Weekly randoms w/o 1/3

SmashJam

Uh yeah 1000 percent @Ivorytower2. Full disclosure I just shaved my bikini line for the first time in like 2 months bc I can't see it. Luckily H doesn't care I'm not all that consistent with it outside of summer anyway.

Also @Blondesweety444 that's crazy! That's single digit weeks! Not gonna lie I've been reading birth stories on baby center and I'm super annoyed that I'm all caught up, lol.

bluecampanula

@Ivorytower2 it’s winter. I don’t even see my bare legs. 

robbenson

@Ivorytower2 I shave my legs because I hate the feeling for myself, even inside of pants.
Nothing above the legs is getting shaved because I can't see it 🤷‍♀️

hoosiermamajayden

@Ivorytower2 it’s winter and I can barely bend over enough to get my socks on. Shave my legs? Pfft.

monstera13

@Ivorytower2 Even when not pregnant, I only shave my legs once they start to look like a bear’s legs. I do keep up shaving my lady parts though, just since that gets itchy if I don’t. It’s pretty much blind shaving at this point! 

Ivorytower2

Thanks guys! I feel better. @robbenson I’m the same way. It just feels better even with pants.

@SmashJam I tried with bikini line this week too so that was fun blind. 

shlecks

@robbenson ME TOO!!  I hate the feeling of the hair against pants.  I can handle it in leggings but anything else drives me insane.  I shave often, and I have started using the Schick Intuition - doesn't get as close but it's pretty easy.  

FishyMom

My neighbor is fostering puppies and I’m have a hard time resisting!!! 

FishyMom

@Ivorytower2 I agree it’s winter… not sure I’d be shaving pregnant or not. 

robbenson

@shlecks and @Ivorytower2 I did a couple rounds of laser hair removal YEARS ago so my hair doesn't grow back as fast or as much. I'm getting back on the laser train once I'm not pregnant any more. It's magical 

Ivorytower2

@robbenson I need more details about this! I have fine-ish blonde hair so I think I read it doesn’t work as well but I would be so so on board if it works. 

robbenson

@Ivorytower2 they have different lasers to help with the light hair and they have ways of dying or staining it. My calves, armpits and bikini area are dark hair so I didn't have to worry about it but my arms and thighs are super light and fine. I just didn't try to laser those because they aren't that bad.

constantinabee

I'm with @robbenson laser hair removal is amazing. I had been doing it for a while but stopped before I started IVF. I have thick dark hair and always had issues with ingrowns on my legs and this whole pregnancy so far I've only had to shave my legs like twice and even those hairs were fine and light. It's summer here so it's been a godsend not having to worry about it too much. Other areas have grown back, particular "hormonal" areas like armpits but I'll just pick up doing laser again sometime after baby is born.

FishyMom

Has anyone tried the personal laser things you can do at home? 

missa_lyssa

This is so interesting! I’ve done electrolysis for some dark hairs on my face because I read that it was the only permanent solution (it may be permanent, but it takes many rounds to be effective, and it’s fairly painful), but I’ve never tried laser hair removal.

teamama80

@FishyMom I have a Philips Lumea handheld device at home. It’s really great however many years ago I did a couple rounds of professional laser hair removal, so sure that gave me a good start when I got this device a few years later. When our first lockdown started I got in to the habit of using the home machine every couple of months and it’s paying off now as I don’t have to shave at all really (not that I would bother when I can’t reach/see/pretend to be interested in those parts right now! As someone else mentioned I think the best results are darker hair on lighter skin, so it would definitely be worth investigating that more before committing to any treatment in salon or at home, the technology may have updated since I heard that.

doxiemoxie212

@FishyMom I've used the Tria at-home device, and it's effective but annoying and time consuming. I also think it is more painful than professional. The professional lasers (at least the ones I had used on me) spit out ice cold air with the laser so even at the highest setting I felt almost zero pain with it. The at-home one definitely zaps you, and it takes waaay more time (like both individually in a session and how long overtime it takes to see longterm results). 

FishyMom

I’ve always wondered if they work. I may have to shop around and see if I should get one or just do laser again. 

Sitting at my OBs office for my GD test. Bleh. 

SmashJam

This morning I woke H up because of a noise I heard-it was only 15 minutes from his alarm. I thought it was his servers or the furnace downstairs and I broke my glasses so in order to fix it I would have had to come out and put my contacts in and go downstairs and then maybe have no idea what was going on. Anyway, he gets up-its the coffee maker because I forgot to put the top lid down so it was making crazy noises. Not only did those crazy noises wake ME up, they woke up DS6, at 4:30, and he couldn't go back to sleep. I got up to help with the dogs but H was already up and he got annoyed that I did the process wrong. And then we had to wait extra long for the coffee to be done. So basically my coffee snafu screwed up a lot of days. I slept like junk and was up at 4:30 AND have a writing thing tonight until 10 so I took a personal day to deal with life shit and also take a nap. Happy Friday, all!

aloha_mama

@SmashJam

You can do this, we believe in you!

queenklau

Professional laser hair removal worked Pretty well for me, it reduced the underarm hair significantly (85%) and made the remaining hair thinner. It took about 10 sessions, I used my wax place which had an awesome offer. Extra sessions are more per session but you can use them a few times a year to maintain.  I was going to start it for my bikini area but covid happened and then I got pregnant. I would recommend it for areas that you shave often and that may have thick hair. I miss my waxing and laser treatments, haven’t gone back since 2020 😔

dinomeetsjedi

@doxiemoxie212 I laughed at not shaving for 7 years. Same. When I was dating, I feel like it was a good way to weed out the crazies.

doxiemoxie212

@dinomeetsjedi I wonder if I would've been bold enough to give up shaving while dating. I'd like to think that I would have evolved enough as a person that in my late 20s I'd have given up caring lol just as much, but hard to know. DH and I started dating when we were 19, so it's been 14 years? 15 maybe this year? Yikes lol so he got 7 good years of leg shaving hahaha

Blondesweety444

I was complaining about my job over on the check ins board. But I just got off a call with our Expectant Parent Coordinator and she's giving me all these resources and starting my medical leave case for me, etc. She reminded me that I get access to an IBCLC whenever I need it. So now I'm like ok maybe this job isn't so horrible, the benefits are amazing. Sigh, such whiplash!

rbflei

@Blondesweety444 I do the same thing all the time. I'm like why do I even work here then I get call from HR to go over maternity leave and I get 6 weeks paid and was expecting none. So between disability and maternity leave I get 12 weeks paid. So yay! Now I'm doing extra videos I didn't have time at work I'm required to do at 8 pm. So it's give and take for sure.

dinomeetsjedi

@doxiemoxie212 Oh yeah, when I was in my early and mid 20s I definitely did not have the confidence to not shave, it's probably only been the last 4 years for me. But it definitely is freeing to stop caring. 14 or 15 years with someone is a long time and pretty awesome.

@Blondesweety444 I'm glad the benefits even out your job a little bit. I'm glad they are prepared for you in advance. I feel the same way at times, it's hard to leave the benefits, but the job can be rough.

@rbflei 12 weeks paid leave is amazing for the US!

Ivorytower2

I miss sleeping on my back sooo much. I’ve been using two pillows under my head for heartburn. Does anyone else get rib pain when doing this? It’s only been the last week so I’m thinking it’s because baby is growing. If I use one pillow I don’t have pain but then I have horrendous heartburn (especially on my left). If I roll to back it’s so incredibly comfy but I know we aren’t really supposed to lay on our backs this far along. Right? Oh the joys! Any help is appreciated!!

minnie_yoga_mama

@Ivorytower2 I’m glad I’m not the only back sleeper here! 😅 Everywhere in my pregnancy books says to avoid it but my doctor says if it’s comfortable it’s fine, so I try to fall asleep on my side and literally every time I wake up I’ve moved to my back because it feels so incredibly better. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve actually felt some of that rib pain this week when relined on the couch for too long— I’m pretty sure it’s just our organs getting squished since there’s not much room in there left. It always feels better when I stretch out all the way. You could try tums or something similar right before bed to help with the heartburn so you don’t have to position that way?

FishyMom

Yes about the back sleeping!! I wake up often and I’m on my back, but last week I woke up and my left hand was tingling, I was worried about the boy, but I felt him moved shortly after. But I miss it soo much. 

Heartburn is a real issue for me. I take a daily pill and keep tums by my bed. Heartburn is the worst. During my first 2 pregnancies I had to take Rx strength, this doc is more reluctant to prescribe it, but I’m dealing. 

@Ivorytower2 maybe try a different combo of pillows? Maybe a little lower will still help but not give you ribcage pain? 

monstera13

@Ivorytower2 I’m still sleeping on my back about half of each night. I try to stay on my sides, but back is so much more comfortable! 

I miss sleeping on my stomach 😭 Pretty soon I’m going to get one of the blow up swimming rings soon so I can lay on my stomach soon. 

Ivorytower2

@monstera13 that’s a great and hillarious idea! DD7 was a September baby and I was super pregnant all summer so DH used to dig big round holes in the sand at the beach so I could lay on my belly in the sun. 

dinomeetsjedi

@Ivorytower2 I still wake up sleeping on my stomach sometimes and my midwife said it's fine, that I'll be uncomfortable long before it will affect the baby. She said the same about back sleeping since I sleep there sometimes too, If I'm not feeling uncomfortable then the baby is fine!

SmashJam

I am also a back sleeper and miss it! I've been using my U preggo pillow to prop myself on my side so I don't often get fully onto my back when I wake up in the middle of the night. 

I have super super sore inner thighs all of a sudden, and I'm not sure why! Like it's hard to walk! I haven't done anything crazy except carry laundry downstairs but it's almost like I pulled a muscle! 

Also...if we had a "Reasons my SO is driving me crazy" thread I'd be blowing it up today. Just saying. 

Blondesweety444

I'm a side sleeper normally, but something about being pregnant makes my hips hurt so bad. So I've been occasionally sleeping on my back with one pillow tucked under my butt and along my back. I believe that's enough to relieve any potential blood flow issues and I still get the comfort of being on my back. Like this picture

monstera13

@Ivorytower2 It’s hilarious looking but so helpful. I got one at about 36 weeks with DS4 but won’t be waiting that long this time. Just being able to stretch out and lay on your stomach for a few minutes makes a huge difference! 

Avrilmai

I feel like the pregnant woman sleeping on her back is akin to baby must sleep on his/her back. Like I always put the baby down on his back and (once he learned) he immediately rolled over. I tried my best. Same with me. I try to sleep on my side, but what I do in my sleep is out of my control. 

@Ivorytower2 maybe try a wedge pillow, they're small and give you a little 'elevation' but it may allow you to sleep on your back/be more comfortable.