I know this is subjective but how long did you breastfeed? At what point did you start pumping and bottle feeding?
I breastfed DD for 3 years, I went back to work after maternity leave around 2 months after she was born, so I started pumping then. I pumped at work until her first birthday. I'd pump at work and nurse at home. I nursed her all the time (or she had breastmilk in a bottle when I was at work), until we introduced other foods, she slowly started nursing less and less. We stopped at 3 years because she was pretty much done with it at that point. It just felt right for us.
@sjis i think one reason why newborns can hate baths is they just get cold. they don't get submerged in nice warm water like older kids and adults. they have to basically hang out in the cold air being wet. if you make the environment more comfortable (small space heater, or steam up a small bathroom), and get some washcloths or baby towels wetted down with warm water to drape over LO, then just remove the towel in the area you are washing / rinse / put it back, it usually goes ok. some babies also just like to be held / worn / be near someone so it helps to speak soothingly the whole time and maintain a tactile connection with one of your hands.
when DS was really little we did sink baths but it helped to have two people because, wow, babies are slippery, especially with any kind of soap. then we moved up to an infant bathtub that we set on the ledge in our shower (we have a shower bench built in) and i showered at the same time. HTH.
@cait5413 sounds like your DH got some good "witching hour" time in with DD
Met: September 2005Married: October 2008 DS: 09/2014
@mrsorigami and other who have talked about it: This may be a dumb question, but... when you were pumping at work, what did you do with the milk during the workday? Did you have a freezer at work that you were able to use? I'm going to be back at work after about 4 months, and as long as BF works out I plan to keep pumping, but I'm not sure whether the milk has to be frozen immediately or if I should have a cooler at my desk or something.
djd0404 I pumped into bottles, transferred into bags and stored them in a lunch box cooler in the fridge. I took that cooler home daily and immediately stored the bags in my freezer at home. I also took any bags needed for the next day out at that time and put them in the fridge to thaw for the next day.
@djd0404 technically freshly expressed breastmilk is safe at room temperature for 6-8 hours, when I took a course when DS was 3 months though I just used a cooler bag with many ice packs (not refridgerated), it stayed nice and cold until I got home in the evening to freeze it. So if you don't have access to a fridge, that is also an option.
A pro-tip from the lab: keep a sharpie (and possibly some blue painters tape) with your pumping supplies to date your bags (tape if you're storing in bottles until you get home and transfer to bags). It's a billion times easier to write on things/label them BEFORE they're frozen (or full). And if you're building a stash, you'll want to know when you stored it.
Most sharpies will wipe off with alcohol if you write something you didn't mean to. Painters tape doesn't leave the gross reside that masking tape can.
@anewadventure he definitely did! I did get calls during class a few times when he couldn't get her to stop crying. @sjis we had a baby tub with a sling that we put in the kitchen sink k at first. Once we got past sponge baths, DD loved a real bath. She still does. I think @anewadventure is right, keeping them warm is key. And if baby really hates it, you don't need to give a bath every day!
@djd0404 I have a mini fridge in my office so I didn't have to put milk in the shared fridge. I also kept my pump parts in there, but there are some new CDC recommendations about that. A cooler should also work, though
Married May 2014 DD born August 2016 Baby #2 due December 2017
@cait5413 Is it not ok to keep pump parts in the fridge so you don't have to wash them after every use? That's what I did with my DS and it made pumping at work so much easier!
@cait5413 Is it not ok to keep pump parts in the fridge so you don't have to wash them after every use? That's what I did with my DS and it made pumping at work so much easier!
They're saying that is no longer ok to do. I think if you're at work and have no easy way of washing/sanitizing, then do what is necessary.
@cait5413 Is it not ok to keep pump parts in the fridge so you don't have to wash them after every use? That's what I did with my DS and it made pumping at work so much easier!
I will probably still do it. A baby who was premature and thus had a compromised immune system died from an infection traced to the sink where her mom soaked her pump parts. New CDC recommendations are to use separate scrub brushes and ideally a separate sink for baby stuff and they recommend washing after every use and aor drying parts. They also recommend not washing in a bathroom sink ( the only sinks at my work) and possibly bringing multiple sets of pump parts to work if you can't wash them every time. However they did stipulate you have to do what works for you and consider yoir baby's risk. For a healthy newborn without immune issues I'm not sure every precaution is necessary. But it is something to be aware of. La Leche League has always said putting pump parts in the fridge between pumps amd washing at the end of the day is ok
Married May 2014 DD born August 2016 Baby #2 due December 2017
@splsmama2016@cait5413 Thanks for the info! I guess I can buy a 3rd set of parts so I can use a new set each time at work. It's just going to make for a lot of dishes every night!
If you have a microwave at work, try using the Madela micro-steam bags to sanitize parts. You rinse the parts, put them in the bag with 2oz of water and heat for about 2 min. It quickly sanitizes everything. Each bag can be used up to 20 times.
Yes those sanitizing bags are great! You can also put your pump parts in a ziploc bag and put them in the fridge for your next use(if you are pumping multiple times at work). Also works if you are doing an overnight pump and are too tired to wash everything. It's seriously so much easier than washing after every pump. You should definitely get a separate washing bin (our nicu sent us home with one) and bottle brushes. Do not wash with regular dishes.
As for a csection, I had one with the twins and it wasn't that bad. 1. Get a belly binder, ask your hospital for one they should give it to you. Mine didn't even ask they just put it on right away. 2. Take the pain meds and definitely take the stool softener. That first poop is the worst one. Ugh I'm nervous just thinking about it again! 3. Get up and try to walk as soon as you can. That will help speed up your recovery. For me it took about 10 days for me to wean off the pain pills. I think I took ibuprofen but not that strong one after that. Around 14 days I felt comfortable to drive. Being released to drive is not being on the pain pills and and being able to 'slam on the brakes' if need be. You definitely use those muscles. I would say after 3 weeks I was able to go without the binder and by 4 weeks I was doing much better. What they don't tell you is your incision can be numb for months or years. The numbness wore off of mine after about 6 months... oh and another thing you do actually bleed below even when you have a c section. I'm sure it's not as bad as a vaginal birth but that surprised me!
@tmk0325 yes, I meant to mention the numbness! Knew I forgot something. Mine was still semi-numb past 6 months. My hospital did not give me a belly binder. And yes, the bleeding and lochia still happen, so the recommendations for stealing the mesh panties and considering wearing depends for a few days (also handy to have on hand in case your water breaks and you don't want to leak everywhere on route to the hospital) still apply to c-section mamas. But you won't need the padsicles and witch hazel pads.
Married May 2014 DD born August 2016 Baby #2 due December 2017
@breezybee Me too!! I have a pretty high pain tolerance for anything that isn't a headache, but everything related to childbirth recovery sounds straight out of a horror movie to me
@sjis So fun story, when I was in grad school doing clinicals, my supervisor was heating something in the microwave. I kept asking her what it was because it smelled really good. She awkwardly responded that it was her Medela steam bag!!!! I guess it was still heating up the food residue from whoever had used the microwave right before her, hahahaha, but that is still one of those embarassing moments that keeps me up at night sometimes!
@breezybee@elcd458 I can't speak for c section mamas, but I went drug free with my son, so I felt everything and recovery really wasn't bad at all. By the time I left the birth center, my bleeding was the same as a heavy period. I took it easy on my lady parts when I sat down, but other than that, it was a lot better than I thought. I didn't take stool softeners or anything and it was fine. I was a little afraid, but it really was fine. I didnt use padsicles after I got home, but I only had a few second degree tears, so maybe would have wanted to if I had torn more. But it doesn't hurt to keep a few in your freezer just in case!
I worried so much about the recovery too, because I have suuuch a low pain tolerance. Don't worry ladies, you got this!
@alyssaleighw thank you for sharing that! I know birth won't be all sunshine and rainbows but I have been so nervous lately hearing all the painful stories! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the painful stories so I can be prepared, but it's nice to hear it's not always horrifying.
Me 29 I Him 26 Married 4/22/16
TTC 9/2015 **TW** BFP 2/1/16 I MC 3/21/16 (11w) TTCAL 6/15/16 BFP 3/23/2017 Team pink! Quinn Leigh EDD December 1, 2017
@alyssaleighw thank you for sharing that! I know birth won't be all sunshine and rainbows but I have been so nervous lately hearing all the painful stories! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the painful stories so I can be prepared, but it's nice to hear it's not always horrifying.
Definitely. It is hard to predict how it will go because it's different for everyone. I think if you're nursing, it helps too because you are so focused on learning that and getting to know your baby. It's a good distraction. Lol
Everyone's deliveries and recoveries are so different. Try not to stress yourself out too much, it may surprise you Both of my recoveries were a breeze, honestly. I think part of it was that I was so relieved not to feel like crap anymore (hg). I bled for about 4 weeks with my first but with my second I was barely bleeding when I left the hospital. I was up and moving and cleaning the day I delivered with both. I was crazy tired, had some stinging when I urinated, and was a little sore and heavy in my lady parts when I walked too much (like a dumb dumb I took my son to the zoo 1 week pp with dd) but overall really felt good almost immediately. Labor and delivery were the easiest part of pregnancy for me personally. Again probably because I had hg up until delivery. I had a vaginal birth with an epidural and one induction.
@mrsorigami and other who have talked about it: This may be a dumb question, but... when you were pumping at work, what did you do with the milk during the workday? Did you have a freezer at work that you were able to use? I'm going to be back at work after about 4 months, and as long as BF works out I plan to keep pumping, but I'm not sure whether the milk has to be frozen immediately or if I should have a cooler at my desk or something.
I pumped and kept the milk in bottles or bags. I had a little cooler I put everything in and then the fridge at work. My boss had a small mini fridge in his office he was always happy to let me use. The main office had a huge fridge that was also an option.
I would take them home and put in the fridge for the next day or the freezer if we had enough, but usually I did not have any extra.
All the muscles in my body were way more sore than my lady parts. You use muscles you don't know you have when you push a baby out lol.
I can believe it! Serious question though, is there a way to train for this? I'm doing prenatal yoga and thinking about stepping up to 2x/week because I really like it. I thought it would just be slowed down, stretchier yoga, but we actually do kegels and pelvic floor exercises and squat centered poses, and a lot geared toward supporting the lower back and core. Is there anything else I can be doing? What would STMs recommend?
Me: 36 | DH 35, Married 2007
TTC #1 June 2015 April 2016 - AMH, FSH, Progesterone normal June 2016 - HSG clear *TW* BFP - Aug16, demise confirmed Sep16, incomplete m/c, D&C Nov16 BFP 3/27/17, edd 12/7/17 DS - 12/9/17 TTC #2 December 2018 BFP 2/22/19, edd 11/4/19 DD - 11/1/19 My Chart
All the muscles in my body were way more sore than my lady parts. You use muscles you don't know you have when you push a baby out lol.
I can believe it! Serious question though, is there a way to train for this? I'm doing prenatal yoga and thinking about stepping up to 2x/week because I really like it. I thought it would just be slowed down, stretchier yoga, but we actually do kegels and pelvic floor exercises and squat centered poses, and a lot geared toward supporting the lower back and core. Is there anything else I can be doing? What would STMs recommend?
I'm not sure if you can train for this, but if you find out, let me know! Good question!
@alyssaleighw@whiska YES! You definitely can train for labor! Core and pelvic floor training are the cornerstones of pregnancy training, but just general strength training will have massive benefits. Oh and glutes. Focus on ALL the glutes. Having strong glutes will help keep your pelvis well supported and open and balance your pelvic floor! I suggest following Brianna Battles, Jessie Mundell, Pregnancy Exercise, Julie Weibe on IG or FB if you want more info! I also have a blog for my personal training stuff but I'm not sure I'm allowed to "self promote" here?
@whiska wherevare you doing this prenatal yoga? At a studio or at home?
I go to a local studio. That's a good question though, I could save money and add home sessions using youtube or other videos but there's something that feels like I've accomplished something by going to a scheduled class I would definitely recommend it to any pregnant woman (talking to your doc about it first of course) -- I feel so much better afterwards.
Thanks for the tips @kvacmak! You're not trying to sell us wraps and crap and you're also an established member; I think it's totally fine to share your hobby or passion project if you're comfortable!
Me: 36 | DH 35, Married 2007
TTC #1 June 2015 April 2016 - AMH, FSH, Progesterone normal June 2016 - HSG clear *TW* BFP - Aug16, demise confirmed Sep16, incomplete m/c, D&C Nov16 BFP 3/27/17, edd 12/7/17 DS - 12/9/17 TTC #2 December 2018 BFP 2/22/19, edd 11/4/19 DD - 11/1/19 My Chart
@tmk0325@cait5413 With a c section how do you get around the first few days - like taking a shower, going to the bathroom, etc? I would imagine it is tough without help.
@tmk0325@cait5413 With a c section how do you get around the first few days - like taking a shower, going to the bathroom, etc? I would imagine it is tough without help.
So at first they won't let you get up. They put these boots on your feet that inflate and deflate to help your circulation as the anesthetic wears off. Once that is over and your catheter is out they encourage you to get up and walk around. The nurse will help you into the shower and out if you need it. I was able to shower and towel off pretty much on my own. The nurse came in to help and found me already drying off and she was like, "you're doing really well!" I think she did help me get dressed after--help pulling up my undies etc. By the time we left the hospital I went to the bathroom and showered on my own without trouble. (Other than finding the time to put the baby down so I could do it!) You just have to be careful with yourself and not move too quickly
Married May 2014 DD born August 2016 Baby #2 due December 2017
Another c-section question. Is it true you can't go up/down stairs for a while with a c-section? Our bedrooms are all upstairs and our couch is not all that comfortable. I know my mom wasn't allowed to take the stairs (though her last c-section was me, 26+ years ago) so I'm wondering if that's outdated, but I feel like I read that somewhere during my lurking around here too.
I'm thinking maybe I read that you're supposed to minimize it, so I could go upstairs to sleep, but then I'd need to either stay upstairs all day or go down and not go back up until bed again?
@alyssaleighw@whiska YES! You definitely can train for labor! Core and pelvic floor training are the cornerstones of pregnancy training, but just general strength training will have massive benefits. Oh and glutes. Focus on ALL the glutes. Having strong glutes will help keep your pelvis well supported and open and balance your pelvic floor! I suggest following Brianna Battles, Jessie Mundell, Pregnancy Exercise, Julie Weibe on IG or FB if you want more info! I also have a blog for my personal training stuff but I'm not sure I'm allowed to "self promote" here?
Yes! Along with this I would also work on baby's position. Long labors, especially long pushing stages are often caused by poor positioning. Check out spinningbabies.com for ways to get baby not just head down but optimally aligned. (I realize try are trying to sell video packages but if you can't /don't want to pay just be patient and work through the site. All the info is stil there you just need to find it) Also get upright in labor. The 'classic' position you see on TV actually makes it really hard to push out a baby. Long pushing is rough on the body but can usually be avoided by an active mother.
@MJDsquared I was allowed to go up and down the stairs once a day after my csection. So I'd go up to bed at night and then come down in the morning, but not go back up until it was time for bed again. I just made my DH get me things if I happened to need something upstairs.
@cait5413 Thanks for the reply! Its a relief to know that by the time you get home you can take care of yourself. I was under the impression that a c-section only requires 1 day in the hospital. How long were you in the hospital? Also after a c section when do you get to hold /see the baby?
@yodaisgreen a standard hospital stay for a normal vaginal birth is 48 hours (post baby) and 72 hours for a normal c-section. This is what's typical for most insurance plans.
Some women do leave sooner if they can because they'd rather be in the comfort of their own home without the interruptions of hospital staff.
@yodalsgreen with my csection I was given the option to leave the hospital after 3 nights, however my insurance covered 4 nights. Since my son was in the NICU I opted to stay the extra day, but physically I think I would have been fine leaving.
Re: FTM questions for STM 8/6
Together since May 19, 2001
Baby #1 was born in May 2013.
when DS was really little we did sink baths but it helped to have two people because, wow, babies are slippery, especially with any kind of soap. then we moved up to an infant bathtub that we set on the ledge in our shower (we have a shower bench built in) and i showered at the same time. HTH.
@cait5413 sounds like your DH got some good "witching hour" time in with DD
Met: September 2005 Married: October 2008 DS: 09/2014
TTC #1 since 12/2015
BFP 4/4/17, EDD 12/4/17
Me: 29 DH: 31
Married 10/13/12
TTC Since 8/2016
Most sharpies will wipe off with alcohol if you write something you didn't mean to.
@sjis we had a baby tub with a sling that we put in the kitchen sink k at first. Once we got past sponge baths, DD loved a real bath. She still does. I think @anewadventure is right, keeping them warm is key. And if baby really hates it, you don't need to give a bath every day!
@djd0404 I have a mini fridge in my office so I didn't have to put milk in the shared fridge. I also kept my pump parts in there, but there are some new CDC recommendations about that. A cooler should also work, though
Married May 2014
DD born August 2016
Baby #2 due December 2017
Married May 2014
DD born August 2016
Baby #2 due December 2017
As for a csection, I had one with the twins and it wasn't that bad. 1. Get a belly binder, ask your hospital for one they should give it to you. Mine didn't even ask they just put it on right away. 2. Take the pain meds and definitely take the stool softener. That first poop is the worst one. Ugh I'm nervous just thinking about it again! 3. Get up and try to walk as soon as you can. That will help speed up your recovery. For me it took about 10 days for me to wean off the pain pills. I think I took ibuprofen but not that strong one after that. Around 14 days I felt comfortable to drive. Being released to drive is not being on the pain pills and and being able to 'slam on the brakes' if need be. You definitely use those muscles. I would say after 3 weeks I was able to go without the binder and by 4 weeks I was doing much better. What they don't tell you is your incision can be numb for months or years. The numbness wore off of mine after about 6 months... oh and another thing you do actually bleed below even when you have a c section. I'm sure it's not as bad as a vaginal birth but that surprised me!
Married May 2014
DD born August 2016
Baby #2 due December 2017
@sjis So fun story, when I was in grad school doing clinicals, my supervisor was heating something in the microwave. I kept asking her what it was because it smelled really good. She awkwardly responded that it was her Medela steam bag!!!! I guess it was still heating up the food residue from whoever had used the microwave right before her, hahahaha, but that is still one of those embarassing moments that keeps me up at night sometimes!
I worried so much about the recovery too, because I have suuuch a low pain tolerance. Don't worry ladies, you got this!
Married 4/22/16
**TW**
BFP 2/1/16 I MC 3/21/16 (11w)
TTCAL 6/15/16
BFP 3/23/2017 Team pink! Quinn Leigh EDD December 1, 2017
Labor and delivery were the easiest part of pregnancy for me personally. Again probably because I had hg up until delivery.
I had a vaginal birth with an epidural and one induction.
My boss had a small mini fridge in his office he was always happy to let me use. The main office had a huge fridge that was also an option.
I would take them home and put in the fridge for the next day or the freezer if we had enough, but usually I did not have any extra.
There is a helpful chart that medela makes, I think I got it with my pump. It has the times for storing breastmilk on it. it is something like this: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/assets/image/BM%20storage%20guidelines%20magnet1547514%20RevC.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/11/collection-and-storage-of-breastmilk&h=600&w=800&tbnid=e6ykjW6UtxQHoM:&tbnh=158&tbnw=211&usg=__xWuwGkezRJlDP8bt2-H6hQ4tHT4=&vet=10ahUKEwj7gJqi9MzVAhVq7YMKHYXUBLQQ9QEIKjAA..i&docid=1rBSg31lHd7liM&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7gJqi9MzVAhVq7YMKHYXUBLQQ9QEIKjAA
Together since May 19, 2001
Baby #1 was born in May 2013.
TTC #1 since 12/2015
BFP 4/4/17, EDD 12/4/17
April 2016 - AMH, FSH, Progesterone normal
June 2016 - HSG clear
*TW* BFP - Aug16, demise confirmed Sep16, incomplete m/c, D&C Nov16
BFP 3/27/17, edd 12/7/17
DS - 12/9/17
TTC #2 December 2018
BFP 2/22/19, edd 11/4/19
DD - 11/1/19
My Chart
YES! You definitely can train for labor! Core and pelvic floor training are the cornerstones of pregnancy training, but just general strength training will have massive benefits. Oh and glutes. Focus on ALL the glutes. Having strong glutes will help keep your pelvis well supported and open and balance your pelvic floor!
I suggest following Brianna Battles, Jessie Mundell, Pregnancy Exercise, Julie Weibe on IG or FB if you want more info!
I also have a blog for my personal training stuff but I'm not sure I'm allowed to "self promote" here?
Thanks for the tips @kvacmak! You're not trying to sell us wraps and crap and you're also an established member; I think it's totally fine to share your hobby or passion project if you're comfortable!
April 2016 - AMH, FSH, Progesterone normal
June 2016 - HSG clear
*TW* BFP - Aug16, demise confirmed Sep16, incomplete m/c, D&C Nov16
BFP 3/27/17, edd 12/7/17
DS - 12/9/17
TTC #2 December 2018
BFP 2/22/19, edd 11/4/19
DD - 11/1/19
My Chart
Married May 2014
DD born August 2016
Baby #2 due December 2017
I'm thinking maybe I read that you're supposed to minimize it, so I could go upstairs to sleep, but then I'd need to either stay upstairs all day or go down and not go back up until bed again?
DD - 12/28/17
TTC #2 3/2019
BFP 5/2019 || MC - D&C 5/2019
BFP 2/2020 || EDD 10/10/2020
DD - 12/28/17
TTC #2 3/2019
BFP 5/2019 || MC - D&C 5/2019
BFP 2/2020 || EDD 10/10/2020
Plus I don't think any of you could even take advantage of my services since you're not local to me!
My website is kcfitnessyyc.com
Also after a c section when do you get to hold /see the baby?
Some women do leave sooner if they can because they'd rather be in the comfort of their own home without the interruptions of hospital staff.
Me: 29 DH: 31
Married 10/13/12
TTC Since 8/2016