Symptoms & Questions | Week of June 25th

[Deleted User]

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nackie

My fingers were so swollen last night that I had to take my rings off. I think I was at least 8 months when I reached this point with my first

jumpy57

@nackie oh no! I can't remember when that happened to me last time so now my fear is that they will get stuck on!

magnolia209

My bump has been feeling extra heavy sometimes - especially after I have been up walking around for a while. I think this is maybe how the baby is laying. Do you all feel differently depending on where the baby is hanging out? I'm not talking about kicking or movement. Just a heaviness feeling that comes and goes. Or, could this be Braxton Hicks? 

sfrisk35

I have the same thing going on!  This is our 3rd baby and it feels like it’s hanging in e lower then my other two. Especially after sitting a while and then standing up. I just push up on my belly slightly and that seems to readjust the baby 

knitknitread

I've started having nightly BH contractions. They come and go with no pattern, I drink some water, lay down on my side, and they'll finally just stop. It's not painful, just heavy and uncomfortable feeling. I'll mention it at my next appt?

So far the iron pills haven't completely destroyed my stomach. 

Umm... I'm trying to think of any fun symptoms but the past few days have just been really sucky.

magnolia209

@knitknitread I am also doing okay stomach-wise on the iron pills - so far. I'm kind of the opposite of constipated. But not too bad and I will take that over the other thing any day! I hope our stomachs can hang in there! Sorry you are feeling otherwise sucky. 

lisac113

I was on an antibiotic last week and got a raging yeast infection.  I called my doctor's office and they had me start with OTC yeast infection treatment.  I am done with it and now I don't know if I have yeast infection still, BV, or just super irritated.   I had some spotting on my underwear after my morning walk, but I am 99.9 percent sure it is from irritation on the outside.  I called the doctor's office again today.  I have an appointment on Wednesday and she asked if I wanted to wait until then or they could try to squeeze me in. She said as long as there isn't any more spotting it it fine to wait until Wednesday and suggested some A and D ointment.  I feel like I have massive irritation in my lady parts. 

arcticseal-2

lisac113 said:

I was on an antibiotic last week and got a raging yeast infection.  I called my doctor's office and they had me start with OTC yeast infection treatment.  I am done with it and now I don't know if I have yeast infection still, BV, or just super irritated.   I had some spotting on my underwear after my morning walk, but I am 99.9 percent sure it is from irritation on the outside.  I called the doctor's office again today.  I have an appointment on Wednesday and she asked if I wanted to wait until then or they could try to squeeze me in. She said as long as there isn't any more spotting it it fine to wait until Wednesday and suggested some A and D ointment.  I feel like I have massive irritation in my lady parts. 

Baby rash cream....  I used it for post partum bleeding and it really helped...

lisac113

@arcticseal-2
Thanks for the rec. 

starla

@magnolia209 I get a tighness/stiffness in the lower part of my belly when I stand up after I've been sitting for a while. I don't think that's BH though. I don't think I've had any BH yet. I think it's from having to support the weight. I think when I'm sitting, the belly rests on my lap a bit more.

treeofcheem

@magnolia209 I've been having BH, but there are times when I can't tell if it's that or just the baby laying/pressing in a weird spot. I do notice BH when I've been doing more unusual movements, bending or twisting or whatever, and also sometimes from a full bladder. And there are a lot of "random" ones. But if I feel my stomach and it's really hard to the touch, at least half of it or so, I chalk it up to BH. I usually feel it across my whole belly. When it's a smaller area, I'm unsure.

magnolia209

@treeofcheem @starla thanks ladies. Yeah, I’m really not sure if I have gotten any BH yet. My whole belly definitely gets hard, but doesn’t seem like a sudden tightening or very contraction-like. It will just be that way for a while. I do think that it might be where the baby is hanging out. And Starla’s explanation makes sense too. Hmm. It’s just interesting trying to figure out what everything is! 

[Deleted User]

Mine started out that way, just this allover firm, tight belly feeling.  Only when over exert myself would it turn into including what felt more like a cramp or a stitch in my side.

nlc8424

I'm having a continuation of periodic insomnia. I swear whenever there is a full moon I never sleep well. We really need to get black out shades for our bedroom, but I've been waiting for a sale from my favorite site. 

Here's a new one, I can literally feel my hips/pelvis loosening up. When I shift my weight between feet I get a distinct clicking noise. I really hope I remain feeling as good as I have been lately, fingers crossed!

Wishilivedinflorida

@lisac113 I also recommend diaper cream! Works wonders. Hopefully it’s not BV or continued yeast!

jumpy57

Woah vivid dreams. I was in a bike race and doing awesome until I stopped at home between legs and these people wanted to pick up an old car (Wich we didn't have) and I was yelling at them to leave until a family pulled up in the old car to sell it at our house because it was a weird Craigslist transaction. It was intense and I'm now barely awake because obviously I was reaching my bike and tired 

jjess1201

Is anyone planning to formula feed right from the start? I'm really struggling with wrapping my head around breast feeding again. I HATED it with DS1. It was not easy and my supply was terrible. Per my LC,  I would nurse him for 15min each side and he would still be hungry so we would supplement with formula and then I would pump for 30 minutes after EVERY feeding. It was exhausting, physically and emotionally and when I pumped I never got over 5ml (that's ml, not ounces!). I tried meds, supplements, mothers milk tea and all the recommendations to increase supply and they didn't work. Finally, as I was crying in our ped office because DS was not gaining enough weight, the pediatrician recommended I stop because it was obviously affecting me and interfering with enjoying time/bonding with DS because I was constantly pumping and worrying he wasn't eating enough. I think even if my supply was better, I would not enjoy the experience, I did not feel like I bonded more by nursing. I will probably give breast feeding a try again but I will be honest, I'm dreading it more than labor. The only thing that has me hopeful it will be better this time is that I was put on magnesium when I had DS1 and that could have contributed to my supply issue. I have not had any indication yet that I will have to be put on it again so it could be better this time.
So, if you are planning to formula feed, how are you managing the guilt?! My OB and hospital are very pro-breast feeding and I feel guilty that I don't want to do it! Anyone else have concerns/dreading breast feeding? Sorry for the novel! I also thought it would be good to get this discussion out there that breast feeding is not always a walk in the park, no matter how much you want to do it and how much you try to be successful at it.

Patience7150

@jjess1201 I also have more anxiety over breastfeeding than labor, as DD was a NICU baby and our journey was terrible so I ended up exclusively pumping. It's incredibly stressful trying to pump while baby is crying from being hungry, but knowing she won't latch or effectively transfer milk, so we're just in 15 minutes of agony. I am not planning to FF from the start, but if we have as rough of a journey, I will be more forgiving to myself and more tempted to switch to formula. Breastfeeding isn't for everyone, and if you give it a try and hate it, or just really don't want to do it, then don't. There's nothing wrong with you, your baby will be fine, fed is best. I personally am planning to give it a go, and am telling myself I have to try for X amount of time, and will reassess at that time. (with the obvious being if baby isn't gaining weight, we will supplement as directed). 

Wishilivedinflorida

@jjess1201 Fed is best and don’t let anyone guilt you! You could try to BF and supplement with formula if needed, and not pump if supply issues occur, because who has the time for that?! If supply issues occur you could always just switch to all FF if needed. Or heck, start out EFF if you think it will help you have less stress. The best route of feeding is one that feeds baby and stresses out Mama the least. Formula is not evil, though sometimes it’s portrayed that way. 

MandyMost

@jjess1201, I am totally pro-breastfeeding if it's at all possible, but I hate that people portray it as an "all-or-none", "succeed-or-fail" thing! It shouldn't be that way, that adds soooooo much stress. That being said, any breast milk has benefit for the baby. Can you try to go into it with that mindset? If your milk comes in and baby is drinking it, that's amazing. That's a 100% success right there, own it!  If you need to (or choose to instead of going through ridiculously difficult measures) supplement with formula, you STILL successfully breastfed your baby and passed that immunity and other benefits on to him/her for whatever they manged to get! If it's different this time and you're getting plenty of supply and end up enjoying it because you're not stressed and baby is gaining weight, that's great, but it's fine if it doesn't happen too.

To me, "successful" breastfeeding means the mother tried HER best (not someone else's best) to feed her baby breast milk for as long as SHE wanted to (not what someone else wanted her to). It has absolutely nothing to do with how much formula is (or isn't) necessary to keep baby well-fed. Unfortunately, so many women don't get the best advice/support for breastfeeding which means they're not able to do their best--that's what's a shame, there shouldn't be any shame on the mothers. 

dexnie

@jjess1201 that sounds awful! I’m a FTM and hoping to BF but I 100% believe that a happy mom and a FED baby are best. Don’t let that guilt creep in!

klj0228

@jjess1201 I’m so sorry you are already having stress and anxiety over this. As a FTM I am keeping myself open to breastfeeding, but I am pro mom’s happiness. I believe that a mom being stressed causes extra stress on baby. I also fully believe breastfeeding is not for everyone and formula has come a long way over the years. I am personally a little worried that if I choose not to breastfeed that people will be very clear with me their opinions about me not doing what’s right. I have tried throughout my pregnancy to make clear to anyone who asks, which really who’s business is it anyway, that I am going to try to breastfeed but I am open to formula if bf doesn’t work for us. 

Please know you are supported and no one can make a judgment on your choice if they have not walked in your shoes. No one knows the pain and stress you had last time and they do not understand what it takes to make a decision like this. 

sclarke7

@magnolia209 I totally get that hard stomach/ heavy feeling too just recently. I am also carrying low and I think the position of the baby must have something to do with it. Sometimes I'm great, then others I can definitely feel the heaviness. Don't think i've been having BH either but i'm FTM so pretty clueless. I was relatively small until this point so could just be the growing+stretching that comes with being 6 months +?
 
@lisac113. Are you still teaching? Not sure what you are wearing but I find my shorts which have an underwear style liner.. its the rubbing from constant movement like running for me or maybe step for you thats causing irritation on already swollen lady parts? lululemons or something might do the same thing, just constant rubbing the wrong way? Good luck hope the cream helps, i'm definitely gonna try some before my next long run. 

DanyTargaryen

@jjess1201 - If any part of you wants to see how it goes this time around, I'd give BF a shot again. If not, then don't let people guilt you into something you don't want to do (easier said than done since the world loves to judge moms on everything). A healthy mom, including mental health, is very important and if that means formula from day 1 then that is what is best for you and your LO.

lpq0309

@EErin86 The dreams I have are crazy too! The latest one, I was on a mountain trying to save baby goats by being lifted by a helicopter with this rope tied around my hips. By the time I got the last goat in the helicopter I was some how left on the mountain?? Lol. I also have been having some nightmares to the point where I don't want to go back to sleep cause I just start the dream where I left off when I woke up. The last nightmare I had, I still think about because it was just crazy. Luckily I haven't had any bad dreams about baby..

dairygirl93

@jjess1201 I’m with you on that one. I actually wanted to ask this on here, but being a relative stranger, I didn’t want to seem like I was a one time poster thing. Also, sorry, this might be a novel.

Like yours, my hospital is extremely pro-breastfeeding. I actually watched a new mom get yelled at by a nurse for simply asking about formula. My son would not stay awake to feed. The 3 LCs I dealt with all said we were doing nothing wrong, I had a great supply, it’s just that he was a lazy baby. So I exclusively pumped & bottle fed for the first few months, until my depression became so bad that I knew I had to stop. So we switched to formula. My baby was happier, I was a million times less stressed and was able to properly deal with my PPD. 

I’m getting a cheapy manual pump and making sure this one gets the colostrum. Then will pump&bottldfeed to relieve engorgment and help dry myself off (I’m sorry, is that the term used for people? I only know cows lol) Both DH and my mom were relieved to find out I will be formula feeding right away, and my doctor who helped with my PPD 100% supports me. I’ve rehearsed a speech for the nurses a thousand times. I’m not a confrontational person by any means and am quite the push over, so I’ve been preparing to stand up for myself. Yes, I understand that it may not be as bad because every baby is different, but I have no intention of risking my mental health when I know I have a perfectly good alternative. 

klj0228

Curious about when I should do this, which makes me think other might be too. How long before your due date are you going to install/ have the car seat installed in your car? 

treeofcheem

@jjess1201 Like others have said, as long as your baby is FED, you're doing your job. Breastfeeding has a lot of benefits, but so what? It's not the only way to take care of your kid. If you *want* to try BF, with no pressure to force something that isn't working well, then give it a shot this time. Maybe set some guidelines for yourself - you'll try for X number of days, or you won't pump at all, or you'll try pumping for X amount of time, or whatever would make it less stressful for you. If not, then don't.

I was adopted and exclusively FF, and I feel like I turned out fine! It's one of the things I keep in mind to (somewhat) prepare myself just in case things don't go as planned. I think that thinking about your reasons ahead of time can help you cope with whatever feelings come up later. You'll know that it wasn't done for any reason you'd feel guilty about, or at least that you had *good* reasons for doing it. Because you know postpartum emotions are not helpful for staying rational and feeling good about your choices all the time - so have something you can go back to if you start feeling guilty. And I like what @dairygirl93 said about preparing what you might say to the nurses or other care providers.

Asunshinek

klj0228 said:

Curious about when I should do this, which makes me think other might be too. How long before your due date are you going to install/ have the car seat installed in your car? 

Last time, I installed mine a little over a month before. That was probably overkill....but I am ocd about being prepared lol

arcticseal-2

@klj0228 On the way home from the hospital with the baby???!!!   That's what we've done.  I think even with our first.

Patience7150

@klj0228 whenever you feel like it. I liked being prepared and knowing what we were working with, so I think by now I'd installed the base, but then took it back out for a bit. I also had the seat and base installed for a bit just to know what my new seat angle would be like, but then I got paranoid about people breaking my car window thinking I'd left an infant in my car. 

dairygirl93

@klj0228 Last time, we installed it about 2 weeks before due date because there was a car seat inspection clinic held around that time. This time we’ll probably leave it until the last minute. We live 4 blocks from the hospital, so if DH has to run home to go get it, or if we need someone to bring it, it’s not a big deal.

nlc8424

@klj0228 I would say 36-38 weeks is good. I'd be cautious installing it too far ahead of that in the event you get into a car accident you might have to replace the carseat and/or base.

stothi

@klj0228 about 36 weeks is when I like to have it installed.

@jjess1201 I was induced early and on magnesium and my baby was jaundiced with low blood sugar and low body temp. He comforted nursed a bit during the golden hour but when we got back to our recovery room the nurses immediately asked if it was ok to give him a formula bottle cause buddy needed some food asap and I had no milk or colostrum or anything. I pumped for about a week before anything came in so our nursing was just comfort nursing that first week. Then I had very low supply for the 6 months I nursed and like you, I couldn't pump more than about half an ounce. I think I got a full ounce once and about died from happiness. Anyhow, I had a ton of support from my spouse so I didn't mind nursing and pumping. Thankfully my husband was around enough that I could nurse and he'd go make a formula bottle that he'd feed the baby while I pumped and whatever I pumped would just go into the next formula bottle. I think I stopped pumping around 4 months, and was down to only one boob still making milk by 5 months and then my son was over my slacker boobs by six months and no longer interested so we went to just formula.
This time my very loose plan is to nurse on demand while just assuming that my kiddo will also need a formula bottle. I'm not going to power pump or take supplements or jump through all the hoops like I did last time. I'm just going to nurse, he gets what he gets, then formula feed till he's full. If I have a great supply this time then awesome! I'd be happy to exclusively breastfeed! I'm open to that. I will not fight and fight for it again though. Nope. It is what it is and if what it is, is formula feeding, then formula my baby shall have.

As far as my speech/response to nurses/docs/busy bodies in general who want to have a negative or critical opinion about how I feed my kid is concerned, I do have one prepared. It's short and to the point. It's actually entirely visual. It involves holding up just one special middle finger in a timeless and classic salute. 

DanyTargaryen

@klj0228 - We installed the car seat base around 38 weeks. The infant carrier didn't get added until we were leaving for the hospital when I was in labor.

jumpy57

I think this baby is going to be super long... I can feel baby moving against my left hip and right rib at the same time.

smsaulino

After not being sick last week, I think I jinxed myself into thinking I was done. I was sick yesterday and today. 

samd6

Anybody else experiencing "I've never had hair there before?!" ? My husband pointed out I had some hair on my booty (like, my cheeks) that had never been there before. I'd like the hair on my head to grow more/get thicker, not add hair in places that weren't hairy before. gah. At least I can have a sense of humor about it, right?! 

Is there anything else I need to be aware of as a FTM that people are hiding from me?! lol

nackie

@samd6 I tend to get chin hair when I’m pregnant. Really dark, thick ones. Pregnancy is fun. 

samd6

@nackie super fun lol