Pregnancy Questions and Concerns: 6/4-6/10

KatieEl

Good morning! 

Sorry this is so late getting posted.  Please post your questions here! Concerns? Is this normal? What would do? Etc.  This is a great place to crowdsource some answers!

Please note, if you have a question about a potential loss, please start your own thread so that we can get answers and support to you ASAP!

reneelanderson

Why do they say you shouldn't get a pap smear done in the first trimester?

mslykas

@reneelanderson It was my understanding that a pap smear in the first trimester is pretty standard. This article on what to expect explains it pretty well. 
I actually didn't know I was pregnant at my annual so I had one done and all was good. I am hoping they don't make me do another one at my first appointment. 

jesscmv

reneelanderson said:

Why do they say you shouldn't get a pap smear done in the first trimester?

My OB doesn't make you get one when your pregnant unless you haven't had one in 2 years or you've had abnormal ones in the past. 

[Deleted User]

@reneelanderson I haven't heard that either. I got one done at my first OB appointment with DD at maybe 9 or 10 weeks.

I'm with @mslykas, I'm really hoping I don't have to get another one done this year. Any STM+s with pregnancies close together have to have a second one so soon? My last one was December 2015.

cyanope

I also had one done at my first appointment, @reneelanderson. Like, @schaze, my last one was in 2015.

EmilyLove25

I had one done with DD but this time had had one three months prior... however, I found out this little fact that might apply to other locales as well: the state of Ohio mandates that all women who are pregnant and receiving treatment be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia, lol. Why not HIV and syphilis? Confused... but they swabbed for that! 

burnsmommy27

My OB didn't make me repeat a pap. I got one done with DD in 2016. Said I was good for 2 years

Edited for spelling, dang auto correct

gusgus14

I just had a pap at the end of Feb so my OB said she wasn't going to make me repeat but that she still has to do cultures so it'll basically be the same process.

averee12

Does anyone know what type of allergy medications are safe during pregnancy?! The sneezing and snot is seriously disgusting over here!

burnsmommy27

@averee12 Claritin and Benedryl. 

averee12

@burnsmommy27 I thought Claritin would be okay but wanted to be sure. Thank you!

burnsmommy27

@averee12 your welcome. On WebMD there is a whole spreadsheet of over the counter products that are safe. Just FYI if you need something else, God knows I've needed plenty of OTCS this pregnancy already.

clearlyclara

Does anyone  else get dark spots appearing in your armpits? I always get them when I'm pregnant. It also happens in the part where my leg meets my pelvis. Weird pregnancy skin changes

EmilyLove25

@clearlyclara I do not get them on my armpits, but I do get them other places... and just noticed two last night 

Ready4theParty

I have this nagging feeling something is wrong.  I have been trying to avoid Google because you can find a symptom or cause for anything.  I just don't feel pregnant.  I am happy I don't have symptoms, but with my last two I pretty much knew at conception, and I always felt like someone was in there.  This time I would have no clue I was pregnant except the HPT keep telling me I am.

burnsmommy27

I had to start using a maternity support belt pretty early on last pregnancy, 15 weeks. I hated the thing, it was bulky and was always folding and creasing with no way to hide it. I was thinking about trying a support band this time. Any of you STM found a brand that worked well?

agalvarado

@Ready4theParty have you had a doctor's appointment?

Shanski70

So I just got a phone call...apparently one of the students in my class exposed me (and everyone in the class) to the mumps. I am freaking out.

My 15 month old hasn't been fully immunized against it and I'm 8 weeks pregnant. I have calls in to my OBGYN's office and pediatrician's office.

I could use some good thoughts and maybe one of you could offer some advice?

KatieEl

@Shanski70 holy crap, i'd be livid.  i will be praying that all of you are okay!

[Deleted User]

@Shanski70 omg!! I hope all of you are ok!!

burnsmommy27

@Shanski70 wow! Hope both of you are ok. Not to spark any debates but I think that is absolute crap. There's a cure, get it for your children.

Shanski70

Oh I didn't mean to make it sound like we aren't immunizing her. Just meant that based on her age and the vaccination schedule being what it is, she hasn't yet has all the doses. She's had her first MMR dose, thankfully...

Just to be clear, I am definitely in the pro-vaccine camp.

Thank you all for the good thoughts. Our county's head of the Public Heath Department made an executive decision to cancel the rest of the class. I have to give all the students some follow up paperwork so that this incident can be properly followed by the appropriate agencies.

burnsmommy27

@Shanski70 oh sorry. Let me clarify, not you the parent of the child in your class.

madcouplewithabox

@Shanski70 that's crazy! 

I havent had had a pap done yet, but at my 6wk app they took like 6 vials of blood to test for HIV and a host of other stuff.

Ive read that you shouldn't have too many sonograms done... or ultrasounds because something about the heat and pulses.... now I'm worried that I've had two already and it's put a halt on me ordering a fetal Doppler.
Anyone else hear of something like this? I was going to talk to my OB tomorrow. 

sdheft619

@madcouplewithabox

ive already had two for dating -the ultrasound tech reassured me there is no harm to the baby. 

zamoraspin

@madcouplewithabox I did some research on the safety of ultrasounds because I read the same thing and kind of panicked. This link focuses on - let's call them novelty ultrasounds - and sums up some studies on the matter which indicate there is no proven danger. Doesn't deal with dopplers but may be helpful: https://www.google.com/amp/s/fivethirtyeight.com/features/keepsake-ultrasounds-arent-dangerous/amp/

trudytudy

@madcouplewithabox let us know what your OB says about the ultrasounds.  I can see a good reason not to go crazy on ultrasounds. It was explained to me like this, it's a relatively new technology so there is no way to know all the risks involved without a lot of studies. I guess if you put it like, think of all of the older medical advances that later studies came out and had different data proving it was either more or less safe or effective than initially thought to be. I think a few ultrasounds are fine, it's best to err on the side of caution and not overdue it. 

[Deleted User]

@madcouplewithabox what @zamora_spin said. I was high-risk with DD due to gestational hypertension, and I had to have growth u/s every 4 weeks along with the dating u/s and anatomy scan. My OB told me the risk of those possible complications outweighs any possible risk the u/s might present so it was better to do those than let the baby go unmonitored.

cyanope

Oh, @Shanski70, that's scary stuff! I would be freaking pissed! FX everything is okay. 

cassandranicolette86

I'm freaking out a little.... I am 7 weeks along and my fiancé and I have had sex after we found out we were pregnant. I would have some light spotting after, but nothing alarming.... well last night, we had sex again and when I looked down, there was bright red blood everywhere.....I am scared out of my mind!!! This morning when I went to wipe, there was some pink but that's it.... anyone have this experience and still go on to have a healthy pregnancy?? 

mslykas

@averee12 my doctor said I could use Flonase (the only thing that works for me) because it prevents my asthma symptoms. Her explanation was, "It's better for you to take your medicine than to risk your baby not getting oxygen."

karacc18

This question is for any ladies on prometrium (progesterone) suppositories. 

i have been on them since 1 week after ovulation because of low progesterone numbers. When i went for my dating/viability ultrasound at my RE's office at 7 weeks, I asked her how long i should continue them and she said until 8 weeks or longer if you don't mind them. And I was joking with her and said well i don;t know how many people actually like them, and she laughed along. However, there was no clear answer on what to do and what the implications of stopping would be. 

I've essentially been released to my OB, and have my first appointment next week with one of the nurses. Should I continue them until i see my OB (at 9.5 weeks for nurse appointment, or 11 weeks for first time with OB), or should i just call the RE and see what they say?
I am afraid of doing harm by continuing, or God forbid having something happen because i stop them. 

Ready4theParty

@agalvarado Its finally this afternoon.  I've expressed my concern to the nurse who scheduled my appointment as well as the couple of times I've called in.  They are treating me very hands off because my last two were textbook.  I am not thrilled with how I've been treated this time around, but they have the best birthing center so I'll deal with the early stupidity of things are good.

BelhurstBride

@madcouplewithabox, my OB has made in clear in the past that she thinks u/s are overused, for a variety of reasons, and that there's no way to confirm how safe they are or are not.

Until it seems that the benefits outweigh the risks, she errs on the side of caution and doesn't do a ton of them. Before NIPT became affordable she only recommended u/s for the NT scan and the AS, now she only recommends them for the AS. When things weren't going so hot with my last pregnancy? She didn't hesitate to order regular u/s. 

EmilyLove25

@madcouplewithabox  I’ve read that before too  but think it is all inaccurate and fear mongering. I use that at home Doppler regularly and did with DD and she is just fine—also did lots of elective USs and don’t regret a one of them! Women who are high risk are regularly monitored and given weekly or every other week ultrasounds… I don’t think professionals would do that if it was a risk to the baby! More than anything, I think some OBs discourage the at home Doppler because they worry it might cause increased stress if the mom cannot find it.  

@cassandranicolette86  I know that sex can cause bleeding (when pregnant) since your cervix is more sensitive and there is increased blood flow… I would call your doctor and get some reassurance! Hugs! 

zamoraspin

@madcouplewithabox to piggy back some off of what @schaze said too - the issue being raised about the safety of ultrasounds is par for the course when it comes to studying the impact of drugs/devices/etc on pregnant women. Controlled studies on pregnant women are often unethical to perform - yet it's very hard to get accurate information without controlled studies. Many studies of pregnant women rely on self-reporting of voluntary behavior - like, a study might look at how much caffeine pregnant women drink in the first tri. It would be unethical to pump pregnant women full of caffeine so the study will rely on looking at how much the women drank of their own accord. But that type of data can be faulty and it's hard to tell cause from correlation - for example the incidence of mc is lower for women who suffer with extreme morning sickness, and guess what, women who are nauseous all the time probably are not drinking five cups of coffee. Same for ultrasounds - women in high risk pregnancies are going to have more ultrasounds but guess what, they're already high risk so the pool of women who have more ultrasounds is already a pool of women who are more likely to have complications. 

I'm not suggesting we take anything from the above other than to use our common sense - I read a book called "Expecting Better" and what I really liked about it was the author (an economist) set out a framework for analyzing all the "do's and don'ts" that come with pregnancy and how to better evaluate research and information to make your own decisions. 

Shanski70

Update on the mumps situation. My midwife's office is not too concerned currently. However my daughter's pediatrician is EXTREMELY concerned. Essentially I'm to go minimal contact with her until we know the test results from the student in my class. If that test comes back positive then I don't know what it will mean...

This entire situation is so stupid. It's entirely preventable, and now because someone's bad choices I have to essentially ignore my kid this week. My pregnancy hormones are making me alternatively weepy and rage-filled about this stupid situation.

[Deleted User]

Oh @Shanski70 So many hugs to you. What a crappy situation. You guys will be in my thoughts!

cassandranicolette86

@EmilyLove25 thank you for the reassurance! I called my doctor, she said the same thing  I feel a little silly calling the doctor about every little thing, but I can't help it! 

zamoraspin

@Shanski70 That sucks so much that you are dealing with the consequences of a bad choice by that other family. I hope everything works out. 

@katieel I cannot remember where I saw this but I think someone somewhere on this board asked you about how to look up c-section rates for individual doctors  (couldn't remember which thread).  I found this and it may be helpful: https://www.cesareanrates.com/p/what-is-my-doctors-c-section-rate.html

It took a little digging (once you select the doctor scroll to the bottom) but I was able to find my new doctor's rate. One nice thing is that it gives you the predicted rate for the type of patients as well as their actual rate.