This is the weekday chatter thread to... you know... talk about pregnancy and stuff. Wondering what everybody's opinion on doctors vs midwifes vs doulas? Find a good cure for something that's been ailing you? Just had one of those "holy smokes I'm GROWING a HUMAN like it's a potted plant or something, but INSIDE MY BODY" moments? Have a rando ask when the baby is due and you're like, "Wait, I'm not even showing yet, not sure if I should be polite or rude at this point"? Whatever comments or stories or questions or etcetera you got that don't quite fit into the other organizational threads, this is probably the spot.
We had a family get together this weekend. My aunt (whom I haven't seen in like 9 years) and I were chatting and I mentioned that my sister is pregnant. I think she misheard me and thought I said I was pregnant because later in the conversation she was like "and your sister is pregnant too??" I was like "oh crap". I told my mom and she says "well now the rumours are going to be flying that you're pregnant. Guess they'll find out when there's no baby in 9 months". We haven't told anyone yet, so I was just laughing when I hung up the phone thinking "oh there will be a baby!"
@Neikoda, nope. I didn't really realize until after we finished our conversation that she must have thought I was pregnant. I'm not too worried though. We are kind of estranged from that side of the family. The only reason I saw her was because it was my grandma's 90th birthday. So I doubt she'll be talking too much with anyone lol My uncle didn't even know who I was. I smiled at him a few times, and he walked over while me and my aunt were talking. He didn't have a clue that I was his niece lol
My coworker this morning was telling me about a dream she had over the weekend that I was pregnant and about to give birth to a baby girl...it was so hard to not say anything and play it off! I must have done ok though cause she is the type that would flat out ask me if I acted funny to her! Hurry up dr appt, I need to tell people!!
Anyone have a midwife deliver before? Or planning on it this time? I'm considering it, but would love to hear from people who have gone that route.
The OB practice that delivered my first doesn't deliver at the hospital that I want to deliver at. However, they have a certified midwife group that does deliver at that hospital, so I'm thinking about it.
@leslieknope The clinic I go to for my gyno actually has a group of CNMs that you can choose to use for your pregnancy, and I'm thinking I'll probably use them if I'm not high risk. If they weren't also certified nurses that delivered in a hospital, I'd go the doctor route. CNM seems like a solid route for me.
First time pregnant and I'm seeing a midwife in a practice of drs/midwives. I think I'll end up seeing several people there in case she's not on call when I go in to labor, I think they suggest that too. I'm also high risk so I'll be seeing a maternal fetal every 2 weeks beginning at 16 weeks. I have no qualms about seeing a midwife
I am already so torn between seeing a CNM (in-home visits) and a low-intervention OB practice. I had such a traumatic first birth and am trying to avoid that this time. I had my first appt. to confirm pregnancy with one of the OBs, and I really, really liked her. But I also love the idea of a homebirth with a CNM this time for many reasons. Going to think about it for another month or so and maybe have one more appt with the OB. : /
I've debated on taking a tour at a local birthing center because I've always been interested in a non-hospital birth. DH isn't comfortable with it, mainly because he's not familiar with it, but he said he would go if I really wanted to check it out. I had no desire with my first pregnancy, but since it was a good pregnancy and delivery, I have toyed with the idea of using a CNM.
Also, today I've felt weird. Not crampy, but achy. Almost like the pains I felt when my uterus was stretching in the late 1st/early 2nd trimesters. Maybe I didn't notice it the first pregnancy, but I thought it would be too early to feel it now. I'm upping my water intake to see if that has something to do with it.
@clickclackmoo the midwife group here does not require that, it was the first question I asked! The epidural was my favorite part of my last delivery. I almost wished I could just go in for that, sort of like a spa treatment.
@clickclackmoo the midwife group here does not require that, it was the first question I asked! The epidural was my favorite part of my last delivery. I almost wished I could just go in for that, sort of like a spa treatment.
hahaha, yes! I rather enjoyed it too. I remember the moment it kicked in after 8 hours hard labor. It was bliss. I was like, "I can't feel anything, hahaha! Nothing at all! Hahahahaha." Of course I might have been delirious from being awake for almost 48 hours.
YOU GUYS! I am picking my husband up from the airport in 20 minutes. We have to pick up the truck from the other end of the island, because (pregnancy brain) I locked the keys in it on Saturday. But, then we'll go home, and he'll open the box with the onesie! I am so excited!!!
@catem07 If we had diaper service here on the coast, I would totally have tried it, at least for us because DS's daycare only allows disposables. My best friend did it for the longest time with her twins but stopped because she got tired of all the laundry. With all the cute patterns and different types, I know you can grow quite a collection.
Has anyone with 2+ kids had wildly different pregnancies each time? I had all the nausea and tenderness last time and so far, nada! I hate wishing that away, but it seems a bit odd since I thought symptoms would be same or worse, not better? No signs of anything wrong, but still a little wary.
@NESeattlite With my first I was nauseated all the time starting right at 6 weeks. This time, no nausea yet, but it's still very early. Every pregnancy is different, even with the same woman. It's hard because having MS is normal, but so is not having it. Hang in there, I think this part is the hardest.
I am going the midwife route. It is actually super convenient. I am a birth doula and my current client is using the midwives I plan on using so I was able to hear all about them before I decided. I am actually going with my client on Wednesday night to an open house with the midwives and I will get to meet them all and check out the hospital and the water birth tubs. I am a huge fan of natural birth, so that is what is helping to persuade me. I had an OB last time and I didn't mind. But, I think midwives will be perfect for the sort of birth I love.
Me: 28 year old SAHM/Birth Doula DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
Married: October 8, 2011
DD1: September 24, 2013 BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016 DD2: April 16, 2017 BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
I had both of my daughters at a birth center and I really liked it. I got to labor in the tub as much as I wanted and my second was a waterbirth. My decision came from not wanting unnecessary interventions in a hospital but also not comfortable with a home birth. Best part was getting to go home 4-6 hours after birth. Hopefully we have another birth center baby! It's not easy but totally worth it if you're already thinking about alternatives.
Random but does anyone know if allergy testing during pregnancy is safe? Since finding out I'm pregnant, I've come down with hives three times! I called an allergist today to make an appointment to help figure out what's going on and she said they may do allergy testing. I informed her that I was 5 weeks and asked if it was safe and she said she wasn't sure and I should ask the doctor at my appointment. Haven't found too much on Google...
@catem07 There is/was a cloth diapering board here. It's been so long since i checked it out that I'm not sure if it's still there.
I can't tell you much about them because the information on them can be overwhelming. I can tell you about our experience, though. We cloth diapered because I did the math and figured out it would save us about $200 bucks a year. That's not much, but we are cheapskates and will do anything to pinch a penny here and there! I compared using Honest Co. diapers (they have great prints too!) It would have saved us more, but I knew I wouldn't do it 24/7. I didn't do it when we traveled or were out for very long periods of time, like the whole day at a festival or something. I took breaks when he was sick or when I had too much laundry to do and didn't want to add to it because it is a longer and more involved process. I probably cloth diapered about 5 days/week for the first year and maybe 4 days a week after he turned 1 (life got busier). He grew out of them and needed larger sizes around 19 months so I just quit doing it instead of buying more. One of the things that made them cost-saving was that I was using one size diapers instead of sized ones. He fit them from about 3- 19 months. (I did have a set of newborn diapers, but only 12, so laundry every day 0-3 months) By the time I packed them away for good, he was only going through about 6 diapers per 24 hours or around 8 cloth diapers.
Of course I'm a bit on the crunchy side too. I enjoyed feeling good about being kinder to the Earth for a bit. The Honest Co. diapers are pretty Earth friendly too. I definitely plan to do them again this time around. It will save us even more $$ this time! I will probably invest in another 12 newborn diapers.
I had a home birth midwife for my last pregnancy. I had an excellent home labor but did not deliver at home because my previously well behaved child decided to be breech when I was trying to push him out. My midwife became my doula when we went to the hospital. My prenatal care was excellent. I got urine tests, weight checks, blood tests, gbs testing, glucose screenings, referred out for ultrasound but still part of the care... everything you'd expect from OB prenatal care, really. However I never had to wait for visits, my average visit length was 45 minutes because I got to ask as many questions as I needed to and chatted a bit too, the office was beautiful and cozy, and I could text any of the midwives with questions any hour of the day.
@catem07 I've cloth diapered my son from birth and I love it. It's actually pretty easy, only a couple extra loads of laundry a week. I've experienced less leaks, less blowouts (up the back nastiness rarely happens even with the nastiest poops, and very little diaper rash. I even use cloth on vacations. I use Best Bottoms which have snap in hemp inserts but I love prefolds for newborns. I use regular detergent, nothing special or pricey. The bad: initial startup cost can seem daunting, poop can be intimidating but it's easy with a diaper sprayer, some styles can be bulky. The ugly: It's addictive, and while you can absolutely save money cloth diapering, you have to have the willpower to say no to all the cute limited edition prints!
@mokay19 Tea is one of those "weigh the pros and cons" consumables in pregnancy, but for me that usually means it's probably fine.
Green tea is a non-herbal tea, which means it has a caffeine level of >0. The way the tea leaves are prepared and brewed can vary the amount of tea, but it has an average of 35-70mg per 8oz cup, less than oolong (50-75) and black (70-90) tea. For comparison, there is ~95mg in an 8oz cup of coffee or 64mg in a 1oz shot of espresso.
If you are watching your caffeine levels, excessive green tea will go over the recommended limit (200 - 300mg daily), especially if you are also drinking coffee.
I did also find a study that suggested green tea consumption can interfere with the absorption of folic acid, but I only have access to the abstract and wasn't able to glean the sample size. It only compared water, black tea, and green tea, so it's unclear if the suggested effect may also be caused by other beverages. Additionally, the study was performed after consuming green tea concurrently with a folic acid supplement - there are some foods that naturally have unusual reactions when consumed simultaneously that do not affect one another when consumed at different times, such as bananas and sprite.
For the pros, tea is an excellent way for women to ensure their hydration, especially if their tap water tastes LIKE GARBAGE DUE TO THEIR HEIGHTENED SENSE OF SMELL, WTF NOSE. Additionally, green tea is a known source of antioxidants and has numerous studies showing its benefits on blood flow and heart health. A final benefit is a less quantifiable one - many people enjoy tea for the sake of relaxation or ritual, which provides its own health benefits due to destressing.
For me, I give green tea a thumbs up, especially after the first trimester. I've not been drinking as much of it due to running out, but I'll be getting some more soon.
I have so many things going through my head... For starters, I feel almost guilty not feeling the same kind of excitement I did with my daughter. Don't get me wrong I love this nugget already and am so happy, but I feel like since it was unplanned I'm still kind of in denial.. Anyone else feel that way? Our daughter was so very planned and we were trying for a year. So when I finally got that BFP, I flipped out. This one was, oh crap my period is weird again, to hm maybe I should test, to oh crap I'm actually really pregnant! lol
I'm also still kind of ticked off at the nurses office and the fact they were not helpful when I asked about my first appointments and what to expects, but I know I want to stay with the OB. Considering my first birth experience I'd much rather be in a hospital with everything available. But that's probably also easier for me to say because despite my difficulties with the delivery, the nurses and the doc were absolutely amazing. I was never rushed into anything and I didn't have to have a C-section. They kept me safe but still tried to respect all the wishes I had. So despite some rather scary and dangerous moments during my delivery, for which I was glad to be in a hospital for, the experience was wonderful. Plus I love my OB, she is absolutely awesome. I've also gotten to know most of the doctors there and would be comfortable with either of them delivering in case my OB isn't on call the day I go into labor.
And, I almost got ticked off with a friend this weekend. We went out for my Hs birthday. I had ordered a N/A beer. I've done this before but the first thing she said was "oh do you have some news". I find it rude. People will announce it when they are ready. Why create an awkward situation and make someone lie or spill the beans before they are ready... I chose the lie option and just said, a) I'm the DD and b) I took my migraine meds so I can't do alcohol. That is true when I do take my migraine meds so she's familiar with that lol. But she totally gave me the look and was staring at my belly. Then for the rest of the evening I just felt watched by everyone...
@MrsBakes, that must be so frustrating, having people making such comments. Things like that get me too. My SIL once said to another family member, " what's the point of getting married if they are going to have kids" about me an DH when we were still undecided about having children.
Well, I actually have a tiny bump. The bump then grows and grows during the day as the bloating progresses, it's ridiculous. I'm ready for maternity pants!
oh wow! Some people don't have a filter. I actually have a feeling my parents won't quite support this pregnancy. Never mind the fact that I'm 36 and H is 40 my mom in particular always thinks she has something to say.
Random but does anyone know if allergy testing during pregnancy is safe? Since finding out I'm pregnant, I've come down with hives three times! I called an allergist today to make an appointment to help figure out what's going on and she said they may do allergy testing. I informed her that I was 5 weeks and asked if it was safe and she said she wasn't sure and I should ask the doctor at my appointment. Haven't found too much on Google...
@cookies754 It probably depends on the allergist. I don't think there are a lot of studies done on immunology and pregnancy. I'm already an established patient and get injections regularly. My allergist allows me to get my injections, but wont allow me to build up my dose while pregnant because of the risk of having a severe reaction. I imagine that would be the biggest concern with testing. Good luck!
Random but does anyone know if allergy testing during pregnancy is safe? Since finding out I'm pregnant, I've come down with hives three times! I called an allergist today to make an appointment to help figure out what's going on and she said they may do allergy testing. I informed her that I was 5 weeks and asked if it was safe and she said she wasn't sure and I should ask the doctor at my appointment. Haven't found too much on Google...
@cookies754 It probably depends on the allergist. I don't think there are a lot of studies done on immunology and pregnancy. I'm already an established patient and get injections regularly. My allergist allows me to get my injections, but wont allow me to build up my dose while pregnant because of the risk of having a severe reaction. I imagine that would be the biggest concern with testing. Good luck!
This pregnancy is making me so extremely tired and I feel like a horrible mother. I get up at 5.15 every morning, go to work and come home at 5.30. I manage to cook a meal and feed my child. I'll give her kisses and snuggles and try to pay as much attention to her as possible, but with energy non-existent and it being 90 outside, I just want to stay at home. I sit on the couch and try to coax her into coloring or watching a movie with me. Yesterday I let her watch Netflix on her little Note and I watched the Olympics. Then I put her to bed. FAIL! I feel totally guilty.
@MrsBakes same here. I feel like I should be doing crafts with my toddler or something more "mind building" after work, but most days this week the best I've managed is "Want to cuddle and watch peppa pig?"
Good to know I'm not the only one I still have it easier then some moms here. At least I'm not nauseous and my daughter is 4.5 so she can go potty, wash her hands and get her water by herself Moms of little ones and multiples, you are all my heroes! I mean it!
Just need to add that I'm clearly too dumb to post the fn ticker up! I've done it before, why won't it work? I've tried pasting it into signature, as a image, copy URL, all of it, but it's just not working. How's that for pregnancy brain
@NESeattlite With my first, a girl, I had very little nausea and with my second, a boy, I would get nauseated and sporadically throw up until 20 weeks. So different. I am only 4 weeks with our third so don't k is what I'm in for yet.
DD- 9
DS-6
c/p- April 2016
missed m/c- 6w5d; discovered 8w2d- September 2016
@MrsBakes - Yep. This will be our first, but since I don't always feel nauseous (today being an exception) or have a whole slew of other symptoms, I sometimes wonder if I should take another pregnancy test just to be doubly sure.
Re: Weekday Pregnancy Chatter 8/8-8/11
Previously nweg...7878
The OB practice that delivered my first doesn't deliver at the hospital that I want to deliver at. However, they have a certified midwife group that does deliver at that hospital, so I'm thinking about it.
The clinic I go to for my gyno actually has a group of CNMs that you can choose to use for your pregnancy, and I'm thinking I'll probably use them if I'm not high risk. If they weren't also certified nurses that delivered in a hospital, I'd go the doctor route. CNM seems like a solid route for me.
Me: 28 & Partner: 32 | Married 2014
BFP 7/29 EDD 4/11
First time pregnant and I'm seeing a midwife in a practice of drs/midwives. I think I'll end up seeing several people there in case she's not on call when I go in to labor, I think they suggest that too. I'm also high risk so I'll be seeing a maternal fetal every 2 weeks beginning at 16 weeks. I have no qualms about seeing a midwife
Also, today I've felt weird. Not crampy, but achy. Almost like the pains I felt when my uterus was stretching in the late 1st/early 2nd trimesters. Maybe I didn't notice it the first pregnancy, but I thought it would be too early to feel it now. I'm upping my water intake to see if that has something to do with it.
There is a fantastic midwifery program where I live, but I just can't commit to attempting a med free birth, which is a pre-req.
-- DS 3.8.14
-- MC 9.22.16 at 8 wks
YOU GUYS! I am picking my husband up from the airport in 20 minutes. We have to pick up the truck from the other end of the island, because (pregnancy brain) I locked the keys in it on Saturday. But, then we'll go home, and he'll open the box with the onesie! I am so excited!!!
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
DS: 10-9-14
MC: 9-4-16
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
I can't tell you much about them because the information on them can be overwhelming. I can tell you about our experience, though. We cloth diapered because I did the math and figured out it would save us about $200 bucks a year. That's not much, but we are cheapskates and will do anything to pinch a penny here and there! I compared using Honest Co. diapers (they have great prints too!) It would have saved us more, but I knew I wouldn't do it 24/7. I didn't do it when we traveled or were out for very long periods of time, like the whole day at a festival or something. I took breaks when he was sick or when I had too much laundry to do and didn't want to add to it because it is a longer and more involved process. I probably cloth diapered about 5 days/week for the first year and maybe 4 days a week after he turned 1 (life got busier). He grew out of them and needed larger sizes around 19 months so I just quit doing it instead of buying more. One of the things that made them cost-saving was that I was using one size diapers instead of sized ones. He fit them from about 3- 19 months. (I did have a set of newborn diapers, but only 12, so laundry every day 0-3 months) By the time I packed them away for good, he was only going through about 6 diapers per 24 hours or around 8 cloth diapers.
Of course I'm a bit on the crunchy side too. I enjoyed feeling good about being kinder to the Earth for a bit. The Honest Co. diapers are pretty Earth friendly too. I definitely plan to do them again this time around. It will save us even more $$ this time! I will probably invest in another 12 newborn diapers.
-- DS 3.8.14
-- MC 9.22.16 at 8 wks
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
@mokay19 Tea is one of those "weigh the pros and cons" consumables in pregnancy, but for me that usually means it's probably fine.
Green tea is a non-herbal tea, which means it has a caffeine level of >0. The way the tea leaves are prepared and brewed can vary the amount of tea, but it has an average of 35-70mg per 8oz cup, less than oolong (50-75) and black (70-90) tea. For comparison, there is ~95mg in an 8oz cup of coffee or 64mg in a 1oz shot of espresso.
If you are watching your caffeine levels, excessive green tea will go over the recommended limit (200 - 300mg daily), especially if you are also drinking coffee.
I did also find a study that suggested green tea consumption can interfere with the absorption of folic acid, but I only have access to the abstract and wasn't able to glean the sample size. It only compared water, black tea, and green tea, so it's unclear if the suggested effect may also be caused by other beverages. Additionally, the study was performed after consuming green tea concurrently with a folic acid supplement - there are some foods that naturally have unusual reactions when consumed simultaneously that do not affect one another when consumed at different times, such as bananas and sprite.
For the pros, tea is an excellent way for women to ensure their hydration, especially if their tap water tastes LIKE GARBAGE DUE TO THEIR HEIGHTENED SENSE OF SMELL, WTF NOSE. Additionally, green tea is a known source of antioxidants and has numerous studies showing its benefits on blood flow and heart health. A final benefit is a less quantifiable one - many people enjoy tea for the sake of relaxation or ritual, which provides its own health benefits due to destressing.
For me, I give green tea a thumbs up, especially after the first trimester. I've not been drinking as much of it due to running out, but I'll be getting some more soon.
Me: 28 & Partner: 32 | Married 2014
BFP 7/29 EDD 4/11
I have so many things going through my head... For starters, I feel almost guilty not feeling the same kind of excitement I did with my daughter. Don't get me wrong I love this nugget already and am so happy, but I feel like since it was unplanned I'm still kind of in denial.. Anyone else feel that way? Our daughter was so very planned and we were trying for a year. So when I finally got that BFP, I flipped out. This one was, oh crap my period is weird again, to hm maybe I should test, to oh crap I'm actually really pregnant! lol
I'm also still kind of ticked off at the nurses office and the fact they were not helpful when I asked about my first appointments and what to expects, but I know I want to stay with the OB. Considering my first birth experience I'd much rather be in a hospital with everything available. But that's probably also easier for me to say because despite my difficulties with the delivery, the nurses and the doc were absolutely amazing. I was never rushed into anything and I didn't have to have a C-section. They kept me safe but still tried to respect all the wishes I had. So despite some rather scary and dangerous moments during my delivery, for which I was glad to be in a hospital for, the experience was wonderful. Plus I love my OB, she is absolutely awesome. I've also gotten to know most of the doctors there and would be comfortable with either of them delivering in case my OB isn't on call the day I go into labor.
And, I almost got ticked off with a friend this weekend. We went out for my Hs birthday. I had ordered a N/A beer. I've done this before but the first thing she said was "oh do you have some news". I find it rude. People will announce it when they are ready. Why create an awkward situation and make someone lie or spill the beans before they are ready... I chose the lie option and just said, a) I'm the DD and b) I took my migraine meds so I can't do alcohol. That is true when I do take my migraine meds so she's familiar with that lol. But she totally gave me the look and was staring at my belly. Then for the rest of the evening I just felt watched by everyone...
Me: Nope. That's just Chinese food. But thanks
@Dax28
oh wow! Some people don't have a filter. I actually have a feeling my parents won't quite support this pregnancy. Never mind the fact that I'm 36 and H is 40 my mom in particular always thinks she has something to say.
This pregnancy is making me so extremely tired and I feel like a horrible mother. I get up at 5.15 every morning, go to work and come home at 5.30. I manage to cook a meal and feed my child. I'll give her kisses and snuggles and try to pay as much attention to her as possible, but with energy non-existent and it being 90 outside, I just want to stay at home. I sit on the couch and try to coax her into coloring or watching a movie with me. Yesterday I let her watch Netflix on her little Note and I watched the Olympics. Then I put her to bed. FAIL! I feel totally guilty.
@ladameperdue
Good to know I'm not the only one
I still have it easier then some moms here. At least I'm not nauseous and my daughter is 4.5 so she can go potty, wash her hands and get her water by herself
Moms of little ones and multiples, you are all my heroes! I mean it!
Just need to add that I'm clearly too dumb to post the fn ticker up! I've done it before, why won't it work? I've tried pasting it into signature, as a image, copy URL, all of it, but it's just not working. How's that for pregnancy brain
DD- 9
DS-6
c/p- April 2016
missed m/c- 6w5d; discovered 8w2d- September 2016
Punk's birthday: 3-28-17