Has anyone here had a successful VBAC? I had to have a csection with my daughter because I had HELLP syndrome and she had to be delivered at 31 weeks, but one of the OBs in my practice said she doesn’t see why I couldn’t try for a VBAC. I wouldn’t choose a csection again but I don’t know when they would schedule the csection or how long they would let me go past my due date (if my blood pressure actually allows me to get to my due date). Just looking for some VBAC or VBAC attempt stories!
@ktz17 my 2nd pregnancy was a Vbac and I will be hopefully having another this time. It was so much easier and the recovery was 10x better. My daughter was breech, which was why I needed the csection. My obgyn is a huge advocate for vbac and was telling me I could have one before he even performed the csection. Unfortunately, he was not on call when my water broke with my son, and the doctor who delivered was not vbac friendly, but it still worked out.
@KTZ17 I was induced due to gestational diabetes. Labor progressed really well the first 6 hours (maybe 7). Then stalled for hours. DS1 wouldn’t drop and engage. We did all kinds of positional things, nothing helped. We finally decided c-section for lack of progress. Turns out the cord was wrapped around his neck three times. Him not dropping meant it never tightened and became threatening to his life. We had a nice laid back c-section.
However, I had complications. I ended up with a very deep infection that took 5 weeks to surface. I had to have a wound vac for 5 weeks to help heal. And it will have only been about one year since that happened. So the biggest concern at this point is have I really healed enough to push effectively. Only time will tell. But my doc is willing to try the vbac.
@ktz17, I did nothing to prepare. My obgyn thought I would be a great candidate, especially because with my daughter, I was almost 6 cm and fully effaced and not in labor, when we found out she was breech.
with both kids, I had prodromal labor. With my son, I was 3.5 cms and maybe 75% effaced for a few weeks.
Can we somehow get this stickied (not sure if I'm using that as a verb correctly, lol)? I feel like people keep asking questions and creating their own threads, but maybe having the question thread clearly at the top, under the intro thread and the guidelines thread, would help deter some of that--since we do have a ton of questions on a regular basis. How do we do that?
Has anyone started wearing a maternity belly belt?? A friend gave me one and I'm curious if it helps at all or just annoying?? I didn't wear one with DS so I am in unfamiliar territory
@Peachie89 I have for about a week now on and off, to help with back pain. It does help with the pain, but the belt itself is also annoying...I basically only use it if I'm sitting for long periods of time (that's when I get the most pain). Not using it for anything else yet.
So there is a good chance I'm just overthinking this but my health insurance is confusing me. I believe someone here in our December tribe works for one.
Our health insurance policy covers my husband and myself. We have a $2k deductible and $6k maximum out of pocket. So what does that mean? I thought once we maxed out our deductible the insurance covered everything else. I obviously thought wrong. What is the difference between the two?
@mrszoobear sadly no. Once you hit your deductible you go to coinsurance (my plan is 10%) until you hit your out of pocket max. I’ll hit my $5k deductible by the time I deliver, and if my hospital bill is $10k I’ll be responsible for $1000.
That reminds me of a question. I'm almost to my out of pocket max. But once the baby is here, she will obviously be her own person, so she will start over with her own out of pocket maximum, right? Does that begin as soon as she's born? I called my insurance with questions but somehow ended up more confused.
@anniemarie887 - Thank you! I'm already past my deductible and I'm sure I'll get up to that $6k with the rate I'm going.
I'm trying to do my best not to show how irritated I am about all the surprises in front of my hubby. So this group is getting me at my worst and most ranty 😂 I was expecting to be able to work until my due date (obviously that didn't happen). And we were not prepared for a high risk pregnancy and all the bills that incurs. We were planning and set up for a normal, healthy, nothing special or out of the ordinary pregnancy. That is were we went wrong. Hindsight is always 20/20.
@blueskychicago12 are you on an individual plan or family plan with your husband? My OOP max is a family plan amount (why it’s a god awful $10,000 so baby will be part of that... until January 1 when it all starts over 🤣.) My family OOP max is the same whether it’s me and my husband and/or dependents. I would find out when you need to have her added on by, every plan had a set number of days that a birth needs to be officially added.
@mrszoobear just push with your providers that you need to be set up on payment plans. Your providers should work with you. Medical bills are bananas and the leading reason people file for bankruptcy in this country.
As much as it’s painful, dry reading - you can request your plan documents from your plan administrator.
Thanks @anniemarie887. My husband and I both have individual plans, but I'll be adding the baby to mine. I have 30 days to add her, but I'm not sure if once she's added they'll go back and charge me for her hospital stay? Or will she be included under mine for 30 days? I'm sure her hospital stay would easily hit her new out of pocket max, so I'm trying to plan ahead.
@blueskychicago12 that's a tricky one b/c you'll be going from an individual plan to a + dependent scenario. I deal with BCBS so I'm not sure if it's different with other plans, my plan won't charge me the premium for baby for 31 days but I will still have our coinsurance to cover for baby's bills. Without knowing what kind of plan you're own I'm not 100% on this - but baby won't had her own OOP max per se, you and baby will have a combined larger OOP max.
When you get your open enrollment docs I would run the numbers on a high deductible (aka HSA eligible) plan for all three of you. It should save you money to put all three together in the long run and your HSA contributions are pretax! woowoo!
@blueskychicago12 in my experience, our plan went from employee +spouse to family. We got 30 days to add the child, and if we didn’t, they just don’t have insurance until open enrollment, but the hospital will need to be send the baby’s insurance identification and such to bill for the baby’s expenses.
@mrszoobear Try taking Metamucil daily. I had it bad for a little bit, but the Metamucil has kept me regular since I started it. That and eating more leafy greens and drinking lots of water.
@rjgmcmanus & @holly321 - thank you so much for the advice. I will pick some up today for sure.
Yeah, still on Zofran and the blood pressure medication I'm taking also causes it. I ended up need 1 & a half enema bottles for it to work. I would very much like to go the rest of my life never having to do that again.
@mrszoobear I haven't had any trouble yet, maybe because I eat a ton of fiber; however, I will say that although they get a bad rap, prunes are actually really tasty!!
@mrszoobear I've been using Natural Calm magnesium this entire pregnancy (the version with calcium added to it, because, why not?) and it has been a lifesaver. I have chronic constipation normally, let alone while pregnant, if I don't eat properly and take Natural Calm, and this stuff has been a staple for me for several years now. It's adjustable how much you take, and you can take it when you need it and avoid it when you don't. I would also ramp up your probiotic stuff- pickled stuff, yogurt if you can handle it, etc.
Anyone feel like these past few weeks are moving slowly? I feel like I've been in the early-20 weeks stage for ages. Maybe it's the aftermath of the excitement leading up to the 20 week ultrasound...
@blueskychicago12 i know what you mean. i've also just kind of stopped paying attention after 20 weeks... like if someone asks me i have to think about it. which is how i feel about my age after 30.
Is anyone else suffering from calf cramps? My right calf hurts almost every day, it’s not fully a Charlie horse but it hurts to the point I can’t stand on it.
@jandawg my next ob apt is next week. Going to ask the dr about this. I saw someone makes a lotion with lavender and magnesium in it to help muscle aches.
@blueskychicago12 I totally feel like it's dragging by but also as a STM I have felt like that this whole time because I know what is going on and just ready for the delivery.
Re: QUESTION Thread
Married 1/28/17
TW:
BFP #2 10/10/17, MC 11/4/17
BFP #3 12/17/17 Birth 8/13/18
BFP #4 4/21/19 Birth 12/5/2019
@Stac928 what were the circumstances of your csection?
However, I had complications. I ended up with a very deep infection that took 5 weeks to surface. I had to have a wound vac for 5 weeks to help heal. And it will have only been about one year since that happened. So the biggest concern at this point is have I really healed enough to push effectively. Only time will tell. But my doc is willing to try the vbac.
Married 1/28/17
TW:
BFP #2 10/10/17, MC 11/4/17
BFP #3 12/17/17 Birth 8/13/18
BFP #4 4/21/19 Birth 12/5/2019
with both kids, I had prodromal labor. With my son, I was 3.5 cms and maybe 75% effaced for a few weeks.
@BumpAdmin, can we sticky this thread, please?
Our health insurance policy covers my husband and myself. We have a $2k deductible and $6k maximum out of pocket. So what does that mean? I thought once we maxed out our deductible the insurance covered everything else. I obviously thought wrong. What is the difference between the two?
I'm trying to do my best not to show how irritated I am about all the surprises in front of my hubby. So this group is getting me at my worst and most ranty 😂 I was expecting to be able to work until my due date (obviously that didn't happen). And we were not prepared for a high risk pregnancy and all the bills that incurs. We were planning and set up for a normal, healthy, nothing special or out of the ordinary pregnancy. That is were we went wrong. Hindsight is always 20/20.
@mrszoobear just push with your providers that you need to be set up on payment plans. Your providers should work with you. Medical bills are bananas and the leading reason people file for bankruptcy in this country.
As much as it’s painful, dry reading - you can request your plan documents from your plan administrator.
When you get your open enrollment docs I would run the numbers on a high deductible (aka HSA eligible) plan for all three of you. It should save you money to put all three together in the long run and your HSA contributions are pretax! woowoo!
Yeah, still on Zofran and the blood pressure medication I'm taking also causes it. I ended up need 1 & a half enema bottles for it to work. I would very much like to go the rest of my life never having to do that again.