@JennM205 I'm not completely sure for pregnancy swelling, but for other swelling injuries your feet are supposed to be above your heart. In general, though, any elevation would help, because you'll be putting your feet at least on the same level as the rest of your leg. That will allow the fluid to even out instead of pooling at the bottom.
@JennM205- yeah, so I find that just lifting my feet off the floor makes a significant difference.. I have a couple boxes of paper under my desk that basically keeps my legs straight out from my chair versus bent at the knee (maybe a few inches below my butt). I alternate throughout the day of putting them up and resting them back down on the floor and it really helped last time. Now it's just habit to put my feet up sometimes, and I haven't noticed swelling of my feet/ankles yet - definitely had it by now last time
@camichael84 - So exciting!! Congratulations. Oh I bet your daughter will be so excited! I don't blame you for not wanting to say anything IRL until after the a/s though, just in case.
@AnnaS930@JennM205 Thanks! I keep telling myself being told the wrong sex at 18 weeks has to be rare, right? I'll be thinking of her as a her until I'm told otherwise. Haha. I'm still just as impatient for my a/s because I just want to know everything is okay.
Anna, I hope your little guy has a good appt, and starts feeling better soon!
Jenn, I was the same as the others, my swelling would reduce the best if I was lying down with my feet propped on a pillow, but having them up at all helped.
Has anyone used compression socks for the swelling? I'm thinking of getting some bc mine gets bad but I'm overwhelmed by the choices on Amazon. Any recommendations?
@Steephers123- I have quite a few friends who wear them as pharmacists (standing for 12 hours a day can lead to some blood pooling in the feet) and my sister wears prescription strength ones due to insufficient veins/varicose veins in her legs (poor thing). I think what you'll find on Amazon will be your basic compressions (light-moderate level of compression probably measured in mmHg), and you'll choose how high you want them to come up your legs (also, note that compression stockings if tight can be rather uncomfortable). If you're doing this on your own choosing, probably start with a lower level compression.
Pediatrician says it seems like a sinus infection. His ear tubes are clear and perfect, lungs are clear and no fevers, but just really junky in his nose/head. Gave us a course of amoxicillin to help knock it out, should be improving soon! Thanks!!
@UnwritteN12 I'm so excited for my daughter to have a sister! Of course I would have been happy if she had a brother as well, but I'm really excited to have two little girls.
Thanks for the thoughts on putting my feet "up" and taking me seriously. I asked DH what he thought last night and his was response was, "Seriously? You're analyzing the height your feet need to be for the optimal reduction of swelling?" Well, when you put it that way, you make me sound like a lunatic...but, yes...I want to know how far "up" is "up"! Haha
@AnnaS930 Glad to hear you have some answers on your little guy and hope he's on the mend soon!
I am so tired today. The 18 month sleep regression is a real bitch! Monday night sucked, on Tuesday night it took an 1 1/2 longer than normal to get DS to bed but he slept well afterwards, Wednesday night we had no problems, but last night was the worst yet. DS woke up at midnight and would not go back to sleep! We tried bringing him in bed with us, but all he wanted to do was play around - being in our bed is fun for him. We tried CIO, we fed him, used every trick up we know. The only way he would sleep was cuddling with one of us on the recliner we have in his room. My husband did for a couple hours then I took over. When we have challenging parenting moments, my husband always wants to deal with them together. I kept sending him back to bed when it was my turn to comfort DS. I don't want both a tired and cranky husband and a tired and cranky toddler. Please let this sleep regression be short lived! I will be going over my caffeine limit today, but I have been really good at keeping the caffeine consumption close to zero, so one day won't hurt.
@JennM205 Men don't ever get it. I love my husband. He's a very loving and caring man, and we often think on the same wavelength. But he doesn't understand being pregnant. Or thinking like a woman. Crazily enough.
I asked my husband if he wasn't as excited for this pregnancy or what was going on with him. He hasn't been an excited as I want him to be when I tell him pregnancy things. He admitted that he's very happy and excited for the new baby but it's not something he thinks about every day like he did when I was pregnant last time. That's understandable - granted I have a baby doing somersaults for most of the day at this point so it's hard to think of anything else. I told him that was fine, but I do need him to keep interested in me and the pregnancy as a whole - ask me more often how I'm feeling (I don't air complaints to him about discomfort/lack of sleep/etc very often), and he apologized not realizing he hadn't been doing this. I'm sure the anatomy scan next week will put baby #2 fresh in his mind and make it all the more real for him - hoping our little chat helps me see some changes in his attentiveness.
So if I have my anatomy scan at 9 and a regular prenatal appointment at 2:15 on the same day, you think my OB will have some general results? Considering it's all within the same health system and I see a perinatologist in conjunction with my scan? Also, going five weeks between appointments is OK, right? (I just don't have time to get an appointment in at the four week mark.)
@PSUBecky23 I always have an OB appointment right after an ultrasound and they always have the results. I think it depends a lot of how your doctors office runs things.
@PSUBecky23- Definitely ok to go 5 weeks, I've had to do that depending on where appointments could fall with their schedule and mine, no biggie
I would think that they would have the results by then. I seem to remember having a scan and appointment in the same day last time and the OB was able to pull up electronically the scan images and at least flip through them while I sat there - and give a very generic "All looks good!"
@PSUBecky23 I'd think your OB would have the results of your a/s by then. On Wed, I had my a/s at 10:30 and my OB appointment at 11...she had all of the a/s results and gave me all the details then! Granted, my ultrasound and OB are in the same office (different suites in the same building) so it could have just been walked over...but I'm pretty sure it was sent digitally so not being in the same location probably wouldn't have mattered.
I'm also wondering about the timing between appointments. I think five weeks would be fine (though of course your OB may say differently). I'm looking at about a 7 week span between appointments right now unless I want to pay for my 24-week appt out of pocket. (With DH switching jobs, I may or may not be without insurance for the month of May.) Just had my appointment on 4/13 and won't have guaranteed insurance again until 6/1 (at the latest). Wondering what my OB will say about that...
Generic is all I need. I know it takes time for full results anyway. My work schedule is just not taking into account my pregnancy schedule! Thankfully my boss is cool about me having two appointments in one day. But that means makeup work in the evenings/weekends.
@JennM205- I think if you present it to them as exactly that, very level-headed that they should be Ok with it? I know my OB pretty well and I think she'd be ok with it if I assured her that I felt comfortable with the duration and that I would call for an earlier appointment if any concerns came about in the interim. Hopefully an individual checkup wouldn't break the bank if he/she preferred to see you in between!
@JennM205 insurance is the worst! Hope you're able to work it out. Just a thought, can you do an appointment at Planned Parenthood one time - just for a weight/BP/heartbeat check?
@PSUBecky23 I'd think your OB would have the results of your a/s by then. On Wed, I had my a/s at 10:30 and my OB appointment at 11...she had all of the a/s results and gave me all the details then! Granted, my ultrasound and OB are in the same office (different suites in the same building) so it could have just been walked over...but I'm pretty sure it was sent digitally so not being in the same location probably wouldn't have mattered.
I'm also wondering about the timing between appointments. I think five weeks would be fine (though of course your OB may say differently). I'm looking at about a 7 week span between appointments right now unless I want to pay for my 24-week appt out of pocket. (With DH switching jobs, I may or may not be without insurance for the month of May.) Just had my appointment on 4/13 and won't have guaranteed insurance again until 6/1 (at the latest). Wondering what my OB will say about that...
Really look into Cobra. It costs more, but you do not want to be without insurance, especially while pregnant.
@PSUBecky23Good idea on the Planned Parenthood route. I hadn't thought about that. All of this insurance / no insurance mess just cropped up in the last couple of days so we're still sorting it all out. There are a ton of options (one month of marketplace health insurance, continuing current coverage through COBRA, trying to go on my company's insurance for a month, etc etc) but none of them are very great cost-wise. And I can't even begin to imagine the coordination headache of getting it all in order. Here is my insurance through end of April, here is my insurance for May, here is my insurance for June on... What a mess.
Thanks to the maternity swimsuit thread I just fell down the rabbit hole of looking at maternity clothing on the Target site. Our Target has very little maternity clothes, so I've never thought to check online. They'll probably be getting some of my husbands next paycheck.
@AnnaS930 I'm feeling the same with my DH. He's definitely less enthusiastic this pregnancy. Even last night when we found out the sex, there was no excitement from him. He said that was because he wants it confirmed with the a/s first, which I get, I really do, but it still hurt my feelings. I've talked to him about it, but he just tells me that he keeps thinking about everything we need to get done for the baby. Honestly, there really isn't that much to do, but it's harder this time. We have a toddler, he works full time, and he is working on getting his MBA. I know it's a lot for him, and I'm usually understanding about it, but I'm hoping for more excitement at the a/s than I got last night.
@camichael84- bummer! Sorry you didn't get the excitement you were hoping for out of him, obviously I know exactly how that feels. Men need to speak their feelings more! Even if their quiet because they have concerns over preparing for baby, or financially or whatever - SAY SOMETHING! Get it off your chest, it will feel better, I swear! lol, right? Don't be quiet because inside you're panicking, let me innnnn.
@AnnaS930@camichael84I agree, DH has definitely been less excited this time around. Though I think there's a balance...with DD he was so anxious for all of my pregnancy (so worried about everything he needed to do, what being a dad was going to be like, how life was going to change). This time, the excitement is slightly less but so is the anxiety about it all so I'm glad for that. I'd honestly almost say the same about myself this time around. I definitely don't feel the same as I did with DD. I've been doing a LOT of thinking about that and have finally decided that I'm just as excited to actually have and meet the baby (if not moreso because of what it will mean for DD as well!) But I'm just not as excited about being pregnant this time. Don't get me wrong, it's still amazing and special...but I don't feel the "glow" and I'm too busy to relish in it this time so it's just...different.
@AnnaS930 and @camichael84 Something I've noticed about men is that a baby isn't quite as real to them while you're pregnant. It's much more real when the baby is here. Especially when everything isn't brand new and exciting. The first time is exciting and everything is so new and different. Subsequent pregnancies, not so much. I have learned to be vocal about how I am feeling during pregnancy. And my husband knows (because I told him) that when I say "I don't feel well, I'm going to put my feet up" that it's not me being lazy, it's me feeling very pregnant and like I am going to fall apart if I am on my feet for one more moment. I don't think my second pregnancy was real to my husband until I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and in the hospital for a week.
I spend way to much time at Target too. I love Target. Especially their baby clothes clearance.
@AnnaS930 and @camichael84 -- in the same sort of boat over here. I don't bring up pregnancy or baby stuff super often because he just doesn't seem as "into" it. But then occasionally he'll shock me by bringing it up himself and have some questions, etc. I love when that happens! It's a hard line to walk between asking for more attentiveness and then feeling badly when it seems like it takes some effort. I just think it's not as "real" until the end. But yeah. I wish he was into all of the little details just like I am. I hope that after the a/s and we know the sex, etc. it does help it become more tangible to him. He's definitely someone who operates in the realm of the tangible. Abstractions and "what ifs" aren't really his cup of tea. Me, on the other hand, I could "what if" until the cows come home. I am certain, though, none of this is really about a lack of excitement or love--it just looks different for him and he doesn't know what to do with this stage where he's not really involved in a way that feels particularly tangible for him.
@LeahKnits- right? It's probably a good thing my actual store doesn't carry a huge maternity section, since i'm there so often!
Usually I don't do a lot of shopping for myself. It's so much more fun to buy cute little girl clothes. But I currently have two pairs of pants that fit and I think 1 of those won't work for much longer. We're going on a trip to visit DH's family at the end of May and I am going to make sure I have clothes to wear the whole time I'm there. Without doing laundry every other day. I want some maternity shorts. I don't even wear shorts that much, but remember how hot and uncomfortable I was during my other summer pregnancies makes me want 3 or 4 pairs.
@marajay6Thanks for the info. We've got COBRA on our list of options. The nice(?) thing about it is that we have until 60 days after the loss of our insurance to set it up and it is retroactive to the first day of missed insurance. I know it seems awful but I'm kind of thinking about just going without insurance for the month and crossing my fingers. Should anything happen that requires significant medical attention (for which OOP costs would would exceed the cost of COBRA for myself, DH and DD (since we can't just cover me)), then we'll elect the COBRA coverage for the missed timeframe. Since it's only a month we're missing, it'll definitely be within the 60 day timeframe.
@JennM205and @LeahKnits- agreed all around. I think I realized last time that it was true, I was a mom from the moment I got a positive pregnancy test, but my husband became a dad when Emmett was born - that's totally ok with me... last time I was more vocal, telling him about what stage I'm at, what symptoms are going on, what to expect next. This time I haven't said as much and he hasn't asked (In truth he's probably exactly the same as last time, I'm just not as outright with the details). I also think I had such an easy pregnancy last time, and so far this time that he doesn't realize that even when easy it's pretty hard. I LOVE being pregnant and would be knocked up for the rest of my life if I could, there are still aches and long nights without much rest... I'd love to complain every now and then but I feel the need to hold it in until he asks.
@AnnaS930@LeahKnits I once read a list titled "How to tell if you're in a relationship with Target". Target is most definitely my secret lover. Or not so secret. We live within walking distance to our local Target, and just the amount I've saved with my RedCard is embarrassing.
@camichael84 I keep forgetting to bring a blank check to set up a RedCard. I try not to go there all that often, because I spend so much more than I had planned. I always feel a bit guilty about buying things that aren't neccessary. DH doesn't care, but I still feel guilty. I think if I had an income, most of it would be spent at Target.
Whoa! How am I just discovering this thread?! I never clicked on it for some reason! Anyway, my fiance had to take away my RedCard a few months ago HAHA and I am so glad he did! I think the employees know my name there and I have a really good feeling the Babies R Us employees will know me by name pretty soon too!
@marajay6Thanks for the info. We've got COBRA on our list of options. The nice(?) thing about it is that we have until 60 days after the loss of our insurance to set it up and it is retroactive to the first day of missed insurance. I know it seems awful but I'm kind of thinking about just going without insurance for the month and crossing my fingers. Should anything happen that requires significant medical attention (for which OOP costs would would exceed the cost of COBRA for myself, DH and DD (since we can't just cover me)), then we'll elect the COBRA coverage for the missed timeframe. Since it's only a month we're missing, it'll definitely be within the 60 day timeframe.
All options are pretty expensive, so I understand the stress. At least with Cobra, you don't have the hassle of changing insurance providers multiple times.
I know DH was never as excited nor thought about being pregnant/having a new baby as much as I did, even with McKenna. Not to say he wasn't excited and happy. Maybe I'm noticing it more because we already have her, and he's so focused on her that it seems like this one is getting less. And maybe he feels like none of this is new, and we just did it all 2 years ago. Usually it hasn't bothered me, but last night it did. It was just so very different from when we found out McKenna was a girl.
@camichael84- same here with it not bothering me, and last night it did. I was also crabby about Emmett being sick again and the scale was not kind to me. Probably just a sensitive day... hope they both shape up and get pumped for the real anatomy scans coming up!
Also, the WHOLE WORLD has been telling me how tired I look today. I just went to the bathroom and I don't think I look *that* bad...sheesh! I'm not sure why "boy. You look really tired" is on anyone's list of okay things to say.
Re: April Randoms Thread
Anna, I hope your little guy has a good appt, and starts feeling better soon!
Jenn, I was the same as the others, my swelling would reduce the best if I was lying down with my feet propped on a pillow, but having them up at all helped.
July: Patriotic Fails
eta: and thank you for the sock info!
July: Patriotic Fails
@AnnaS930 Glad to hear you have some answers on your little guy and hope he's on the mend soon!
I told him that was fine, but I do need him to keep interested in me and the pregnancy as a whole - ask me more often how I'm feeling (I don't air complaints to him about discomfort/lack of sleep/etc very often), and he apologized not realizing he hadn't been doing this. I'm sure the anatomy scan next week will put baby #2 fresh in his mind and make it all the more real for him - hoping our little chat helps me see some changes in his attentiveness.
I would think that they would have the results by then. I seem to remember having a scan and appointment in the same day last time and the OB was able to pull up electronically the scan images and at least flip through them while I sat there - and give a very generic "All looks good!"
I'm also wondering about the timing between appointments. I think five weeks would be fine (though of course your OB may say differently). I'm looking at about a 7 week span between appointments right now unless I want to pay for my 24-week appt out of pocket. (With DH switching jobs, I may or may not be without insurance for the month of May.) Just had my appointment on 4/13 and won't have guaranteed insurance again until 6/1 (at the latest). Wondering what my OB will say about that...
Generic is all I need. I know it takes time for full results anyway. My work schedule is just not taking into account my pregnancy schedule! Thankfully my boss is cool about me having two appointments in one day. But that means makeup work in the evenings/weekends.
@JennM205 insurance is the worst! Hope you're able to work it out. Just a thought, can you do an appointment at Planned Parenthood one time - just for a weight/BP/heartbeat check?
ETA to add link: https://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html
Our Target has very little maternity clothes, so I've never thought to check online. They'll probably be getting some of my husbands next paycheck.
I spend way to much time at Target too. I love Target. Especially their baby clothes clearance.
ETA: to be fair, I am really tired.