Thread: *~^~*Harmony's (harmonybear) Birthing Lodge*~^~*

What a wonderful birth story!! Great job mama!! Yeah for the fabulous doula too!

What a great story! I'm so glad your doula was able to help you so much. Too bad you couldn't labor longer in the water, I'd have told them where to stick their "policy." Congrats on a great job, Mama!!!

Does baby girl have a name yet, or did I just miss it?

Her name is Abigail, but I'm a bit paranoid about posting tons of personal info online, so I'm mostly going to refer to her as just "A" when posting.

I've been fed tons of seaweed soup (traditional Korean post-partum food) by my MIL at each meal since coming home. Supposedly it helps with milk production, not that I need it. Seriously, five minutes after she drains one side, it's fully engorged again. This does go away after a couple of days, right? Is hot water and massage the right way to treat it?

Anyway, she is so precious. I am such a stereotypical first-time mom, gushing over her all the time. lol She's regained to her birth weight and her color is looking good, so all the doctors are happy. DH and I are exhausted, but that's normal I suppose.

WTG Mama! That's great that she's already back up to her birth weight! Keep up the great work and I love her name

So glad that things are going well with you and Miss A!!

I have to make/freeze seaweed soup next week!!

Does Miss A have the Mongolian Spots that we PM'd about?

Eventually your milk supply will regulate and you won't feel like your boobs are rocks anymore, I promise! You can try cabbage leaves to help with the engorgement. Everyone says it works. That is great that your DD is already back up to her birth weight! Keep up the good work!

What a great birth story! Your a champ!

nak

Still much engorged, but she decided last night to start cluster feeding, and that has to help things regulate faster than me forcing her to eat when she's not hungry. She's so tiny! The only clothes that fit her right now are the handful of premie outfits my mom bought on a hunch that I'd have a small baby. Even the newborn clothes look massive on her. Along with that, she's having an awful time latching on with me so engorged, even if I pump or hand express first. So I caved and got a nipple shield to get me through engorgement. It's not ideal, but it's better than bleeding nipples, which it looked like I was only a couple of feedings away from. I still have blisters on the left side. My mom and MIL cringe when they look at them, lol, but the right has totally healed since getting the shield. I try and switch back to regular feeding on that side every couple times. I'm hopeful that everything will be back on track by tomorrow.

Ouch, sounds painful! I'm glad the shield is helping with the blister problem.

Halfway through the day, with marathon feedings - much more nursing than any day so far - and both sides are nearly healed. I am amazed at what a nipple shield, fresh air, and expressed BM can do. Plus the frequent nursings have got the engorgement under control. I'm still huge and hard, but no pain and the nipples are soft enough for her to take in her mouth. It may yet be too soon, but I'm smelling success. Or is that just the sweet smell of my baby's head?

ETA: baby pictures can be found in this thread.