@zande2016 aw I was living vicariously through you and your BA plan to just call in today lol Congrats on it being last day either way! I have 8.5 left assuming I don't go early...still waiting on my FMLA paperwork from HR, cross training is pretty much done, but need final memo/OOO/notices, 293 emails to triage, and like 1000 other little things. Totally hoping i spontaneously go into labor today to avoid a meeting I don't want to deal with tomorrow and just sort of light a match and walk away with everything else..... :: lifts fork full of leftover vindaloo ::
@zande2016 careful what you wish for... I seriously thought "what else could go wrong!?" and BAM - last bathroom break after the hip pop I couldn't walk the 10 ft to the bathroom without screaming - says the woman who danced on a severely sprained ankle for a month in stilettos before seeing a dr and didn't scream like this in unmediated labor. Trying to figure out if I need to call Ortho or OB first, but since imaging is out until LO arrives as is ibuprofen and steroids....not really sure what either can do at this point...someone suggested I go to ER and let them duke it out but that just sounds horrendous - and not just because I'd have to explain HOW i hurt my hip
@gingerbride26 & @zande2016 - she basically said that last time I was still very thick and only a 1-2. Last Thursday I was very thinned out and already past a 2, easily stretched to a 3. So, basically already what they would consider ripe. To be honest, my nurse and I last time conspired together to give me a 2nd round of cytotec even though I was technically a tiny bit past what they normally define as ripe then too (after the 1st round). That 2nd round put me into full blown labor, but it was against their normal policy so neither of us said anything. I can't very well tell my doctor that and pressure her for it now! LOL
Congrats to the new mommies! Hugs to those struggling with work. I'm on leave but still need to close out a couple of things and it's been impossible to find the time so I'm a little stressed.
@rachelsogo labor vibes to you too, maybe you'll go on your own before induction! @runsomewhere I'm sorry you feel that way! Fwiw I also think it's a pain but it's also been really nice to bond with the LO. However it also helps to have a positive mindset towards it and if you are feeling stressed out about it maybe it is a good idea to consider FF, because if you want to give BF an honest try it may take a while to get the hang of it. I'm already doing much better after only 8 days.
@zande2016 I hope you can clock out early and feel better later on today, thinking of you! @MichelleAG05 glad you feel better emotionally, best wishes for a safe induction. @gingerbride26 I ended up not pumping anymore because the LC told me it may cause oversupply but I DEFINITELY need a pumping bra for later, we decided to wait until he is 2.5 weeks or so then start pumping and introducing bottles.
@zande2016 thanks for the understanding and best of luck at the appointment/with the 3rd sweep. I was also a member of the 3 membrane sweep club when I was pregnant with DD.
@d_marie_23 Same. I wasn't very successful BFing DD. I bf/ff 50/50 for 2-3 months then switched to all formula. I definitely could have done more to BF more but I threw in the towel pretty quickly. DD has always been super healthy and we had a great outcome that I question how I'm going to not easily quit this time around.
@gingerbride26 same, I got a nursing bra, nursing tanks, a pump, the gel soothies, I'm ready to go. I was even pumped (no pun intended) to really give it a good shot this time. Then I read that thread and all can think is "yeah no, why would I put myself through this."
@rachelsogo right?! So much great info/support there. We've got so many smart and helpful July mamas here
@wildtot thank you and you're so right. I think that for me I kind of associate BFing with stress, anxiety and ppd. I have no idea why. When it didn't work out well with DD I didn't even feel that bad about it.
This time I was honestly excited to give it a honest shot and not quit too soon. St times though I feel like maybe I don't want it bad enough, just feel like I should want it. I'm usually all about the natural and healthy options when it comes to nutrition so I don't know what my deal here is.
@kissableviv I'm glad things are getting easier. Also, that's a really good point that after 8 days you're getting the hang of it. That really speaks to me that like with most things in life you're likely to need some practice/training to master something.
My NST was crappy this morning. I felt the baby move a bit before the appointment but then nothing during the NST. Her HR was steady in the mid 120s. They gave me ice water, nothing. Finally they used that little buzzer to wake her up. She jumped when they did it then immediately passed but I don't feel good about it since it was kind of forced.
I also had a quick fluid check/ultrasound after. I told the teach I was worried so she took extra time and pointed out the baby practicing breathing, something she said a baby that's stressed wouldn't be doing. That made me feel better but I'm still a little worried.
@runsomewhere i can totally relate to that. EBF was a lot of stress for me with DD - we had issues early on with her latch and being an "inefficient" feeder which led to weight loss, which made the PPA I was already having worse - especially when I went back to work and had to obsess about having enough ML for daycare the next day. I promised myself this time I'd give it an honest go - different kid, different experience - and I still plan to at least give it a try, but I also promise myself not to force it on myself and leave the door open for supplementing or full on FF if the EBF isn't working. Also sorry about the stressful NST - dr said last week when I went in for low-movement that at this stage between being out of room and extended sleep cycles it's normal. Easier said than done to not worry though. So glad the tech didn't brush you off and actually listened!
@runsomewhere BF was super hard for me but I kept at it because it was something I really wanted to do. If the desire isn’t there, you’re just gonna drive yourself crazy. I say do it if it’s what you want but if your heart isn’t in it just do what you have to do to for your own happiness and mental health. No need to feel bad about it!
Ahhh I just logged out of work for the last time AND removed my work email from my phone for the next 12 weeks. I’ve been having a lot of contractions since the afternoon but they’re not timeable, consistent, or painful. Still not getting my hopes up but it sure would be nice if this was the beginning of something.
@runsomewhere I'm sorry about the NST. I still need to share my birth story but when I do you will see why I'm now skeptical of nst. Milo was never crazy active during them and the nurse was always skeptically looking at the results even though the doctor was always ok with them. In general, the baby was never a crazy mover but he is super healthy!
@gingerbride26 thank you for sharing and I'm sorry you had a tough experience. I agree with the different kid, fresh try outlook
I think a big part of my being standoffish when it comes to BFing is not really understanding where I went wrong.
Moms, please feel free to tell me, I won't be hurt or offended. I'd actually love some feedback.
DD latched well at first in the hospital but the few hours before we left she wouldn't stay on and seemed frustrated at the breast. I saw the hospital LC before we were discharged. She worked with me on DD's latch but suggested that I try expressing milk and syringe feeding it to DD if she won't stay latched on, she also stated that formula should only be given when medically necessary. To be honest everything about this LC put me off.
But DD was a sturdy and healthy 41 weeker that left the hospital weighing more than her birth weight so no one was really concerned.
At home I worked on the latch but often she didn't want to stay on. Still when a postpartum nurse visited the day after we came home DD was looking good and gaining weight. My milk wasn't in 5 days pp but again no one seemed concerned.
6 days pp middle of the night DD seemed so hungry and upset and would not stay latched on. We didn't know what else to do so we made a bottle of formula. She seemed so relieved and happy, so was I. At this time I also started pumping but got nothing till 7 days pp at which time I would get 1-2 oz from each side.
I have never ever felt engorged or experienced the rock hard breasts I've heard about.
We had our second visit from our pp nurse, who was pretty great and I explained what was going on. She said to put the baby to the breast as much as possible and to pump every 3 hours, including over night if I wanted to EBF.
DD was gaining weight and doing well. I was giving her formula, pumped milk and putting her on the boob as much as possible but not forcing her is she became frustrated or wouldn't stay on.
Since she was gaining weight and doing well her pediatrician said it was ok to let her sleep at night. She was sleeping really well, so was I, I wasn't getting up to pump in the middle of the night.
Over the next 2-3 months I pumped 2-3 times a day getting 1oz a side, I put DD on the breast when she would take it and formula fed the rest of the time. Sometimes she'd latch on for 30 minutes but more and more often she wouldn't stay on and cried for a bottle. We did this till I totally dried up. I never experienced leaking engorged, hard breasts. DD did really well on formula.
I don't know what happened. Did I not produce enough? Did I introduce the bottle too soon?
Sorry for the length and thank you to anyone that made it through all this.
@runsomewhere Did you reach out to an LC outside of the hospital or attend a le leche league meeting? I think a lot of women do not reach out for help or get second opinions. I was able to EBF but I had a lot of issues. I went to two different LCs and got help from Le Leche League meetings to figure things out. DS had a tongue tie and a recessed chin, which equaled a poor latch. Plus I produced very thick milk so that lead to a lot of clogs. Peds did not know anything about diagnosing a tongue tie but the second LC I went to figured it out and I was able to get that fixed.
I only produced 1 or 2 ounces in the beginning. I never produced more than about 4 ounces per breast per pump session when I went back to work. I never FF but I think the volume of formula increases as baby gets older where as breast milk changes to meet baby’s needs. So DS never drank more than 4 or 5 ounces a feeding all of he way to a year old. The LC warned me that if I started supplementing with formula, I would stretch the baby’s stomach and baby would require more to be full...so it is difficult to switch back to just breast feeding. I might be off on that one because it has been a few years.
@runsomewhere first off I don’t think you did anything wrong. I’m surprised your LO was gaining weight when your milk was delayed coming in- if anything, you were doing it right. It sounds like she might have been frustrated because of the delayed milk- my DS was the same until mine came in. 1-2 oz is a normal output for a baby that small, and like pp said BM changes to meet baby’s needs as they grow, my DS never needed more than 5oz per feed when he was EBF. If you really want to give it a go this time, I’d suggest you reach out to an LC if you notice issues, and start pumping when you come home to try and encourage your milk to come in earlier. You might have a much easier time, you never know.
@chaser61 that bit about supplementation is interesting, I’d think that if you were doing paced feeding that they wouldn’t be able to over eat with formula. Sounds a little fear-mongery to me.
@runsomewhere I’m echoing what others have said and also try not to get ahead of yourself and stress yourself out before baby is here. I wasn’t successful at BFing my first baby because I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t seek out info/help. With my second she latched easily and we had a great start to BFing and I had a good supply. My 3rd was in the NICU and I EP for her (for the 5 weeks she was with us) and I had an amazing supply because I started pumping on day 1. With my 4th I had a rough start to BFing due to being readmitted for PP pre-e and it affected my supply because I wasn’t on top of nursing and/or pumping. The early days are important for setting the tone for your supply (IMO). This time I plan on nursing as much as baby will allow and pumping for a few mins after a few feedings each day while in the hospital so my milk will come in sooner than day 3 or 4 like it typically does for me. Once my milk is in I don’t plan on pumping for awhile unless I have to but I found that it really helped boost my supply and bring my milk in faster since I had a sleepy newborn who wasn’t nursing enough.
Married 9/19/09 Me (32) Dx PCOS, DH (32) SA = Normal/mild morph issues TTC#5 July 2017 - 3rd cycle TTC = BFP on 11/12/17 at 9dpo Beta #1 = 96 at 13dpo - Beta #2 = 207 at 15dpo
TTC#1 starting Nov. 2009 3 rounds of Clomid + TI and 3 rounds of 7.5 mg Femara + IUI before our BFP on 11/8/10 at 12dpiui TTC #2 3rd cycle of Femara 7.5mg+Ovidrel+TI = 4 follies = BFP on 10/12/12 TTC#3 July 2014 - Metformin +TI = BFP at 9dpo - Twins, one baby lost at 5.5 weeks Macy Annabelle born at 37w4d on 4/29/15. Diagnosed with Cri du Chat and passed away on 6/6/15. Forever in our hearts. TTC#4 3rd cycle of Metformin + Femara 7.5mg+Ovidrel+TI = 3 follies = BFP on 12/24/16
@runsomewhere first of all i don’t think you did anything wrong. If anything you did the best you could and your baby was thriving regardless. I agree that seeking support is important and I myself didn’t do that as a FTM. We dealt with major colic and acid reflux and i wonder if I made the error of giving up BFing so soon and making it worse with the bottle. With DS i over produce but he still had a favorite side and one produced more than the other. This time around i don’t think I’m over producing (only pumping max 2oz per boob) but DS2 has a favorite side which is challenging because the engorgment is terrible. I’d be put off too by the MWs comment regarding formula only for medical reasons. As long as baby is fed that’s what matters. You have a say in it because your putting your body through this. Don’t feel bad on your decision. If you feel it’s not for you don’t feel guilty.
@acunamatada Well it worked because I didn’t supplement!
Maybe it is the post partum hormones but I feel like mother’s fears are played on a lot. The peds really gave me a hard time because it took two weeks to get DS back up above birth weight. They tried to scare me into using formula. Then once he gained weight and beyond, they hassled me because his weight and height was off the charts. It is like babies have to fit in a certain box at certain times or else it is time to stress the mommies out. It makes it hard to navigate. I think it is important to listen to your gut and do what is best for you and your family.
@chaser61 I did not reach out to a LC outside of the hospital one. I did join an online LLL either on meetup or Fabebook, I don't remember but I was put off by the militant attitude. Also, by 3 weeks PP I was settled and happy with the combo feeding, enjoying my DD and not interested in changing anything. I will definitely be open to reaching out for support and more opinions this time.
I haven't heard that about formula causing stomach stretching but I do think that formula from the bottle was so much easier to get for DD that it further made her not want to work on latching and prefer the bottle.
@acunamatada that's the weird thing, DD was gaining and dirtying diapers which doesn't suggest that she was dehydrated or not getting enough. This is the factor that makes me think I threw the towel in too soon.
I have my Spectra S2 ready to go and will pump the day we get home.
@Sarafuss you're right about me getting ahead of myself and assuming there will be issues. I'll try to take it one day at a time once baby is here and be more open minded to LCs and LLL. Looking back, I also had no clue what I was doing. I assumed I would BF and that it would just happen and when it didn't I went to formula. I don't know when my milk should or will come in but I'll definitely work on encouraging it to come in sooner.
@chaser61 interesting that the pedi was giving you a hard time it took two weeks to get back to birth weight. Our pedi just told us that usually the norm in most babies.
When it’s the night before your induction and your mom texts you out of the blue to say “my doctor told me the best way to get the baby out is to have sex!” Uh yes mom, we tried that. Many times.
@runsomewhere I liked the book from the LLL called The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, but like you found some of the actual members harsh. I had to supplement with DD too cause she was so small, but once I got my supply up around 2 months we didn't need to anymore. I used the Dr Brown bottles and always made sure to use the size 0 nipple so the bottle was not a lot easier for her and I think that made a huge difference. DD had no problems doing either pumped milk or BFing. As long as baby gets fed and cared for call that a Win! You got this mama!
@zande2016 I’m hating that suggestion. My bff’s who both had their babies early keep giving me new suggestions every day. Do you think I’m sitting here doing nothing? Not trying anything?? Cuz I’ve literally (not this time, but the last time) had sex every day for the last 3 weeks. It doesn’t work.
@zande2016 Truthfully I don't know if my heart really is in it, but I would like it to be.
*fingers crossed* that this is it for you!
@kissableviv I'm looking forward to reading your birth story! I'm curious to hear what impact you feel the prenatal yoga and other "prep" you did impacted your labor an delivery.
The NSTs can drive me crazy. They give me piece of mind but also stress me out. This baby has been identical activity wise to my DD, super active some days then quiet. When I've reached out about quiet days I've been told that I'm just not paying attention to movement at the right times, that it's her position, my core is too tight, it's the few small fibroids blocking movement, I'm carrying far back so many different things.
Like your little one, DD was born super healthy and active and I hope for the same with this baby.
@zande2016 I’m hating that suggestion. My bff’s who both had their babies early keep giving me new suggestions every day. Do you think I’m sitting here doing nothing? Not trying anything?? Cuz I’ve literally (not this time, but the last time) had sex every day for the last 3 weeks. It doesn’t work.
So much this. Honestly we upped our sex game at 37 weeks and from 38+0 up until last night (tonight) at 39+4 we’ve only missed 1 freaking night. And I make sure to freaking orgasm every time, which they say “causes uterine contractions” sorry no, I don’t feel a single dam cramp during or after it. I lie on my back for 2 hours after and let the semen do it’s thing. Nothing.
In addition, I’ve consistently tried every single “trick” there is for 2 weeks now and who knows, maybe all of it helped me get a little more dilated and thinned, but after my appointment today I was just over it. I’m done torturing myself with pumping and walking uphill in 90 degrees and tea and oil and bouncing on the stupid ball and $600 worth of acupuncture. Overrrrr itttttt. my mom gets a pass because she’s taking care of our son and house and dog while we have this baby and basically keeps me sane in life, but the next person who tries to text me with helpful suggestions is gonna hear it from me.
TLDR: these babies run the show and they come when they want to dammit
@hillbillywife@zande2016 I hear you on trying all of the things. This time I added the yoga and EPO which I didn't do the last two times, and I didn't really do much sex and still am not because DH is weird about it, but I still went two weeks over. I'm not going to NOT do it, to the extent that my budget allows, but if I end up going on my own this time or dilating in anyway prior to induction, I'm not sure I'll be able to point to anything other than my constant hiking as causing a difference in my ability to dilate and efface.
I'm really sad that people had a bad experience with LLL meetings! I actually always thought they were crazy snobs about breast feeding who were militant about nursing til their kid was 6 but I have been going to meetings since October (that was before conception, lol) because I know the leader and so many of the women supplement and came back to breast feeding full time, some have pretty much stopped nursing before 1 because hteir kiddos love food so much, some have been supplement GOATS milk (not raw) instead of breastfeeding, and they all give themselves so much grace about their choices and are so nice. I thought the book about breastfeeding from LLL was way more judgy than the ladies in the group I go to.
ETA: DS woke up at 1:40 yelling something I couldn't make out but thought had something to do with pee. He wasn't upset but I thought he might have peed his bed so I went in after his 8th holler and it turns out he wanted water. So I got him water and he went back to bed. I don't know how long it took him to go to sleep after that because I went back to sleep but I opened his door this morning at 7 and he didn't even move. I took his water bottle out of his bed...turned his head over and went back to sleep. Turned off the sound machine, left his door open, left the doors to the kitchen open, and am going about my day....still in the same position. Guess he's tired!
@runsomewhere I know it's been said but it's the first thing that popped into my mind as well - you didn't do anything wrong. Also - some women just don't ever have their milk fully come in - happened to my BFF - and all the pills and power hours won't make it come in more.
I also found the LC in the hospital "militant" (perfect word choice) and a healthy dose of fear mongering with things like "don't introduce a pacifier or you will never breast feed again" or "don't use nipple cream, just rub some colostrum/milk on the nipple" and they would just grab baby and boob and smash them together. Nurses were more helpful but it definitely did not come naturally to me. Pediatrician was SUPER supportive during that first couple weeks when DD wasn't gaining weight, provided some formula specifically for supplementation and the syringe and cup methods, invited us to come in on weekends for extra weighing, assured me I was doing everything right and fed is best when I felt like a failure and just hang in there. There was an LC attached to my pediatrician I went to for help, wish I went there earlier/more. I took fenugreek until my sweat smelled like maple syrup, I ate oatmeal religiously, I made milk booster bars (which actually were delicious and DH kept trying to sneak them too), I did power hour pumping when DD dropped/spaced out a feed. Looking back I think I wasn't as good about hydration as I should have been and will try to keep my gallon a day pregnancy goal post pregnancy this time. Plus 1 for staying at newborn/size 0 nipples as long as you are breast feeding and pace feeding (though daycare wasn't good about that). I don't think my support system was THAT great either family wise as DH's entire family FF so I had to constantly explain myself. I made it about 7 months, then ortho/PT suggested I stop because hormones are still off and relaxin can still be coursing during BF and my back injury wasn't getting better.
@hillbillywife@zande2016 if anyone tries to suggest sex to me I'll embarrass them with my hip sex injury!
@zande2016@SmashJam yep I’m pretty resolved that my body just can’t take the final step in the labor process. Baby will get here eventually and really im glad that he (and his siblings) have had the extra time to grow and stay healthy in utero. And even though I’m excited to meet him, babies are significantly easier to take care of while they’re inside (though I can’t wait to not have a little boy sleeping on my bladder all night)
@wildtot Yes, the ped told me that I had to sit and feed DS before I left the appt. I got him one ounce over his birth weight after nursing him and she still expressed that it was the bare minimum she would except. I felt like she scolded me like a child and left angry. I stayed with the practice but never scheduled with that one again.
+1 for being bummed that people had a bad experience with LLL meetings. Their motto is take what works for you and leave the rest behind. There were women there with all different goals. Whether it was supplementing or EBF, everyone supported each other and were there to help with whatever the decision mom made.
Editing to say @zande2016 I agree you have tried every trick in the book! I hope you will rest easy that you did give it your all, and I am impressed by your persistence!
My issue with LLL was all the meetings around me are like noon on a weekday. Guess I’m the only working mom round these parts. I was back to work at 6 weeks so it never worked for me once I went back. I liked the meetings fine though.
I never tried the actual LLL meetings either, didn't see any in my area besides at the hospital I delivered at where I had already been so turned off by the LCs. @chaser61 that is the complete opposite of my experience with our pediatrician - sorry they made you feel that way - I definitely would not have gone back to that dr in the practice again either.
I forgot to say @zande2016 although all your prep hasn't jumpstarted labor, I'm feeling confident that it will make induction easier and you will get the experience you've been fighting for. BIG DAY! and yay no more work.
So i actually just checked grubhub and panera and no one will bring me breakfast with good coffee lol I'm half tempted to have one of my staff drive the 6 miles from the office to bring me ambrosia...
@gingerbride26 I spoke to my doulas last night and they feel really encouraged and confident my induction will go smoothly and relatively quickly (well quicker than my last at least) based on where I am now and being a STM. I am feeling okay about things today. Just kind of struggling with trying to find a way to occupy myself and toddler all day waiting for it to be hospital time. Too dam hot to go outside. And I wish I could have breakfast delivered, I already ate breakfast but I’m starvinggggg and clearly need a second breakfast.
I liked the overall LLL meeting, I think my problem is I went with MIL who is one of the militant BF till 3 yrs old/pacifiers are evil club. She made that view very clear at the meeting, so maybe only those with similar views were brave enough to approach us lol. I only went to the 1 meeting cause they are kind of far from where I lived and I didn't have any major problems after 2 months. And completely agree that the book should be taken with a grain of salt, but tons of good info in it.
My issue with LLL was all the meetings around me are like noon on a weekday. Guess I’m the only working mom round these parts. I was back to work at 6 weeks so it never worked for me once I went back. I liked the meetings fine though.
Yes! I was bummed that all services, even mommy and me stuff were during work hours. Hoping to do better this time to attend before my leave is over.
I decided I don’t want to cook tonight but I have to eat something pretty substantial before Going to the hospital since they won’t feed me. but obviously not something that’ll upset my stomach. What should I make my H pick up on his way home? So far his suggestions have been pancakes and five guys. I wish this app had that face palm emoji.
@zande2016 hmmm I'd be worried about the grease in the 5 guys - but that stuff always kills my tummy. Panera? I had a giant plate of gluten free fried calamari and penne ala vodka the night of my induction with DD :-9
@gingerbride26 yeah I nixed his five guys idea based on grease factor, I told him nothing too heavy or rich and that was when he suggested five guys. He actually came up with a good idea of pho, so maybe we’ll do that. I was actually thinking of going to Panera for lunch with my son just to get out of the house for a bit.
@zande2016 what is it with men and food - mine has an iron stomach and I do not so our definitions of appropriate food choices when saying "light" is very skewed. I was going to suggest soup! but wasn't sure if it would be *hearty* enough. Guess it depends on the place/bowl though! I haven't had pho in forever...mmmm I love me some Panera... I would totally drive out for my big-ole lemonade at lunch but figure I'm lucky if I have one drive in me today and I need to save it for therapy...first one in 3 weeks due to holiday and last one before baby comes so def don't want to miss it! Look at me putting mental health over my stomach - progress ;-)
But whyyyy can’t Panera have a drive thru @gingerbride26?? I don’t mind the 5 minute drive to get there, it’s getting my son in and out of the car and dealing with him inside that I don’t want to deal with. Lemonade does sound pretty amazing though.
@zande2016 I literally LOL'ed at that. I tell DH I wants something that won't irritate my stomach and his suggestion is pizza so I feel you lol.
Followup to my TW yesterday. I had an update meeting with my boss and it looks like she calmed down since yesterday. She went through and realized a lot of the things she was looking at were immaterial or covered elsewhere. I only need to pick up 2 more things and they are both really quick items (few hours tops). I have more time than things to do anyway at this point but I would have been pissed if she wanted me to do things that would take a lot of work. Still want to quit.
@nimmle I meant to comment this yesterday on the TW thread but your boss sounds like my boss’s twin. Seriously wondering if they’re related lol. I fully intend to job search in August/September before my leave is up.
Re: Weekday Randoms 7/9
Hugs to those struggling with work. I'm on leave but still need to close out a couple of things and it's been impossible to find the time so I'm a little stressed.
@rachelsogo labor vibes to you too, maybe you'll go on your own before induction!
@runsomewhere I'm sorry you feel that way! Fwiw I also think it's a pain but it's also been really nice to bond with the LO. However it also helps to have a positive mindset towards it and if you are feeling stressed out about it maybe it is a good idea to consider FF, because if you want to give BF an honest try it may take a while to get the hang of it. I'm already doing much better after only 8 days.
@zande2016 I hope you can clock out early and feel better later on today, thinking of you! @MichelleAG05 glad you feel better emotionally, best wishes for a safe induction.
@gingerbride26 I ended up not pumping anymore because the LC told me it may cause oversupply but I DEFINITELY need a pumping bra for later, we decided to wait until he is 2.5 weeks or so then start pumping and introducing bottles.
@runsomewhere BF was super hard for me but I kept at it because it was something I really wanted to do. If the desire isn’t there, you’re just gonna drive yourself crazy. I say do it if it’s what you want but if your heart isn’t in it just do what you have to do to for your own happiness and mental health. No need to feel bad about it!
Ahhh I just logged out of work for the last time AND removed my work email from my phone for the next 12 weeks. I’ve been having a lot of contractions since the afternoon but they’re not timeable, consistent, or painful. Still not getting my hopes up but it sure would be nice if this was the beginning of something.
Milo was never crazy active during them and the nurse was always skeptically looking at the results even though the doctor was always ok with them. In general, the baby was never a crazy mover but he is super healthy!
I only produced 1 or 2 ounces in the beginning. I never produced more than about 4 ounces per breast per pump session when I went back to work. I never FF but I think the volume of formula increases as baby gets older where as breast milk changes to meet baby’s needs. So DS never drank more than 4 or 5 ounces a feeding all of he way to a year old. The LC warned me that if I started supplementing with formula, I would stretch the baby’s stomach and baby would require more to be full...so it is difficult to switch back to just breast feeding. I might be off on that one because it has been a few years.
1-2 oz is a normal output for a baby that small, and like pp said BM changes to meet baby’s needs as they grow, my DS never needed more than 5oz per feed when he was EBF. If you really want to give it a go this time, I’d suggest you reach out to an LC if you notice issues, and start pumping when you come home to try and encourage your milk to come in earlier. You might have a much easier time, you never know.
@chaser61 that bit about supplementation is interesting, I’d think that if you were doing paced feeding that they wouldn’t be able to over eat with formula. Sounds a little fear-mongery to me.
Me (32) Dx PCOS, DH (32) SA = Normal/mild morph issues
TTC#5 July 2017 - 3rd cycle TTC = BFP on 11/12/17 at 9dpo Beta #1 = 96 at 13dpo - Beta #2 = 207 at 15dpo
3 rounds of Clomid + TI and 3 rounds of 7.5 mg Femara + IUI before our BFP on 11/8/10 at 12dpiui
TTC #2 3rd cycle of Femara 7.5mg+Ovidrel+TI = 4 follies = BFP on 10/12/12
TTC#3 July 2014 - Metformin +TI = BFP at 9dpo - Twins, one baby lost at 5.5 weeks
Macy Annabelle born at 37w4d on 4/29/15. Diagnosed with Cri du Chat and passed away on 6/6/15. Forever in our hearts.
TTC#4 3rd cycle of Metformin + Femara 7.5mg+Ovidrel+TI = 3 follies = BFP on 12/24/16
Maybe it is the post partum hormones but I feel like mother’s fears are played on a lot. The peds really gave me a hard time because it took two weeks to get DS back up above birth weight. They tried to scare me into using formula. Then once he gained weight and beyond, they hassled me because his weight and height was off the charts. It is like babies have to fit in a certain box at certain times or else it is time to stress the mommies out. It makes it hard to navigate. I think it is important to listen to your gut and do what is best for you and your family.
In addition, I’ve consistently tried every single “trick” there is for 2 weeks now and who knows, maybe all of it helped me get a little more dilated and thinned, but after my appointment today I was just over it. I’m done torturing myself with pumping and walking uphill in 90 degrees and tea and oil and bouncing on the stupid ball and $600 worth of acupuncture. Overrrrr itttttt. my mom gets a pass because she’s taking care of our son and house and dog while we have this baby and basically keeps me sane in life, but the next person who tries to text me with helpful suggestions is gonna hear it from me.
TLDR: these babies run the show and they come when they want to dammit
I'm really sad that people had a bad experience with LLL meetings! I actually always thought they were crazy snobs about breast feeding who were militant about nursing til their kid was 6 but I have been going to meetings since October (that was before conception, lol) because I know the leader and so many of the women supplement and came back to breast feeding full time, some have pretty much stopped nursing before 1 because hteir kiddos love food so much, some have been supplement GOATS milk (not raw) instead of breastfeeding, and they all give themselves so much grace about their choices and are so nice. I thought the book about breastfeeding from LLL was way more judgy than the ladies in the group I go to.
ETA: DS woke up at 1:40 yelling something I couldn't make out but thought had something to do with pee. He wasn't upset but I thought he might have peed his bed so I went in after his 8th holler and it turns out he wanted water. So I got him water and he went back to bed. I don't know how long it took him to go to sleep after that because I went back to sleep but I opened his door this morning at 7 and he didn't even move. I took his water bottle out of his bed...turned his head over and went back to sleep. Turned off the sound machine, left his door open, left the doors to the kitchen open, and am going about my day....still in the same position. Guess he's tired!
I also found the LC in the hospital "militant" (perfect word choice) and a healthy dose of fear mongering with things like "don't introduce a pacifier or you will never breast feed again" or "don't use nipple cream, just rub some colostrum/milk on the nipple" and they would just grab baby and boob and smash them together. Nurses were more helpful but it definitely did not come naturally to me. Pediatrician was SUPER supportive during that first couple weeks when DD wasn't gaining weight, provided some formula specifically for supplementation and the syringe and cup methods, invited us to come in on weekends for extra weighing, assured me I was doing everything right and fed is best when I felt like a failure and just hang in there. There was an LC attached to my pediatrician I went to for help, wish I went there earlier/more. I took fenugreek until my sweat smelled like maple syrup, I ate oatmeal religiously, I made milk booster bars (which actually were delicious and DH kept trying to sneak them too), I did power hour pumping when DD dropped/spaced out a feed. Looking back I think I wasn't as good about hydration as I should have been and will try to keep my gallon a day pregnancy goal post pregnancy this time. Plus 1 for staying at newborn/size 0 nipples as long as you are breast feeding and pace feeding (though daycare wasn't good about that). I don't think my support system was THAT great either family wise as DH's entire family FF so I had to constantly explain myself. I made it about 7 months, then ortho/PT suggested I stop because hormones are still off and relaxin can still be coursing during BF and my back injury wasn't getting better.
@hillbillywife @zande2016 if anyone tries to suggest sex to me I'll embarrass them with my hip sex injury!
+1 for being bummed that people had a bad experience with LLL meetings. Their motto is take what works for you and leave the rest behind. There were women there with all different goals. Whether it was supplementing or EBF, everyone supported each other and were there to help with whatever the decision mom made.
Editing to say @zande2016 I agree you have tried every trick in the book! I hope you will rest easy that you did give it your all, and I am impressed by your persistence!
I forgot to say @zande2016 although all your prep hasn't jumpstarted labor, I'm feeling confident that it will make induction easier and you will get the experience you've been fighting for. BIG DAY! and yay no more work.
So i actually just checked grubhub and panera and no one will bring me breakfast with good coffee lol I'm half tempted to have one of my staff drive the 6 miles from the office to bring me ambrosia...
but obviously not something that’ll upset my stomach. What should I make my H pick up on his way home? So far his suggestions have been pancakes and five guys. I wish this app had that face palm emoji.
Followup to my TW yesterday. I had an update meeting with my boss and it looks like she calmed down since yesterday. She went through and realized a lot of the things she was looking at were immaterial or covered elsewhere. I only need to pick up 2 more things and they are both really quick items (few hours tops). I have more time than things to do anyway at this point but I would have been pissed if she wanted me to do things that would take a lot of work. Still want to quit.