Feb- PAIF graduates - new mamas

mskeenan · February 2017

@tulips29 I decided we won't use any birth control . Between breastfeeding and my history I'm not worried about getting pregnant . I know it's possible but it's very unlikely . If it happened I wouldn't be upset - wouldn't be ideal timing obviously but would be a miracle for sure !

Ideally we are going to wait at least 18 mo before transferring our next embaby or embabies . I've heard that it takes a woman's body 18 mo to physically recover from pregnancy and birth . I've known plenty of women to get pregnant before that mark that have been fine but I've gotta get back into good shape . I definitely need a break from all the crazy hormones .

dragonfaerie · February 2017

Oy, today has been draining (in every way...) Riley has been doing all marathon feeds that last 45 minutes to an hour, and he's only going a couple hours between feeds. Then, he's super squirmy, latching and relatching, so I feel like he's going to pull my nipple off! Hoping we don't have a second day like this. Momma can't take much more.

mskeenan · February 2017

@dragonfaerie hang in there ! Vince has done that same thing for a couple days at a time . It's rough

but it will pass !!

dragonfaerie · February 2017

@mskeenan At least those heavy feeding days aren't usually the whole day. He finally settled down after 4 hours.

Griffin5413 · February 2017

@Tulips29 - my OB won't put me on it until I stop breastfeeding or begin to wean. Something about too much hormones for Eli. As much as I loved being pregnant I'm not sure I want to be 2 months in but if it happens naturally that's pretty much a miracle so I'd be ok.

Not sure if this is TMI but sex after is so different! It hurt the first time and that was with lots of lube. Plus finding time when we are so exhausted is always fun too. Lol

tvh1982 · February 2017

With me, my midwife mentioned it at day 10 when she came to check on Pia. Apparently with PCOS one has a good change to get pregnant naturally pretty fast after giving birth.
Then at my 6 week check-up my gynaecologist gave me a prescription for the pill. I asked do I really need it and her answer was if I don't plan on getting pregnant she recommends it as I could get pregnant.
I haven't started it yet, I've been putting so much hormones in me I think my body needs a break and it's not that I have a SO, so I'm not afraid of 'accidentally' get pregnant.
I do think my body is different after giving birth. I actually feel when I'm ovulating just like when I took hormones, which before I had no clue. I can even tell you which side. So they might be right.
I have 4 more embabies left, of which I would love to have another baby, but we'll see. Not sure I can do two on my own.

dragonfaerie · February 2017

@Griffin5413 Did they discuss the progesterone only pill? That's what I'm going on because the hormones are less so they won't interfere with milk production. It's interesting that they won't discuss any birth control at all.

tvh1982 · February 2017

Glad you shared the TMI @griffin5413. I did wonder about that. Although it feels pretty much normal down there, it still like they gave me a different one after Pia.

Question: Does anyone's LO need to have something on their faces to relax?
Pia either hides in my armpit or keeps her doll right on her face.
Last night she woke up for a feed and didn't want to go back to sleep, so I put her next to me. She wanted to be as close as possible. So she ended up with her forehead against mine, nose against nose. Me holding her head and she holding that hand strong into place.
Now I just went upstairs to check on her as my mum said she has a cuddly toy with her and if that's ok. And it's again on her face! I put it there as if it was up to Pia she has a cloth with her.
Is this baby defect

(I figured as she can move her doll over her head, she's strong enough to move her cuddly toy..or should I worry? Checked on the side and her nose is free for breathing)

Griffin5413 · February 2017

@dragonfaerie - she didn't discuss the mini pill but she did talk about an IUD. I told her I didn't want something semipermanent bc the dr said it would be a miracle if We got pregnant naturally anyway.

@tvh1982 - she is not defect! Lol. Eli doesn't need anything on his face but he does like to nuzzle his face into my shoulder. I feel like if they r on their back it would be hard to suffocate like that. Think about how much they shove their face in our breast during breastfeeding.

WishingforLuck · February 2017

@ultratomato glad you were able to resolve the issue with your dad.
@dragonfaerie that's a good idea about having a guys night. I hear you on not conceiving naturally when you still have embabies on ice, I'm in the same boat.
Yay for everyone getting longer stretches of sleep.
Interesting about the birth control and not getting pregnant again for a year. My doc also mentioned something about birth control but I tuned her out.
Am I the only one who's a little selfish with their LO's. Like I don't want people holding my LO's, and if they do I don't want them being held for long. I think it has to do with everything I went through to get to this point. And how I just want to bond with them. Or am I just a little nuts?

dragonfaerie · February 2017

@WishingforLuck I go through stretches where I really just need to cuddle him and don't like to see him with anyone else's arms or in his swing. I'll feel guilty like "I worked so hard for you, why aren't I holding you all the time!"

clt2pwm11 · February 2017

My OBGYN suggested iud as well, but like others said, I'm not really on board. At my follow up appointment in March, I'm going to talk to her more about it. I wouldn't mind a miracle baby.

tvh1982 · February 2017

So true about the breastfeeding @griffin5413, forgot about that. Thx, I'm more relaxed now to leave the cuddly toy with her, she doesn't need it all the time, but it's good to have close

It depends for me @wishingforluck. Some days I hate it, other days it's just nice to drink boiling hot tea instead of cold

If I visit my sister I know I hardly get to hold Pia as my nieces want to do everything, and I'd let them as they'll bond.
With visitors I try to let them hold her too as I hate going to visit someone's newborn and only get to look at it!
But everytime I'm glad I get her back. Specially when she cries, some people like to still hold her (maybe as to proof they can console her?) but I just get itchy fingers and want to grab her. I know it's good if others try, as I don't want Pia just to want me, but it is difficult. (I know I'll do better

)

Tulips29 · February 2017

@mskeenan @Griffin5413 I agree with you ladies that having a miracle baby would be great. I guess we'll see what my doctor says. My husband is ready for another one. I'm ready for some sleep lol.

@dragonfaerie oh man, when I read your updates I feel like those are my updates just 2 weeks behind. I had the same with A where he was just cluster feeding for the longest time non stop. It does pass but then you're back with something else. Hope you can get some rest soon!

@WishingforLuck I feel the same way. Especially when my inlaws come over and my MIL just hogs the baby all to herself. I just want to say give him back to me now you've had enough. But I don't since they only see him once a week.

@tvh1982 I find it cute that Pia wants to snuggle with something or in your arm. I guess she finds it comforting? As long as her nose is free I think she's fine. My lactation consultant told me that babies are smart and will chose breathing over anything else and that stuck with me. I was also worried when A is burried in my boob eating that he can't breath but he's just fine

.

Anyone know how to reverse baby's day and night? Or has any good gas relief? Im thinking Aiden has his day/night confused because he just refuses to go to sleep after 8 pm. It's non stop crying and fussing. Last night was especially bad. He was up every single hour crying. I tried dream feeding as you ladies suggested, I rocked him, I sang to him, I walked him, gave him a pacifier, you name it. He's calm down for a bit, long enough for me to hit the bed and think he's asleep and then he'd be crying in 15 mins again. I'm a zombie today and my sanity is really being tested. Of course now he's been sleeping in 4 hour stretches all day. I tried to keep him awake during the day but he refused and just wanted to sleep. I'm afraid for what's waiting for me tonight!

Drove2u · February 2017

@tulips29 we've been putting Viktoria to bed around 9-10pm each night. Between 6-9 she just cries unless we're rocking her, holding her. So I decided tonight 7pm will be her bedtime. It took me two hours to get her to sleep so it was 9 anyway. lol I assume you have a bedtime routine already? I also use Spotify and play white noise for her and that seems to work. Or like tonight I just let her fall asleep in my arms and then I put her to bed. DH thinks it was too big of a change going from 9-10 to 7. So tomorrow I will try for 8:30 and make it half hour earlier each night. Let us know how it goes!!

Griffin5413 · February 2017

@Tulips29 we usually start our bedtime routine around7:30 or 8. I tried puttingEli to bed earlier thinking he might sleep longer but he just sleeps that 4-5 hour stretch and I'm not. Have you tried gripe water for gas? We tried that and it seemed to help. It sounds like Aiden might be a little colicky... hoping it passes soon and you get some rest... I would say that you should for sure sleep when he sleeps during the day. Keep the room bright, don't turn down any noise etc during the day and try to reduce noise, light talking to him and those types of things at night. I'm sure you've already tried all that though.

Tulips29 · February 2017

@Drove2u @Griffin5413 well we started at 8:30 pm tonight. I carried him on me in the carrier and he fell asleep. Transferred him to his bed and the screaming started. It's almost midnight and I think he just fell asleep. We tried everything again and I think gripe water finally helped him. I just wonder why is it that every night he screams about going to bed around same time

Hoping he can give me at least a few hours of sleep now.

tvh1982 · February 2017

If he is gassy @tulips29 he feels safer and less in discomfort when he is attached to you. That might explain why he slept in the carrier and not when you put him down. It does sound like it maybe is colick? That often starts at the same time at night.
Have you looked into foot reflex? I've used that on Pia. I use my tumb and put light pressure on her sole of her foot and massage it. This is apparently in conection with the intestines. I also give light pressure with tumb and finger (squeeze gently) each toe, this should calm their minds. She loves it when I hold her feet and calms down.
She also farts quite a bit during or afterwards.
You don't want to do it too long as you gently want to stimulate her belly.
I'm not sure if it really works or not, but Pia seems to enjoy it!

Thanx for sharing what your lactation consultant said about the breathing @tulips29.
I just put Pia down and after placing the cuddly toy half on her face and she is sound asleep without me having to rock her!
It actually make sense she likes it as I burry my face into my duvet, guess she's my daughter

Griffin5413 · February 2017

@Tulips29 - there have been a few nights where the only place Eli would sleep is lying on my chest. So that's how I slept bc my sleep is more important to me at this point than whether or not he sleeps in his own crib all night. If he really is gassy then being on his tummy or held up against you could ease some of that discomfort.

So eli has been up every hour tonight!

Tulips29 · February 2017

@tvh1982 oh I've read about the foot reflex but totally forgot about it. I'll give it a try!

dragonfaerie · February 2017

Hoo boy did I make a mistake. I thought I'd try a dark and quiet night feeding so at 2ish when Riley was ready to eat, I turned on my phone for a little light, and kept him in bed with me. Despite him seeming to eat well, he has been restless since then (over two hours) and constantly needing to nurse. Back to our original routine, it is!!

@Tulips29 I'm sorry you are still struggling. I hope the reflexology helps! Have you tried side lying feeding with him in bed? Then he can nurse when he feels like it and you can rest a bit

ultratomato · February 2017

So ladies do you let your babies cry for 5 min if they won't go back to sleep after eating and need a nap? And how long do you keep a 7 week old up after they do eat? I have been doing an hour unless they fall asleep in my arms.

ZoeFer · February 2017

@ultratomato I am not an expert in this but we do not let our baby cry. And the latest studies show that you do not spoil the baby if you hold them every time they cry. At least until she is 5-6 months old, I will not let her cry. Lara did need to be hold for about 15 min or so when she was younger but last 2-3 weeks she can fall asleep in her rocker by herself for day time naps. And she falls asleep with nursing at night.

ZoeFer · February 2017

@dragonfaerie Our LO does not like sleeping in our bed , she likes her space in her bassinet. I tried to get her sleep with me cuddling but she seems like she cannot get into deep sleep. At the end we were both tired.

clt2pwm11 · February 2017

Mamas breastfeeding or pumping: have you noticed a decrease in supply in one of your breasts? The past 2 days my left breast has been struggling. Last night was super bad. The right one is still pumping like a champ. I try to drink a lot of water, but I did have a Coke yesterday, so maybe that had something to do with last night. The only reason I'm worried is because I have PCOS and I've read sometimes that messes with a woman's supply. Thoughts? Suggestions? Empathy?

dragonfaerie · February 2017

@clt2pwm11 It's pretty normal for one side to produce more than the other, and it usually is the right that does better. Just keep pumping, it could just be a random thing. Some days one side seems to fill faster than the other for me, and poor Riley almost drowns, or can't get a good latch because I'm engorged

@Zoefer I think Riley likes to cuddle, but neither of us really sleeps well when we do for sure. They definitely have their personalities!

@ultratomato I give Riley a few minutes after putting him down to see if he's gong to rest. If he actually starts crying I pick him up immediately, but he has a lot of settling in noises, including occasionally whining or crying out that I let him do.

capps42613 · February 2017

@clt2pwm11 My left breast was the under achiever too when I was pumping.

@Griffin5413 every hour?! Ugh. That's rough. Cason has been sleeping steadily from 10p-5/6am, takes a bottle & goes back to sleep til 8:30am. Last night he got up at 1am for a bottle (which was unusual) and then slept until 7:15. I'm not telling you this to rub it in or anything, but my Ovia app today said a disrupt in their sleeping/eating pattern at this age is just them getting ready for a big growth spurt. Another sign is they fall short to making it to their next feeding. Like Cason usually eats every 3 hours but he's usually hungry now around 2.5 hours. Do you think Eli needs his oz's increased? Not sure, just trying to help! I hope tonight is much better for you.

Another thing that I think helps Cason sleep well through the night is that he's pretty much trained himself to have a bigger bottle at night. For instance, he mainly drinks 4-5oz during the day, but his last bottle before bed (8p-9p) is 6.5oz. In the beginning it would take him a few intervals to finish the bottle completely, but now he takes it all at once.

tvh1982 · February 2017

I don't let Pia cry @ultratomato. I believe a cry is their last resort to tell something isn't right. I prefer rocking her to sleep. I know if I let her cry (I remember from driving the first few weeks and not being able to stop to sooth her) that she gets a panic attack and I'm worse off.
But just like Riley she does have a whining sound and other noises before she falls asleep. I'm always in the room with her, either rocking her, just sitting in the comfi chair quiet or reading a story (or Facebook updates or these messages) until she relaxes and falls asleep.
ive noticed Pia needs to feel secure before she can relax. Me leaving her to cry only makes her feel more abandoned.

I offer Pia a bigger bottle at the (hopefully last feed) too @capps42613 She sometimes drinks it and sometimes doesn't.
Weve had sleeps from 11pm til 06:30am and another til 09:00, but the last 2 nights she wakes again at 03:30 or 04:30.
I know theoretically that means she's sleeping through the night, but boy do they kill me those feedings.
I try to offer a smaller bottle at night (I have the regular size with me, no point in putting a hungry baby back to sleep) so she learns there isn't a reason to wake up.
But I've read that until 6 months they need their nightfeeding, so if they wake to give it. I do check if it's food she wants or a dummy is just as good. I know pretty fast when it's not the dummy, and then I curse inside and try to wake up for that damn bottle

ZoeFer · February 2017

clt2pwm11 my left breast is also having a slower letdown, but I realized that it gives milk for longer and usually catches up the right side (in supply) at the end if I give enough time. The funny thing is Lara also prefers to nurse on the left side longer periods for sleeping.

capps42613 · February 2017

@tvh1982 yes! I always try to offer the bink first but that only wins about 1% of the time lol

tvh1982 · February 2017

Oh yes, it's usually a waste of a trip giving her that dummy @capps42613!
But yesterday she gave me an extra 3 hours with it

We slept from 10pm til 5am with a dummy at 2am.
A dummy again at 7am and now it's 8 and I hear her cooing and smiling

Griffin5413 · February 2017

@capps42613 - i think he is getting ready for a growth spurt bc he was doing so well with a good 5 he stretch. Tonight has been a little better. I've tried upping his oz and the most he takes is 4oz. He still has some reflux so that may have something to do with it.
@ultratomato We don't let Eli cry it out yet. Like the other ladies have mentioned you can't really spoil an infant at this point. Plus Eli's dr said you can't even really start sleep training until around 4 months. I think we r lucky though bc Eli is not a screamer at this point.

chicandbubbly · February 2017

Hey ladies! I'm so excited to be in this group now! Carter Bennett was born 2-12 was 6 lbs 2 oz and 19 inches. He is the sweetest little guy and we are all obsessed. Working on breastfeeding- it definitely will take time. I went to a lactation consultant yesterday and since then he has been doing extremely well so I am hoping we can have him gain some weight (he's down to 5-5)

.

capps42613 · February 2017

@chicandbubbly congrats again! So happy for you to join us. Carter is a precious lil peanut! Ps- told you your labor was gonna go fast lol

dragonfaerie · February 2017

@chicandbubbly Welcome and congratulations! Carter is so beautiful! Don't worry, he'll gain back his weight in no time

ZoeFer · February 2017

@chicandbubbly congratulations ! he is so adorable. breastfeeding will get easier from now on. always seek help if you have any concerns, i realized that BF problems are very common and there is usually a solution.

mskeenan · February 2017

@chicandbubbly congrats and welcome !! What a cutie . I love his head of hair !! Vince also dropped weight in the beginning and everyone in the hospital was making me nervous about it but he was fine after my milk started to come in !

ultratomato · February 2017

Welcome @chicandbubbly he is precious

tvh1982 · February 2017

He's one handsome little boy @chicandbubbly! And oh so tiny! Feel like Pia is huge now that I see pictures of Carter

mskeenan · February 2017

So ladies if pregnancy brain exists is mommy brain a thing too ? This is super embarrassing but I thought I would share in case anyone has days where they feel like they just can't function . Don't feel bad about it - I just flooded my downstairs bathroom , closet and part of my bedroom because I left water running in a sink and forgot about it . I'm actually afraid for my son because I have become so brain dead and sleep deprived, lol

Feb- PAIF graduates - new mamas

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