***Read FIRST*** Board Organization

catlady2015

Shamelessly stolen from the December 2018 board - this seems to be the handy guide to board organization that keeps everything easy to find on each birth month board, and a helpful how to as far as quotes and GIFs and all that fun stuff! 

Welcome to the January 2019 BMB! If you're new to TB, we're excited to have you! Below you will find information on how the flow of BMBs work, guidelines and helpful links. 

Some links that you may find helpful:

• What do all of those abbreviations mean?
• How to add a signature
  
• I want a ticker on my signature!
• How to GIF
  

How-To Guides:
-How to quote: Hit the "quote" at the bottom of the post you want to quote. You will be taken to the reply box with the quote set up already.
-How to tag: Add an "@" in front of the username of the person you are talking to.
-How to change your username: log in to TheKnot, hover over My Knot, and click Account Settings. Be sure to log out and log back in after changing your username. If you are having issues doing it that way, you can email community@thebump.com and ask them to change your username. Give them a few suggestions just in case your top choice is taken. It may take up to 24 hours for the name to update.
-How to insert a spoiler box: click the drop down list arrow next to the paragraph symbol (sixth from the left, next to the emoji button) and choose spoiler. It will insert a grey box, and everything that you type in there will go into the spoiler.

For the sake of board organization, here are some simple guidelines for posting threads:

DO: 
-Introduce yourself in the "Introductions" thread 
-Add yourself to the spreadsheet
-Feel free to start one of the weekly posts listed below: if a post is "assigned" but hasn't been started by midday, feel free to start it!
-Post your own thread if you have a confirmed loss
-Post a thread that would apply to the entire community and doesn't fall into one of the categories for daily threads listed below (Ex: what to pack in your hospital bag, baby gear, etc)
-Comment, share advice and show support for your fellow bumpies; this is a two-way street, to get support, you must show it as well
-Fill out the Jan 2019 Google Spreadsheet with as much or little information as you'd like to share. This will help you find due date buddies, other moms in your general area, and moms with similar situations (such as team green!) 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CGdOCRTdN2FkInHcqIkQhhvaIp1I3zJnSu64BfLK5c8/edit?usp=sharing 

DON'T:
-Start a thread asking about symptoms; please post this in the current weekly "symptoms thread" - this is helpful because it keeps the board from getting cluttered and makes it so we can all see the whole discussion in one thread, rather than having one thread about MS, one about food cravings, another about vivid dreams, etc.
-Ask the community if you are pregnant, it is against TOU
-Start a thread asking for relationship advice; a professional is better suited for this task
-Post pictures of your pregnancy test, this is also against TOU
-Post a thread that asks a question only applying to yourself unless you suspect you may be going through a MC
-Get bent out of shape if someone calls you out for not following these guidelines; if you expect to be part of a supportive board (which we are), you need to be able to take the time to learn the ins and outs of the board

Here are some weekly/monthly ideas that I thought would be good to start with. We can always add to best suit our boards needs! So please let me know if you have any other ideas!

**Please let me know in a comment below if you would like to take charge and post one of these threads each week, and I will add your name! If an assigned thread isn't posted by midday, anyone is free to post it! If a certain thread isn't assigned, but you want to post it, GO FOR IT! This is just to help make sure everything is organized and clean. **

MONDAY

• Weekly Randoms
• Monday Bitchfest - dubcompanion
• Product Spotlight: __________ (e.g., strollers, car seats, etc.)
• Ask a STM - whitmore1027
• Meal Planning Monday - rooonilwaazlib

TUESDAY

• Due Date Weekly Check-in (1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-31)
• Twatwaffle (TW) Tuesday or TMI Tuesday
• First Time Mom Check-In
  
• GTKY - olivemomma
• High Risk Pregnancy Check-In
  
• Moms of Multiples Check-In 
• Ten Things Tuesday

WEDNESDAY

• WTF Wednesday - catlady2015
• HDBD (Hump Day, Bump Day) 
• PGAL Check-In - dubcompanion
• Second Time Mom+ Check-In
  
• Plus-size Mom Check-In - bitterbetty12

THURSDAY

• Unpopular Opinion (UO) Thursday 
• TTGP Grad Check-In
• What My Pregnant Self is Eating 

FRIDAY

• Flame Free Friday Confession (FFFC) - emmaaa
  
• Why My SO is a ... 
• Why My Pregnant Self is Crying 
  
• Fit Mom Friday/Healthy Habits Check-In - thecolddoesbotherme

SATURDAY

• Why my SO is Awesome
• Weekend Randoms
• Pregnant after IF

SUNDAY

• Weekly Ticker Change Gif Celebration - galactickates
• Weekly Questions 
• AMA Check in -  sparkymcgee
• HG Check in
• Symptoms Thread 
• Weekly Appointments - catlady2015
• Team Rainbow (LGBTQ) Check-In

MONTHLY

• CS/VBAC Support Thread - bitterbetty12
• Home Birth/Birth Center Support Thread

Once we all get farther along, we will also have pinned threads for things like ultrasounds, sex announcements and birth announcements.

I've copy/pasted this from previous boards, and it seems to be the way that they are all organized, but of course we should feel free to tweak for our needs! For example, some boards do weekly ticker changes while others do weekly due date check-ins (ex, DD 1st week of Nov.). 

If anyone has a suggestion for other threads, please reply to this thread with a suggestion!

PLEASE keep in mind that there will eventually be a lot of us on this board, and an organized board will be much easier for everyone to use. If we can all keep the one-off posts to a minimum the board won't be too cluttered to navigate, and hopefully we won't end up answering the same question 2,000 times.

Let's have a great BMB ladies!

catlady2015

@BumpAdmin - Sticky, please? 

catlady2015

We're starting with ticker changes, but all this is open to discussion so we have a BMB organization we like!

As others join us, we'll get our structure ironed out. In the meantime, please review the above and let me know if you're interested in "owning" one of these threads to post weekly/monthly! (obv. others can post it if you're running late/can't bump for whatever reason). 

olivemomma

I’ll take the GTKY on Tuesdays! However, I live out west so it may be a little later in the morning before I get it posed for all those Eastern time zone folks

catlady2015

@olivemomma - it’s yours! I’ll take wtf Wednesday and the Friday ticker change. 

emmaaa

I can do FFFC!

dubcompanion

I can take Monday Bitchfest and PGAL!

I could also take Wednesday ticker change if we as a BMB agree to do it that way, although PGAL is also on Wed and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep the GTKYs super diverse. I’d get confused in which questions I already used for what group. 

catlady2015

@dubcompanion - I added you to all three. Let me know if you decide against doing the wednesday ticker change!   

BitterBetty12

@dubcompanion I can do the monthly CS/VBAC support thread. I can also do Ask a STM and Plus size Mom check ins. 

galactickates

I am just going to dive right in and make a suggestion - can we not do assigned check ins? I always thought that was a little weird and unnecessary, not to mention people who join later miss out on participating. Also time zones... if someone doesn't post by mid morning that doesn't really answer whose mid morning. East coast, west coast.... Also I don't want to answer the same GTKYs from the same people over and and over again. If people disappear and don't participate then what? I think if you want to start the thread great or start off by volunteering - awesome, but I don't think its necessary to assign them and it seems like a waste of time. 

galactickates

also, can we start a pgal thread now and then we can post a new one on Wed. I have to call my Dr Monday to schedule an appointment and I would love to connect with other PGAL moms before wed. I don't mind starting it. 

catlady2015

@galactickates - if you want to start any thread now, by all means go for it! I just wanted to get some threads started and get a little ownership spread since we're so new. 

galactickates

That's kind of what I am saying. I don't think we should have ownership. How do you guys propose we get around the time zone issues? There are people who are signed up for multiple threads which means you don't give a chance for anyone to start a thread and join in and I might have to answer questions from the same people in multiple threads.... Also i am really hoping I am not coming across bossy, I really am just trying to have a discussion about it. Honestly I don't think we should waste our time assigning threads. If you want to start something do it. That is my vote.

olivemomma

So just going to put in my 2 cents - I’m kind of a fan of board organization. I don’t think anything established now by any means has to be set in stone, but from other boards I’ve been a part of it seems the best way to keeps things running fairly smoothly and avoid a cluster bomb and all of the repetition on posts and questions (and to make sure threads actually do get posted). I also don’t think the time zone thing is too much of an issue unless someone on the west coast is constantly waiting until after 12 or so their time to post. I’m out west now but lived in the EST for my last pregnancy and never found it a problem if something wasn’t up in the morning.  Again, just my opinion but I’m willing to go with whatever the board decides. 

galactickates

i am not against board organization. its the assigning who starts the thread that I don't find necessary. I just spent 9 months in TTGP and we almost never had an issue with a double post, if it happened it just got changed to something else. These things usually fade away after awhile which is why I just say lets not. 

emmaaa

I have always liked having people semi-assigned to the daily threads or Randoms in particular. That way it’s getting done. I don’t see the big deal of having people starting specific threads and others starting them if they happen to miss it?

BitterBetty12

I think the issue is less about double posting and more about just making sure something gets posted. By having people assigned to different things it makes sure a thread isnt
forgotten. Especially in the beginning when we don’t have a lot of people. I also don’t think signing up for a thread means someone is the ONLY one who can start it. Just that they’re going to be the one to make sure it’s posted on a weekly basis. TTGP has a lot less threads than what we’re proposing for this, and an overall different vibe (though I spent time on there for 10 months in 2016, so I can’t speak for the current atmosphere!) And even if some fade away that’s ok. I would also be more than willing to give some of my threads up as new people join so that we can spread the love. 

galactickates

okey doke, i will take the weekly ticker change gif party celebration then.

BitterBetty12

Also just a quick aside - I am generally fine with whatever the majority want when it comes to this. If more people come in and want a free for all when it comes to the posts, that’s fine too! I think I we just see what happens as the board grows and evolves!

Whitmore1027

I do kind of like the assigned for the daily threads, only because I have noticed that sometimes a thread is never posted, or isn't until the very end of the day, because everyone is waiting for someone to post it. (Think of why you are supposed to point to someone and tell them to call "911" instead of just yelling "someone call 911", everyone kind of stands there and waits for someone else to). Does that make sense? I like the idea that people can be assigned to it, but if it's not posted by mid-morning, anyone can post it. Obviously as the months go on some people may just stop participating, and someone can unofficially just start posting the threads. I say, have it assigned if someone wants to, but be okay if anyone decides to post the thread. But I also have no qualms with doing whatever the majority wants!

Also, another idea for the ticker changes. One that some boards do is the weekly ticker, as in... Due dates of the 1st -7th, 8th-15th, 16th-25th, and 23rd-31st. One reason that's a neat one to do is because there won't be such a big gap in due dates, so that week the women would be very close in things such as symptoms, doctors appointments, etc. When you do a Monday ticker change for example, that includes the due date of the 7th and 28th, which are far apart. We could do like... post on Mondays "Ticker Change wk of 1-7" on Tuesdays "Ticker change wk of 8-15" Etc.

I am totally okay with sticking to the daily ticker changes instead of weekly (we did that with the Aug 2016 BMB I was on, and it worked out just fine). But I thought I would let you guys know of the other option just in case others liked it!

And I will take the "Ask a STM" on Mondays!

galactickates

@Whitmore1027 - I also would prefer the weekly EDD check ins as well instead of the ticker change by weekday.  

rooonilwaazlib

I can do a Team Rainbow check-in in the hope that there are more LGBTQ individuals on here. But I’m fully prepared to talk to myself in that thread because I haven’t consistently found a lot of others on here! #LonelyLesbian

dubcompanion

I'm cool with either a daily ticker change or weekly EDD check-in. I'm also cool whether we assign threads to people or not. I'm pretty much planning on spending this whole pregnancy staying cool. 

thecoldbothersme

I can take fit mom friday! 

galactickates

Is everyone ok with switching to weekly EDD check ins instead of ticker change check ins.  If so... @catlady2015 can you update: I copied from sept's board

• Due Date Weekly Check-in (separate thread for all 4 weeks)

emmaaa

@galactickates I like that idea.

galactickates

We can add it to Sunday and break it down Sunday to Saturday to follow the calender

dubcompanion

Sounds like a good plan @galactickates

emmaaa

I can edit the Monday Ticker Change I started today (especially since there aren't others yet) to something else

galactickates

That sounds great @emmaaa!  That way we can all participate now and as people join the groups will expand.  

emmaaa

Okay, I just changed it to 1st week of January Check in for now.

Since January 1 is a Tuesday would that just be a short week or how do we want to do that? My EDD is 1/7 so I'm fine with sticking with the first week even though that is the last day of an actual week. Or could just move to the second week? IDK, I'm over complicating this lol

galactickates

I'm going to be the first week,  if there isn't a ton of participation then we can combine them.  We'll just see how it goes.  If you want to participate in week one until more show up then I think thats totally fine.  

catlady2015

List has been updated with weekly check-ins posted on sunday! i suggest the following breakdowns - 1-8, 9-16, 17-23, 24-31. longer month, so three of the 4 weeks have 8 days and the last has 7. 

@rooonilwaazlib - what day would you like to post the team rainbow check-in? 

Whitmore1027

Normally either the first week, or last week will have the extra days in it. So maybe do 1st week 1st-7th, 2nd week 8th-14th, 3rd week 15-21 and 4th week 22-31. The first 3 weeks have 7 days, and the last week has 9.

Another option is have 5 weeks, and have it be 1-5, 6-12, 13-19, 20-26, and 27-31. That'll be 2 weeks at 5 due dates each, and 2 at 7 days each. We could do post 1-5 on Mondays, 6-12 on Tuesdays, 13-19 on Wednesdays, 20-26 on Thursdays, and 27-31 on Fridays.

Whatever actual dates we decide, let's be sure to add them to the discussion title, so that as new people come in they can see right away "Ticker Change Wk of 1st-7th DD" (for example).

Although now that I took the time to write all that out, it seems like the daily ticker changes wouldn't be as difficult to deal with.

galactickates

@catlady2015 I think that might be somewhat confusing.  I would pick one day let's say tuesday because the month starts on Tues and from Tuesday to Monday that's one check in and so on and so forth.    The end of the month 1/29, 1/30, 1/31 can just join in with previous week.  And anyone with a possible Dec check in can join in with week 1. 
Also maybe change the check in to tuesday so it all flows together, less confusion

catlady2015

@galactickates - updated. 

anyone have spreadsheet experience and would like to set up our BMB spreadsheet? 

BitterBetty12

@catlady1215 I think it got lost up there but I volunteered to do the monthly CS/VBAC check in, as well as the plus size Mom check in!

catlady2015

thanks for reminding me! It's up there now.  

catlady2015

@BitterBetty12 - thanks for reminding me! it's up there now.  

rooonilwaazlib

@BitterBetty12 YESSSSS to the curvy mamas! See ya there!

rooonilwaazlib

@catlady2015 I can whip one up in google docs and share.  Can I just go to another month's board and borrow theirs? Not knowledgeable on what goes in this thing but can def design and share one!