@maggiemadeit I started taking some iron because I saw my blood panel results and I had low hematocrites. But then I had my 28w appointment last Wednesday and the midwife said that the normal range they compare against in the online portal doesn't apply to pregnant women, so a slightly lower value is normal and doesn't mandate any immediate action. She also asked if I'm feeling extremely fatigued, but I didn't so I guess everything is in order.
@maggiemadeit My provider said similarly to @mihaelams1 that a little bit of anemia is normal for pregnancies and the standard range used on the portal doesn't really apply. My midwife still recommended I up my iron intake mostly just to make sure my anemia doesn't reach a point where it is a concern.
In my previous post, I mentioned I am taking desiccated beef liver pills instead of an iron supplement. It doesn't contain as much iron as a standard iron supplement but this is what my mom used after losing alarming amounts of blood and her doctors were stunned that she almost had normal red blood counts about a month later. Liver is rich in a bunch of essential nutrients and in a format that is very easily absorbed by the body. (But it's also disgusting both smell and flavor, which is why I opted to take it in desiccated pill form). May be worth researching and asking your care provider about.
Also, vitamin C helps iron absorption while calcium interferes with it so when you consume sources of iron, be mindful of what else you're consuming with it.
@mamakate1616@mihaelams1@mayoduck Thanks very much ladies. Didn’t mean to make you all rehash this, I was searching in the wrong thread!
My midwife suggested supplementing, but her directions came through the portal, so I didn’t get a chance to speak with her directly about it. These suggestions are very helpful - thanks a lot!
@maggiemadeit I’ve started taking iron supplements also. My doctor said to get ferrous sulfate - not sure why or if it’s easy on the body. But I was also told to take it with orange juice since the vitamin C helps with iron absorption. Well, the Vitamin C is good, but I usually buy OJ with added calcium and Vitamin D, and turns out, as @mayoduck said, the added calcium is not so good for iron absorption!
32 week growth scan today. They said all was good, baby doing everything (practicing breathing etc) measuring 74th percentile. Baby is in transverse lie position though they now want me to come back weekly for the next 4 weeks for ultrasound. No reason given. I see my ob tomorrow but worried tonight. Anyone experience something similar?
@letsmakeit5 I had a 30+6 Growth scan this week and baby is breech. My midwife seemed unconcerned at this point about it saying he has time to flip. She didn’t mention needing any more ultrasounds but I won’t be surprised if it comes to that (because I have extra fluid and high blood pressure). I wouldn’t worry about it much until you see your OB and find out what they say.
Thanks for the responses. Turns out it is because of my weight. Not sure how to feel as I have no problems and I was same size last pregnancy and they didn't do all this. Kinda feel like it's a money thing
@letsmakeit5 I haven’t heard that recommendation before but I hope they discuss it with you to your satisfaction. I would hope they could better explain why... of course, I know they don’t always do that. They just tell me to do stuff too and I sometimes have to figure out the why by myself. I didn’t understand why Polyhydramnios requires monitoring until I looked it up myself and it’s because of an increased risk of placental abruption. Of course abruption scares me so it makes sense now but my husband and I left our appointment not understanding, and my husband was pretty frustrated. Even as a doctor myself my knowledge is limited to what I have direct experience with and I’ve never taken care of a maternity patient as high risk as myself!!!
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
So we were chatting about vaccinations for grandparents a page back.... DH mentioned to his parents tonight that they’d need to get the flu vaccine this year since baby will be born during flu season. It didn’t go over very well! I expected them to just agree if it was important to us but there were a lot of complaints and wincing and whining about needles. From 60 year old adults! We told them our 2 y.o. had the shot and so they could handle it too.... I’m not sure if they are going to or not though. We will see. Should be interesting if they don’t because they live nearby and planned to help a lot when the baby comes.
28 weeks + 4 days here. Has anyone been having absolute misery sleeping lately? Bump has decided in the last week or so to constantly flip with her back against my belly and pushing so my stomach is extremly tight and uncomfortable. The last 2 nights I'm beyond exhausted but I go to lay down and can not get comfortable any way I try (im usually a belly sleeper). I've also been having terrible night sweats. I wake up with my shirt soaked and freezing cold.
@Bride2b1213 I'm in the bad sleep camp. Today everything is a blur from being so tired. The little guy was having a party in there last night, plus every time I woke up to change positions I was feeling BH (it actually got me worried, but they didn't develop into more frequent contractions). I'm so thankful now to DS1 for letting me sleep well up until his arrival! Looks like his brother will be totally different from the start!
Is there an easy way to tell the difference in BH vs just the baby turning its back and pushing on your insides causing the stomach to tighten really bad?
@Bride2b1213 It might be only me, but when I feel BH I also have a strange breathless feeling, like something in the chest tightening as well. Not sure how to explain it. Plus somehow my BH are to the far sides of the belly only, and the baby would need to do the rope to be able to stretch those areas
@Bride2b1213 add me. I could not sleep last night between bh, lot dancing, and being down right uncomfortable. I was up at 12:30 am. I finally took a nap around 4 pm. I agree with @mihaelams1 the bh reaches my far sides, vs baby causes a large bump on one side of my stomach when they stretch their back. I feel like it is going to rip out of me at times. I know that isn't possible, but it sure can be uncomfortable.
@zionsmama85 Oh man, I don’t dare even mention the TDAP to them. The flu shot is all the info they can handle. I’ll just have to cross my fingers and pray no one close to me gets whooping cough this spring I think they’re a bit put out because we didn’t ask them to get any vaccinations with DD - but she was born in May which is practically summer where we were living at the time.
Like PP I am also having some trouble sleeping, mostly because I wake up to pee 2x a night and also have to wake up fully to flip over from side to side throughout the night. This LO definitely moves differently than DD did - these movements are all lower and more uncomfortable than I experienced the first time around. I regularly gasp from discomfort in the middle of a conversation, which can be a bit embarrassing at work!
@Bride2b1213 For me, BH isn’t painful at all, just uncomfortable. My stomach just gets really hard (even to the touch) and then it softens up after several seconds.
@Bride2b1213 add me to bad sleeping camp...i was sweating so bad last night...it's getting ridiculous. I have been running hot already from the pregnancy but last night i was soaking wet. And i have to go to the bathroom really bad and im one of those people who wait until the last possible minute to go so that doesn't help. My BH tend to feel just really tight all over, like my stomach turns into a ball, whereas when the baby is stretching its isolated even if its all over if that makes sense.
@laur84ns For me, the tdap is even more important than flu. I’ve just read too many cases of newborns getting whooping cough and being hospitalized and it can be difficult to know if you’re even a carrier. Obviously, this is just my opinion, but this shot was the one pushed my my midwives this time and by my obs during my first pregnancy. On another note,my son was also a May (2017) baby. How old is your daughter?
@chocolatelemons Ugh, I’m sure you’re right but at this point I think our in laws will never talk to us again if we ask for more needles! This March baby stuff is tough! I’m going to have to do some more research on whooping cough stats in my area, then. My daughter is a May 2016 baby! She will be just 2 months shy of 3 years old when this one is born. She is so excited to have a little sister 😊 We we’re trying for a 2 year age gap but have difficulty getting pg so it didn’t work out. That’s ok! I’ll take what I can get I can’t remember - do you know if you’re having another son or a daughter?
@laur84ns I unfortunately just saw an article saying whooping cough AND the flu are really bad in my area right now. I'm in NJ and it's probably not relevant to you, but definitely check! I'm actually in the doctor's office right now with my husband to get our vaccines but I understand the struggle with in-laws... Ugh
@laus84ns I know exactly how you feel about asking the inlaws to get shots. My mother in law is so anti-vax (and western medicine). She just has so many opinions and is really close minded, even though she'd completely disagree with that statement.
I'm having a girl this time which is super exciting. We also wanted a 2 year age gap, but pregnancy happened a little sooner than we were expecting. My son is also starting to show interest in using the toilet which could be a problem since I don't think I can handle potty training and a newborn!
So I've got a question that I don't think has been brought up (sorry if it has and I missed it), but do any STMs have recommendations for finding a good pediatrician? I just looked up pediatricians in my area and there are a lot of them and I'm not sure how to make a good choice.
I was thinking about choosing two based off of online reviews (which I take with a grain of salt) and scheduling a time to go check out the offices, but I'm wondering if there are any good questions to ask? I know asking about how they handle after-hours calls is important, but are there any other qualities of the doctor/practice anybody really likes or dislikes that I should try to find out about ahead of time? Thanks!
@bug_hunter Ugh, ok, so maybe the TDAP needs to be non negotiable too. Are you asking your parents and in-laws to get it, if they will be near the baby in the first couple of months? I don’t want to be unreasonable but I have to protect my baby! Sorry, can’t help with the pediatrician question because where I live baby will just see your family dr and pediatricians are only seen when you are referred for a specific problem or issue. @chocolatelemons Haha, glad you can empathize. My ILs have never expressed any opinions about vaccinations or needles so I honestly didn’t think there would be a problem. Turns out they aren’t anti-vax, they just don’t want to get vaccinated themselves due to fear of needles plus my MIL protested that “she never gets the flu.” Yah, like that’s something you can control.... sigh. So will your MIL get the shot before your LO is here or will she not be around baby for the first few months anyway? My in-laws live 10 mins down the street so they will definitely be around the baby a lot. That’s so exciting that you’re having a little girl. I thought this one was my boy for sure but nope! That’s ok, I love little girls
@laur84ns Yeah, I'm asking my parents and MIL to get both TDAP and flu vaccines. My parents are easy and are "pro-vaccine" but my MIL is another story. I'm going to be pretty adamant about it, though, and I have my fingers crossed that she'll just suck it up and get the vaccines if I tell her she can't spend time with the kid in the first two months unless she gets vaccinated... It'll be a fun conversation! haha
@BuckeyeNut05 I am going to an OBGYN practice a little far away because I want to deliver at a specific hospital and they probably don't know any pediatricians close to me. I just recently found a new PCP and don't know her well but could give her a call to see if she has recommendations - thanks!
@bug_hunter For our first we actually used a family doctor that my husband was already going to instead of a pediatrician. For me, it is a lot to do with demeanor and personality. I am a worrier and kind of an anxious person, and this doc was just so chill and reassuring. He was exactly the right person for me as a parent, but he probably would have driven a different kind of person crazy. I think you will have a good sense when you meet with a couple options of who will be the best fit for you.
If any of you see family medicine physicians, don’t forget lo’s could also see them instead of a pediatrician! DH is family medicine and our LO will see one of his partners. If you or your lo are high risk, you would likely want a pedi, but a normal healthy infant can also easily see family medicine docs! A FM doc doesn’t have specialized peds training but has had training for basic childhood development and childhood issues. DH did 2 peds rotations as a resident and got some substantial peds training, but is not a pediatrician. But be sure to ask about: Is the physician board certified? Look for ABP or ABFM certification. You can look this up at the American Board of Pediatrics or American Board of Family Medicine web sites. office hours - do they have same day/Saturday hours for acute visits? Thoughts on vaccination, what is their/clinic stance on vaccines? Do they accept patients who choose not to vaccinate/delay vaccines? Separate waiting area for sick/well kids? Do sick kids get taken back sooner to minimize exposure in the waiting area if there’s only one? How does the office handle emergencies? What happens if you are on vacation? Is there someone else who could see the baby? Finally, like @maggiemadeit said, don’t forget the personal factor. Someone can seem great on paper but not jive well with your parenting style. All that said, don’t feel obligated to stay with someone if you see them and it’s not the right fit. You will find someone you feel comfortable with!
We go to a small OB office in the town we used to live in. I used them last time and it didn’t make sense to switch quite yet even though we moved (we would have to drive either way) and I was more comfortable staying with my current midwife. In the same small town is a pediatric center. We go there because they would refer us to a children’s hospital that is one of the top in the country if something serious ever happens. I go to a PCP that also sees pediatrics and we considered taking LO there but if something serious happens with him they will refer him to a children’s hospital that is well over 2 hours away. We also like that the one we go to we can talk to even on the weekends. In fact in December we took him in on a Saturday and shortly after we got home we called the called the office with a question. His pediatrician answered the phone and it was so easy to get my questions all answered. For me it was also important to have a place that has a nurses line. I have called the nurse about diaper rashes, his eczema, etc. they have been able to refer me to different products to try before making an appointment. This has saved us both time and money easily I’m sure!
@bug_hunter I asked other moms for recommendations for pediatricians. Also check to see if your ob has any recs. Do you have any local mom Facebook groups you can ask on?
@bug_hunter I’m a fan of our pediatric medical group. They work through the hospital. We see one pediatrician for checkups because he usually has appts available, but the whole practice is good. I like that I can always get an appt when I need one, even off hours. I might need to go to a different office but if I have something urgent I’ve never had a problem seeing someone that is caring and knowledgeable.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Thanks everyone for the recommendations and sharing your experiences! I guess my problem is that I don't have any mom friends close enough where their pediatrician recommendations would be useful and I'm not on facebook so no advice from mom groups. Most of the people I interact with in my grad program are either younger and don't have children or are around my age and putting off having children or don't want kids. I'd need to go to a professor to get local parenting tips which is a little awkward, but I could do. Anyways, thanks again and I have some better ideas for questions to ask and things to look out for when I start the interview process!
@bug_hunter we chose our pediatrician based on recommendations from friends and I'm still really not a fan of her. If you've done research about what kind of feeding you want to do and sleep practices then I would ask prospective peds what their feelings are about those topics. My son's pediatrician told me to sleep train at 4 months and gave me some questionable advice about weaning early that I ignored. She also advised me to wait until he was 2 years old to get him evaluated for speech which is horrible advice (early intervention is key for kids with this kind of delay). We are getting a new pediatrician for both LOs before this one is born. Don't be afraid to ask tons of questions, a good pedi will be happy to answer.
I really love the Lucie's List newsletter btw, for all things baby. They recommend gear at all price points, and send many useful milestones and parenting tips once the baby is here.
Have we covered nursing bras/tanks in any of the product spotlights? I am a big chested girl (40 G pre-pregnancy) and I need recommendations for supportive but comfortable bras/tanks.
Today at work I fell on ice in the parking lot getting out of the car. I had to go to the ER to have myself and baby checked out. We both checked out great! The thing is that now I’m questioning everything every pain, “discharge”, etc. ugh! My worried little mind! I’ve been having some pretty consistent “discharge” this 3rd trimester which my midwife said is normal but how I do I know the difference between “normal discharge” and “Vaginal leaking”? Every single time I white more discharge comes out if I stand for too long (even a couple minutes I begin to have Braxton Hicks) and Ive pretty much put myself on bedrest this afternoon/evening. I’m off work tomorrow as a precautionary measure from the doctor I saw today (which wasn’t my regular midwife).
@ashley14598 ouch! Sorry you fell but glad everything's OK. I had a similar concern awhile back and made an appointment to double check to make sure I wasn't leaking amniotic fluid. Your OB can take a swab and test it and tell you if you're super concerned about it. I don't know that you'll be able to tell on your own, I wasn't able to.
Re: Question? Need help? ***POST HERE***
In my previous post, I mentioned I am taking desiccated beef liver pills instead of an iron supplement. It doesn't contain as much iron as a standard iron supplement but this is what my mom used after losing alarming amounts of blood and her doctors were stunned that she almost had normal red blood counts about a month later. Liver is rich in a bunch of essential nutrients and in a format that is very easily absorbed by the body. (But it's also disgusting both smell and flavor, which is why I opted to take it in desiccated pill form). May be worth researching and asking your care provider about.
Also, vitamin C helps iron absorption while calcium interferes with it so when you consume sources of iron, be mindful of what else you're consuming with it.
My midwife suggested supplementing, but her directions came through the portal, so I didn’t get a chance to speak with her directly about it. These suggestions are very helpful - thanks a lot!
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Our rainbow babies are due 3/21!!!!!
[/spoiler]
Even as a doctor myself my knowledge is limited to what I have direct experience with and I’ve never taken care of a maternity patient as high risk as myself!!!
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Our rainbow babies are due 3/21!!!!!
[/spoiler]
Like PP I am also having some trouble sleeping, mostly because I wake up to pee 2x a night and also have to wake up fully to flip over from side to side throughout the night. This LO definitely moves differently than DD did - these movements are all lower and more uncomfortable than I experienced the first time around. I regularly gasp from discomfort in the middle of a conversation, which can be a bit embarrassing at work!
My daughter is a May 2016 baby! She will be just 2 months shy of 3 years old when this one is born. She is so excited to have a little sister 😊 We we’re trying for a 2 year age gap but have difficulty getting pg so it didn’t work out. That’s ok! I’ll take what I can get
I'm having a girl this time which is super exciting. We also wanted a 2 year age gap, but pregnancy happened a little sooner than we were expecting. My son is also starting to show interest in using the toilet which could be a problem since I don't think I can handle potty training and a newborn!
I was thinking about choosing two based off of online reviews (which I take with a grain of salt) and scheduling a time to go check out the offices, but I'm wondering if there are any good questions to ask? I know asking about how they handle after-hours calls is important, but are there any other qualities of the doctor/practice anybody really likes or dislikes that I should try to find out about ahead of time? Thanks!
of months? I don’t want to be unreasonable but I have to protect my baby! Sorry, can’t help with the pediatrician question because where I live baby will just see your family dr and pediatricians are only seen when you are referred for a specific problem or issue.
@chocolatelemons Haha, glad you can empathize. My ILs have never expressed any opinions about vaccinations or needles so I honestly didn’t think there would be a problem. Turns out they aren’t anti-vax, they just don’t want to get vaccinated themselves due to fear of needles plus my MIL protested that “she never gets the flu.” Yah, like that’s something you can control.... sigh. So will your MIL get the shot before your LO is here or will she not be around baby for the first few months anyway? My in-laws live 10 mins down the street so they will definitely be around the baby a lot. That’s so exciting that you’re having a little girl. I thought this one was my boy for sure but nope! That’s ok, I love little girls
@BuckeyeNut05 I am going to an OBGYN practice a little far away because I want to deliver at a specific hospital and they probably don't know any pediatricians close to me. I just recently found a new PCP and don't know her well but could give her a call to see if she has recommendations - thanks!
Is the physician board certified? Look for ABP or ABFM certification. You can look this up at the American Board of Pediatrics or American Board of Family Medicine web sites.
office hours - do they have same day/Saturday hours for acute visits?
Thoughts on vaccination, what is their/clinic stance on vaccines? Do they accept patients who choose not to vaccinate/delay vaccines?
Separate waiting area for sick/well kids? Do sick kids get taken back sooner to minimize exposure in the waiting area if there’s only one?
How does the office handle emergencies?
What happens if you are on vacation? Is there someone else who could see the baby?
Finally, like @maggiemadeit said, don’t forget the personal factor. Someone can seem great on paper but not jive well with your parenting style. All that said, don’t feel obligated to stay with someone if you see them and it’s not the right fit. You will find someone you feel comfortable with!
Married: 2016
BFP #1 4/23/18, blighted ovum 5/29/18
BFP#2 7/14/18, DS 4/5/19
I really love the Lucie's List newsletter btw, for all things baby. They recommend gear at all price points, and send many useful milestones and parenting tips once the baby is here.