I was just rading the end of the March post and was about to reply when I realized that it is April. So, here is a new thread.
Things are going pretty well for us. Owen eats at 9:00 pm and then again at 2 or 3 so I count myself as lucky. It does take him and hour and a half or so from when he wakes up to when he goes back to sleep so I am up for a while but I know it could be much worse.
Physically, I have healed very quickly I am amazed at how much easier this birth was than with my first son. I am still dealing with the fac that myu hands are still completely numb and swollen. I had the baby two weeks ago on the 20th of March and I was hoping that the carpal tunnel would be one by now but no such luck.
The hardest thing for me now is keeping my spirits up. I have suffered from depression in the past so I am on it as far as calling a counselor and making sure I get naps when possible. Little things make me weepy though - like t.v. shows. Also, I miss the special time I used to have with my older son. I think from his standpoint, everything is fine as we do get time together. I am just trying to adjust to the change in the relationship.
So, I would like to hear from anyone else who is a little blue - not necessarily for solutions (though that would be great!) so much as comraderie.
Im a little blue too Jenn. This is my first, and I love her more than anything in this world, but this is alot harder than I expected. She is pretty demanding (wanting to be held alot) and my back is constantly killing me. She cries so much I cant really take her out yet, so I think I am struggling with being stuck in the house as well. She typically wakes up screaming every 2.5 - 3 hrs (day and night), and once she wakes up, it takes at least an hour to get her back down, so there is no sleep to be had in this house! LOL We did change her formula to Alimentum and that seems to be working better, but we still have a long way to go =)
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Enjoying every second with our little love, Taylor Peyton!!
I think I have a bit of anxious ppd. I get these crazy mood swings and other days I just feel blue (probably due to just staying home & feeling so tied down with 2 babies since I worked before). I try to make a point to leave the house at least every other day, even if it's just a quick trip to the grocery store or to visit grandma. It's a pain getting 2 kids (or even 1 for that matter) ready & out of the house but once I'm out the door I feel so much better! When I return home I don't feel as sluggish. It can be hard though...Cody cries if I set him down to do something with my daughter or if I go to make her breakfast/lunch he's crying for me to come get him, lol. I really hope this gets better!!!
Cody cries a lot too usually if I take him somewhere so most of my trips have to be cut short. He saw the Dr. yesterday & was put on Zantac syrup for his acid reflux issue. The Dr. said it won't help with all his spit-up (icky!) but it will help with his pain and fussiness. I'm really hoping this is the solution b/c he's been quite fussy! If not we're going to try a different formula other than the regular milk-based.
Oh, but he smiled at me for the first time yesterday!!! I want to think it wasn't a gas smile b/c he was so alert when he did it and was looking right at me. I was smiling at him & being silly giving him eskimo kisses and when I pulled away he had a grin on his face. CAN they smile this early or was it gas?? Just curious
ya know, I hadn't really thought much about the baby blues, but have been aware of them at the same time. I know that sounds weird!! My little guy will be 5 weeks on Monday, yep 5 weeks!! can't believe it's been that long already!
I've done pretty well after the first couple weeks when I had bronchitis right after having him and didn't feel like going anywhere, couldn't sleep, coughed ALL the time and just felt like crap. Because I was sick, missing my time alone with hubby and a little guilt because I felt so bad I didn't feel like showing my baby off to people. I just wanted to stay home and sleep. It's gotten better. I've started really getting back into life the past coupel weeks, we've been going to church and I've taken my son several times and gone places alone, even just running errands helps me to get out. Tomorrow night, me and little one are going shopping for dh's birthday, yaay!!! What i'm really missing now is simply being able to go out to eat in restaurants, with my breastfeeding it makes it difficult to feed him just anywhere and he still wants to eat about every 2 hours. I'm really needing to go out and just socialize. I know it'll get better but til then I REALLY REALLY miss it!!
Oh, just this mornig I got my first picture of his smile (non gassy) and it was great!!! I emailed it to my mom and we agreed he's adorable!!!!! Even with missing out on stuff for now, I wouldn't trade him for the world! I know all of you feel the same about your babies too.
I'll write more later, it's bedtime and baby is sleeping and so should I
Magster- that's right...our babies share a birthday I hear ya on the breastfeeding & having trouble going places while doing it. I have only been nursing at night/early morning and occassionally a day feeding if I'm home. Other than that he gets formula. I feel a bit guilty but the bottle seems to work easier for my situation. Maybe you could try pumping & giving him the expressed milk in a bottle while in public so you don't either have to nurse in public or hide away to go nurse (which is what I always did w/ my 1st and it was such a pain b/c I didn't want to nurse in public).
It IS crazy that it's been almost a month for some of us! Next thing you know it's Kindergarten. Aren't the non-gas smiles just great?! I wish I had a pic of it but it was so brief and unexpected, lol.
It is heartwarming for me to hear I am not alone. Owen is just hard to get to go to sleep. We were up from midnight to 3:00 am last night. The upside of this was that he slept from 8:30 midnight and so did I. Then, when he woke up at 4:30, my husband took him downstairs and plied him with Similac. So, I slept until 7:00.
I am deliberately setting time aside today to call and email friends and sisters (I have 3). I will let them know that I am feeling blue so then I can't hide and will have to get out and talk. I know me, my tendency is to hibernate because in the moment, that is what feels good but in the long run, it makes me feel more isolated.
Let's keep talking. I am sure that we will end up on the infant care board together.
Taylor is 1 month old today...I cant believe it. It has been both the hardest and most wonderful month of my life! If we can get this colic/gas under control....maybe I can get out of the house and start feeling normal again =) I need to call and make my post partum check up appt today...things have been so crazy, I never made my 2 wk appt =(
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Enjoying every second with our little love, Taylor Peyton!!
Jen, I'm glad you've decided to fight the blues instead of giving in. Makes me remember that email I constantly get forwarded to me about how important sisters and girlfriends are throughout your life. They can always help us out!
Brooke, next year this time our babies will be walking/running around! Can you believe it?? I'm really trying to be more comfortable with b/f in public. Actually, I think it's more I have to get used to it. Im' jsut afraid of offending someone else I've gotten the feeling in church it's a taboo thing to do if I'm not in the little itty bitty room in the nursery they 've provided for us b/f mommies. More like a closed with a rocker in it. With my business and helping my dh the past week or so I've had to feed in a couple places. I'm getting more comfortable all the time, as long as the room is virtually empty. I've not realy thought about pumping for when we go someplace. i guess that would be good if we wanted to go to dinner etc. I'll consider that one as a possible try soon idea! Yes, the smiles are fantastic! Anyone else feel as though they just sit and watch baby sleep all day long? He's so adorable
Hi Ladies:
I haven't had the time or energy to post since the birth of my beautiful baby girl on 03/20/08. She was delivered by c-section. They started me on pitocin and it made her heartrate drop so she was born by c-section and without me ever having one contraction. My dh says I should feel lucky, but somehow I feel like I missed out on something. She was in the NICU for a few hours so I did not get to see or touch her for hours. My dh was able to take some pics of her in the nursery getting a bath and then they finally brought her to me and we tried bf. I am still bf some, but more formula than anything. She lost a lot of weight in the hospital so they made me supplement. Formula is so much easier. I have been pumping, and she seems to eat more when it's breastmilk than formula. Also I think sometimes when I bf it's more of a comfort thing for her than being hungry. She is only eating about 2 oz of formula at a time. Usually every two hours in the daytime and she usually has 3-4 hour stretches at night. (this after she figured out she had her days and nights mixed up). Anyone else have this problem? It was hell for about a week. She had her check up at the dr yesterday and he said she is a "keeper." I am healing well from the c-section. I stopped taking my pain meds a couple of days ago because I was worried about the effects on my breastmilk. Now I am just loading up on tylenol. The pain meds that I was prescribed are very addictive according to my dh, so I started only taking half doses and then none at all. I am feeling good and had my staples out after one week. I, too, can cry at the drop of a hat. My dh is very supportive. I am not looking forward to him returning to work on Monday.
Has anyone been having weird dreams? About every night I wake up and think the baby is in the bed with us about to get squashed, or is missing. One night I was trying to find the baby and was like "here he is" and my husband was like "that's my leg". Then last night I called my husband by my sister's name at first, then I told him to get the baby and he wound up rolling over right where I thought the baby was. Both times the baby was safe and sound in the bassinet the whole time. I wish I would stop having those dreams! It's like I'm dreaming but I'm awake. I've been getting more sleep lately so hopefully they'll go away. My carpel tunnel is back. I had it before I was pregnant, but not during, and now that I'm holding the baby alot with my elbows bent all the time, it's getting bad again. I'm pumping and breastfeeding and the baby also gets formula. Hopefully I'll be able to make enough milk to eliminate the formula eventually.
Hi all,
doubt if any of you will be able to remember me but i used to post right at the begining of my pregnancy. Well i just wanted to come on and let you all know about my georgeous baby girl! Wellllll i was due on the 15th of march but had her exactly 1 week later on the 22nd. It was a difficult labour all 42hrs of it from start to finish which ended in a second c-section(had one with my son) and i lost 2ltrs of blood as my womb would not contract and went all floppy! Anyway its been a slow recovery. Grace had jaundice but seems alot better. She weighed 8lb 12&1/2oz at birth i don't know how she fitted in cause i'm only 5ft and as skinny as a rake! But i've lots of toneing up to do when i can find the time and energy. Shes sooo gorg and so far shes been perfect! (touch wood). Anyway other news to tell is i'm not an army wife anymore as my hubby signed out and got a new job up in bonny scotland. DH off work till middle of next week as my son start his new school and i still need help cause of section ect ect, so theres no help around such as friends and family as its a 6 hr drive from home in england, but i'm sure we'll cope we're gona have to! Anyway i'm so proud of my new family (well maybe one more, but not for a while) that i wanted you to all know how happy i am. And i'd also like to congratulate everyone else on the births of there little bundles of joy, cause no matter how they arrived or how sleep deprived you might feel its definatly worth it!!!
Brooke xx
Hi Brooke i remember you CONGRATULATIONS.
I know the feeling my labour was 41 hrs long and i am now the proud mommy of little Jeremy. He was born on the 02/02 5 weeks premature though doing great now.Wishing you and your little one all the very best
Hi!
Just wondering how evryone is doing. My little one is sleeping better now. She was eating every 2 hrs. The pedatrician told me to add 1 tsp of rice per oz of fomula or breastmilk at night before bed. So far (2 nights) she has slept from 10 until 2 and then until 6. I'm very happy about this new schedule! I was a little concerned about giving her rice since she is only 3 wks. But it seems to agree with her. She is strapped to my body right now. I have her in a carrier and she just loves it and I just love to stare at her. Hope you guys are doing good!
Accutane- I do the rice cereal to my son's bottle as well. Just at night though...this way he sleeps in 5 hr. stretches and I can get some sleep as well! During the day he also eats every 2 hrs. so the rice cereal at night is a nice break
Just thought I would check in and see how everyone is doing....Taylor is doing much better and just turned 7 weeks. We had a bit of a choking scare and called 911 (not sure if we overreacted or not) but didnt want to take any chances. She was fine, but that same night they ended up admitting her when I mentioned that she had a temp of 100.7 the night before. My husband and I werent concerned, because we keep a close eye on her temp and we know it spikes when she gets really mad and has been crying. That night is 100.7, but 10 minutes later it was back down to 99.4. I wish I had never mentioned it to the ER Doc, because she ran with it and insisted on admitting her for 3 nights (Standard as they did a spinal tap!!). Everything came back negative as we knew it would, I just hate that she had to go through all of that.
Her colic has calmed down quite a bit. She is on a combo of Zantac and Levsin for her tummy and we have settled on Enfamil Gentlease for her formula. She isnt much of a napper...many days she wont take one at all...like yesterday, she was up from 8:30 am until she went to bed at 9:30 last night...then she slept til 3:30. I am dreading going back to work in 2.5 weeks though =(
I would love to hear updates from everyone else!
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Enjoying every second with our little love, Taylor Peyton!!
Brooke,
Has your little one been constipated from the rice?
We have been dealing with constipation for a week now. She was screaming in pain and I called the dr. He said wait a week and call back if she still wasn't having normal BM. Easy for them to say. I read on the Infant Care Board to give her 1/2 tsp Karo Syrup in a 4 oz bottle of formula. Wegave it to her and six hours later she had a blow out and is sooooo much better. No more rice for our little one until she is older. We decided to deal with the sleeplessness rather than deal with the pain on her face from constipation. She also broke out in a rash on her face. Tiny little bumps. I had an appt for photos today and cancelled it because of it. I'm not sure what it's from and I am continuing to use Dreft as I have as long as she's been born.
Other than the constipation and break out, we are doing well. She is smiling and really staring at us like she wants to memorize our faces. She has started blowing bubbles and drooling a bit. Her sleeping has gotten better (knock wood) since she pooped also. She slept for 6 hrs straight last night!
It's great to hear what's going on with you guys. After all, we are all in the same boat!
Taylor is starting to smile and really stare at our faces. When do they start recognizing sounds? It worries me because when she is looking away I can talk to her right next to her ear and she still doesnt turn to me.
We had to cancel our photo appt as well...it was the day after she was admitted. The only profession photos we have are from the hospital, so Im a little bummed about that....it looks like we will just wait til her 3 mth pic now.
The first time we tried rice, was when she had her choking incident...so now Im paranoid to ever use it. I know it wasnt the rice (but instead the nipple we used), as we only added a half tsp to 3 ozs of formula, but it scared me so much Im afraid to ever try the rice again.
She typically sleeps 5 or 6 hrs straight at night, so now Im wondering when she will hit the 7-8 hr mark...guess Im getting greedy, but with her not really napping during the day, Im desperate for more sleep! LOL
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Enjoying every second with our little love, Taylor Peyton!!
My George is doing OK, except that he tends to stay awake too long at night and keeps me from going to bed at a decent hour!
Also, he had a "bout" where he threw up several times in 2 weeks. However, we figured it might be either allergy to formula, or too much milk on tiny stomach; it was almost always at 11 to 11:30 at night right after formula feedings. Since we've been moderating his intake better (not letting him just drink as fast as possible), we haven't had any vomits (God willing - crossing fingers).
As for me, well, it's been a little rough. Not terrible, but constant nagging problems. Sum it up:
-Severe nerve-type pain in my hips/legs as well as weird pain in the perineal area making even sitting on toilet sheer hell; turned out to be infected Bartholin's gland messing up everything (big hard mass that was painful itself). Had the gland drained/surgery on Easter morning.
-Tuesday after I realized I a) still had large hard mass on left where surgery was done and b) had NEW hard mass on right, painful like the old Bartholin's.
-Friday after, hammock chair collapsed on me (and baby), the spreader beam on it socking me around the head like a merciless miscreant with a club, much pain and huge lump; went to ER to verify it wouldn't result in concussion.
-Went to OB last week for PP check-up and reported I was just starting some UTI (correct - E. Coli) and got MacroBid for it (I'm nursing).
-Mon after that, get horrible periodic abdominal cramping that doesn't go away for days and in fact increases to diarrhea generally. Now suspect MacroBid was causing this side effect; unsure. But since stopping some relief, but still suffering a bit.
All of this pain has made it a bit difficult to be a really good mommy, or even to be in a good mood!
I've gotten the feeling in church it's a taboo thing to do if I'm not in the little itty bitty room in the nursery they 've provided for us b/f mommies. More like a closed with a rocker in it. With my business and helping my dh the past week or so I've had to feed in a couple places. I'm getting more comfortable all the time, as long as the room is virtually empty. I've not realy thought about pumping for when we go someplace. i guess that would be good if we wanted to go to dinner etc. I'll consider that one as a possible try soon idea! Yes, the smiles are fantastic! Anyone else feel as though they just sit and watch baby sleep all day long? He's so adorable
