4th trimester check-in 1/5

virginiaham · January 5

How’s it going?

What’s been a win/lose?

thatbaintforbetty · January 6

It’s… going, lol. Not eating/drinking/sleeping enough but thats not unexpected. DH has been taking the night shift and Ive been doing days. It’s mostly working out and we both are able to get a solid couple hours of rest that way. Ollie is a poop machine, I’m guessing it’s the combo of formula and breast milk but the poor kids behind was redder than a baboon’s till we got a good cream regimen. I also think I may have some anxiety creeping up but it’s hard to tell whats from lack of care of me and whats an actual problem.

My win/lose is breastfeeding. I forgot how much I actually hate it. And technically I’m exclusively pumping because he will not latch/cooperate and I am not spending an hour plus fighting him to get him stay on the boob for more than 90 seconds at a time. I’m getting between 1 and 3 oz per session (depending on how far apart they are, I push 1 or 2 to 3-4 hours in the middle of the night instead of every 2) and thats with the supplements. Although I have to take them with food and as previously stated I am not eating/drinking enough. He’s technically still getting several bottles a day which is more/longer than either of the girls got.

I’m sticking with it for now because formula is expensive and I am making something but ugh.

rebecksah · January 6

@thatbaintforbetty I had issues too! my milk was in and she seemed to latch okay at first and then randomly one day it felt like she wasn't matching well. it was after I had a bit of scabbing/bleeding and I was pumping through it instead of feeding her on that side. was getting about 1-3oz per side and was bottle feeding it. but she almost seems to not like my milk? I would feed the same oz of breastmilk as I did formula and she just seemed dissatisfied. always wanting to eat again within an hour of breastmilk (bottle or on tap lol) but with formula she would go the 2-3hrs (now at 5.5 weeks, 3-4). so I stopped lol. she wasn't sleeping well, I wasn't sleeping at all (between the pumping and feeding overnight it was almost impossible) and I didn't have it in me to see a lactation consultant. she has a slight tongue tie so I think that's part of her latching issues, and I'm not going to get it clipped either. so to save us from pain and lack of sleep, I quit 5 weeks in. I hope you have better luck than I did!

thatbaintforbetty · January 6

@rebecksah Ollie has a very slight tie as well but all the LC’s I’ve seen said it doesn’t seem to be really effecting him/causing problems and haven’t recommended fixing it, so I have no desire to go down that road either.

At this point however much he gets for however long I want to stick it out is all bonus in my mind. I absolutely feel you on the seemingly hungry an hour later with breast milk vs formula. But I know they metabolize breast milk faster so I guess it makes sense. Since I’m just pumping I’ve been using the breast milk during the day and DH does more formula at night to try to get him to actually sleep at night…so far that seems more wishful thinking than anything though.

My very real concern that this kid was going to continue his nocturnal ways outside the womb was spot on.

Although I want to say I did take all 3 kids to the store by myself tonight (in the rain!!) and there was no real yelling or fighting to be had, and only very minimal crying on Ollie’s part when he initially was put in his car seat.

nopegoat · January 7

This has probably been the hardest post partum period I've had. Physically and mentally.

People I wanted support from, my husband and sister had to leave and go back to work early. Then so many well meaning people bringing food, gifts, help, and wanting to celebrate our baby, buuut its so stressful on me. I had 9 extra people in my house at once a few days postpartum.

My 4yr old and 2yr are so overstimulated because of baby, guests, and holidays. The two couples we counsel/mentor both had huge emergencies and reached out for help a few days after ai gave birth. Ans I also got sick. Fever, cough, tight chest, body aches, and fatigue. And my body got so inflamed from postpartum, being sick, and milk coming in/engorged that my wisdom teeth started bothering me and my face was all swollen too. 🫠

Im finally on the other side of most of it and starting to feel a little bit more normal but man....

We celebrate Christmas according the old calendar, so today, and we were feeling a ton of pressure to go celebrate, and I finally put my foot down and said absolutely not. Feeling slightly guilty, but man I just want to rest.

Glory to God, baby has been perfect. Still in the deep sleepy phase where she just eats, sleeps, and poops, emphasis on the eats.

rebecksah · January 8

@nopegoat glad you're coming out the other side of holiday madness!! glad to ufeel better, too!

@thatbaintforbetty I was talking to my sister who lives in VA about my breastfeeding woes and she told me this: you're not producing colostrum anymore and that's the only stuff that's really important. formula and breast milk are basically the same these days. you got the baby the good stuff, so now it's just keeping her fed.

that's really helped me feel a little better about ditching so quickly but between the mental load of being her only food source using the blood thinner injections, and still managing a household with 2 other kids in it... it felt like a lot lol. something had to give 😂 hopefully Ollie gets into a good rhythm with you! my Ollie refused breastfeeding as a whole so maybe it's in the name 😂😂

dogmom5 · January 12

Hey girls!

wins this week: getting thru back to school and activities routines and breastfeeding is getting easier with an oversupply of milk and mastitis.

Feeling some baby blues every now and then but trying to stay positive and not be too down or sad.

Hope everyone has a good week!

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