BTDT - Questions for STM's

ruby696

@rox7777 We used a Snuza for DD at night only and I loved it. We'll buy a second one so both babies have one. I like the owlets, but I'm not going to spend the money to buy two right now. The Snuza is only like $100ish? Anyway, nighttime only and I don't monitor anything. As long as it doesn't go off, I'm happy.

@sunshinesea22 I have a K'tan that I use for newborns and I really liked it. It does tend to stretch out and that can put pressure on the back of your neck as baby gains weight, but washing it shrinks it back up again.

rachelg777

@sunshinesea22 That makes sense!

afranzen85

@catem07 Carseats are tricky...I am also nervous on long car rides when baby sleeps and constantly check. When they are installed and buckled properly and clicked into the base, they are at a safe incline. A lot of then problems of letting babies sleep in the seat is that when taken out of the car many people unbuckle baby thinking they'll be more comfortable, but unbuckling allows them to slide down or scrunch them up in a way that their airway gets closed.

Maybe check out drivingmomcrazy.com
She is a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and has some good info. I'm sure there are others out there, I just happened to stumble across her through a fb group I'm in. She also talks about her depression and anxiety as a mother in her blogs.

afranzen85

And of course, her site is down currently. Hopefully, it will be back up soon.

bananapanda

@randic We used an owlet with DD1.  I am a worrier and thought I would be super anxious all the time, but it actually wasn't something I was obsessive about.  We never had any red alerts just some yellow ones if it wasn't on tight enough or she somehow kicked it off or twisted it around.  For me the biggest thing was when she was sick as a baby I worried if she was breathing ok etc and her oxygen might be a tiny bit low but never enough to be concerning.  I'm even more excited to use it this time because about the time we quit using it with DD1 I think they made their app free to where you could go back and actually see stats from overnight etc whereas when we first used it I didn't know that was even an option (if it was you had to pay, but I never heard of it) so we just checked before bed or if I woke up wondering but mostly just relied on it to alert us if something was wrong.  We only used it overnight and didn't use for naps etc since I felt we were always checking on her, but as I'm learning from all of the inclined sleeper recalls etc sometimes checking in frequently still isn't enough so we might be using it more this go round.

@rox7777 good reminder about keeping babies buckled in the swing especially with an older one at home.  I admit I slacked a lot on this last time when DD was a newborn because I was like "well, she's not going anywhere", but it only takes a second and better to be safe than sorry especially with a 2 year old who might decide to pick her up or try to shove her out lol

afranzen85

I made her aware her site was down and she sent me this...

Here are a few:

This post is a good roundup of several of my most popular posts, including links to my ultimate checklist for buying a new car seat which is great for new moms. 

https://drivingmomcrazy.com/2019/06/26/car-seat-help/

(Direct post to the checklist):

https://drivingmomcrazy.com/2017/11/12/go-checklist-buying-car-seats/

This explains how it’s possible for even the best parents to accidentally leave their kids in the car, especially important for when you’re sleep deprived and how to create a routine:

https://drivingmomcrazy.com/2018/07/10/hot-car-deaths/

This includes info on safe sleep in regards to car seats too, elaborating on when the Rock n Play was recalled and the science behind it:

https://drivingmomcrazy.com/2019/04/16/rock-n-play-recall/

pirateduck

@catem07 I think the carseat thing is that it's generally not safe for them to sleep in period, but they are safer in the carseat in the car than in your lap or somewhere that is NOT the carseat while the vehicle is moving, whether they are asleep or awake.

pirateduck

I have seen several people mention pelvic floor therapy and/or learning to do exercises/kegals the right way.  Does anyone have any sort of resource on this, like books, videos, good websites, etc.?  Or do you really just need to meet with a specialist?  I know these things cannot replace a specialist, but maybe there are some helpful things that can be learned in advance of labor/delivery that would strengthen things down there and lead to a more favorable outcome.

catem07

@pirateduck Perineal massage (https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/perineal-massage#definition) is supposed to help. I think just generally being in good shape, too. I don't know if a specialist can or will do anything for you before the baby is actually born, but I could definitely be wrong on that. 

ruby696

@pirateduck I don't remember if you were going to do a childbirth class? Mine covered kegels. I'm sure google has lots of info too. 

I'm seeing a personal trainer who specializes in pre and post natal workouts and we do lots of kegels. So that's an option if you're interested. 

pirateduck

@ruby696 I will find out if it's something that's covered in the class I'm in or not!  Hopefully it is going to be covered.

shamrocandroll

It's not always necessarily about doing kegels.  You can actually do more harm than good if you're not doing a kegel properly.  Also, it depends on the degree of damage and if you have diastasis recti (separated ab muscles).  I have a friend who did more damage to hers by trying to resolve it on her own, and now she needs surgery to correct.  I didn't get evaluated by a professional last time, but I would like to this time.  Mine is relatively minor now, but who knows after this delivery...

ruby696

@shamrocandroll I have diastasis recti from DD. We're working on it now, but I'll probably ask my OB for a referral to a PT after the twins are born.

lisush

Based on the stories my PT has told me, there's a lot they can do to improve diastasis recti but once you've had surgery it can be a real mess. Plus even if you do ultimately need surgery the PT before hand can make the surgical intervention much more minimal. That's also my general feeling about most surgery - try PT first.  

pourmeanothermocktail

lisush said:

Based on the stories my PT has told me, there's a lot they can do to improve diastasis recti but once you've had surgery it can be a real mess. Plus even if you do ultimately need surgery the PT before hand can make the surgical intervention much more minimal. That's also my general feeling about most surgery - try PT first.  

That's absolutely my viewpoint too, for both my DR and my SPD. It's funny that I have both of those, but in general my pelvic floor is "strong" and I don't have anything trying to prolapse or any incontinence issues. But I'm still hoping PT can do me a world of difference after baby. Gotta hope at least! Then if I'm still not able to be the active athlete mom I was, we'll look into surgery. But definitely I support trying to ask your body to heal the best it can first!

mamaqdubu

Totally UN-SPONSORED plug of FemFusionFitness. I think I already posted this in one of the threads at somepoint, but she is a pelvic floor doctor of physical therapy, and has an entire community revolving around pelvic floor health. Tons of exercises, tips, books, etc that are incredibly helpful and scientific based. 

https://www.youtube.com/femfusionfitness Here's her youtube channel 
https://www.femfusionfitness.com/ Here's her website

I have a moderate bladder prolapse (most likely due to baby size & time between pregnancies), and while I also did physical therapy in real life, went to a uro-gynocologist for expert opinions, and was very down about the entire thing.... this woman, her videos, and her explanations helped so much both physically and mentally.

It's more than kegals. It's about posture, and core strength, and learning how to do some things the "right way". I don't go into it more than that unless asked, but I 100% suggest anyone reading things about pelvic floor PT and other things and are confused, use this as a good resource!

pirateduck

Thank you @mamaqdubu !

lajoliedreamer

Thanks, @mamaqdubu! I'll have to look her up.

Another resource for pelvic health and pregnancy/postpartum PT is the vagina whisperer. I mainly follow her on instagram, but the blog posts on her website www.thevagwhisperer.com are worth checking out as well.

pirateduck

Other than the 20w anatomy scan, is there typically another scan at some point in pregnancy or not?

thepretzelchick

@pirateduck I had a scan at 37 weeks with DS to check size since I was measuring 4 weeks ahead and they wanted to make sure he was just big and not that I had excess fluid. I had one with DD at 37 weeks because she was causing issues with my cervix that put me on bedrest, so they checked size to see if she was big enough to take earlier than 39w, which she wasn't. I anticipate having an additional scan with this one since he's measuring big and I'm carrying exactly how I did with DS.

pirateduck

@thepretzelchick so maybe somewhere close to the end depending what's going on to see if baby is ready to come out, but there's not another routine scan at a certain number of weeks or anything by the sounds of it.  hmm.

m6agua

@pirateduck No, at least not for my office. My office 20w ultrasound is the only one that is standard. My office does an early one if there is a reason (bleeding/cramps, previous loss, etc). They also only do later ones if ther is a reason. With DD the only one I got after 20w was a bedside ultrasound when I thought DD's head was in my ribs, the doc wasn't sure if it was a butt or head so we checked quickly and it was her head. I think I may have gotten another quick one like that once I had felt her move head down to confirm. But I never had any official ones with the tech and better equipment after 20w.

rachelg777

@pirateduck It might depend on your OB, but if there are no concerns and everything looks normal then you likely won't. I did not have one after 19 weeks with DS because nothing came up indicating one.

mamaj1220

@pirateduck my office is typically no, with DS1 because I was high risk I had more but this time they aren't having me do another one yet unless something weird comes up. 

ruby696

@pirateduck Not at my office, unless there is a medical reason to do it. They do doppler checks for HB's and that's it. I had to go to L&D at my (large) hospital with DD for a NST due to contractions and they didn't do one there either.

catem07

@pirateduck my doctor told me I wouldn't get another one unless something seemed wrong (high BP, fundal height, GD, suspected breech). I did end up getting a 33 or 35 week U/S with DD1 because I was measuring small. 

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck I only had 2 scans total with DS1.  This one has been more because of PGAL, and I have a growth scan due to caution about my lack of weight gain, but otherwise, there weren't any plans for additional scans.  

pourmeanothermocktail

I ended up with additional scans later, but wasn't supposed to. They thought my first was breech, and did a 5 second check to confirm that he was frank breech, when I went into labor at 35+4.

My second I had previa diagnosed at 20 weeks, so had that checked again at 30 weeks. And during that scan, they found she was breech. But no further scans after that.

sunshinesea22

@pirateduck I think it must really depend on the OB/hospital. They already scheduled me for a 32 week growth scan. Then again, that might be because of me taking Wellbutrin? I know the early anatomy scan and echo I had were because of the Wellbutrin (perfectly safe during pregnancy, but they do extra tests for an over-abundance of precaution, I'm okay with that)

jhysmath

I had a scab at 32 weeks to check size of something because of gd, found out she was breech at that scan. I had two more after that one during my ecv and another eight before my c-section to see if she had flipped. 

afranzen85

@pirateduck just as many others have said, typically no. Usually just 12 and 20wk, but with my previous 3, I did have scans at closer to due date to check head position and size.

queenklau

With my last pregnancy I had a growth scan at 32 weeks (I was PGAL, no other concerns). This time he also advised a 30ish week scan for size. He wants to check size and position, we would like to try for a VBAC. I think my insurance covers a minimum of 3 (12, 20, 32).

pourmeanothermocktail

Just a general note to everyone here: growth scans are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to diagnosing "big baby" and ACOG doesn't recommend cesarean or induction based solely upon "suspected big baby." Just in case you didn't know. 

Without doctor concerns for IUGR, GD, or other medical concerns (2-vessel cord or whatnot), I wouldn't be consenting to a scan just for growth. That's just me though, everyone has their own needs and priorities.

afranzen85

@pourmeanothermocktail very true...I was 2 weeks late with #2 and they told me she was upper 7 lbs. She came out 9lbs 2 oz!

jrouge12

@pirateduck Agree with the others that without any concerns the last standard scan is the 20 week. With DD I had one at 41+4 for a fluid check. And my experience matches what @pourmeanothermocktail said. At that scan they said she was about 8.5 pounds but when she was born 3 days later she was only 7lbs5oz. My OB won't induce until 42 weeks without a medical reason. 

mamaj1220

@jrouge12 that is so interesting to me! My OB doesn't like to go past 41 if he can avoid it. He said he has seen too many issues with waiting too long.

pourmeanothermocktail

mamaj1220 said:

@jrouge12 that is so interesting to me! My OB doesn't like to go past 41 if he can avoid it. He said he has seen too many issues with waiting too long.

ACOG supports waiting until 42. The statistics for safety show that risks at 41 weeks (for an otherwise healthy pregnancy) are at the same as 38 weeks. They don't get up higher than that until 43 weeks. Average for a non-induced labor is 40+5, which means that a lot of women naturally carry longer than that. 

jrouge12

@mamaj1220 From what I've read there's pros and cons both ways. One thing most doctors aren't shy admitting is that a planned induction is more convenient. Which I totally understand. There's a convenience factor for the doctor and the mother. During those 2 weeks past due date, I was in the office a lot: non-stress test, multiple blood draws, the US for the fluid check. All to be double safe everything was ok. Which if I wasn't on my leave would have been a PITA. If I had kids at home it would have been a bigger PITA. If I was extremely uncomfortable would have just been an unbearable PITA. Like @pourmeanothermocktail said, some women just have naturally longer pregnancies. My mom was 2 weeks past due date with me and my brother. No labor complications with just waiting for it to naturally start. I think women in my family just have longer pregnancies. I will say my OB always said when I was in there for the check ups, "I'm comfortable with waiting if you are". It really needs to be a decision mothers make with doctors. I was comfortable but it would have done me no good to be sitting at home anxious about letting things ride.

catem07

I fully intend to demand an induction between 40-41 weeks if I go that long. I also would take a growth scan if offered to me, but that's because I like ultrasounds. I wouldn't let predictions of a big baby push me into a planned C (especially since my first child was 7 lb 2 oz so there's a precedent for me having average sized babies). I had a great induction experience with my first (due to high BP at 40+3) even though I didn't score well on whatever that scale is. 

mokay19

I’m in the boat that growth scans are fun to see the baby and get an “idea” about the size but my sister had a scan that estimated ~8 lbs a few days before birth and he was 9lbs 4oz. And, on the flip side, my SIL had a scan estimating 9 lbs and he was born over a week later at 8 lbs.
As you get closer, I think the error is like +/- 22 ounces so you have to take the scans with a grain of salt. However, I would never turn down seeing baby! ☺️