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I think as long as you have stable jobs with *health insurance* and you're not in collections or with crazy credit card debt then yeah, you might as well. Yeah it isn't ideal that you don't have tons of savings, but a lot of people have babies with less than you do now and make it work. I understand wanting to pay off your student loans, but if it's not some crazy 100k thing, just work on paying them off at a less aggressive rate after setting up a couple months' expenses emergency fund (if you don't have one already). Then again, I guess I might be projecting because I'm in not too dissimilar a situation and I just have to keep telling myself that there will be no perfect time for it. If I've been on birth control basically nonstop for the past 10 years, a Mirena for the past 2, about how long should I expect my body to take to ramp up to fertile levels after removal? I hear such conflicting stuff, ranging from immediately to 6+ mos. I get that every uterus is a special flower, but it would be nice to know an average for planning purposes. It's so weird with an IUD because I have to make a whole appointment for removal and it just feels so official and scary- "It Is Time".
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Aug 24, 2015 17:22
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Thanks everyone for your experiences! I'll just assume imminent pregnancy, it's just funny because I don't even know if I have regular cycles naturally. As a person who works in the medical field home birth terrifies me. Things can go bad quickly for both the mother and the baby, and sometimes you need people like me to hand out 10 bags of blood in the course of minutes. This is not common, but it's not a good risk to take for the sake of a comfortable and holistic experience. Also GBS isn't a joke- there's a reason that every woman is screened- and it can have lifelong consequences for the baby. Maybe look into birthing centers or even the local hospital. Many hospitals have become much more sensitive to birth plans and alternative birthing positions, and it is worth it to have trained professionals and resources nearby. Edit: El_Elegante makes a good point- I forgot that freestanding birthing centers exist. Yeah those are pretty useless if they aren't next to a hospital. Also, a lot of hospitals let midwives attend births if they have the right certifications/affiliations (although I don't know about Canada). If your midwife can't attend a birth at a hospital they probably shouldn't be your midwife. BadSamaritan fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Aug 25, 2015 |
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Aug 25, 2015 18:29
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Hi everyone! I recently got a positive pregnancy test (aaaaaa) and I'm very happy about it, but I have a weird work situation that I'm trying to figure out. So I work in a hospital laboratory, and we perform ABO/RH testing, which is usually done for the first time around week 8/your initial appointment. The problem is, it's a small enough volume of testing that my coworkers will definitely notice my sample going through attached to the clinic location, and I would essentially be sharing that I am pregnant WAY earlier than I would like to. I think I would like to move my prenatal care to the hospital I work at so I don't have to take much time off for the roughly one billion appointments that happen later in the pregnancy (also it's a super good hospital), but I don't want to inadvertently disclose my health situation before I want to. I am currently with an OBGYN at a different hospital, and she is nice, but the clinic hours are pretty bad for my work schedule. I'd like to have my earned time available when I actually have a baby, not use it all up on traveling to appointments. Has anyone here switched OBGYN practices during their pregnancy? Do you feel like it messed up your continuity of care? Do the healthcare workers (or anyone else for that matter) in here have any tips on dealing with their nosy coworkers? (Also I think it was this thread, but Trader Joe's prenatal vitamins == Rainbow Light Prenatal Ones)
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Mar 22, 2016 22:36
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All I want to do is eat and sleep and be less bloated. At least two of these are achievable.
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Mar 29, 2016 21:00
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I'd eat a whole plate of raw oysters if I could. I'm really not missing alcohol, though. Kind of surprised. I wasn't a heavy drinker before pregnancy, but it doesn't even cross my mind. Haven't had anything since I got my iud out in February. Maybe once we get into pina colada weather... My first appointment is on Friday and I'm really nervous. I have a subchorionic hematoma that has been pretty nerve-racking to deal with and I just want stuff to be getting better and to see a heartbeat. There's nothing I can really do though, so I guess I have to try and chill.
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Apr 13, 2016 15:43
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Please someone tell me the fatigue will go away soon. I'm right around 10 weeks and I'm just useless by the time I get home from work in the afternoon. My job is a decently active health care job (which has been particularly stressful anyway lately) and it just uses up every ounce of energy. My poor husband ends up doing so much around the house because I'm just wiped out. I feel like no matter how much I sleep it isn't enough, and then when I'm awake all I want to do is snack and go back to napping. The least I could do is have a bump so people might get why I'm such a lazy rear end in a top hat right now. Right now I just look a bit chubby and like I rolled out of bed (because both are true).
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Apr 28, 2016 22:12
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Hi SquirrelFace, I've been dealing with a subchorionic hematoma for the past few weeks. I had my first bleed at just under 6 weeks and have had two smaller ones since then (I'm now just under 11 weeks). My experience sounds like yours- a sudden and surprising *pop* of blood followed by a regrouping with the husband and an ER visit. You should definitely follow up with your OB, since they should be able to visualize the bleed and estimate how risky it is if it's a subchorionic hematoma. On the upside/downside, there isn't much you can do about it- my doctor had me avoid heavy lifting and sex, but said it will just work its way out or your body will reabsorb the old blood. I've bought more pads and pantyliners in my 11 weeks of pregnancy than I did in the 3 years of being on the Mirena. I thought it wasn't supposed to work like that. It's been stressful, but apparently they're usually pretty harmless so I try to take comfort in that.
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May 5, 2016 00:06
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Try moving the glass of water to a different nearby location?
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Jun 2, 2016 20:12
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Has anyone had to deal with a uterine septum? I have removal surgery scheduled for next week and I’m freaking out a bit. Any experiences? (The getting knocked up thread has been empty for a while so I figured I’d ask here- let me know if this isn’t the right place. I’ve been in this thread before but left for unfortunate reasons (which hopefully the surgery will help with going forward))
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May 16, 2018 21:09
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JibbaJabberwocky posted:Unfortunately its not usually discovered until after a loss. There's nothing you could have done differently to have a better outcome. If they're removing it surgically they believe they can create a fully functioning uterus. Usually there are healthy pregnancies after the surgery. Best of luck! Thank you for the kind words. These past two years have been *kind of* hellish, and while I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much- nothing in life is certain, after all- I do hope this will have a nice, positive impact. I’m glad I have some medical training so I’m not ripping into myself too much over not knowing earlier (although I do fault my former OB for her initial misdiagnosis). I do hope to be back in the thread soon enough with happier news.
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May 21, 2018 19:21
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Does anyone have advice for dealing with a pregnancy after miscarriage(s)? I’m at 7.5 weeks, and while I’m very excited, I’m having difficulty feeling joy and hope for this pregnancy. Even though I’ve seen a heartbeat and things look to be on the right track, I find that I keep trying to roll my expectations back and guard myself and it’s pretty exhausting to be a black cloud. My chances are much better after the surgery I had but I just still feel like I’m walking a plank.
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Sep 13, 2018 19:41
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Unfortunately my first miscarriage was a bit after 12 weeks/solidly <2% odds. I guess I just have to keep telling myself that this is a different pregnancy, I got a septum removed (which is a big deal), and to just hang in there and try like *a little bit* to enjoy things. My outlook isn’t going to change the outcome.
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Sep 13, 2018 21:10
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I hope things went well today. It’s very difficult to not have anything you can do, just having to wait and see.Koivunen posted:I’m 14 weeks today and back to having no symptoms besides the sore boobs and not being able to zip my jeans any more. Yeah, I’m in week 13 and the lull in symptoms is messing with me pretty bad. I’m trying to stay positive, but I have to echo the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. My partner is getting all excited after last week’s ultrasound and I feel kind of bad about not echoing it as much, but at least he’s understanding of why I’m at where I’m at.
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Oct 24, 2018 18:52
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Echoing what previous posters said, for many women acne and migraines are affected by (or driven by) hormones. Maybe this pregnancy will disrupt what you had going on before- I’ve got my fingers crossed too, because if I could not have a chin of big ol zits and a migraine almost every period after this, unlike before, that would be great. I’d be happy to get rid of the new onset asthma-like allergy reactions though, that has been a bummer.
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Oct 29, 2018 17:29
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Definitely talk with your specific hospital/admin ahead of time- areas with big public transit systems likely have dealt with it before and will have a policy one way or the other. They’ll likely have a secondary type of carrier they require (stroller bassinet/infant carrier/etc.) if you’re using transit or walking. They absolutely can and will hold your kid until you get an appropriate carseat if they’re going anywhere near a car, whether it’s your car or not, and presumably will if they have transit carrier requirements too. For preemie and small babies, they will sometimes do a test to make sure they can use the purchased carrier/seat before allowing them to leave.
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Oct 30, 2018 16:31
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sheri posted:Have him do this stuff now. This. And also, depending on how your pregnancy goes, you may get put on restrictions (physical activity, sex, etc.) or just feel like hot garbage and need some help with your normal tasks and extra rest to a degree you may not see coming. Having a partner who is already down to help is very good. My anatomy scan is this afternoon and aaaaaah I’m very nervous. I’m glad I’ve been feeling motion the past couple weeks or I’d be basically nonfunctional at work today.
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Nov 26, 2018 20:33
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Not for nothing, it sounds like you’ve both talked about trying to conceive, but does he actually want to have a child? Not ‘I think I’d be okay with it, sure’, but a positive affirmation of it? I’d be really worried about someone hoping parenthood will be tolerable, and about them leaving that introspection until after the fact. Granted, some people with hesitations have kids regardless, but it sounds like he may need to get on board beyond ‘ok I guess if it makes you happy’. Like some previous posters said, there are a ***lot*** of red flags in your posts. It does not sound like he’s excited or ready for it, and you are not being a ‘worrier’ to dig into that and want him to really, really think about it.
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Nov 27, 2018 21:14
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marchantia posted:GAME CHANGER! I am curled up in it now and may never leave. Yesssss join the ridiculous pillow club. I started using mine around the same time and it greatly improved my quality of life. Our cat really likes it too 
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Dec 6, 2018 03:08
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I was never a ‘collect throw pillows for bed and couch’ type, but I’m pretty convinced pregnancy is How It Starts. Does anyone in the thread have experience with nitrous oxide/laughing gas for labor? The hospital I’m planning on delivering at offers it. To paraphrase a previous poster, I don’t want to be a martyr to have a baby, but I’m curious how it is as an alternative to a ‘natural’ birth vs an epidural. It doesn’t seem that common in the US, though.
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Dec 6, 2018 21:16
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RabbitMage posted:According to the three(!) tracking apps, their period was due anytime between last Thursday (the one that's been most accurate) and next Tuesday. We did an insemination on the 26th. I really wish you the best of luck. It's a hard process, with a lot of ~expectations~ both internal and external. I found, after trying for over two years and experiencing a couple of losses at different stages, that the heavy tracking/testing was not the best for my outlook and mental health. Especially if you're doing IUI or other treatments where you know when ovulation happens, I'd recommend only testing after missing a period. I found the guessing game of 'oh maybe it's just too early' after a negative was really hurtful, especially when you could swear that symptoms pointed to yes. Trying to conceive can turn into a hellish slog if you let it, and early pregnancy symptoms overlapping with pms/progesterone symptoms is a cruel reality. I'm not saying these things to be a downer, but try to identify what hurts vs. helps you and your partner's outlooks and be mindful. Try and find someone you can vent to who won't say crummy things. Best of luck, and I hope science/diagnostics/chance works for you.
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Jan 12, 2019 23:02
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In the hospital, the nurses can be excellent allies for giving you the space you need. L&D/postpartum wards have a ton of policies in place for dealing with various levels of unwanted visitors. They have to deal with crazy exes, crazy in-laws, all kinds of drama. I doubt any particular nurse will feel bad about appearing to be ‘the bad guy’ in pressuring (or ordering) someone to leave as you and the baby rest. They just have to know that it’s what you want.
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Jan 16, 2019 13:08
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Even just avoiding the belly itches is a plus, especially in the middle of winter. Does anyone have recommendations as to how much newborn/0-3 month clothing to get? We’re planning on doing mostly cloth diapers so I’m relegating myself to the laundry life, but like... how many clothes do babies go through daily/weekly? Assuming (ha) an average sized baby, can I mostly get away with cuffing 3-6mo stuff? Entering the third trimester is making me face the fact that I basically know nothing about day-to-day baby care, other than people are trying to sell me everything.
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Feb 3, 2019 01:36
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I’m so sorry for your losses. I hope your wife’s recovery goes smoothly. If the hospital offers a support group or social worker, I’d recommend trying it out. Ours was more helpful than I realized at the time. My sincere condolences.
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Feb 22, 2019 18:10
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I work at the hospital that I'm planning to deliver at, so best case scenario I just go right upstairs to L&D from work when I have to. US leave is hosed up. The funny part is that I still have about 8 weeks to go, but my productivity is currently in the tank- and I don't even have a physically demanding job. We should get leave towards the end of our pregnancies that don't take away from the sliver of protected time with our new family because lets face it, it's not like I'm doing quality work right now.
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Mar 4, 2019 01:43
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I used to work in a blood bank, so hemorrhage is always on my mind when it comes to L&D/postpartum. Coming from a medical background does make it extremely hard for me to understand the decision to home birth or use a detached birth center, just because of the what ifs.
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Mar 10, 2019 14:43
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I had an anatomy scan around 20 weeks, then one at 30 to follow up on my low-lying placenta. I recently had another at 36 weeks, since there was a discrepancy between how my belly was measuring and the baby’s gestational age, and they wanted to make sure everything was ok and I didn’t have a massive amount of amniotic fluid or whatever. It’s clear the practice doesn’t put much stock in how much the baby weighs from these scans, just certain length markers and proportions. They only seem to order the scans if there is a specific need, though, and their views/measurement abilities get progressively worse throughout the third trimester.
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Apr 9, 2019 23:21
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Congrats Koivunen! I’m sorry you had a really rough labor, but it sounds like it was worth it 
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Apr 17, 2019 18:12
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It’s not too uncommon for two consecutive blood pregnancy tests to be done, especially if someone has underlying conditions that can make pregnancy more difficult to maintain or if there were infertility issues. Currently at 40w3d and looking like I’m shoplifting a beach ball everywhere I go. Being mostly wrapped up at work but still showing up is extremely awkward, but I’m committed to taking leave as late as possible 
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Apr 30, 2019 16:47
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Our baby is a week old today! I ended up with a different birth than I’d imagined, but I’m happy with my choices. I opted to induce to avoid infection after my water broke at 40w5d ga. I also decided to go for an epidural after 7 hours of labor. I’d worked a full shift earlier in the day, and was getting too tired to deal with the pain safely- almost fell off the birthing ball in between contractions- and I feel that being able to rest made labor and pushing so much easier. I was still able to move ok in bed and feel birthing cues. Our little one had trouble with her first breath, which was absolutely terrifying, but the teams were right there and she was suctioned and crying properly in a flash. The hospital was really supportive of skin to skin, rooming in, and breastfeeding, and all three of us are coping surprisingly well at home. After my losses and infertility testing/surgery, it was a really rocky and upsetting road to get here, but I’m so so so grateful to have this little girl in our lives and for the people who helped make that happen. To end with a question- does anyone have a recommendation for nursing/postpartum clothes? I feel like a milk goblin and nothing fits.
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May 8, 2019 12:53
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A Game of Chess posted:I’m still at work too so I just basically closed my door and am trying to avoid well-meaning middle aged coworkers. Condolences, I did this too and it was really weird having work mostly wrapped up but still having to go in each day and facing all the coworkers on baby watch. The days feel very long and uncomfortable. Your body will get there and/or medicine will do its thing, all you can do is hang in there. Maybe try to enjoy a casual meal out?
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Jun 4, 2019 14:13
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Congratulations!! They generally don’t take a ton of food at first, and have very small stomachs- the nurses should be tracking her weight and will let you know if she’s losing too much. It’ll be good to check in with the lactation consultants, but there’s a good chance you’re on the right track. I had a 2nd degree tear too (and similar baby stats!), and I really recommend following the peri care instructions they give you to a T, even though you’re exhausted and sore. It makes a huge difference if you can get the swelling to go down sooner and keep the stitches happy.
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Jun 9, 2019 17:42
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You’re doing a great job. It’s hard- you’re physically and mentally exhausted, and you’re doing something completely new. You want to do the best for this tiny person, and that is stressful. Formula isn’t losing and it isn’t failure, though I understand the frustration. It’s a perfectly valid and healthy way to feed a baby. I think the modern push for breastfeeding can lead to a lot of feelings of guilt and pressure for moms, but the benefits of breastfeeding over formula are extremely narrow in developed countries (especially when studies control for parental income). If it doesn’t work out, it’ll be okay and it’s not a reflection at all on you.
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Jun 11, 2019 09:25
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Clarks tend to be good for support, and have wides available in some styles if swelling has been a problem for you. 6pm has good sales on them. Rockport, Ecco, and sometimes Naturalizer have good support, but wading through styles for these brands can be hit or miss, depending how stylish you have to look. Tbh I just wore black/slightly fashionable sneakers for the last two months because nobody was going to call me out on it at that point.
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Jun 17, 2019 16:44
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Nessa posted:Well, I went for my ultrasound this morning. There was no heartbeat and what was even in there was only the size of a pea. When I went to the bathroom afterwards I noticed I had started bleeding. I guess I’m in the middle of having a miscarriage. I’m so sorry Nessa.
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Jun 20, 2019 19:26
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watchoutitsabear posted:Those of you with the Spectra S2, is there a trick to being able to sit back while you use it? I feel like I have to lean forward while I pump or else the milk all pools under my nipple instead of flowing into the bottle; but surely the manufacturers didn't design this thing to force women to hunch over while they use it... Check that you’re using the right flange/funnel(?) size- there should be enough clearance around your nipple that the milk should be able to flow into the bottle instead of pooling. There’ll be a little bit of surface tension that will keep some milk near the nipple, but not so much that it won’t collect properly. Also make sure that little white silicone piece that sticks into the bottle isn’t stuck together- sometimes the slit on it gets tacked together after sterilizing and will keep milk from entering the bottle.
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Jun 27, 2019 14:23
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False positives are very very rare with home pregnancy tests. Most ‘false positives’ are not even true false positives, but are people reading very faint evaporation lines outside the given testing window (i.e. digging it out of the trash an hour later for a second look). Additionally, some people may have a positive home pregnancy test, but have a very early miscarriage which is mistaken for a period. True false positives are generally caused by certain fertility drugs or by a person having a tumor (benign or otherwise) that secretes Hcg. They’re a really good test- pretty much every positive when the instructions are followed and it’s within the expiration date is due to the presence of Hcg. Exact false positive rates would vary by brand/format, but as a testing professional- they’re negligible.
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Jul 10, 2019 14:02
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Mind_Taker posted:Thanks! She took two more cheap tests just to confirm and both came back positive. We are very excited since we’d been trying for over a year now to get pregnant and we were starting to get concerned. Congratulations! I can sympathize with a long wait- wishing you a happy and uneventful 9 months.
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Jul 11, 2019 22:22
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FoxTerrier posted:Hi goons. Digital tests tend to be less sensitive. Retesting tomorrow morning with a manual test (or the morning after, if you can wait that long) will give you a better idea of what’s going on. Morning urine tends to be the most concentrated so you’ll be less likely to get a false negative. Good luck! I found testing and early pregnancy after a miscarriage and a chemical pregnancy to be pretty emotionally complicated. It sounds like you’re approaching this from a healthy place, but don’t hesitate to feel whatever you go through- positive or negative- and work through it with your partner.
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Jul 20, 2019 20:30
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Afriscipio posted:Hey pregnancy thread. My wife is approaching the 12 week mark. Any advice for the next few weeks? I'm trying to make her feel more comfortable, but I'm at a loss. Nausea starts going away for a lot of women around this time- or in the next few weeks. I found having nice non-alcoholic/non-caffeinated drinks (flavored water, seltzer, juice etc) in the fridge was really good, since I’d get walloped by thirst every once in a while and I’d get a little sick of water all day erry day. Also, maybe have a pregnancy pillow on hand because once you want one you really want one. Same with some comfy maternity clothes/bras.
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Jul 30, 2019 15:28
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Like others have said, it’s a very personal choice. Having some time to process your feelings and shift towards excitement before delivery may be good- delivery is already super emotional and exhausting, and having a little space to think about it might take some pressure off. Fwiw, I didn’t really know I had a bit of a preference/baggage until I found out the sex ahead of time, and I’m glad I had the time to process and get very excited before the baby came. I don’t know if I would have had the same feelings if I had found out in the delivery room, but if I had I may have been pretty mad at myself for not just being thrilled and grateful in the moment. Instead I was able to just be joyful when we got to meet our baby.
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Aug 7, 2019 13:57
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