Last visit with midwife

[Zaz]

Well, this is it: we're on our own.
Yesterday was our last visit with our midwife at the Birth Centre.

I am doing fine and my perineal area is getting back in shape. Gotta do
those Kegel exercises more often, though. Everything has scared and is
"functional". DH had a big smile at that verdict, but we'll need to wait
still. I am just not ready to resume anything having to do with that part of
my body. Just not yet.

The mass in my breast is a mastitis, but the midwife gave me new tricks to
deal with it, and I can see the redness has already gone since yesterday. I
will keep it up until the mass is completely gone, and I hope it will be the
end of it. I might be able to avoid antibiotics given that I have no other
symptom than the mass in my breast.

DD now weighs 5,4 kg, or 11 pounds 8 ounces (more or less on the
conversion). She's now 23 inches long (I hope she will end up taller than
me, a mere 5'4").

Good news: even though I ended up giving birth at the hospital, I can still
ask for a midwife for my next pregnancy, and I will even get priority.

This visit was fine and happy, but this morning I woke up with a tinge of
sadness. The pregnancy adventure is definitely over, and yes, I will miss
it.

Isabelle
Mother to Catherine, Nov. 27 2004

[Anne Rogers]

>
> This visit was fine and happy, but this morning I woke up with a tinge of
> sadness. The pregnancy adventure is definitely over, and yes, I will miss
> it.

it's wierd isn't it, I didn't like my last visit with the midwife either :-(

[emilymr]

Isabelle -- what tips did your midwife give you? I just got ANOTHER plug
last night (this is the 3rd one in 5 weeks and I am not a happy lactator)
-- no white dot this time, so my magic trick won't work. :( And to top
it off, we're out of town so I have to deal with it in the hotel. :( :(

Big baby Catherine sounds like she's doing great!

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04

[Zaz]

Here is what she says, and although it's still not entirely gone yet, I will
keep doing it because I can see it shrink, and the redness is gone.

- First, don't pump. Pumping will only increase your milk production, and
will make overflow your duct, thus making your mass bigger.
- Breastfeed according to your baby's routine, if he has any. That is, don't
present the clugged breast first each time: if you're due to present the
other breast this time, do so. If it's clugged-boob's time, then that's what
you present.
- Apply heat before nursing on the clugged breast, for at least 2 minutes.
This is the hardest part for me, as I can't stand just sitting there
applying my Magic Bag while DD is crying for food!
- While baby nurses on the affected breast, massage the mass very hard, all
over, with your fingers. Eventually, your fingers AND your breast will hurt,
but that's what you've got to do. Massage in every direction: top to bottom,
round in circles, right to left, etc. Push hard on the mass. If you don't
feel you can do it, ask DH.
- If you're hurting after nursing, you can apply cabbage leaves on your
breast. I don't, but you might want to.

This has got to be applied *very strictly* for a good 24 hours. If you don't
see any change within that time frame, it is suggested you see a doctor. In
my case, the change was so sudden, even though it's not entirely gone I'll
skip the doctor's visit. I'll keep doing this over the week-end.

Now, of course, if you have flu-like symptoms, run to the doc!

Isabelle

"emilymr" <emily@xxxxxx> wrote in message
lkaboutparenting.com...
> Isabelle -- what tips did your midwife give you? I just got ANOTHER plug
> last night (this is the 3rd one in 5 weeks and I am not a happy lactator)
> -- no white dot this time, so my magic trick won't work. :( And to top
> it off, we're out of town so I have to deal with it in the hotel. :( :(
>
> Big baby Catherine sounds like she's doing great!
>
> Em
> mama to Micah, 11/14/04
>

[Zaz]

Thanks.
I don't believe I took the time to see Lorelei's pictures (or did you post
any?). I was probably going through birth-post-birth experiences, and
frankly, I was a totally egotistical woman during that period... Sorry. I'd
be happy to check them out now!

"Leslie" > wrote in message
...
> Isabelle,
>
> I don't remember if I ever congratulated you on your fabulous birth, and I
> wanted to tell you that from the pictures you posted of Catherine
> recently, she
> and Lorelei could be sisters!
>
>
> Leslie
>
> Emily (2/4/91)
> Jake (1/27/94)
> Teddy (2/15/95)
> William (3/5/01 -- VBA3C, 13 lbs. 5 oz.)
> Lorelei (11/10/04 -- another VBAC)
>
> "Children come trailing clouds of glory from God, which is their home."
> ~ William Wordsworth
>

[Zaz]

Oh! And I forgot: take soy lecithin supplements...


"emilymr" <emily@xxxxxx> wrote in message
lkaboutparenting.com...
> Isabelle -- what tips did your midwife give you? I just got ANOTHER plug
> last night (this is the 3rd one in 5 weeks and I am not a happy lactator)
> -- no white dot this time, so my magic trick won't work. :( And to top
> it off, we're out of town so I have to deal with it in the hotel. :( :(
>
> Big baby Catherine sounds like she's doing great!
>
> Em
> mama to Micah, 11/14/04
>

[Zaz]

Sorry for replying to you thrice, but I thought you'd be interested to know
that my lump is gone, thanks to the good care I put into curing it. No
antibiotics for me, yeah!

"emilymr" <emily@xxxxxx> wrote in message
lkaboutparenting.com...
> Isabelle -- what tips did your midwife give you? I just got ANOTHER plug
> last night (this is the 3rd one in 5 weeks and I am not a happy lactator)
> -- no white dot this time, so my magic trick won't work. :( And to top
> it off, we're out of town so I have to deal with it in the hotel. :( :(
>
> Big baby Catherine sounds like she's doing great!
>
> Em
> mama to Micah, 11/14/04
>