Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Idonie
Jun 5, 2011

Panne posted:

chiropractic has been very widely criticized for being ineffective, dangerous, and basically a pseudoscience. I'd rather get a massage.

I don't disagree with any of this necessarily, and I am in no way wedded to chiro, but I would like to point out that what the chiropractor I saw did for me had NOTHING to do with adjusting my spine, or trying to treat some neuromusculoskeletal problem. It was effectively a massage, in that she was doing muscle manipulation to stretch out my legs and lower back in the hopes that if I was in less pain, I'd relax more, and the baby would have more room to turn.

Now I would just go to my massage therapist, but I didn't have one at the time, and so my OB agreed a chiropractor was a good call.

I will add in, though, that any chiropractor (or anyone else who isn't an OB working in a hospital setting) who tries to in any way manipulate the baby from the outside should be run away from at the highest possible velocity. And possibly reported to some licensing authority, 'cause that's seriously dangerous.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Idonie
Jun 5, 2011

Gumby Orgy posted:

Am I really just insane? Why are medical professionals treating me like that?

Is this what I can expect as a pregnant lady? Are people just going to treat me like I'm crazy?


Have any of you guys experienced anything like this? What can I do to make them see this from my perspective? I'm not being treated all that great by the people that are supposed to help me.

You're not insane, but as a lot of people have said -- while this is quite possibly the biggest deal of your entire life, for the people who get paid to help you through it, it's just their job. Yes, they should be acting respectful, but they might not be able to go to the next level and extend really personal sympathy and support, because that's not what they're there for.

It doesn't mean it sucks any less to experience it. (I remember it from my own pregnancy.) It doesn't mean that it's any easier to feel dismissed or ignored. But next time you feel dismissed, try to take a moment to remember that each of the professionals you deal with has dozens of people calling them asking them to fix problems _every day_, and for every single person they talk to, it is The Most Important Thing Ever. You'll be a lot more likely to get the sort of individual attention you need if you go to someone you have a personal relationship with for this kind of understanding & support.

MoCookies
Apr 22, 2005

I'm confused about the pros/cons of getting antibiotics during labor, with regards to trying to prevent group B strep infection in a newborn. I don't know if I'm GBS+ yet, but I've had a hard time coming across any reputable-looking info on the side-effects. Most everything I've found simply says that GBS infection can be really bad in rare cases, so everybody gets antibiotics, and that's that. Personally, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of pumping my newborn full of antibiotics, and my midwives are frustratingly neutral on the subject. They did warn me that if I need to be transferred to the hospital for some reason (instead of giving birth in the birth center), then there would be a lot of pressure from the hospital staff to simply have the antibiotics. At the birth center, it's totally my choice.

Has anybody else been given this choice?

Chickalicious
Apr 13, 2005

We are the ones we've been waiting for.

MoCookies posted:

I'm confused about the pros/cons of getting antibiotics during labor, with regards to trying to prevent group B strep infection in a newborn. I don't know if I'm GBS+ yet, but I've had a hard time coming across any reputable-looking info on the side-effects. Most everything I've found simply says that GBS infection can be really bad in rare cases, so everybody gets antibiotics, and that's that. Personally, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of pumping my newborn full of antibiotics, and my midwives are frustratingly neutral on the subject. They did warn me that if I need to be transferred to the hospital for some reason (instead of giving birth in the birth center), then there would be a lot of pressure from the hospital staff to simply have the antibiotics. At the birth center, it's totally my choice.

Has anybody else been given this choice?

There's lots of info at the CDC's website: http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/references.html

I tested negative, but if I hadn't, I would have gotten the antibiotics. It's a low risk way to prevent a potentially fatal illness in your baby.

Bodnoirbabe
Apr 30, 2007

MoCookies posted:

I'm confused about the pros/cons of getting antibiotics during labor, with regards to trying to prevent group B strep infection in a newborn. I don't know if I'm GBS+ yet, but I've had a hard time coming across any reputable-looking info on the side-effects. Most everything I've found simply says that GBS infection can be really bad in rare cases, so everybody gets antibiotics, and that's that. Personally, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of pumping my newborn full of antibiotics, and my midwives are frustratingly neutral on the subject. They did warn me that if I need to be transferred to the hospital for some reason (instead of giving birth in the birth center), then there would be a lot of pressure from the hospital staff to simply have the antibiotics. At the birth center, it's totally my choice.

Has anybody else been given this choice?

Your newborn has pretty much no immunity system. Why wouldn't you want to protect them with antibiotics? Do you also not want to immunize your child?

I'm not trying to be confrontational, I just don't understand that line of thinking. Please help me understand.

bilabial trill
Dec 25, 2008

not just a B

MoCookies posted:

I'm confused about the pros/cons of getting antibiotics during labor, with regards to trying to prevent group B strep infection in a newborn. I don't know if I'm GBS+ yet, but I've had a hard time coming across any reputable-looking info on the side-effects. Most everything I've found simply says that GBS infection can be really bad in rare cases, so everybody gets antibiotics, and that's that. Personally, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of pumping my newborn full of antibiotics, and my midwives are frustratingly neutral on the subject. They did warn me that if I need to be transferred to the hospital for some reason (instead of giving birth in the birth center), then there would be a lot of pressure from the hospital staff to simply have the antibiotics. At the birth center, it's totally my choice.

Has anybody else been given this choice?

I would go with what the doctors recommend in this case. I don't understand though, do they give the antibiotics to everyone or just those who test positive (re: Chickalicious's post).

Brennanite
Feb 14, 2009

Panne posted:

I would go with what the doctors recommend in this case. I don't understand though, do they give the antibiotics to everyone or just those who test positive (re: Chickalicious's post).

Those who are positive or of unknown status is standard. Also, if they can't get the antibiotics into Mom before the baby's birth, they will be administered directly to the baby after birth. The risks are minimal, but the benefits are significant.

Kubricize
Apr 29, 2010

MoCookies posted:

I'm confused about the pros/cons of getting antibiotics during labor, with regards to trying to prevent group B strep infection in a newborn. I don't know if I'm GBS+ yet, but I've had a hard time coming across any reputable-looking info on the side-effects. Most everything I've found simply says that GBS infection can be really bad in rare cases, so everybody gets antibiotics, and that's that. Personally, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of pumping my newborn full of antibiotics, and my midwives are frustratingly neutral on the subject. They did warn me that if I need to be transferred to the hospital for some reason (instead of giving birth in the birth center), then there would be a lot of pressure from the hospital staff to simply have the antibiotics. At the birth center, it's totally my choice.

Has anybody else been given this choice?

I tested positive and had the antibiotics with my home birth, it took five minutes each to get three doses during the twelve hours of labour my midwife was with me. Also they will give it to the baby if you are positive and don't choose to have the IV drip anyways, because if the baby dies from it, they are going to protect their asses as much as possible. There is really no reason not to get the drip if you test positive, just because do you really want to chance something happening to your little one?

Panne, here they only give the antibiotics to those who test positive.

Doom Catcher
Sep 11, 2001

Sometimes, I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!

Idonie posted:

I don't disagree with any of this necessarily, and I am in no way wedded to chiro, but I would like to point out that what the chiropractor I saw did for me had NOTHING to do with adjusting my spine, or trying to treat some neuromusculoskeletal problem. It was effectively a massage, in that she was doing muscle manipulation to stretch out my legs and lower back in the hopes that if I was in less pain, I'd relax more, and the baby would have more room to turn.

Now I would just go to my massage therapist, but I didn't have one at the time, and so my OB agreed a chiropractor was a good call.

I will add in, though, that any chiropractor (or anyone else who isn't an OB working in a hospital setting) who tries to in any way manipulate the baby from the outside should be run away from at the highest possible velocity. And possibly reported to some licensing authority, 'cause that's seriously dangerous.

This. My chiropractor specifically works with pregnant women, was referred to me by my very experienced midwife, and has the seal of approval from several area OBs. If I thought any harm would come to my baby, I would just suck it up and deal with the crippling pain.

However, I had my consult and first "treatment" and it was amazing. He has also worked out a plan with my midwife and myself. I am extremely pleased with him and his ridiculous amount of thoroughness and the fact that he walks me through everything before he does it and asks if I feel comfortable with it first.

There is definitely no manipulation of the baby, and he definitely does not believe in doing so, and his treatment for pregnant women is unlike his treatments for everyone else. His exact statement was that anything to do with baby is off limits to everyone but a medical professional.

ETA: Massage therapy is not covered by my insurance plan... The chiropractor is covered in full - no copay. And like the poster I quoted, treatment for my case is muscular rather than spinal adjustments - definitely muscular massage. It's all mainly my legs, though I had the best freaking shoulder massage of my entire life on that visit.

Doom Catcher fucked around with this message at 00:25 on Oct 5, 2011

ohjoshdarnit
Nov 2, 2005
Adventurer
Does anyone have any experience with getting prenatal screenings for down syndrome done? Our doctor recommended it but we're having trouble getting a straight answer from the insurance company on whether or not it is covered.

bamzilla
Jan 13, 2005

All butt since 2012.


ohjoshdarnit posted:

Does anyone have any experience with getting prenatal screenings for down syndrome done? Our doctor recommended it but we're having trouble getting a straight answer from the insurance company on whether or not it is covered.

You should be able to get the hospital/ob's office to contact your insurance company in regards to this. Ours was covered. They took something like 4 vials of blood and it was extremely fast. However, the results took something like 2 weeks.

vv guess it varies by hospital/practice.

bamzilla fucked around with this message at 04:52 on Oct 5, 2011

Tesla Insanely Coil
Jul 23, 2006

Ask me why I'm not squatting.

ohjoshdarnit posted:

Does anyone have any experience with getting prenatal screenings for down syndrome done? Our doctor recommended it but we're having trouble getting a straight answer from the insurance company on whether or not it is covered.

At my visit, my doctor gave me the specific codes that they give the insurance companies, and then it was up to me to call my insurance company and ask how much they would reimburse those codes.

Exelsior
Aug 4, 2007

MoCookies posted:

I'm confused about the pros/cons of getting antibiotics during labor, with regards to trying to prevent group B strep infection in a newborn. I don't know if I'm GBS+ yet, but I've had a hard time coming across any reputable-looking info on the side-effects. Most everything I've found simply says that GBS infection can be really bad in rare cases, so everybody gets antibiotics, and that's that. Personally, I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of pumping my newborn full of antibiotics, and my midwives are frustratingly neutral on the subject. They did warn me that if I need to be transferred to the hospital for some reason (instead of giving birth in the birth center), then there would be a lot of pressure from the hospital staff to simply have the antibiotics. At the birth center, it's totally my choice.

Has anybody else been given this choice?

I was GBS+ and had antibiotics during my labour. GBS screening is fairly new, it has only been widespread in the past 5-10 years.

Here is the story of a mother who was GBS+ but treated her infection with garlic (useless). The baby died from GBS. http://hurtbyhomebirth.blogspot.com/2011/03/wrens-story-on-1st-anniversary-of-his.html

Exelsior fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Oct 5, 2011

The Young Marge
Jul 19, 2006

but no one can talk to a horse, of course.
My insurance covered genetic screening. It seems like a pretty standard thing that most docs recommend, regardless of whether or not there's any specific risk.

Any suggestions on a good baby instruction manual? I have all these great books about pregnancy and birth, but nothing on actually, you know, taking care of the kid once he's here. I do have The Happiest Baby on the Block, which is great.

Speaking of happy, I had an ultrasound today to confirm that the baby is head-down, and he totally is. I also got a current weight estimate of 6 pounds 11 ounces, which I think is great for 36 weeks, 3 days! Good job, baby. Now I just need my iron levels to be normal (I've been taking supplements and will be re-tested on Thursday), and I'll be good to go for delivering at the birth center. Kind of hard to believe it's coming up so fast.

Edit: Jesus Christ, that GBS+ story above is absolutely horrifying. I'm being tested for it at my appointment on Thursday.

The Young Marge fucked around with this message at 07:12 on Oct 5, 2011

dreamcatcherkwe
Apr 14, 2005
Dreamcatcher
The Baby Book is a great baby instruction manual: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Book-Everything-Revised-Updated/dp/0316778001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317821660&sr=8-1

Brennanite
Feb 14, 2009
Zulily is having a sale on Fuzzibums ($13) and HOTmilk bras ($20-25) if anyone is interested. I don't think you need an invite, but PM me w/an e-mail address if you do.

Now questions. My baby has terrible mucus globs in his nose. He screams bloody murder when I try to use the bulb syringe and becomes nigh inconsolable. Worse, the syringe seems useless on the ones that are even a little bit dry. What are some other things I can try?

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist

Brennanite posted:

Zulily is having a sale on Fuzzibums ($13) and HOTmilk bras ($20-25) if anyone is interested. I don't think you need an invite, but PM me w/an e-mail address if you do.

Now questions. My baby has terrible mucus globs in his nose. He screams bloody murder when I try to use the bulb syringe and becomes nigh inconsolable. Worse, the syringe seems useless on the ones that are even a little bit dry. What are some other things I can try?

You can buy saline for baby noses. I would suggest using it and then trying to suction 5 or so minutes later. Also, a Nosefrida might work for you.

Gumby Orgy
Mar 21, 2007

by T. Finn
In addition to group B strep, you could also be a carrier for MRSA. MRSA is a superbug and is commonly carried in many people's natural flora, even if it causes no infection. The risk to a mother and baby is minimal, much like group B strep. Being a carrier for MRSA isn't quite as likely as group B strep. While about 30% of women are positive for gbs, only about 5% will be positive for MRSA. However, if your midwife or OB recommends antibiotics, it would be best to take the antibiotics. The risk is low, but the potential consequences are severe, as shown in that article posted above, and as others have mentioned.


edit: nevermind

Gumby Orgy fucked around with this message at 18:25 on Oct 5, 2011

MoCookies
Apr 22, 2005

Thanks for the GBS-related feedback. I think I'll be getting tested no matter what, because I don't want to be forced to take antibiotics by the hospital should I have to get transferred and I don't know my GBS status. I'm absolutely for antibiotics, vaccination, and things in that vein when they're warranted; this isn't just a knee jerk reaction to someone trying to do something "medical" to me during birth. I've got a pretty decent grasp of the science and statistics involved, and got plenty used to reading scientific studies in college as a biology major.

I'm still in "research mode", attempting to get a balanced view, though I'm not sure the data I'm looking for even exists. What's the cumulative, long-term effect of widespread dosing of women and newborns with antibiotics? I'm worried somewhat generally about the long-term effects of antibiotic use and overuse, but also more specifically about the effects on my baby specifically if one of the first things that happens to his body is getting a big dose of penicillin. Newborn guts getting colonized by the right kinds of bacteria is a really important process, with long-term effects on immune response. So to answer the question from Bodnoirbabe and others, one of the reasons that I am even considering this is that I think categorizing the antibiotic treatment as no-risk oversimplifies the actual situation. One of the studies I've recently found shows that in babies given antibiotics at birth, GBS infection is down as you'd expect, but antibiotic-resistant E. coli infections are up significantly. Infections like that are much harder to treat than GBS, and very dangerous for newborns. I think it's also worth mentioning that some developed countries like the UK don't do routine GBS screenings.

All this researching today is starting to make my brain hurt. How about some more photos of cute, healthy babies in this thread?

Exelsior
Aug 4, 2007

MoCookies posted:

I'm still in "research mode", attempting to get a balanced view, though I'm not sure the data I'm looking for even exists. What's the cumulative, long-term effect of widespread dosing of women and newborns with antibiotics? I'm worried somewhat generally about the long-term effects of antibiotic use and overuse, but also more specifically about the effects on my baby specifically if one of the first things that happens to his body is getting a big dose of penicillin. Newborn guts getting colonized by the right kinds of bacteria is a really important process, with long-term effects on immune response. So to answer the question from Bodnoirbabe and others, one of the reasons that I am even considering this is that I think categorizing the antibiotic treatment as no-risk oversimplifies the actual situation. One of the studies I've recently found shows that in babies given antibiotics at birth, GBS infection is down as you'd expect, but antibiotic-resistant E. coli infections are up significantly. Infections like that are much harder to treat than GBS, and very dangerous for newborns. I think it's also worth mentioning that some developed countries like the UK don't do routine GBS

You would really fit in better over at the mothering.com forums.

Gumby Orgy
Mar 21, 2007

by T. Finn
PSA: On Pooping

Preggo ladies, has pooping got you down? Are you so constipated that your rear end is hurting? Are you taking added iron because you are anemic and now you're backed up like a 12 car pileup on I65? Changing your diet to be extra high fiber only causing gas? Congratulations on being knocked up with an epic food baby!

Always talk to your doctor/practitioner first before taking anything (obviously). However, they will tell you that certain medications are safe. They include Colace stool softener and the amazing MiraLax (polyethylene glycol).

The magic number is three days of not going before taking anything (CALL FIRST), but talk to your practitioner if you are having pain or if you are extremely uncomfortable in the meantime.

On enemas: Only under the advice and instruction of your practitioner!


Prevention is key, but sometimes even that doesn't work. If you have pain or bleeding on your anus, it is most likely hemorrhoids from straining. Before treating them yourself, talk to your doctor.

Water, fiber, and more water are the best ways to prevent a log jam. Sometimes a provider will tell you to take a prenatal without iron. Only do this if your provider specifically tells you do this, not before. Iron is an essential nutrient during pregnancy.

deviledseraphim
Jan 22, 2002
me gusta besar el pollo desnudo!!

Exelsior posted:

You would really fit in better over at the mothering.com forums.

Yeah, no science and thinking about decisions allowed here! She's not saying OMG GET MEDICINE AWAY FROM MY BABY, if I understand correctly it's just that she wants to have more information. It's pretty normal in my opinion to want to have a good idea of what kinds of medicines you are given and what their possible effects are.

MoCookies, I don't have any information for you, but I'd keep pestering your midwives. What do you mean by frustratingly neutral? If I were you, I'd explain that you are confused and you want their recommendation. I would strongly agree that the antibiotics are a low risk compared to what can happen without them but this should really be something you talk through with your provider.

Mangue
Aug 3, 2007

Gumby Orgy posted:

PSA: On Pooping

Preggo ladies, has pooping got you down? Are you so constipated that your rear end is hurting? Are you taking added iron because you are anemic and now you're backed up like a 12 car pileup on I65? Changing your diet to be extra high fiber only causing gas? Congratulations on being knocked up with an epic food baby!

Always talk to your doctor/practitioner first before taking anything (obviously). However, they will tell you that certain medications are safe. They include Colace stool softener and the amazing MiraLax (polyethylene glycol).

The magic number is three days of not going before taking anything (CALL FIRST), but talk to your practitioner if you are having pain or if you are extremely uncomfortable in the meantime.

On enemas: Only under the advice and instruction of your practitioner!


Prevention is key, but sometimes even that doesn't work. If you have pain or bleeding on your anus, it is most likely hemorrhoids from straining. Before treating them yourself, talk to your doctor.

Water, fiber, and more water are the best ways to prevent a log jam. Sometimes a provider will tell you to take a prenatal without iron. Only do this if your provider specifically tells you do this, not before. Iron is an essential nutrient during pregnancy.

For all the discomforts of pregnancy, I have mercifully been constipation free thus far and surprisingly regular. During my first trimester when I was super picky I was not picky about fruit, thankfully. Love me some fruit. I swear, along with an apple, three prunes a day keeps the constipation away. And drinking so much water that I have to pee every 30 minutes...

Hopefully with the preventative measures Gumby Orgy mentioned, one won't have to suffer the wrath of constipation.

Susan B. Antimony
Aug 25, 2008

FWIW, the vegetarian moms I know (myself included) are even more regular than they usually are during pregnancy. No idea what's going on there, but I'm grateful.

limegrnxj
Apr 24, 2004
Just want to add that psyllium is my go-to for regularity. Walmart makes it in a big, cheap container, it works wonders and doesn't taste too bad at all.

bamzilla
Jan 13, 2005

All butt since 2012.


I just ate fiber one bars and yogurt. Good snack and regularity.

Water Hammer
Mar 25, 2011

Now just ease it shut reeeeeal slow there...
I don't know how to put this, but I'm dating a girl who now has a 2 day old kid. What can I do to help? She seems reluctant to ask...

Oracle
Oct 9, 2004

What in the hell is a woman with a two day old kid doing dating. Scratch that, HOW in the hell is a woman with a two day old kid dating? When my kid was two days old it was a red letter day if I managed to get a loving shower.

Brennanite
Feb 14, 2009
If she is dating, I want to know her secrets for getting ready and still caring for a newborn! My baby is six weeks and I didn't make it past getting dressed today. (I didn't shower though. :ssh:)

Gumby Orgy
Mar 21, 2007

by T. Finn
My rear end hurts for reals, ya'll.

I'm on Zofran, I now have to take an antacid as a regularly scheduled thing, and an additional iron supplement (all of which is normal when you have excessive vomiting in early pregnancy and are apparently anemic). I ended up backed up pretty much immediately. Part of my job is administering all kinds of delightful meds, orally and otherwise, to relieve constipation in the elderly, so I have the whole bowel thing down.

I have to take MiraLax and can take it daily for as long as I need to. I eat FiberOne cereal when I can stomach breakfast, eat a bunch of fruit and veggies (when I can stomach them), and also drink fiber water when I need to. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't really possible to get bound up from taking a bunch of fiber. What will happen, though, is diarrhea and lots of gas. The reason this happens is that fiber acts like an osmotic laxative. It draws fluid into the colon. The more fiber, the more fluid is drawn into the colon. Too much water = brown water.

Constipation isn't just uncomfortable, it can be quite a serious thing. Don't just sit and be miserable. It is okay to contact your practitioner to get the okay to take something.


While taking so many meds to stop the vomiting kind of irks me, I can actually work again. Also, they are safe during pregnancy and I need them to stay healthy. Don't get hung up on the amount of medications you are on if you are sick beyond normal early pregnancy sick. If you can't trust your doctor/midwife to give you safe medications, why are you seeing them?

I got probated for apparently needing to focus on my pregnancy, so I guess learn a lesson from me (and keep your account safer) and just talk to your doctor instead of posting about it on the forums asking if something is normal. You probably aren't as sick as you think you are, but sometimes you are (like me). The safest and best advice is to talk to your provider.



Water Hammer posted:

I don't know how to put this, but I'm dating a girl who now has a 2 day old kid. What can I do to help? She seems reluctant to ask...

You can do things like ask yourself why the hell you aren't running right now.

Serious answer: Ask her. She will very likely just tell you.

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

Bodnoirbabe
Apr 30, 2007

So I'm 21 weeks and I have the Diabeetus test coming up on Nov 2nd. The nurse informed me it's a fasting test, which I could have sworn people in this thread said they didn't have to fast for theirs. Anyhow, at midnight, I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything, not even water.

Here's my problem. I am hypothyridic. This means I have to take a thyroid hormone supplement every morning because I don't make any on my own. I don't have a thyroid, actually. Anyhow, this test is based on how well you metabolize glucose, right? If I don't take my pill before I go in for this test, is it going to gently caress up the results?

Does anyone know anything about this? I'm going to call the lab before I go in, but I was curious if anyone else had experience with this.

Gumby Orgy
Mar 21, 2007

by T. Finn

Bodnoirbabe posted:

So I'm 21 weeks and I have the Diabeetus test coming up on Nov 2nd. The nurse informed me it's a fasting test, which I could have sworn people in this thread said they didn't have to fast for theirs. Anyhow, at midnight, I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything, not even water.

Here's my problem. I am hypothyridic. This means I have to take a thyroid hormone supplement every morning because I don't make any on my own. I don't have a thyroid, actually. Anyhow, this test is based on how well you metabolize glucose, right? If I don't take my pill before I go in for this test, is it going to gently caress up the results?

Does anyone know anything about this? I'm going to call the lab before I go in, but I was curious if anyone else had experience with this.

It is okay to take meds that you cannot _not_ take before a fasting test with a sip or two of water, but that is it. What they don't want you to do is eat food to mess up the test results. I would obviously ask about it and explain the situation, but you should be able to take your meds.

Bodnoirbabe
Apr 30, 2007

Gumby Orgy posted:

It is okay to take meds that you cannot _not_ take before a fasting test with a sip or two of water, but that is it. What they don't want you to do is eat food to mess up the test results. I would obviously ask about it and explain the situation, but you should be able to take your meds.

Ok, yeah. I asked about taking meds because usually I take my prenatal and iron supplement before I go to bed, which is usually 3 am (I work the late shift at work). They told me to take them at midnight. So I was worried that even taking the small thyroid pill would be bad, which I take immediately on waking. I can dry swallow it, as it's that tiny, but I just don't see myself being able to properly metabolize that glucose solution if I have no thyroid hormone to kick start my metabolism.

But then...I really don't like my doctors nurses, as they don't seem to take into consideration my situation and may just be giving me the "standard" response for a normal person.

bilabial trill
Dec 25, 2008

not just a B

MoCookies posted:

Thanks for the GBS-related feedback. I think I'll be getting tested no matter what, because I don't want to be forced to take antibiotics by the hospital should I have to get transferred and I don't know my GBS status. I'm absolutely for antibiotics, vaccination, and things in that vein when they're warranted; this isn't just a knee jerk reaction to someone trying to do something "medical" to me during birth. I've got a pretty decent grasp of the science and statistics involved, and got plenty used to reading scientific studies in college as a biology major.

I'm still in "research mode", attempting to get a balanced view, though I'm not sure the data I'm looking for even exists. What's the cumulative, long-term effect of widespread dosing of women and newborns with antibiotics? I'm worried somewhat generally about the long-term effects of antibiotic use and overuse, but also more specifically about the effects on my baby specifically if one of the first things that happens to his body is getting a big dose of penicillin. Newborn guts getting colonized by the right kinds of bacteria is a really important process, with long-term effects on immune response. So to answer the question from Bodnoirbabe and others, one of the reasons that I am even considering this is that I think categorizing the antibiotic treatment as no-risk oversimplifies the actual situation. One of the studies I've recently found shows that in babies given antibiotics at birth, GBS infection is down as you'd expect, but antibiotic-resistant E. coli infections are up significantly. Infections like that are much harder to treat than GBS, and very dangerous for newborns. I think it's also worth mentioning that some developed countries like the UK don't do routine GBS screenings.

All this researching today is starting to make my brain hurt. How about some more photos of cute, healthy babies in this thread?

I understand what you're saying. The health authorities in each country makes policy based on many factors, and my tendency is to follow their recommendations unless I have very good reason not no. I'm in Norway where there is no screening for GBS and even if a woman does have it they don't necessarily give antibiotics unless she has risk factors for passing it to the child. The health authorities are considering changing it but we'll see. We are way way more restrictive with antibiotics since MRSA is really really rare. This was a derail but my point is yes, there are downsides to routine antibiotics treatment, but there are also risks to not doing it, and the health authorities have a more complete picture of the entire situation on a population level so I'd let them take this decision for me, just like I take the vaccines that they recommend and so on.

legbeard
Jun 13, 2006

Brennanite posted:

If she is dating, I want to know her secrets for getting ready and still caring for a newborn! My baby is six weeks and I didn't make it past getting dressed today. (I didn't shower though. :ssh:)

I'm curious to know as well. I'm pregnant and single and hope to someday date again after my babies are born.

enitsirk
Jun 9, 2005

Water Hammer posted:

I don't know how to put this, but I'm dating a girl who now has a 2 day old kid. What can I do to help? She seems reluctant to ask...

Bring food and clean the house. Offer to change diapers or hold the baby. But you can probably bring food and clean without asking if it is okay.

skeetied
Mar 10, 2011

Bodnoirbabe posted:

Ok, yeah. I asked about taking meds because usually I take my prenatal and iron supplement before I go to bed, which is usually 3 am (I work the late shift at work). They told me to take them at midnight. So I was worried that even taking the small thyroid pill would be bad, which I take immediately on waking. I can dry swallow it, as it's that tiny, but I just don't see myself being able to properly metabolize that glucose solution if I have no thyroid hormone to kick start my metabolism.

But then...I really don't like my doctors nurses, as they don't seem to take into consideration my situation and may just be giving me the "standard" response for a normal person.

If you're taking standard synthetic levothyroxine, taking a dose late one day probably won't have a huge impact on your thyroid hormone levels. Synthetic liothyronine or one of the combination meds will, though.

Do you know if you're doing the two hour test or the one hour test? I'm 23 weeks and doing the one hour test on Oct 26, but not fasting (I was just told not have anything very sugary for breakfast before hand).

hepscat
Jan 16, 2005

Avenging Nun
Don't dry swallow anything, your glucose test will be absolutely unaffected by water.

There is more than one initial screening out there; one is fasting and one is non-fasting, so you can only go by what your doctor or lab tells you about whether to fast.

Twatty Seahag
Dec 30, 2007
Don't worry, your constipation issues will be solved when you start pushing during delivery. :D

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Chicken McNobody
Aug 7, 2009
It seems that my clinic has you drink a 16-oz Coke or Sprite for your glucose test, instead of the glucose drink most people use. Is this something anyone else had to do? (Not complaining, from what I hear the weird liquid tastes nasty.)

On constipation: My mom says that she suspected she was pregnant with me when she began having persistent diarrhea and apparently I take after her. Have not had the first problem with constipation.

Twatty Seahag posted:

Don't worry, your constipation issues will be solved when you start pushing during delivery.
Nooooo don't remind me :smith: I just know I'm gonna poop everywhere.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply