Stupid Question Sunday 6/18

shellac835 · June 2017

So I started seeing a chiropractor in the last couple of weeks, and this week he asked if I tend to walk on stand pigeon toed (I do). I asked how he could tell and he said it's because my hips point in, which can narrow the birth canal. Not what a FTM wants to hear!! Has anyone heard this, or are there any STM's who often walk/stand like that and didn't have problems with a narrow birth canal? I asked him if I could try to correct for it in the next few months, and he said after doing it for 32 years I can't really change it. Now I keep picturing my baby getting stuck in there, lol.

eazybreezy225 · June 2017

That is the opinion of one guy... who I'm sure knows the skeletal structure incredibly well... however, he's not a birthing coach or an OBGYN. I'd trust my OB over the advice of a chiropractor. Don't get too freaked out, especially this early in the game. If you are super concerned about it, ask your OB. You can also take up prenatal yoga, or other types of safe exercises to open the pelvic floor. But talk to your OB first.

cait5413 · June 2017

I used to walk on tiptoes a lot as a kid, but not pigeon-toed. Have you talked to your OB at all? they will have an idea of how big baby's head is before you deliver and will let you know if it could be a problem. I was concerned about this with my first because my mom had to have 2 c-sections (planned with me, emergency with my brother, who is older) because her birth canal was too narrow, and DD's head was measuring big. My mom was fine, we were fine. I also ended up having a c-section, but it was because DD would not descend. I never dilated past 4 cm and she would not go lower than +1 (or -1? I don't remember which way the numbers go--she stayed above my pelvis). So, I don't know whether your birth canal will actually be too narrow (though your hips should widen a bit during your pregnancy), but I just wanted to let you know that even if you have to have a c-section, it's not so bad. Your OB will have better advice!

blueskies17 · June 2017

@shellac835 I was pigeon toed as a kid, and have pretty narrow hips.. I'll have to ask my OB about this one too!

I have a stupid question... when people say that they can feel their uterus at their belly button, etc... how do you know what your uterus feels like? My belly feels like firm stuff with some squishy stuff on top. Ha.

shellac835 · June 2017

@blueskies17 Let me know what your OB says! For feeling my uterus, I can definitely feel obvious firmness, but it is not up to my belly button yet (I think it takes a few more weeks for that). So yep, mine is really firm about an inch or so below my belly button, and then squishy on top. I feel like as my uterus moves up it's also moving my fat up, lol.

dkizz82 · June 2017

My OB told me very early on that i had extremely narrow hips and would probably need a c section. That fact coupled with the high BP, they had to take her at 38.3. Anyway, my point is, your Dr will know and won't let you try something dangerous.

shellac835 · June 2017

@eazybreezy225 Good point, I will take what he said with a grain of salt and see how things progress. I'm sure my hips will move a lot in the next 5 months anyway! I was also thinking about getting into a prenatal yoga class so that may help.

I've not seen my midwife since seeing the chiropractor but will ask her about it next time I go in!

KathrynJ088 · June 2017

I hope I can still ask my dumb question: when should you stop laying on your back?
Everything I've read says just to stop doing so when its uncomfortable, or during the second trimester. With the twins I'm measuring about 5 weeks ahead in uterus size, putting me at about 21 weeks in size. It's not uncomfortable to lay on my back, but I obviously don't want to be doing any damage.

shellac835 · June 2017

I asked my midwife about laying on your back at my last appointment, and she said it wasn't something to worry about too much. She said when sleeping if I were to take sleeping pills or have a medical condition to be an incredibly heavy sleeper she would say otherwise, but apparently our bodies can tell if blood flow is cut off and we'll reposition...? I'm sure I'm not relaying this in the best medical terms and it was one provider, but I'm not worrying about it unless it feels wrong/uncomfortable.

dkizz82 · June 2017

shellac835 said:

I asked my midwife about laying on your back at my last appointment, and she said it wasn't something to worry about too much. She said when sleeping if I were to take sleeping pills or have a medical condition to be an incredibly heavy sleeper she would say otherwise, but apparently our bodies can tell if blood flow is cut off and we'll reposition...? I'm sure I'm not relaying this in the best medical terms and it was one provider, but I'm not worrying about it unless it feels wrong/uncomfortable.

This is what I read last pregnancy. I toss and turn so much i didn't really mind sleeping on my back. I just made it a point to roll over if I woke that way.

KathrynJ088 · June 2017

Thanks ladies!

Mandayno · June 2017

I agree that your body will respond appropriately. As you get farther along the baby will tend to push on your major veins, which is what returns blood to your heart. With lying on your left side, it gets the baby off of these, allowing for maximum blood flow. Again, while sleeping your body will generally make its own adjustments to make up for it. If consciously deciding how to lay though, left is best.

leighalou91 · June 2017

@KathrynJ088 i didn't worry about it until I was well beyond 20 weeks I think? And like @Mandayno said, "left is best"... but you'll find that once you are really starting to get big, you'll just have to lay however you find it comfortable. Later in pregnancy it's hard to get comfortable when sleeping and I stressed myself out too much worrying about not sleeping on my right or on my back (which I didn't want to sleep on my back after a certain point anyway because it definitely got uncomfortable).

anewadventure · June 2017

@KathrynJ088 i've talked to my OB about this at every single appointment this time around. unlike the other ladies, he is very concerned about me lying on my back to sleep, but i had a DVT last pregnancy so my history comes into play. anyway, he says to try to retrain yourself to sleep on your side (preferably left, but either works) starting at 16w if possible and certainly to be more focused on it by 21 weeks. i also learned when in the hospital last time, and confirmed with my OB, that all you need is a slight shift to the side to move your uterus off the vena cava, so if you really just like to sleep on your back you can wedge one single pillow under your back on your right side and that is adequate (more pillows / thicker one is better). HTH.

Tennis11785 · June 2017

I've been really wondering about back sleeping lately. Lately, I've been much more comfortable on my back than my sides. I'll ask my OB at my next appointment, but appreciate all the intel here!

NME44 · June 2017

Eventually laying on your back will start to make you nauseated or light-headed bc of lack of blood flow. You'll know to turn.

mdcd44127 · June 2017

Hey girls, I have what might be a stupid question, but I'm having trouble finding a convincing answer online. I know that cooking with alcohol (in high heat, a la sautéing) is considered fine because the alcohol burns off, but what about a slow-cooker soup recipe that calls for 12 oz. of dark beer? Would the "low and" slow method still burn off the alcohol, or do you think there'd be a risk to the baby?

cait5413 · June 2017

KathrynJ088 said:

I hope I can still ask my dumb question: when should you stop laying on your back?
Everything I've read says just to stop doing so when its uncomfortable, or during the second trimester. With the twins I'm measuring about 5 weeks ahead in uterus size, putting me at about 21 weeks in size. It's not uncomfortable to lay on my back, but I obviously don't want to be doing any damage.

usually, you will feel your lower half start to fall asleep or just feel uncomfortable. (When I was induced, they gave me cervadil, and you have to lay flat for the first hour--that was torture.) Once that happens, if you are a really deep sleeper, you may want to put a pillow under half of your back--then you'll always be kind of at an angle and shouldn't have to worry about it.

NME44 · June 2017

djd0404 said:

Hey girls, I have what might be a stupid question, but I'm having trouble finding a convincing answer online. I know that cooking with alcohol (in high heat, a la sautéing) is considered fine because the alcohol burns off, but what about a slow-cooker soup recipe that calls for 12 oz. of dark beer? Would the "low and" slow method still burn off the alcohol, or do you think there'd be a risk to the baby?

The alcohol should still burn off.

cait5413 · June 2017

@djd0404 Cooking actually doesn't burn off as much alcohol as we think, but the longer you cook it the more burns off, so you may be better off with the slow cooking! Cooking for 2.5 hours leaves behind 5% of the original alcohol you put in, which would probably amount to maybe a teaspoon or a few drops. 12 oz of beer (not very high alcohol content, compared to something like vodka) in a whole dish cooked that long is not something I would worry about. Here is the info from the USDA: https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400525/Data/retn/retn06.pdf See page 12: Alcohol that is flamed (like a bananas foster dessert or something) still retains 75% of the original alcohol content, but long cooking gets most of it out.

anewadventure · June 2017

@djd0404 even if some alcohol was left, unless you're planning to hoover the entire slow cooker dish in one sitting it should be fine

mdcd44127 · June 2017

@NME44 @cait5413 Thank you so much! You've made me feel much better. (That's very interesting info about the "burning off" of alcohol, I appreciate the link. So much of what I find online is Yahoo Answers, which, let's be honest, is pretty much the opposite of informed opinions.)

@anewadventure Haha, let me just say, this soup is so delicious that I think if I wasn't pregnant there's a distinct possibility I'd eat it all in one sitting. I just get full too damn quickly now!

I'll share the recipe, in case anyone is interested: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/70343/slow-cooker-chicken-taco-soup/?lnkid=usspnt

cait5413 · June 2017

@djd0404 That recipe looks so good! Wish I had a slow cooker. I may have to make some chicken tortilla soup soon.

whiska · June 2017

@djd0404 That looks really good and I totally just pinned it for later! It looks a lot like the slow cooker taco soup I make with ground beef, but I'm interested to see how the chicken and beer taste!

If anyone is interested in a healthier sub for sour cream with tacos/Tex Mex food, plain Greek yogurt is nearly indistinguishable, and it has more protein. I put it out last week when we made taco salad, and H couldn't tell the difference at all! That being said, I freakin love sour cream and still use it from time to time.

sjis · June 2017

I have a stupid question. My DD is 3.5 and she finally feels confident about going potty on her own. Now that we know we're having a boy, the thought of potty training him is leaving me totally clueless. How does he go pee when he's about 3? Do you hold him up in the stall so he can aim in the toilet? How does it work?

anewadventure · June 2017

@whiska / anyone else for the sour cream sub, if you really miss the "thickness" of a full-fat sour cream, you have to try siggis 4% whole milk yogurt in plain flavor. it is so thick you can turn it over dairy queen style and nothing falls out.
oh, and if you go to siggis website you can print coupons.

@sjis LOL. potty training boys seems to be a total PITA so far. right now my DS is 3 months shy of his third birthday. he sits on the toilet to pee. he's way too short to stand and pee and there is no way i want to work on his aim whilst potty training in general.
one of the gals in my BMB was throwing her hands up at the complications of training her DS after having a DD first. "do you wipe? do you shake? do you sit or stand? why is this so difficult?"

torresfamily5 · June 2017

@sjis my 4 year old still sits on the potty. We attempted standing but he doesnt have good aim and there was pee to clean up constantly around the toilet. I figure he will learn to pee and stand someday, so for me it is not an issue.

kyrwyn · June 2017

@djd0404 To echo what others have said... I did this mental math this morning, too. We've got a pot roast in our crock pot right now. It's got about a cup of red wine in it, but it will simmer for 8-10 hours on low and... We're splitting the roast up between at least eight meals/people, so the equivalent of 1 oz (2 tbsp) of wine per serving seems pretty negligible, even if it wasn't cooked down. (And then I leave most of the sauce behind).

We love this chicken soup recipe: https://iowagirleats.com/2015/10/07/crock-pot-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup/ We sub in whatever grains we have (wheat berries, barley, etc) and add whatever veggies are looking kind of sad in the fridge.

@whiska we've made the greek yogurt sub for sour cream for so long at our house that DH complains if we go back for any reason. I swirl in a bunch of minced fresh herbs and some cracked black pepper to serve on baked potatoes and it's so good.

NME44 · June 2017

sjis said:

I have a stupid question. My DD is 3.5 and she finally feels confident about going potty on her own. Now that we know we're having a boy, the thought of potty training him is leaving me totally clueless. How does he go pee when he's about 3? Do you hold him up in the stall so he can aim in the toilet? How does it work?

My son mainly sits to pee, but he is tall enough to stand at a standard toilet when he can't sit (3.5 yrs old)

NME44 · June 2017

Also, I totally recommend teaching him to sit to pee. No mess to clean up bc he doesn't miss (he holds his penis down to aim it into the toilet.) Does not affect his ability to stand and pee in public for anyone who fears their sons would be made fun of at school.

sjis · June 2017

Thank you all. Gosh I didn't know any of this! Lol!

kyrwyn · June 2017

@NME44 Thank you! I will remember this for the future... This sounds like a very important thing to know (as a FTM to an incoming boy).

anewadventure · June 2017

kyrwyn said:

@NME44 Thank you! I will remember this for the future... This sounds like a very important thing to know (as a FTM to an incoming boy).

can i just say, though this seems obvious in retrospect, that those of you with male LOs need to make sure to point the penis downwards whenever you change diapers instead of letting it flop all over the place. the first time you put the diaper on with it pointing upwards, welp, you'll know

i mean, maybe with sleep deprivation i lost a lot of IQ points but i didn't even think about this until we had a few soaked outfits with bone dry diapers...

shellac835 · June 2017

@anewadventure I'm a FTM expecting a boy and never would have thought to point it a certain direction when changing! I wonder if my husband would, lol. Thanks for the tip, I'm sure you saved us a few wet outfits

kln62689 · June 2017

I'm late to the chiropractor party here but I want to share that I had precisely the opposite experience this week. I have perpetual back /hip problems due to some bulging disks so I have an ongoing relationship with a chiropractor that offers in practice physical therapy. So the PT was commenting on my terrible forward range of motion of my hips. I said "but I'm great to the sides, I sleep like this!" My demonstration was me laying flat on my back, basically spread eagle but with the soles of my feet touching. She more or less said no wonder your back is jacked up but the whole giving birth thing should maybe go easier for you! I'm conciously trying to be pigeon toed now to correct.

The little boy penis talk is scaring me. I freaked out in buy buy baby yesterday because I realized I didn't even know what stupid questions to ask. I can't think of any. There is a baby coming, I have no idea what I'm doing, and I don't even know what kinds of questions I should be asking about any of it. These are the things of nightmares and panic attacks.

Marley629 · June 2017

@sjis my 3.5 learned by sitting but now stands up and is able to pee standing in most pottys. If the public toilet is exceptionally gross or too high I pick him up lol and hope he aims correctly. Boys = pee everywhere.

Marley629 · June 2017

anewadventure said:

kyrwyn said:

@NME44 Thank you! I will remember this for the future... This sounds like a very important thing to know (as a FTM to an incoming boy).

can i just say, though this seems obvious in retrospect, that those of you with male LOs need to make sure to point the penis downwards whenever you change diapers instead of letting it flop all over the place. the first time you put the diaper on with it pointing upwards, welp, you'll know

i mean, maybe with sleep deprivation i lost a lot of IQ points but i didn't even think about this until we had a few soaked outfits with bone dry diapers...

Lol my poor DS has peed in his face more than once when I forgot to cover during a change. def mom fail on my part.

kyrwyn · June 2017

@anewadventure Oh gees... while I'd like to say I'll remember this one when sleep deprived and changing diapers, I'm pretty sure I'll make at least one spectacular mess of it. Thank you for another very important tip!

thatlauragirl · June 2017

Oh my word, y'all just made me feel so much better that I'm not the only one! When our son was little we bought every brand/type of diaper out there and they all leaked. Holy eff, if someone had only told me to point the dang thing downward I can't imagine how much more sleep I would've gotten!

KathrynJ088 · June 2017

My DS is 10 and there's still pee on the floor, seat, etc. I'm sure not as much as if he were 3, but just get used to pulling out the rubber gloves and bleach. My lovely DS now cleans the toilet in the kids bathroom, so maybe his aim has gotten better?

ETA: He learned sitting, and then when it was time to stand (he was standing before starting kindergarten), I let my DH take over bathroom explanations. I didn't know how to even start to explain what to do if they're peeing and then have to poop all of a sudden, or to shake, etc.

Mandayno · June 2017

all this advice about boys is amazing and didn't even know I needed it!!! I too wouldn't know to diaper pointed down!!! Thanks ladies!!!

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