If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all*
V. tired today. We had a restless night. Well, I did, anyway.
I'm not so sure Fiver's getting anything at all from me. He'll nurse unenthusiastically on both sides then be hungry enough to take a bottle (of formula). I tried pumping yesterday after feeding to encourage more production (as per Elizabeth's excellent suggestion) and i got nothing. Just a few drops.
Of course, I didn't have the ideal pumping setting. I tried to find somewhere private (and warm, I'm still freezing to death all the time) where I could concentrate and relax to no avail.
I can't believe my supply has dwindles so badly. I didn't go that long without nursing. Oh well, I'm going to try to get some fenugreek this week and I enjoyed my wonderful** breakfast/lunch of a half a cup of porridge and a mug of bovril. Thank you, BTW, to everyone for your suggestions.
My latest conundrum is the allergic reaction that's causing these hives. Was it the antibiotics they gave me after the section? Or one of the painkillers? Neither has ever cause a reaction in me before.
It's almost like my body is trying to fight an infection: the chills, my glands are swollen, where the hives appear (my feet, hands, and arms) is swollen grotesquely and painful. WTF? Seriously, my hands and feet are like balloons, my throat is sore and my jaw is swollen up.
And Dr. Google says this can take weeks to resolve? Ugh
I hate feeling like an invalid. It really sucks. I feel like I'm not doing the best thing for my family (because I'm largely ignoring them all). It doesn't help that I can't shake the baby blues.
I feel like a ghost in my own house.
Blimey I need to catch a break
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* Extra points for anyone old enough to remember HeeHaw and Owens and Clark's "Gloom Dispair and Agony on me"
**Actually I love porridge. I eat it in the British fashion: with just salt and butter (like grits) and I truly enjoy it. However, being on a severe diet where there's no prospects of anything else kind of takes any joy out of it.
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PS: edited to add that I broke down and took one of my Motrin800s. I was just miserable. Hopefully that wasn't the allergy trigger (I doubt it was - I took them in the hospital and when I came home long before the POX showed.
PPS: I just noticed all the bloody typos in this post. I'll correct it tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight.
6 Comments:
you poor thing. i can't imagine having to go through all of that so close post-partum. i'm barely holding it all together just with the baby and no "issues," so i don't know what i would do. i hope someone can come and help you.
So sorry you're feeling so awful.
Could you have mastitis? The chills & general unwell feeling sound very familiar to me. I know hte hives have got to be an allergy, but I don't think an allergy would usually cause fever.
Hope you get better soon.
T
Blue,
I too was thinking mastitis. Check w/your OB and see what they might think. They'll probably want you to come in the office, but maybe some antibiotics would help. When I had it, I felt horrible (cold, hot, feverish). I had clogged ducts, so the baby wasn't eating--my boobs were so freaking inflamed and uncomfortable, I would get in the shower and want to go down the drain.
I am sorry for all you are going through. No fun when you have to keep on keeping on.
Hang in there and I hope improvements are on the way!!
I'd be calling the OB also. As far as the nursing, I would try pumping on one side as you are nursing on the other. It was always a bit tricky for me, but the natural letdown that the baby made happen, made pumping easier. I would switch sides w/ baby and pump each time I nursed and still offer a bottle afterwards until my supply came back up a bit. Good luck!
Oh Blue, I'm so sorry you're having such a rough time! I'll try to brainstorm a bit, in case I come up with anything useful that you haven't thought of.
I completely agree, get checked out for mastitis. As far as your milk supply goes, I wouldn't get too discouraged; for one thing, cheapo manual pumps are REALLY not as effective as a sucking baby, so don't go by what you're geting out with THAT. And if you're in such pain, it's possible your let-down isn't really...um... letting down. So Fiver is still hungry for formula and unenthusiastic. ANOTHER thought I had: I know you said all your babies had a bit of formula in hospital and no trouble going back to the breast afterwards, but all babies are different... Maybe Fiver gets nipple confusion a bit more easily than your other babes? You could go and buy one of these bottles that are supposed to make baby mimic the sucking that he'd do on the breast (don't remember the brand name...) Then you'd see if Fiver is unenthusiastic with that bottle, you suspect nipple confusion. If he happily sucks out of that, suspect low supply/low let down etc.
I feel so bad thinking of you in pain, with baby blues, and dieting! Seriously, tell me to shut up if I'm out of line, but I'd postpone the dieting for a month or so. When you're worried about your supply, feeling depressed and are post-partum, you need your food!
Last suggestion: After the pain from the thrush subsides, isn't it possible to find some time to spend snuggling in bed and nursing non-stop to build up your supply? I know it's difficult (impossible!) with five, but maybe during a weekend, when EGH is home?
Sorry if I sound like a know-it-all... Just trying to come up with as many tips as possible, in case one of them is good! :)
All the best
Anna
Oh Blue,
I'm so sorry you are feeling that badly.
Take care of yourself - if you are illin you can't take care of the chillins!!
Katya
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