November 2016 Moms

All Things Post Partum

2

Re: All Things Post Partum

  • RE: birth control, I really wanted to stay off of it until we are done having kids, especially since I learned so much about my body in TTC. Only one problem: no period to track while BFing! So I guess maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and go back on the pill... unless there's a way to track your ovulation while BFing? I was temping and using OPKs before but I'm sure my hormones will be all over the map?
    I didn't go back on BC after DS1 was born and didn't conceive DS2 until we tried. We used a combination of the pull out method and condoms initially. 
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  • RE: birth control, I really wanted to stay off of it until we are done having kids, especially since I learned so much about my body in TTC. Only one problem: no period to track while BFing! So I guess maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and go back on the pill... unless there's a way to track your ovulation while BFing? I was temping and using OPKs before but I'm sure my hormones will be all over the map?
    This might sound awful but we didn't use anything while I was breastfeeding and never conceived. It was one of those not trying but not protecting kind of situations for us. In fact, it took a few months after finishing breastfeeding for me to ovulate at all, at which point I did get pregnant. 
    Married: 08.05.11
    Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
    Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
    Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
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  • I know others have said they didn't use birth control and didn't get pregnant while BFing, but just want to warn you ... I exclusively breastfed DS and got my regular period back at 4/5 months postpartum, didn't go on BC and went with the "not trying but not taking any precautions, whatever happens happens" attitude and I got pregnant at 7 months postpartum (ended up having a mc), then got pregnant again with this LO 3 months later while still BFing. That was all totally ok with us because we wanted to have our kids close together and just wanted it to happen whenever it did, but I just wanted to share my experience because BFing never seemed to decrease my fertility. 
  • Will starting birth control now kick start a period? I really haven't decided what we're going to do yet. I don't want to get pregnant just yet as I need enough hours to be able to get unemployment again (I'm in Canada) but the thought of going on birth control again sounds horrible. And DH can not use condoms.. (TMI-we wouldn't have to worry about a mishap because he would never finish). 
  • jsmai said:
    Anyone else have any 2nd degree tears from delivery? I'm a week pp and my stitches are driving me up a wall,  especially since I spend so much of the day sitting and feeding.  I'm sitting on a boppys to try to relieve some of the discomfort.  

    What are you doing to heal?
    I swear but Earth Mama Angel Baby Mama Bottom Balm! 
    Im 4 weeks out and only bothered by my stitches if I stretch wrong (climbing out of bed seems to get me because it's awkward with the cosleeper) or if I sit too long, which frankly doesn't happen anymore now that's DH I said back to work!


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  • I exclusively breastfed my 3rd. we didn't use any birth control even though we weren't "trying." I had my period from when she was 12 months on, and stopped nursing her when she was 16 months which was january. had my period in February and found  out I was pregnant in march.. so it was my first period while not breastfeeding. coincidence? hubby is getting snipped now. I'm not looking to be on the pill or have an iud.
  • Baby seems to be overtired, this is a new thing for us. We went to my parents house for my moms birthday and he was awake the whole time, barely slept on the drive home and then was wide awake. We even tried him in his new swing and he screamed even more. Ugh. The crying is bugging me tonight majorly but I know I have to suck it up bc H does not handle nighttime crying well and it always worries me so I know I will be stuck dealing with it tonight for my own sanity (which then will make me a crying mess tomorrow)
  • kvruns said:
    Baby seems to be overtired, this is a new thing for us. We went to my parents house for my moms birthday and he was awake the whole time, barely slept on the drive home and then was wide awake. We even tried him in his new swing and he screamed even more. Ugh. The crying is bugging me tonight majorly but I know I have to suck it up bc H does not handle nighttime crying well and it always worries me so I know I will be stuck dealing with it tonight for my own sanity (which then will make me a crying mess tomorrow)
    Ugh!  So sorry!  It's exhausting. Sounds like baby was overstimulated being out of the house. We're going to my inlaws tomorrow and I'm hoping to avoid the same. 
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  • @atcwag Dumb question: Is there a point where the chance of over-stimulation stops for baby?
  • @atcwag Dumb question: Is there a point where the chance of over-stimulation stops for baby?
    In my experience, no. Ugh!
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  • Any mamas with gestational diabetes still test their sugars? I am almost 7 weeks pp and thought I would for sure keep checking here and there but honestly, I don't have time! I checked once after 3 black beans and corn tacos, chips and queso, and a latte with skim milk and my reading was in the 90's so I'm sure I'm fine but wanted to see what other people have done! 
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  • mrsmoose5mrsmoose5 member
    edited December 2016
    Does anyone else feel like their SO is having a hard time bonding with the baby or have any advice for me?

    DH is a wonderful, loving father and we've always had a strong, happy marriage, but I feel like he is having trouble bonding with this LO and he is starting to taking it out on me. He works a lot, but when he is home he doesn't really seem to ever want to hold her or interact with her. If I ask him to hold her so I can take a shower or put DS down for a nap he seems very unenthusiastic and it seems like he spends the entire time with her just trying to put her down so he can go do something else. If she is fussy and can't be put down he gets really agitated, to the point where I feel I have to take her from him because he's getting so irritable with her. He's even admitted to me that he only wants to have her if she's asleep.

    He used to be adamant about wanting 3-4 kids, but he's been making a ton of comments lately about how "we're done" and how he absolutely doesn't want any more kids because he "never wants to do this again." I really don't get what about it is so hard for him. I'm a SAHM and he's at work at least 12 hours a day; he doesn't get up with the baby at night or even take a night shift like he did with DS ... so I don't get what's so awful about it for him. 

    He's also been latching onto DS and it seems like he's trying to keep me away from DS when he is home. Last weekend he took DS out all day long, which is totally fine, but kept making comments about how I get DS all the time and how he didn't want me to go get him up from his nap because "he's mine on the weekends." Ok, what, are we a divorced couple with split custody now? Wtf. I asked to take DS out for a few hours this morning so we could have some one-on-one time and DH agreed but very unenthusiastically, then as we were walking out the door he was saying goodbye to DS and said, "Remember I love you more than Mommy; don't let her steal you from me." WTF?! 

    I was hoping the couple hours he spend with DD would help them bond, but when we got home he was in a horrible mood and has just been complaining constantly about how bad his back hurts now from holding her.

    I really just don't know how to respond to any of this. I get that having a newborn is a difficult adjustment, but how do I handle this? 

    Edited: spelling
  • @mrsmoose5 my DH openly admits he thinks infants are "no fun" and he will take more interest when he's older... like 2 ha ha. He does in fact take a large interest in DD now that she is 3 and spends a lot of his free time with her which I appreciate because it frees me up to take care of DS. Try not to take it to personally. I think some men just don't see the appeal of an infant. I think that's why a lot of infants look like their fathers initially even if their features change later, so the men acknowledge that the kid is actually theirs. Plus some men hate the dirty work, diapers, spit up etc.
  • While I can't relate to DH not binding with our newborn, I am seeing some of the same characteristics in DH like getting irritated when the baby is upset, suddenly declaring no more kids, and getting super attached to our older child. With our first he also got very frustrated when the baby was upset and would checkout to play video games, as she got older I think he found a stronger sense of purpose with her because she was no longer dependent on me. 

    That being said, I think something similar is occurring now. If we're exclusively breastfeeding, how much can our DH really feel vital in the daily process? For my DH I think he's sudden dominance of our DD and withdrawaing from our newborn is his way of feeling vital in the earlier weeks despite it not being the way we would want or do it ourselves. 

    The best I can suggest, is tell him. I should probably do the same. 
    Married: 08.05.11
    Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
    Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
    Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
  • @mrsmoose5 I can relate. My H is still on leave but after the first few days he was over th crying. Night is especially hard bc he gets so mad if the baby cries. Ours won't sleep in his crib so one of us is always up with him. When it is his turn he gets pissed the baby isn't sleeping and thus he can't sleep. A few times he seems super mad with the crying and fortunately I wake up and take the baby bc he just can't handle it. It takes a toll on my sleep and more importantly I see it take a toll on how he feels toward the baby and how I feel toward my H. It is tough I wish I had a solution 
  • In our household it's actually me that has become really irritated and impatient in the night. I got really frustrated and mad a couple of times and DH just looks at me like I'm a monster. And I feel like one. DH has all the patience in the world and it makes me feel really guilty.

    We figured out though that he doesn't mind the midnight(ish) feed and I don't mind any time if I've gotten 3-4 hours of sleep. So he stays up with her until midnight(ish) and delivers her to me in bed ready to eat and takes her back until she's asleep, and then I do the next one alone while he sleeps. It's not a perfect science, especially when she clusterfeeds, but most nights it keeps us sane and rested. 
    Me: 33 | DH: 34
    TTC #1 Oct 2015
    BFP Mar 26, 2016 - DD born Nov 2016 <3
    TTC #2 since Mar 2017
    DX: MF June 2019, varicocele embolization Jan 2020, good improvement (14 mil, low motility)
    IUI#1 Aug 2020 - BFN
    IVF #1 Dec 2020 (ICSI) - ER, freeze-all - 15 retrieved, 15 mature, 15 fertilized. 4 embryos frozen, all day 5 blasts!
    FET #1 Feb 2021 - BFN
    FET #2 Apr 2021 - BFP 5DP5DT!! Beta #1 13DP5DT (17DPO)  = HcG 1,238. Beta #2 17DP5DT (21DPO) = HcG 8,269



  • kristah2kristah2 member
    edited December 2016
    Does anyone else feel really alone... I'm having such a hard evening. DH came home and got upset that I haven't been cooking or cleaning. And got mad we haven't been having sex. At this point I was feeding baby in our bedroom and he went downstairs. He was cleaning up so once baby finished I brought him in his room to change him and he started throwing up. So bad I had to bathe him after he kept throwing up. DH came up mad I didn't go down to help him. He had cooked himself supper and sat at the table to eat while I walked around to put baby to sleep. Once asleep I started tidying up and getting at my to do list at his request (keep in mind it's 8 and I haven't eaten since 1130). He picks up baby to cuddle. I'm making myself 2 pancakes and baby get fussy. He demands he be fed. I throw my supper in the garbage.  

    I just feel when baby gets fussy he tried to pat his back and if that doesn't work he hands him to me. No walking to calm him or anything. 
    He also doesn't realize when he sleeps I have such a short window. I can eat, shower or do a chore. 
    I feel like a bad wife because I usually choose to eat so nothing gets done. 
    I feel like a bad mom because I feel like baby doesn't get enough tummy time or play time when he's awake. 
    I just feel so alone. 
    Not even mentioning how tired I am since I do everything all night and DH has no idea. 

    Hws eating now. When he's done I have 3 options.. put away laundry like DH has been mentioning for 2 days. I can shower and wash off the sour baby vomit he got on me when he was sick. Or I can eat for the first time in almost 10 hours. I don't know what to do. 

    Edit: now that I'm slightly less emotional.. how the hell do you mamas balance? What do you take advantage of in those few moments baby doesn't need or want you??
  • We figured out though that he doesn't mind the midnight(ish) feed and I don't mind any time if I've gotten 3-4 hours of sleep. So he stays up with her until midnight(ish) and delivers her to me in bed ready to eat and takes her back until she's asleep, and then I do the next one alone while he sleeps. It's not a perfect science, especially when she clusterfeeds, but most nights it keeps us sane and rested. 
    This is us as well!   Except I've been sick with a bad cold and my husband is off on paternity leave right now so he's been doing a little more.
    Daughter #1 - Feb 2012
    Daughter #2 - Oct 2014
    Daughter #3 - Nov 2016
    Baby #4 - Sept 2018
  • No advice @kristah2 but that sounds rough. My H is just now going back to work tho working from home a few days so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I already told him tonight not to expect me to do chores while home with baby and he said he doesn't but I have a feeling he will forget that and get mad about it in a week or two. Our baby needs held a ton especially at night and I am pretty much now destined to be up from midnight thru the night and day til he's off work which will mean daytime nap or no sleep ever so I foresee fights in the future
  • So wise and well put, @mrsbigtime

    @kristah2 so remember having some of these same feelings and experiences when I was a FTM and what @mrsbigtime is saying is so appropriate. 
    Married: 08.05.11
    Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
    Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
    Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
  • @MrsBigTime thank you. Thank you so much. On top of everything baby is refusing to sleep tonight and I was just stressing out about having a nap asanother competing force for my free time tomorrow. This was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you. 
  • @MrsBigTime So well put and so forgiving.

    The only thing I would add is that your husband probably has no idea how time consuming having an infant can really be. Maybe you guys need to have a heart to heart so he can better understand what monopolizes your time all day. 
  • @prettypalomino There used to be a Target commercial that showed a bunch of adorable babies and called them "time thieves". I've never found a Target commercial to reign so true. 

    Those of you using a peri bottle as part of your recovery, when did you stop using it? I think I'm good but hesitant to change anything for fear of setting myself back in recovery. 
    Married: 08.05.11
    Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
    Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
    Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
  • Feeling bummed because i should be at the Christmas Symphony program I've gone to with my parents for the last 6-7 years but I bowed out this year bc the kid is just too nuts right now. Normally I wouldn't have minded missing a year bc sometimes it felt like a chore but of course I'm crying about it now 
  • Also feeling bummed tonight. H just left for a work trip for the next two nights and I'm pretty sad about it. We own our own business and I knew there would be sacrifices I just didn't expect him to be traveling so soon. 
  • @sandnstarsnj I am at about 2.5 weeks PP and do t use the peri bottle all the time anymore. It stopped stinging and doesn't hurt when I wipe so that was kind of my que to back off on it a bit. Plus I was getting tired of spraying cold water on my lady bits all the time.
  • I'm sorry @mrsmaryk2016  inreenwer those feelings from my FTM days... try to enjoy all the unadulterated baby time instead.
    Married: 08.05.11
    Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
    Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
    Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
  • @MrsMaryK2016 sorry to hear. I hope your next couple days go smoothly! I had a hard time with DH at work (baby was born Wednesday, he was back Thursday) so I can't imagine with him travelling. Try to enjoy your one on one baby time and snuggles. 
  • Talk to me about bleeding. I'm just past 2 weeks pp and have been having mostly brown spotting. Last night in the middle of the night, I had a large amount (not enough to fill a super absorbency pad, but much more than I've had) of very dark, somewhat coagulated blood. No clots, no cramping or other issues. It has not continued this AM. Thoughts?  I'm ready to be done actively bleeding!
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  • atcwag said:
    Talk to me about bleeding. I'm just past 2 weeks pp and have been having mostly brown spotting. Last night in the middle of the night, I had a large amount (not enough to fill a super absorbency pad, but much more than I've had) of very dark, somewhat coagulated blood. No clots, no cramping or other issues. It has not continued this AM. Thoughts?  I'm ready to be done actively bleeding!
    I'm just shy of two weeks and am having the same experience. I had very little if any spotting and then this morning it's full blown bleeding again. 
    Married: 08.05.11
    Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
    Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
    Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
  • I feel like I have had a consistent amount of bleeding all along, I go through a pad a day and another at night. Occasionally it feels heavier than at other times, only just recently does it feel like it's been getting significantly lighter and I'm about 2.5 weeks PP
  • I was off an on for about 5 weeks. I could go 2-3 days with panty liners then all of a sudden need a huge pad for a day or two. It got worse around week 3 for a bit. Guess just my body doing its thing! 


    At my 6 week follow up now. Good thing I squeezed in a shower last night because I was not anticipating a pap
  • Thanks all!  I couldn't remember how this went with DS1. 
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  • Is it bad that sometimes I'm jealous of my husband for going to work? I'm so in love with our little man but being on bed rest for ten weeks before he was born and now being 8 weeks pp and it being freezing cold here I feel like I never interact! My family has been super helpful and my husband is great on the weekends but still! 
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  • I think I've started my period! Ugh! I suppose it could be my PP bleeding starting back up, but all the qualities (amount, color, odor, time frame) are just like my typical periods. 

    Im 5 weeks PP and breastfeeding! I shouldn't have to deal with this yet!

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  • @mrsbigtime That's nuts! Is that really possible? I don't think I would know the difference between a period and PP bleeding at this point. 

    Question: What is anyone doing for massive baby eye gunk? DS has some wicked eye stuff going on in one eye after every cry session and it needs to be cleared so he can open/see. Any tricks?

    Married: 08.05.11
    Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
    Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
    Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
  • @SandNStarsNJ if you rub the inside of their eye three times a day for a few minutes at a time it should stop. It worked wonders for me. Like by their tear ducts. Hope it helps!
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