5/8 Newborn-3mo Check In

[lilyelayne]

How old is LO?

How's everything going?

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share?

0-1mo:
How's your postpartum recovery going?


1-3mo:
Nursing in public: questions, experiences, anecdotes?

If you're pumping, how is that going?When are you returning to work, or are you SAH?


GTKY: if you could change one (only one!) thing about your home instantly & for free, what would it be?

[jellykat2]

How old is LO? She'll be 6 weeks on Wednesday.

How's everything going? Pretty good. I've noticed her choking on my letdown more often, and feeling more engorged more often lately. I think she's coming out of a growth spurt - so maybe that's why? She also gets frustrated and wants to use me as a paci some evenings, but then seems mad that she's getting milk too. She's just starting to occasionally take an actual paci from us.

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share?
I'm trying to decide when to start pumping, and then when is the best time just to start a little stash before I go back to work. I don't go back until August and have been using a silicone pump occasionally so I do already have about 25 ounces in the freezer.

1-3mo:
Nursing in public: questions, experiences, anecdotes?
No questions. I'm much more laid back about this the second time around. I have much more of a DGAF attitude what other people think, and it's quiet liberating.

GTKY: if you could change one (only one!) thing about your home instantly & for free, what would it be?[/quote]
Kitchen. It needs an update, and I'd love to be able to do a complete gut job.

[loubug]

How old is LO? 1 day!

How's everything going?
Ok. She knows how to latch and eat but she is slow. I have to convince her to keep sucking.

Questions/concerns/cute stories to share?
She is having trouble keeping her blood sugar up 😞 We are supplementing with formula but she is still struggling. Anyone else see this?

How's your postpartum recovery going?
I actually feel pretty good. Things haven't been that painful and I'm really surprised. Maybe it's coming though. Fingers crossed.



GTKY: if you could change one (only one!) thing about your home instantly & for free, what would it be?
I would add a craft room that is attached to our playroom where I could see the kids playing but the craft room is closed off and they couldn't actually get into it.

[lilyelayne]

Sorry for being MIA yesterday, DS had a tummy bug

loubug how are LO's blood sugars today? Lots of skin to skin helps regulate her temperature, which relieves some of the work her body has to do and therefore some of the demands that can cause low blood sugar. Any risk factors for hypoglycemia? (Preterm, diabetic mother, any distress are common ones.)

@lildiamondeyes reverse pressure softening can help with latching when engorged. I hope your recovery is smooth, and your older kids adapt to your restrictions quickly. Be gentle with yourself

jellykat2 general rule is baby will need 1-1.5oz per hour that y'all are separated. You should pump significantly more when replacing a feed (like when you're at work) than in addition to nursing full time. Technically you only need enough to cover your first day away, and you likely already have that. Some women prefer a bit more of a freezer stash as back up or a mental comfort. Generally that's done by pumping once a day or even just a couple times a week in the latter part of leave. Supply is highest in the morning, so you can nurse one side and pump the other first feed of the day. Or pump during first morning nap. Or if LO has a long stretch of sleep in the wee hours of the morning, get up around 2-3am to pump.
At 6 weeks your supply is usually well set up, so you can add pumping in.
When introducing a bottle, be sure it is pace fed. I can come back with links if you want. Pace fed helps a bottle feed mimic a breast feed, protecting against flow preference and overfeeding. It's about how you feed a bottle, not when, as babies should always be fed on demand. Remember if baby takes a bottle instead of nursing you need to pump at that time.

[lilyelayne]

jellykat2 some thought that introducing a bottle becomes more difficult after 12 weeks, so between 6-12 or 10-12 weeks are common recommendations for bottle introduction. But 4 months (which is how old LO will be when you go back to work, right?) is possibly old enough to intro a straw cup if the bottles aren't working.

[kartish]

How old is LO? He'll be three months next week. Last time on the newborn check in, sob!

How's everything going? It's going really well at the moment. 1-3mo:
Nursing in public: questions, experiences, anecdotes? Nursing in public is so much easier this time around, mostly because I am not caring if someone sees us. A hates anything on his head so nursing with a cover is not ever going to work.

If you're pumping, how is that going?When are you returning to work, or are you SAH? I set alarms on my phone to get me on a better schedule and it's working for the moment.


GTKY: if you could change one (only one!) thing about your home instantly & for free, what would it be? My bathroom in the master! It needs a total redo, but it's last on our list sadly.

[lilyelayne]

N40Mom welcome :-) this initial oversupply is normal, as your body isn't sure how many babies it needs to feed. Fortunately engorgement is a self limiting problem: the longer milk remains in your breast, the stronger signal it sends to produce less milk. But that doesn't make it comfortable. You should avoid pumping this early. If needed, you can hand express only until you are comfortable and then stop. You can try warm compresses and/or a warm shower (though you may find you need to apply nipple cream pre shower if they are tender) for comfort. You can try cold compresses to reduce inflammation. You're likely already taking ibuprofen for other postpartum concerns, but if not, it can also help reduce inflammation. (Cautionary note with that, as ibuprofen can mask fever, so if you get a clog or have any other mastitis symptoms- always worth a call to your doctor.)

More engorgement info and strategies here:
kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/engorgement/

Also many babies wake up a little for their first growth spurt around 7-10 days.

Remember baby needs to have 5-6+ wet diapers and 3-4+ dirty diapers in 24 hours at this stage. This diaper count lets you know he's getting enough milk.

[hurricanerek]

N40Mom congratulations and I'm so glad BFing is going well for you!

lilyelayne gave you great advice! I'll also add that not all babies take both sides at each feed. It's good that you are offering both if he will take them but he may not finish the second side because he's full and/or tired. You can always try again on the unfinished side a little later. Keep an eye on his weight. If he starts losing any or his weight plateaus, then I would push both sides a little stronger. Otherwise you can relax and follow his lead.