The Great Question Thread

leksiL

@brookert615 - what does fundal height have to do with belly buttons? They've always measured mine from the pubic bone? So confusing.

brookert615

@leksiL I guess the measurement between the pubic bone to the belly button will be = to how far along the pregnancy is? It is confusing. I just was severely confused and can't find anything on the internet lol.

rikiteacup

@brookert615 this sounds like such a random and unreliable way to measure growth. Everybody is different.
Do they have a special way to measure for people with a high belly button?

DDRRT1982

I thought fundal height is usually measure from pubic bone to top of the uterus.  But, I am not positive.  Since we are all around the 24th week mark the belly button is a good landmark for where the top of uterus might be at this gestation.  This might be why he said “forget what you know” since you have a higher belly button.  He might have had her feel for your uterus instead.  

brookert615

Thanks guys! I don't know why I'm over-thinking this haha. 

And @rikiteacup I have no clue. I think I just like having answers and might just ask the next time how they're doing it all haha. 

misstree5

@brookert615 not quite the same situation, but my fundal is always off/wrong because I am very tall in my torso, so I always measure behind. My first was born over 8lbs7oz so she wasn't small by any means lol

brookert615

@misstree5 Too funny! But definitely reassuring! 

rikiteacup

How many people have been told they would birth a 9+ lbs baby when it reality the baby was barely 7 lbs at birth?! This is what is crazy to me. Sometimes they will even induce based on these measurements. Science needs to figure out a way to be more accurate.

misstree5

@rikiteacup at 37 weeks I was measuring 40 weeks...went 6 days over due and only had an 8lb7oz baby ..I was terrified she was going to be over 10lbs lol . I had an anterior placenta, and I have since learned that it can skew the measurements 

jvk2012

@brookert615, don’t worry about one fundal height measurement. With DD, like every other one was small and then it was normal. If 2 in a row were small they would have done an ultrasound. I was induced at 39 weeks and she was 7lbs 2oz. 

brookert615

@jvk2012 Oh dang! Thanks for sharing your experience! That's so wild! 

ibabyloveb87

@brookert615 I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I’m sure if there were any real concerns they’d do an ultrasound and let you know if there was something to worry about. Congrats on the high belly button? 😆

AugustGlass

My fundal measurement had me 4 weeks ahead with my oldest. They also did an ultrasound telling me he’d be 8-9 pounds. He was long but 7 lbs 11 oz. 🤷🏼‍♀️

shellac835

@optimism3  I haven't gone to acupuncture yet for this pregnancy but did pretty regularly with my first, and I will as this one gets closer to the end. I've not done gua sha, but have a hard time thinking of how it would be dangerous to pregnancy. Obviously I'm not a medical professional, but it seems like it could be one of those things where people don't know much about it so just give a blanket "don't do this while pregnant" statement. What negative things did you read it can in pregnant women?

optimism3

Thanks @shellac835. I think you’re probably right. I had IF so I tend to be more paranoid than I should be. I’ve calmed down a little now, but I’ll probably ask her to skip the gua sha next time. If anyone hasn’t done it, it is amazing when you’re sick (maybe if you’re not pregnant). 

char245

Any experienced travelers out there?? I’ve flown a lot but not when pregnant. My question is, can I go through the scanner? I flew once last time I was pregnant and opted for a pat down, but they made a huge deal about it at the airport and kept telling me the scanner was fine. (I’ll be asking my doc about this before I fly as well). Just wondering if any of you travel a lot and have experience with this. Thanks! 

clee5711

@char245 I have gone through the scanner 

noxacanthus

@char245 I went through the scanner twice when I flew around 18 weeks. My understanding is that the metal detectors work from magnetic fields and the full body scanners use low intensity radiation that does not penetrate the skin. Both are pregnancy safe.

jvk2012

@char245, I flew at 7 weeks and asked my OB. She said metal detectors and scanners were safe but it was up to me. I decided to go through metal detectors but would have opted for a pat down if I had to go through a scanner (I didn’t)

char245

Thanks ladies! That makes me feel better 

fallonpartyfor2

@char245 I've flown about 10 times this pregnancy already... the scanners are fine!

char245

@fallonpartyfor2 wow you definitely have a lot of experience, thanks!!

shellac835

@char245 I flew a lot with my last pregnancy and am not generally paranoid about things, but the scanners are newer technology so I always opted for the pat down. It's kind of a pain but whatever, and they shouldn't give you a hard time for it! I was fine with metal detectors. I have TSA pre-check now so always can avoid the scanners which is nice! 

rikiteacup

The scanners are totally fine. I flew at 7 weeks pregnant and did my research before. You can always opt out if you want.

craftywitch

My midwife also said the scanners are safe and there's much more radiation riding on the plane (being super high up in the atmosphere closer to the sun) than going through the X-ray machine.

mandk1233

I was told that, realistically, we are exposed to more radiation from our cell phones than the scanners. 

catwood1703

Is anyone else looking at breast pumps.  Ive been told to go ahead and contact the authorized people my insurance gave me.  And the choices.  I don't know what to pick

babybelugaco

@catwood1703 theres a product spotlight somewhere on the threads about pumps! 

leksiL

I've reached the stage of pregnancy where my bra dug into my belly and made a laceration. BOO.

Maternity bra situation stinks. My normal size is 32D, my maternity size is 34G, but its currently a teensy big. I know I will fit into it eventually, so not super into buying into buying gradual sizes. What is everyone else doing? 

kper82

@leksiL I am struggling with this HARD. I'm also normally a 32D and at 23 weeks I have gone up at least 2 cup sizes. I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy bras which just barely hold everything in, and at the end of the day I have deep red marks everywhere from the straps and the band and the wires.

I don't want to waste money on (expensive) bras that fit me now but won't fit me when my milk actually comes in, and that I won't wear when I'm done breastfeeding.. I know Bravado does stretchy sizes in S/M/L/XL so I was thinking about grabbing a medium in their seamless nursing bra and hoping that it will last me from now until I don't need a nursing bra anymore.

ibabyloveb87

Anyone have a good body wash to combat these hormonal back and shoulder break outs? I feel so gross! 

daffodil_shoe

@leksiL I’m just rocking the quad-boob look 🤦🏼‍♀️

mandk1233

@leksiL I bought some in between bras for before my milk comes in because my other bras were HURTING me. Even they are getting a teeny bit small, but I think they will do for now. 

Swiftlet

I’m wearing the nursing bras (no underwire) that I think @burr1371 recommended earlier in this thread. I started as a 32DD and I don’t even know what size I am anymore. I mostly wear sports bras but even they are struggling to hold everything in at this point. 

nhh11

Have anyone else’s boobs not really grown at all? I’ve always been small chested and was secretly hoping pregnancy would give me a boost but so far, nada. More importantly though, it makes me wonder if that will have any impact on my ability to breastfeed? I’ve googled it and everything I’ve read says breast size shouldn’t matter but I find it odd that I haven’t seen much breast change - just a little colostrum I think.  

mandk1233

@nhh11 This happened to one of my friends and she didn't have trouble breastfeeding her son.

I don't think I have seen any colostrum yet and am not sure if that should worry me. 

daffodil_shoe

@nhh11 there is no correlation between breast size and milk production.

burr1371

I am wearing maternity/nursing bras. I was a 38DD before pregnancy and now who knows?! I bought the XXL size of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JBVZTYF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I don't really fit in them anymore....I am not sure what to do next haha

nhh11

daffodil_shoe said:

@nhh11 there is no correlation between breast size and milk production.

So good to know! I’d really like to BF if possible. 

ibabyloveb87

@nhh11 there’s no correlation. My boobs don’t change with pregnancy. I only BF a short time but people with smaller boobs than me BF easily. Don’t stress!