First Time Mom (FTM) Check In 2/1 (plus stm+ questions)

BecauseLove · February 2017

How far along are you?

How big is baby?

Upcoming appointments this week?

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings?

Rants/Raves/Questions?

Questions for stm+?

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far?

mercury94 · February 2017

How far along are you? 6+5

How big is baby? Sweet pea

Upcoming appointments this week? Next week.

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings? The symptoms are really just more pronounced. Especially the fatigue.

Rants/Raves/Questions? Not yet.

Questions for stm+? Nope.

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far? The overwhelming urge to tell everyone. It's early, so I'm afraid to tell most people, but I just want to talk about it all the time.

BecauseLove · February 2017

How far along are you? 6 weeks Due Date is 9/27

How big is baby? Main Blueberry

Upcoming appointments this week? 1st US on 2/3

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings? Coming and going mostly...other than heartburn. I go through days I am not that hungry and then days I am starving.

Rants/Raves/Questions?

Rants: The meds I am taking from IF weren't set up to all be refilled at the same time (running out of some things faster than others) so having to stay on top of it because I have to order them to be shipped. Also the cost $$$
Raves: That I haven't had nausea yet.

Questions for stm+?

When did you start to really feel pregnant?
What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better?
When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver?
What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby?
Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around?
How closet to your Due Date did you give birth?
How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)?

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far?

How excited other people can be about me being pregnant...and how many people remembered I was doing IVF to ask me if I am now pregnant.

Sugargirl1019 · February 2017

I'll play! Let's see where this goes! I want to see a "Stupid Questions" thread and a STM+ Advice thread or something for us to ask questions to.

How far along are you? 9 weeks

How big is baby? Eastern blue-tailed butterfly!

Upcoming appointments this week? Nope!

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings? Not really. I have this pain in my tail bone she I walk for the past week and a half and I have no idea what it is. Psoas muscle?

Rants/Raves/Questions? I want to tell my mom but dh doesn't!

Questions for stm+? How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark?

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far? The magical boob changes!!!

@bridge-and-wall My first one I told literally everyone too! I'm a bit more reserved this time around. But my favorite was the grocery store clerk.

BigBadWolf12 · February 2017

How far along are you? 6+2

How big is baby? sweet pea

Upcoming appointments this week? nope not til 8+2

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings? my areolas seem to be getting bigger, and I have woken up the last few nights feeling nauseated but it's super weird because I don't generally feel nauseated after I eat breakfast until going to bed so far...so I dunno if it's KU related or not... I was craving shortbread cookies on Monday night, so I made some lol.

Rants/Raves/Questions? I just want to hightail it to March when we will tell everyone.

Questions for stm+? not right now...

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far? does TMI exist in this board? In case anyone is squeamish, TMI: discharge maybe? I imagined that being KU = dry as a desert until your water breaks (k, not quite, but still, you know what I mean). But I've actually had noticeable (but not uncomfortable) discharge (not blood)

thinkpositive2017 · February 2017

How far along are you?

9 weeks, 1 day

How big is baby?

Cherry!

Upcoming appointments this week?

Today! I can't wait. Really hoping to hear a heartbeat!

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings?

My symptoms have been very mild. This week my skin is terrible, but I've also been living on junk food.

Rants/Raves/Questions?

I can't concentrate at all today. I wish I booked this appointment for earlier in the day!

Questions for stm+?

What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read?

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far?

How unreal it feels! I am hoping that changes after my appointment today.

Aly0430 · February 2017

How far along are you? 8 weeks and 4 days!

How big is baby? The size of a raspberry.

Upcoming appointments this week? Nope. First appointment with midwife at the end of this month (unless anything changes).

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings? I've had more acid reflux and less straight-up nausea this week. I've learned the hard way that I can't eat a whole bowl of spaghetti in one sitting, no matter how much I might crave it. Breasts are not as tender anymore but are huge and heavy.

Rants/Raves/Questions? Has anyone else noticed that they go through patterns of a couple really good days followed by a bad day or two? Even on good days, I still have to eat like a newborn, every 2 to 3 hours, and I have to sleep a couple extra hours during the day. Bad days...well, I just lay on the couch and hope for the best. Anybody else struggling with finding motivation to do stuff?

Questions for stm+? All I can say is, you guys are epic. I can't imagine having one on the way and chasing a toddler/older child.

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far? It's hard to enjoy the moment right now, even though I'm trying. I'm typically full of energy and drive, but I really just feel like a lazy sack of blah. I had no idea the first trimester could be so rough.

DPandMB · February 2017

STM here. I feel so much pressure.

I think these are all the questions thus far.

When did you start to really feel pregnant? The morning sickness started early and didn't let me forget I was pregnant.
What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better? With last and this one, right about 6 weeks. Unisom and B6 helps a little.
When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver? My OB is part of a specific hospital, so there wasn't much choice with that. I worked at the hospital, so I never felt the need to tour.
What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby? Crib and dresser.
Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around? I really wanted the Mama Roo and got that, but DD hated it. It got used less than a handful of times. Lots of kids love it though, so here's hoping it gets more use this time.
How closet to your Due Date did you give birth? 38+6
How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)? I work from home so I didn't really take much time off. DH became a stay at home dad, so he didn't take any time either.
How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark? We decided against it. The answers wouldn't have changed anything for us and we were delivering at a hospital with a great neonatal unit, so that also didn't make an impact for us.
What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read? I didn't really read any books. I skimmed the book provided by OB and read lots of online articles. Honestly, I probably learned the most from my mom, sister and other moms here on TB.

Becky012016 · February 2017

BecauseLove said:
Questions for stm+?
When did you start to really feel pregnant?
What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better?
When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver?
What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby?
Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around?
How closet to your Due Date did you give birth?
How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)?

I started to really feel pregnant when the bump started legitimately showing up around 13ish weeks. Though no one else besides DH noticed until like 26 weeks lol.
I got morning sickness the morning before my first appointment and that was the only time. I did have killer headaches though and the only thing to help those were sleeping and ice packs.
The first thing we bought was a lovey which was only a few dollars but has the most significance in DS's life. He sleeps with it every day.
I recommend looking at your own personality. Are you a minimalist? You just need the basics: diapers/wipes, clothes, crib, sheets, bottles/nipples. Are you a collector of everything? You'll probably end up with all the gadgets. As far as splurges go, people RAVE about mommaroo swings/glider things. Dont buy into the hype. You might have a kid who hates the motion and now you have a very expensive piece of junk. Buy a cheap swing and if LO likes it, buy a more expensive one later.
I gave birth about a week before. DH was allowed to take a layoff since it was the off season so he ended up with 3 weeks. This time the due date is during the busy season so we will be lucky if he can have the day off when I give birth. Realistically he will back at work before I'm discharged.

Sugargirl1019 said:

Questions for stm+? How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark?

We decided to forgo any testing because 1. It wasn't covered by insurance, 2. The results wouldn't change our mind about keeping the pregnancy, and 3. A lot of medical anomalies can be found during the anatomy scan and we could move forward from that scan if anything came up. It's a very personal choice and one that should not be made just because you want to find out the sex early (totally not saying this is you!).

wannabeamongoose · February 2017

I'll happily answer the questions I've seen so far:
When did you start to really feel pregnant? Physically, toward the end of the first trimester when I had never ending nausea for about 3 weeks straight. Emotionally, I started to feel it around the time I started significantly showing, but it came and went. There were days when I was 8 or 9 months in and I didn't really "feel" pregnant even though I was a whale and was being kicked in the ribs every 5 minutes.
What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better? Around week 10. I never threw up but I was nauseous all. the. time. Carbs. The only thing that made me feel better was carbs. So I ate a ton of crackers.
When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver? I decided early on I wanted to deliver in a birthing center and there was only one in our area. I think I went to their orientation around week 14. Once I decided to go with them I switched over to them for all of my care. If I had been planning on sticking with my OB, I probably would have waited a little longer to visit the local hospital.
What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby? A car (we had two 2 door cars and figured we needed a 4 door to make the car seat manageable). After that we bought a dresser and crib on craigslist and a rocking chair at the local furniture store. Everything else (including many things we definitely did not need) we were lucky to receive as gifts or to borrow.
Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around? Baby wipe warmers. I don't understand them. Cloths - especially if you have family around the odds are that they will buy a ton of baby cloths for you. Blankets - similar to cloths you will probably receive a never ending supply of blankets as gifts.
How closet to your Due Date did you give birth? LO was 9 days late.
How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)? 2 weeks followed by 1-2 days a week working from home for the next month. He plans to do the same this time around.
How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark? We didn't do any testing. We knew that no matter the results we wouldn't change anything (I'm not a planner so even if I knew what to expect, I know I wouldn't educate myself ahead of time - I would just be stressed for 7 months).
What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read? I began What to Expect the First Year but only got to about month 8. I have been advised by many people to avoid What to Expect When You're Expecting because it is apparently just hundreds of pages listing all the things that could go wrong.

wyomama0427 · February 2017

@Sugargirl1019 I'd love to start the stupid questions thread, I've got a stupid question of my own to start off with!!

Sprite2012 · February 2017

When did you start to really feel pregnant?
I think it wasn't until late 1st trimester that I actually felt pregnant. I didn't have any nausea or morning sickness with my first, I was just really tired. All. The. Time. The 12 week NT scan was a game changer for me. It really clicked that there is a real baby in there.

What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better?
I didn't have any morning sickness with my first pregnancy.

When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver?
We toured 3 hospitals around 20ish weeks. My midwife preferred one hospital, and we ended up going to that one. It was also walking distance from my office and our house, so it just made sense.

What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby?
The car seat! I bought it around 12 weeks pregnant after seeing it on sale, by chance.

Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around? A fancy stroller. I had two strollers when DS was born, and ended up wearing him everywhere until he was close to a year old. Don't load up on anything really. Get the bare minimum essentials until you see what kind of mama you're going to be.

How closet to your Due Date did you give birth? My EDD changed a couple times. Originally 11/29, then moved to 11/27, then to 11/28. By the second change, I never knew what to say my EDD was! He was born on 12/3.

How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)? DH took a month off and I took about 6 months off.

How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark? I didn't do any additional genetic testing. I wasn't at risk for anything and I didn't care to spend extra money on potentially inconclusive tests. We did do the NT scan because my insurance paid for it and my midwife said it's well worth it. I watched my baby on a mural size screen for 45 minutes. It was so amazing.

What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read? I read Ina May's books (excellent, highly recommend!) and Push. A friend told me to forget pregnancy books and focus on newborn and breastfeeding books. I took her advice and that's mostly what I read. Good advice to pass on!

sparksfly · February 2017

When did you start to really feel pregnant?
2nd trimester probably. When maternity pants become a necessity and especially once the baby started kicking!

What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better?
Nope.

When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver?
We only toured one hospital. New facility, close to home, connected to my dr. office. We did the tour about 2 months before my due date in tandem with a childbirth class (<- I highly reccomend checking to see if your hospital does one. So helpful.)

What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby?
A dresser! Not super baby related, but we were given a hand-me-down crib and had 3 baby showers so we waited on everything else until those were over.

Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around? All kinds of different baby holding things. You don't need a swing, a bouncer, AND a rock n play. My baby really didn't like any of them, but eventally used the bouncer when she was a little older. The other two things just took up a ton of space. If you get those, ask others for hand-me-downs, to borrow, or check a consignment sale.

How closet to your Due Date did you give birth? 3 days early

How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)? I took the full 12 weeks allowed by FMLA. My husband was only able to be home for 1 week.

How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark? We did the test for cystic fibrosis because that was not something that could be found during the anatomy scan. We had friends whose son was born with CF and they didn't know until after he was born. A condition with that much special care was something I wanted to be able to research and plan for. We skipped the other genetic testing because no result would have affected our decision to carry the baby to full term.

What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read? #1 - Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina. About how external factors impact baby's neurological development. Excellent read covering everything from pregnancy, relationships, happiness, discipline, sleep, and more. For pregnancy, Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine, Dude You're Gonna Be a Dad by John Pfeiffer (for DH - he seemed to like it).

wyomama0427 · February 2017

When did you start to really feel pregnant?
Probaby around 17 weeks when my belly popped out and I started feeling the movements and kicking!

What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better?
I only ever threw up about twice, but it started late probably after week 10. I ate peppermint and drank ginger ale like it was going out of style!

When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver?
I toured the hospital and preregistered probably around 36 or 37 weeks I think. I only had one option, we live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. This time tho I'm going an hour and a half to a big city

What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby?
Well we traded our car for the truck we have now, and we didn't really start shopping until I was in the third trimester.... we procrastinated so hard... but we got a lot of stuff at once and it was a pretty big purchase. Dresser, stroller, car seat, pack and play, etc. my parents bought us a crib and our friends gave us their changing table. I was supposed to have a baby shower but my sister was too busy....

Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around?
Newborn clothes. They won't be in them long enough to buy a ton. All the clothes I wanted to buy were newborn sizes. Also agree with the wipe warmer. It's pretty unnecessary. I also bought a bunch of baby toys that he wasn't even interested in until he was a few months older. Lol.

How closet to your Due Date did you give birth?
Four days early!

How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)?
He only works 14 days out of the month, he's got a crazy 28 day rotating schedule where sometimes at nights and sometimes days,so he only took a handful of days off but got two weeks with us total. He took vacation because his paternity leave was unpaid.

How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark?
We decided not to do any testing because it wouldn't change our minds about the pregnancy. It wouldn't have changed anything for us so we didn't want to know.

What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read?
Hands Free Mama and Hands Free Life by Rachel Macy Stanford. Not about pregnancy, more about parenting and life. Very good books, highly reccomend.

thatburkgirl · February 2017

How far along are you? 8w 6d

How big is baby? Raspberry

Upcoming appointments this week? No

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings?

I love Chicken nuggets n i hate the thought of beef

Rants/Raves/Questions?

When will i stop having a bloat bump?!

Questions for stm+?

What are some things you wish you had after you had your first that your didn't have?

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far?

How bloated i am! And how easily i start gagging over smells.

mrs_tacos · February 2017

How far along are you?

8+4

How big is baby?

a half lego brick

Upcoming appointments this week?

Monday 2/6

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings?

Nothing new exactly, but my nausea has kicked into overdrive in the last week. I'm low-key nauseated all day, and gaggy and vomity all evening. And the smell of my shampoo now makes me really sick, so that's fun.

Rants/Raves/Questions?

Not today.

Questions for stm+?

What was the one thing you could't live without/ found the most helpful as a new mom?

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far?

I don't understand how people can not know they're pregnant. Between all the peeing and barfing and burping and a hundred other symptoms, there's something just about every minute of the day to remind me I'm pregnant.

ColoradoHiker · February 2017

I love answering these STM questions. It feels like when you filled out those 50 question surveys and posted them on your MySpace site back in the day. (Yes, I'm definitely dating myself here..)

@BecauseLove
When did you start to really feel pregnant? Depends on what you mean? I usually start having 'symptoms' around 6-7w.
What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better? Nausea lasted from about 6-18w for me with DS. It started around 6 again this time. Small snacks and meals help, sometimes ginger snaps.
When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver? One of the classes I did at the hospital included a tour of the maternity ward.
What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby? Infant carrier/ stroller set. You have to have a car seat to bring baby home, so we made sure we had it relatively early, just in case.
Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around? We really didn't get a lot of 'stuff' because we lived in a small apartment when DS was born. A lot of people skip the wipe and bottle warmers. This helped us a lot because when DS switched over to formula later on, he didn't care if the milk was warm or cold. Always having the milk/ formula warm can lead to babies only wanting it warm.
How closet to your Due Date did you give birth? I had DS 4 days early, after having a membrane swipe.
How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)? DS took a week off from work, the US really doesn't have much in the way of paternity leave.

@amandarene112 I really found swaddling blankets to be helpful. Some babies don't like to be swaddled, and DS preferred to have his arms out. But they're awesome multi use- for when you're on the go in the summer, protection from sun while in the stroller, a light blanket when they're too old for swaddling, as an emergency diaper changing pad at the mall, etc. The Aden and Anais ones get super soft as they are washed, they ended up totally being worth the money. Also, bc we lived on the third floor in a rowhome, we had a frame stroller that the infant car seat clicked into. It's SO much easier to get around with in malls, Target, etc. You will need a bigger one, or an umbrella stroller, when the baby outgrows the carseat, but we used it for almost a year.

wannabeamongoose · February 2017

@septpromise I remember my bloat coming and going (although with pregnancy it's not going, it's just getting grosser). I was told to drink lots of fluids and eat lots of fiber to help with the bloat as it keeps your digestive tract moving.

@amandarene112 Baby wearing gear - it gave me so much more freedom to get things done when baby was needing to be cuddled up with momma. I still wear baby occasionally (even though at 16 months LO isn't always a fan anymore).

wyomama0427 · February 2017

@ColoradoHiker YES I loved those MySpace surveys

JNR6510 · February 2017

How far along are you?

8+1

How big is baby?

Raspberry

Upcoming appointments this week?

My next appointment is Wednesday.

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings?

I have been so forgetful lately. It's terrible. I forgot my lunch at home yesterday which sucked because there isn't anything close by foodwise to my work. Thankfully DH was amazing and brought me lunch.

Rants/Raves/Questions?

Is anyone else going to do the cell free DNA testing? I'm debating having it done since we lost our last LO due to a trisomy chromosome issue. Plus getting to find out the sex earlier is kind of nice.

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far?

I was surprised by how fast the blump appeared. I have tried avoiding foods that make you bloated or gassy and haven't been eating much salt. I don't think it is helping much though.

Sugargirl1019 · February 2017

@JNR6510 I'm debating on getting the cell free DNA test. My previous mc's were unknown reasons so idk that I NEED it. If I didn't find out the sex, I don't think I would bother. But since we do....... I'm wondering if I should. DH is not helpful in this discussion.

juliebeannn · February 2017

How far along are you? 9+6

How big is baby? Tomorrow it'll be the size of a date

Upcoming appointments this week? I graduated from RE 2 weeks ago, so my first pre-natal appointment with my OBGYN is this Wednesday!

Any new symptoms or changes or cravings? Nausea is under control for the most part thanks to diclegis (this stuff is amazing). I still get a little nauseous and acidy around dinner time when the meds start to wear off. Other than that, mostly just huge, sore boobs and a blump like you wouldn't believe. I swear I look like I'm 5-6 months along!

Rants/Raves/Questions? Just got my doppler in the mail and was able to find the HB almost immediately this morning! Love it!!!

Questions for stm+?

When did you morning sickness go away?
For those that have used diclegis, when did you stop taking it? Did you wean off it or cut it out cold turkey?
When did you first start wearing maternity clothes?

GTKY: What have you found to be the most surprising thing about being knocked up so far?
Not to be negative, but just how crappy I feel a lot of the time. Luckily, the fatigue is letting up, but man, growing a human IS HARD!!!

BecauseLove · February 2017

bridge-and-wall Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Good luck at your dr appointment this week! I hear ya about wanting to tell people already!

Sugargirl1019 Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Wowza almost 10 weeks...that is exciting!! Ouch about the tailbone pain!

BigBadWolf12 Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Looks like we have a pretty similar due date.

Have you told your family yet? I know you mentioned waiting until March...is that to do a bigger announcement? I hear ya about the discharge... I am on some inserts 3 times a day so I am so far from dry...its like a freaking pool down there.

thinkpositive2017 Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Almost 10 weeks along!! How was your dr appointment and ultrasound?

Aly0430 Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! mmm a full bowl of pasta sounds yummy but I hear ya about the acid reflux/heartburn! I

tums!

septpromise Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! I hear ya about the bloat and those darn smells! My DH keeps thinking I am crazy cause things stink so much!!

amandarene112 Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Uffda the nausea thing sounds awful!

JNR6510 Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Do you have an ultrasound on wed? We did CCS/PGS testing prior to our frozen embryo transfer but we will still be doing a blood test (at least most likely) like maternityT or one of those other ones that do genetics testing.

juliebeannn Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Awesome about graduating from your RE! Were you on any IF meds you had to ween off of?

BigBadWolf12 · February 2017

@becauselove yea, that's just for telling friends (and work because a lot of our friends are also coworkers). We told our parents at 4weeks (they know about our past loss and my parents knew we were in the middle of IF testing) and will tell siblings at 9weeks after our 8week u/s.

JNR6510 · February 2017

@BecauseLove I'm not sure if they will do an ultrasound Wednesday or not. This will be my first appointment with the OB. I have had appointments with the CNM and the MFM over the past two weeks. The MFM did an ultrasound which was measuring 2 days behind with a heart rate of 169.

mrssuperman918 · February 2017

I'll join in with some of my experiences...

When did you start to really feel pregnant? I honestly felt more pregnant in my first trimester (morning sickness and fatigue) than I did in my 2nd trimester. The third trimester became difficult for me and I felt SUPER pregnant because I experienced a lot of back pain.

What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better? With my last pregnancy, I felt it almost right away (7ish weeks). This time I felt morning sickness before I even knew I was pregnant. I am 9 weeks now and it is slowing down a bit. I found that saltine crackers and ginger pills are the best remedies for morning sickness.

When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver? My fiancé and I signed up for the Lamaze class at our delivery hospital (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) and they gave us the tour then. I was in the middle of my third trimester.

What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby? Crib with changing table and car seats.

Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around? Pacifiers (my DD did not even take it and we bought tons), toys, and a bumbo. Your baby does not need a room full of toys, just a few to stimulate them. And a bumbo did not help my daughter sit; it only restricted her ability to move around and learn to sit on her own.

How closet to your Due Date did you give birth? I was induced the day after my due date. My DD was born 2.5 days after my induction.

How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)? I do not have a paid maternity leave so I only took about 6 weeks. My SO took 1 week.

How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark? We allowed for the ultrasound and were told we are at a very low risk for any disabilities but they suggested we have testing done to be sure. We decided against it because we were going to have and love our child regardless of any disabilities they would have.

What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read? I honestly did not read any books. I received several but never opened one. I learned the most from my mother and mother-in-law and asking doctors questions.

thinkpositive2017 · February 2017

BecauseLove The ultrasound went great! Baby is measuring 1 day ahead and I got to see the heartbeat! We started telling our family, which has been really exciting.

Today I went in for more blood work. I decided to do the Panorama prenatal screening - and I checked the box to find out the sex! Can't believe there's an option to find out at 10 weeks.

BecauseLove · February 2017

thinkpositive2017 Such good news! glad you got a happy and healthy little eggo going on inside of you.!

Exciting to be able to start telling family and to get to know the gender soon!

juliebeannn · February 2017

BecauseLove said:

juliebeannn Thank you for sharing! Excited to be being a first time mom along with you! Awesome about graduating from your RE! Were you on any IF meds you had to ween off of?

Thanks! Graduating was definitely a great milestone! I was only on gonal-f + trigger during our IUI cycles and despite what I thought was lower progesterone levels, I was never prescribed any supplements, so no weaning of meds necessary.

BecauseLove · February 2017

juliebeannn Nice! That makes the transition a little easier I suppose.

Glad your doing good!

JNR6510 Excited to hear about your US!!

BigBadWolf12 You must have impressive parents that they could keep the secret from your siblings.

Glad your able to start telling people and feeling good about things. So much happiness for you on this journey!

margareth-2 · February 2017

This has been such a helpful thread -- thank you FTMs and STMs!

Right now I'm on mobile so I can't really copy and paste but maybe I will tomorrow so I'm not just a "lurker." Haha. I'm a FTM.

BecauseLove · February 2017

margareth Glad you found it helpful!
Yes, thank you ftm's and stm+'s!

sugarrush · February 2017

When did you start to really feel pregnant? I don't even know to be honest. I was miserable with vomiting/nausea for the first 7 months (with occasional breaks from taking Zofran) that I just loathed the whole experience and kept asking "where is my glow? where am I supposed to be enjoying this?!"

What did you 1st get morning sickness? Any things that helped make you feel better? Nothing. I got an Rx for Zofran but I didn't want to take it consistently so on days where I knew I had to be on my A-game at work, I'd take it. Otherwise I went through all of it -- seabands, jolly ranchers, pregnancy pops, you name it -- I tried it. I suffered... a lot.

When did you tour hospitals/delivery centers to decide where to deliver? I worked for a hospital system so I knew I was delivering there. I did the actual hospital tour about 6 months in .

What was the 1st big purchase you made prepping for baby? The stroller. I bought it on amazon on black friday and got it for a steal.

Anything you would recommend not splurging on or getting that you thought was important your 1st time around? Wipe warmers. Its not realistic! When you are not at home and out somewhere, that baby is not going to get the 'warm wipe' they are used to at home and more likely than not, they are not going to like feeling a cold wipe if they aren't used to it. So don't even start with the warm wipe!

How closet to your Due Date did you give birth? DD was content on stayin in the womb. I was induced at 41 weeks, and honestly I felt fine and probably could have waited longer.

How long did you or your significant other take off from work (maternity/paternity leave)? I went back at 9 weeks part time and my husband took about 3 weeks off when she was first born because I had a complications from my csection and couldnt take care of our DD.

How did you decide on genetic testing around the 12 week mark? I'm of Eastern European descent and I thought the occurrence of cystic fibrosis was really high (based on the info my doc gave me), so I wanted to know if I was a carrier or not. My sister in law (husband's sister) due to some unfortunate events found out that she is a carrier of the gene, so in retrospect i'm glad I did my testing. My daughter will need to be tested to see if she is a carrier when the time comes because I do not know if my husband is a carrier, but he might be and could have transferred the carrier gene to her.

What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read? I went blind into everything. I knew that if I read something that scares me, I'll keep thinking about it.

ElleKH · February 2017

There have been so many good questions and answers so far!

Morning sickness... Anything that made you feel better?
Ladies!!! If you're suffering from morning sickness, try this, if you haven't already!

First thing in the morning, before you have anything to eat, drink a glass of very cold water with 2 tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar mixed into it. It's a pretty nasty drink, but it works! The cold water helps mask the taste a bit. If you need something else to help improve the flavor, add a tablespoon of honey and squeeze some lemon juice into it. Mix together and drink with a straw. (ACV can be rough on the teeth; a straw helps bypass them.)

I was doing this to cure something else and inadvertently cured my morning sickness! Thought I would share.

What's the best pregnancy/parenting book you read?
1. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. I devoured this book. Highly recommended!
2. (American Academy of Pediatrics) Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. Useful. The Mayo Clinic version also looked good, but it didn't work on my Kindle.

What was the one thing you could't live without/ found the most helpful as a new mom?
A respiration monitor. It gave us a few scares, but was worth the peace of mind. We borrowed our neighbor's Nanny (https://www.nanny.cz/en/) and plan to use it again this time around.
Someone mentioned babywearing and I want to second this! There's nothing more wonderful than wrapping a new little squish close to your heart. Great for moms, dads, and babies.

Edited to fix typos.

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