Postpartum Thread 2021!

I got so much great advice in my due date thread (April-June 2021), I thought it would be great to have a place to connect with other berries and ask questions about postpartum and newborn topics.

Does anyone have favorite sources for easy workouts for postpartum moms? I’d like to start trying to regain some core strength now that [name_f]Callie[/name_f] is 2 months old. I do have slight diastasis recti.

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I can’t believe [name_f]Callie[/name_f] is already 2 months old!

For a cheap and quick workout when I don’t have time for the gym, I like the YouTube channel ‘Pregnancy and Postpartum TV’ (though I’m not cleared to workout yet, so right now my workouts include chasing a toddler and walking) Also since it’s summer I would highly recommend any swimming class, it’s a great gentle way to get your body back in shape.

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This is a great idea for a topic! I’m not due until [name_u]August[/name_u] 4, but I have a 7 and 3.5 year old if anyone has any newborn questions.

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Yay, what a great idea! [name_f]My[/name_f] little hopefully won’t come for about 6 more weeks, but I’ve got the almost 4YO and the 14 month old.

I have a subscription to Fit2B Mom… highly recommend! All of the workouts are led by experts (PTs, OTs, etc.) and specifically take into account postpartum issues, including diastasis recti. Also for the most part you need very little equipment if any, don’t need a special workout space, and can do the workouts for the most part in your regular clothes, whatever you happen to be wearing. Most of the workouts are also definitely short enough to fit into your day, regardless of how much or how little napping/contented tummy-time/alternative care might be happening in your home.

I haven’t had diastasis personally but I was so afraid I’d get it with my first so I did a lot of prevention work. I splinted prenatally and postpartum and did the activities through reCORE fitness at the time. I liked their programming, too, but I like Fit2B Mom better for fitting into regular life, especially postpartum. That’s what I’ll be sticking with through [name_u]January[/name_u] at least based on my current subscription. Still gonna do the splinting, though. Postpartum wrapping has been a part of most cultures through time and I think there’s probably good reason for that.

Such a great idea for a thread! The due date ones always fizzle out after birth, with everyone being so darn busy an exhausted with a newborn - it makes sense to pool a year’s worth into one postpartum topic.

No idea about workouts though sorry! [name_m]Feel[/name_m] like I’m just trying to keep my body from falling apart at the moment. Got De Quervain’s tendonitis which is apparently really common in new mums. [name_f]My[/name_f] cardio is bopping baby about the house in his carrier as it’s the only way he’ll sleep, and running piles of poopy or spill-up soaked laundry to the washing machine and line and back to drawers. Strength workouts involve rediscovering my arm muscles as I lift my toddler again after not being allowed to following the c-section!

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We had a bit of a rough first week since our boys have had a nasty cold. They had to keep their distance from the baby, which was hard (I spent most of my time in the bedroom with her.) And my husband did a great job with them, but they were sick and cranky and it wasn’t fun for anyone. They are doing better now, and I’m feeling more like myself after a week of recovery and getting used to breastfeeding again.
Deliverance is a little stuffy (probably a touch of their cold after all :pensive:) but otherwise doing well. She’s eating like a champ. We have a postpartum midwife appt tomorrow, so we’ll see if she’s still gaining weight. She lost her cord [name_m]Friday[/name_m], at a week old, and had her first bath the next day.

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How are y’all doing now after a few more weeks under your belt?

Haven’t found time to try any workout tips yet, but I’m saving them! I have been to the pool a couple times though and that was fun! We dipped Callie’s toes in the baby pool and she was not impressed, but her great-aunt came along with us so she got some snuggle time!

Three months old now and I think we’re starting to get the hang of this whole family of 3 thing now. I wouldn’t say we have a set routine yet – but I have a better idea of when to expect her to be hungry or need a nap.

She’s taking her bottles like a champ now after having her tongue tie released (breastfeeding didn’t work out for us) and we’re seeing real progress on her hip dysplasia.

Anyone else have updates to share?

@LibelluleClaire
@LiliMorgana
@sarah1800
@ChelsAnne22
@LynnG

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[name_u]Holly[/name_u] is now almost 2 months old and she’s such a good baby! She’s already started smiling at people and it’s the cutest thing ever. She’s pretty much sleeping through the night at this point (which I’m super greatful for, her big sis. didnt do that until about 7/8 months old, and it was a long 7/8 months) but she absolutely despises tummy time and will not put up with it for more than 30/60 secs right now before going into full melt down mode so we’re working on that.
Unfortunately due to the record breaking heat wave we’ve had here in the pnw and now the horrible smoky air due to wildfires, we haven’t gotten a chance to take her out much to do anything. However I have my final postpartum check up tomorrow and I’m hoping the Dr. will clear me to resume my regular workout routines, swimming and essentially resume normal life so that hopefully here soon we can get her to the pool.

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Deliverance was a month old on Sunday and doing well! The little piggy was 8 lbs 4 oz at her appointment a week ago. The midwives were impressed. She’s starting to spend a little more time awake and alert, looking around the room, and big brothers take advantage of it to show her things–toys, food, flowers, whatever they’re into at the moment :blush: My husband went back to work after the first 2 weeks. It was wonderful to have him home while I healed and we began adjusting to life as 5, and now I’m able to be up and around and have resumed my usual routine, more slowly to accommodate baby feeds.
Took my oldest to the naturopathic doctor a few days ago since we’ve had yet another sniffle. Poor kiddo can’t seem to catch a break; either he’s so wiped out he can’t be around the faintest breath of a cold without catching it, or something is manifesting over and over. Doing a couple tests to look for an underlying infection or an allergy that might be keeping his immune system down.

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Hello all!

[name_f]Mila[/name_f] is almost 7 weeks old. She’s a very sweet baby, loves to be held, and her brothers and sister are crazy about her. I’ve been very lucky that there’s been no jealousy and they always want to help or come over to kiss and hug her while I’m feeding her.

It’s stressful sometimes with four who are so young and still need so much all the time but I feel a lot of the time I’m doing very well juggling them. Each week we seem to gain even more ground and get more done, which is great, but there’s always more to do and I still feel I could be doing better than I am. Have to keep reminding myself that it hasn’t even been two months yet.

Recovery this time was quick, but I’m having pain in (I think) my tailbone still. Not all the time, not even pain that is that bad really, just a dull ache that feels like I’m bruised. I read horror stories on Google about dislocated and fractured tailbones and it doesn’t seem severe enough to be either imo, but time will tell. If it’s not better in another month or so (or it gets worse) I’ll have it checked out. Apparently tailbone issues are common with fast births and once she got going, she was very quick, with hardly any pushing. She was also “sunny side up” and I had back labor, so I wonder if she just came down and out a bit differently than my others did.

Other than that we’re doing well. [name_m]Just[/name_m] trying to improve upon our new normal. It was nice reading your posts, I’m glad everyone is doing so well!

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[name_f]Greta[/name_f] is sweet and fun! She has a lot of energy, loves to kick her legs and not very interested in napping. Breastfeeding was frustrating for us. [name_f]My[/name_f] milk production never matched what she needed so she is mostly formula fed. I know it is fine for her but still feeling some embarrassment around other moms that I couldn’t make it work. I’m going back to work on [name_f]Monday[/name_f]. I’m going to try pumping at first but not sure how long that will last since I barely get anything when I pump anyway. It will be nice to see coworkers and get my brain in work mode again, but I will miss my little peanut. We have both been a little clingy this week so it will be an adjustment.

@laurenalexis thanks for starting the thread! I’ve been using the [name_f]Juna[/name_f] app for workouts. It’s decent, maybe not the best out there, but I got some good basic core exercises from it that I’ve been doing most days. I have diastasis recti too and I think the exercises have helped.

@lilimorgana I had tailbone pain when sitting during pregnancy, and I still notice it sometimes when sitting down. Hoping it will just resolve eventually.

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Deliverance and I had our 6-week postpartum checkup on [name_f]Tuesday[/name_f], the last official appointment with our midwives. She’s up to 9 lbs 6 oz, with chubby cheeks and a few little rolls on her legs! I never did mention that her birthweight was 6 lbs 12 oz, so she’s gained well in 5 1/2 weeks. She’s into size 1 diapers and is beginning to outgrow newborn clothes. Everything looks good. We got her PKU results back a couple weeks ago, and those were normal.
She’s starting to occasionally smile and coo when we smile and talk to her. So cute. Her mirror neurons seem to be firing well!

And my bleeding is completely over and I’ve healed nicely. I tore a tiny bit but didn’t need stitches this time. I tore pretty badly my first birth and a little my second (one stitch.) [name_f]My[/name_f] first delivery, in the hospital, I was on my back and pushed like crazy for an hour before he was born. I think, in hindsight, that I am small and would likely have torn anyway that first time, but with my next births I thought more about alternative birth positions. I’m convinced if I’d gotten up on my knees or on all fours, the first birth would have been at least a little faster and easier and I’d have torn less. I nearly delivered my second kneeling–I switched to a birth stool at the last minute so my husband could catch him easily–and with my third, I was on all fours. It felt so much better.

I hope everyone else continues to do well!

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We just had Holly’s 2 month check up. She’s weighing in at about 9lbs, she smiles and coos (especially when mama talks to her!) loves to kick her legs and move her arms, is starting to lift her head, and is almost sleeping through the night! (Which absolutely amazes me, it took [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] until 6/8 months before she was even close to sleeping through the night) And over all doing really well. Big sister absolutely loves her

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Casper’s almost 12 weeks! It’s gone so fast. He’s so different to big sister - chunky, very short awake times, not so much into using his legs to do anything yet (just lies there and kicks them about). I’m trying not to compare as I don’t think he’s officially missing milestones so might just be developing differently? Has the loveliest smile and cooing/gurgling chats, and loves looking at lights and patterns and art and photos on walls. He sleeps through the night (9 til 6, sometimes 8 til 7.30!) but only because we’re co-sleeping. Naps a pain because he wants to contact nap as well but has started rebelling against the front pack. He’s an opinionated little fella!

I’m recovering okay from birth too. There hasn’t been anything major, but a whole heap of niggles… I think a bacterial skin infection near c-section scar but not bad, a (minor?) prolapse, de quervains tendonitis in wrists, brief nipple thrush. It had me feeling really low at first, esp. as I think the nature of the emergency c-section was still affecting me a lot emotionally, but I’m starting to feel much better. It’s all been a massive adjustment for big sister (she’s 2 1/2) who on a trip to the playground/park the other day admitted “I was kinda hoping you’d leave [name_m]Casper[/name_m] at home”. Poor wee sausage!

@sarah1800 I hope the return to work has been okay. So hard and such a massive adjustment. I’m sorry breastfeeding hasn’t worked out but PLEASE don’t add any guilt or embarrassment on top of that! Other Mums know we’re all just muddling through, and that we’re all doing our absolute best for our babes but that that’s gonna look different for different families for a whole range of reasons. As a fully breastfeeding Mum, I also know that pain and stress of breastfeeding almost not working out, and getting nothing when pumping… and I also feel the worry of judgement for getting my breasts out all the time in public.

@LiliMorgana hope your tail bone is feeling better asap! After my first I’d get random sharp pains at the front of my pubic bone even over a year later, but thankfully they seem to have stopped now? (Casper was c-section)

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Does anyone have any good remedies for cradle cap? Poor [name_u]Holly[/name_u] has it so bad, all over her scalp and even in her eyebrows. We’ve got a cream that works but also seems to irritate her scalp and it makes me nervous to put it too close to her eyes, with my first we used olive oil but I read that can irritate the skin as well. I’m thinking about trying coconut oil but don’t know if that will work or just be more irritating.

Was just going to say coconut oil! Let it sit for a bit and then comb away. [name_f]May[/name_f] take a couple times to get it all but it works wonders- at least for my three it did.

For her eyebrows I would probably rub the oil in- maybe like a dot worth- really well

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I did coconut oil with my second, too. It worked pretty well and didn’t seem to irritate him at all. I would rub it in before I bathed him, let it sit a few minutes, then rub and flake his scalp with my fingertips. Washing his head in the bath afterward got rid of a little more and cleaned the oily hair, also.

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Thanks! I think we’ll try the coconut oil and see how that goes

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It feels as though a lot has happened at home since I checked in last. Deliverance is doing well, still gaining weight, sleeping beautifully most nights (once she actually goes to sleep, which can take awhile), and smiling and “chatting” for more admirers than only Mommy.

[name_f]My[/name_f] sister and our church ladies threw her a little shower last week, which was sweet. I actually let people buy her some clothes, as I had plenty of newborn hand-me-downs but not many girl clothes bigger than a 3-month size. It was a small crowd, so we didn’t end up drowning in pink ruffles :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

And I had a PT appointment yesterday. I have some form of postpartum pelvic organ prolapse, which I didn’t suspect till after my 6-week appointment. Thanks @Kiriko for mentioning your prolapse, because it got me thinking! I thought, third baby, things are just looser down there, but then I started Googling. I talked to my midwife, and she recommended a physical therapist who specializes in pregnancy and pelvic floor strength, for starters. When she saw me yesterday, she said it does look structural; I have none of the other typical predispositions to prolapse, but my pelvis is pretty out of whack. It’s both off-center and twisted, which is causing pressure. Good news is that if it’s structural, it can be fixed. So I’ll be doing PT for a bit to get straightened out and see if the prolapse resolves. Next step will be a visit to a gynecologist, if it does not.
So…I wish I had known to be having adjustments before a big problem arose, but I am hopeful for the prognosis.

Also having to make some adjustments in our diet, as our 3-year-old’s test results show an intestinal yeast infection and a few food allergies probably enabled by the imbalance in his gut. His immune system is too busy with that mess to fight every little bug that comes around. It likely dates back to the thrush he had as an infant. I’m glad we caught it before any more time had gone by, poor kid, and that it’s something we can work on healing.

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