Questions - Week of September 4

kiki75 · September 2017

Jessicakent08 · September 2017

Anybody else looking at getting the panorama genetic test by Natera? This is what my doctor recommended but it is not covered by my insurance because I am under 34. I called the company to see what the cost would be without insurance and they said $200. They do not have this in writing anywhere on their website it is " just the policy." Ugh. I do not want to end up with a bill for thousands of dollars. The whole thing feels shady

bettyvonsomethingstein · September 2017

Jessicakent08 said:

Anybody else looking at getting the panorama genetic test by Natera? This is what my doctor recommended but it is not covered by my insurance because I am under 34. I called the company to see what the cost would be without insurance and they said $200. They do not have this in writing anywhere on their website it is " just the policy." Ugh. I do not want to end up with a bill for thousands of dollars. The whole thing feels shady

I just did it for the second time, and although mine is covered, I was told that by the local Natera rep that if it wasn't, they would never expect a patient to pay the full cost. You should have a local rep. If your doctor's office doesn't know who it is, try finding one through the company.

cford08 · September 2017

I have nothing to add. I'm just here for that Cena meme @kiki75

historeliza · September 2017

So I'm halfway through week 13, and yesterday my left nipple started leaking. It's been off and on since. What should I do? Should I go ahead and invest in pads? I'm a ftm, so I'm sorry if it's a dumb question. I've never been around pregnant women in my life, so I've been reading up, but this shocked me that it's happening so early. Also do any stms or ttms recommend any brand balm or cream?

justkeeptrying · September 2017

@vaewelch, I would go buy some. I personally preferred the disposable ones. I leaked a lot and found myself constantly having to change them. I also leaked really early with my first pregnancy (around 18 weeks I think). Totally caught me off guard as I didn't expect anything like that until third trimester! I started wearing nursing pads (Johnson &a Johnson brand) just at night with a nursing night bra.

historeliza · September 2017

Do you know where I can find them?

justkeeptrying · September 2017

@vaewelch, they're all over the place. Babies R Us, Walmart. I buy them at the grocery store in the baby section. You shouldn't have any problem finding them

rsquaredr · September 2017

@vaewelch It's normal! Just wear pads. I had NO idea with my first that squeezing them could cause contractions (early labor). I was obsessed with watching them leak in the tub lol. You'll just have to decide if you want disposables or the kind you wash.

barrelocarol · September 2017

@vaewelch Amazon makes great washable pads that would work well for now. Personal preference - I liked them bc the disposables stuck to me but a lot of moms love them.

I wouldn't invest too much right now. The leaking is pretty minor in pregnancy, especially compared to the faucet of nursing but it would be nice to walk into those early days already having tried out pads.

Second, breastmilk will be your best and most effective balm. Stay away from lanolin balm and coconut oil on your nips after birth. Lanolin sucks to put on and hurts when you're so sensitive and coconut oil is great but has a drying effect (which makes it good for thrush, not good for the dry, cracked nips). Another oil, like olive, would be better, assuming you can stand the smell.

chasingroygbiv · September 2017

YES to everything @barrelocarol just said! Lanolin exacerbated my undiagnosed Thrush. It. Was. Awful. Had it for 6 weeks until a doctor finally listened to me!

mdfarmchick · September 2017

@vaewelch I personally hated disposables although all of my friends swore by them. I found them itchy and like @barrelocarol mentioned, they stuck to me. My personal favorite are bamboobies and they sell them on Amazon and at BabiesRUs. So maybe be prepared to try both disposable and reusable to see which you prefer. My previous BMB overwhelmingly recommended the bamboobies which is why I tried them.

garnetmama · September 2017

+1 to the bamboobies!! I found them so much more comfortable and absorbent than disposable ones.

HappyMonkey817 · September 2017

+1 to reusable pads. Cheaper and don't itch.

day38 · September 2017

Question for STM+ moms - when did you tell your older/other child(ren) that your were/are pregnant and how did you get them ready for a sibling. My son is a little over 2 (bday in June) and will be a little under 3 when #2 arrives, and I'm 100% sure he doesn't understand the concept yet, but I also want to try to make the transition as smooth as possible. I don't see him reacting well to someone else getting a lot of attention.

ShawnnaO · September 2017

@day38 my daughter is about to turn one, so we haven't really sat down and told her since she definitely has no idea what's going on. She hugs my belly a lot and I tell her there's a baby in there but that's it. But if I was in your shoes, I would make announcing it really fun to him. Buy him a new shirt that says big brother or something like that. Something that will make him happy. And I would keep him really involved in everything so he doesn't feel like this baby has nothing to do with him and he won't benefit from it.

barrelocarol · September 2017

@day38 My son turned 2 yesterday. No experience, but our plan is this: We talk about baby and just chit chat about it. Daniel Tiger has really great episodes about a new baby and what an older sibling might experience.

ashleyf911 · September 2017

@day38, my son is the same age - just turned two in June. We bought him a big brother book and I've told him there's a baby in mama's belly and that he's getting a baby sister. I don't know that he really gets it... probably won't sink in til the baby is actually here and he can see it. But if I ask him where baby sister is, he'll point to my stomach, and he kisses my stomach good night.

If you ask him if he's going to be a big brother or if he's going to take care of the baby he'll say yes. Like I said, I don't know that he fully understands what's going to happen, but it's pretty cute. We try and talk to him often about how fun it is to be a big brother and how he'll be mama's helper, so that he feels involved and excited.

justkeeptrying · September 2017

@day38, my DS was 2 in May. I've told him, and I think he understands to the point that if I ask what's in my belly, he says "baby".

Things we are planning on doing:

1) Having more exposure to babies. My sister and brother just had babies. So he's getting his fill of his cousins.

2) Getting him a little doll to play with closer to due date. I'm hoping he can take care of his doll when I take care of the baby.

3) Closer to due date, taking him to Build A Bear for him to pick something out as a gift for the new baby.

4) Either when he comes to meet baby in hospital or once we are home as a family, the baby will give him a gift. Not sure what yet. Hopefully something that's of interest to him and also something that can be a special toy he uses when I'm nursing/busy with baby and can't be right with him.

5) I think Daniel Tiger will be our new best friend. He's recently become really into the show, and I've heard good things about the new baby/being a sibling episode.

Gingermom15 · September 2017

In regard to the nursing pad. I used disposable until I was diagnosed with thrush, aka the depths of hell coming out of your nipples. The disposable nursing pads don't breathe or allow airflow, the washable kind do. Yeast thrives in disposable nursing pads for this reason. The Bamboobies were amazing when I had thrush. Also, Motherlove nipple cream is a must have for cracked and sore nipples, to keep thrush at bay and for a secondary treatment to thrush if you do get it.

ashleyf911 · September 2017

@justkeeptrying, Daniel Tiger is so adorable! All the episodes about his baby sister are super good. Lots of talk about being a helper, jealousy, why babies cry so much, stuff like that. My little guy started being obsessed with the show around his birthday in June and he's still in love.

LiveNLove44 · September 2017

@day38, our DD was about 19-20 months when we told her about expecting her little brother. She was in a good I-love-babies stage, and she connected those ideas with my growing belly really naturally. Our DS is 21 months right now and I don't think the reality resonates the same with him, but he is in that same stage where he loves babies and really enjoys when we're around my friends' new little ones. DD is 4 now, and she really connects because she's done it once before. I think she'll be helpful in transitioning DS into his big brother role, too.

We do a lot of talking about this little one, preparing for the little brother or sister, and getting the kids ready to feel like they are getting new responsibilities as big siblings. Daniel Tiger is a great idea! Also, any books you can bring in that relate to being an older sibling can be really helpful and appropriately redundant when you're thinking about creating this new environment for your soon-to-be older sibling. Our ultimate objective is for them to understand that we are growing as a family, and this is not just a new person who is barging in and disrupting something.

ShawnnaO · September 2017

Non pregnancy related question for STM+. When did you move your first baby into a toddler bed? My daughter will be 1.5 years when this baby is born, and then this baby will sleep in a bassinet for about three months before we move them into a crib. My hope is to have my daughter in a toddler bed and to be able to use her crib as this babies crib. But is a year and 9 months too young for a toddler bed?

stardustskies · September 2017

ACNE! I'm 11w3d and wondering when my clear skin will return? Or do I just resolve myself to zits throughout the entire pregnancy?

JamieK1882 · September 2017

sarahhedger7 said:

ACNE! I'm 11w3d and wondering when my clear skin will return? Or do I just resolve myself to zits throughout the entire pregnancy?

It's different for everyone. With my first pregnancy, I had acne pretty much the entire time (not what you wanted to hear, I know). With the second, it cleared up. I'm not sure there's a lot of rhyme or reason.

I will say, with BOTH pregnancies, though, I got a really bizarre red rash on the back of my arms. It resolved both times right after birth. The skin does funny things when pregnant.

JamieK1882 · September 2017

My annual goal and objectives meeting is tomorrow with the Dean of my school and my Division Head (I'm a college professor). Would you tell them at the beginning I'm pregnant, or wait until the end of the meeting?

JamieK1882 · September 2017

ShawnnaO said:

Non pregnancy related question for STM+. When did you move your first baby into a toddler bed? My daughter will be 1.5 years when this baby is born, and then this baby will sleep in a bassinet for about three months before we move them into a crib. My hope is to have my daughter in a toddler bed and to be able to use her crib as this babies crib. But is a year and 9 months too young for a toddler bed?

(sorry it won't let me tag for some reason so I'm just quote-boxing everyone)

My first born is almost 3 and still in a crib, so I might be the wrong person to ask, but I'm team crib for life (depending of course that she doesn't try to climb out). I like knowing where she is at night, and that she isn't up wandering the house.

When DD2 was born, we gave her the nursery crib, and I bought a cheap ($30) crib off of craigslist for DD1. That's what she's still in. I plan to move her to a bed (we have a full, not toddler) around Christmas. Then we'll musical chairs the rest--DD2 will get the craigslist crib, and baby will get the good one.

HappyMonkey817 · September 2017

@ShawnnaO - My 2.5-year-old is still in a crib. She hasn't made any attempts at climbing out, so we're leaving her in there until she does. Her crib is the kind that converts into a bed, though, so she won't need to vacate it to make room for the baby.

justkeeptrying · September 2017

@ShawnnaO, we just switched my son to a toddler bed last month, he turned 2 in May. I am totally pro keep them in the crib as long as possible. We switched him the night he climbed up and fell out of his crib (broke my heart but he was okay thank goodness). He had never tried climbing before then.

That being said, I know a LOT of people who transitioned to a toddler bed anywhere between 1-2 years. So while I personally prefer not to, I definitely think it's a realistic option for you.

bettyvonsomethingstein · September 2017

I'm also team crib lyfe. I'm hoping to keep them all in cribs until around 3.

ShawnnaO · September 2017

Wow I didn't know it was normal to keep them in cribs for so long! P's bedroom is upstairs next to ours, and we'll have a baby gate so I'm not too worried about her being up in the middle of the night. I definitely think she'll be in a bed before two, but depending on how this baby does, they might be in our room in the pack and play until closer to six months anyway.

And double if, my husband might be getting deployed in the baby being three months range so then I'll probably move back with my parents for about six months, in which case P and new baby would have separate cribs at my parents house until I moved back and my husband or my dad built my daughter her big girl bed.

savedbygrace1213 · September 2017

@ShawnnaO I was also curious about this. I think I like the idea of trying to keep DD in crib as long as possible. She has never tried climbing out yet and almost 2.

So this is probably a dumb question, but with Tylenol being on the okay list.. would brands that say compare to Tylenol be just as okay to take? or would you only stick with Tylenol?

ShawnnaO · September 2017

@triplejplus1 I would google the brand and see if it's safe. I know Tylenol is safe because it doesn't have an ingredient that's a no-no. I can't remember what that ingredient is, but a comparable brand is probably meaning comparable in effect, not in safety. I could be wrong though, so I'd google it!

gh515 · September 2017

@triplejplus1 acetaminophen is okay, and Tylenol is just a name brand of that, so generics or other names of acetaminophen would be equivalent. Sometimes other drugs in a medication aren't on the "safe" list, so that's what you would want to check. Ibuprofen (which is Advil) is an NSAID, and those aren't okay (and that includes motrin and other actually effective painkillers). I've never been able to take NSAIDs, so I'm used to reading the labels! Some drugs, like Midol, actually combine both ibuprofen and acetaminophen in certain types, but not ALL types, of their meds, so you just have to read carefully, even if it says "compare to (name brand)".

(also, probably a very UO, but I'm sure if you took a dose or two of any medication, you'd be just fine no matter what, but I know you just wouldn't want the risk!)

bravoandprosecco · September 2017

@justkeeptrying nevermind you posted the details of the toddler bed transition here! I have a wild almost 2 year old so I'm nervous to set him free! I think I just need to make a last minute call and wait until closer to baby due date to figure it out (I'm a planner so it's killing me!)

kiki75 · September 2017

@JamieK1882 If you're ready to tell them tomorrow, I would tell them at the beginning of the meeting since it will be pertinent to the meeting. If I were them I'd be annoyed if I spent an hour or whatever making plans and goals for 2018 only to later find out you were planning to be out for up to a full quarter. Then a big part of the meeting was a bit of a waste. I'd go into it knowing how much time you intend to take off and whenish (are you someone who wants to take two weeks off before your due date to finish prepping and to chill or do you plan to work until the last minute) and set goals that are attainable. You don't want to set a goal that you might barely be able to complete in a year and then give yourself only 9 months, some of which will be sleep deprived and distracted.

justkeeptrying · September 2017

@bravoandprosecco, LOL! I just posted a lengthy summary in the other thread. So you better read it!!!!!! Haha!!

justkeeptrying · September 2017

@bravoandprosecco, if you're worried, I know of people who put a baby gate across their kids doorway. That way even if they get out of their bed, they can't run through the whole house and they're contained to their bedroom.

LiveNLove44 · September 2017

@ShawnnaO we transitioned DD at 22-23 months and DS arrived when she was 26 months old. We didn't want her to feel like she was being kicked out of her space when DS arrived, so we tried to spread out the transition. She was used to not getting up and walking around because they had nap time on mats at daycare, so it actually worked out really well. I think if we had waited longer for her, she would have been a bit of a stinker because now she gets up out of bed a handful of times to do things like potty, water, bandage, chapstick, etc.

DS won't transition as smoothly and we'll probably keep him in the crib longer. He's a bit of a rascal

He will be 2 in October, and we'll probably keep him in the crib until he is about 27 months and then transition him about a month before baby arrives. Baby will be in our room for a few weeks at the beginning, so if DS needs more time, we'll have it.

On the topic of toddler beds in general, I personally don't see a point in the tiny bed versus a twin bed, or other, which will last longer and make for fewer transitions and purchases. We bought DD a twin and put it on a box spring on the floor when she transitioned, and it's been just right. GL!

JamieK1882 · September 2017

@kiki75 thanks. That's kind of what I was thinking too.

tiggywiggles · September 2017

@JamieK1882 my daughter was 18 months when my son was born. We kept her in a crib until she jumped out at 2.5 years. No way was I handling that wild child in a bed before I had to. When I moved her she was ready and understood what was expected of her. I'm glad I didn't move her right off the bat.

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