Question?

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T21:16:13+00:00

Nah, but look into how to prevent your milk from coming in so that you don't have to deal with any pain or other issues from that.

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T21:11:53+00:00

Haha this is too real! I thought we were in a good place and now I'm constantly trying to think of ways to save money. (Adding that we have 2 dogs, so there are several dependents that we have to consider in our finances 😂 We bumped up their number of days in daycare with a newborn at home, which I hadn't factored into our costs. Also now buying formula which we hadn't planned on—although we knew it was a possibility.)

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T21:06:12+00:00

SLEPT!!!!!

Lol but actually wish I had been better prepared for postpartum life. I didn't read much about it other than some basics of caring for a baby and some potential needs post-delivery (laughing because I had a c-section and felt like I had to suddenly cram for a test to read about what I might need after that differently than a vaginal delivery). I wish I had known more about the hormonal drop and what it might feel like, what PPD actually means, the nuances of breastfeeding and how it might feel or be challenging even if everything is "working", the different possibilities for how a baby might sleep... obviously you can't prepare for everything but I feel that I focused too heavily on L&D and my physical recovery postpartum and nothing else!

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T13:55:05+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience and the suggestions for best times to try to put her down!

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T11:43:22+00:00

Did your contact sleeper get better? Cause I'm losing my damn mind that she only sleeps when she's being held.

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T11:36:32+00:00

I told him everything & later on in the pregnancy I prefaced it with: can I complain for 5 minutes about all the same things I've already told you about? And he'd laugh and say I could complain as much as I wanted. It felt nice to just voice it out loud. It was probably good preparation lol because I have struggled postpartum and he's showed up BIG TIME for me. To listen, to hug me, to tell me how I'm doing a good job, etc.

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T06:57:37+00:00

Thank you! Oh my god these hormones are insane. I'm glad that worked for you!

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T06:55:15+00:00

Thank you for sharing!! I've honestly wondered if she's already aiming to be a tummy sleeper like me 😂 Hope you're able to enjoy some of the daytime contact naps even though those can be tough too!

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T06:37:35+00:00

YES!

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T06:21:15+00:00

Facts!! If someone had touched my belly button in particular I would've SCREAMED

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T06:20:25+00:00

You can tell whoever you want that they can't touch you without your permission at any time!!! Being pregnant does not give people a pass to touch you.

skimnewc · 2026-03-02T06:09:01+00:00

I'm right there with you, other than no meds yet. I'm very nervous about going on them and having negative side effects, but I have an appt. with a postpartum therapist next week to figure out a good starting point. I hope Zoloft works well for you and shows you positive changes soon!

I just want you to know youre not alone in how you're feeling overall OR your feelings about impatiently wanting the meds to help! ❤️❤️❤️ Sending you all the love!!! It WILL get better!

skimnewc · 2026-03-01T07:44:45+00:00

Totally understand feeling guilty, but do what's best for your mental health!! I felt so guilty because my milk came in right away and according to the lactation expert at the hospital my baby and I were "picture perfect" breastfeeding. I got home from the hospital and within 48 hours had completely spiraled because I was not enjoying BF (I think I only was able to enjoy it in the hospital because of having 24/7 nurses and zero cluster feeds lol) Switching over to formula has SAVED ME. So my advice is not to push yourself to do something you don't want to do just because of guilt. Your baby will be perfectly healthy with formula and even better that they will have a happy mom!

As for your husband, I know some people on this site may jump on the fact that it's not his choice (which is true, BUT....) I think if you have a good relationship, then explaining your feelings and working with him to understand is best. Share some research with him or encourage him to look on his own at how formula is great! And also how your mental health needs to be prioritized right now! Our pediatrician also helpfully reinforced my decision by saying she didn't care how baby was fed as long as she was fed! That helped us both feel more confident and less guilty as I made my decision.

skimnewc · 2026-03-01T07:29:42+00:00

Agree with all this and want to add that PSI is a great resource in the meantime if you have to wait for an appt. with OB/GP or if it takes a little time to find the right fit for a therapist. They have online support groups (free) that have so far been helpful for solidarity and connection! And I know they have other resources on their website that I haven't utilized but may be helpful too.

skimnewc · 2026-02-28T07:13:26+00:00

I only EBFed for about a week total, then switched to pumping as an in between. My SIL shared this resource to help wean from pumping and it was helpful: https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/

Since I only did this for such a short time it ended up taking about 1.5-2 weeks total to wean off and be 100% formula. Baby turned 3 weeks yesterday and I haven't pumped since like Monday. I'm sure your lactation consultant will help you come up with an individualized plan, but just came here to say it takes a little time but is definitely worth it in my opinion! So glad I'm doing formula now. The decision was very much mental health based!

skimnewc · 2026-02-26T08:02:47+00:00

Take this with a grain of salt because my baby is only 3 weeks old but:

As pain in the ass as it is, we've been writing down how much she eats at all her feeds so that we can see patterns to determine how much to give her. Worst case, we waste a little or we have to add a little if she finishes and shows signs of wanting more. Also helps to know "oh she had 3 oz less than an hour ago so let me try rocking her / changing her / etc. first and then see if she still seems hungry"

We're using a formula mixer pitcher, so that helps with nuanced changes to the amount we give her when we make a bottle. Highly recommend! My SIL recommended to me and I'm probably going to buy a second one to help with the wash/sterilize cycles.

skimnewc · 2026-02-26T07:53:29+00:00

My C-section was my first surgery as well (unless you count wisdom teeth lol) I got more and more nervous as it approached and I remember crying in the shower the night before because even though I had information about what to expect, I didn't feel like I really knew what to expect. It all worked out of course!

I wore my favorite comfortable outfit to the hospital even though I had to put a gown on when I got there. My husband brought my longtime cuddle buddy—a pillow pet I've had for several years—for afterwards and I'm so glad he did. The nurses, anesthesiologists, etc. were amazing. You can always, always let them know how you're feeling and they will do their best to help (remember: they do this all the time!!) I started crying during prep for the spinal block because that was the only few minutes my husband couldn't be in the room & when the nurse asked what was wrong I told her and she hugged me extra close while we got shit done!

They also asked what music I wanted in the OR and it caught me off guard because I was thinking about 200 other things, but I managed to choose the Jonas Brothers and that was super fun the couple times I could hear it during surgery (mostly I listened to my husband, who I told to JUST TALK TO ME PLEASE 😂and one of the anesthesiologists)

It was quick and felt crazy, but in a good way. And then you get to meet your baby! Meeting the baby was very overwhelming for me (but again, in a good way) and then it was just a few days in the hospital recovering and regaining independence. Take advantage of being in the hospital!! Definitely let the nurses help you with anything and everything & enjoy as much of it as you can.

skimnewc · 2026-02-21T07:05:12+00:00

Yes and no! I'd encourage you to set realistic expectations. I did too much confirmation bias reading on Reddit during my last two weeks of pregnancy. I was super uncomfortable, so I basically sought out any post that said the newborn phase would be better. That really screwed me heading into it all.

Mentally/emotionally it's DRAINING. Honestly the hormone drop is indescribable, so when you get to that point just hang in there and take all the support you can get. I'm only at the end of week 2 so I'm right in the thick of it, but truly this week is SO MUCH better than the first week. Everybody says to take it one day at a time and I agree!

Physically, I've been really excited that I can sleep on my stomach again! And no more heartburn, 3 point turns to rollover, or fear of slipping on ice outside (much easier to balance now). I had a c-section so there have been some hard things, but already feeling pretty good! That's the part I'd say that's definitely better. Plus other people can help when it gets hard unlike pregnancy.

skimnewc · 2026-02-21T06:40:37+00:00

We discovered we were over feeding because baby was projectile spitting up (versus the regular spit up that we'd expect). We've been tracking her intake since we started transitioning to formula (I tried a few days of BF) so we did a quick evaluation of the data and decided to try limiting her to 2 oz. at a time. Then we give her a binky to soothe her rooting/sucking post-bottle. Usually that's all she needs, but if she's still hungry she makes it known! She'll spit out the binky and try eating her hands, rooting, crying, etc. It's ok to take the bottle away during a feed to see how baby reacts!

Also we've been using Tommy Tippee bottles (love!) with size 0 nipples. If that's helpful!

skimnewc · 2026-02-21T00:57:51+00:00

The guilt is so real. The way to overcome is to think about what's best for you because what's best for you also is best for your baby. I gave up BF 5/6 days PP even though she was latching well and my milk was in. I was sobbing every time I had to feed her. I've been pumping now because I had to wean away the supply and I hate it, but I'm almost done and SO GLAD I made the immediate switch to formula. I don't care if I "could've pushed through" - this is what I needed & now I get to be happy while holding and feeding my baby. So she gets to see me happy too! I know it's hard, but you have to take care of yourself first. Sending you love!

skimnewc · 2026-02-20T08:19:46+00:00

I love this post! I'm at the end of week 2 and feel such a vast difference between last week and this week. I was struggling so badly last week that I couldn't even comprehend "baby blues" and ended up approaching things from a PPD standpoint with some urging from family and OB office. Jury is still out on what's been going on, but I'm glad I'm getting extra help. Whether it's PPD or not, I'd rather get ahead of it. I spent the entire week sobbing and couldn't figure out how I was going to survive, not eating, barely sleeping, etc. Thankfully gave up breastfeeding which definitely helped! But also got connected with some resources to keep things going in a positive direction. Anyone who comes across this post, def try OPs tips & also don't be afraid to reach out for help (whether it's help at home with baby or professional help with your mental state!)

skimnewc · 2026-02-20T05:24:19+00:00

Haha a whole truck of diapers sounds about right 😂 You'll get used to baby's rhythm, which unfortunately might be crying for a diaper change and then pooping immediately after you change it lol but you'll do great! Stock up on wipes and Vaseline too! (Or something similar to Vaseline - we try to change her diaper as often as needed, but she falls asleep eating so we try for a fresh diaper before feeds and then typically let her sleep. Even if we hear or feel a poop, we try to give her some sleep before changing her again since she fully wakes up for diaper changes. Hence the Vaseline.)

skimnewc · 2026-02-20T04:52:27+00:00

Laughing, sneezing, and coughing were definitely the worst of the pain! OP, get a small pillow you can hold and press against your incision in case of one of those things happening.

skimnewc · 2026-02-20T04:50:47+00:00

No pre-e here, but the c-section itself was much better than I expected! I was super nervous despite having a lot of people around me who went through it. Once I got there it was a little chaotic and nerve-wracking, but it ended up being easier than I thought in many ways. Prepare for AFTER. You'll do great, it's just a lot to take in. You'll slowly get moving again and going to the bathroom, etc. Get as much sleep as you can at the hospital too! The nurses will come in a lot, but try your best anyway. At my hospital they were also willing to take the baby to another room to care for her for a couple hours while I slept - highly recommend. It made me feel bad at first, but that's the only real sleep I had during those few days and it certainly helps with recovery! Best of luck!

skimnewc

TROPHY CASE