Appointments | Week of May 21st

[Deleted User]

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<b>How far along?</b>  
<b>
Any appointments this week?</b>  <b>

Questions or Concerns...</b>   

Please update us here, as well! ❤

[Deleted User]

<b>How far along?</b>  24+2
<b>
Any appointments this week?</b>  24 week cu with midwife<b>

Questions or Concerns...</b>   was a little concerned bc my weight jumped up a bit last week, and the last mw was super-judgey and I didn't like her. 

<b>UPDATE: </b>Apt went well, *although she did say to try and "slow down," my weight gain.  Uhm, yeah.  Sounds good.  I may have gotten a bit touchy when I told her I really don't sit around eating junkfood. Lol  I dunno if I should start counting calories, or what.  But whatever.  Either way, [based on my first fundal measurement], we've probably got a big baby in there, which we already knew!  Since I've been measuring ahead at every scan.  So next time is all the bw and glucose test, so should be fun.

nackie

 24 weeks 

24 week check up on Thursday

im hoping to get them to check my thyroid again even though it’s not due for another check until 28 weeks. At my 20 week appointment they did and said it was normal, but the last couple weeks I’ve been feeling like it’s not quite right. 

@BusinessWife I’m sorry you keep getting so many unhelpful comments about your weight gain. It’s so hard to control when you’re pregnant. Last time I ate almost nothing but cake and ice cream (I had some crazy cravings and aversions) and I gained 35 lbs. this time I’ve actually been eating healthy meals and snacking almost entirely on fruit and I’m still gaining at exactly the same rate I did before, if not faster. I don’t get it and it’s very frustrating. 

jumpy57

24 weeks
Appointment Thursday to say ''hi, how are ya?"

I'm interested to see how much I weigh. I think I gained a bunch this month but have been behind on the gaining timeline (same happened last time and I put on a lot of weight right at the end). 

I'm excited to show my doctor our chicken coop progress. She usually asks what our upcoming plans are and always reminds me to take it easy (we always have some sort of event going on). 

starla

@BusinessWife I'm sorry you had to hear about the weight gain again. My MWs don't care at all. They make it your choice if you want to keep track and you weigh yourself either at home or at their office. Every time they ask my weight at my appointment they tell me "you don't have to tell me." LOL My SIL's doctor, on the other hand, told her to "lay off the donuts."

jumpy57

I feel like instead of just telling someone to not gain so much weight it would be more productive to have a conversation or ask questions about diet, but that's me just being logical I guess

[Deleted User]

@starla  oh wow! can I switch midwives???  :D 

@EErin86  uhm, yeah.  Bc that would makes sense.  The closest we got to that is, before asking any questions, she told me not to eat junk food. :/
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MandyMost

I have an appointment of Friday (24+6) to check the heartbeat and see if the arrhythmia is still there. 

magnolia209

I’m 23+5 and I have my 24 week check up tomorrow (it sounds like a bunch of us have appointments tomorrow!). I have a record setting list of questions! I think this is one of those quick in and out appointments. 

pourmeanothermocktail

I don't remember if I updated the appointment thread last week, but my doctor decided not to do the placenta check scan we had originally planned last week, instead we're waiting until 30 weeks...which I get but makes me nervous, is my 30 weeks I would have liked to have already decided if home birth is definitely too risky, which I won't know until the scan.

So I don't know if it's moving or digging in. It's hard to not know. Oh well. 3 more weeks until glucose test and 5 more weeks until the scan.

adirat

@pourmeamocktail That's frustrating. I get why they might want to wait 'til 30 weeks to give you the best chance of the placenta moving, but waiting is soooooo hard. Mine is at 28 weeks and I want to know yesterday.

pourmeanothermocktail

adirat said:

@pourmeamocktail That's frustrating. I get why they might want to wait 'til 30 weeks to give you the best chance of the placenta moving, but waiting is soooooo hard. Mine is at 28 weeks and I want to know yesterday.

Exactly, especially because mine was over scar and placenta. If it doesn't move at all, there's a high chance of accreta, which means a section at 34 weeks plus hysterectomy. If it moves some, but not fully off scar, I need time to decide if I want to risk home birth or not. Hoping it moves fully of course, but there are so many scary things that I'd rather have more than potentially 4 weeks to emotionally deal with expecting a preemie, not having more kids, and also having another section, not to mention losing my home birth.

But I do get it, it's just so hard for me, especially since I'm so type a, and had such a bad time last birth. 

klj0228

@pourmeamocktail sorry you are still having to wait on this. Try to remember you have zero control over this (hard for type a personality, which I am too). 

@BusinessWife sorry they said something about your weight. I feel like so much of pregnancy weight gain is your body not what you are putting in or exercising out. Obviously if you were sitting around eating donuts and not getting off the couch that is within your control, but I know you have been doing more than that. I wish they would just let us be unless the weight gain is completely outrageous. 

Patience7150

@BusinessWife I know I've commented about your ob's comments about your weight before, but just wanted to show you a bit more support. You're doing awesome, and I'm sorry that's even mentioned remotely in your appointments. You worked so hard to be here and your body has been on a hormone roller coaster. That ain't easy and I'm sorry that's seemingly being forgotten! Hang in there! 

@pourmeamocktail at this point you need to pour yourself a cocktail. Thinking of you and hoping these weeks pass quickly and that you won't need to mentally prepare for the worst...

AFM: I went back to the chiro on Monday to confirm the adjustments stayed and they did. He made a few additional adjustments, but really I just enjoyed laying on my stomach for a few minutes. 26 week "hi bye" next week.

[Deleted User]

@Patience7150  So glad the chiro is helping!  And thanks. ❤  I went into this pregnancy heavy after all the IF struggles (which is depressing as heck, and it's so easy to gain, when cycle after cycle, you keep telling yourself maybe that ice cream won't matter bc you'll be pregnant(!) And then... <<spoiler alert>> you're not.)  I worked So hard to lose 65 lbs in a year before the wedding.  So that's hard enough to know that I let that nearly all come back during our struggles... and then I shh you not - 5 lbs up per IVF cycle.  So that's two back-to-back retrievals, and two back-to-back transfer cycles.  I mean wtf.  I dare anybody to do that and not gain. :/  Now that I'm finally pregnant, my heart is so profoundly relieved!!  I'm actually back at the gym again!!! (A little bit)  putting on a swim suit and getting in the pool! (Here and there)  I am making so many nutritious food choices, it's no wonder my baby is growing well!  Lol so I mean really.  When somebody maybe should have been worried about my habits or my mindset, I was invisible.  We're so far past that now, maybe that's what makes me kind of angry, too, ya know?  Where was all that concern from the medical professionals when it was maybe warranted???  And im angry that we had to fight so hard for this!  But by the time I made it to the RE, no one ever said I was overweight.  <i>Ever</i>.  So really.  I don't know why the mws feel the need to be all gloom and doom about it now.  It's gonna be fine.  FFS  So thank you. ❤  It means a lot.

jumpy57

@pourmeamocktail so feel free to completely disregard this suggestion.... What your going through sounds terrible, at this point would it be helpful to prepare for the unwanted outcome so that when things work out it's a relief? Again, I'm sorry you're going through this and I think any way you approach it sounds hard (preparing for the worst or just hoping for the best). I have my fingers crossed for that placenta moving to a convenient location though!

pourmeanothermocktail

@EErin86 I hear you, I'm just not even sure how or what that means. I'm getting house ready for a total bed rest at 30 weeks situation if necessary, but I'm not cutting loose on midwife now if there's still a chance of home birth. And we can't afford childcare for my son no matter what...so any help I get at home is entirely the mercy of our family and friends-nothing I can change there and nothing I can get settled or planned ahead, because until an emergency, I have no offers. my husband can take up to a week unpaid, even though we can only kinda afford that, and that can't be planned ahead either.

I guess I just don't know how to prepare anymore for anything...other than getting a steroid shot for baby's lungs as soon after ultrasound as possible, I'm at a loss. But giving up all hope on more kids (our financial situation won't work for adopting!) and accepting a c section I don't think I can do now...if only because of the depths of horror that last time was. I have a birth plan ready for that outcome, but I can't accept it until there's no choice. 

It's hard enough right now being pregnant and in two weeks in the anniversary of my nightmare. It's sad, but true-my son's birthday isn't joyous to me. There was only pain and separation from baby. For days. 

I'm afraid that if I give up hope now I'll be unable to even function through the grief. Doing my best to just work on house, take care of myself, and not think about anything. What I can make of plans...which is little...I've made. Last time I had a c section birth plan too. But it ended up being totally ignored and thrown out the window by the doctors. So...idk. Just hard. Healthy me and baby are the most important, for sure, so if the section is necessary, that's what we'll do, and I'll accept it, but I'm not going to be able to like it. My body never recovered from the first. I'm hoping I can be athletic again one day. 

[Deleted User]

@pourmeamocktail I'm so sorry you are facing all this uncertainty.  I was getting nervous too, just about signing the doula agreement, in case something happens we don't get anything resembling our birthplan... So I can just imagine how many places your mind must be going.  Deep breaths.  Whatever the future holds, you will find a way to handle it, and it will be okay, in the end.

...and if it's <i>not</i> okay, it's not the end. ;)

jumpy57

So I get to the doctor's office, I'm in the restroom for the urine sample, and I drop the cup in the toilet  I rinsed it off and continued with my business, then spill on my fingers as I'm trying to put the cap on. Ugh even though no one witnessed it I was so embarrassed, I thought I would share so if it happens to someone in the future they won't feel alone.



Appointment went well otherwise and I got my GlucoCrush to drink before my next appointment for the glucose test.

I think a lot of people had appointments today, I hope everyone had a better day than I did

sclarke7

Had an apt with the OB this week for 22 week check up. My OB was on vacation, so saw another from the practice my OB runs. Feedback from our AS was great. I did get some heat about my recent weight gain which stung a little bit. I'm up nearly 10 lbs in the past 4 weeks but prior to that gained about 5 since pregnancy. No idea why the rapid jump and I told her that. I'm eating well and running/strength training 6 days a week. I was underweight prior to becoming pregnant so maybe this is a reason why the sudden jump, my body trying to play catch up? Nonetheless, I felt horrible when she said, if you don't lay off the carbs you're on track for a 60lb weight gain and i need to try to stick to about 1lb per week. Planning to have a chat with my OB once she's back about this. In the mean time I will be trying to make more healthy choices.

@BusinessWife I can totally relate to how you are feeling getting shade for the weight gain.. I'm super sensitive about my weight having struggled with restricting and distorted eating during my whole adult life. I feel getting heat from the fill in OB only made it worse. I'm just going to try do the best I can and stay active and continue to make healthy choices. Pregnancy weight gain guidelines really don't take into consideration a lot of things. We just do the best we can  
@pourmeamocktail My heart goes out to you. I hope that you continue to maintain your strength and hope through this process. I know how important it is to you to stick to the birth plan as much as possible and how traumatic your first birth was. Sending you calming and positive vibes and hopes that the best outcome will be. hugs. 

DanyTargaryen

@sclarke7 - Have your legs or feet puffed up at all? According to my at home scale my weight has jumped up the past week or 2 but I can feel my legs have started to swell a bit. 

jumpy57

Why are all of these medical professionals so terrible at being useful when it comes to weight management???? If I had to hear what you ladies do at appointments I would be in tears every time.

nackie

@EErin86 I’m at my appointment now and successfully peed in the cup, so I’m feeling pretty good about myself. Thanks for the laugh

@sclarke7 I’m sorry you got such an unhelpful comment. Hopefully your normal OB can put your mind at ease next time you talk to her. 

DanyTargaryen

Peeing in the cup gets so difficult once the belly gets in the way!!

magnolia209

@EErin86 My appointment is in 1 hour. Your pee cup story made me laugh! I'm glad the rest of the appointment went well.

@sclarke7 I'm baffled about how you could possibly be getting shade. I mean you run. Like I can barely make it to yoga once every other week! I feel I've gained a little weight since my last appointment, but I havn't gained much so far. But it's not because I'm making good or bad decisions. It's just what is happening naturally.  I just really think the doctors or midwives should be coaching us towards healthy choices rather than basing their opinions on weight alone. I'll find out where I am weight-wise in 40 minutes. 

@BusinessWife The comments directed at you are crazy. After what you've been through to get pregnant, it sounds like your body is just doing its best for you and the baby. I think that is what all of our bodies are doing. 

Good luck to everyone having appoinments today! 

klj0228

DanyTargaryen said:

Peeing in the cup gets so difficult once the belly gets in the way!!

I was just thinking this other day wondering how in the world I’m going to be able to pee in a cup as my belly gets bigger. 

DanyTargaryen

klj0228 said:

DanyTargaryen said:

Peeing in the cup gets so difficult once the belly gets in the way!!

I was just thinking this other day wondering how in the world I’m going to be able to pee in a cup as my belly gets bigger. 

It was not easy. I said something to the nurse about it when I was pregnant with DS and got quite a good laugh. 
It's annoying considering you go to the dr more frequently towards the end too.

Redpuma119

The weight gain thing baffles me. How is baby measuring? How is your fundal measurement? How is your urine looking? Blood pressure? Swelling? SO many things that con contribute. On one end, you look at the women who are in places of the world with famine, and the baby comes out fine. And then you see those women, who no matter what, gain 60 pounds and she and the baby are fine. I can understand the risks associated with GD, but some women are very thin and still get it. I think that so much of the information we get from our drs is not always what they think, but follows the guidelines set forth by the government, therefore covering them from any insurance issues.

stothi

@EErin86 I get such anxiety about peeing in the cup! Not full blown panic but I reeeeeaaaalllly think about it and worry every damn time. I don't want to splash on the cup or my hands, I overthink how much pee to get in there, like is it enough or too much, ect ect. Ug. I peed on my hands almost every single time during third trimester last time. You can't see and it's hard to reach! It's a freaking challenge. Why haven't they come up with a special pregnant lady pee catching toliet yet? C'mom medical industry! There's enough of us that need it.

treeofcheem

Weight gain isn’t a straight line for most people, which is what bothers me the most about the weight judgments. “On track to gain X lb” is just BS.

Last time I gained very little in 3rd tri, although my appetite was huge. I apparently gain early on and then it slows down. And then you have @EErin86 with basically the opposite - and either scenario is totally fine and normal. And a bunch of other scenarios are also fine.

AND the biggest “problem” I’ve read about (minor) excess weight gain is that it’s harder to lose it all within a certain timeframe (6 months or so?) For many of us, that’s an unrealistic timeframe anyways!

The logic is missing in much of this, and yet it’s treated like such a big deal to meet these exact standards and expectations.... Weight gain is definitely something to keep an eye on but I think they’re unreasonably uptight about it.

nlc8424

Even as a registered dietitian who promotes a healthy weight and lifestyle in general, I hate the focus on weight. As others have mentioned, the weight you gain during pregnancy is not linear and much of it doesn't really reflect exactly what you're eating or not eating. If practitioners were able to directly say, "well, the more weight you gain, the higher your blood pressure will be, which will impact xyz" and so on and so forth, then ok I get it. But they don't, it's usually a slap on the wrist with a judgmental tone and not a lot of helpful information to go along with it. Unfortunately, most doctors receive minimal nutrition education during the course of their education, so they really aren't the expert on this. I'm sure that the most favorable outcomes probably coincide with the recommended amounts of weight gain, but that can't be the end all be all. Especially when it's near impossible to guarantee a woman can easily gain the proper amount of weight without paying a ridiculous amount of attention to what they're eating and when they're exercising.

If anyone is seriously concerned with their diet and what they are/aren't eating I will answer questions directly in a thread or someone can send me a message. 

I'm really sorry for those of you ( @BusinessWife, @sclarke7) who are getting lectured on this.

pourmeanothermocktail

The weight obsession is silly. Some is genetics and hormones, some is body composition-you ladies who are working out a lot still are likely building more muscle to work out with the extra weight of baby and belly-and muscle just weighs a lot. If you're not gaining a ton maybe your body is just more efficient. As long as baby is growing and you don't have pre-e, and you aren't gaining so much that you're compromising your own health then why should anyone give a flying frog?!

Patience7150

@stothi pee cup on a selfie stick. BaM.

nlc8424

Also regarding peeing in a cup in third tri, I feel like the toilet was always way too close to the wall for me to spread my legs far apart enough to attempt to get the cup below my belly and in the right spot to collect pee. Or even better, wait times in the exam room that are long enough that require you to pee again before the doctor comes in and you have to walk down the hall with a cloth wrapped around you. So glamorous!

*spelling

SkilledSailor

nlc8424 said:

*you have to walk down the hall with a cloth wrapped around you. So glamorous!*

*spelling

You just gave me a whole other reason to be thankful that my birthing center provides plush robes for our appointments, not just sheets. 

I'm so sorry for those who have been made to feel bad about their weight gain. It's not nice at all and sounds like they're handling it in a very poor manner. *hugs*

@pourmeamocktail extra *hugs* to you. I'm so sorry you're dealing with all of those unknowns. I know how much you're hoping for a home birth. Crossing everything that you are still able to get that or at the very least, as close to an unmedicated birth with your midwife as possible. 

magnolia209

haha - I definitely had to pee both before and after my 20 minute appointment today! And, of course - they didn’t need me to pee in a cup this week. They are waiting until my 28 week appointment when I probably won’t be able to see below my belly.

Appointment today went great and I learned a lot:

GD test has to be 24 weeks or after. I’m 23+6 today so she said I could come back tomorrow or in the next few weeks. 

I get the whooping cough booster at 28 weeks. 

After 28 weeks I start having appointments every 2 weeks. 

She confirmed- it’s very very likely for placentas to shift up (I get checked again for that at 28 weeks since mine was low lying at the AS.)

She measured me with a measuring tape for the first time today and - I’m consistently measuring 1 week ahead! No due date change, but in my non-medical opinion, the baby is totally going to be at least a few days early. 

I finally got the 24 hour nurses line and the 24 hour emergency line for labor and delivery. So, those are now on my fridge and I feel much better. 

She was very unimpressed with my sinus issues and thinks it’s all just hormones and allergies. 

And i found out that the OB and I both have husbands who are from Colombia! That was unexpected. When I told her that I picture the that the baby is salsa dancing, she cracked up and told me that she and my baby were going to get along great! I was really happy to have that personal bonding moment with her. 

arbell615

I have my 24 week check up tomorrow, looking forward to hearing baby’s heartbeat again and making sure everything is good.

for those being lectured on weight gain, I want to repeat the sympathies and encouragement of previous posters here. I believe (as a non doctor individual person) that as long as you’re trying to make healthy choices your body will do the best it can to take care of your baby. Also, according to the research reviewed in ‘Expecting Better’ gaining more weight is healthier for a baby than not gaining enough. Soooooooo eat ice cream sometimes and try not to stress. Our bodies are going through so many changes, everything is constantly shifting. Try to give yourself love and understanding. 

Lcardinal04

Today is round two of anatomy scan! I really hope baby girl cooperates this time. 

nackie

My appointment yesterday went. My OB is awesome and didn’t say a word about my weight gain. So far I’m averaging 5.5 lbs/month.  She’s also going to have the scheduling lady send me a list of chiropractors they recommend. 
I was annoyed when she told me that I don’t need to fast before my glucose test and that research has shown fasting makes you more likely to fail. So then why are the front desk people still recommending early morning appointments for that one so you can fast??  She told me she likes her patients to eat 2 hours before the test and only water after that. So now I get to figure out how to have breakfast 2 hours before my 8am appointment 

[Deleted User]

Oof, @nackie I was told to eat something light / protein prior, but not a specific time frame.  So I suggested like an egg first thing, and she said that would be perfect.  My apt is at 830, so I will probably have my egg (or two) around 730, and hoping that will be fine.

nackie

@BusinessWife that makes sense. I also have to take thyroid medication in the morning which is specifically not supposed be to taken with food so that complicates things for me a bit. Maybe I’ll take my pill at my 3am potty wake up .