almost 3 months postpartum- update

Submitted by alemama on June 15, 2009 - 11:36pm
Body: 

well I like to consider this past three months as my 4th trimester. I have rested well and have only just begun to exercise. Our sweet darling baby is so fun right now- he can laugh. And he is very smart- clicking his tongue to copy us- or copying the sounds we make at him. We have not experienced any sibling fussiness yet. Having 4 kids is a joy. I already want another baby.
He has some serious allergy stuff going on so I am avoiding most food. So right now I am only eating Rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, hummus, oats, and oils. I am drinking Komboocha and eating apples, watermelon, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, Kale and Collard greens. I feel pretty hungry most of the time but am making plenty of milk so that is good.

I keep waiting for the prolapse to get worse (that whole 3 months postpartum thing). I have not done a self exam but I have looked with a mirror. Looks about like it did 5 or 6 months postpartum with baby #3. I have started firebreathing and Nauli (I think I was in withdrawal during my pregnancy)- As well as walking in the evenings. My perineum (not intact at all) does not ache- but then I am not on my feet much- and I do a ton of elbows and knees.

All in all I feel great. Our baby is finally here and beautiful.

I am getting a piccollo carrier this week- not sure I will like it (not sure it will be comfortable for prolapse) but it is a structured carrier and baby can face out in front which our guy just happens to love. It sits high on the waist.

ok my eyes are shutting- night ladies

louiseds

June 16, 2009 - 1:05am

Sounds great Alemama. It must be nice to have the immediate pp worry period for POP out of the way. Now, I guess you just gently get on with life. Please give us periodical updates. I think it is valuable to summarise a period of time in one post for these updates, rather than just a comment here and there in other posts.

I really hope you are saving these posts that describe your progress and that you will, one day, put them all together into a Members' Stories topic, so we can see your story in one place. I know you are way too busy yet.

If you post this part in Members' Stories, titled Alemama's story, it will be there and you can edit it periodically, when you feel like adding some more to it, either what happens in future, or from the beginning, and slowly fill in the bits in between.

It is so hard to piece together Members' stories from all the different topics they have posted under. For Newbies to be able to see some Members' stories from the beginning and continuing over, maybe several pregancies, over several years will be an invaluable aid to seeing the bigger picture and seeing success as it happens, along with the inevitable temporary setbacks.

Hey, all you longstanding Members out there, how about telling us your story? Putting my story down was a great way to clarify what really did happen for me, and in what order. I began to remember stuff that I had long forgotten. It was a very positive exercise for me. I urge you to do the same, once you have got some Wholewoman techniques working for you. Your story may only cover 12 months if you haven't been round for long, or might be a 30 year War and Peace job like mine. You might just post a bit of it for now, and edit it later when you remember other stuff, or if your body changes. Once your story is recorded it is there for others to read, even if you decide to drop out of the community and get on with your life. Let's face it, not everybody wants to make POP the focus of their life for ever.

Cheers

Louise

Jordansmommy09

June 16, 2009 - 1:16am

Hi Alemama,

Thanks for posting your positive update. Every little bit gives me hope! Your little guy must be around the same age as my daughter. Isn't this a fun age? Jordan just found her hands, and is now sucking on her thumb. It amazes me how quickly they learn new things! Fascinating.

Let us know how the piccollo carrier works out--I'd be curious to see whether you like it. I have a moby wrap and a hotsling, but would like something more structured like you mentioned where she can face away from me. I think she would enjoy that a bit more.

Goodnight,

~Shannon

bad_mirror

June 16, 2009 - 1:03pm

As I go through my own journey and contemplate a future pregnancy and birth, it is so helpful to me to read the experiences of those who "go before." So when you say that your prolapse looks "like it did 5 or 6 months pp with baby #3," you mean that it's already in a better place than last time? How amazing for you, and hopeful for me! May you never have the 3 month pp drudge!

Congratulations on your joyful little family, and may you continue to report on great healing!

alphamom

June 16, 2009 - 3:32pm

Alemama,

Off topic - It wasn't clear if you feel like you've got the food allergies figured out and under control yet; if so, great! ignore me . . . my youngest (now 9) had severe food allergies as a breastfeeding baby and was in the most crisis from 3 - 6mo as we figured things out. A group that I found exceedingly helpful, in terms of advice from moms dealing with similar issues, pointers on hidden ingredients, recipe adaptations for allergies, etc was then called POFAK (parents of food allergic kids). It was then based on yahoogroups. I know it has since moved on, but you could find it through the old site http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/POFAK/. There was very good representation of breastfeeding moms (issues quite different for bf versus formula-fed allergic babies). Just a quick comment, though you may have this all researched, the top 9 allergens for children are dairy, soy, wheat, egg, peanuts/tree nuts, fish/shellfish, sesame; and as of 8 years ago, the AAP recommendation was for babies with any severe digestive food allergies to consider avoiding all of these, zero tolerance (many many babies do not have severe issues, but a tiny minority (like my dd) do, reacting to mom's ingestion of even trace proteins -- it helps to classify your baby one way or the other, then focus on advice aimed toward his population). I'm sure you're journaling your diet to correlate with baby's symptoms; do consider that even trace exposure by you is an exposure. For example, my daughter, who was allergic to gluten, would show ill effects for a week if I ate rice chex, with just its trace quantity of barley malt. Looking at your list, if you've still got unexplained reactions, I'd watch out if there's sesame/tahini in the hummus, and double-check oats (which are closely related to wheat/gluten protein-wise). Also severely food allergic babies can develop a cascade of new allergies if their gut gets too inflamed. Secondary lactose intolerance can also be a problem and there are strategies to cope while still breastfeeding. For yourself --- I found at first I dropped weight like crazy, but if I found just a few safe treats --- e.g coconut-date rolls, safe parve/dairy-free chocolate --- I could stabilize. Also coconut milk and avocado are good low-risk fat sources. Find a way to not feel deprived!
Sorry for the unsolicited advice, but knowledge that once seemed arcane suddenly becomes essential in coping with an allergic baby, and it's so awful to see them suffer while you struggle to figure things out. Most even severely food allergic babies will outgrow their allergies, though, with zero tolerance avoidance, often at about 2 years old.

now back to your regularly scheduled programming,

alphamom

granolamom

June 16, 2009 - 4:29pm

thanks for your update, I'm so happy to hear how well you feel - and especially that you've not experienced the "3-month setback".
gives me hope that maybe it isn't inevitable.

sorry to hear about the allergy thing. I remember how hungry I was when my still bf dd was on an elimination diet. I pretty much ate rice & beans all day long. I second the POFAK group, it was a lifesaver back then.
my dd turned out to be allergic to egg whites and milk, and sensitive to corn. she's since outgrown the allergies but to this day if she as so much smells corn in any form she goes batty. its weird.

I hope your little guy outgrows his too, but he does sound adorably sweet. I do love that age : )

clavicula

June 18, 2009 - 3:33am

Thanks, Alemama

for the details, you give me hope with your detailed story about your recovery, pregnancy and now pp.
Hope you will feel better day by day, enjoy the babymoon!

Liv

alemama

June 21, 2009 - 9:25pm

ok I am going to try avocado next. My humus does have tahini doggone it. oh well I will just have to add some sun butter to it instead.
I am preparing all my own foods and not buying anything that would have trace amounts- I didn't know about the sesame though- I figured it was safe since it was a seed.
I drank alcohol Friday night- won't be doing that again.
I know oats have gluten but I don't know what else I will eat for breakfast if I have to give up oats.
I tried salmon (have been vegetarian for the last 3 years or so) and at first I thought it would be okay- but now I'm not so sure- as 2 days into it he got pretty sad- here's a funny TMI- my poop was orange- guess you can't eat carrots, sweet potato, and salmon all day.....
I think he is ok with small amounts of things- it is when I keep eating it that he gets bugged. So I maybe will be able to get away with eating one egg a week or one slice of bread- but probably not in the same week.
Last night and tonight I had chicken (I am desperate here.....very hungry) and so far no problems- but I don't think we have reached his critical point.
I don't want to complain- he is such a love and I don't mind at all the weight loss- but the hunger is crushing. I have never been hungry before. yesterday I sat down to a bowl of black beans and felt such a strong sense of gratitude I realized why people pray before eating.
I joke that my milk is super milk and should be given to all allergy sufferers.
Thanks for the thoughts and the POFAKs rec. I am not sure I will check them out- I feel good about not obsessing about this- and I know if I start reading there I will be glued to my computer for days and days and my kids need me right now. I am looking forward to the avocado- I know I would be much skinnier if I wasn't drinking olive oil :) send the good fat my way!

alemama

June 21, 2009 - 9:30pm

I am feeling better faster this time- and that is with more tearing to boot.....I really think resting well has helped me so much.

and I don't think I like the new baby carrier- pushes in my tummy too much and I can't seem to get it adjusted well alone- and and and. but it is so cute....on to try something else.

louiseds

June 21, 2009 - 9:57pm

Alemama, have you tried a dietician? You seem to know about all the foods known to woman but you might get some help on things that you have eliminated or not tried for the wrong reasons. Just a thought. You do need to get enough calories. Nursing moms do convert food at an efficiency level so high that it defies science but how hard can you push it on a very limited diet?

L