FTM questions for STM+

peachy13

First time mom questions for second time (and more) moms --- there are no dumb questions in my books, and we are more reliable than your daily google searches!

Just trying out this thread... if it works for our board maybe we can make it weekly or something. Ask away!

knottie0d8cc4d43bacc09f

Good idea @peachy13 -I know I LOVED this thread during my first pregnancy. Ask away! Also just had to come here to say I cracked up at the second pregnancy photo - it looks like a stock image for some pregnancy magazine or something. Except she's drinking soda and eating takeout HA. 

SpaceBurger

Haha those pictures of first vs second are flipped for me. I will be way healthier this time!

mrsdee15

@peachy13 That photo cracked me up!  I feel bad, because I know I'm being more loose than I was in the first pregnancy in terms of what I eat (not terribly so, but I've had some caffeine in desperate times and have had several days of takeout).  I really want to be healthier this time around, but honestly I don't know how to do that with food aversions.

AlyshaRoseh

Awesome thread! @peachy13 FTM here, I will have so many questions! 

kvh22

@mrsdee15 did your OB say no caffeine? I was told and usually see up to 200mg which is about 2 cups of regular coffee. Granted, I'm still BFing so I'm limiting to decaf and the occasional cup out, plus DD had a heart arrhythmia while I was pregnant around 24 weeks that resolved itself by 28 weeks but I've had maybe 5 caffeinated beverages since last April. I don't think you should beat yourself up over it.

mrsdee15

@kvh22 My OB last time said after the first trimester 200 milligrams was okay, but she is also incredibly conservative (not that that's a bad thing).  This time they have me meeting with a nurse practitioner for my first appointment (I have Kaiser, and I guess it's normal to meed with NPs/midwives rather than OBs), so I am curious to see what they say.

psychobutthead

I'm probably the first pic this 3rd time.  I gained way too much weight last time.  My last ob was nasty about me just having one cup of coffee a day. 

I have a 3 year old and a middle schooler.  I'm drinking 2 cups a day because I don't drink tea and I don't  drink soda so this new OB can bite me if she doesn't like it. 

expandcontract

Im loving those 2 pics up top! Hilarious and so true for me! I want to be as healthy as last time but chasing a toddler, FT job with long hours,  lack of sleep,  and a sick MIL makes it real hard, dammit!

bumbly_b

What is a typical first appointment like? 

I go on the 21st but didnt get a chance to ask what would be happening  

expandcontract

@bumbly_b I'll tell you the parts I remember. I'm sure I'll forget some stuff. Other ladies can fill in the gaps, I'm sure. 
The first official prenatal appointment includes an ultrasound (yay!). If you've never had one, they are the most fun part of any of these visits. You'll have to drink about 32 ounces of water an hour before the exam. They'll first scan your belly with the wand. After that, they'll let you pee. Then you come back and then they insert this long wand inside your vagina. (They don't look, you help them guide it in.) From here, they're able to hopefully give you nice pictures of the little seed. 
After the U/S, you'll meet with the doctor and she basically does a thorough history of you. I don't think she does the pelvic exam. I believe they avoid doing those so as not to put the baby at any risk of infections. She will do a breast exam. She'll go over any medications (prescriptions or over the counter) you're taking. 
She'll discuss family history, personal history, etc. 
She'll ask you if you're interested in genetic testing, cord donation/preservation. She should be able to tell you what your due date is at this time. 
I hope that helps. I can't remember what else they do.

psychobutthead

@bumbly_b Its pretty much what @expandcontract said.

Each OB varies though. Like at mine they have you speak to a nurse first. Which is stupid. The nurse basically tells me everything I can't do, can't eat and she calculates my due date.
Then my nurse was the one to ask me all the medical history questions and give me the packets on cord blood banking and genetic testing.
 Then I see my OB and my OB did do a pelvic exam and she did the ultrasound herself. So I didn't help her guide the wand she just did it herself.

But basically the same. Each doctor does things a little differently.

brie_and_almonds

My OB doesn't use the "dildo cam" (transvaginal ultrasound) at the first visit, or at all unless something else is going on. If all is going well, no ultrasounds until the anatomy scan at 20 weeks.

minnemiska

My OB does the first appointment around 8 weeks and does an ultrasound. I never had a vaginal one. Pelvic exam, weight, blood pressure, blood draw, pee in a cup (you will become a master at peeing in a cup blind by the end), and going over some of the what’s to come. 

k2k2tog

Canada here, and things can be very different by region. My first appointments have never included an ultrasound, but do include an attempt to find the heart beat via doppler. My OB took a family history and discussed genetic testing. Blood pressure and weight. I can't remember when they started to take fundal measurements. At every appointment, they'll do a pee test for protein in your urine. (I didn't have to pee in a cup - they gave me a test strip to pee on instead.) I left with a lab requisition for blood work.

psychobutthead

brie_and_almonds said:

My OB doesn't use the "dildo cam" (transvaginal ultrasound) at the first visit, or at all unless something else is going on. If all is going well, no ultrasounds until the anatomy scan at 20 weeks.

I always call it the dildo cam but I was trying to be nice and not scare any ftm's lol

expandcontract

psychobutthead said:

brie_and_almonds said:

My OB doesn't use the "dildo cam" (transvaginal ultrasound) at the first visit, or at all unless something else is going on. If all is going well, no ultrasounds until the anatomy scan at 20 weeks.

I always call it the dildo cam but I was trying to be nice and not scare any ftm's lol

Lol! Same here! I actually debated whether i should call it that on here or if i would offend someone. Glad to know im not alone.  

rufflifephilly

My OB uses the transvag u/s early-on if they can’t see well enough through the abdomen. Prob depends on your weight and anatomy though as to whether they use it.  They also ask if you want the transvag at 20 week a/s to check cervical strength which I did, and I’m glad I did it, because it’s also how they found velamentous cord insertion and near vasa previa! Mine will do a Pap smear and pelvic exam on the first visit too if it’s been a year since your last. I can’t wait for my exam but it’s soooo far away (10/5

MelissaMay82

*TW- not a STM but did make it to 22 weeks and my OB's office does things a little differently so wanted to share*

At the practice I go to, the first visit is with a nurse practitioner and is an intake appointment to go over history, questions, etc., which is around 6-8 weeks. The first appointment with the doc is a pelvic exam/pap around 8-10 weeks. The ultrasound is done at a different location around 10 weeks (I'm not sure why because they have an u/s and an u/s tech who does the 20 week scan). For my though I have the intake appointment on Friday and then an u/s next Friday to check how things are going.

psychobutthead

expandcontract said:

psychobutthead said:

brie_and_almonds said:

My OB doesn't use the "dildo cam" (transvaginal ultrasound) at the first visit, or at all unless something else is going on. If all is going well, no ultrasounds until the anatomy scan at 20 weeks.

I always call it the dildo cam but I was trying to be nice and not scare any ftm's lol

Lol! Same here! I actually debated whether i should call it that on here or if i would offend someone. Glad to know im not alone.  

Yeah I think my husband about died the first time I called it that lol

bluesky24

LOL dildo cam. I never thought of it that way but it totally is. 

kvh22

@expandcontract I thought I was going to have an abdominal u/s so drank lots of water (maybe them not telling me to was a giveaway) so the transvaginal was sooooo uncomfortable. She showed me my other organs after baby and was like "oh, that's a reallllly full bladder."

So for those going to their first u/s at 8 weeks (later will most likely always be abdominal but baby will be big enough I've never had to have a full bladder), DON'T go with a full bladder unless they tell you to. It was still an amazing experience but I was not comfortable during it.

thegirlwhowaited_

@kvh22 my nurse always asks me to empty my bladder before I even go in the room for the u/s.

brie_and_almonds

psychobutthead said:

brie_and_almonds said:

My OB doesn't use the "dildo cam" (transvaginal ultrasound) at the first visit, or at all unless something else is going on. If all is going well, no ultrasounds until the anatomy scan at 20 weeks.

I always call it the dildo cam but I was trying to be nice and not scare any ftm's lol

Haha, I guess I'm kinda a jerk then. I heard that name from my sister, and that's what I've called it ever since.

expandcontract

@kvh22 that U/S tech should have let you pee!!! How rude.  

suzycupcake

*lurking* dildo cam  

ElleJDubs

Lol I never thought to call it a dildo cam but that is beyond accurate 

DuchessOfCambridge

My first official appointment with DS was with an NP - we talked about health, how I was feeling, what fears I had, and we had an abdominal ultrasound and got pictures.

zuuls_mom

Still LOL'ing at "Dildo Cam". So perfect. 

vl_16

Any STMs take a 5mg Folic Acid PNV? Did it seem like enough? How long did you take it? 

It seems like way too much. I take an anti seizure med for mental health. 

chucksmom15

I have had 2 transvaginals so far.  One last week and one today.  I’ll have a 3rd US next week hopefully the regular kind.  I always have to empty my bladder before it.  I’ll see my doctor around 8-10 weeks, get the genetic testing at 10-12 weeks.  I’ll probably have to go to MFM at some point bc I’m old lol.  I’m a special snowflake as my coworker says.

k2k2tog

vl_16 said:

Any STMs take a 5mg Folic Acid PNV? Did it seem like enough? How long did you take it? 

It seems like way too much. I take an anti seizure med for mental health. 

Has your doctor recommended such a high dosage of folic acid? Mine only has 1000mcg (so 1mg) and is the recommended amount by my doctor. And I actually had trouble finding one I can stomach with that amount in it. But perhaps there’s something about your other meds that require the high dosage?

With DD2 I was terrible at taking my vitamin but my midwife reassured me that, as long as my diet is fairly balanced and healthy, things will be ok. So far, I haven’t been much better this pregnancy. 

DuchessOfCambridge

@vl_16 I get prescription PNV from my OB. That way I know that they have everything I need, and insurance covers them so I pay nothing. I’ve been taking them nonstop since before my first pregnancy so I’ve saved hundreds of dollars that way.

vl_16

@k2k2tog yes, my OB put me on them. I've been taking 1 mg until now. I believe my meds inhibit folic acid absorption but I can't imagine that much to warrant 5mg. And I have a healthful diet. 

@DuchessOfCambridge I got a prescription but I guess my insurance doesn't cover it. It was not cheap. I got a better deal from the manufacturer than the pharmacy.  Going to ask for a letter of medical necessity from the OB. 

foodislove

My first appointment last time around was to ask me all my health questions, test me to see if I was actually pregnant, and then schedule me for an ultrasound around 9 weeks. The 9 week appointment was the vaginal ultrasound, giving me a due date based on measurements, going over what I can/cannot do (what not to eat, don't lift >10lbs, etc.), and taking like 5 vials of blood for testing. I was super woozy as I hate needles.

DuchessOfCambridge

@vl_16 definitely ask for that letter! Maybe it isn’t common that it’s covered by insurance but I was under the impression it was. I hope everything works out for you!

chloemommyjoy

foodislove said:

My first appointment last time around was to ask me all my health questions, test me to see if I was actually pregnant, and then schedule me for an ultrasound around 9 weeks. The 9 week appointment was the vaginal ultrasound, giving me a due date based on measurements, going over what I can/cannot do (what not to eat, don't lift >10lbs, etc.), and taking like 5 vials of blood for testing. I was super woozy as I hate needles.

Very interesting point you brought up about not lifting things over 10lbs. Is that right away? I've been googling reasonable questions and writing down others for my 1st appointment and that was definitely on my list after my day at work on Wed. Had a few boxes that arrived for me and I was concerned so I pushed one as far as possible, asked for help with that box, but as to not cast suspicion, I lifted a unit that I wouldn't normally think twice about. It felt a bit more daunting than usual, but again I'm trying to figure out what are real symptoms vs in my head. 

FTM Q: what is too heavy and when should we stop lifting heavy things? 

merrylea

foodislove said:

My first appointment last time around was to ask me all my health questions, test me to see if I was actually pregnant, and then schedule me for an ultrasound around 9 weeks. The 9 week appointment was the vaginal ultrasound, giving me a due date based on measurements, going over what I can/cannot do (what not to eat, don't lift >10lbs, etc.), and taking like 5 vials of blood for testing. I was super woozy as I hate needles.

^^^^ For a normal PG, i've never heard the don't lift over 10 lbs thing!!! That would be ridiculous if i couldn't lift my toddler!  

foodislove

purplejoymommy said:

foodislove said:

My first appointment last time around was to ask me all my health questions, test me to see if I was actually pregnant, and then schedule me for an ultrasound around 9 weeks. The 9 week appointment was the vaginal ultrasound, giving me a due date based on measurements, going over what I can/cannot do (what not to eat, don't lift >10lbs, etc.), and taking like 5 vials of blood for testing. I was super woozy as I hate needles.

Very interesting point you brought up about not lifting things over 10lbs. Is that right away? I've been googling reasonable questions and writing down others for my 1st appointment and that was definitely on my list after my day at work on Wed. Had a few boxes that arrived for me and I was concerned so I pushed one as far as possible, asked for help with that box, but as to not cast suspicion, I lifted a unit that I wouldn't normally think twice about. It felt a bit more daunting than usual, but again I'm trying to figure out what are real symptoms vs in my head. 

FTM Q: what is too heavy and when should we stop lifting heavy things? 

In my case, I work at a job that required a lot of lifting of 30-50lbs at the time (I'm in the same job still, but I have an employee that takes care of that now), and the doc was concerned about overexerting myself, thus the strict line on what I could carry. I'm gonna laugh if they tell me that now - my 2yo is 32lbs, no way I'm not picking up that cuddly dude. I'll be more careful as I get bigger I think, though.

minnemiska

@purplejoymommy I have never heard of any restrictions on lifting weights during pregnancy! Assuming no complications, this is a know-your-body/know-your-fitness-level thing. I lifted weights until around 30+ weeks last pregnancy, at which time my body told me it was time to switch it up. I was simply too exhausted after doing so.

megsb615

@merrylea @foodislove I was wondering the same thing about weight limit on what to pick up. My 2 year old is a solid 30 pounds, and I couldn’t imagine not picking him up. I cant remember exactly, but I want to say as long as the weight (ex: our 30lbs child) is something our body is accustomed to doing every day, it is generally ok to do. I could be wrong, but I was thinking the weight limit was more to do with lifting outside of your personal normals.