Question Thread, week of 4/10-4/16

bananapancakes

Got a question? Post it here! 

In attempts to make the question threads a bit less overwhelming, we are going to start a new one every week. Please use this thread for any general questions you may have and we will all do our best to answer or point you in the right direction. 

ashnicell

Anyone else starting to show at all? I noticed in the last couple days that my lower belly is definitely more rounded and firm. Its not super noticeable, especially since I'm not thin to begin with. But it definitely seems like more than just bloating. I'm 10w1d today and am a STM. With my first, I didn't start showing until close to 15/16 weeks.

chuckle_sandwich

@ashnicell Just some bloat here for now and with my stretchier jeans I can still button them no problem. With my second I did start to show earlier. I’m 9w3d, so I expect to start having some trouble with pants in the next couple weeks. Luckily I have a number of loose fitting tops!

mflowers929

@ashnicell I'm a plus sized mama and don't generally show til later so harder to tell (if you asked my hubby he would say he doesn't see anything) but I definitely feel like I'm a little rounder!

chuckle_sandwich

For those STM/TTM+

When do you plan to tell your other kids they are getting another brother or sister? Are you telling them in a fun way?

Assuming all goes well at the ultrasound tomorrow, we plan to make a third (small) Easter Basket that has a little bunny lovey, maybe a newborn outfit, and those gross (yet my kids love them) baby bottle pops. LOL

krknmama

@chuckle_sandwich Our oldest is 3.5 so we’re not telling him until we’re ready for EVERYONE to know. 😂 But it will probably be right after our first ultrasound… still 2.5 weeks away 😭

ashnicell

@chuckle_sandwich We bought a Tshirt for our 9 year old that says "Some bunny has an Easter secret...I'm going to be a big brother." I'm going to put it in a big plastic egg in his Easter basket for him to find out Easter morning. Then he gets to wear the shirt to both grandparent's houses on Easter to surprise them. I can't wait. He's been begging for a sibling for years and will be so excited.

dzapp

Has anyone tried to Doppler for fetal heartbeat at home? How far along were you when you were able to find baby’s heartbeat separate from your own?

bananapancakes

@chuckle_sandwich
We get our first US this Friday and if everything looks good, we will tell our 12 year old daughter on Easter morning. I got a box that will be with her Easter basket that will have a baby bunny hat and bunny shoes and will print out a card that says, “Some Bunny very uneggspected is arriving in November. Congratulations! You’re going to be a big sister!” Not having her know has been KILLING us! We anticipate it to be pretty emotional - she’s been asking for a sibling for many, many years. 

sejica

@chuckle_sandwich 'officially' told our oldest (~5) at dinner last night, but the other two were there, and we've been chatting about it for a while, so she kind of knew already. Hopefully everything is fine (no us yet) and we don't have to have an awkward convo later.

mflowers929

My kids know but don't know so lol. My almost 4 year old is a bit delayed so even though I've told him there's a baby in my tummy I don't think he's put 2 and 2 together yet. My 19 month old keeps pulling out my ultrasound picture, poking it, and saying "baby there" which is what I told her, but again, I don't think she really realizes lol.

Does anyone have a remedy for the gas? I swear that's what's making me the most nauseous right now.

PurplePumpernickel

@chuckle_sandwich
We already told my son (4.5). It has just been too hard not to talk about it otherwise.

@ashnicell it may be bloat, it may be bagel, it may be baby, it may be all three, but there's something there! STM.

emmaliz12

@dzapp I heard you can find the heartbeat with a Doppler as early as 8-10 weeks but most suggest waiting until second trimester— you don’t want to have those anxieties if you cannot hear it. 

dumbledoredies

@ashnicell I've noticed a tiny bump the past few days and yesterday I got soooo bloated while out that it was almost painful to be in my jeans lol. I can't believe how early I'm feeling it but it's my third! I'm 10w2d I think? With my first I didn't show until 16 weeks. With my second it was around 13 weeks.

@chuckle_sandwich we already told our son and daughter! We told them at dinner one day. It was very anticlimactic but we dont do big reveals because I've had a few losses. I had to tell them early because we needed to tell our parents. We had a trip to Disney planned for the end of October with them that we needed to reschedule asap (to surprise our kids for their birthdays). I explained to my son (he's 4.5 so he understands- my daughter is 1.5 and has no idea what's going on lol) that sometimes in the beginning babies stop growing so we would have to see what happens! Just in case.

bananapancakes

How is everyone doing with caffeine? I used to drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and a caffeinated tea or water in the afternoon on most days… I am trying really hard to keep it to only 1 cup of coffee in the morning. I’m having afternoon headaches, which initially i chalked up to hormones but then I realized it’s most likely from lack of caffeine 😵‍💫

sunshine2417

@dzapp I tried yesterday at 7+6 and didn’t find it yet. I’ve had the Doppler for my last two pregnancies and am pretty good at finding it usually. Hopefully within the next week I’ll find it!

sunshine2417

@ashnicell this is my 7th pregnancy but will (hopefully) be 3rd living child. In the morning I don’t notice any showing yet and feel great, but by afternoon/evening the bloat makes me feel like I’ve gained 30 pounds already! It’s maddening. 

PurplePumpernickel

@bananapancakes I'm a huge caffeine person normally. Since we did IVF, I toned down my intake little by little before the embryo transfer. Honestly my nausea is also changing how I consume caffeine - I used to have a small cup of homemade cold brew when I first woke up, then a Starbucks venti at work. Now I have a very tiny cup of cold brew at home with a lot of milk, and a small latte at work. Sometimes I don't even finish the latte. I only get caffeine headaches if I have zero caffeine. Maybe try a few squares of chocolate in the afternoon and see if that helps? 

chuckle_sandwich

@dzapp I used the Doppler and heard baby when I was 8 weeks. It was tough to find. Tried again last night at 9w4d and it took me a good 5-10 minutes to find it. The main thing this early is to not panic if you can’t find it every time. Baby might be turned or hiding and sometimes you won’t find it.

mflowers929

@bananapancakes I'm only at about a cup and a half right now, mostly due to the nausea. With my daughter though, once the nausea dissipated I went right back to my 2-3 cups a day and no issues. My son wouldn't sleep and I was having insane insomnia because of anxiety (was 3 months pregnant in March 2020) so I wouldn't have made it otherwise.

jennmc05

My SO each have a child from a previous relationship (4, and 7) my daughter will looooose it when she finds out. She is going to be sooo happy. But we aren’t ready for EVERYONE to find out just yet. The 4 year old has already told us that he “has a baby in his tummy” out of the blue… super weird cuz we haven’t said anything to them. Lol 

I am struggling bad with extreme sickness and am scared for our first US on Monday. Has anyone ever had 

Hyperemesis gravidarum?

dzapp

sunshine2417 said:

@dzapp I tried yesterday at 7+6 and didn’t find it yet. I’ve had the Doppler for my last two pregnancies and am pretty good at finding it usually. Hopefully within the next week I’ll find it!

I have access to a Doppler at work so my coworkers and I have tried to find her a couple times but no luck yet! I am 8 weeks and 1 day now and my first appointment is Friday. I’m hoping the provider can maybe give me some pointers but not too worried yet as I know it can be tricky! Do you have any tips?

ponyoisfun

@PurplePumpernickel. We also told our kids very early.  DD promptly told her whole class, but no one from her school knows anyone I do so I'm not too worried.  Honestly, dd is such a sweetie I just needed her to understand why I wasn't feeling well.  Ds is 2 and has basically just keeps saying no when I bring up mommy having another baby.

@BananaPancake. I quit cold turkey...it sucked, but as soon as this baby is earthside I am back on the coffee train. 

ashnicell

@BananaPancake I used to drink 3+ cups per day. I cut back to 1 cup per day right away. The last two days though, I haven't been able to make it through my coffee. I get about halfway through and the acidity starts to upset my stomach, so I may need to cut it out altogether. 

Gingermom15

*Question moved to STM thread. 

michellelynn6

chuckle_sandwich said:

For those STM/TTM+

When do you plan to tell your other kids they are getting another brother or sister? Are you telling them in a fun way?

Assuming all goes well at the ultrasound tomorrow, we plan to make a third (small) Easter Basket that has a little bunny lovey, maybe a newborn outfit, and those gross (yet my kids love them) baby bottle pops. LOL

I forgot my son can read (he's in kindergarten lol) and I'd ordered him a "big bro" shirt to announce to my in-laws. Needless to say, he found out earlier than I had planned to tell him 😂

sejica

Edited to move my answer to @Gingermom15.

little_umlaut

@ashnicell I’m having some serious bloat, but I’m thinking it’s due to gas & constipation

bananapancakes

I’m on Team Bloat & Gas as well 🙄 I might even be the captain 😂 My text to my husband this morning on my commute to work, “I can’t stop yawning and burping.” It was a situation.