The Great Big Question Thread

LJMoon6

@courtneyqdk I have post nasal drip pretty regularly even while not pregnant. It’s the worst. I’ve tried all the meds and nothing helps. I’ve honestly just learned to live with it at this point. The doctors keep saying it’s because of an allergy but I’ve been tested for everything. I’m only slightly allergic to dust mites. I guess that could make sense. Or maybe it’s a food allergy… who know. Sorry I’m not help but just wanted to commiserate with you.

tuxielove93

@courtneyqdk Sinus issues in pregnancy are really really common. I had pregnancy rhinitis with my second allllll the way through. Literally as soon as he came out of me I could breath again, but I suffered until then. 

courtneyqdk

@LJMoon6 ugh that sounds awful! She did warn me that it could become chronic and it is something many people just have to learn to live with. I didn't have it before covid though so I am hopeful it is post-infection and partly because of pregnancy and maybe it will clear up after some time. In the meantime, misery loves company so more than happy to commiserate together!

velvetblue88

@courtneyqdk @LJMoon6 @tuxielove93
Me, too. The changing seasons hasn't helped, nor have the Texas fires, and I'm tired of the sinus congestion and drippy nose. I'm taking Zyrtec, and my husband suggested trying the netipot, but my belly is too big to lean over a sink. Shower nasal rinsing? 😵‍💫 I keep hoping it'll go away, but this has been a thing for probably 6 weeks at this point, so I'm bracing for it lasting the duration.

oli9

@courtneyqdk I had post nasal drip really bad the first 20 weeks of every pregnancy. This one was bad when the weather would change from hot and humid to cooler and less humid (I’m in Florida so the humidity helps A TON!) I found myself hocking loogies all day long in the cooler weather (I know gross but that’s what it makes me do. ‘Clear my throat constantly) I’ve tried throat sprays, the neti pot etc and nothing worked for me other than the humid days here in South Florida. If I were you I’d invest in a humidifier and try that with some Vicks in it maybe at night next to the bed. I’m sorry you’re dealing with post nasal drip! I know how horrible it is! It’s minor but also major! 

sjb2215

@runnergirl2018 I grew up about a half hour from Galena, IL and it really is a cute little town! Well known for cute shops, restaurants and I think bed and breakfasts. Dubuque, IA is also less than 30 min from Galena with a lot to do too.

And now we live about a half hour outside Madison so if you decide on either of those places, message me for recs!

inthewoods23

@sjb2215 wow ok I totally read "I grew up about a half hour from Galena" as "I threw up about a half hour from Galena" and was like what the heck were you doing 😂

Does pregnancy brain include the inability to read? 😆🤦‍♀️

sjb2215

@inthewoods23 haha and then I totally went back to make sure I spelled it right because who knows with autocorrect 

runnergirl2018

@sjb2215 oh how cool! I’m going to send you a message later 😊 it’s so weird that I grew up in IL and have been to so few places here. We didn’t have money growing up and then I moved away for college and didn’t come back for almost 20 years 🤣 (minus visiting family)

knottie81474524713fe341

I took a test on Halloween and my husband was running errands I quickly went to the dollar store bought a Halloween bucket added a onsie, a bottle, a pair of socks, a nookie, and the test. Then I covered it with tissue paper and gave it to him and videod him. This is our first baby he was shocked and at first thought I was tricking him for Halloween lol I had so much fun telling him in such a fun way 😄

skilouise

@courtneyqdk

Which doctor told you there wasn't much she could do - was it your PCP or OB?  If it's the former, it might help to talk to your OB as sometimes it seems non-OB doctors can be more conservative with their advice to pregnant patients than OBs.

I had a horrendous viral plague (not COVID) back in January, and my OB's office said I could take Sudafed (the regular kind with just pseudephedrine, not the 24 hour kind or the varieties that mix in other meds as well).  I resisted for a long time, but ultimately took a few doses to help clear up my congestion. 

I hope you feel better soon! 

inthewoods23

Question for STM+ moms on cribs - have any of you opted not to use a toddler rail when you convert the crib when they get older? Or is that pretty much a must do before going to the daybed?

sunshineandlemons

@inthewoods23 We just changed our crib to a toddler bed for my youngest! For our crib, it wasn’t a must, but a “May as well”. Our crib has a small rail and the pre-drilled holes for it, so it just looked better doing it(and keeps her from shoving things in the holes 🤣). It’s so short though, it wouldn’t necessarily keep her from rolling out and sometimes she decides to sleep at the other end, so if your crib doesn’t have a rail, you’re probably fine. The bed likely sits low enough to the ground, the toddler would be ok.

sjb2215

@inthewoods23 I don't think the toddler rail is a must. Rather than buying another crib we switched our oldest to a full size platform bed (so no box springs) when our second was a couple months old. We used a pool noodle underneath fitted sheet for awhile and then just used a pillow barrier near edge of bed (other side is up against a wall) and it has worked well 

zwink1

@inthewoods23 agree that it's not a must.  We did put one on S's, but he likes to share his bed with approx 352 stuffed animals and 98 blankets, so there's barely room for him to begin with and he'd probably have rolled out multiple times by now if there was no rail, lol.  

courtneyqdk

@inthewoods23

We went straight to a floor bed - it's a really low bedframe (maybe 6 inches?) and slats then you just put the mattress on top, no box spring. I got it from Wayfair, so if anyone is interested can probably find the link. 

We went to a double bed when my son was 14 or 15 months old, as I had a lot of back issues and getting him in the crib was impossible as he was a huge baby! It was a game changer - I was still breastfeeding so at night I'd put him to bed and just roll away and tiptoe out once he was asleep. 

Definitely had no use for a toddler rail, but every child/scenario is different so you might have to wait and see if you find you need it or not!

stardustskies

@inthewoods23 We actually went straight to a twin sized bed, no rail. I was afraid because we got the bed off Marketplace and didn't realize how high off the ground it was (like 3 ft.). But he has never fallen off and loves his high bed. So I'm sure you'd be ok skipping the rail, especially with how low to the ground those toddler beds are.

runnergirl2018

@inthewoods23 you could skip the rail and just do a bumper if you wanted. We then moved to full size bed with bumpers on the side at 2.5 years because I have a tall kid and he was getting squished. We actually moved to a Toddker conversion with rails of our crib around 18 months which is way earlier than most “experts “ recommend and it helped my kids sleep so much. He went from not being able to fall asleep independently in his crib to being able to do so, so this is also me saying to trust your own gut about your kiddo and what they need. Some people will have their kiddos in a crib until 3 years and then go right to full bed too 

cmhme

Agreed, we went straight to twin bed (with box spring) on the floor in a corner with a pool noodle "barrier" on the open side from the crib. He rolled off the end twice the first two weeks but has been great since. I dont know when we will remove the barrier, i am torn on whether it is helping or not.

inthewoods23

Thanks ladies. Might be a moot question if we do decide to go with a crib that comes with the toddler rail to begin with.

More questions for ya 😄

1. Has anyone looked into cord blood banking? I get sponsored posts for it all the time on FB or in emails from various baby sites. Is it even worth it??

2. My sister said she'd be giving me one of her breast pumps. She said she's got a couple extra parts still in unopened packaging but not all. Is it best for me to get new pieces of everything for the pump? Wasn't sure what is sanitary/unsanitary for pumps when shared/gifted to you.

runnergirl2018

@inthewoods23
tehcnixally once a pump is used it is considered unsanitary. If you know the person that used it and feel comfortable with their medical info and care for the pump then it’s up to you but j would still replace any parts you can. One other thing to consider is that a pump is generally only good for about a year of use before the motor can start to degrade and be less effective. If it wasn’t used much I would probably take it for a secondary pump or a back up pump (I liked to have one at work and in my car that I left there so I didn’t have so much to carry around)

sunshineandlemons

@inthewoods23 to tag onto what @runnergirl2018 said, you’ll also want to pay attention to whether the pump is open system or closed system. The Medela pump in style advance is an open system and generally a no-no for sharing. The spectra S1/S2 (maybe others) are closed systems, where if you get new tubes, flanges, etc, you could use someone else’s pump. I used one of my girlfriend’s old spectras and kept it at work and kept my new one from insurance at home.

feather_heather

@inthewoods23 - I looked into cord blood banking for DD and found out that the banked cord blood couldn't even be used on your own child if they needed it - because you wouldn't want to use the sick child's blood on the sick child - you would need someone else's "clean" blood. I'm doing a terrible job of explaining this and will try to find where I read about it all last time. You could potentially use the banked cord blood on a sick sibling, but only if they have the same blood type. I found that donating the cord blood seemed to be much more useful and it's free to do. So that was what I chose to do, filled out all the paperwork at the hospital ahead of time to donate... and then ended up with a c-section on a sunday night at midnight so no one was there to collect the donation (insert eyeroll here). I will be signing up to donate the cord blood again this time. 

If it is a closed system then the pump is fine to use. I would replace the parts, just because you don't know how much wear and tear are on them. For example when EPing you put a lot of wear and tear on your pump parts and they need to be replaced more often. Flanges should be replaced every 6 months, backflow protectors should be replaced every 3 months, and duckbills I replaced every 20-30 days in order to get max suction out of them. Tubing can be replaced as needed. 

inthewoods23

@feather_heather huh, I did not know that! I thought that was the whole damn point of banking cord blood - to have for your own child. Good to know.

feather_heather

@inthewoods23 - I think some conditions can be treated with their own blood, but most genetic issues would be present in the cord blood and therefore cannot be used. I found this chart: 

Here’s a quick guide to which conditions can usually be treated with a sibling’s cord blood (allogenic), and which can be treated using a child’s own cord blood (autologous):

Condition	Allogenic/autologous/both
Leukemias	Allogeneic
Myelodysplastic syndromes	Allogeneic
Lymphoma	Allogeneic
Aplastic anemia	Both
Inherited immune system disorders	Allogeneic
Phagocyte disorders	Allogeneic
Bone marrow cancers	Both
Neuroblastoma	Autologous
Clinical trial stages:
Autism	Autologous
Cerebral Palsy	Both
Hearing loss	Autologous
MS	Autologous
Lupus	Both

I've also read that in many instances there isn't enough cord blood collected and you would need more than what you have banked. Which makes the case for donating to a public blood bank so there's more supply available for those that need it.

I think these companies push private banking so hard because they can charge a crazy amount for it - they prey on the anxieties of new parents in order for them to make a profit. I'm sure there are stories out there where someone banked it and was able to use it on their child... but I'm sure there are way more stories of people being treated with cord blood from a public blood bank. 

LJMoon6

@inthewoods23 I really wanted to donate my son’s cord blood last time but ended up being too late to sign up. The only company that accepts donations at my (very large) hospital had some ridiculous amount of time needed to process your form before you actually deliver (like several months). So if it’s something you’re thinking about doing (and for anyone else thinking about donating (it’s free and could have a huge impact on a family)) definitely talk to your OB early and get the paperwork filled out soon.

inthewoods23

@LJMoon6 well that seems ridiculous. It's hard to have to think about all that stuff so far ahead of time. I mean, I haven't even talked about labor/delivery with my OB yet! Nor do I recall if I've been asked yet if I plan to breastfeed.


Speaking of breastfeeding-ish.... anybody else's boobs starting to leak a little? The first time it happened I was like wtf why does my boob feel wetness. Then I saw the little dot of moisture on my shirt.

tuxielove93

@inthewoods23 It happened really early with me my first pregnancy. I haven't leaked in the other two because I have nursed through both. 

Major disclaimer: leaking during pregnancy has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with supply in the future. Nothing at all. If you don't leak, it doesn't mean you won't be able to breastfeed. And just because you do doesn't mean everything will be smooth sailing. 

runnergirl2018

@tuxielove93 just want to echo what you said! I didn’t have any leaking before my first and we EBF for a year successfully. 

A few times this pregnancy I’ve started to get a feeling like it was going to happen but hasn’t yet. It’ll be interested to see if I have any colostrum production before this baby comes since I’ve had a history now of BF 🤷🏻‍♀️ @inthewoods23

kd0811

Hi all- I’ve read a few posts about hip / joint pain - mine really only comes when I’m sleeping. I lay on my left side, my hip/glute starts to hurt and wakes me up. I switch to my right side, same thing happens. This happens all night. I have a body pillow I use between my legs but it doesn’t seem to help. Any tips/tricks ideas or positions to relieve?

flikyerbik

I could use some tips for hip pain when lying down as well. I added pillows on either side of me and at my feet, but to no avail. I've had a pillow made for between my legs since before pregnancy. 

inthewoods23

@kd0811 You might just need more than a body pillow between the legs like a full pregnancy pillow to support other areas of your body. Could also be that your mattress is no longer supportive in the ways you need with a growing bump. I would ask your doctor for other possible ideas too.

And speaking of laying positions, does anybody know of a good pillow or contraption that allows you to lay on your stomach without squishing your bump? I miss it so much at times.

sunshineandlemons

@inthewoods23- I’d be interested in that too! I’m a stomach sleeper and for now what’s working on is kind of sleeping on my left side/stomach and then propping my midsection up with my right leg. I’m not sure the way I’m explaining it makes any sense, but it’s working for now until I get bigger.

sjb2215

@inthewoods23 and @sunshineandlemons, I've laid on my stomach in the past by making my pregnancy pillow into a circle and putting bump inside/propping on elbows. I think I've also used a regular boppy pillow to accomplish the same thing. It obviously only works for a short period of time, not sleeping but I always find it helps to stretch out my back. 

*Edited because I can't spell 😉

inthewoods23

@sunshineandlemons I think I get you! You're kind of positioned like you would laying on your stomach but have your bump off to the side. I was doing that a couple weeks ago.

@sjb2215 I will have to try that!

blf2072

I basically build a fort around me every night lol are use a pregnancy pillow but I took the one side off and put a wedge with a regular pillow on top of it to support my back, I’m able to he is my pregnancy pillow between my legs on either my left or right side but it seems to really help with back pain to have something behind my back to kind of relieve the pressure of my growing belly!

sacha0088

Hi @kd0811 @flikyerbik - I posted ~ 2 weeks ago about the same radiating pain on the right side (hip/glute/lower back) when lying down on my left side. Now I’m 24 weeks, still feeling the pain when I’m lying down trying to sleep, but it has been more bearable and slightly less painful. I’ve asked my friend who’s a recent mom and she experienced it starting 27 weeks, switching from a memory foam to firmer mattress helped her. 

Right now I am sleeping with pregnancy c-pillow (long side supporting my back) and another regular pillow positioned length wise between my legs so it supports from thigh to ankle/feet (I think it opens up my hips more and aligns my spine).

I also talked to my OB yesterday and she suggested PT and/or chiro, but also the following home remedies:

• put your hands against a chair or wall, angle yourself, ask your partner or someone else to massage that area, press into it with thumb; she tried this on me during my visit and I think it did work! I didn’t feel the pain when falling asleep last night (although it did return middle of night).
• tennis ball in sock: hold sock with tennis ball against wall and roll your back against the ball
• cat-cow on the ground
• cat-cow against wall, making sure no gap in lower back against wall

I haven’t tried tennis ball yet, but will try it tonight before sleeping and see if it’ll help. 

Hope some of these tips will help you too!

kd0811

@blf2072 @sacha0088 @inthewoods23 thank you so much! Will try these

flikyerbik

Thank you! I've been doing stretches but pregnancy pillows are hard to come by (overseas.) I'm going to try putting another pillow past my leg pillow. My pain started around 21 weeks on a very firm mattress, so I was trying to make things softer as it has continued on our firm memory foam. What you are saying makes me think I may be making it worse!

inthewoods23

This question is waaaaaay down the line but realizing I didn't know where the bathroom was at a restaurant I've eaten at numerous times and some little kid blabbing on and on in one of the stalls once I found it made me think of it. 😅

When your kid is potty trained and of the opposite sex, which bathroom do you take them to?? It's based on the parent right? What age would you let them go by themselves into a public bathroom?