u/OstrichOwn3814

So I need some input here. My baby is 5 days old, currently breastfeeding but as with my first i’m barely producing she’s so hungry after every feed and pumping and i’m getting burnt out already trying to keep up. Long story short my first was COLIC and Reflux so bad literally never stopped crying and puking until at 15 weeks I was finally recommended Nutramigen and that worked. I need to start supplementing babe on formula and TBH i’m terrified to get back into the fussy screaming bloody murder puking and i’m trying to figure out the best formula to try. I don’t want to jump right to Nutramigen because maybe she’s fine and has no allergy or digestive issues and it’s so expensive so I want to try something else and see how she tolerated it. What did you all try and was easy on baby?

Thanks in advance I am really stressing over this!

YIKES.

0/10. Do not recommend.

I honestly thought, "That'll never happen to me." Well... my one-year-old got it first, then I caught it from him. We BOTH ended up hospitalized. He was admitted to the pediatric ICU, and I was admitted to Labor & Delivery at 33 weeks because the dehydration and illness were causing contractions.

Ladies... I have never been in pain like that. And that's coming from someone who had a 28-hour unmedicated back labor with my first. I would gladly do that labor again over this parasite. 😂 I was so dehydrated I literally could barely lift my head off the pillow. I lost 11 pounds, didn't eat anything except a few saltines for almost two weeks, spent two days hooked up to IV fluids with constant NSTs, and honestly wondered if it was ever going to end.

And here's the part nobody talks about... it can RELAPSE. 😭

My diarrhea stopped for three glorious days, I thought I was free... SIKE. It came back for another four days. In total I dealt with it for about 16 days, and my poor toddler was miserable too.

Fast forward to now and I'm almost 36 weeks. Baby somehow handled everything like an absolute champ (thank goodness), but I feel like my body has been hit by a truck. My stomach is constantly upset, bloated, uncomfortable, and I just don't feel like myself. My midwives have basically said, "We cannot wait until you have this baby because even the worst PP would be better than this." BTW I had an amazing PP with my first so I know I feel better!

That said, I absolutely do not want baby to come before they're ready and not wishing or trying to force preterm labor. Ideally I'd love around 38 weeks, and I'd be perfectly happy with 37+, but I know if there isn't a medical reason they're not going to induce before 39 weeks, and honestly I agree with that.

Here's where I need someone to talk me off the ledge...

FOUR of my friends are currently overdue. THREE of them are second-time moms. 😳

Someone please tell me this isn't my future. 😂 Mentally and physically, I genuinely don't know if I have another 4-6 weeks in me after this month.

For reference, my first came completely spontaneously at 39+1. My babies will be about 15.5 months apart.

Starting next week I'm planning on all the "natural labor prep" things... walking, bouncing on the ball, dates, raspberry leaf tea, Miles Circuit, etc. Yesterday my OB also told me that if I'm 4 cm or more around 38 weeks, she'd be happy to do a membrane sweep, which I'm open to.

So I guess my questions are...

Did your second come earlier, later, or around the same time as your first?

And if you did anything that you think actually helped your body get ready for labor (even if it just helped with dilation), I'd love to hear it.

Thanks for reading my novel. It's been... a month. 😂😭

Hi everyone!

I'm just looking for a little advice and reassurance because all of a sudden a wave of anxiety has hit me like a ton of bricks.

My first is 14 months old and will be about 15½ months when baby #2 arrives. We are absolutely over the moon! We always wanted our kids close in age, so we're really excited.

That said, I'm 35 weeks now, and I can't stop thinking about my first baby's newborn stage.

He had some of the worst colic, reflux, and GI issues that our pediatricians had ever seen. We ended up driving three hours to specialists, constantly switching expensive formulas, and trying everything imaginable. From about 4 weeks until 17 weeks, he screamed for 12+ hours a day. It truly felt like he cried every waking moment. Ironically, he slept well at night because he barely slept during the day.

It was honestly the most mentally draining, scary, and isolating time of my life.

Thankfully, around 17 weeks, once we finally found the right formula and it had time to work, everything changed. He is now the happiest, funniest, sweetest little boy, and despite those incredibly hard months, I absolutely love being a mom. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and if it were up to me, I'd happily have four kids someday.

But now that delivery is getting close, I'm terrified of going through that experience again while also caring for a toddler.

I do feel more informed this time around. I know the signs to look for, I know how to advocate for my baby, and I know we'll get through it if that's what happens. But I can't help feeling scared that I'll end up back in that really dark place mentally.

I've had so many friends and family members tell me that their first baby was the difficult one and their second was so much easier. I'd love to believe that's how it'll be, but I also know every baby is different.

So I guess I'm just looking for others' experiences.

If your first baby had severe colic, reflux, or GI issues, was your second similar? Or was it a completely different experience? Any reassurance, advice, or stories would be so appreciated.

Thank you! I really appreciate this group and all of the support and insight it provides.

Literally... some days I am in complete shock at the things people say to pregnant women. Like, what response are you expecting from me? 😂 This is mostly just a rant because I'm 35 weeks pregnant and having a ROUGH time.

This pregnancy started out pretty uneventfully. It wasn't planned, our kids will be 15 months apart, but we're genuinely so excited. It was just a bit of a surprise.

I had an incredibly easy pregnancy with my first, so I thought this one would be similar. Nope.

Once winter hit, my toddler started bringing every illness imaginable home from daycare. I ended up with six sinus infections, all requiring antibiotics, and one even landed me in the hospital after I fainted. Then we got hit with two stomach bugs back-to-back, and of course I got them worse than my son. I was absolutely miserable.

Then summer finally arrived, and I thought, "Okay, I'm 32 weeks. I can do this. No more winter illnesses. We're almost there."

Wrong.

Cue the parasite that's been making its way around the U.S. It was, without question, the sickest I have ever been in my life. My toddler caught it first, my husband somehow escaped it (thank goodness, because he became our rock), and watching my son deteriorate was honestly terrifying. He ended up in the ICU, and I was admitted to the hospital myself because I became so sick that I started having contractions. I lost 11 pounds, my son lost 5 pounds... it was just an awful experience all around.

Thankfully, we're all doing much better now (minus a little medical anxiety 😅). Baby is doing great, measuring in the 28th percentile, so a little on the smaller side but nothing concerning. My OB has me taking it easy and recommended working from home 2–3 days a week until 37 weeks because of the risk of preterm labor.

Now here's where I'm losing my mind.

I live and work in a very small town in upstate New York, and I have a pretty public job, so everyone seems to know my business before I do.

The comments lately have absolutely pushed me over the edge.

"I can't believe you're allowed to take maternity leave again so soon. That never would've flown in my day."

...Allowed? What exactly am I supposed to say to that?

Or:

"You must be absolutely miserable in this heat."

Honestly... not really. I actually love summer. Sure, I'm a little uncomfortable, but I refuse to complain because we have brutal winters here. I've been swimming in the lake whenever I can, and it's been wonderful.

Apparently that's the wrong answer because people immediately respond with, "Oh come on, it has to be miserable! Just wait—it'll get so much worse."

Why are you trying to convince me I'm miserable? 😂

And my personal favorite...

A woman asked me when I was going to have another baby when my first was only about 12 weeks old. Then, when I actually did get pregnant soon after, she's now the same person constantly reminding me that "my life is over," asking if I'm sure I can handle two kids, and telling me how incredibly hard it's going to be.

Like... pick a lane.

Anyway, sorry this turned into a novel. If you actually made it this far, thanks for reading. 😂 I know hormones are probably playing a role here, but after everything that's happened these last few months, I am just so over the unsolicited comments and people trying to make me feel worse than I already do.

At this point I just want this sweet baby to arrive safely, everyone to stay healthy, and for me to enjoy one big glass of wine in peace without anyone commenting on my life for five minutes. 😂 Thanks for letting me vent.