Ask a STM+ w/o 5/7

Whitmore1027

Good morning! It's Monday and time to ask an STM(+) (second time or more mom) your questions or concerns! 

Whitmore1027

I have questions for moms on their third baby. I am pregnant with my second and I'm worried about picking up my toddler so often and carrying him around. Obviously I know it's a thing that you can't get around. My doctor said that picking him up is okay since it's pretty much necessary. But to always bend with knees when I get bigger. It still worries me. How did you moms overcome that worried feeling? Or am I the only one? LOL

sparkymcgeee

I didn't even think about it @Whitmore1027. I even carried her in a sling and stuff. You just have to do your normal thing. Both of my kids are totally fine. 

Whitmore1027

@sparkymcgeee Sounds good! I try to just live life normal and not think too much about it. I just remember with my first pregnancy, I was also so careful about everything I did.

beachmama14

My daughter was 13 months old when I got pregnant with my second and I carried her all the time and even still used the ergo til the near end. You just do what you have to do. As long as you arent slamming her into your body, the new baby will be just fine!

thetwistedwillow

Pregnant with my seventh. The youngest is 2.5 and is fairly independent now, but sometimes after naps she just wants to be carried. If I feel especially crampy or whatever, I’ll sit down and have her climb onto my lap. 

If I don’t hold her, an older kiddo or hubs carry her. During my other pregnancies I always had a toddler and I just carried them, too.

But squats are a good thing, especially for labor prep, so you can always squat and lift (use your legs, not your back, when you come up). 

MrsPyrowiz

My two are 22 months apart.  I carried my son all throughout my second pregnancy.  Even in early labor.  He's 2.5yo and 35+lbs and I carry him sometimes now unless my body tells me it's too much.  My daughter is only 9.5 months and even though she can walk, she still gets carried most of the time.  Your body is used to carrying your little one and it will tell you if you need a break.

sweetyjenj

STM, so I'm just now also learning how to be pregnant with a toddler (15 months), but I remember the doctor with my first saying that a big reason why they say to limit how much weight you lift and bend is because when you're really pregnant you are more likely to get off balance, and you don't want to be falling, especially while carrying big things.

olivemomma

Yep still carry both of my babies, the oldest of which is 4.5. Sometimes I carry them at the same time! What are you going to do, refuse to pick them up for 9 months?? I think our bodies are used to those weights bc let’s face it, they always want to be up. Unless something happens to put me on bed rest or something I’ll continue holding them as long as I can!

kaf1788

Any STMs have any tips for nausea? I’m already prone to motion sickness and getting super nervous about an upcoming plane ride to London. My first OB appointment isn’t until after I get back- is there something They could prescribe me if I reach out before? I literally know nothing!

thetwistedwillow

kaf1788 said:

Any STMs have any tips for nausea? I’m already prone to motion sickness and getting super nervous about an upcoming plane ride to London. My first OB appointment isn’t until after I get back- is there something They could prescribe me if I reach out before? I literally know nothing!

I found that eating high protein meals and snacks helped tremendously. I think Brewer diet is what it was that I tried to (loosely) follow. It’s not actually a diet, as in weight loss. It’s for pregnancy, to help with blood pressure and other issues. We don’t get nearly enough protein. 

Whitmore1027

@kaf1788 For morning sickness your doctor could prescribe Diclegis. That's what I used during my first pregnancy. Also, eat high protein and complex carbs. Oh, and preggie pop drops! They were my life savor. If I felt too sick to eat something, I would pop one in and it really helped bring the nausea down. 

rooonilwaazlib

Any S+TM mamas have experience with family/friends who smoke cigarettes?  My mother and MIL both smoke cigarettes (1/2 to a pack a day) and they've been put on notice since we started trying to get KO that smoking around our children will not be tolerated.  

Does anyone have experience navigating this challenge with family/friends while you are pregnant or after you've given birth?  I know addiction is a real thing, and they've both been smoking for so so long, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't want my child (or me while I am pregnant...or anyone really) exposed to second-hand smoke. I work in the field of substance use disorders but I want to approach this conversation from the vantage point of a daughter/mother-to-be, not the cigarette police.  Any advice is welcome! 

olivemomma

@rooonilwaazlib I have a pretty cut and dry policy about smoking and my kids - it will not be tolerated around them. I think it’s something you just have to be pretty blunt about unfortunately. Yes, addiction is real but so are the health consequences and example being set - you just have to put yourself and kids first. My dad smoked my entire childhood and was constantly back and forth with attempting to give it up throughout my adulthood but he always went back to it. I was very blunt with him and said he could pick being around his grandkids or smoking. I didn’t want him running outside for a cigarette or smelling of smoke either when they were around - I wanted him to stop - and he did, it was the ultimate push he really needed because he knew I meant it. I wouldn’t let them be around any other kind of substance abuse and I don’t think cigarettes are much different just because they are legal. This may be more extreme than you are looking to go but it worked for me and he completely understood it wasn’t coming from a place of anger or hostility on my part but just wanting the best for my kids (and ultimately for him too)!

olivemomma

Also to add I want my kids to be able to spend extended amounts of time with their grandparents and I didn’t think it would be realistic for him to suddenly stop for a whole day or weekend here or there just because they were around - not smoking had to be a habit/lifestyle to be maintained or I knew they would eventually be exposed to it. From growing up with it I just knew it was inevitable if it wasn’t a life change for him. It’s a hard reality and conversation to have but if you feel strongly about it I would consider it

Jackiemxoxo

@kaf1788, Seabands and preggie pops seem to always help me with nausea. I like the seabands that are stretchy though so they are easier to take on/off. 

rooonilwaazlib

@olivemomma no it's actually the exact way I want to be about it so thank you for validating my position.  My MIL smokes outside of her house because my FIL doesn't let her do it inside.  But I still won't go near her for a while afterward because I'm so sensitive to the smell. My mom, on the other hand, smokes freely in her house.  I literally can't be in her house more than a few hours and my clothes and hair all stink from smoke when I leave.  I have told her this is why I can't come over that often because I am so sensitive to it...and she still hasn't stopped.  I hope to draw a firm line in the sand with both of them.  I want to set good health policies with my kids and want that to include zero tolerance of things that are proven to be completely bad for you.  I want them both to stop smoking altogether, but if they can't do it then some serious things need to shift.  Don't come to my house smelling like cigarettes, don't do it while you're at my house even if you go outside, don't do it anywhere my kids will be (in your house, car, etc.) or I won't bring them there.  It's simple and harsh but really what is the argument when their (first for both sides) grandbaby is around? Quit or drastically change your behaviors, or watch my kids through videos I send you.  I am very passionate about it and appreciate the validation of my seriousness when it comes to this issue.

sparkymcgeee

Other ladies who have been on progesterone. Does it cause discharge? I know it's TMI but I'm constantly thinking blood and when I go to the bathroom it's never blood. (Thank heavens) Just wondering if progesterone will do that because even though some discharge is normal in pregnancy it's seems like more.

zamoraspin

@sparkymcgeee Yes. Try to get the progesterone as far up as possible, but once the pill warms up from your body you will have discharge that is whatever color the pill is. I have been using red ones but now am switching to yellow (interesting). I asked the pharmacist who thought to make progesterone red and he said "probably a man" which made me laugh. In the evening/overnight I find I have less discharge because I am lying flat, but during the day a lot of it comes back out. I use a pantyliner to keep from staining my underwear. 

catlady2015

@sparkymcgeee - FTM here but I've been on progesterone since before the BFP and hellz yeah on the discharge. I'm on the compounded progesterone suppositories and I definitely need a liner and overnight/first couple hours awake in the morning are the worst. After that it's not too bad. What type of progesterone are you on? 

sparkymcgeee

I'm not on a suppository. It's an oral tab.

zamoraspin

@sparkymcgeee Huh. Well I don't know what to say about that then if you're taking it orally. I think some women just have extra discharge during pregnancy. 

olivemomma

@rooonilwaazlib yep totally have your back momma! Never feel bad about setting rules and boundaries when it comes to the health of your baby and any behavior you don’t condone and don’t want them to normalize one day. Hopefully they understand and will make the right decision!

sweetyjenj

@kaf1788 I didn't get much MS last time around, and hopefully not this time, but I did get this weird all day queasiness that would show up if I didn't eat frequently. I just ate something every 1-2 hours and that helped keep it at bay. I also used seabands. Tip: jolly ranchers work basically the same as preggo pops and are wayyyy cheaper. Those helped me.

Snacks that helped: banana, crackers, granola/protein bar, toast, etc. Also, when I packed a lunch for work and snacks, I packed the amount I normally would, but then ate it spread out instead of at once. This way I wasn't over eating. For example, I packed a banana, thing of veggies, tuna packet, crackers, sandwich...then ate each thing about an hour or two apart.

sweetyjenj

@sparkymcgee I can't say from personal experience bc I never really get that much CM anyway, but I've heard from several pregnant ladies that they get SO MUCH discharge/CM while pregnant, especially early on. I guess it's your body making the mucus plug or something like that?

sparkymcgeee

sweetyjenj said:

@sparkymcgee I can't say from personal experience bc I never really get that much CM anyway, but I've heard from several pregnant ladies that they get SO MUCH discharge/CM while pregnant, especially early on. I guess it's your body making the mucus plug or something like that?

That's totally true. I just don't remember from any other pregnancy this much so I was thinking it had to be the progesterone because this is the first I have taken it. 

alexandraseattle

Any tips on hiding your pregnancy at work until you pass week 12? I’m not ready to share yet, but I’ve been feeling so sick. I’ve been eating saltines and drinking ginger ale throughout the day. I wanted to try sea bands but I also feel like that will raise too many eyebrows. I started this job not too long ago - so that’s part of why I want to wait. (I was not pregnant when I started though.) 

babs02

Ok so this is my 4th pregnancy 3rd baby. I just got my numbers back from my first blood draw I’m 4 weeks today blood draw was Wednesday. Hcg was 105 which I feel like is normal, but I know nothing about progesterone. They said it was low at 14. And I’m going to start doing suppositories. Can anyone tell me more about this? Or if I should post in another thread. 

sparkymcgeee

@babs02 anything over 10 is okay but the progesterone can't hurt.

babs02

@sparkymcgeee thank you! That helps my anxiety 

UnbreakableKimmySchmidt

@alexandraseattle I was working when I was expecting DD and managed to “hide” it for awhile. Although my co -workers told me they knew by my drawer of snacks...saltines, etc. and my dr appointments. To their credit nobody said anything or asked. No great tips but hopefully ppl use common sense and don’t ask you! Good luck! 

sweetyjenj

@alexandraseattle I sucked on jolly ranchers and drank la croix. I didn't get much MS, though. Just all day queasiness when I was hungry. I made sure to eat something every 1.5hours or so

sfgiantsgamerbabe

@alexandraseattle I took Zofran my first pregnancy but now I’m taking Diclegis. I also sucked on jolly ranchers and drank lemonade. I’m doing those things now. The sour seems to help. I never tried it but I’ve a combination of B6 and unisom help. It might be half a unisom.