November 2016 Moms
jenesiso
member
Things I've learned by day 3.
jenesiso
member
As a FTM, I've learned several things (and we aren't even out of the hospital yet...going home tomorrow!)
1. I need waaaaay more burp cloths and wash cloths. Spit ups are real and spontaneous, and always unexpected.
2. Breastfeeding is either really easy or really hard. Having a hell of a time. Still no latch. But I'm having success pumping and supplementing. She's eating a lot and hasn't lost any weight yet.
3. Tearing during delivery sucks bad. Really tender and painful aftercare. Get the big ass pads they offer, it's worth it. I cant hold my pee at all. Luckily they catch it all. Ice packs feel great. Be careful wiping, cause a tug on that stitch will send you through the roof. Take the motrin.
4. I didn't poop for 4 days. Really hurt when I finally did. Take the colace.
5. Use the nursery at night so you can partner can sleep. They feed them when they need to be fed and you don't have to worry about messing that up as long as you're there. But be prepared for your own separation anxiety. I've woken up the last two nights sobbing.
6. Swaddling is great, make sure you get nice quality blankets though. The cheap Circo brand from target are pretty disappointing. Thin and stiff and weird. The hospital striped ones are a lot warmer.
7. Slow flow nipples (if you're supplementing) are better. If you use the regular ones, they eat too quickly and will screw up their tummy and spit it all up all over their clean outfit you just changed them into lol
8. Don't freak out if you find baby's belly button clamp laying in the crib after getting them back from nursery. DH freaked out until they finally told us they removed it because her belly button was dry enough. Lol...that was a fun panic attack.
9. Take all and any information from the nurses. It's really invaluable.
10. Baby blues is real. Didn't think it would be. But guess what I'm doing right now at almost 1 o'clock and she's still in the nursery? That's right, I'm here. Lol
Good luck FTM's. I'm right there with ya.
1. I need waaaaay more burp cloths and wash cloths. Spit ups are real and spontaneous, and always unexpected.
2. Breastfeeding is either really easy or really hard. Having a hell of a time. Still no latch. But I'm having success pumping and supplementing. She's eating a lot and hasn't lost any weight yet.
3. Tearing during delivery sucks bad. Really tender and painful aftercare. Get the big ass pads they offer, it's worth it. I cant hold my pee at all. Luckily they catch it all. Ice packs feel great. Be careful wiping, cause a tug on that stitch will send you through the roof. Take the motrin.
4. I didn't poop for 4 days. Really hurt when I finally did. Take the colace.
5. Use the nursery at night so you can partner can sleep. They feed them when they need to be fed and you don't have to worry about messing that up as long as you're there. But be prepared for your own separation anxiety. I've woken up the last two nights sobbing.
6. Swaddling is great, make sure you get nice quality blankets though. The cheap Circo brand from target are pretty disappointing. Thin and stiff and weird. The hospital striped ones are a lot warmer.
7. Slow flow nipples (if you're supplementing) are better. If you use the regular ones, they eat too quickly and will screw up their tummy and spit it all up all over their clean outfit you just changed them into lol
8. Don't freak out if you find baby's belly button clamp laying in the crib after getting them back from nursery. DH freaked out until they finally told us they removed it because her belly button was dry enough. Lol...that was a fun panic attack.
9. Take all and any information from the nurses. It's really invaluable.
10. Baby blues is real. Didn't think it would be. But guess what I'm doing right now at almost 1 o'clock and she's still in the nursery? That's right, I'm here. Lol
Good luck FTM's. I'm right there with ya.
Re: Things I've learned by day 3.
3. Tearing during delivery sucks bad. Really tender and painful aftercare. Get the big ass pads they offer, it's worth it. I cant hold my pee at all. Luckily they catch it all. Ice packs feel great. Be careful wiping, cause a tug on that stitch will send you through the roof. Take the motrin.
4. I didn't poop for 4 days. Really hurt when I finally did. Take the solace.
I tore with my first and am desperately hoping to not this time... putting Tucks Pads on the big pads can provide quite a bit of relief too should your hospital supply them. If not, they're on Amazon and just about every pharmacy. I'm also leaning towards using Depends instead of just pads for the sake of catching everything.
I hope the blues clears up and you can get some sleep soon, new mama!
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
MMC 01/26/12
MC 12/25/12, D&C 01/05/13
BFP 03/05/13, EDD 11/12/13. HB 175 @ 9w2d. Its a Girl!
DX with EA/TEF Type C & Tracheomalaysia
MC @ 13wks 01/15/15
BFP 1/11/18, EDD 9/21/18
And i got Hudson muslin swaddle blankets off Amazon. They're on off brand of Aden and Anais. You can get 2 for $13 (instead of $32). They're awesome for swaddling. They're big and soft. They are thin so you have to dress baby accordingly or add a blanket.
Gonna stock up on more cloth diapers. I tell ya, there's never enough. Both DH and I are desperate for more.
Pissed i can't take a bath for 4-6 weeks. My feet swelled three times in size yesterday, so expect that. All the prego fluid has to go somewhere!
There's no shame in a Depends game. seriously. I'm gonna pick up some myself. My bladder is so weak it's pointless because it hurts to get up and run to the toilet.
One piece of good news though, milk is starting to come in and it's only been 3 days now. Mine is a preemie and we had to supplement, but I managed to get out 30mls this morning! What a relief.
Anyway.
Ugh.
Gonna go find some ice to put on mah butt.
Hang in there, mama! Day 3 was a huge emotional roller coaster for me!
Also, those cheap and crappy swaddling blankets make great spit up rags for when you are home!
easy and doesn't take too much of the nail so that they have pain (spoken as the mom who spent evening #1 crying because I cut my brand new baby with clippers!)
And c section... your stomach loses feeling. No one tells you that. And you do not need giant pads. I am hating wearing it but I don't have smaller ones yet!
PS. Pumping gets easier. I'm getting 30ml in 10ish minutes and she's 4 days old. Be patient.
OH and the best thing EVER...at the hospital they had me chart and record everything we did...every feeding, pumping, diaper change, kangaroo time...instead my husband today found an incredible app called Baby Manager that charts all of that info on your phone and you and your partner can log into the same baby profile and see what each other did and charged. I'm so happy to have this.
I don't know what else to do before my pelvic muscles tighten back up. Stay home? Lol...this kid needs too much crap. You think you got everything you needed at your shower?? LOLOLOLOLOLLLLLLL HA. Yeah right. I've spent 250 in the last two days.
Lots of pee.
I realized today I should have began a regiment of colace or stool softeners WELL BEFORE giving birth. Still waiting for them to kick in. Not good times down south.
Daughter #2 - Oct 2014
Daughter #3 - Nov 2016
Baby #4 - Sept 2018
MMC 01/26/12
MC 12/25/12, D&C 01/05/13
BFP 03/05/13, EDD 11/12/13. HB 175 @ 9w2d. Its a Girl!
DX with EA/TEF Type C & Tracheomalaysia
MC @ 13wks 01/15/15
BFP 1/11/18, EDD 9/21/18
My dr said no baths but shower is fine. You don't want anything (water, soap, etc) back through inside into your cervix where your mucus plug was. But then I've read online other drs say it's OK , like ten minutes with epsom salts. Unfortunately my DH is hell bent on me not taking a bath so not to upset him I'm trying not to lol
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
I hated the receiving blankets I was given so I replaced those ...
Because she was spitting up too much using the normal flow nipples, we had to get slow flow nipples...
Things like extra trash bags for the diaper genie...stuff to fill the diaper bag like we only had one tube of diaper rash cream so I bought more. I also didn't have bassinet sheets so I bought those. I got a free boppy but I didn't have a cover so I had to buy that...the pacifier the hospital gives you is pretty big and clunky for a preemie so we had to buy smaller light weight ones...we had to get spare membranes for the pump because they're super easy to lose down the sink...
Geez lol...this is barely it...
What else...today we bought a mirror for the back seat head rest. I also picked another nursing bra up because my milk has come in and nothing I had fit. I need to return the too small one I bought today ...we also stocked up on more Gerber cloth diapers because you can never have too many.
Im sure there's more im missing but that's off the top of my head. Oh and I dropped 125bucks today for 3 more car seat bases, one for my husband's car, and one each for the grandmother's.
Phew!
2010: Infertility
October 2015: missed miscarriage #2 at 11 weeks (trisomy 22)
Daughter #2 - Oct 2014
Daughter #3 - Nov 2016
Baby #4 - Sept 2018