September 2019 Moms

The Great Question Thread!

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Re: The Great Question Thread!

  • The first trimester bloat is real! I had it with my first and before I knew I was pregnant I was like why am I so bloated?! Ugh. 
    Married 6/5/14 in Ireland
    1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
  • I was. Ive used it a few times and it works okay. I was at the point i was losing lbs daily and it was effecting my job. Ive had friends who took it and their babies are fine. Doctor and pharmacist both said they believe it to be safe. 
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  • I've been wearing my maternity leggings already. I haven't gained any weight but the bloat is so real. I was just super snippy with DH and DS and then exclaimed "I'm sorry, Mommy's wearing real pants right now and that makes me cranky!" So I changed hahaha

    I picked up a couple new maternity tops from Target today but then got frustrated because they are very clearly "maternity" so I shouldn't wear them until we are ready to tell everyone. Last pregnancy I lived I Old Navy Jersey Swing dresses and leggings and fully intend to do that this time as long as I can... not really looking forward to maternity clothes over the summer though :-( 
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  • @sunshine2417 😂 at your cranky comment about real pants! The in-between phase of bloat to showing a true baby bump is so tricky! My body type always reveals me fast! I’ve been doing leggings and casual dresses. I’m not looking forward to being huge during the summer either! Fall is a great time for kids to be born, but rough on the mommas! 
  • @nda_roxybabe @sunshine2417 @blitzybee
    I ordered some maternity clothes from Amazon yesterday because the bloat and my real pants have me feeling cranky too! :) However, I want to praise my favorite jeans because they have transitioned well during this bloaty, come & go belly stage! They are from Wal-Mart Time & Tru brand - so stretchy and high-waisted (not the jeggings that they sell - but jeans with an actual zipper and button top)! They were my favorite jeans before I got pregnant and I love them even more now because they are so comfortable during this in-between stage! Highly recommended! 
    Me: 29  H: 30
    Married: 4/27/13 
    BFP: 9/16/2014 * EDD: 5/25/2015 * M/C: 10/29/14 @ 10w2d 
    BFP: 1/25/2015 * EDD: 9/27/2015 * DS: 10/3/15
    BFP: 1/13/19 * EDD: 9/28/2019

  • Is anyone else in here working with midwives and/or planning a homebirth? 

    I've had one natural hospital birth and one home water birth. We're planning another homebirth this time around too.

    Anyone else?
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  • @SA0012 I'm using a midwife this time!  I went to an OB last time around and am excited about working with a midwife this time.  I tried to have a natural (unmedicated - just to clarify) birth, but ended up with an epidural.  I'm again hoping for natural, but won't be terribly disappointed in myself if I opt for the epidural again.  I have no pain tolerance and that medication is incredible.  
  • Straight up hospital for me. I love my Dr. and the hospital she delivers at. 
    Married 6/5/14 in Ireland
    1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
  • aliciac2008aliciac2008 member
    edited February 2019
    @mamaber2204 Same here, I have no pain tolerance. I was pretty much demanding the epidural the moment I walked into the hospital last time around. So major kudos to those of you who can do it unmedicated!
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  • @SA0012 I'm having a home birth. I had one with DS too. We are lucky in our area and have a few CNM's so it's legal and everything. Definitely helps with stress and I have an OB backup in case. 
  • OB/ hospital/ epidural for me. This is my first, and I'm terrified for the actual delivery! So much admiration for those of you choosing (or who have chose in the past) the natural route.
  • I would love to use a midwife. My sister used one and raved about her. Unfortunately I don't know if I'll be able to. I'm currently high risk and our midwives won't do high risk pregnancies here. My current OB has zero bedside manner so hopefully either things get better with him or I can move on to someone else 
  • @40momma If you don't like them already, I'd recommend you change as soon as possible!  You don't want to deal with someone you don't like during this long, appointment-heavy time!
  • @40momma are you seeing both a regular OB and a high risk one? If so, could you speak with the "nicer" one? During my last pregnancy I left a comment during a survey about feeling rushed and overwhelmed during my visits and things got better after that. I ultimately ended up switching to a smaller practice after my daughter was born, which I absolutely love so far. If you say something and things don't change it's still early enough in your pregnancy that if you are able to switch you can. We deserve better care and we won't get that until we start speaking up. 
  • @40momma is your OB part of a practice where you could try seeing one of the other doctors there? I agree it's worth saying something or switching, if you can, if you aren't happy with your current OB. Where I go they generally don't schedule exclusively with one OB, and with DS I encountered a couple doctors I didn't like as much; this time I'm making sure my appointments are with the doctors I'm more comfortable with and feel I can talk to.
  • Hello! Questions for Second Time Moms:

    1. When did you start using a belly band if you did?

    2. What did you do to decrease or prevent stretch marks? I know, I know, 'you're a tiger who earned it's stripes' but I'd still like to minimize the affect if possible. Any thoughts?
  • septoctkidsseptoctkids member
    edited February 2019
    @bbaatz I lathered myself in tummy butter from spoiled mama. I know, I know they say they are hereditary and you cant prevent them but I don’t have one stretchmark and my mother had lots. I feel like using cream just made me feel better knowing I was doing something to “help” even if it was just a placebo affect haha

    i started using a bellyband around 34 weeks because I had SPD. I don’t think I would’ve used it otherwise though.
  • @bbaatz There is really not much you can do to limit/prevent stretch marks. The only thing that might work is to try and gain your weight gradually over the course of your pregnancy and try not to gain a lot. Easier said than done, I know. I also used this lotion daily from 12 wks on, and upped it to 2x a day from like 20 wks on and liked it a lot.

    I used the belly band from like 12-20 wks with unzipped jeans before I really fit into maternity pants. Honestly it’s not really worth it. I would say just go buy yourself some basic maternity tank tops from Target. They’re pretty much just a super long tank top and don’t have the ruching on the side so it doesn’t “look” maternity.
  • @mamaber2204 @mno918 @ternsetc it's already a high risk OB at the RPL division of the women's hospital. That being said, my follow up u/s next week is with a different OB because my regular is gone away. Hopefully if I like them I can switch. We had an amazing OB in my small town but politics pushed him out. And now we have to travel an hour to the nearest one 
  • @bbaatz I didn't use a belly band last time, but didn't feel I needed one as I carried very high and out and was not in discomfort. I used various belly creams, but not consistently. Mustela's was a favorite and I ordered some for this go around. I don't know that I believe it makes any difference, but since it cant hurt... I did not get any stretch marks with my last pregnancy, pretty impressive considering how large my belly was.
    Married 6/5/14 in Ireland
    1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
  • Wait... So what is a belly band? Is it not a thing you use to turn regular pants into maternity pants?


  • @themadcamel That’s what I take the belly band to mean...I know they have other ones out there that look like weightlifting belts for your belly, but I thought those were something different...
  • @40momma good luck with your ultrasound next week; I've been thinking of you after seeing your posts in different threads, and now will also be hoping you have a good experience with the different OB and that if you want to switch you can.
  • Ok random and probably silly question but just looking for advice. Hoping @soralette might chime in. I was taking the Smarty Pants prenatal which is 6 gummies / day. I only had 3 left this morning so I took them and went to the store to buy more. Of course they are out of Smarty Pants so I bought a soft gel that you take just 1 / day. So sinces I've taken half a dose this morning, should I take another softgel or skip it for today? I know it's likely not going to make much of a difference but wondering if anyone had any advice. As you can tell, I'm a bit of a nervous Nelly but my history makes me a bit on edge. 
  • @40momma Skip any kind of second dose today and just start new with your new vitamins tomorrow :) 
  • I was thinking belly band like the support kind. I dont like the kind to make regular pants fit, because the feeling of my pants being opened is weird. Plus, I wear dress 95% of the time. 
    Married 6/5/14 in Ireland
    1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
  • Thanks @nomangos23 I was thinking the same, I'll just make sure to eat extra healthy today 😊 
  • @SA0012 This will be my second time with midwives but I will be delivering in a hospital.
  • @bbaatz 1. Never used one. 2. I didnt get any until they randomly appeared after birth. I honestly dont think anything but your genes will help. 
  • I See a midwife but she’s a part of the same clinic that OBs are at through our medical system. They have OBs and midwives working out of the same hallway, which is nice. I’ve had two midwives delivery both boys, in a hospital setting. They also share labor rooms with OBs, so they all work together. 

    I did use belly bands with my other pregnancies but this time they feel uncomfortable to me.

    As far as stretch marks, I used a ton of belly butter with my first pregnancy and still got a ton of stretch marks. I think it has to do with how fast or slow you gain weight. I hadn’t gained any weight for 20 weeks and then boom I gained like 10 pounds all in a week and the stretch marks appeared. 
  • Has anyone been sent for a nuchal translucency scan or something of that sort? I had a blood test done today to determine if I am a carrier of any abnormalities. It was a kit that I took to the lab and they will send my blood out to a company to do the testing. We haven't gotten the results yet but we were told that every woman is recommended to go to do this other genetic test (nuchal scan) where they take more blood and measure the fluid around the neck of the baby between 11 and 13 weeks to determine if the baby may be at a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities. Has anyone else done This? They said it is a screening to determine if I should get more invasive testing. They also said it includes a sonogram, a blood test that can determine the gender, and genetic counseling. The appointment takes 2 hrs....
  • @nightdreamr13 I've had a nuchal translucency scan with each of my pregnancies. I can't say I remember it taking so long, though? But definitely a normal part of the early appointments.  Mine was just a sonogram somewhere in the 11-13 week mark, like you said.  The blood test I have had done that looks for genetic markers and tells the gender was done more around 9-10 weeks, I believe (NIPT - ours was called Panorama). I don't think mine were done at the same appointment.
  • @nightdreamr13 I had the NT scan with DS, and will this time. They presented it both times as recommended, but optional. With DS it was offered with a first tri blood test that wasn't the NIPT (so wouldn't show gender) and the quad screen. (This time I'm AMA, so they do offer the NIPT.) For me the blood draw wasn't the same appointment as the scan and had different paperwork, and no genetic counseling was offered unless one of the screening tests came back high risk, so the appointment for the NT scan was just the u/s, but that must just come down to how different providers handle it.
  • @kiddiesandkitties And @ternsetc Thanks for the reassurance. I do recall seeing nuchal transcluency woth nipt on the paperwork but they definitely said 11 to 13 wks. I hope that wasn't an error because my husband is out of town on weeks 11 and 12 so we are barely making our time frame by doing it at the end of wk 13
  • @nightdreamr13 I was given the 11 to 13 week range - my NT scan is scheduled after my next OB appt bc DH already had that morning off work - I'll be 12w6d. My recollection from talking to the nurse who scheduled me is the last day they will do the NT scan is 13w6d (she was warning me not to miss my appt since they might not be able to reschedule me in the time frame).
  • @nightdreamr13 Yep, must be done between 11-13 weeks, other baby is too big/small. It takes 15 minutes, not two hours though. You'll know then and there the nuchal fold measurements and the blood test for me was actually a finger prick and we got the results back two days later. 

  • Potentially dumb question... can you hear the heartbeat with an abdominal u/s (assuming the babe is big enough to see abdominally, say at the 12 week appointment)? Or is it a combo u/s to see + doppler to hear?
  • septoctkidsseptoctkids member
    edited February 2019
    @cammie0526 yes, you can hear it during the ultrasound :) we had an abdominal ultrasound at 10.5 weeks with our son, and we heard his heartbeat. They click something and the heartbeat runs across the bottom of the screen and you can hear it. 
  • TeacherMama7TeacherMama7 member
    edited February 2019
    @nightdreamr13 yes, I did the nuchal translucency test. It’s an extra time to see baby a little bit bigger! And yes, gives you the chances of your child having DS. I declined the blood test each time bc my husband was against that part of it. It took a few minutes of waiting in the waiting room to be called back but then the ultrasound is only a few minutes. Definitely not two hours.
  • @nightdreamr13 I had the blood work done with my first but didn’t have to do the 12 week ultrasound too. We had our anatomy scan done at 20 weeks though and that took a good hour or so.
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