So, I really struggled this week. I am doing better, but I had a hard time keeping up with the kids and having limited mobility. I just feel like I got no down time to recover before I had to get back to real life. I kind of gave myself some motivation to keep on trucking by finding some articles that focus on mindfulness and positive thinking. By the end of the week I started feeling better physically and could keep up better. I still feel like my insides will fall out by the end of the day and that's my sign to sit down.
As far as Samantha, she's great and really sweet. She is a bit of a lazy nurser and I am having to kick up the nursing sessions a little more bc she isn't gaining like I thought.
I miss being pregnant. It’s weird because I honestly wasn’t fond of being pregnant. I was uncomfortable and huge! But I miss it so much. My DH said it’s because it was part of me for so long but it honestly went by so fast! I love my little bumpy though. We have our daily struggles. Today she couldn’t poop so as a last resort I had to put a thermometer in her bottom.. I felt so bad but it worked and she immediately pooped and stopped crying. The things I’m learning are honestly amazing. And I know it’s hard being a mom but at the same time I feel like a lot of this comes naturally and I’m proud of myself and my husband. We’re going on week three and I’m getting more and more excited about what’s to come. But I also want time to slow down!!!
I’m with @crossfitbabybump. I really miss being pregnant. Even though it was a brutal 3 painful weeks at the end - it’s something that just was between the two of us. So far we are a week old and he’s been my easiest baby out of my 3 which I’m extremely grateful as I have to heal from my c-section while taking care of two other kids and life in general. However, I’m finding myself ready/crying randomly throughout the day missing him inside. My husband wasn’t really involved in the pregnancy until the very end and is always gone working so it was something that was “mine” in a sense. Time just went too quick.
First night at home, forgot how annoying bfeeding is, she just doesn’t open mouth big enough to get most of areola like my first and then just wants to be on the boob, right when we move her to bassinet she cries.
We are still struggling with finding a new rhythm. DS is so sensitive to change in his sleep and has been off track since I left for the hospital. He didn’t nap until I was finally part of his routine again and he’s still having trouble with it. DD is wonderful though. My ILs seem annoyed that she seems calmest with me and cries if someone else holds her for too long, but I try to explain the Fourth Trimester to them as best I can.
@slr1229 are you willing to try a pacifier? We used one with my son for about 13 months (he self weaned then), and offered one to DD. She took it at first and now refuses it.
Nora is a month old, but part of me is still in disbelief that she's here. She came so early and so much of labor and delivery felt so surreal - it's hard to fathom she's actually mine and here and real! She is such an easy, sweet baby and I feel so lucky to get to enjoy her all day every day. I am thankful to report that things are smooth sailing over here!
I have so much respect for you STM+'s who are juggling the chaos of newborn life and healing with taking care of your other children. During the worst of the recovery pain, I kept thinking how crazy it would be to have another, more aware child to take care of at that time, and I can't imagine it. Keep on keeping on, ladies!
And while I'm feeling the wouldn't-say-no-to-making-another-baby-right-now craze, I absolutely do NOT miss being pregnant. I get what you @crossfitbabybump and @mmom3 are saying about the connection, but dang: it takes me less than 10 minutes to get dressed, and I don't get out of breath doing it! I can walk to the subway with my husband without making him late for work! I can eat normal portions of foods I love without being nauseated! While I was thankful to be pregnant and hope to be so again in the relatively near future, I am so enjoying being in my same old (admittedly bigger) predictable body.
Do you guys give pacifiers while they’re sleeping? I wonder if that would help transfer Alice to the bassinet but it also freaks me out if she can’t breathe. Her Owlet monitor went off last night saying her heart rate was 226 so I checked her and turned it off and then back on and it was fine...? Would a pacifier be safe while sleeping?
@crossfitbabybump DS used his during sleep times and occasionally during play time. When he got a little older he would just spit it out once he fell asleep and we never had any issues with it. He also never got nipple confusion. And he self weaned at like 13 months.
@crossfitbabybump I know a lot of lactation specialists discourage pacifiers in the 1st month, but SIDS recommendations encourage them generally. When our kids were in the NICU we asked the nurses there the same question you just asked because they were giving our kids pacifiers during naps, and they told us that it was totally fine because apparently newborns don't breath through their mouths, which I had never heard before. I guess that's why those snot suckers are so important!
I'm with @ashtuesday on definitely NOT missing being pregnant. My pregnancy was kind of a nightmare. I had wine the other night, carpaccio, and my sister got a pound of lox mailed to me from NY. I was never hungry when pregnant and now trying to produce all this milk I'm starving all the time. No more heartburn, carpal tunnel is almost totally gone, PUPPPS is gone, and if you set aside the terrible sleep schedule I'm slowly starting to feel like myself again. I'm so glad to have my little dudes here, but seriously, fuck pregnancy!!!
@crossfitbabybump I give Ellie one at bedtime. She'll suck it until she falls asleep and then spits it out for the night. We haven't had any nipple confusion issues, and like @vflux33 said, the AAP actually recommends them to decrease the risk of SIDS.
@crossfitbabybump like @vflux33 said a pacifier is actually recommended to reduce SIDs. We were required to watch a SIDs video in the hospital and it said that putting them to bed with one is great but if they spit it out while sleeping leave it out... don't force it back in. DS1 slept with a binky from basically day 5 of his life and still does... for him it was either a binky or the boob and mama needed sleep!!! DS2 is not as binky crazy... he often goes down with one but spits it out while sleeping. The lactation consultant at our hospital recommended MAM brand as a good one to decrease nipple confusion. That's what we use with both kids and no issues!
We introduced a pacifier just the other day. We try to give it to her at bedtime, but she sucks so vigorously allllll the time that it pops right back out as much as she wants to keep it in. Ha!
Baby girl is 3 weeks old. Man, I love this girl. I hold her so much, I know they say you can’t spoil a baby, but this girl is totally spoiled. I just can’t say enough how fast these days go by and I’m trying so, so hard to take it all in. I say she’s a terrible sleeper, but I don’t think that’s accurate. She’s a terrible sleeper in her bassinet. She sleeps like a champ if I hold her all night long. Which I know I can’t keep doing because I am really struggling with my other two from the lack of sleep. Today I feel like I may have the start of Mastitis. I’m truly hoping it’s just a clogged duct, but I messaged my doctor in case he wants to have an antibiotic called in in advance going into the weekend. I had it 7 (yes, you read it right) in the 2 years I nursed DD. I truly hope we aren’t headed back down that road, but I wouldn’t be entirely surprised either. Ughhh...
DD is still definitely adjusting to our new norm. She wants attention terribly so she’s doing anything and everything she can to get it. Mostly being extremely sassy and bossy. I know it’s hard on her so I’m trying to remain calm, but it’s definitely exhausting. DS is still taking the chances like a champ. Extremely helpful, loves holding her and helping in any way he can. He IS ready for friends to come over and play again though and I’m still really nervous about germs.
@chasingroygbiv Emma definitely sleeps better if she’s being held. I guess it’s warmer and she still prefers my smell. I’m okay with it though. I rarely put her down or let other people hold her. We haven’t decided if she’s our last or not, but either way I’m trying to soak up every last second.
I hope your DD adjusts soon! At least your DS is being helpful lol my oldest is 2.5 and still isn’t talking so that’s a challenge on its own. I’m not even sure if he really understands all of the changes he’s experiencing.
We got out of the house and to the gym today! I didn’t workout but we watched daddy and it went very well! And it was so nice to see other adult humans lol!
We used a pacifier with DS1 as soon as we got home from the hospital and never had nipple confusion. We use Tommee Tippee bottles and pacifiers because they both are supposed to be good with breastfeeding. We did the same with this LO. And with both boys they’ve had bottles right away for supplementing as well.
Today was a good day... I actually wore Sam for part of the day, he’s done so much better with breastfeeding today ((yesterday he had a harder time latching)), and I was actually productive—three loads of laundry so far and I started cleaning around my house. I am really ready to get into a new normal schedule for all of us and I’m back into the groove of slowly minimizing and reorganizing our house.
DS1 has been great with LO, which really has surprised me. I’ve started making a big deal out of him being a big helper and he will grab things for Momma and baby brubba when I ask too. I’m stashing all the extra milk just because my supply dropped last time and I’d really like to do better this time and make it to a year. That’s a huge turnaround in my mindset from even last week—it’s amaxing what a difference is made when you don’t have hurting, cracker nipples and clogged ducts.
Mentally, I’ve been surprised at how much better I am doing this time around—I am much happier than I was with my first and I feel much more able to handle life with two. I started back into doing yoga before bed and I’m hoping to add in some morning yoga and daily walks this week. Now if I can just convince DS1 that quiet time is a thing every day, and I can steal a nap, I will be in a great place mentally when MH goes back to work. It’s about time to reschedule my haircut, massages and facial too. This time around I’m going to do much better at taking care of myself.
@mdfarmchick I think self care is the one thing new mom's always forget to do. I know I do and always have to remind myself I am better mom when I give myself time to care for myself as well.
@slr1229 your recounts of nursing crack me up. Your other post about nursing being annoying at first made me laugh bc it's true. They don't open up wide enough, their hands get in the way and they get frustrated, they wake up immediately after realizing they aren't still nursing. If I dont put Sam into a milk coma she wakes up and we start all over again. Nursing is definitely easier when they get the hang of things, but right now it's tiring and annoying at times.
@mdfarmchick I'm feeling much better mentally this time around too which is surprising because I usually experience SADD in the month of March so I'm very thankful!
Tomorrow DH goes back to work. Thankfully, he was here an extra week after my c-section to help with our older two kids and the day to day. I am dreading tomorrow with a major case of the Sunday blues x 10. It’s still hard to move around and our son can be a handful of crazy boy and I’m by myself M-F. Luckily, my Dad will be here tomorrow to help in the afternoon and getting my daughter to dance class in the evening. But ugh, I’m feeling very sad that it’s back to reality.
@mmom3 Hang in there. I was so sad when DH went back, but after a couple of days I got back into the swing of things. And it’s that much more exciting when he gets home each day now!
@mmom3 good luck on your first day without your DH! We’re heading into the third week without DH and it’s gotten a lot easier! We’re still trying to find our new normal, but we’re getting there. Time change definitely isn’t going to help lol
Also, Emma is officially a month old today and I’m so emotional about it omg. How???
We got to go home last night at 9pm. Declan was a little over the limit the pediatrician wanted him at for bilirubin but he let us go we just had to go back and get it retested this morning. The retest came out ok and he finally is eating better and pooped and peed tons today. My mom has been here since Wednesday and finally got to go home. It was a blessing to come home to laundry being done, dishes washed, and a basically clean house. DH has Monday and Tuesday off to hopefully give me a little rest and get back to a new normal. The older kids have been great today with helping.
Dad goes back to work tomorrow:( I am sure he doesn’t want to leave us and his practice doesn’t run well without him so he will have work backed up from when he left last Friday.
What kind of socks have you found that fit your LO? I have one pair that are 9 years old that fit his feet and are tall so they stay on.
I just got to sleep for longer than 3 hours for the first time in weeks and I feel so disoriented lol it was great! But also my boobs hurt now
@megpeg I wish I knew where ours came from. Most of Emma’s clothes are hand me downs from a friend of a friend and her socks are actually pretty good. Some are still a bit big though.
@mmom3 I just purchased socks from amazon, “Luvable Friends unisex 8 pack newborn socks” and they have been working great. $9-$10 And had different color choices if wanted.
@mmom3@megpeg I cheat and pull the socks over the bottoms of their pants, tucking the pants into the socks so they don't fall off. It's not very stylish, but I haven't gotten any complaints yet!
Today has been hard. Cal has to do the bilirubin bed because has numbers went way up from yesterday and I have a spinal headache (apparently a thing you can get after having an epidural) so I am not taking anything well emotionally. I feel bad for my hubby and older kids because I am struggling to function still.
@sassypants2010 I’m sorry it was a rough day. Give yourself some grace—hormones + a spinal headache means you are definitely allowed to be emotional. Hopefully tomorrow is better and his bilirubin goes down.
Thanks, I just am not used to this slow recovery. With my first two I was able to get back into routine once home but this time I just can't seem to shake this body fatigue.
Thanks, I just am not used to this slow recovery. With my first two I was able to get back into routine once home but this time I just can't seem to shake this body fatigue.
This is what got to me the most too. I am so active and have a lot on my plate that being slowed down by recovery made things worse on me. Then I started to get pissed that I didn't even get any down time and didn't get to "enjoy the moment". It's really something I have had to work through. Fortunately, at two weeks I feel much better physically and I just have to work through what our new normal is. Solidarity, Sister!
Thanks, I just am not used to this slow recovery. With my first two I was able to get back into routine once home but this time I just can't seem to shake this body fatigue.
I had two prior vaginal deliveries and now with having a c-section this time has really slowed down what I can and want to do. Also, DH went back to work this week so it’s just me 3 am - 9 pm with 3 kids. I’m a whole new kind of exhausted.
I know it’s hard but try to give yourself time and grace to start to heal and accept help if it’s been offered or ask. My son has been extremely challenging and offered to take my son for a few nights this week & I accepted the help when normally I wouldn’t have. Hang in there!
@sassypants2010 I hope you start to feel better soon! I totally understand the struggle. Since my incision reopened it slowed my recovery quite a bit and it’s been driving me crazy. My house is a total disaster and I’m way behind on laundry. As for the bilirubin levels, I hope your LO has better levels very quickly! Emma was on the bili blanket at home for 4 or 5 days and it was miserable. I was so glad when it was over!! DS was under the lights at the hospital for 1 night of our 4 day hospital stay and that was also pretty awful, and his levels were higher than Emma’s.
Took Alice to the chiropractor today. She’s been having trouble pooping lately but she pooped just now as I’m typing this lol! The last few days have been rough when she got uncomfortable and it broke my heart. But now she seems to be much better and pooping! Yesterday, when my husband got home and then he was around, I felt like crying. It was just him. I don’t know what or why it was happening? I just felt sad around him. I haven’t cried in a while but it was weird for this to just come on randomly.
Re: New mom check-in....3/8
As far as Samantha, she's great and really sweet. She is a bit of a lazy nurser and I am having to kick up the nursing sessions a little more bc she isn't gaining like I thought.
@slr1229 are you willing to try a pacifier? We used one with my son for about 13 months (he self weaned then), and offered one to DD. She took it at first and now refuses it.
I have so much respect for you STM+'s who are juggling the chaos of newborn life and healing with taking care of your other children. During the worst of the recovery pain, I kept thinking how crazy it would be to have another, more aware child to take care of at that time, and I can't imagine it. Keep on keeping on, ladies!
And while I'm feeling the wouldn't-say-no-to-making-another-baby-right-now craze, I absolutely do NOT miss being pregnant. I get what you @crossfitbabybump and @mmom3 are saying about the connection, but dang: it takes me less than 10 minutes to get dressed, and I don't get out of breath doing it! I can walk to the subway with my husband without making him late for work! I can eat normal portions of foods I love without being nauseated! While I was thankful to be pregnant and hope to be so again in the relatively near future, I am so enjoying being in my same old (admittedly bigger) predictable body.
I'm with @ashtuesday on definitely NOT missing being pregnant. My pregnancy was kind of a nightmare. I had wine the other night, carpaccio, and my sister got a pound of lox mailed to me from NY. I was never hungry when pregnant and now trying to produce all this milk I'm starving all the time. No more heartburn, carpal tunnel is almost totally gone, PUPPPS is gone, and if you set aside the terrible sleep schedule I'm slowly starting to feel like myself again. I'm so glad to have my little dudes here, but seriously, fuck pregnancy!!!
Baby girl is 3 weeks old. Man, I love this girl. I hold her so much, I know they say you can’t spoil a baby, but this girl is totally spoiled. I just can’t say enough how fast these days go by and I’m trying so, so hard to take it all in. I say she’s a terrible sleeper, but I don’t think that’s accurate. She’s a terrible sleeper in her bassinet. She sleeps like a champ if I hold her all night long. Which I know I can’t keep doing because I am really struggling with my other two from the lack of sleep. Today I feel like I may have the start of Mastitis. I’m truly hoping it’s just a clogged duct, but I messaged my doctor in case he wants to have an antibiotic called in in advance going into the weekend. I had it 7 (yes, you read it right) in the 2 years I nursed DD. I truly hope we aren’t headed back down that road, but I wouldn’t be entirely surprised either. Ughhh...
DD is still definitely adjusting to our new norm. She wants attention terribly so she’s doing anything and everything she can to get it. Mostly being extremely sassy and bossy. I know it’s hard on her so I’m trying to remain calm, but it’s definitely exhausting. DS is still taking the chances like a champ. Extremely helpful, loves holding her and helping in any way he can. He IS ready for friends to come over and play again though and I’m still really nervous about germs.
I hope your DD adjusts soon! At least your DS is being helpful lol my oldest is 2.5 and still isn’t talking so that’s a challenge on its own. I’m not even sure if he really understands all of the changes he’s experiencing.
We got out of the house and to the gym today! I didn’t workout but we watched daddy and it went very well! And it was so nice to see other adult humans lol!
Today was a good day... I actually wore Sam for part of the day, he’s done so much better with breastfeeding today ((yesterday he had a harder time latching)), and I was actually productive—three loads of laundry so far and I started cleaning around my house. I am really ready to get into a new normal schedule for all of us and I’m back into the groove of slowly minimizing and reorganizing our house.
DS1 has been great with LO, which really has surprised me. I’ve started making a big deal out of him being a big helper and he will grab things for Momma and baby brubba when I ask too. I’m stashing all the extra milk just because my supply dropped last time and I’d really like to do better this time and make it to a year. That’s a huge turnaround in my mindset from even last week—it’s amaxing what a difference is made when you don’t have hurting, cracker nipples and clogged ducts.
Mentally, I’ve been surprised at how much better I am doing this time around—I am much happier than I was with my first and I feel much more able to handle life with two. I started back into doing yoga before bed and I’m hoping to add in some morning yoga and daily walks this week. Now if I can just convince DS1 that quiet time is a thing every day, and I can steal a nap, I will be in a great place mentally when MH goes back to work. It’s about time to reschedule my haircut, massages and facial too. This time around I’m going to do much better at taking care of myself.
This kid only eats from one boob at a time at night, gets one and falls asleep and won’t take the other until after an hour to two hour snooze fest.
@slr1229 your recounts of nursing crack me up. Your other post about nursing being annoying at first made me laugh bc it's true. They don't open up wide enough, their hands get in the way and they get frustrated, they wake up immediately after realizing they aren't still nursing. If I dont put Sam into a milk coma she wakes up and we start all over again. Nursing is definitely easier when they get the hang of things, but right now it's tiring and annoying at times.
Also, Emma is officially a month old today and I’m so emotional about it omg. How???
My mom has been here since Wednesday and finally got to go home. It was a blessing to come home to laundry being done, dishes washed, and a basically clean house.
DH has Monday and Tuesday off to hopefully give me a little rest and get back to a new normal. The older kids have been great today with helping.
What kind of socks have you found that fit your LO? I have one pair that are 9 years old that fit his feet and are tall so they stay on.
I can never find socks that fit tiny newborn feet either. Everything falls off. Would love to find something that fits!
@megpeg I wish I knew where ours came from. Most of Emma’s clothes are hand me downs from a friend of a friend and her socks are actually pretty good. Some are still a bit big though.
I know it’s hard but try to give yourself time and grace to start to heal and accept help if it’s been offered or ask. My son has been extremely challenging and offered to take my son for a few nights this week & I accepted the help when normally I wouldn’t have. Hang in there!
As for the bilirubin levels, I hope your LO has better levels very quickly! Emma was on the bili blanket at home for 4 or 5 days and it was miserable. I was so glad when it was over!! DS was under the lights at the hospital for 1 night of our 4 day hospital stay and that was also pretty awful, and his levels were higher than Emma’s.
Yesterday, when my husband got home and then he was around, I felt like crying. It was just him. I don’t know what or why it was happening? I just felt sad around him. I haven’t cried in a while but it was weird for this to just come on randomly.
Want these hemmroids to go away.