homebirth general discussion #9

Ugh Ash, that really stinks. :hug: Hang in there and remind yourself that this too shall pass. Several of my babies have had thrush, but it wasn't too terrible for me - a bit of the burning/needle-like pain, but it was bearable. Sounds like you've got a worse case. I have had it though where I had a great birth, felt wonderful, and things went down hill from there. Once with really painful hemorrhoids, and a couple times with some bizarre and painful stomach issue. It's really disappointing and frustrating to feel like you're getting worse, not better. :( And, I find a few weeks post partum is always kind of hard - you WANT to be back on your feet, running your house, caring for your kids, etc., but you're still recovering and exhausted. REST! Nap whenever you can, get to bed early, drink a lot, take your vitamins, eat well, and be gentle with yourself. It will be OK. Feel free to yell and scream and complain here whenever you need to. :hug:
What are you treating the thrush with BTW?

Oh my dearest Ash! Yes thrush, thrush, thrush. I *think* I am in the clear after nearly a year. It is the most goddamned awful thing I have ever had. It totally marred my postnatal experience too.

Ok, the BEST advice is on the RWH site called thrush in lactation. It is written by dr Lisa Amir, who did a PhD in nipple thrush. The cracking is because of the thrush, so once you treat that, the nipple will miraculously heal, I promise.

You need daktarin cream for your nipple and you need to apply it all the time...like every time you think of it. Don't wash off before feeds, and keep it up for at least a week after the nipple has healed.

You need to go to a doctor and get a script for nilstatin. It will clear the thrush from your digestive system, so expect lots of gas and bloating and maybe some pereneal itching (which the candida dies off it makes you itchy).

Then you need to get three of the diflucan tablets from the pharmacy and take one every second day while taking the nilstat and using daktarin.

I would also recommend putting the daktarin oral gel in babies mouth, but don't worry if you can't face it, because I couldn't with ds as a newborn.

I know that sounds like a horrendous amount of drugs, but seriously after a year I wish I'd done the full bomb therapy sooner. I've been to naturopaths and cut out all sugar and white flour etc (no tea or coffee or alcohol or fruit...gah). But in the end the only thing that helped was the drugs.

You need to nuke that bloody ****.

Please, please, please PM me if you want any support or advice. I will give you my phone number if you like.

Oh and ZINC....pregnancy and breastfeeding reduce your zinc and magnesium, so start dosing up. It is an immune booster! Once you have taken all the drugs then start a good probiotic.

It is the absolute pits. I am trying to eradicate the experience from my memory.

I am thinking of you!

P.s. Sorry for the thread detour peeps. I am loving the transfer discussion. It's scary, because home birth is the norm for me, the thought of a hospital makes me wanna be sick. I actually fantasize about free birth, but don't tell hubby that!

Oh Ash, i hope you feel better soon. My postnatal period was not so delightful this time either due to sickness in myself, then DH and DD... We have finally kicked them all, but i wish i could have my babymoon again.

Thank you so much Cricket, Arcadia and HotI :hug: HotI, I am sorry that your babymoon was not as you had hoped it would be.

The LC that I saw on Thursday told me to apply an anti-fungal like Canestan or Daktarin gel and to wash my nipples in bi carb and water. I have just been using Canestan frequently and doing bicarb wash twice a day.

Last night, I was in so much pain - when feeding and when not feeding. I was worried that the shooting pains were mastitis coming back. I decided to google. I actually went straight to the page you mentioned Arcadia! After reading that I realised that I probably wasn't given a good enough treatment plan by the LC. The pain is in my breast not just nipple. I do not feel that a topical ointment alone can knock it over. Thanks for the advice Arcadia, I really appreciate it. I am going to try and get in to my GP ASAP. I am also considering going on anti-candida diet.

Ok back on track! PZ, I wanted to comment about your posts. I had planned a HB for my 1st preg. My situation is a bit different- I didn't transfer per se, rather it became apparent over the course of 3 days that I would have to go to hosp. I had premature rupture of membranes at 36+4, and I didn't go in to labour. My MW's monitored me at home for 72 hours. When I went to hosp, the OB advised an induction. I talked it over with DH and MW's. My MW's were worried about my energy levels. I had barely slept in 3 days- 40+ degree weather and scattered contractions ensured restless nights. The OB said I would have to come back each day for monitoring. He aso let it be known that he would have induced me after 48 hours. And I was taking AB's too. In the end, I agreed to the induction. I'd had 3 days to gradually get used to the fact that I may not have my HB. Once I knew that I would be having bub in hospital, I set a new 'goal' - no epidural. I think I had a good hosp birth because my HB MW's were there. The hosp staff left us alone until it was time to push.my bub out.
I have often thought back over the situation. Should I have said 'no' to the induction and gone in each day for monitoring? Would I have gone in to spontaneous labour on my own, eventually? Could I have had my HB? Did I give in too soon? I know that my MW's think I made the right decision. I thought I had at the time- and I guess that is all we can do. Make the decision that we think is right with the knowledge we have at the time. I know that I used my hosp birth to empower me to HB- if I could withstand an induced labour, strapped to a monitor, without pain relief, I could definitely HB!

Oh Ash, that sucks! I've never had thrush but again this time around I'm managing blocked ducts. Last night I got home from the Face of Birth premiere (which was fantastic btw, more on that in a minute) and crawled into bed with bad breast pain and fever. I was so cold I needed DP to cuddle me under the doona to keep warm. This morning I'm all weak and wobbly, but it seems to have passed. I've got homeopathic remedies but ibuprofen is the only thing between me and antibiotics atm. It sounds like such a petty complaint, but with DD2 sleeping so long overnight it doesn't help! And she won't sleep during the day unless she's wrapped, so I can't have a rest to recover properly. Hope the thrush clears up for you. It sounds awful!

BBL, baby waking!

Oh Ash, i feel your pain. it was the fly in the ointment after DD2 was born too. we had mastitis twice and ongoing thrush for the first few months after she was born (but only really painful in those first 8 weeks). we visited the LC at the RWH in melbourne and at the first session they got me onto the drugs (the full nuke in aracadia's words lol). it was alot of hard work, but so worth it in terms of how hard and awful the thrush was (i too dreaded feeding DD2). I also used some complimentary therapies and took the advice of my LC and MW and booked DD2 into the Osteo as she appeared 'fussy' at the boob (it was put down initially to the thrush but after a single session at the osteo it turns out that she had a posterior tongue tie and needed some gentle readjustment of her jaw and upper palate). that was what really was the turning point for us in that journey. we also heeded some advice from our MW that told me on the sly that what she felt helped her thrush when BF was a good soak in the ocean :) so we packed the bags and kids into the car and drove 1700kms when DD was 7 weeks old to visit a friend in wollongong lol. it all cleared up that week. so my plan of attack: nuke 'em, osteo and the ocean!

Nuke'em ostro and the ocean. Seems like it covers all bases. Very holistic of you Cass!

How r u Ash?

How is it going, Ash? And our pg mummas! May is coming up fast.

Can I pretend I definitely belong in here, even though it's only the tiniest of tiny chances that I'll need it? :lol:

Teni, don't tease! Feel free to pop in any time.

AFM, I think my cycle might be returning - hormonal pimples a couple of days ago, hugely emotional on Wed and creamy CM. time for us to be a little more careful, I don't need another HB in 2012.

Today I'm telling DP about how a mum in my exercise class's DH has already had a vasectomy and their second child is only three months old. DP tells me he won't be doing anything permanent because you never know, he changed his mind about not wanting any more after DD1 and he might change his mind about no more again. ;) I don't think hanging around in here is going to be a good influence on me!

Wow Jen! Fertile already??? I'm almost 12 months pp and still no signs. Lucky I want to space out the next baby (babies).

Teni, I love seeing you in here!!! Come chat to us about anything!

Anyone else want to come say hi (I can see you all lurking...lol)

Oh Ash! I'm so sorry you've had such a hard time with BFing :( I don't know about thrush but it sounds painful. I had difficult BFing journeys with both my babies and while I was disappointed it happened again the second time around, it was also validating that I didn't do anything 'wrong' the first time- I have babies with high palates and attachment is very difficult for the first month or so so I end up with very painful BFing and low supply. It makes me a little scared of another baby because to me a newborn spells weeks of screaming, crying, suffering and angst. I agree that it's such a downer after a beautiful birth. I think the power of that amazing birth helps you ride it better though. the big thing that helped me was hiring an electric breast pump and resting a side for 6, 12 or even 24 hours if I needed to. granted, 24 hours on the pump and my supply was dropping but then lots of feeds and the supply some back up and it helped keep me sane. When I was at that point of almost loathing seeing my baby awake or being SO scared of trying to attach him then out would come the pump and I could give myself a break, relax again and keep getting through it. I hope things are improving :hug:

I think my cycle is returning too! My son is 15 months now and about a week ago I went through my ovulation signs- EWM and increased libido. Not really looking forward to adding my period to my already busy schedule but I'm loving the return of my libido. Finally!!!

Cassius- we got a bill for my son's pathology the day. Simple stuff really but fairly comprehensive blood work- vit D, iron, white blood cells etc etc and it was $1000!!! Wow! Thankfully our insurance covers that so it cost us $75 (still more than in oz) but woah, I can understand how an ultrasound without maternity cover is expensive now! Must. Not. Get. Pregnant.

Well, it's official! I have my period back. And boy I had forgotten how comfy my cloth pads are. Ohhh... I wish I wasn't fertile again yet. I'm so damn clucky and we just really can't have a baby at the moment. We're planning on moving in about a year and my H will get another job with maternity health cover so maybe after then. Will give us more time to get on our feet too. Another thing to grieve about with the fall out of my son's autism :(

Anyway, excuse my rantings- totally off the HB track.

Bella- how are you??? I've been thinking of you lots since your fertility concerns... any news?

And where are you Audax? I thought you'd be in here by now ;)

Meow, it's nice to know you'll be ready when you're ready, ITMS. I'll find out in a couple of weeks if my suspicions are correct or not. Fx I'm not there yet!

It is quiet in here! Hope everyone is well.

Hi all,

Yes, I've been thinking about Bella too. I hope all is well, Bella.
Hi meow- I hope you can endure the cluckiness for another year. It's not easy. I was madly clucky for about a year before we conceived DS3- I thought about it constantly. I kept a journal so that I could funnel that 'energy' somewhere. Thankfully, I am not at all clucky now. The mastitis and nipple thrush have made me feel that my body has had it- it is telling me 'no more' lol! We'll see how I feel in 2 years. But I am thankful that I don't have that yearning. After DS2 was born, I knew he wasn't my last bub. But with DS3, I feel content at the thought that he is my last one.

Thanks to everyone for their kind and supportive words regarding my bf dramas. Things have definitely improved but I have spent a small fortune and shed many tears to get to this point.

I hope you are feeling well Cassius.
Em and Cricket- how are you both going? May doesn't seem so far away.
Jenn-So, you are expecting AF in 2 weeks? That would be a drag.

hi girls!! i am about but not receiving notifications for this thread :dunno:

Meow: yay for cycles returning! i see it as the next step away from tiny babies...i am like you, newborns kinda freak me out lol. sore boobs, crazy crazy nights etc :lol:
i'll need to question you up in a year or so on the cloth pads. i was looking into the mooncups and they also look they could be good.

$1000 for bloodwork?? waahhhhh! i am so happy that we get to go home for the end of the pg and birth...

Jen: oohhhh we all like it when our DHs think to wait....look where i am now after our 'last' baby hahahahahahahaha.

Teni: you are MORE than welcome!!! I hope that you can have a HB...they are totally awesome!

Ash: BF can totally suck when it just isnt working that well, i had it so so easy the first time and was completley unprepared for a challenging journey the second time. knock you for a sixer...

Arcadia: what gap are you thinking? we were planning on a minimum three for this baby :rofl:

AFM: we are chugging along nicely. i am already showing massively...at 6 weeks. my poor poor body lol. i have my first appt this wednesday with the midwife, we'll see how that goes. i am hoping that my PTSD doesnt kick in. i wish they had home appts...even the thought of going into their lovely offices gives me a freak out :(
My morning sickness has turned into the full-blown green machine. i am soooo off all day. thankfully not vomiting yet, so hoping to dodge that! i am in two minds about trying to convince DD2 to wean. i am trying to minimise the number of feeds...without any luck hahahahaha. i just dont think i would have the strength emotionally or physically to tandem BF ITMS.

Ash - you describe the feeling so well and I'm def not done going by that. Maybe my head will win out over my heart in a few years! ;) I hope you don't have too many more tears to shed for this bfing journey. :( Your poor bbs and poor you! Is there much improvement?

Cassius - so explain it to me, are you coming home to Oz for the birth or staying there? And at what point, if you are?

Definitely coming back to Oz! We are going to come back in August (all going well and all). in the end it would only be a month or so shorter than we had thought...we wanted to be back in time for DD1 to do orientation at her Big Girl School.