I'm a mother!

[Karen2]

I have to share the good news... Kimberly Amber was born on March 7 (my MIL's birthday!) The giant baby/baby head did not materialize (thank you for your reassurances). She is sooo precious to me. I spend hours just looking at her make funny faces in her sleep.

BUT... delivery was pretty awful. Due to a sudden case of pre-eclampsia, I was induced at 38 mos. The contractions were long and only 90 secs apart. I was vomiting between contractions even after the epidural and Kim was born several hours earlier than anyone expected. Afterwards, I was hemorrhaging and went into shock. So now I am at home in some considerable pain. My perineum hurts; I have painful hemorrhoids; my tailbone hurts, and my nipples are sore. Sitting REALLY hurts. WHEN WILL I FEEL BETTER? Is there anything I can do besides Tylenol, ice, and Epi-foam? It makes it really difficult to care for my baby. My DH (or I should say DDDH) is doing everything except BF.

Question #2) What does breast milk look like? I was able to express one watery white drop from my breast today (it's been 4 days) and I suspect my milk still has not come in yet. The trauma after delivery prevented me from BF'ing for the first 24 hours. The hospital's lactation nurses assured me I would be able to BF but I'm getting worried that it is not working. Also, even though Kim opens wide for the breast, it never seems much more than the nipple goes in her mouth. The nurses said she was latching on properly; if that's true, would my nipples still be so sore?

Thank you for your help. (I am so happy every time she smiles in her sleep. If it weren't for the pain in the birth areas, I would be in heaven. I wouldn't even care about the sleep deprivation. Sigh...)

[jubilee]

:D Congratulations on your healthy and precious new baby girl!! :D

It does sound like you went through quite an awful delivery! My friend had horrible perineum pain and said sitting on a Boppy helped. It seems like it might be a little too fluffy, but hey, if it works... About breastfeeding, I am certainly not an expert, but I was told some moms don't get their full milk in until 6 days after delivery. And from what I remember from 11 years ago, you won't have any question if it's come in... you will be rock hard and overflowing every few hours in the very beginning. :o I pray your concerns are eased, and hopefully you get to feeling better! Enjoy your new one!!

[Rachels]

Congratulations and welcome, Kimberly! I'm sorry your delivery was so difficult. I'm glad you can rejoice in your baby. If all you feel up to doing is snuggling and nursing, try to just let everything else go. You WILL feel better. Your body has been through a trauma, and it needs some time to heal.

Breast milk looks watery and white. I bet your milk has come in. But it sounds like you need some help. Where do you live? Would you like some help finding an LC or LLL leader who could come over and take a look? Often the hospital LCs are not as terrific as the home visit ones, frankly.

For your sore perineum, try freezing some of your maxi pads with a little water on them, then using those. Comfrey and honey also are good for perineal injury. It's also safe to take Advil and Motrin while you're nursing, and those are often more effective than Tylenol because they help reduce the inflammation.

If you need someone to talk to for reassurance, drop me an email and I'll be glad to call you. It will get much easier, I promise. Welcome to your gorgeous girl!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[AngelaS]

Congratulations!

It sounds like your milk is in. Do your armpits hurt? When my milk comes in, I can feel it waaay up in my armpits, kind of an achy feeling.

My babies both liked to try and nurse with their bottom lip tucked under. They'd open WIDE and then when the latched on, they'd tuck their bottom lip in. OW! Once we got past that it didn't hurt so bad!

One of the best pieces of advice was to give nursing 2 weeks before quitting. By then, you'll no longer feel like trying to rip up the carpet with your bare toes every time that little pirahna (um, I mean, baby) latches on. :)

Sorry to hear about your hemorrage too. I did that with baby #2. Do you eat red meat? It really helps build your blood volume back up. Dh laughed so hard at me when I told him I wanted steak for dinner. I guess your body truly does crave what it needs!

I agree with Rachel, it will get easier! :D Relax, enjoy your itty bitty baby and let everyone else do everything else! :D

[sbirmantaz]

Congratulations! Breastfeeding for me was painful for a solid 3 weeks and then started to get less painful. The lactation consultants also told me my dd was latching on properly. I think that sme women are just more sensitive and it'll hurt even with proper latch on. I even had a blister or 2 and I know she was on right, even though all the books etc say it will not hurt like that if it is proper, but from other mom's I've talked to it can still be painful and correct technique.... Good luck and enjoy your little one!!!

[Momof3Labs]

Congratulations, Karen!!!

Yes, it sounds like your milk is in, but Kim should be taking most of the areola in her mouth, too. Definitely find a IBCLC who can come to the house to check her latch - this is such a critical time for establishing supply. You can always pump a little, too, if you don't think that she is adequately stimulating you (not to give her a bottle, just to stimulate milk production).

And, please let your DH do everything except bf!! I had a pretty bad tear and was very sore, also, but it magically dropped off at about a week. It felt so awful that week that I didn't think I'd ever be able to sit again, but there really was a sudden drop in pain at about a week.

Enjoy your precious little bundle - they do grow and change so quickly!!

[JulieL]

First of all congradulations!!! I hope you have a speedy recovery! Second, if your milk came in you will notice your breasts look like they are going to explode! Seriously I remember looking down and overnight I went from a D to a DD. If you are expressing, breast milk looks watery. Much thinner than cows milk. Plus if you ever put the expressed milk in the fridge, the milk seperates. Collostrum is close to looking the same, it's the amount that the main, noticeable difference. It takes weeks to get a rythym going with breast feeding. If it is something you really want to do keep it up for a couple of weeks and it will get better. Plus have you looked into breast ointment. LL makes some that really worked for me. It doesn't bother the baby and helps you out. You can find it by the breast pads in the store. Also if you wake up totally sooked in milk, we have allll been there. It gets better, I promise. Just if you go out always bring an extra outfit for you too!!! I bet Kimberly is beautiful! Enjoy your new family and keep us posted!!!

-JulieL
mama to Anthony 3/23/02

[atlbaby]

Congratulations and welcome Kimberly! What beautiful first and middle names!

I'm sorry to hear you had such a difficult labor and that you're in pain now. I found that Advil/Motrin helped a lot, and sitting on a soft (gel time) ice pack helped too. I think it was Rachel who mentioned using frozen maxi pads with water, and that sounds very helpful too.

It will get better!! Enjoy your beautiful daughter! :)

-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01
#2:) EDD 10/24/03

[celfsh]

Sorry you had such a difficult labor, but so glad to hear about your healthy baby girl! I don't have much to add except it DOES get better and the pain WILL go away soon. Take it easy and enjoy your sweet baby. Congratulations--so happy for you!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02

[SASM]

Congratulations on your wonderful bundle!! :-)

I am so sorry to hear about the difficult labor experience - just think about how worth every second was :-)

I totally agree with the girls - it will get easier. For engorgement, I strongly recommend getting a hot/cold pack. I bought one at Target in the Pain Relief aisle (Kaz SmartTemp Portable Reusable Heat Pad and Cold Compress for $9.99) and it was my life saver!! Microwave it for 2 minutes and then relief is on the way - it is large enough to cover a large portion of breast (rotate) and it stays warmer than a hot towel. Lansinoh and PureLan 100 are wonderful for nipple PAIN as well as expressing a little milk from the nipples and rubbing it in (air dry).

Good luck! Enjoy every moment!

[egoldber]

Congratulations!

If you haven't experienced engorgement, your milk has probably not come in yet. It actually took my milk 5 days to come in. We were having such latching problems, that I actually had to pump to bring mine in.

I would DEFINITELY work with a different LC. The one I saw in my hospital also told me that Sarah was properly latched when she wasn't. I had an LC come to my home and it made a HUGE difference!

Best of luck!!

[Momof3Labs]

Actually, your milk comes in and then you get engorged - so it is very possible that Karen's milk is in, and she'll probably get engorged in the next day or so. That's what happened to me - and I was seeing a LC, so I know that my milk was in about a day before I got engorged.

[jojo2324]

Congratulations on the arrival of your little one!

I sat on my Boppy in the hospital because they wouldn't let me use a donut ring. It wasn't instant relief, but it did help a little. Also, try squirting some witch hazel into your sitz bath. I became a slight addict, given how much I was using it between the baths and my Tucks. :D

Good luck with everything! Definitely take this time to lounge, rest, nurse, and rest some more. I'm sorry you are in such pain, but it will disappear soon. Enjoy your precious little bundle!

[parkersmama]

Congratulations!! You sound blissfully happy with your baby! Sorry your labor was so tough. I didn't have any perineal pain so I can't help there but I have had breastfeeding trouble before!

I agree with everyone else that if you're having any problems at all you should contact an LC to come help you. As far as latching, it is very important that your baby takes as much of the nipple and aereola in her mouth as possible. A lot of babies have a tendancy to open wide and then pull back to the end when they get it in their mouth. Hold her head firmly from the back to force her to keep it all in her mouth. It will only take a few days of this before she'll get the hang of it and you can ease up. Another thing, I think that lower lip is important. Once she's latched on, take your thumb and pull her chin down gently to make her lower lip flip out. Her tongue should be protruded over her lower gum and be what is actually touching your nipple, this isn't possible when the lip is flipped in. Also, be certain that you have her facing you tummy to tummy and that her head is not at an angle. Her whole body should be faced into your body. If she's turned even slightly she will tend to pull at the nipple and not be able to swallow well.

I agree that you'll know when your milk has come in. It could be just beginning if you've seen some white drops. It seems to come in suddenly and you will be huge and rock hard. I had forgotten about the armpit thing but as soon as I read that comment someone else made I could feel that feeling again! So true! Also, your breasts are often hot to the touch when your milk first comes in. Two things that help relieve engorgement besides nursing are hot showers (your milk may leak out like crazy so don't be surprised!) and ice packs. The engorgement should only last for a couple of days and be sure to nurse on through it to get your supply established and beginning to regulate.

Hope all this helps! If you have any doubts at all, though, call someone with experience to watch you nurse and help with suggestions. This is so crucial and it certainly doesn't mean any failure on your part! It's one of those "it takes a village" things. :-) Good luck!

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003

[mama2be]

Karen congrats...I love her name how elegant.

I am so sorry that your labor was difficult, sounds like you were in great hands though. Gotta love those DDDDDDHs too :):):)....

I used Witch hazel on my pads per recommendations here and it felt really good, glad I got that advice...if you hurt badly you might want to try that.

Let us know if we can do anything...and enjoy looking at all of those cute faces while she sleeps...I too love that!!! I'll have to defer to others for BF advice...but I would get intouch with a local BF consultant too...keep them aware...

[Shirale]

Congratulations Karen!!! Enjoy little Kimberly! I just wanted to add that I had a very similar labor experiance (due to Pre-ecplampsia)and had hemmoraging after as well (but I had a C-section) and a whole mess of problems- and it took 9 full days for me to get any breast milk whatsoever- which of course panicked me, but I spoke to countless LCs who were helpful (some more than others) and I did have to give Amira formula for that time (b/c she was born small and was losing fast)and I never got engorged (lucky me!) but one day I just felt a slight burning sort of under my armpits, and that was letdown! I found that by the time she was 3 weeks old, I was not swollen anymore (I had night sweats and went to the bathroom 24/7 til that point!) and after the swelling was down, and my blood pressure was fine- I felt a million times better! Anyhow, sorry that your lobor was so difficult, but you seems to have an amazing, positive attitude and that is the best thing for you health wise as well!!! Let DDDDH do his job for a while so you can recover- and soon enough you'll be feeling fantastic!!! Congrats again!!!!!!

[sweetbasil]

Karen,
Congratulations! Can't wait to see pictures of little Kimberly when you're feeling better. I don't have much to add- looks like everything I can think of has been about covered. My milk came in 4 days after DS was born, and it wasn't like it came in hard or I was immediately engorged, that took a day or so (like Karen said, I think). So take care of yourself, enjoy your sweet little girl, and let DDDDDH pamper you away!

So happy for you,

[cara1]

Congrats. Yes, BM is clear-looking. ANd yes, it's still early for your milk to come in. And Yes, BF does hurt in the beginning, I don't care what anyone says, even if Kim is latching correctly. One or two nursing sessions with her latching incorrectly can set you up for some painful nipples even if she then corrects herself. So I concur, if you're still having nipple pain, call a LC. My perineum was really sore, too. At least a week, maybe 2 before I could sit or walk. I mainly layed down on my side all the time. Make sure your OB looks at your perineum! I think I had a thrombosed hemorrhoid, not just a regular one, and that's why I was so miserable. Eventually, you will feel better. Rely on your DH; mine did all the diaper changes and everything for the first two weeks. Good luck.

[sntm]

congratulations! sounds like everyone gave some good advice on pain control and nursing. don't be afraid to call your OB and tell her/him that your pain control is inadequate -- they might be able to give you something stronger.

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03

[Karen2]

Rachel, you are my hero. You have such great advice on the boards all the time and you are such an inspiration! Thank you for the offer and I WILL email you because I am now getting paranoid about more stuff (at least I hope it is just paranoia.)

[Karen2]

Thank you for sharing your experience. It's AMAZING how comforted I feel just knowing that I'm not the only one to go through this (and that others have survived it just fine!!)

[Karen2]

Hi everybody

First of all, let me apologize for not responding to all your great posts sooner. I was able to read the posts on Wed but hurt too much to reply right away.

I tried out the Boppy idea -- sorry that hurt! I tried the icy maxi-pads which are great, and I also want to get my DH to buy me the hot/cold pack as that sounds really helpful. I got my doctor to approve switch from Tylenol to prescription-strength Motrin today which has made a big difference.

The BEST news is that my milk came in overnight. My breasts were feeling really sore and after time Kim nursed they felt better. In fact, to my amazement, my nipples stopped feeling sore too. I think once she was getting milk out of them, Kim just started nursing correctly on her own. I've even noticed her re-latching herself when she isn't satisfied with the first try.

And the fact that my breasts stopped hurting made it much easier to handle the pain in the perineum. I guess I was really close to my maximum tolerance when EVERYTHING was hurting at once. I still don't feel great but I feel better.

Thanks to all of you.

[mamahill]

First of all - CONGRATULATIONS. Second of all - yikes! Sounds like it wasn't the picturesque delivery you would have hoped for. Welcome Kimberly, though, and hopefully you'll be feeling better soon. Is Epi-foam a topical spray for the stitches? I had Dermoplast and it was WONDERFUL. Also, if you're having bad hemmoroids and using some kind of medicated pad, be sure it is clear of the stitches. About a week postpartum I couldn't bear the stinging pain and realized that the pad was rubbing and irritating the stitches. As soon as I stopped using them, I felt WORLDS better.

Hang in there on the BF front (though by the time you read this, I'm sure you'll be a pro). It takes some time to get used to. I too was worried I wouldn't have milk since Ainsleigh took a day or so to really even care about latching on. But it all came in and then you'll be posting about how to deal with a ferocious let-down reflex!

Take care. A job well done, mom! Here's to years of love ahead...

[Karen2]

Yes Epi-foam is a topical steroid spray (foams up) which helps pain and reduces swelling of the tissues. The hospital used it and my doctor gave me a prescription for a couple more cans of it. I can only use it 3 times a day because it can thin the tissues (steroid.)

The thing that is really doing the job is time (I have survived the first week!) and extra-strength Motrin :)

Breast milk came in but I don't seem to have either engorgement or a letdown. My breasts get tender when they get full, usually feel better after Kimberly nurses, and that's it. It was funny the last day, Kim kept getting baby milk "mustaches". Unfortunately, today she has been feeding NON-STOP and I'm starting to wonder if there is ENOUGH breastmilk. I'm thinking of supplementing with formula...

[Momof3Labs]

Karen,

Unless you want to supplement with formula on a regular basis, try to just nurse as much as Kim wants to. She is just working on building your supply, and if you start supplementing now, your supply won't build up the way it should. Then you'll have to keep on supplementing going forward. It is so rare that there is not enough breastmilk - nursing frequently is just baby's way of regulating your supply! Relax on the couch or in bed with some magazines and the TV remote, and let her nurse the day away. It won't be long before you will long for those days, believe me!

Not everyone gets engorged; that has nothing to do with your level of supply. Also, you are having letdowns because she is nursing well and getting enough. Some people feel pain during letdown, and many people feel nothing. It was a few weeks before I felt letdown, and now I don't feel it anymore. But trust me, it is happening!

I know it is hard, but if you can, relax and let your body do what it knows how to do. Just like pregnancy - it will work out just fine!

Edited to add: Just in case you don't believe me, here is an article on this exact topic. Every new mother should read this - over and over again!

http://users.erols.com/cindyrn/4.htm

[egoldber]

I agree, just keep nursing. Also, if she is getting close to two weeks, then she could be hitting that first growth spurt.

HTH,

[megsmom]

I never really experienced much engorgement except at night occasionally when Meg was going longer between night feeds. I also never felt any letdown. The only way I knew was when my dd started gulping then I knew she was in the milk.

I would say to talk to your ped before you start supplimenting. There's really no need unless she is dehydrating (you know, the whole counting wet/dirty diapers thing) or isn't gaining weight. If you are unsure about the weight thing, schedule a weight check with your peds office. Most likely you are hitting the two week growth spurt and since your body is starting to regulate prolactin production, your breasts often start to feel softer and more normal at this same time. Just keep nursing away. If it's a growth spurt it will take a couple of days for the body to start making more milk.

Jen
mom to Meghan 7/13/01

[Karen2]

The pediatrician actually did suggest we supplement with formula to avoid dehydration but we really didn't want to. In the evening of the marathon day, we finally gave her a 1/2 oz of formula. She was rooting again after a 1/2 hr so we thought we would give her another 1/2 oz but the little piggy gobbled down a full oz before we could stop her. At least we were relieved that she wasn't going to be dehydrated.

Based on your posts and our subsequent experience though, we will be VERY conservative about supplementing again. I.e., only if we are desperate and not more than a 1/2 oz. After she had that 1.5 oz of formula, she didn't want to BF much that night and most of the next day. What you mentioned about her nursing establishing the milk supply makes lots of sense. Thanks!

[kathsmom]

Karen,

Congratulations on the birth of Kimberly! I am so happy for you!

I am sorry that you had such an awful time with the delivery. Do you have a "doughnut" to sit on? I had one after I had my DD, and it made the pain more bearable when I was sitting. I also had some powerful pain killers after DD was born that they told me would not interfere with BFing. I hope you feel better soon. Just remember to take it easy and let others do the work for you.

I can't help with the BFing questions, because I had a bad time with DD and gave up after 6 weeks and I just went ahead and gave DS formula from birth.

Good luck with everything and congratulations!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)