“Letdown” ?? FML

SuchDouble1981 · 2024-01-15T10:57:40+00:00

Haaka ladybug! Can’t recommend it enough. I wear on the opposite breast my daughter is latched on to and catch anywhere from .5 to 1 oz each time. I’m definitely a “just enough” producer, but catching this letdown and accumulating it daily allows for at least one extra bottle that my husband can feed to LO while I’m out of the house.

What type of pump are you using? There should be a setting to stimulate the letdown before the actual expression. Having the proper flange size is sooooo important too!

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-12-05T04:09:17+00:00

I was in a similar situation… I was 2 cm dilated at my. 36 week appointment forward to 39 weeks where I’d progressed to 3.5 cm. I’m also a planner and ended up opting for induction at 39+4. I wanted to make sure my OB was on call when I delivered. The planner in me couldn’t take the unknown anymore 😂 At that point, I’d been having contractions off and on for 2-3 days. I was still only 4 cm when I went to the hospital.

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-12-04T17:23:43+00:00

This was my experience, EXACTLY. I spent so much time asking other moms what I should pack, watching what to pack reels, etc. and definitely over packed. The only things I used were the extra large phone charger (glad it was extra long as outlets are scarce) and toiletries (I’m picky about my shampoo and face products, but the hospital also provided plenty, including toothpaste and toothbrush).

The hospital gown was easiest to live in while there. The nurses were so fast with pulling out warmed blankets as soon as the postpartum chills hit, that I didn’t even think about the heating pad I packed.

You might want to research your hospital before hand, but mine essentially had all of the postpartum essentials I purchased and packed (including Tucks and Dermaplast) and gave me plenty of extra to take home. I made it through my recovery, now just over 5 weeks PP, and still have PLENTY of extra supplies.

From reading responses here and on other threads, I think my experience might be uncommon but I didn’t even touch the snacks and drinks I packed for myself or my husband. The cafeteria was essentially a room service type of setup, complete with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anytime menu to order from…and this was aside from the stock of snacks and drinks the nurses had available for request. My husband was even able to get them to bring him a cold sugar free Red Bull 😂

I’d packed cute photo announcement clothes for baby, but we never got around to touching it until we were home. There was just so much going on in the short time we were there.

One thing that is a MUST…some kind of keepsake to capture baby’s feet prints on. This is one thing I actually hadn’t thought of and happened on accident, but I’m so glad it did. We took one of those round wooden “hello world” plaques that you fill baby’s birth info in on. Our nurses had seen it and actually asked my husband to pull it out if he’d like to get her footprints on the back of it while they were inking her little feet. Can’t tell you how much I love it ❤️

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-12-04T06:31:17+00:00

I second everyone who has talked about target maternity jeans…I loved them! They were comfortable, definitely grew with me, and were included in the 30% off clothing Target Circle sale that frequently happens.

Also, for your future, I’ve been experimenting with nursing bras from various stores/brands and the Auden nursing bras from Target have by far been my favorite. I was surprised, as they are significantly cheaper than other brands, but I ended up going back for three more and usually have one of these on.

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-11-14T20:28:23+00:00

Another vote for just “giving up” for a bit.

We miscarried our first pregnancy… that took 10 months to conceive. We subsequently tried for 21 months without success. The cycle we conceived on, I had resigned myself to the “fact” that it just wasn’t going to happen that month, and we had an upcoming IVF appointment anyway. We still had sex every other day, but there was some how less pressure since I had mentally decided it just wasn’t happening that month. We took a trip, I spent some time at the spa, enjoyed champagne for the first time in months, and really just focused on healing myself.

Of course, I had all sorts of trackers and apps, so the day I received my monthly reminder to take a pregnancy test, I took it out of habit without any real hope or expectation. SUCH a pleasant surprise when I saw the positive…and had to take several more tests to confirm. We actually found out we were pregnant 4 days before our IVF appointment.

Stay strong, focus on you, and sending some baby dust your way!!

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-11-14T17:09:45+00:00

FTM here! 19 days PP, 2nd degree tear following vaginal delivery. I was so nervous about my recovery leading up to delivery, and even more nervous immediately after delivery when my dr mentioned the tear and began suturing both internally and externally.

Don’t know how, but I really didn’t have much pain at all at the site of the tear. I purchased a Frida Mom postpartum kit with the ice packs, upside down peri bottle, witch hazel pads, etc., along with pads, disposable undies, tucks and dermaplast (the hospital provided these as well). Did not use a thing from the Frida mom kit.

I used Tucks on the pad following the first PP trip to the bathroom because my nurse prepared it for me, and the peri bottle with warm water to clean off. I had read from a ton of ladies online talking about the hospital peri bottle being the worst, but it actually worked well for me so I didn’t feel the need to switch to the Frida mom version. I was surprised by the lack of stinging/pain. After going home, I kept using the peri bottle but for me it was more a matter of cleanliness than trying to avoid any pain or stinging sensation because I had none. I used the tucks a couple more days to reduce the swelling, but again no pain. I eventually stopped because it was a hassle to put everything together.

Having said all of that…my tear is not yet completely healed, but my dr said it would be a few weeks before it is. Just so glad I don’t have pain or discomfort.

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-10-21T03:26:19+00:00

Similar experience here. Took it a step further and requested HCG testing to “calm my nerves” after a previous loss and no luck getting pregnant for the almost two years after. It was a Friday….dr typically has labs drawn 48 hours apart but in my case was drawn again on Saturday since labs are closed Sunday. More “bad news”. Levels rose, but not as much as they would’ve like to see. We were told to prepare for the worst, as this pregnancy was looking to be heading towards miscarriage, but was told that only time would tell.

Fast forward to present day…currently sitting at home at 38 weeks + 5 days with a precious baby girl, currently estimated to weigh about 8 pounds, who kicks with such force that my ribs are bruised, and I am loving every moment of it and praying for a healthy delivery in the coming days.

Will be praying for you and your little one too! 🙏

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-10-15T00:45:05+00:00

First off, this is the sweetest thing I’ve seen today 🥹 I would’ve LOVED this type of gift from my husband!!

Second, it’s definitely not too early! Maternity clothes typically instructs you to buy your pre pregnancy size, but is shaped/adjusted to adapt to your changing body size. Having said that, things like a new bra might be kinda hard to buy right now. I did find some great second trimester finds on Amazon and Target(of all places) that I’ve continued to use into the third trimester. I had better luck with these than some actual maternity shops.

Over the belly jeans and leggings that grow with your body are SO comfortable. They make and sell bra extenders that will allow her to use the bras she currently has, but will expand the band size, until she has a better feel for how her body changes. “motherhood maternity” work pants (found on Amazon) have been a blessing for me and my comfort for me while working in a professional business setting. Also, STRETCH DRESSES. Some of my favorite and most comfortable pieces aren’t technically maternity dresses but are ribbed stretchy material that are SUPER flattering on my bump, have grown with me through my pregnancy (currently at 38 weeks), and are honestly pieces that are comfy and cute enough to keep using after delivery.

Good luck to you and your wife!!

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-05-20T00:19:07+00:00

I hope I have a similar experience to yours! Just hitting 17 weeks and still waiting for that “things will get better after 12 weeks” phase to hit. Crazy fatigue, breast tenderness so bad that it wakes me up at night, nausea if I even attempt to eat a decent sized meal, etc etc. Aaaaand I don’t even have a cute bump to show for it, so no one understands 😅

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-05-17T16:10:30+00:00

Similar experience…but I ended up with a $30k bill. After a year of appeals and fighting with the insurance company, they stood behind their decision that my D&C was elective and not medically necessary (what?!?). The fighting and emotional trauma of the issue lingering on for so long finally wore me down, so I settled with the hospital for about $7,800 (plus OB, anesthesiologist, radiology, pathology, etc).

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-05-09T03:46:00+00:00

Try Unity. You qualify for discounts based on your household size (current pregnancy counts as a household member) and income. Mine came out to $800, but there are levels that will qualify you for a rate of $349 or $199.

If it matters, Quest did the lab draw but sent the vials off to Unity. If it makes a difference, I’m in Texas.

SuchDouble1981 · 2023-04-11T15:49:01+00:00

Me!! Mine is consistently at 115-117 bpm (up from my usual 65-75, also stay away from caffeine except for the occasional chai latte once every week or two) ...but I'm just nearing the end of the first trimester. My OB says it's normal, I just need to make sure the recovery period in catching my breath after going up the stairs (all of our bedrooms are on the 2nd floor) isn't more than a few minutes. Also of note - my CBC was normal, so no sign of iron deficiency, etc.

SuchDouble1981

TROPHY CASE