THE Postpartum discussion thread

mom2adoodle

We talk a lot about babies but.. how are you mamas doing? How has recovery been for you? 

mom2adoodle

My experience: 

Depends and thick pads have been life savers. I'm still bleeding lightly at almost 3 weeks post partum. Bleeding picks up after being more active. Still not back to my old energy level..I feel weak sauce! 

Earth mama angel baby new mom bottom spray (geez, that's a long name) has been awesome. I bought tucks pads and dermostat but I found spraying this stuff on after using the peri bottle from the hospital was more soothing (I had a second degree tear). 

Colace. Colace. Colace. The first poop after delivery was as scary as you've heard for me. And there was a LOT of it. I was astounded and impressed my body could pass that. 

I slept with towels over my sheets for a while. The night sweats are all too real. And hot flashes! Holy moly. Those are intense. 

Cramping has been ongoing so I'm taking Motrin every day. This also helps the pinched nerve I somehow aquired during delivery. Going to Pt for this and for pelvic support. 

Preclaymsia related: Swelling and high blood pressure has been a constant battle. Oof. Anyone else? 

mrsvoorhees-2

Man, I remember how scary that first poop was last time! It was just a few hours after birth. And then I didn't know
how to clean myself, (I had a 2nd degree tear too) so the nurse came in and hosed me down with the peri bottle. What tiny shred of dignity I had left was lost at that point.
 
i feel like the sweats lasted about a month, so hopefully youre done with those soon!!  And I'm totally ordering some of that spray!

jensou

Thanks for the heads up on fun stuff to expect, @mom2adoodle

we finally got to come home today. I had to stay bc my BP took a while to come down. Being in the hospital from Mon night thru Friday afternoon was really crummy. 

baby is doing great. She's eating well and pooping lots! We have a weight check for her Sunday back at the hospital

my breasts are killing me. They're huge. And my nipples hurt from little one learning to latch. Her mouth is tiny and as I keep getting bigger it's been tough. We'll get it together though - I know it! 

My my belly is so jiggly. When I've laughed it's like Santa Claus LOL but tonight we went for a walk and it was so nice not to waddle or run out of breath. Wow! 

Since i knew I was being induced, I took a bunch of miralax over the weekend so I wasn't starting out constipated. I've taken my colace religiously and have been drinking tons of water. So far it's been ok. But I learned my lesson from prior pregnancies. Straining to poop after swelling or tearing down there is really really awful. 

I had three tears, two of which required sutures. Been using witch hazel pads to stay on top of the worst of the tears. It's unfortunately very near my urethra so when I pee it's scary. A couple of times I've been too sleepy and forgot to spray w the peri bottle as I was starting to pee and really regretted that. 

frogdog06

I'm still bleeding lightly ten days post partum and the Always Infinity pads are everything (p.s. they're on sale right now, see my Deals & Steals post). I've been religiously taking ibuprofen and tylenol so haven't felt pain so much as occasional soreness and I had a 3rd degree laceration. I first clean myself down there with the peri bottle (using a mix of water and Motherlove organic sitz bath concentrate), wipe myself with toilet paper, spray myself with Dermoplast, spray the pad with the Earth Mama Peri spray, and line the Always pad where my anus would be with a Tucks witch hazel pad.

P.S. @geminigirl16 the Dermoplast and Motherlode sitz products have alcohol in them - so if you dilute the concentrate you bought, you can totally use it. My bad. @MeganS324 , to clarify, at the hospital, the nurses had me line the actual pad with Tucks and then wear the pad in my undies - soo comfy and soothing, similar to the freeze pads. I have like, ten of the ice pads from the hospital, but they're extremely thick so I am not wearing those.

I was SO, SO scared of my first pp poop - I felt pressure on my rectum and went to sit on the toilet for ~15 minutes, sweating, standing up, sitting down, and shaking over the toilet and almost cried because nothing came out. I had so much anxiety over it...and then an hour later, everything came out real quick and loose and I felt minimal pain. The stool softeners are everything.

@mom2adoodle I also had severe swelling PP, but this was due to my 24 hour IV of fluid and antibiotics during my hospital stay. The edema in my feet was no joke, it hurt to bend my feet. The edema dissipated within 7-10 days, just as the doctors noted.

The loose belly is no joke. I really didn't expect it at all and have no idea what to do with my swinging pouch (I look 4mos preggo). I ordered a Belly Bandit, so I am hoping it comes in ASAP. That being said, I think it's nature's way of giving us moms a little cushion for LOs to settle on.

(Edited...because LO woke up and I had to divert my focus to her. )

ruemcclanahan

@frogdog06 ......what do you mean where your anus *would* be?
--scared FTM who isn't sure if you are kidding or serious

Shiva14

I'm not PP yet but will leave this in here for others because it saved my life last time - padsicles. Take witch hazel, aloe gel and lavender oil and smear it on an ultra absorbent pad. Put it in the freezer and take it out when needed. It feels amazing, especially if you tore. I used to use dermaplast and then put on one of those. So much relief. 

UnwritteN12

Thank you for starting this @mom2adoodle!

Ok, I'm so glad I have you ladies because nowhere else could I ever talk about how awful that first poop was. Funny enough, that was at the top of my list of things to be scared about this time around because it was so awful after having R&E!!

I'm still taking Tylenol 3 ten days later. I had so much back pain due to the spinal that, as soon as the meds wore off, I was about in tears. That's gotten much better and now I'm taking it sporadically for the pain from the actual c-section. Ugh. Go away already!

Holy boobs Batman! I had O&J on Wednesday, my milk still wasn't in by Saturday and then BAM! My boobs were twice their normal size and painful as hell by Sunday morning. They're still huge, they're still tender and I feel like they sag down to my knees (being plus sized does not help in this department since it's not easy to find a huge variety of nursing bras in larger sizes, including underwires).

@mom2adoodle - I had zero idea that pre-eclampsia PP was a thing until these two were born! My BP was perfect all throughout this pregnancy. I'm talking, better than it is when I'm NOT pregnant. So I was shocked when it was running high. I had my 1 week PP appointment with my OB on Thursday and they did a blood draw for something related to my higher BP. Still waiting for results. 

Mentally - I don't think I was even this emotional while pregnant. I'm bawling at the drop of a hat. DH will walk up to me and there will be tears streaming down my face. I actually really miss being pregnant (despite the fact that I could barely walk) and I'm already struggling with the likelihood of this having been my last pregnancy. After discussing it with my OB, we changed my meds because what I've taken for years hasn't been studied in breastfeeding. Hoping this new medication helps with the PPD.

reesaXden

I'm now 10 days postpartum.

 Bleeding is very minimal and I'm down to just a liner.  

Dont hate me guys but I wanted to share for the scared FTMs.   The first poop was no big deal for me.  It happened on day 3 and I had no pain.  I just took it slow and let my body naturally go rather than pushing a ton.  

My pain is pretty much gone.  I'll occasionally need an ibuprofen but don't need it consistently.  

In terms of boobs, holy crap!
Because she was considered preemie, they had me pumping after every feeding.  They said her suck wasn't strong enough to signal a steady production of milk.  I was instructed to pump until she is considered a term baby.  Well, my milk came in full force and now I have 150+ oz of milk in my freezer! Now we're trying to wean me down to just one or two pumping sessions a day.  To say I have an over supply is an understatement! 
I would definitely rather have this issue than a poor supply but man, my poor boobies are tired! 

The night sweats are real, y'all!!!! Gross!! 

Physically, I feel amazing.  My pregnancy was extremely tough as you all know.  I am just on cloud 9 with life right now.  I'm finally able to do all of the things that got neglected in my life for those 9 months.   It's crazy how good I feel.  I think I just felt so poor for so long that anything is better than what I felt like during pregnancy.  
My house is coming back together, I've been cooking dinner, and I started back up with my sons homeschooling again (he's 4.5 so just doing pre-k). 

Mentally, I'm doing okay.  I still feel very hormonal but that's life as a woman right?! 
I just am having a bit of a hard time with my firstborn.  He's been a bit emotional and daddy and I don't agree on how to handle it. I feel we should buy into it a little. He needs some extra attention and snuggles so who cares if he screams and way over reacts when getting the smallest of ouchies.  Daddy thinks we should not feed into it at all and is worried it will become a daily battle. He keeps telling him to "toughen up and stop acting like a sissy". I don't agree with this at all and it's caused several arguments between us. I have just been reminding Clark that he has "a four year old brain so we need to make sure you are acting like a four year old so that your brain can continue to grow".  I use this when he starts talking like a baby or baby like behavior.    Clark was just an only child for 4.5 yrs.  He was the center of all things for so long! I don't want him resenting his little sister so I'm trying to handle it the best I can! He absolutely adores her and he hasn't showed any resentment yet but I'm just trying to be proactive in that area.  

Overall, I'm doing pretty good! 

frogdog06

Just to echo what @reesaXden says, let your body pass the poop naturally! My first pee and poop really weren't painful (I was already on 600mg ibuprofen). I think it was more in my head than anything, and I thought I had to push which did nothing.

Sporty1216

Also re: PP pooping---I found dried apricots helped me a ton (though I also had colace) and made the whole deal relatively easy. 

hey_clever_girl

Not PP yet but I do remember when I had to poop the first time after having my daughter, I was so scared I called the nurse to my room and asked her what to do. I was convinced I was gonna rip my stitches out and bleed to death. Spoiler alert: I did not. 

mamadomino

@UnwritteN12 what are you taking for the ppd? I've had issues with depression for 15ish years and in retrospect think a lot of how I felt pp last time was PPD and I was just too stubborn to acknowledge it.  I've had a lot of success on Wellbutrin in the past, but I know that's not one of the recommended Meds.  I've read that Zoloft is better while breastfeeding, but i didn't have very good results on it when I tried it (13 or so years ago, so it could be very different if I tried it again).  I'm planning to talk to my ob about it Monday, because I'd rather be proactive.  

Kimmy717

This thread is great. I love always having a supportive place to turn and sometimes you cant get that irl even though you have great people around you...they just might not understand. Glad you ladies are doing well for the most part and please keep sharing!

mom2adoodle

Is anyone interested in a post partum mental health thread? I know my scenario is a little different than the usual baby blues because I was a wreck with Finley in the NICU but I think it would be great to have a place to vent/ share and know we aren't alone? 

mom2adoodle

A weird symptom for me post birth: I had the shakes like crazy. My hands were not steady for days after giving birth. It was a little scary. I did not feel like myself whatsoever. I was also on magnesium to help prevent seizures due to the preclaymsia so I'm not sure what caused what. All I know is that I was high as a kite while giving birth. I seriously asked if I could have a popsicle if I pushed him out. (I was on fluid restriction due to the magnesium and I was dying of thirst).

And getting an epidural was a trip. When they were inserting it I felt my leg spasm and they said it was normal. DH was holding my legs down and he almost passed out. Seriously, the nurse had to help lay him down. I was like uh, dude, I'm the one with a giant needle in my back. But afterwards the epidural was amazing! I didn't feel a thing the entire labor and delivery. 

jensou

The shakes may have been due to Magnesium @mom2adoodle - or overall dehydration like you mentioned. Glad it's resolved. Severe pre-e is really scary. 

ETA I think a mental health thread is a great idea. I was just reading an article about how online forums were just as effective, if not more so, than traditional help lines. Basically because you're talking to people "in the same boat" instead of someone who supposedly has it together and is there if you want to call them. Also, the online forum encouraged people to be more honest bc they were able to see that others had similar situations and prevented them from feeling shamed or reluctant to really share how they were feeling. 

And without getting too mushy, I really do appreciate this BMB. I've never been so freely able to talk about things that make me insecure or angry. And to either be validated when justified or encouraged to chill and let go when not justified is really cool. 

rock1cherry

I agree that a mental health PP thread would be beneficial. I had my birthing class today and they shared many different issues that can happen PP and it truly opened my eyes to how common it all is. Even just the baby blues. My hospital says they have a support group too, which could be good if I need it, but I certainly know that coming to our group here would be good too. I often read what others post and see what they've been through to help gauge if what I'm experiencing is the norm or if I should reach out for help. I definitely know I would read. 

izzetoot

What a great thread! I haven't gotten back on the bump much since baby was born late Monday night.  My sister took LO1 to the circus and my DH and baby are sleeping on the couch next to me so I have some alone time, FINALLY!

Im feeling pretty good so far at 5 days PP.  Still haven't pooped yet, but taking stool softeners and tylenol 3 for some pretty intense tears and lots of stitches up to my urethra.  Peeing is painful so I'm not looking forward to going #2. My milk started to come in yesterday and we had our first pedi visit in the morning so I was able to talk with a lactation consultant on what to expect.  I had a really rough go at BF with LO1 so I want to be extra prepared this go around so I can BF longer.  She told me if baby was having difficulty latching bc my boobs were too engorged or if I was so engorged it was painful that I could start pumping once a day first thing in the am. Milk came in full force last night, boobs are HUGE and we had some serious probs latching.  We tried from 3-6am before he finally got a good latch and fed non stop for 30 mins on one side till we both passed out .  So I pumped 2 feedings later around 11am and it was instant relief.  Only 5 oz, and 2 hours later I was ready to feed again! Hopefuly this means my production will be better this time!

At our first pedi appt yesterday, his Dr told us that he has a mild ear deformity called Stahls ear or Spock ear and are going back on Wed to possibly be fitted for ear molds.  Its 100% cosmetic and doesn't affect his hearing in any way, but as he gets older his ears will get worse and possibly require surgery.  The molds would correct it but he'd have to wear them 24/7 for 6 weeks and begin before he's 2 weeks old So, we're struggling with what to do with that, but have a few days to mull it over. 

Everyone's babies are so cute and tiny! I'm crying at the drop of a hat these days and thinks Ive teared up reading every new birth announcement  

homebird

mamadomino said:

@UnwritteN12 what are you taking for the ppd? I've had issues with depression for 15ish years and in retrospect think a lot of how I felt pp last time was PPD and I was just too stubborn to acknowledge it.  I've had a lot of success on Wellbutrin in the past, but I know that's not one of the recommended Meds.  I've read that Zoloft is better while breastfeeding, but i didn't have very good results on it when I tried it (13 or so years ago, so it could be very different if I tried it again).  I'm planning to talk to my ob about it Monday, because I'd rather be proactive.  

FWIW - I'm taking wellbutrin while pregnant. I'm on a super low dose (I don't think it's even considered a theraputic dose for most people) along with lexapro and I've been on it the whole time. It's really a risks vs benefits thing, so don't count it out. Zoloft didn't do crap for me, it actually made me feel worse.

asht

Every med works different for each person. If you been on something for years your body is probably in need of a switch to keep working. I am usually on a low dose of Zoloft year round for anxiety and seasonal depression. Works great for me and I know it's one that is considered safe

mamadomino

@homebird thanks that's helpful.  I know it wouldn't be the end of the world to go back on Wellbutrin (and quite frankly I'm not sure how long it's sustainable for me to BF twins with a toddler around), but I think I may regret not trying something supposedly safer first.  

JennM205

@mamadomino I was on Lexapro for PPD after DD was born as it was a safe option while bfing. After she weaned, I switched to Zoloft because the Lexapro made me so insanely tired all the time. The Zoloft, unfortunately, had the same effect! It may be just me, as everyone obviously reacts and responds differently, but just thought I'd share my experience with those two drug options!

asht

Tiredness is a huge issue with lexapro. It works great if you are lucky enough to not get the side effect

UnwritteN12

@mamadomino - I applaud you for being proactive! I think it's really the best thing to do. I've been on Welbutrin and Lexapro for years and it's proven to be a magical combination for me. When I asked my OB about taking them while nursing though, he said that it hasn't been studied in nursing women. If I wanted to stay on them he wanted to bring my lactation consultant into the mix to find out the dosage I'm on, the half life of the medications, my breast feeding schedule for both kids (hahahaha!! you assume that I have a schedule for them right now!), etc, so that she could figure out the perfect time for me to be taking it. I decided to try the Zoloft that he recommended. I've never taken it but I'm happy about the fact that it's a combination anti-depressant/anti-anxiety med. If it doesn't work though, I think I will go back to the Welbutrin/Lexapro combination. After the expereinces I had with PPD when R&E were born, the benefits could very well outweigh the risks for me.

@mom2adoodle - I think the PP Mental health thread would be a huge benefit to a lot of people on here, TBH. It's something I struggle with everyday but PPD can be especially hard, and even more so if/when you don't have a support system.

@izzetoot - I am so glad you mentioned Stahls ear!!! Jo was born with an ear deformity (very minor; it looks like she has an extra crease in her ear...the folds kind of form to make an uppercase E). I didn't think much of it, especially since she passed her hearing test. But I did mention it her pediatrician last week. He wasn't concerned and said that it will in no way effect here hearing, it was only cosmetic and that we could have molds done to correct it as well. He didn't say anything else and, TBH, everything was a bit of a blur so I didn't ask. He didn't give a name to it but, after Googling it, I'm sure that this is what Jo has too. I'm going to bring it up to the pediatrician again on Wednesday and have him refer us to someone that could do it just to get some information. I don't really think anything needs to be done. It's not something that I think most people would catch right away, if at all. But I worry that, in 16 years (or even in 10 years), Jo would hate us for not having it corrected now. So anyway, thank you for bringing it up. It gave me some answers and a bit to think about. 

UnwritteN12

JennM205 said:

@mamadomino I was on Lexapro for PPD after DD was born as it was a safe option while bfing. After she weaned, I switched to Zoloft because the Lexapro made me so insanely tired all the time. The Zoloft, unfortunately, had the same effect! It may be just me, as everyone obviously reacts and responds differently, but just thought I'd share my experience with those two drug options!

The exhaustion that comes with Lexapro is awful! Once I figured out how bad it was, my doctor had me switch to taking it at night while taking the Welbutrin in the morning.

mamadomino

@JennM205 and @UnwritteN12 and @asht thanks for the input!  One of my
main complaints about Zoloft last time was the tiredness, but again it's been a long time so who knows how different it would be now.  Also I've never tried lexapro so maybe that would be a good place to start.  At least there are options!  I agree a mental health/PPD thread would be really helpful.  I'm a mental health professional myself and even with all of my training and experience had a hard time recognizing it when it happened to me.  

Thscary

Thank you ladies for sharing your experiences so openly. 

TheTamedShrew

Can anyone tell me the main difference in PP recovery for a vaginal vs. c/s birth? I've had a vaginal birth so im familiar with the pooping fear. Is it scary to poop after a c/s? Will I still have any vaginal soreness after a c/s or will I just have pain from the incision? Will I really not be able walk up stairs? Our bedroom is upstairs so how do I get up/down?

izzetoot

@UnwritteN12 its apparently a lot more common than I would have thought! And it just so happens that the Earwell Correction molds were invented at the hospital where our pediatrician is located in Dallas, TX in 2010.  His pedi noticed it at his very first appt the morning after he was born but said he didnt mention it bc he wanted to see if it would correct itself.  He said usually something like that would in the first few days.  So at our next appt he had the specialist that fits the molds come by to see and he agreed it would not fix itself and would likely be more pronounced as his ears got bigger.  I want to get it done only bc I dont want some a-hole kids later in life calling him "Spock" or some other goofy nickname   He did mention that it is best to get the molds on as soon after birth as possible and before 2 weeks old.

Sporty1216

@TheTamedShrew --I can't do a comparison for you because I have only had a CS. BUT. I do not remember having vaginal soreness, even though I labored for a full day before the surgery. I was able to go up and down stairs--we have no bathroom on our main floor and the bedrooms are upstairs--but I did try to minimize the trips I made. I was cleared to drive at 3 weeks. I had lift restrictions until 8 weeks. Pooping was still weird, but no need to use a peri bottle or anything like that. Laughing and such hurt for a while, but holding a pillow to your belly helps. My nurses told me getting up and moving around was the key. So I was up and walking within 24 hours and kept it up from there. Hope this helps some!

UnwritteN12

@izzetoot - I totally understand the want to get it done. Kids can be so cruel. And that's good to know that it will probably be more pronounced as he gets bigger. I'll have to bring all that up to the pediatrician. Thanks so much for sharing!! Interesting to know that all that was done in Dallas too! We're in Austin so I guess you could call us neighbors.

@TheTamedShrew - I've only had c-sections but here's my two cents. No vaginal soreness (I never labored though) but I did have some incision pain both times. I really had to take it easy and ended up, again with both c-sections, sleeping downstairs for a couple of weeks with the babies. You'll be able to walk up the stairs more than likely you may just want limit it. I had to limit bending over as well because I found myself getting dizzy and having some pain.
The pooping fear - it was super uncomfortable because it took 3 or 4 days to be able to after the spinal. And because I was so backed up in that 3-4 days, it ended up being painful. I would guess one of the biggest differences would be the fact that, with a scheduled c-section, you wouldn't have any tearing so it probably wouldn't be as scary. Again, just my two cents with my experiences.

chavezrd2

How long after birth does feet / leg swelling go down?? 

izzetoot

@UnwritteN12  Hey neighbor!

hey_clever_girl

chavezrd2 said:

How long after birth does feet / leg swelling go down?? 

My feet and legs were swollen for maybe 3-4 days after I had my daughter. Having someone rub them for you helps!

VeraMali

@TheTamedShrew I've only ever had a c section but for me the recovery wasn't awful. No vaginal soreness, although you will still have some bleeding and I could walk upstairs I just had to be slow about it those first few days. I started taking colace religiously the week before my induction (that didn't work) and had no pain whatsoever with pooping, getting up off the toilet and getting my pants up and down was more bothersome. The key with c sections is to get up and get moving. You do not want to sit still and let all those muscles get stiff, take it easy of course but walk around as soon as they let you up and try to stay out of that bed as much as possible.

frogdog06

@chavezrd2 mine took about a week because I was on IV fluids and antibiotics for a full 24 hours after giving birth (a lot of extra fluid). It was extremely uncomfortable but did go away on its own in the anticipated time noted by the doctors. Just make sure to rest and elevate them up above your heart level periodically.

asht

TheTamedShrew said:

Can anyone tell me the main difference in PP recovery for a vaginal vs. c/s birth? I've had a vaginal birth so im familiar with the pooping fear. Is it scary to poop after a c/s? Will I still have any vaginal soreness after a c/s or will I just have pain from the incision? Will I really not be able walk up stairs? Our bedroom is upstairs so how do I get up/down?

Soreness and pooping were not an issue for me. I didn't have stairs the first time but will this time. They do say to limit them. You will be slow moving for about a week and after that it's more so if you over do it.  I never had driving restrictions so was driving soon after but I also never took pain meds after I left the hospital so that risk was gone

jensou

I know deep in some thread there was discussion about baby apps. I've been having a hard time keeping track and since Victoria was right at the cutoff for low weight for gestational age (wga) and dad is Asian so increased risk for hyperbilirubin they have us keep coming in for weight checks. At these checks, the Drs ask how much she pees, poops, and eats. How much time does she spend nursing, etc. it's not quite the Inquisition but feels bad to say "ummmm I don't know how many times she peed today" like I'm not being cautious or caring enough about Victoria. 

so we started looking in to baby apps but none we saw had really good reviews. We're using Eat Sleep right now but IMO has a lot to be desired. Would anyone be interested in a thread on this? I think the prevailing thought in that previous discussion was to use your wedding ring to let you know last side (love that!) and that the apps weren't necessary. But for me, if I didn't have the app, I'd be taking a pad of paper and pen w me wherever we go. Curious to know what other mommas think 

hey_clever_girl

jensou said:

I know deep in some thread there was discussion about baby apps. I've been having a hard time keeping track and since Victoria was right at the cutoff for low weight for gestational age (wga) and dad is Asian so increased risk for hyperbilirubin they have us keep coming in for weight checks. At these checks, the Drs ask how much she pees, poops, and eats. How much time does she spend nursing, etc. it's not quite the Inquisition but feels bad to say "ummmm I don't know how many times she peed today" like I'm not being cautious or caring enough about Victoria. 

so we started looking in to baby apps but none we saw had really good reviews. We're using Eat Sleep right now but IMO has a lot to be desired. Would anyone be interested in a thread on this? I think the prevailing thought in that previous discussion was to use your wedding ring to let you know last side (love that!) and that the apps weren't necessary. But for me, if I didn't have the app, I'd be taking a pad of paper and pen w me wherever we go. Curious to know what other mommas think 

I'd be curious to see which apps people like. When my daughter was born almost 7 years ago, I didn't have an iPhone and baby apps weren't as big as they are now. I kept track with a special baby notebook the hospital gave us. And I honestly only kept track for maybe 2 weeks.

frogdog06

@jensou @runningisrad I do recall such discussion, and a popular one was Wunderlist. I downloaded the app - looks great, but still waiting on DH. There are also bra clips to indicate sides. We're primitive and just using text messaging; these are what are texts currently look like:




Luckily I live in an area with great amenities (within an 8m radius, BRU, BBB, 2 Targets, Whole Foods, Carter's, Costco, etcetera). I managed to pop in to Carter's the other day to pick up a preemie outfit for LO since she's hovering around 7lbs and everything NB she owns is still quite loose. She did arrive three weeks early, so I get an extra three weeks with her (going back to work in January). I am hoping she gains some weight soon; we have our first pediatrician appointment on Wednesday, yay.