Random questions, postpartum edition

Pumping has been tough for me lately. I barely get anything from my morning pump, even if I do a power pumping session. He is eating down 1-3 bags from the freezer per week right now compared to what I pump. I am not sure if we should start introducing formula or just keep adding in solids. I have had a few weeks where we exclusively nurse (last week) and he seems to get enough food from me, I think this may be a pumping problem. Maybe this is just the normal way of weaning, he is eating a lot more solids now. He is almost 10 months old for reference.

If anyone has weaning stories and how you managed the mental switch that would be really helpful for me! I don’t know what is normal for my supply going down as he gets more calories from solid food versus what is a problem with my supply.

Pumping Details

Right now I am pumping every 3ish hours during the work day (used to be 2.5). I use a hakka when I do the evening feeds and he is too sleepy to do both sides (dream feed mostly). I try and do a power pump during the work day 2-4 times per week, especially when I got a really low output.

I also seem to have really low supply midmorning even though the internet says that should be a time when I have more milk.

I have loved nursing but the mental gymnastics of pumping and trying to have enough has been really hard.

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Do you have much of a stash in the freezer? Around 10 months with both my kids I started winding down pumping and had enough in the freezer to get both to a year old in daycare. I kept nursing both when we were together until oldest was 27 months and youngest was a couple weeks shy of 2.

Its also 10000000000% ok to give formula until they are a year old too! No matter what you do they will be ok and will probably eat Cheerios from the folds of their car seat.

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I would probably add formula as you get close to the end of the freezer (to give him time to get used to the taste). My kid wouldn’t touch my pumped milk so he went on solid, soy milk (dairy allergy) and did eating at night until 15mo.

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I think our plan is this: keep doing what we are doing. Once we are down to 6 bags in the freezer and he is under 1yr old we will add in formula (probably like 2 weeks to ease him in). We have ~23 bags in the freezer now.

I think having a plan will help ease my mind so there are less decisions to make. I’ll reevaluate this plan if I still feel stressed about it in a couple weeks.

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How do you know when to stop modifying activity for DR?

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I would ask the person who diagnosed you with DR. I’ve heard anywhere from 6 weeks to a year suggested, though of course if it is a year, you’d have more regular check ins.

Well, she had said wait til I see the PTs, but that got rescheduled for April because of the ice storm :melting_face:

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Has anyone here had a prolapse?

What did it feel like for you and what did you do to treat it?

(I have an occasional feeling in my vagina like I have period blood or a queef stuck in there and needing to get out, which definitely increases after exercise, but don’t see anything weird when I try to look at the vagina at least - not that I can get a very good look because only 6 weeks pp.)

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Heavy feeling in my vagina, especially at the end of a long day and when I stood up. General postpartum recover videos (pregnancy and postpartum TV walking workouts on YouTube, mainly) healed it. It was healed by the time I started PT for my DR.

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I think I’m going to need to look up those videos…

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I don’t want this additional complication for you but I’m hopeful that it seems like you can DIY the recovery

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I didn’t want it either. I hope that is just general swelling still (is6 that’s still possible at 6 weeks…).

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You can start with her base line video-

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Ooooh I’ve seen her channel before! Time to look into these.

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I had an absurd amount of swelling and took ages to heal it, and had that “heavy” feeling when I did a bit too much. I also DIY’d, keeping a close eye on the feeling to stop as soon as I noticed it/ only do things below the point i noticed it happening, and then once the swelling had gone down a lot I started some gentle exercises. I think I was told that with so much swelling I needed a bit of extra time before starting helpful exercises than someone without the swelling.

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She is my goddess :joy: I’m blown away she has all that stuff available for free. (Caveat- I have google music, now YouTube music, so I get YouTube without ads. Idk how annoying those are or are not)

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Eyyh I’m used to YT ads. It’s worth it for good content!

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