The new "New Moms" thread!

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Everyone that had a c-section ... what was your recovery like? After I had the section and they stitched me up they rolled me to a recovery curtain area. I was freezing and shaking so bad. Part nerves I think and part the drugs. They piled me with blankets and turned the lights down and talked very calmly to me to try and get me to focus and stop shaking. I could not. Dh was up in the nursery with DS, I saw DS after they wrapped him up when he was born around 1:45pm and then they didn't bring him into me until close to 7pm. DH came down to see me once in recovery while my mom stayed watching DS and then my mom came down to stay with me in recovery. It was pretty scary ... I couldn't stop shaking. Did that happen to anyone else?

I didn't have a c-section, but I also couldn't stop shaking after DS was born. I was fine for an hour right after he was born, and then all of a sudden I started shaking and could not stop. I was so cold, and they piled me up with blankets and DH got to hold DS, but I couldn't. I think it only took me about 45 min. to get so I wasn't shaking anymore, but it was weird. I always forget about that part...it was after I'd delivered, but before they moved me into my recovery room.



So right after I finished my DIS-vent, shut my laptop and started dinner, Owen woke up, and DH suddenly says "should I get him up for you?" and he starts taking care of DS...gave him dinner, changed his diaper, entertaining him.... Poor Owen is fussy tonight. Hope he's not feeling sick, too. Just wants to drink, doesn't want to eat - even avacado, his favorite.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

:Hug: Bethany - I know how that feels. When normally you don't mind but you start to get frazzled and you feel yucky and you just want them to step completely out of character and step up and at least make the motion to help you out. Every other day it wouldn't matter but today it does ... I hope that you are able to get a good night's rest and feel better tomorrow.

I forgot in my birth story that I developed a fever as well which was part of the c-section decision. I totally forgot that. I finally was able to get rid of it by later that night.

Everyone that had a c-section ... what was your recovery like? After I had the section and they stitched me up they rolled me to a recovery curtain area. I was freezing and shaking so bad. Part nerves I think and part the drugs. They piled me with blankets and turned the lights down and talked very calmly to me to try and get me to focus and stop shaking. I could not. Dh was up in the nursery with DS, I saw DS after they wrapped him up when he was born around 1:45pm and then they didn't bring him into me until close to 7pm. DH came down to see me once in recovery while my mom stayed watching DS and then my mom came down to stay with me in recovery. It was pretty scary ... I couldn't stop shaking. Did that happen to anyone else?

Honestly, for a c-section, mine went really well. I got to hold him about 5 minutes after he was born, then DH got him while they finished stitching me up, and then I got him back again. I got a bit dizzy and weak for a minute when they were moving me, but other than that, no problems. I hated the not being able to eat or drink for 24 hours - they actually let me that night because I was starving.

 

[7beasley]

Oh Bethany - that sucks about DH. I must say - there is a difference between being a nag and asking for help...nagging is constant -- it is clear you don't do that -- but in this circumstance asking DH for help would not be nagging...it must have been so fustrating for you to be shelping around, feeling like crap and have him sitting there -- I would have absolutely LOST it!

I just love reading everyone's birth stories...I guess its one of those memories of life that we will always recall - no matter how old the kids get!!

My birth story (the abbreviated version) is that I went in on a Friday for a routine ultrasound at 37 weeks and the doctor told me my amniotic fluid was dangerously low and the baby was coming now!! I was immediately checked into the hospital and the induction procedure started.

I was giving the induction meds from 2pm on Friday -- throughout Friday night -- into Saturday am - into Saturday night...and then FINALLY at 1am on Sunday morning - my water broke!! From there the contractions were fast and furious -- I got the narcotics -- then got an epidural - and by about 8am I was fully dilated.

The doctors then had me just lay there for 2 hours and let the contractions work the baby down the birth canal -- I mainly slept during that. Then about 10am they said it was time to push.

I had **hard** pushing for 2 1/2 hours -- it was hard, painful and alot of work. DH tells me that during contractions I would sometimes fall asleep out cold for 2-3 minutes. I pushed and pushed and pushed -- my legs were in multiple different positions including on a bar that attached to the bed to provide resistance.

And then finally - at 12:47pm on Sunday 10/21 Izzy came out!!! I will never forget the feeling of relief when they pulled her out. The feeling when she was 1/2 way out (head not body) was incredibly painful and then when she was all the way out - it was such a relief and the pain immediatley went away. It was wonderful.

And then I heard her cry and they handed her to me and I don't think I will ever expereince that feeling of sheer joy and happiness at that level again in my life...it was the best thing ever. I just layed there and held her while they stitched me up (which took forever - I had alot of tearing) but I did not care cause my girl was laying on me!

It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I pray every day that I am given the opportunity to have a 2nd child so I can do it again!

Great birth stories girls...thanks for sharing...keep em' coming!

-Nicole

 

[beckmrk04]

The last few ultrasounds showed Christopher to be about 9.5-10lbs, so they didn't want me to deliver him ******lly. Go figure the u/s was off by a bit (he was 8lbs 7 oz)

This same thing happend to me! EXACTLY.

Seriously, my last U/S- the tech was like, "Ok, she's measuring right around 10 lbs."



I said, "Holy BLEEP! Are you bleeping kidding me?!!"

She said it so nonchalant- like 10 lb babies are tiny, or something. I freaked. So, after my doc found out the next week and I was 39 1/2 weeks- hadn't dropped, not dilated at ALL, he was like, "This is a large baby and I really don't want to risk you pushing" (something about a narrow canal), "WOuld like to have a c-section wednesday?" YES, GOD, YES GET HER OUT BEFORE SHE GETS BIGGER. I confessed, "I do kinda have a mental block about pushing out a 10 lb baby..." Not to mention towards the end of my pregnancy I had a hemmorroid roughly the size of a watermelon, and I was terrified of pushing anything down there.

So- I had a C section, and gave birth to an 8 lb. 6 oz baby, not a 10 lb baby.

 

[Villain-lover]

I had a great c-section recovery. Once I discovered that percocet was my friend and that I could still function and visit my babies if I only took one percocet I was all good!!!

as for my delivery, I was already in the hospital being monitored for pre-eclampsia. I had been there 2 days. Got a bladder infection in the hospital and spent the night before the babies were born thinking my bladder hurt (was probably early labor and I didnt know it) and having heartburn so bad I threw up. Sunday morning, Nov 11, went to the bathroom, thought I was gonna puke, grabbed trash can and when I started to stand up I started leaking a little fluid. called nurse to varify that I had just not peed myself (sorry TMI), She called that Dr and next thing I know I am going to labor and delivery!. Sam was born an 12:07 pm and Zoe and 12:08!

 

[TiggerStac]

Brady was a scheduled c-section.

My 6 y/o...different story. I started contractions Friday of Labor Day weekend. Called dr, they said if closer then 5 minutes, call and head in, well of course they stayed just to about 5 minutes. So Tuesday am, they wanted me to be seen. I went in my doctor decided to try inducing me that night.

I went in tuesday night for induciton, had cervidil and pitocin, nothing...another round of pitocin, nothing. So they try again for a 2nd night (wed pm) cervidal, pitocin, pitocin...again, nothing. I'm freaking out at this point. The poticin had to be removed because it gave me nasty contractions, but nothing was happening. I stay and they send me home on Thursday, go home, get some rest, come back tomorrow night. Friday night I head back, same thing....cerividal, 2 rounds of poticin on Saturday. Nothing...all these meds I went from 1 CM to 1.5 CM!! From Tuesday to Saturday w/all the drugs. Actually I believe it was after the 1st round and nothing else was happening. So my doctor orders an ultrasound. turns out, they say DS is between 9.8 & 9.9 lbs. My doctor said....that's why he's not coming out, scheduled for c-section. Signed paperwork, called hubby and dad back from restaurant across the street, in OR at 2pm. Ty delivered atn 2:36pm.

Mind you...my hubby is 100% sicilian and has the temper of one..you can only imagine how he was with me in all this pain and nothing happening. Ty was 9.85 lbs, that tech was dead on. So when I went to my new OB, she asked why I had a c-section w/1st...I told her and she said, yeah, no VBAC for you.

Ok...there's my loooooong story. DS#2, great, scheduled, I showed up at hospital, they took me in OR at 12:00, he was born at 12:22.

 

[beckmrk04]

My c-section was a walk in the park compared to all that I had already been through in my pregnancy.

I was so SO done being pregnant, so when the doc asked if Wednesday was a good day for a c-section, I told him I'd gladly let him take her out through my throat, just get her out. I was huge, uncomfortable, and done.

So, I showed up at 6 am. I was oddly not nervous. I got to the hospital and got all settled. They did some monitoring, put in an iv, and I visited and joked with DH and our family. Then, my doctor came in in his surgical scrubs, and said, "You ready to do this?" And then I thought, "You know- being pregnant isn't thaaaaat bad.... Maybe I'll just head back home, huh?" But, since it was too late to get nervous and she had to come out somehow, they wheeled me into the surgery room.

They had a hard time finding the right spot in my back for the spinal block, but when they found it I knew immediately- my toes went cold instantly! And they laid me down, and I could feel the anesthesia moving up my body, and then I started freaking out. The nurse anesthesist was really nice, and she talked to me and calmed me down, then they let DH in. Both doctors in my practice came for the surgery (they put in alot of time and effort on me and the baby, and were just as glad to see this pregnancy end as I was).

So, they were doing their thing, then I told the nurse- "I'm going to be sick." She was like, "Oh, no honey, you're doing.." ANd then I vomited on myself. And that was the *oddest* feeling, because I couldn't feel myself vomit (numb), couldn't feel my muscles contracting.

My doc peeked over and laughed, "It's just like you to throw up." Ha ha. Very funny. Actually, it was. Of course I threw up.

The Vaylie came out and I cried and cried- she was so perfect. We got to hold her a bit, then DH took her off to the nursery and I got stitched up and went to recovery. I felt fine, really. No major events.

And the next couple of days were rough, but manageable. I did pass out on the toilet the first time I got out of bed. But, I was ok.

Once I got home, I was sore, but honestly- I felt pretty good pretty quick.

I think the trauma of the first 6 months of my pregnancy made everything at the end seem like a piece of cake.

And honestly, I never wanted a c-section, and didn't really expect to have one, but it really was pretty easy on my part: lay back and let the doc do the work.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

So here is my dumb question of the day - when should I give Christopher a spoon to eat with? He has one now, but he mostly just plays with it. If I put a bowl of food on his high chair, it will fly So right now, he feeds himself chunks of stuff, and I feed him the spoon stuff. Am I supposed to do something different?

He's been a riot lately. He can pull himself up on almost anything, but forgets to hold on He's discovered that the dog is the right height to pull himself up with, and the dog stands there and takes it with this look on his face like "why me?" He's also pushing himself up from the floor, but gets into this upside down V, and can't figure out how to get back down, or go any further up. The whole thing is just cracking me up!

So tomorrow ought to be an adventure. My parents watch Christopher once a week on the day that DH and I work the same shift. My dad has him by himself during the day while my mom is at work, and then Mom makes him dinner, gives him a bath, and puts him to bed. Well, Mom fell this weekend, and dislocated her knee. She's fine, but there's no way she can walk on crutches and take care of Christopher. Dad said he'll be fine with both Mom and Christopher, but I bet he'll be ready for us to pick him up.....

 

[Villain-lover]

I think that you are doing exactly the right thing giving Christopher a spoon to play with for now. Thats how he will eventually learn to use a spoon! Sam & Zoe are almost 8 months and I found these great spoons by gerber that are sot and they love to chew on them! Sometimes I have to take them away though because they won't take them out of their mouths to eat what I amd trying to feed them!

 

[HollyJoy]

So here is my dumb question of the day - when should I give Christopher a spoon to eat with? He has one now, but he mostly just plays with it. If I put a bowl of food on his high chair, it will fly So right now, he feeds himself chunks of stuff, and I feed him the spoon stuff. Am I supposed to do something different?

Sorry I'm not really any help here, for I'm not sure of what age you actually give them the spoon to eat with. I would imagine that it would be one of those individual things... ya know, "each child develops differently.. blah, blah, blah!" However, with that said, I think what you are doing is right on! Let him play with the spoon.. that way, he gets used to it, and comfortable with it! Amanda Joy is only 5 1/2 months, and I already give her the spoon (once she's done eating) to hold. She likes to lick off the 'leftovers' on it, then chew on it! Teething at it's best! hehe

 

[7beasley]

Hi Jen -- I too think you are doing hte right thing letting him play with the spoon while he figures it out. My friend gave her daughter a spoon and gave her stiff foods - like mashed potatoes (that would make mess but not a huge mess - like spaghetti) and let him use the spoon in the potatoes and figure things out.

Good luck!

In honor of Jen... Question of the Day: For those with older children, when did your child start feeding him/herself with utensils. For those with younger children, has your child taken an interest in the spoon yet...and what is your plan for teaching them to use it themselves?

Have a great day ladies!

The long weekend is *almost* here!!

-Nicole

 

[Jen_in_NH]

In honor of Jen... Question of the Day: For those with older children, when did your child start feeding him/herself with utensils. For those with younger children, has your child taken an interest in the spoon yet...and what is your plan for teaching them to use it themselves?

I think most of you have already seen my answer I started giving him a spoon at around 8 months or so. So far, it's still a weapon or something to bang with. Occasionally it makes a great way to feed the dog.... I have no plan yet on how to teach him. He has a meltdown if he gets messy (accidentally) when he's eating. If he decided to smoosh food in his hair, all well and good. If it gets there accidentally, then he should holler at it until it gets off him somehow

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

Hey Ladies!

QOTD: Colin has recently become VERY interested in the spoon -- and unfortunately grabs it at the most inopportune times (usually when it's fully loaded with applesauce or yogurt!!) I don't know how we're going to teach him to use one though...maybe we can just hope that our daycare will take care of it! ;-)



Well, we had a good Canada Day yesterday. We started painting my scrapbook room, then after dinner, we went to Riverside Park and watched the fireworks. Colin did really well -- just laid in his stroller and stared up at them. Of course, having been to Disney twice already, he's seen plenty of fireworks, so wasn't really fazed by it at all.

I'm currently listening to him NOT sleeping...despite the fact that it's definitely time for a nap! Of course, he's happy at least, so I'm still getting stuff done (thank goodness! I've got a ton to do before going back to work on Monday!!)

We're having Colin's birthday party on the 13th -- a few days after his birthday on the 9th, but whatever! We'll do cake and stuff on his birthday and then we're having our families over for dinner on the 13th. I sent out homemade train invitations, and we'll have ribs for dinner, since they kind of look like train tracks...

(...I don't want to jinx it, but I think he's FINALLY gone to sleep!!...)

...and then I've got a cake pan from Williams-Sonoma that is all the different train parts, so I'll bake that for the dinner as well.

I just can't believe that my little monkey is going to be 1 in a week!! Where did the last YEAR go????

 

[Villain-lover]

As far as introducing a spoon, I said erlier I give the twins a spoon to play with/chew on. When they get to the point of wanting to grab the spoon and "help" during feeding I will hand over hand help guide the spoonto their mouth with food on it.

 

[Pollito916]

Izzy is doing great -- she started getting back to normal Sunday afternoon - she was using her arm again and today she seemed like her old self!! Thank God!! That could have been much worse.

(Monday & Tuesday) Question of the Day: Did you cry when your child(ren) were born... (and crying is defined as either bursting into tears or just one little soap opera tear running down your cheek) as soon as they came out? (by the way - crying is not defined in this insance as crying days later when you were functioning on no sleep and *they* would not stop crying...because we ALL cried then!!)

I cried, nay, bawled the minute I heard Vaylie's first cry. It was hard because I couldn't see anything but curtain (c-section), but my doc lifted her up and I heard that precious, teeny-tiny cry. I'm getting a little weepy thinking about it now. I had never heard anything so amazing, so beautiful, so fragile, and so wanted.

Not many moments in life are so perfect and memorable.

Nicole, I am so glad Izzy is doing better, and congrats on winning your case!!!

QOTD: I so cried, but I cry at everything, I'm a huge cry baby. My experience was pretty much just like Becky's. I cried the moment I heard him cry, then I was crying b/c I couldn't see him b/c of the c-section curtain, and I felt like I needed to see him to make sure he was ok. They finally showed him to me after what seemed like forever, but was probably only 1-2 minutes, and I cried b/c of how beautiful and perfect he was.

Secondly, Nope! Amanda Joy didn't seem to be afraid of the fireworks, at all! At first, she seemed very amazed by them, and eventually, she wasn't even paying attention to them! lol We were pretty close to them too!

We took Alex to see fireworks when he was 9 months old, and he loved it. He just stared up at the sky and clapped to the music, and sometimes yelled out at the big ones. It was so cute!

Mel- lol at brainwashing Colin with Disney. i can't wait to get started on it- of course his room is done in Peter Pan......Peter Pan/hook and tink mural on the wall. Pirate ships and framed Peter Pan lithos, including some really old 70s ones I found at Cyd Chauegas when i worked at MGM 12 years ago. Yes, i had been saving all this peter pan stuff for 12 years now for a nursery! I can't wait to start watching disney movies with him. before our trip, i will be sure he knows who every character is! (we have a year and a half before that!)

Too funny, I started Alex's brainwashing with disney right after he was born. I would leave the Disney Channel on most of the time or disney specials on the travel channel.

I also wanted to let you know that I saw the cutest peter pan costume for babies on e-bay, but I don't remember what size it was if it would fit Will, but you should definitely check it out!

While we are talking about whether you cried or not- i was curious- who all had a c-section and who delivered ******lly? I am just curious on the stats.

and- how was your labor, delivery and post partum experience?

I was c-section, and I will post the birth story in another post since this one is getting so long already. This is what happens when you don't check in for 2 days!

So, I had Mo's car seat checked out at the Sheriff's office last week and they were VERY happy to see us there and with the purchase we made....the Britax Diplomat. He told me to keep Mo rear facing as long as possible but as his assistant read the seat she saw it said use rear facing with infants under 20 pounds. Mo IS 20 pounds. So he told me to turn him around. BUT....the seat also says to use rear facing with children from 5-35 pounds....THAT'S why I purchased it because I knew Mo was nearly 20 pounds. So why does it say under 20 but also 35??!! I'm keeping Mo rear facing til his little feet can't move comfortably anymore.

I think it means that all infants under 20 lbs should be rearfacing, but that it can be used rearfacing up to 35 lbs. I also think that it is the law in all states to keep infants rearfacing until 1 year AND 20 lbs, so definitely leave Mo rearfacing as long as you can!

Everyone that had a c-section ... what was your recovery like? After I had the section and they stitched me up they rolled me to a recovery curtain area. I was freezing and shaking so bad. Part nerves I think and part the drugs. They piled me with blankets and turned the lights down and talked very calmly to me to try and get me to focus and stop shaking. I could not. Dh was up in the nursery with DS, I saw DS after they wrapped him up when he was born around 1:45pm and then they didn't bring him into me until close to 7pm. DH came down to see me once in recovery while my mom stayed watching DS and then my mom came down to stay with me in recovery. It was pretty scary ... I couldn't stop shaking. Did that happen to anyone else?

My recovery was not too bad, but I also went through the freezing thing, pretty much almost immediately after they took DS out. It was the worst then b/c I was shaking uncontrollably and they couldn't put blankets on me since they hadn't closed me up yet. When they finally did, the nurses put 3 heated blankets on me, but I didn't stop shaking until I was in the recovery room and they let me hold DS.

So here is my dumb question of the day - when should I give Christopher a spoon to eat with? He has one now, but he mostly just plays with it. If I put a bowl of food on his high chair, it will fly So right now, he feeds himself chunks of stuff, and I feed him the spoon stuff. Am I supposed to do something different?

In honor of Jen... Question of the Day: For those with older children, when did your child start feeding him/herself with utensils. For those with younger children, has your child taken an interest in the spoon yet...and what is your plan for teaching them to use it themselves?

QOTD - I did the same thing with DS. He started demanding a spoon around 6 months, and probably started trying to use it to eat around 12 months, but wasn't actually successful at it until about 14 or 15 months, so just keep giving him a spoon and he will try to use it when he is ready!

 

[ThisIsNotAmanda]

congratulations, new mamas!!

 

[Pollito916]

Hey everyone. I just wanted to pop in and say Hi. It's been a crazy past few months with hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel in another month or so between a ruined basement and just other random craziness. We've been super busy. But I have lurked here when I get a minute. Everyone's little ones are just getting so big!! And adorable! I think we have more than our share of adorableness with all the DIS kids.

Hi Syrreal! It's been a while. How is Brennan, he was just a couple days older than Alex, right? Good to see you around again!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Well, we made it out of the house exactly as I'd planned! Woo hoo! Of course I didn't sleep well. I kept waking up and remembering something I'd forgotten to pack, and jumping up to go get it. We ended up with one bag with a funny mix of stuff - cell phone charger, bottle brush, nasal aspirator (aka "Booger Bulb" or "Snot Sucker" in our house), a pair of flip flops, a pack of gum, a water bottle, my toothbrush, a couple swim diapers, a CF card for my camera.... it's pretty hysterical!

Owen did awesome on the 3.5 hour car ride, and when we got here he started flirting with everyone right away. My friend has hired a couple neighbor girls to help with childcare for the 3 kids while we're doing filming stuff this weekend, and they were here to meet Owen. He was a big hit! They didn't want to give him back when it was time for his nap.

DH and DS are both up in our room napping now. We brought Owen's Amby bed, and he went right to sleep in it even though he's in a strange room. I was a little worried that he would have a hard time falling asleep since this room is so much brighter than Owen's bedroom, but it didn't seem to bother him at all. DH is still not feeling great, so once Owen was asleep, he snuck in and laid down on the guest bed for his own nap. They look very cute up there!

QOTD: I have 2 spoons out when I feed Owen now. He gets one, and I get the other. If he grabs the spoon I have, then I take his spoon and we swap for a bit. Sometimes he wants to put both spoons in his mouth at the same time, but usually we can take turns.

 

[beckmrk04]

QOTD:

I just let Vaylie start playing the spoon around, oh, 7-8 months... And she usually would just play for a second then fling it across the room.

Around 12-13 months she started getting it close to her mouth.

Now, she's pretty good at feeding herself at 16 months. I didn't really "teach" her much- I think that when kids are ready they "get it." She still has a bit of trouble loading the spoon, but she works at it!

 

[exwdwcm]

When they were accepting applications, I sent one in for the panel. They started the Mickey Moms club (we were able to vote to choose the name). Another diser had the logo and she made one for me. We actually got a package in the mail a couple of months ago w/that logo and a few gifts. Magnet for the car, mouse pad, stickers, 2 tink pins.

someone mentioned a newsletter, but i can't find a place on the moms site to sign up for it? do you have any idea? thanks for sharing!

great birth stories too guys!

on the spoon thing, i sometimes let him just play with it, but i need to start doing it more. He usually doesn't try and grab it when i am feeding him. and today was the first day ever he actually 'blocked' me from feeding him. he just wasn't hungry i guess? It was funny, i kept trying, but he kept blocking me.

did anyone else feel deathly afraid of them choking when giving them puffs or anything? He is 8 months and does wagon wheels fine and will gnaw down a biter biscuit, but those little puffs, he just doesn't know to chew, he tries to swallow it right away and chokes. it doesn't have time to disintegrate since he swallows it so fast. it drives me mad and i am afraid to give them to him. any tips? I know others are already to cheerios, so i feel behind! lol he doesn't get the whole 'chewing' thing quite yet and still has NO teeth even looking like they are appearing at all.

baby peter pan costume on ebay? i will have to search!! thanks!!!

glad Owen is having a blast on his 'trip'!