a second degree tear and stitches so I had been really worried about it.

glenwood82

@hoodoll82 you can probably take both Tylenol and ibuprofen. I'm guessing the drug you were taking was a mix of acetaminophen and oxycodone. If that's the case Tylenol is acetaminophen (without the oxycodone). I replaced the Percocet I was given with Tylenol which was suggested by my doctor since the oxycodone causes constipation and still take the ibuprofen.

glenwood82

Sorry @hoodoll82, not sure how to edit previous post but please check with your doctor on my suggestion.

dancegurl1118

I had to poop from like 6 hours after delivery on and just kept holding it because I was so terrified...ha! I finally couldn't wait right before I got discharged and it was not the worst, but not the most pleasant. Definitely have some internal hemorrhoids hanging out in there. Lots of pressure in my bottom when I laugh and sneeze but I'm trying my best to recline and not directly sit down.

I can't recommend a sitz bath enough. You can buy them at any pharmacy. The warm water is a god send for my swollen nether-region and feels so good for hours after. If you don't have one get it!!!