The Great Big Questions Thread

jaztastic

@mc0303 my first reaction was to say to wean because of preterm labor history. If you havent spoken with the OB yet, who advised that you wean? I would definitely prioritize the OB's recommendation since this is their area of specialty. 

mc0303

@jaztastic it was my OB who recommended it...we were texting on the portal about stuff but haven't had a convo live yet about it. Blahhhh. I think I just don't like the answer lol. I think I am going to try to wean anyway, it just felt very sudden. 

jaztastic

ohhh I see, @mc0303 girl, you know what you gotta do  . Its bittersweet though especially if you dont feel like you and LO are ready to wean. But you also have to weigh that against the safety of the new baby ya know. The way I see it, weaning early doesnt physically harm anyone, whereas not weaning could be harmful to the baby.

mc0303

@jaztastic 😂😫 It’s my confirmation bias lol. I need to stop half assing. Thank you for giving it to me straight. Logically I know but my hormones are clouding everything lol. I’ve been dragging my feet bc LO is allergic to cows milk and pretty much doesn’t want anything else. But I have a freezer full of breast milk that should get us through a couple of months until he’s drinking 100% almond milk or something. 

wanderlustsoul

@mc0303, I am still nursing. No one advised me to stop either and I don’t plan to unless it becomes a real issue. I’d like to make it as close to 2 years as possible. 

ramzlau

@mc0303 I am also in the camp of hating to be told what to do. But I stopped nursing my LO after I had an early loss last year and my RE recommended it. I also had to stop running half marathons which I wasn’t as opposed to hearing lol. I know BF can be such a strong bond, I hope you find a smooth transition for you and your lo. 

_orchid_

@ramzlau didn't know you were a runner! Did your RE want you to still completely or just long distances? I'm hoping to keep going through this pregnancy if I make it out of 1st tri but 5k will probably be pushing it lol

ramzlau

@_orchird_ oh girl, kind of a long story. My RE has a protocol of no exercise except walking and arms (no core, squats, running, high impact) until week 9. So when we started seeing her again back in Oct last year she had me stop my running. I did 2 5Ks, 1 10K and a half last year. My running coach ran until she was in her third trimester and won a 5K race when she was 20 weeks. So it is possible to keep running and safe for many, but I have a history of endometritis which can make implantation difficult and multiple losses. So just not for me. I also had a horrible back injury in March from a short run I did between treatment cycles that resulted in surgery (one of the worst herniations the surgeon ever saw). Now, I can barely walk 2 miles. No running for me any time soon! So sad! 

_orchid_

@ramzlau daaamn about your coach, good for her!! I'm sorry about your back! I injured my back when I was 5w with ds2, and literally couldn't walk for 3 days. That pregnancy was really tough on my back and it didn't really heal until I was about 8 mos pp, so I didn't run at all that pregnancy (but I did PR my 10 mile time the week I got KU with him!). My feet also change a lot during pregnancy so don't want to put too much added stress on them- I have high arches that drop flat from extra weight/ligament stretching so by the end just walking is painful. 

Back pain is the worst!! At least you're not missing any live races right now 😛 I'm hoping by the time I'm back to a routine races are going again! 

wendy838

What are your thoughts on a fetal doppler? Or is that opening doors to false reassurance or potential meltdowns if I can't find a heartbeat. 

artsiefartsie

@wendy838 I think ultimately it comes down to how you think you are going to handle it. 

I know for me that it would be a lot of unnecessary anxiety, but I have a lot of health anxiety and can get pretty nuts with "checking" things, so I should pass. 

But my sister had a pretty traumatic loss in her first pregnancy, and then went on to have two healthy babies,  and used an at home monitor to calm her high anxiety in both of those pregnancies. 

So it is a personal decision for me 🤷‍♀️

disgruntled_pelican

@wendy838 - I had a pretty traumatic SCH with my second daughter so a fetal Doppler gave me such a peace of mind, especially with sporadic bleeding.  With my others I didn’t find it to be as reassuring so IMO it is a case by case basis good luck!

MelissaMay82

@wendy838 I have one. I was PGAL last pregnancy so it lessened my anxiety a bit. I usually used it weekly/2x a week until I could really start to feel DD move.

mindyb2019

@wendy838 I have had 2 losses now and so I bought one last pregnancy to use but it ended in a loss, so I plan on using it at home once I get far enough in this pregnancy. I feel it will help my anxiety and give me a peace of mind. 

wendy838

@artsiefartsie @disgruntled_pelican @MelissaMay82 @mindyb2019 Thanks for your input ladies! I was going back and forth, but due to covid and not being able to get appointments easily, I am leaning towards getting one. If I find myself more stressed because of it, I will put it away.  

ramzlau

@wendy838 I used one with DD, because of previous loss. But just jumping in here to say there is a new app by Bellabeat that you can use your phone (on airplane mode) to hear the heartbeat. Might be worth a try before you buy. And if I remember right with a Doppler it is hard to find until about week 14 or so. 

mindyb2019

@ramzlau Where is this app? I’ve tried looking for see what it looks like and can’t find it. I found an app called Bellabeat but it’s something for some fitness and not a heartbeat 🤷‍♀️ Am I missing something? Lol 

ashaislurking

Just jumping in to say that the Bellabeat app is complete BS. There have been people who have "heard" a heartbeat using the app and then found out they had a loss before ever using the app. Take that app with a COMPLETE grain of salt if you choose to use it.

akoros

Re: a Doppler, I don't think I'm going to get one. For my last pregnancy my OB had a lot of difficulty hearing the heartbeat with it (even prior to the loss), to the point where I had to get an extra sonogram, so I think I'd just give myself extra anxiety if I tried it on my own. 

ramzlau

@mindyb2019 It is called Shell by Bellabeat. 

@ashaislurking oh no! I have not heard those reviews. It has worked for a few friends. I am curious about it because I felt even with a Doppler it was hard to find the heartbeat sometimes. 

emwj10187

wendy838 said:

What are your thoughts on a fetal doppler? Or is that opening doors to false reassurance or potential meltdowns if I can't find a heartbeat. 

@wendy838 I got one with my first pregnancy around the 9 week mark. I didn’t hear anything until 13 weeks. It was nice peace of mind for me, but could definitely see how it could stress you out if you couldn’t find the heart beat.  I found my first to sit very low despite having a high baby bump. The heart beat was always right at my pubic line.(sharing in case you decide to get one) also don’t waste your $$  on the ultra sound jelly, you can use aloe Vera jelly. Works just as well and moisturizing 🙂

ashaislurking

@ramzlau Apparently the Bellabeat Shell app uses recordings that SOUND like real fetal heart tones to produce the "results" people get when using the app. Several people on other forums I've been part of have reported their spouses, other kids, and even their pets as having a fetal heartbeat using that app.

ramzlau

@ashaislurking That is horrible! We did try it out on MH as well because I had doubts about it, just seemed weird functionality. We didn’t hear anything with either of us, but I wasn’t expecting to this early. Guess I should buy a Doppler then. 

mindyb2019

@ramzlau I just tried it out tonight as well and I didn't hear anything either 🤷‍♀️ Maybe to early. I couldn't even hear my own HB lol Guess im dead 😆 

_orchid_

I have had a doppler for my two successful pregnancies. I can usually find the HB around 9/10 weeks by propping a pillow under my pelvis and starting at the pelvic bone. That being said, I bought it with the mindset that if I can find a HB, great, and if I can't that just means I couldn't find it and nothing more. I typically use it the night before/day of my appointments from week 9- whenever I feel movement, and don't use it more often than that. It helps with my anxiety walking into an appt. 

If you know you will get stressed if you can't find the HB, don't get one. It can be tricky to find the HB depending on where baby is.

mindyb2019

@_orchid_ I bought a doppler too and have been dying to use it lol its just been sitting in my closet. I've never used one before so im scared to try it out for the first time as I dont know where to start or what to do really. I will feel the same way as you do.. If I try it and can't find the HB then its as simple as I couldn't find it nothing more. Doesnt mean there isn't one.  How early can you use one?? 

wendy838

@mindyb2019 I read that you can detect a heartbeat as early as 9 weeks with a doppler, but that might be with the ones that medical professionals use. 

I ended buying one online, it came to about $70 CAD all-in which isn’t too bad. 

ramzlau

@mindyb2019 There are some good YouTube videos on how to use it. Like others have said start at pelvic bone this early. But also helpful to watch the videos so you know how to distinguish between placenta sounds, baby heartbeat, and your own. I mean the baby’s should be super fast, but it takes a few tries to get it right lol. And after 10 min if I can’t find it, I put it away and try another day. 

sgrn18

Where did you all buy your dopplers?  I can’t find anything on amazon that I can buy without a healthcare license.  I don’t want to buy from some random website unless other people have lol

ashleyjillian15

I bought a Doppler from “Baby Doppler” website which had really good reviews. It came out to be $60 with some US jelly and a coupon code (WELCOME10).  I think it arrives today so I will try it out and see if I can hear anything at 8 weeks! 

_orchid_

@sgrn18 I can't remember where I got mine- I got it in 2012 and might have been able to get it from Amazon then. I have a sonoline b doppler.
@mindyb2019 I was lucky to find both around 9/10 weeks. There's a lot of other noise you'll hear. I don't move the wand around much- I usually keep it in one spot and just tilt the angle around. Once you find it the first time it gets easier- I've found that once I find the spot, I can pretty reliably find the same spot it's in again. Sometimes though I still can't find it after finding out before, and will put it away to try again later. Like @ramzlau I only try for 5-10 minutes. 

wendy838

@sgrn18 I got mine from Baby Doppler as well. Only took 1 day to ship! 

sgrn18

Yay!! Thanks guys!  I just bought it on baby Doppler lol supposed to be here by Monday!   It’s a sonoline b. I think I had this one last time but I was able to buy on Amazon that time.  I gave it away like 2 years ago and told them to pass it to the next pregnant person so I never expected to get it back.  Glad to have one coming.  I was pretty good about not freaking out if I couldn’t hear anything last time so I hope that’s the case.  I won’t get to see this baby again til the a/s so the peace of mind would be nice 

ramzlau

Water has not sounded good to me for a few weeks now, and that is all I normally drink. I had some Gatorade the other day just to keep up on the liquids, but it has so much sugar in it. What do you think of Nuun while pregnant? I try to avoid artificial sweeteners while pregnant, but need something to get my water intake back up to normal. 

klj0228

@ramzlau I usually love water too and find it disgusting right now. I don’t really have an opinion of nuun while pregnant because I’ve never heard of it. My OB recommended the gatorade zero sugar, but it was too sweet for me as well. I have been buying lemonade powder and mixing it just enough to give me a taste of flavor but not too sweet. I’ve also squeezed full lemons and made a less sweet and not too tangy lemonade. 

artsiefartsie

I am also in the "water is suddenly disgusting " camp. I've been taking unsweetened cranberry or tart cherry juice,  and just putting a tiny splash in my water.  The tartness seems to help my nausea a bit as well.  

wendy838

I started hating water this week as well! I don't know if it's a change in my taste or I'm sick of drinking so much. I had to buy those water flavouring drops and only the tart kind. 

tilournextadventure

Also having difficulties with liquid intake. I usually drink 5 cups of tea and some water everyday. I can barely finish one cup of tea and some water now. I know I am a bit dehydrated but I can't do anymore. 

laurad75

Same with the water.  I just don't want it.  I felt the same when pregnant with DS.  

kristah2

+1 with the water problems. I had to say screw it and drink Gatorade so I don’t get dehydrated even despite the sugar and calories. 

Usually by mid afternoon/ early evening I can stomach a bottle of water if it’s really cold.