Mid June and July Firecrackers Group Due June/July 2017!

[PrettyInInk42]

Good to hear everything's going well, Gag. Alex has a Dr's appt on Wednesday too. Really hoping he'll be about 9lbs by then.

So, this is kind of TMI, but whatever. Has anyone had really difficult BMs since delivering? I'd heard the first few feel like you're giving birth again, but mine were decently tolerable. However, they've been getting more painful. I've had 7 BMs since Alex was born. Like I said, 1, 2, and 3 were alright. 4 and 5 felt like I was tearing a little and my butt hole was actually sore/in pain for like half a day after. But 6 and 7 actually made the toilet water red with blood and they were pretty solid. I should probably start taking stool softeners and mention it to my OB, right? Anyone else having this issue?

In other news, BD's condo is get all the pipes and plumbing upgraded, so he's been staying at my house for a few days and will probably be here for a few more. Also, my mom decided to head up north to visit her sisters for several days, so we've had the house to ourselves and it's been pretty nice. Today was the first day I'd been alone with Alex from 6am to 5pm and things went pretty well, even when he had a little diaper blow out. God, I love being a mom, even though at times it's still hard to believe he's mine. I really hope to make him a big brother soon.

Lastly, have you ladies heard of the Wonder Weeks book/chart? I haven't read the book, but I googled the chart and Alex seems to be right on track with his week 5 feeding and fussiness and fighting sleep. Anyone else dealing/dealt with this developmental milestone?

 

[Girly922]

Pretty, it sounds like you may have a fissure. I had one after I had DD1, possibly caused by my stitches being a bit tight and me not taking any stool softeners. Definitely mention it at your next Dr's appointment but they'll likely just advise you to use the softener sachets you mix with water to help give the fissure chance to heal.
I found the first few times easy after the birth too, but they gradually got more painful. I think that's where I'm not going quite as frequently, still most days, but around the birth I was going multiple times a day.

I'm glad things are going well with you and BD!


AFM we've got another weigh in tomorrow, A is still not yet back to her birth weight and is still having EBM top ups but we are now cup feeding as she developed nipple confusion using a bottle after every breastfeed. She's gaining weight but very slowly, if we don't have a big gain tomorrow they want us to see the GP.
I'm becoming more convinced that A does also have CMPA, but I'll bring that up at her 6w check.
In better news, we had her hip scan today and there are no signs of hip dysplasia. They said that the fact that I carry her a lot is one of the best things for healthy hip development. I think she's only been in the pram once. I'm glad we didn't buy a new one for how little it's likely to get used.

 

[DobbyForever]

Gag same here he freaking LOVES the bath then screams bloody murder when he is out until he is dry and clothed. Then passes the eff out lol

Pretty can't say re poo cuz I was on a stool softener and it just lasted forever lol my pops just started to be normal. Glad you and BD got to spend some time just you two and Alex and that mothering is coming naturally

Girly I am so sorry things are still rough. If you're topping up with bottle anyway, have you considered just totally switching to bottle? Or do you really want the latching?

Afm at my mom's as SO is out of town and I wanted a break lol. Had his measurements yesterday and he is up to 7lbs 6oz and 20in. Which is funny because my friend just had a baby and he's 7lbs 14oz and 20in so he's a day old and bigger than my one month old lol

 

[lesondemavie]

Pretty - I've had trouble with BMs since delivery. My first time was after 4 days of nothing and I was in tears. There are a number of things that it can be: fissure, hemorrhoids, or just general inflammation. Maybe the fact that it was fine and then got worse points to fissure like girly? Either way stool softeners help ease the issue for all causes. My midwife recommended miralax twice a day when I went home (you can get this otc). You can safely take it for 14 days at this dose. I went about 11 days and then reduce my dose to 1x a day and now I'm down to a half dose a day. I'm trying to replace it with more natural softeners/laxatives. My nurse recommended apricot juice and a handful of peanuts at night. I'm also making sure I get plenty of fiber (fruit, veggies, flax, chia) in my diet plus I'm taking an extra supplement of soluable liquid fiber once a day. On top of that we bought the SquattyPotty. I just didn't want to push at all after delivery, and I really need to avoid pushing and making it worse anyway. This is all TMI so just going for it. The SquattyPotty is basically just a stool that helps put your knees up higher which helps relax your sphincter, and I also found some breathing/rocking techniques on dr google that help a ton. I know I went all out, but that first week was so awful that I make sure I go every day just to prevent it from going back to that. If I reduce my dose and don't go then I bump it back up a bit and try to reduce it again a few days later. I also have a prescription cream for my external hemorrhoids. Those have improved significantly with the cream and a sitz bath over the past month. I'd try some natural diet mods first (you can do a google search for other options), and definitely mention it to the doctor so they can provide treatment as well if necessary.

As for the Wonder Weeks, Charlie is spot on from her due date as well. The app and audiobook really helped me get through her first fussy week esp bc she was so good to start. When my calm baby became fussy I seriously thought she might be getting sick bc it was such a big difference. WW helped me stay calm and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Enjoying these sunny days before the next inevitable leap.

Girly it sounds like you are doing so well caring for your baby! Sorry for the struggles and hope you are on the other side soon.

 

[Girly922]

Dobby, it's more that I don't think I'd manage exclusively pumping, and A is at risk of having CMPA so I don't really want to put her on formula to go through the reactions to get a diagnosis before we can get prescription formula. DD1 has CMPA and the diagnosis process was so drawn out. If we don't have a big gain tomorrow it'll be something to discuss with the dr though as they may want to look at prescribing the dairy free formula if they believe the weight gain issues are related to allergy.

 

[DobbyForever]

. Sorry the diagnosis process is such a pain. I don't blame you for not wanting to put your kid through something unpleasant just to prove a point. hopefully they get her on the dairy free formula and it works

pumping was really hard at first for me until I realized I get the same amount of milk regardless of frequency, so I cut down from pumping 2oz every 2 hours to pumping 4-5oz every 4 hours. And realistically if I fed him 15m per boob then 10m on a bottle that's the same time commitment wise, more actually. I also have no help. Nobody holds him or soothes him when I pump. I do diaper changes while pumping or take breaks to rock him (he'll kick the shields off) if I can't get it done while he is sleeping. Like right now I'm so chill because I have 10 oz of milk in the fridge from pumping at 4am and 10:30am (enough for 5 feedings) and I don't have to worry about pumping for another four-ish hours.

 

[PrettyInInk42]

Dobby - I'm having the same situation with my friend. Our due dates were 13 days apart, but I was a little early and she was over a week late, so our sons are 23 days apart. However, her son was 9lbs 2oz, 21.5in at birth. lol

Anywho, I have an appt at the bank tomorrow to set up a Registered Education Savings Plan for Alex. Feeling hella responsible. haha

 

[DobbyForever]

Right?! It's so crazy how different babies can be. But man 9lbs I can't imagine. I can't imagine pushing out a baby bigger than 5 lbs. especially since I still tore!

That's awesome! Super responsible

 

[Gagrlinpitt]

Girly hopefully you get the diagnosis soon.

Pretty that is responsible.. And it sounds like things are going well with bd!

Dobby I'm so glad you figured out a good pumping schedule.

Afm, Ps month appointment is today so I'm expecting around 8.5lbs. She's eating anywhere between 2-4oz every 2-3 hours except at night she's sleeping 4-5 hour stretches now. Today was a bit rough but it looks like right around 5 weeks they go through a mental leap and she'll be 5 weeks on Friday so I'm sure that has something to do with it.

She's been holding her head up since day 2 and according to her doctor is strong as heck... I have a feeling she'll crawl and walk early...I guess we will see...

 

[DobbyForever]

Gag how crazy A also had a rough day (3 hour crying spell for seemingly no reason though I suspect tummy as he hasn't pooped in two days and he keeps farting and it could peel paint lol). I was thinking the same thing man maybe it's because he is five weeks on Friday. Glad to hear she is strong! Also curious to see if it correlates to earlier movement

 

[Girly922]

Well today's appointment went well! A has gained 130g (4.5oz) since Saturday and is now only 1oz from her birth weight so no need for further input and investigations at the moment. I have cut dairy from my diet though to see if that changes anything. It can take up to 6 weeks to leave my milk though.

Also today, I have been both puked and peed on. The joys of motherhood!

 

[Mummafrog]

Eesh girly it must be so tough, I'm so glad she has put on enough well done mumma

Yes baby size varies so much! My monster child was bigger than an 8 week old when she was 3 weeks she is getting very heavy and chunky and really doesn't feel like a newborn anymore, I don't get them long but she's doing really well, a very content baby really. She has three hours of awakeness in the morning and cluster feeds during that time, then sleeps from around 11am-5pm and maybe has milk 2-3 times during that, then spends most of the evening awake and gives me about 4-5 hour block at night, then we're awake at dawn for an hour, then get another couple of hours is.

What are your baby patterns (if any!) atm?

We've been quite busy meeting up with people,I'm desperate to make friends with some mums with new babies as I was feeling very lonely. Going to a mum and baby group which has been lovely.
We're going on holiday for a week to a cottage a couple of hours away with the grandparents on friday and then after that I'll soon be back at work :'( also been trying to organise my return.

Ahh stressful.. the rambling, incoherent style of this writing gives you some insight into how my brain seems to be working these days!

 

[DobbyForever]

Girly that is such great news!!!

Mumma hf at the cottage! Sorry about going back to work unless you like your job lol

A is usually predictable give or take a half hour. I'll start from night time.
8:30pm lights out/feed
10:30pm eats (if he had an exhausting day he'll sleep through this)
2am eats
5am eats and usually take 30-1 hour to put him back down
8am eats and is up until about 12:30 feeding several times at 1-1.5 intervals
3pm eats anc tummy time and is awake an hour
5pm eats then sleeps until 7:30pm when he eats then stays up until 8:30

But lately his wake pattern has been unpredictable. And I probably could have just said he eats every two hours lol. I pump 5-6x a day. Usually I skip the 2am pump and just do 5. Hasn't been an issue yet

 

[Gagrlinpitt]

Girly that's exciting news

Momma I'm sure you're not excited about going back to work

Dobby that's not a bad schedule!!

Afm, P went to the doctor's today for her one month appointment. She's 8lb 15.5oz and 21 inches long. Doc said she's very strong and doing wonderfully.

She sleeps about 4-5 hours at night and eats every 2.5-3 hours during the day. She's up to 3.5-4 oz every feeding. I went into work today and told my CFO I'm not returning to work. He told me he had a feeling and said that anytime I want to return they will welcome me back with open arms and I told him I'd give them two weeks to train a new person. He said his wife stayed home and he completely understands why I want to. I'm so relieved that's done with...

 

[DobbyForever]

Yeah it's not too bad since he usually goes right back to sleeps. But the broken sleep kills me. Like yeah I'll get 9 hours of sleep but the whole in chunks of 3 hours sucks ><

I'm glad the convo with your cfo went well! And that your appointment went great! A was similar in growth not that we had an official appointment just had a nurse check weight, length, and circumference.

During tummy time he made his legs completely straight so his booty was in the air and he was in an almost downward dog position for a bit I was dying because he looked like he was doing baby yoga but I couldn't reach my camera

 

[lesondemavie]

Girly - glad all went well!

Oh gosh the second I put a "schedule" for little C down in writing it changes. The first few weeks she was sleeping 2 hours during the day, waking, eating, and then going back to sleep. At night she'd do 3 hours and then 2 hours and then 2 hours just waking eating and back to sleep. Awake time was limited. We just went through her first Wonder week though and now she is cooing and squealing and socially smiling...but also fighting sleep so she can see all the new wonders in her life. During the Wonder week she only napped 30-60 minutes at a time and if I put her down she'd instantly wake up and cry...she'd also be awake for up to 3 hours at a time...but she'd get overtired and overstimulated and super fussy. After the worst day, I was so tired that I took her upstairs and we napped together and she did her long 4 hour sleep then (probably bc it seemed like night to her)...which meant the night wasn't as good...and then she got stuck on that for a bit. I started to give her sleep cues as soon as I see her yawn or she's been up 45-60 minutes, and that seems to help prevent the big fusses. These past few days she's been sleeping 1-1.5 hours at a time in the morning and she'll let me set her down with an hour of eating and playing between, and then 2-3 hours at a time after 12 pm with less awake time between but it takes her a while to fall asleep and she wants to be cuddled up with me. I can typically set her down about an hour into the nap though which helps. Next week will probably be all different again . I've been tracking using Sprout Baby and the times don't seem consistent just yet. I've read that newborns are unpredictable and that consistent schedules don't really form until 6-8 weeks and that this is the time that you can better influence the routine. Can't wait!

 

[PrettyInInk42]

Well, Alex's appat went ok today, but not what I was hoping for. He's only up to 8lbs 12oz. I was hoping for at least 9lbs and, based on what I've been told by the Dr, I think she was hoping he'd be about 9lbs 5oz. At least he's going in the right direction. She wants to see him again in 2 weeks, just to check his weight, and then he'll be back again for his first set of shots at 2 months.

I think it's kind of my fault he's not gaining like he should. I'm like 95% sure I'm not eating (healthy) enough to make enough milk with enough nutrients. Really gotta try to do better. : /

In terms of schedule, he doesn't have a super solid one, but he'll usually take a nap for a couple hours at 4pm and 9pm. He'll be up a couple times between midnight and 7am for a feeding, but then he'll go right back to sleep. He's still doing a lot of feeding though and he pretty much always passes out on the boob, but if I try to unlatch him, or lay him down, 9 times out of 10, he'll wake up and cry for more food.

Here's a pic from a friend's BDay at a pub this past weekend. This is the closest we've come to a family photo. lol

 

[Gagrlinpitt]

Ugh were on the dreaded five week growth spurt. She's such a great baby but had been very fussy and wanted to be held from Monday and had continued this to today. I read we are in one of the wonder weeks and I'm praying this goes quickly...

 

[lesondemavie]

Gag - Charlie hit her 5-week Wonder Week early since she was born late. We had two really tough days and then things settled. That being said the one tough day screwed up her beautiful sleep schedule and we're still struggling with that plus I really have to watch overstimulation now.

I'm leaving DH with EBM tonight and going to a nearby restaurant/bar for food and whiskey flights with my best friends. I think in the grand scheme of babies C is pretty easy but regardless these first few months are tough, I'm always on C watch even if someone else has her, and this mama definitely needs the break. I'm already feeling ready to go back to work. I love my daughter and spending this time with her is so special, but being at home alone with her most of the day just isn't working for me. We go out for walks every day and lunches a few times a week, but that's it. Of course just when she can do more is when I go back and DH takes over! So not fair

 

[DobbyForever]

Lol I'm the clingy one. I want to snuggle him all day probably because it means I have an excuse not to write sub plans haha

Pretty glad you got a photo all three of you. try to ignore the mom guilt. I eat fantastically and my kid barely gains on bm alone. Whoever said this feeding babies stuff was easy eye roll.

He just woke himself up with like 4 epic farts haha