Weekly Questions [1/22]

lisa2589

@doxiemoxie212 I feel like that nurse made the phone call without really having (or reviewing) all the information she needed? If it’s going to bother you before your next appointment, I would put a message in to speak directly with your OB about it. 

dinodna3

@doxiemoxie212 I wonder if low prenatal AFP is something that can be passed down genetically. 

llamamama14

@doxiemoxie Yeah it sounds like the nurse didn't realize you'd had a NIPT done. Why were they even testing your blood for AFP? Is it routine or did you ask for it? My understanding of the process is like you said: concerns about Down's from low AFP can be ruled out by mat21. (Or made extremely unlikely.) My OB says they do NIPT in lieu of amnio most of the time now.

Side note: I don't understand why NIPTs aren't considered diagnostic but CVS and amnio are... everything I read says they all have an accuracy rate of 99%. 

elsie42

Has anyone had dental x-rays while pregnant? I have a dentist appointment on Friday at a new office and I'm pretty sure they'll ask to do x-rays since I'm a new patient. ACOG says it's safe as long as a shield is used over my abdomen so I'm not worried but just curious if anyone else has had it done. 

doxiemoxie212

@llamamama14 they didn't even tell me they were testing my AFP levels. I guess it must be standard for everyone at their practice? IDK. And re: CVS/amnio vs NIPT, I honestly think it's because CVS/amnio have been around longer so it's more likely to be standard procedure...? Or insurance is more likely to cover CVS/amnio than NIPT at this point? But my insurance covered mat21 (cost me a $50 copay at 12 weeks) so like, meh. 

llamamama14

@elsie42 I think I have but I'm not sure to be honest. (I've been pregnant a lot over the past 4 years and have had regular 6 month dental check-ups...)

ramennoodlegif

@elsie42 I had an x-ray, not too long after finding out I was pregnant. They made me wear the lead apron. 

doxiemoxie212

@elsie42 I went to the dentist at around 15 weeks, told them I was pregnant, and they said, "Oh okay, we'll skip the x-rays," and instead a dentist came in and just very carefully looked at my teeth, poked around a lot more than usual, etc. No big deal at all. It had been a year since I'd had x-rays. 

llamamama14

@doxiemoxie212 That's what I've wondered (is CVS/amnio just more established.) I'm going to ask my OB next visit just because I'm curious.

marcus7676

@elsie42 My dentist is very against xrays while pregnant. If they let you skip, I would skip.  

@doxiemoxie212 normally, I'd advocate for all the tests if insurance will cover it, but considering the invasive nature of an amnio, I probably would talk to your OB first before proceeding that route. I don't know why it would be necessary with Mat21.  

catlady1215

@elsie42 my dentist avoids xrays if pregnant. I religiously go every 6 months though and haven't had issues in years, so he doesn't care about waiting.

@doxiemoxie212 that's alittle odd. I'm going to say that she didn't have all her info before calling you. when my results were iffy with DS, that's when they offered me the amnio OR mat21... sooo, I'd say you're covered and wouldn't worry.

ramblebee

@elsie42 my dentist also scratched xrays and said we will wait until after baby.

MissKittyDanger

@elsie42 My dentist won't risk it even with the shield. Most would rather wait than take a chance

ffw0617

@elsie42 I had an xray at the dentist at 10 weeks. After waiting an hour for signed written clearance to be faxed over from my OB, they made we wear FOUR shields (in front, back, and on both sides). Then made me sign a release acknowledging the risk. I still have my bottom wisdom teeth and one of them got infected at the gums, I was in deep pain so I went through with it so I could get the prescription for antibiotics (also had to get get written clearance from my OB before the dentists would write the prescription). I was a walk in so I didn't expect anything quick, but I spent 4 hours at the dentist to get NO work done, just an x-ray and prescription. The dentist also said his surgeon wouldn't remove my bottom wisdom teeth until after the baby unless it was absolutely necessary to do it during the pregnancy. To answer you question yes I have had an xray, I would not advise having one. If you are just going for a cleaning tell them to clean them, check your teeth and move on.

katie121209

On the clothes at the hospital thought, I brought two matching nursin gowns/robes and felt so terrible after my two day ordeal and c section that I never wore anything but the hospital gown. Maybe I’ll attempt to look better this next time. 

My dentist skips X-rays during pregnancy as well. 

Austenista

I had an x-ray at the dentist a few weeks back. One of my teeth broke off and a nerve was exposed. It hurt very much bad...to say the least. My ob faxed permission for an xray, they gave me a lead apron, snapped a picture in about 1 second and they were done. Ended up having the tooth pulled with lots of relief. They didn't make a big deal out of it and assured me it was okay. On the other hand my son had a lung x-ray at the pedi a while back and I had to leave for that which was absolutely the worst because he was crying for me.  

glitterfingers

Speaking of x-rays/radiation - I have to go through airport security tomorrow and I read that the body scanners are not an issue because the radiation is so low (unless the machine jams or is faulty) and there is low radiation anyways from flying or just from living life - any last minute warnings?

You can totally skip dental x-rays unless you’ve had abnormal ones or are having teeth pain. My dentist said it was no problem to skip them once based on my previous x-rays.

MoonOverGoldsboro

@glitterfingers Based on my research, I personally was not concerned about the body scanner at the airport. I also fly relatively rarely...maybe if I traveled very frequently, I’d think about asking for an occasional pat down instead.

doxiemoxie212

@glitterfingers my ob specifically told me to skip the body scanners at the airport, but it’s a non issue because I have tsa precheck so it’s metal detectors anyway. 

elsie42

@glitterfingers body scanners are safe. They use radio waves which is the same as what your cell phone emits. It's non-ionizing radiation so there's no health risk 

LaceyBee522

@glitterfingers I've been traveling a ton. I've done both body scanners and metal detectors. My OB didn't say anything about either. The only advice she gave me was to wear compression socks on flights over an hour. 

aharv77

Has anyone done any extensive research on cord blood donation? My doctor said that was absolutely an option for us after delayed cord clamping, etc. but didn't have any resources for us. She said we'd have to get a kit and they basically handle the rest. Just looking for some trustworthy resources on how to get a kit and where to donate to. 

sunshineandwhiskey

@harveyabbey77 The hospital i had DD at had a program for cord blood donation.  It was just an extra piece of paperwork to fill out and they took care of the rest. I would start there!  

doxiemoxie212

@harveyabbey77 that was included in the packet my OB gave us, and she said the same thing, though she did say that sometimes with delayed cord clamping there isn't enough blood to donate/bank. I haven't read the info fully yet, and I'm honestly not sure what I did with the packet, but my Ovia app advertises cord banking/donation every 5 seconds so maybe check out their site? 

krash_

@harveyabbey77Be The Match is a great organization and has a lot of information about cord blood:
https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-cord-blood/

Here is what they say about delayed cord clamping:
Q. What are the current recommendations for delayed umbilical cord clamping after birth? 
A. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) has recommended a delay of 30-60 seconds between delivery and umbilical cord clamping in healthy, full-term babies. It is believed that delayed clamping may have a beneficial effect in the newborn. If expectant parents wish to donate or store cord blood, delayed clamping may impact the volume and quality of cells. Expectant parents should discuss options for delayed umbilical cord clamping with their obstetrics provider. 

I think it depends on how much of a delay you want to do. I am planing on 3-5 minutes. I will have to check with my doctor if there will still be enough cord blood to donate. 

On their FAQ's page they provide lists of hospitals that accept cord blood donations and public cord blood banks. If your hospital does not take donations then you can request a kid from a public cord blood bank and the doctor should be able to take it from there. 

I was also thinking the other day if there is anything that can be done with the placenta. It seems like there has to be another option between consumption (encapsulation) and just tossing it. I'll update if I find anything on that. 

aharv77

I found Be The Match and have been browsing their site. I guess we haven't thought about how long we want to delay the clamping for. Getting baby all of the essential blood and nutrients is the priority in any case. I just assumed there would be all this blood to donate too! So much to think about. DH's step-mom has multiple myeloma and received a stem cell transplant two years ago so it hits close to home. I just don't want anything to go to waste if it can be used to help someone down the road!

krash_

Have any of the taller ST+M’s had issues with the height of their changing table? I’m 5’9” and MH is 6’5”. We are looking at dressers to use as a changing table and it seems most of them will be really short. Did you find that your back hurt or it was more difficult to change on a shorter table? I’m thinking we need at least 34” high plus the changing pad on top. We are looking at the IKEA Hemnes dressers which are 38” plus the changing pad would be 42”+ we have two now and it seems like a good height but I’m concerned it might be too high. 

katelynrae86

@krashke We use a changing pad on a Hemnes. It's definitely taller than a traditional changing table, but I'm only 5'2" and I don't find it awkward or uncomfortably high. I've never changed a diaper on a "regular" table so maybe I would prefer that, but I think you'll be fine. 

katie121209

@krashke we have the changing pad on the hemnes for DD and the height has been perfect - I’m about 5’7

edited bc it autocorrect 

abteamb

@krashke we also have our changing pad on top of the hemnes. I'm 5' and DH is 6'4". It has worked out great for both of us. We are going to do the exact same setup for this baby.

llamamama14

@krashke Sounds like you'll be fine with the Hemnes since shorter moms were comfortable with it.

If you don't go with the Hemnes I think 34" would be high enough of a dresser for you. I'm 5'11'' and I have never noticed height to be an issue with our changing pad on a 35.25'' dresser. (DH has never complained either and he's 6'1".)

marcus7676

We also use a hemnes as a changing table. I'm 5'8 and my H is 5'10.  I hated using lower tables / floor / bed, because that would make my back hurt.

doxiemoxie212

Anyone been to Harry Potter World in Orlando? Feel like walking me through wtf I actually need to buy ticket-wise? These prices seem insane and make me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but I doubt I actually am...

lisa2589

@doxiemoxie212 haven’t been there but let me just say how jealous I am that you get to go! 

rnielsen321

@krashke
We used a dresser upstairs, and our dining room buffet downstairs on the main floor.  We also would sometime change her in the top level of the PnP.  DH is 6'6" and I am 5'7"... something taller is the way to go. I would not recommend investing in a specific change table. Just get the awesome change pad and 2-3 covers....

Oh and if you are hitting up an Ikea... get the drawer organizers. The long skinny ones are perfect for lining up diapers, and the small square ones are great for corralling socks, and drool bibs. The larger square ones I rolled the towels and receiving blankets, sheets etc in. 

krash_

Thank you all for your input! I think we are set on the Hemnes then. We have two of the 8 drawer ones that are 63"  long but that is too big for our nursery so we are going to go with the 3 drawer one that is 42" hopefully there will be enough room to keep a few things on top of the dresser with the changing pad. 

Also, PSA...the Hemnes dressers are 20% off at IKEA right now. I'm not sure if it is every where but US for sure. Only through February 11th. 

@rnielsen321 I didn't even think of that but I will definitely make a shopping list of things to get for organization before we go. I'm thinking the top drawer for all the changing supplies then the other two for basic onsies, sleep and plays, and burp clothes/blankets. 

becca_123

@doxiemoxie212 When I went like 4 years ago it was right when Diagon Alley had just opened and it was soooo busy but so good.  The downfall was that the new rollercoaster on that side constantly had at least an 8 hour wait so we never made it on there.  For tickets there are a couple options.  You have to buy the Universal tickets to get to the HP sections.  You can either get a multi day ticket and go to one park a day, or you can get the park to park ticket which allows you to go to both parks in one day, but it's more expensive!  Keep in mind that if you want to ride the Hogwarts Express, you HAVE to have park to park, as it's a mode of transportation between the two.  I didn't and was sad that I didn't get to go on it.

We did a 5 day Disney pass and a 3 day Universal pass when we went. I had everything so planned.  There is a book called the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World that has tons of data and gives the most efficient way to experience Disney/Universal, and paired with a subcription on TouringPlans.com that gives crowd calendars and other neat things, I made sure my first visit was the best one!  Pretty sure my family hated me for it because I would go to one side of the park for the first ride and go completely somewhere else for the second, but it was proven to be the most efficient way to do Disney/Universal.  With that being said, I don't really remember what it said now. 

For tickets, I bought ours on Undercover Tourist.  Somewhat cheaper, doesn't vary much.  I hope you get to go.  The HP worlds are stunning.  Make sure you get some butterbeer 

doxiemoxie212

@becca_123 (et al) on a scale from 1 to 10, how sad would it be for a pregnant Doxie to wander Harry Potter Wolrd by herself for half a day?

Turns out a partner at DH's firm from another office is hosting a lot of the diversity conference's breakout sessions, so he's pretty sure he can't actually bail and just fuck around with me.

I'm still stoked to tag along because it'll be warm in Orlando, but it looks like it'll be $110-165 just for my ticket just for one day lol. Plus food and activities. And I can't go on rides, right? Because pregs? Not that I love rides... I JUST WANT TO LIVE THE HARRY POTTER LYFE THO! 

doxiemoxie212

@krashke and anyone else with the Hemnes dresser, did you also nearly kill your spouse in the process of building the Hemnes dresser?  DH and I tried to build ours (we don't have it anymore, left it behind in DC when we moved) late at night after shopping at Ikea all day, and I swear I've never wanted to wack him in the head with a drawer so bad in my life lol. No? Just me? 

krash_

@doxiemoxie212 I have not nearly killed MH while putting together IKEA furniture mostly because a) he did our dresser and the TV stand by himself after we moved before I moved in and b) three of the pieces we have gotten off of craigslist already assembled (highly recommended) 

We have put other things together together before, like the Closetmaid system we put in the master, and that went ok because I will usually read the directions and tell him what to do and hand him things while he does all the hard work.