2014 April Rainbows

[Kasey84]

My due date was 2 days ago!

 

[KLMenke]

Oh good grief! I have a feeling I will be just like you and be going over due.. induction is scheduled for the 29th, so a week past my due date. Crazy to think we are so close but feel so far away!

 

[vietmamsie]

Ice - Another team yellow girl! Best surprise EVER! but then again i really wanted a girl! Glad you got the birth you wanted! We are also feeding on demand... so much boob time! Shocking to say the least... Luckily the feeding frenzy has started to slow down... Day 11/12/13 were nonstop!

Lisa - i feel like my belly is slowly deflating, but this flap still hangs down. makes keeping my incision site dry a challenge in the heat. Spending more time laying to air it out whenever i can to keep it dry. trying to use a wrap to hold it up and pull it in!

the diet has already begun for me... had to cut out some foods due to LO gas, so i figure i might as well clean up my diet now and try to shed some flab!

 

[Karinama98]

Starting to see what some of you felt in being able to have a second to come on here to update everyone on things. This little girl is definitely a time consumer, which is perfectly fine by me.

ICE: Congrats! Glad to hear the water birth went well. I give you credit as I'm assuming you did it with no drugs, right? I really wanted to go that route, but I definitely learned my pain tolerance is not as high as I thought it would be.

KLMENKE: Hopefully things will progress for you soon. I know with me I didn't progress as quickly as I thought I would have. To my surprise when I got the epidural is when I quickly progressed - I would have thought the opposite from everything I kept hearing.

KASEY: Have you tried asking your doctor to do the membrane sweeping like you initially talked about a few weeks ago? Honestly, if you haven't had the doctor do that yet, try it out. I was really surprised it actually worked for me as quickly as it did.

LISA: I can definitely relate in relation to some of the fussiness. Granted, we were truly blessed during the first week of her being with us because she actually let us sleep throughout the night except for night time feedings that I mostly had to wake her up for. I'm just happy that DH is finally starting to feel the lack of sleep at night! He keeps whining (a good word for it) that he needs to get sleep for work, but I keep reminding him that he should be happy she's not keeping us up as much as some babies can. LOL If only he knew what I've been really going through with my lack of sleep. Augh...men.

BRIENNA: Such a little cutie. The bowtie is a nice touch.

AFM: Things with Amber have been really good overall. I, however, am still dealing with some baby blues/emotional issues occasionally. Yesterday was the first day I didn't cry for over a week and a half. I'm hoping today continues that trend.

Yesterday I also decided to try to start working out again postpartum. Using my recumbent bike while holding her worked out really well - it was like I had her in her swing the entire time.

In terms of BF'g, we're almost half and half breast feeding vs bottle feeding expressed breast milk. It really is amazing how those ta-tas start producing a ton of milk. The last few days I've been having a problem in the morning before I'm ready to feed her that my left one has decided to be a huge leaker. Kind of funny/gross at the same time.

With my pregnancy, I gained only 19 lbs (8.6 kg). It's only been 10 days since giving birth and I'm back to my prepregnancy weight. However...I know during the pregnancy I lost a lot of muscle mass. With that, I either gained fat or water weight in my hips and lower stomach because I'm not able to get into my original prepregnancy sized pants - I'm able to get into the size larger that I have. I didn't get any additional stretch marks, which I contribute still to having stretch marks from when I was a really overweight kid. My stomach line is most prevalent from my pelvic bone to my belly button and a few inches above it. We'll see how long it takes for it to go away.

The only thing that still sucks for me is the episiotomy. Although it's not as painful as it was during the first week, it still sucks that I have to learn what I can and can't do without that area being affected.

I'm attaching a couple updated pictures - one from her at one week old with me and then one from Easter.

 

[Lisa85]

Kasey & klmenke, any updates??

Vietmamsie, I think the diet is going to be a long road for us with so much to loose. Lets do it together!! Its hard to eat healthy with LO around and with winter fast approaching motivation is at a low!!

Karina, beautiful pics! What a cutie she is. Congrats on being back to your pre pregnancy weight! Ive been trying to go on some long walks when the weather permits. Im loving being able to move again... its been such a long time since I've felt mobile!!
Does your DH get up for night feedings? My OH is only now starting to adjust to being disturbed during the night. I get up and take her out of the room and he only wakes up a little when i come back in after a feeding. Boys are so bad with lack of sleep. Elena is getting really good with her sleep... she will often sleep 7 or 8 hours from about 7 pm and then i have to get up for about an hour with her and then back to bed for another 3 or 4 hours. Hopefully your LO will be the same.
How horrible are the baby blues... if you're anything like me it should start getting better now and you will be feeling great before you know and able to enjoy Amber a lot more.
The milk supply never happened for me but i do remember getting out of the shower and leaking everywhere before i could get to the pump and breast pads.

AFM - 6 weeks appointment for her tomorrow which mean injections!!! Ive been told to expect the worse in terms of her crying.

Im also thinking she might have mild silent reflux... i originally thought she might just have gas but I've been giving her gripe water and it hasn't made any difference and a lot of the signs of reflux she has so ill be asking the doc about that tomorrow also.

Looking forward to when you all have more time to come on and chat.
Everyone!!

 

[KLMenke]

No real news here! Ive been feeling contractions on and off for the past couple of days, but haven't noticed my plug releasing or anything like that. My last appointment is Thursday, so I will see if she can do a sweep as my induction is next Tuesday. Im working still, and Friday is my last day which is so surreal that I wont be coming back. I have a feeling it will be an emotional time since I've worked there for almost 9 years! We finally got some teasers of our maternity pictures back, and we love them! I will have to post a couple.

Kasey, how are you doing? Im sure it's annoying to have to answer that question all the time.... I know I'm irritated when people ask me! Im like, im due today, how do u think I feel? Im tired, sore, ready to be done, and irritable! Hahaha

 

[Kasey84]

I'm still here and very pregnant ladies! 40+6 tomorrow and still nothing Thankfully, my next OB appt. is tomorrow and hopefully there will be some progress or I'll be given an induction date. Either way, I'm seriously hoping this baby comes soon! I'm way past uncomfortable now! Barely sleeping and feels like my hips/pelvis is constantly popping out of place :s Also, every move the baby makes is comforting, but painful at this point!

Karina- Beautiful pics! Sorry your still feeling the baby blues...hope this passes soon! Good for you to be getting back into an exercise routine. I bet that will help with the emotions/baby blues! I'm looking forward to getting back at it as well. I'm definitely talking to my OB about a sweep tomorrow. I'll see what he thinks.

KLMenke- I know just how you feel. I'm so irritable right now that I wouldn't blame my OH if he ran away. lol. Enjoy your last day of work and hopefully baby makes an appearance soon Would love to see some maternity pics. We had some done as well, but still waiting to get them back.

Lisa- Hoping Elena's appt. goes well tomorrow and that there aren't too many tears! Thinking of you!

 

[vietmamsie]

hang in there ladies! you'll have your little ones soon enough!

karina - you have put me to shame... i gained so much weight! good job getting a work out in. i think i am very far from that in my recovery.

lisa - i would love to start a diet with you! i could use the support!

 

[Lisa85]

Kasey & Klmenke, I'm feeling for you guys right now. I remember how much pain i was in at 37 weeks so i can't imagine how you feel now.
Bring on the
Looking forward to seeing some maternity pics... i should get Elena professional newborn shots very soon as well.
FYI - If anyone wants to get newborn shots they do them in the first 10 days so bubs is more posable. So look for places now if you want them.

Vietmamsie, diet support is here!! I'm pretty good at diet and exercise once i get started. Its just getting started that is the problem. Ive eaten all the chocolate in the house after easter so i feel like i can start now! haha
How Lucy going?

AFM - Elena did pretty good with her injections. She got one in each leg. She screamed for a minute or two and then she was fine after a small feed.
They gave me a whooping cough booster as well.

AF showed her ugly face today... i guess things are going back to normal with my body!

 

[Karinama98]

KLMenke - I know it was hard for me to accept that I wouldn't be going back to work once Amber was born. Everyone at work knows I'm a slight "work-aholic" and was cocky saying I'd be back in the office on Monday, but the LO had different plans for me. Honestly though, once you're on your maternity leave, you'll start wondering how you'll be able to go back. I questioned it within a few days of being home with her.

Kasey - Hope the doctor is okay with trying the sweeping. Before I had my doctor do it I asked her how that particular medical practice looked at it. She let me know there was a doctor there who sometimes over did them just to get things jump started. Luckily my doctor wasn't opposed to trying it since we were already at the 39 week mark.

Vietmamsie - Everyone's body is definitely different. I know I was surprised I didn't gain more especially with my diet at times (between my DH and I we finished a gallon of ice cream in two weeks before she arrived). I'm confident you'll be able to lose a great amount of it once you're comfortable with starting the diet/exercise routine.

Lisa - The baby blues thing definitely sucks. I think it's also just being overwhelmed by my in-laws wanting to constantly be over to see Amber. My sister-in-law (who I love to death) almost made me feel like I should have allowed her over yesterday since it was her birthday wish to see her niece. I did stand up and told her I need to spend time with Amber alone since DH started going back to work full time again this week. Luckily she understood.

I know the emotions get stirred up when I feel I'm not the best caretaker for Amber at times. Also I know I've tried helping DH know what to do in terms of her care at times because I've been the one doing things most of the time and he has occasionally been a little short with me because of it. Saturday I had a crying spell for about an hour after he did that, which he did feel bad about. He realized I was just trying to help and he shouldn't have reacted the way he did.

As for DH helping with feedings at night, last night was the first time he fed her since I'm starting to store breast milk in the fridge now. I was a little irritated though because she was not settling down for about 10-15 minutes after she woke up at 4 am this morning, and THEN he decided to try feeding her. I knew as soon as she woke up she needed to be changed and fed. I think I'm also just irritated because he keeps acting as if she should be sleeping all the time at night, and when she starts getting fussy he always says, "Come on, baby, I work in a few hours. Go back to sleep." I am SOOOOOO happy that he wants to sleep. It's been a week and a half and I haven't had a full night of sleep, unlike him who has.

I guess I seem irritated with DH lately. When he's home and awake with her he's great, but come nighttime he's frustrating. Plus lately I'm starting to feel like any form of intimacy is out the window. All I get these days is maybe a quick kiss and a small hug and that's it. So now I'm starting to feel inadequate.

Guess that's also contributing to the baby blues, too.

 

[Lisa85]

Karina, almost everything you are saying i have been through as well. I know it doesn't feel like it will get better but it does.
Ive just gone through the whole feeling gross with my OH and it was all just in my head. He still wants me and finds me attractive but it just realises that in our own heads. I don't think i was finding myself attractive because of all the gross things that have happened in the last few months.
I don't feel like anyone else can take care of Elena either. My OH looks to me for advice though when he's got her but he seems to panic quite easily and says whats wrong with her when she's fussy her cries for a second... i keep reminding him she is fine. If something was wrong she would let you know!!
People will understand if you need to spend some alone time with Amber. Everyone just wants to be helpful and they forget that sometimes you just need to be alone with her. The first few weeks we were home we had someone round almost every day and after they would leave i would just cry because i needed to rest and be with Elena.
Sorry i think I'm rambling... its 4 am haha!!

Just to give everyone hope... Elena slept 8 hours the last two nights in a row. i was in bed for about 6 hours of that. Soooooo nice to get a decent block of sleep!!

 

[Karinama98]

Lisa - thanks for sharing. It's good knowing everything seems to be normal in terms of how I'm feeling. I've cried after people would leave too because for me it was overwhelming. For me in general I can only take my MIL in small doses, so with her being around so much lately it's stressful.

And glad to know she's sleeping well.

 

[vietmamsie]

It's funny because my DH thinks we really need all this 'support' but I also much prefer just being alone with Lucy. It's nice having people stop by, but I always feel like its too much by the time I leave. Everyone wants to hold her, but thats not what I need help with! I can care for my baby just fine, I need help actually getting things like laundry done!

Our cleaner was here last night and it was just too much... I really wanted to just be in my bra and underwear, doing skin to skin, but had to be clothed. and she was really judgmental about how I picked her up the moment she cried. You can't spoil a newborn!!! They need to be comforted when they cry!!! She told me how her mom would just ring a bell in her face when she cried as a baby. MY GOD.

Had a weird one yesterday... out neighborhoods power was cut all day, so we went out in the afternoon because it was just too hot at home. Lucy was a mess before we left, just too hot out there for her! When we got to the place we were going she was asleep in her carrier, but the moment I took her out she started wailing. Within 2 minutes a Viet woman comes over and tried to TAKE HER FROM ME telling me "HE" needed to be changed! The nerve of her! Granted we probably looked pretty frazzled, but come on, it was a low key pizza place, not some high end restaurant. And I think I know how to care for my own child thank you very much.

 

[Lisa85]

OMG i can't believe she tried to take lucy from you!! its bad enough when random people try to touch bubs. How rude!!

Whats with ringing a bell in her face... whats that going to do beside make them cry more.

Im sure you will find time to get things done... i managed to clean out my draws and walk in robe today and do a few loads of washer. Things are getting easier!!

Is anyone finding their babies are more fussy late afternoon?

 

[Kasey84]

Hi ladies! Our little man has finally arrived

Luke Jaxon was born on April 23rd at 4:35 pm via unplanned c-section. He is so precious and we are so in love!

Here is my birth story:
Went to bed at 12:00 am on April 23rd. Was laying there wondering how I was going to sleep with lo moving around like crazy. Was only in bed about 20 minutes when I felt an odd popping sensation and suddenly my waters gushed out. I jumped out of bed in a flash (didn't even think I was capable of that kind of movement anymore!) and told oh that my water broke. He was so calm and collected, which was great as I was scared and panicking! Once I got myself together, I had a quick shower and for dressed. We headed for the hospital as it's an hour from home. On a side note, I'm shocked at just how much amniotic fluid there is! Just kept coming and coming! Holy!

Contractions came on quickly..about half an hour after my water broke. By the time we got to the hospital, they were about 3 minutes apart, although pretty tolerable at that point. I was checked and it was confirmed that my water broke (didn't doubt that) and I was about 2-3 cm dilated. Contractions quickly got stronger and closer together so I was moved to the case room as it seemed as though things were progressing quickly. Once settled in the case room it was checked again and found to be 3-4 cm and 70% effaced. I was using breathing techniques to get through contractions but they were getting pretty intense so I was given some pain medication (morphine), which I happily took!

At about 6 am, oh helped me into the shower as I was hoping this would help relieve my pain along with the meds. Unfortunately, while the heat was soothing it also made me feel nauseous so I didn't stay in there long. Contractions were becoming unbearable...so intense and only about 1 minute apart. An epidural was discussed and I decided to have one done. By 7 am I was all set up with the epidural and coping much better! I was about 4 cm and 100% effaced so things were coming along well.

I continued to experience contractions, though didn't feel any pain (total bliss!). I soon got to 5 cm and everyone thought baby would be coming very soon.

Unfortunately my blood pressure kept going up and baby's heart rate was up and down. I also developed a fever. For whatever reason baby's head was not coming down into the birth canal and I never dilated past 5 cm, despite some tricks and prodding! They have me until 3:45 pm and then recommended c-section given the circumstances. I was happy to go ahead with that, as I just wanted baby here safely. Since I already had a epidural the preparations were quick and I was in the OR by 4:15.

Luke was out by 4:35! Seeing him for the first time was simply amazing...life changing. Oh and I cried like babies. lol. We got to spend some alone time with him in recovery before oh brought him out to meet our waiting family/friends!

All is well with both of us. I'm feeling pretty good despite the c-section. I'll be in hospital just a couple of days. Luke is with the nurses tonight so that I could get some much needs sleep! I miss him though!

Looking forward to talking babies with you ladies. Hope all is well with everyone (and their lo's)!

Here's a picture...more to follow

 

[vietmamsie]

Kasey! Wonderful news! I am sorry you had to have a c-secion, but all that matters is that your little one is here and safe! Such a cutie!

I'm here if you need any recovery support or have questions. I know Lisa helped me quite a bit as well, it takes some time to heal!

Lisa - late afternoon has been a hard time for us as well. Yesterday Lucy was a mess all day which was miserable. But today I have had a dream baby... she has slept all day with no crying! and we got a really good nights sleep. And she is sleeping some place other than my arms... I honestly haven't even known what to do with all this free time today! Finally feeling caught up on things around the house!

 

[Lisa85]

Kasey, a big congratulations to you on the arrival of luke!! what a cute boy! theres been a lot of c sections amongst us.
I commend you on written such a coherent story so soon after the birth. I could barely think straight let alone write whole story.

Vietmamsie, Elena was an angel yesterday too until late afternoon where she was awake all through a feed time and then took ages to go to sleep after that.
Elena really only like sleeping in her bassinet and not in my arms which is good but i want cuddles.
Im glad you could get some things done. Must feel good to start getting on top of things.

 

[Lindsay109]

Kasey, congrats on Luke's arrival!!! What a cutie . A lot of us ended up with c sections. I hope your recovery goes smoothly . I have found the recovery easier than I expected, hopefully it will be the same for you.

I am feeling very much the same as the rest of you re visitors, it's nice to have people stop by but I find it very exhausting and sometimes overwhelming, especially if they just want to hold the baby... Makes me feel like I have to entertain them. My DH is also complaining about lack of sleep when really he's getting way more than me as I'm doing the night time feeds. He's great with Rowan during the day, and has been doing a lot of the household chores, but I dont have much sympathy for his complaints about lack of sleep, haha

Lisa, wow, 8 hours sleeping would be amazing! The longest we've gotten so far is 4 hours and I was asleep for about 3.5 hours. Can't wait till he starts sleeping a little longer.

We've recently started going out for walks with Rowan in the carrier or stroller, he loves it and I love getting out of the house for a little while. It also feels good to get some exercise.... I've lost the 10kgs I gained during pregnancy (plus a couple more) but feel like I've lost some muscle mass and my endurance is not what it was.

What's everyone doing about sleeping arrangements for LO? Rowan will sleep in his crib when I put him down for the first time at night, but after the night feeds he doesn't settle as well and just wants to cuddle. I've had him in bed with me a couple times and he is much happier (and sleepier), but I'm a little nervous about co sleeping.

 

[KLMenke]

Congrats kasey! Hes beautiful! Hope you recover smoothly

Am I the only one left whos STILL pregnant?!

I had my last ob appt today, and we finally have some progrrss. Im 1cm dilated, still 75% effaced, and baby girl is at a -2 station so shes moving down! The dr did a membrane sweep today since im finally dilated. She said if it works, I should know within 8-10 hours. Fingers crossed its all the help I need! Otherwise, induction on Tuesday!

Its been almost 3 hours since the appt, and im already feeling cramping (which she said was normal), and im even a bit nauseated. I'm reallllly hoping this sweep works. I want to join the rest of u ladies in mommyhood!

 

[vietmamsie]

KLM- Wahoo! i hope the sweep works for you! All good signs! I can't wait to hear your birth story in a day or two!

Lindsay - we are bed sharing with lucy. We have a long pillow down the middle of the bed so DH feels safe about it... lucy and i on one side, DH on the other. She and i are up against the wall with a bumper pillow against the wall. When she gets too fussy at night (like last night) we move to the sofa in the living room.

I would agree with the whole DH complaining thing. I haven't said anything when he complains yet... but COME ON. I do nights with her and all day with her. yes, he takes over sometimes when he comes home and is a massive help around the house, but i'm the one doing the real heavy lifting! I think its just mens natural reflux to complain when tired. Women with babies have no choice but just push through and keep at it... at least he gets to take naps everyday! I do try to respect his sleep though. As a teacher, it sucks to be tired in class, hence we move to the living room if she gets fussy in the night.