Weekly Check In: 02/02/25

blossomingmama · January 30

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ:

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ):

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ:

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ:

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ:

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ:

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ):

8.) Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ:

blossomingmama · January 30

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ: 2

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ): 32w6d, 3/14

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ: 2/11

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: 🩵

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ: HB, BH, insomnia, hip pain, PGP, loss of energy.

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ: Insomnia for sure is annoying. Just recovered from a cold, took 48-72h to feel okay send just rode it out. Unisom for sleep to be able to rest properly to function for work, and toddler on days off. 6 shifts left, spread out through Feb.

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ): Pick any question or all! Has anyone dropped yet? I can't tell. How's packing your go bag going (hospital/birthing center setting)/any must haves? I've got pajamas, family photo out fit.. that's it so far. I'll add more this month like chargers..etc.

8.) Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: Anyone else have days where your body just wants to rest and not move much? Either way I can't stay in one position too long, nor be in my feet for too long. It's a catch 22.

emeraldcity603 · January 31

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ: 8

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ): 3/25

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ: February sometime.

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: boy

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ: my hips feel destroyed all the time, fatigue, just generally uncomfortable.

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ: nothing too exciting around here. Just trying to keep the kids moving with schoolwork and at some point I need to start washing bay clothes.

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ): Baby hasn’t dropped at all. He is off the right side of my pelvis head down. Definitely not engaged at all. Packing my bag? I haven’t even considered it. I may start packing at 36 weeks

8.) Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: I have days where I’m so tired I feel like I can’t function. I end up taking a nap and going to bed early.

thescarletmom · January 31

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ: 4

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ): March 15 / 34w

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ: Thursday

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: girl

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ: mostly the usual, HB/acid reflux, pelvic pain, exhausted. But randomly my shoes started not fitting this week/being too tight. I've NEVER had this happen in my pregnancies before so I'm very annoyed lol.

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ: Baby was finally head down at my last appointment! Huge relief.

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ): It does feel like she's dropped. I normally carry like a beach ball is under my shirt, and I have a very short torso so there's genuinely no room between the bump and boobs. But noticed yesterday night there's now like 2 inches of space between boobs and bump 😂 I think flipping head down may also have contributed, but I didn't notice her being this much lower when she first flipped.

8.) Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: We aren't planning a hospital birth, but will have a bag packed in case of an emergency where we needed to transfer. The hard part of that is that if we were to transfer, it wouldn't be for a run-of-the-mill birth... so does anyone have any suggestions for things I should pack considering we would be transferring for complication reasons, including potential CS? I don't want to go out and buy things with that in mind, because we have no indication that anything is concerning at this point. But wanted some insight! I've always felt at a loss when packing a "just in case" bag.

midnightatsunset · January 31

@thescarletmom my c-section was unplanned. I wasn’t able to pack a bag but DH had time to run home and grab some things for us. My hospital provided a sufficient amount of what I needed to get me by. That being said - packing your own toiletries I think makes a WORLD of difference for that first shower. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash/bar soap, and lotion! Maybe a basic face wash and moisturizer if you don’t want body products on your face. Maybe a simple outfit or nightgown for going home in. Otherwise, I actually liked the gown I got at the hospital. And they had pads, stretchy disposable undies, and ice packs for my incision. DH had someone bring a pillow because we were there overnight for two nights (not that he slept much). I was fine with hospital pillows and blankets.

blossomingmama · February 1

Edit my post: 34 weeks today* (meant to type 33w6d yesterday).

For the most part Scarlet, I also found hospitals usually supply like Midnight stated. I agree think comfort, anything you'd prefer routine wise, product wise, that makes you feel more comfortable or helps
you sleep better. Slippers, shampoo/conditioner (you can just use disposable fillable bottles and fill it with your normal stuff from home, deodorant, soap, lotion, socks, toothbrush/paste, some outfits for baby. Hospitals generally provide all necessary items for both vaginal or C-section deliveries. I haven't had a C-section so I wouldn't be able to speak to exactly what is provided but in terms of vaginals the last hospital I delivered at hooked me up pretty well, and gave me a go bag to take home with stuff
to hold me over (ice pads, medihoney, nipple cream, spray, disposable underwater, witch hazel pads..etc). Hubs can always bring pillow and a blanket if you're wanting extra comfort and find you need to stay a bit longer than 24h.

My baby is also head down OB said at last appt. I definitely feel that pressure on my bladder and kicks in my ribs. I also feel menstrual - like pain. Other than that, still adding to registry/buying things ourselves and sending that reg out soon to family.

midnightatsunset · February 1

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ: 2

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ): 31+6 scheduled repeat c-section for March 25th!

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ: Tuesday? I think

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: boy

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ: very similar to everyone here, HB, BH, some pelvic pain (usually not too bad though). My feet hurt to stand too long without shoes and I’ve been wearing compression socks as a precaution for weeks now.

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ: I’m relieved to my c-section scheduled. I have no idea kiddos position, but I don’t feel concerned about it because it ultimately doesn’t matter for me. I also know I won’t go past delivery day so now I’m just prying I can make it to the day! (My first was an unplanned c-section because at my 36w appointment it was caught my fluid was low and after further monitoring there were many reasons to have him be delivered via c-section that same day.) I’m a little nervous about going early again.

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ): I don’t think I’ve “dropped”. I’m relatively tall and have a long torso so I feel I have carried both my babies lower. But also I have no idea what it would feel like for him to drop because my first was breech.

8.) Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: @blossomingmama I feel the catch 22 very hard. I’m constantly getting up and down from the floor or following my toddler around which is getting tougher and tougher, but if I sit for too long I get sooooo stiff and achy. I had to nap today which is extremely rare for me.

lizdiane456 · February 1

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ: 2

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ): 34+4

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ: Tuesday, follow up growth ultrasound

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: girl

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ: I am in so much pain. My hips and thighs in particular, like constantly muscle cramps. Nothing seems to help but I have a massage booked for Tuesday

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ: I had my baby sprinkle yesterday! It was a super cute little tea party, unfortunately we had a huge storm so only about half the people made it but it was still very fun. Today is doing laundry so I can get a hospital bag packed and some clothes folding into her dresser. I ordered the rest of the stuff we need this morning, just new bassinet sheets and change pad covers. I'll need to pick up a couple newborn sleepers but otherwise I think we are good. I'm hoping to steam clean the back seat of my car today (and wash my toddlers car seat while I'm at it). We went with a baseless infant car seat this time so I don't even have anything to install but I'll make sure I know how to get it in (seems straight forward but you never know)

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ): she has dropped for sure. She feels like she's going to fall out honestly, she was directly on my cervix for my last scan two weeks ago. Bag is mostly packed, just have a couple outfits for her to add once laundry is done and then toiletries. Last time I did not pack nearly enough clothes for DH and I, though we didn't expect to be there nearly as long as we were what with the unplanned c-section.

8.) Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ:

fifilala516 · February 2

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ: 2

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ): 34w today / March 16

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ: Tomorrow for a quick appointment

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: girl

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ: The BH are out of control. My belly is constantly tight and hard, and last night I had legit cramps that came in waves for an hour and a half. My husband wants me to call the doctor but I'm trying to hold out for my appointment tomorrow. Part of me thinks this is going to be life for the next six weeks, and part of me thinks baby may come early.

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ: My house is a disaster between a toddler and my husband and I not being very good housekeepers, admittedly. I really need to whip my butt into shape and get the house in order before we bring a new baby home. I also need to pack my hospital bag...

My sprinkle is this weekend, so that should be fun. We're heavily leaning into the "sprinkle" theme and it's going to be an ice cream social at a local, famous ice cream parlor. Of course my paranoia is nagging at me like, will I make it to then?

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ): I feel like I dropped weeks ago! Eek.

blossomingmama · February 3

lol just realized I wrote 2025. Smh. 🤦🏻‍♀️

How many planned csections do we have in here? How is the recovery?

midnightatsunset · February 4

@blossomingmama my first was an unplanned c-section but I never felt labor so I can speak to my experience but can’t compare it to a vaginal birth.

Recovery can vary. And apologies for any TMI details, but these were the things I asked about so…hopefully it’s not too much. The hospital I birthed at has done research for an enhanced recovery or whatever. I gave birth around 6:30pm and was on my feet before 10pm. Peeing was shockingly difficult the first time despite having a very full bladder. Turns out, your pelvic floor being stretched with pregnancy and then having your core cut into makes it hard to pee 🤷🏻‍♀️. I got iburpofen in an IV until they cleared me to take oral meds and I had a scheduled alternating ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and oxycotin. Because I gave birth at night I wasn’t able to ingest anything but water because the hospital kitchen was closed until morning. (If I could do it over I would ask someone to bring me broth and tea sooner and maybe an electrolyte drink).

You get put on broth and clear liquids pretty soon in addition to water. If you feel hungrier you can ask if you can get something more substantial (like soup with noodles). Just don’t do what I did - on day two I ate a breakfast burrito amd then threw it up while pumping. What followed was the worst gas pain I have ever felt in my life for hours. I was only able to fart in tiny little puffs of air with extreme effort (which was “normal”). I got every gas aid they could prescribe me and essentially had to walk it off. It was awful. I basically just ate soup and oatmeal and light snacks for a week after that because I was terrified of it happening again.

The drugs helped a lot with incision pain (which is worse on the side where they pull baby out - fun fact). But coughing, sneezing, (or in my case, crying a bunch because DS was a NICU baby for a hot second) is agony. Hold a pillow and ice pack over the incision whenever possible. It’s the only thing that helps.

Fundal massage sucks but I’ve heard that’s true for all births regardless of how delivery went, so your mileage may vary.

I didn’t poop until after I was discharged and at home about 3 and a half days later. It took a long time, smelled awful, and was a lot of effort. Take every stool softener they recommend as long as you’re on pain meds.

I was told to watch for swelling, but my legs didn’t swell until after I was discharged. Like, more than ever at any point when I was pregnant but it eventually went down.

I got a belly binder from the hospital I used a LOT after being discharged. I also really liked to wear compression leggings for weeks after because it just made me feel more secure.

I tried to take walks but it was just so damn exhausting they were all crazy short until I could build my endurance back up.

I think I felt good enough to stop taking oxy before the end of my second week of recovery and even then I was only taking it at night because nights were hardest with getting up in bed to breastfeed so frequently.

I highly recommend doing some research into how to move after a c-section to help prevent further damaging your core while it’s healing. IMO hospital education wasn’t very thorough on that but I was also sleep deprived, hormonal, and on narcotics soooo my memory might be bad.

For my planned c-section I got some special soap for two showers before my surgery. I also was told to drink a powerade/gatorade before in addition to water during the fasting process before surgery.

lizdiane456 · February 4

@blossomingmama my first was an emergency C-section and this one is planned. Like midnightatsunset I've never given birth vaginally so I don't have anything to compare it with, we went to section when I was 5-6cm dilated because he compressed his cord.

My recovery was really good honestly given how rushed the actual section was. It was about 2am when I had him, they wouldn't let me get up until 9am though I felt as though I could much sooner. (I likely could not have. I was very much still numb because they just slammed my epidural full of meds as I rolled to the OR). But after they let me up I was able to walk fine right away just slowly. I took a shower as soon as they'd let me which was sometime that morning. I needed my husband's help largely with getting dressed and undressed but only for the first day or two. I could eat normally that morning and I was starving. That afternoon they needed to do an echo on our son which was on the main floor (L&D is 3rd floor) and I was able to walk there just fine on my own. I just had oral Tylenol and ibuprofen and I recall being sore but it wasn't unbearable by any means. I just couldn't twist at all so I struggled to get DS out of the bassinet if I was in bed and that remained a problem for weeks at home, I'd need DH to pick him up for me. I bought the halo swivel bassinest for this baby which is supposed to make it easier.

We were discharged after 36hours I think? Being home was ok, I didn't have a belly binder so I ordered one of amazon and absolutely was a godsend, definitely have one on hand. Coughing, sneezing, and sitting up all hurt, bracing with a pillow or the belly binder really helped though. I was worried about the first poop but I don't recall it being bad, take all the meds you get for stool softeners for sure though.

I was surprised about the amount of vaginal bleeding, which in hindsight I shouldn't have been I still had a placenta sized wound inside but I just assumed it wouldn't be quite as much as a vaginal birth for some reason but it is. The incision was fine, just normal watching for infections, redness, oozing etc. It was fairly swollen for the first while and I had numbness around it; for the first year or so I had no sensation at all in the lower right quarter of my stomach. I'm not sure if that's normal or was related to how quick it was. It did eventually come back. I started physical therapy at 4ish months postpartum because obviously your core muscles are fully destroyed. I never got back to where I was pre-section before getting pregnant again. That part was hard for me mentally more than anything.

Clothing is also something to think about, it was summer so I mostly wore dresses because anything on my stomach hurt to high heaven, didn't matter if it was high rise above or low rise below my incision. That lasted for two weeks or so. The belly binder also helped with that basically cushioning the incision so nothing could rub.

More than anything I recall being irritated at my mom for telling me I can't do this or that while I was recovering because I felt fine overall. (Definitely better that she stopped me. Probably would have caused some long term damage). So there's a huge range for recovery basically. I'm not sure how this one will go especially having a toddler at home but hopefully well again.

thescarletmom · February 5

@midnightatsunset they do fundal massages on people who have had CSs?? I know the scars are lower than I consciously think of them being but omg💀 that frankly sounds like medieval torture. I had them with my 1st/hospital birth, but my midwife doesn't do them (and I've noticed zero difference in recovery) and even with my oldest being nearly 10 I still have a specific memory of how awful they were and that the nurse didn't even warn me at all.

midnightatsunset · February 5

@thescarletmom some midvwives don't do fundal massages?! Ugh maybe I could ask I can opt out. I'm sure they would still advise it but at least to ask...

I was told by all the nurses who did it that I tolerated well...which I assume they only said because I didn't cuss them out or sob like I wanted to.

And yes, I had no idea how low c-section scars were until I got one! I'm eternally grateful to the nurse who shaved my pubes so I didn't have to rip out hairs when I took my bandage for the first time (I know someone else who had an emergency c and she said ripping off the bandage was the worst pain she had felt in her life. And this was after almost a whole day of intense induced contractions with back labor, baby getting stuck, a failed epidural plus the c-section itself).

blossomingmama · February 5

Thanks for sharing ladies. I remember my first being such a long labor, and the midwife asked, "you sure you don't just want to do a C-section?" I was like, "Nooo!! This is supposed to be a marathon right?! I got this!!" *changing positions every 15 minutes* I swear she was threatening me passive aggressively. Even when it came time to pee post birth. I was walking 30m later and I had to pee to leave. After the cath it can take a little. She saw me still in the toilet and told me, "if you don't pee I can just straight cath you". Again me, "Noo! I can do this just give me a bit more time" and we're all laughing me the nurse and midwife.

Fundals are very important for preventing hemorrhaging. I can't speak to c section deliveries as I've never had one, but for mine I was medicated beforehand, and never found them to be excruciatingly painful very likely for that reason. I was very strict on making sure my pain management was as I wanted it. They spaced my oxy and Tylenol per my request after I caught one of the night time nurses trying to couple them to prevent having to come in Q6. No ma'am. lol.

C sections scare me, and these stories of recovery are daunting. I can only imagine the pain and challenges in recovery you all went through. ❤️‍🩹 I hope the recoveries go well this time around and you're all able to heal well and as quickly as possible so you can love on all the kids. I can't believe March is almost here!

RoseShadow873 · February 5

1.) ʙᴀʙʏ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ: 4

2.) ᴅᴜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ (ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ+ᴅᴀʏꜱ): march 28

3.) ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ: tomorrow second ultrasound

4.) ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ: girl

5.) ꜱʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍꜱ: leg cramps, many pains, horrible constipation

6.) ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ/ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ: On Saturday I had just miserable constipation issues, then when I finally got some of that resolved it really seemed like my water had broken, we went to the hospital and apparently it wasn't and you can just leak a ridiculous amount of other fluids from there, like my underwear were soaked and it was dripping down my legs, I didn't have any pads so I was wearing a kids pull up in my underwear and still leaking at the hospital. Nothing like that happened with my other kids and I had my water break on its own twice before so I was pretty convinced it was the same thing happening. We also got all our household stuff delivered from Hawaii and now my house is an absolute disaster and there is so much unpacking to do but I'm just so easily tired now I can't get much done. My husband's new job here is terrible and he works just crazy long hours so I'm here taking care of the three kids and trying to do the usual stuff plus unpacking and organizing a whole house by myself.

7.) ɢᴛᴋʏ (ꜱʜᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ): I never understood what a baby dropping means, I can't tell.

8.) Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ:

blossomingmama · February 6

Midnight the best it was described in here is when you have been carrying high your breasts are propping up because of it/breasts are touching top baby bump. Then you realize there's some distance between the two, few inches or so before the curve. I've read it can also mean less heart burn and more
rib pain from being head down and feet up. It's mixed reports but generally rule of thumb is that distance.

Sorry you're going through that stressful move rn with husband being gone pretty often. Idk how you feel about the false alarm, sounds like emotions could have gone both ways. Wishing you luck as you deal with HHG.

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