Newborn/postpartum surprises

[katelm]

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[kam3100]

katelm wow! This is a lot like the experience I had with my 2 year old.
You're doing a great job! Hang in there!

[shanny]

Jul 25, 2016 19:46:54 GMT -5 thelorax said:

Because DD was over the 90th percentile for weight we had to have her blood sugar checked before every feeding.

Interesting! I had the opposite experience because DD was 10th percentile for weight, she had to have several blood sugar tests.

[misshart00]

Jul 25, 2016 21:01:07 GMT -5 thelorax said:

I never cried PP I just got really angry all the time.

I also never felt that magically all encompassing love when I saw DD. I was too damn tired and in too much pain. We're good now- so don't freak out. My mom basically told me I was a freak for not falling head over heals in love.

Also if you want to leave your new baby for a bit as long as you have childcare go for it! It doesn't make you any less devoted than someone who spends 24/7 with their baby. No one would say boo to a new dad going and grabbing a beer.

Semi-related: when I just had my first, the best advice I got from my aunt was, "it's okay to not like her all the time." It made me feel tons and tons better than the "enjoy every moment." It felt like the pressure was off and it made me feel like it's totally normal to hate when she wouldn't stop crying, etc.

[penny2103]

I was for sure a postpartum crier. I was shocked at how the hormones really crash all at once. DS had to be put under lights for jaundice the day after he was born. The nurses help us set him up and the second they walked out of the room I started sobbing. It was like all of the exhaustion and hormones hit me at once.

[katelm]

It's 3:15am and I'm up doing a pumping session. Finally had a chance to read this thread & realized it's not really the right place to post the above update. I'm going to cut & paste

[dc2london]

Yes to lip tie. Mine both had it but we never knew until their top front teeth came in. Our pedi doesn't clip ties unless a baby is struggling to gain, so I guess it doesn't matter.

[pbandjelly]

Jul 25, 2016 20:11:37 GMT -5 misshart00 said:

Jul 25, 2016 20:04:15 GMT -5 redhead610 said:

Also, for every annoying pregnant lady question/comment you get, be prepared for everyone to ask a thousand intrusive or annoying questions post baby. Did you have pain meds? So-and-so was fine without them. Csection or..."ya know.."? Is your 1 week old sleeping through the night yet?

And plus the fun, "when are you due?" Dude, I have a one month old; I'm fully aware I still look pregnant, but geez.

This definitely happened to me a week after Little Guy was born after a doctor appointment. I laughed it off. I had to.

[elebishi]

Jul 25, 2016 20:02:38 GMT -5 venyia said:

The hair loss hit me about 4 months pp with DD1. My sister had warned me, thank god. It was... horrifying, and I would have freaked if not for the heads up.

Yes. I had no hair loss with DD1.  With DD2, it started about 5 months PP. It didn't stop. I actually went to a dermatologist and was diagnosed with alopecia areata (in addition to regular PP hair loss). I literally developed a number of bald spots that eventually merged and became one huge bald spot on the top of my head. I've never been so thankful that I'm tall and blonde (baldness not so noticeable when you have light hair) and have lots thick/curly hair. I was able to "style" it enough to cover it up. It finally stopped falling out when I weaned DD2. But guess what? Hair only grows about 1/2 inch/month. So about 1 year later, it's finally starting to blend in with my hair that didn't fall out. I'm fully prepared to quit breastfeeding ASAP if I notice any small bald spots forming this time.

-I don't mean to scare anyone. I think you have to be genetically predisposed to actually get alopecia. It's autoimmune. It just took me by surprise and I never imagined I would be dealing with hair loss, of all things.

[eaglewife]

Jul 26, 2016 8:19:15 GMT -5 elebishi said:

Jul 25, 2016 20:02:38 GMT -5 venyia said:

The hair loss hit me about 4 months pp with DD1. My sister had warned me, thank god. It was... horrifying, and I would have freaked if not for the heads up.

Yes. I had no hair loss with DD1.  With DD2, it started about 5 months PP. It didn't stop. I actually went to a dermatologist and was diagnosed with alopecia areata (in addition to regular PP hair loss). I literally developed a number of bald spots that eventually merged and became one huge bald spot on the top of my head. I've never been so thankful that I'm tall and blonde (baldness not so noticeable when you have light hair) and have lots thick/curly hair. I was able to "style" it enough to cover it up. It finally stopped falling out when I weaned DD2. But guess what? Hair only grows about 1/2 inch/month. So about 1 year later, it's finally starting to blend in with my hair that didn't fall out. I'm fully prepared to quit breastfeeding ASAP if I notice any small bald spots forming this time.

-I don't mean to scare anyone. I think you have to be genetically predisposed to actually get alopecia. It's autoimmune. It just took me by surprise and I never imagined I would be dealing with hair loss, of all things.

Thanks for sharing this, elebishi. I'm sorry that you went through it. It sounds rough.

[frodabaggins]

I wasn't expecting the post partum anxiety. Or rather, I *was* expecting something because I have had generalized anxiety before, but I wasn't expecting it to manifest in quite the way it did. At the same time of day, every day, predictably in the late afternoon while sitting in the nursery feeding my son, I would get overwhelmed with anxiety and the feeling that I would now never accomplish all the things I had yet to accomplish, and that I was now officially washed up. It was particularly acute the first 2 weeks and then had mostly eased up after the first 6.

[venyia]

The swaddle can always be tighter. I was really surprised when my sister showed me how to ACTUALLY swaddle my kiddo when she came to visit around 2 weeks pp. (And of course, some kids don't tolerate swaddles.)

[spicysalmonroll]

I'm surprised how long the "feeding" process takes. When I was pregnant I had no idea, I just thought I'd wake, pop him a boob for ten and be back to sleep.

HAAAA. He takes a boob for 10-15 then 5-10 to burp and settle stomach, then diaper change, then boob again for 5-10, burp and settle for 5-10. It's like a 40 minute ordeal and then he only sleeps for an hour and it starts all over. I know this is normal but shit I did not know it was going to be like that lol

[misshart00]

Jul 29, 2016 7:45:10 GMT -5 spicysalmonroll said:

I'm surprised how long the "feeding" process takes. When I was pregnant I had no idea, I just thought I'd wake, pop him a boob for ten and be back to sleep.

HAAAA. He takes a boob for 10-15 then 5-10 to burp and settle stomach, then diaper change, then boob again for 5-10, burp and settle for 5-10. It's like a 40 minute ordeal and then he only sleeps for an hour and it starts all over. I know this is normal but shit I did not know it was going to be like that lol

That was seriously my wake up call with my first. I had always heard they get up every two to three hours. Okay fine. I expected to feed her and lay her back down then sleep for a couple hours. That was so not reality. It was like an hour long ordeal to feed and get her back back down and comfy, then it started all over as soon as I got back to sleep.

[gratefulgirl]

Jul 29, 2016 7:50:55 GMT -5 misshart00 said:

Jul 29, 2016 7:45:10 GMT -5 spicysalmonroll said:

I'm surprised how long the "feeding" process takes. When I was pregnant I had no idea, I just thought I'd wake, pop him a boob for ten and be back to sleep.

HAAAA. He takes a boob for 10-15 then 5-10 to burp and settle stomach, then diaper change, then boob again for 5-10, burp and settle for 5-10. It's like a 40 minute ordeal and then he only sleeps for an hour and it starts all over. I know this is normal but shit I did not know it was going to be like that lol

That was seriously my wake up call with my first. I had always heard they get up every two to three hours. Okay fine. I expected to feed her and lay her back down then sleep for a couple hours. That was so not reality. It was like an hour long ordeal to feed and get her back back down and comfy, then it started all over as soon as I got back to sleep.

My first was sometimes on the boob for an hour and a half. I was so sick of touching another person even though I loved her.

I remember being shocked at 11 weeks to realize that she wasn't doing that any more

My second ate every 3 hours from birth, but that did not mean she slept in the intervening time. Oh no. For once I am hoping for one of those sleepy newborns, but not expecting much.

[hashbrownnofilter]

gratefulgirl DS was exactly the same as your first. I was so touched out with him.

[spicysalmonroll]

Jul 29, 2016 13:11:53 GMT -5 hashbrownnofilter said:

gratefulgirl DS was exactly the same as your first. I was so touched out with him.[/quotep]



Stick in box
yes...mine doesn't stay on that long but I still feel like that...H keeps trying to be so snuggly and Hug and kiss me to death to tell me what a great job I'm doing. And I'm like get away from me. I love you to death but I just need you away from my body right now!

[dc2london]

I was totally amazed with my first at how well the 4 S's work, and how loudly you actually need to shush them. It's funny bc, to this day, if one of the boys starts to stir in his sleep I can make that loud 'shhhh' sound and they stay asleep.

[spicysalmonroll]

Jul 30, 2016 6:58:06 GMT -5 dc2london said:

I was totally amazed with my first at how well the 4 S's work, and how loudly you actually need to shush them. It's funny bc, to this day, if one of the boys starts to stir in his sleep I can make that loud 'shhhh' sound and they stay asleep.

the newborn photographer did this the other day and it was amazing

[misshart00]

I'll throw this out there because I always heard you don't get your period while breastfeeding. I did. 6 weeks after birth and every month after. Both times. It can happen even though I know a lot of women who go without it as long as they breastfeed (I wish). I also discovered my grandma was the same way (with all 4) so maybe it's a hereditary thing?