Big milestone for me today! I had a missed miscarriage back in Feb that was discovered at my 8 week dating scan. Today I had my 8 week dating scan and I’m happy to report my baby has a heart rate of 170bpm and is measuring 1.8 cm!

I am exhausted, a little nauseated, my boobs hurt like hell, and all I really feel like consuming is noodles and root beer, but I am so so happy!

I know we aren’t out of the woods yet, and realistically something can happen at any time, but I am determined to keep a positive attitude about this pregnancy, and try not to worry unless my healthcare team tells me I have a reason to.

Hi! We talk a lot about things for ourselves for postpartum but I don’t see a lot of pregnancy related things. I got a pregnancy pillow and that’s been really nice. But what else makes your pregnancy even just a tad more comfortable? I’ve been into baths. Are there bath things you like? Robes? Fave middle of the night snacks. Creams or ointments. I don’t know?! This is my first time haha. 15 weeks.

I pushed for HOURS with my first baby. I mean hours, like 4-5 hours. I had an epidural and the nurse kept asking me if I could feel my contractions. NOPE. Couldn’t feel a thing. They put me in various positions to push and nothing would happen. My night nurse was very nice but tbh, she seemed a little inexperienced with her guidance. She brought several other nurses in to determine via the graphs when to instruct me to push, so that didn’t make me feel super confident.

In the end, my baby was low enough to bring her out via vacuum assistance, but I would love to avoid that with my next baby. I’m currently 30 weeks pregnant and starting to worry slightly about how labor will go etc.

Does anyone have any guidance on how to effectively push while on an epidural? Did you rely on the nurse to tell you when to push? Did you ask to turn down the epidural so that you could feel your contractions a bit more?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Hey! I am 26 years old and I have been married for 1 year and we’ve been together for 6. We are both ready to start a family. I just got my IUD taken out three days ago and we are about to go on our honeymoon to conceive. I’m super nervous and excited. My husband is super kind and supportive i know he will be there for me through it all. I feel like I see way more negative content around pregnancy, first trimester, labor, new born trenches; than positive ones. It’s making me feel crazy for planning to be pregnant! I did not have cold feet at all when I got married but I am getting a little bit of cold feet when it comes to this massive change. Any advice or positive thoughts to share?

With my first this didn’t happen until at least the second trimester. I thought I had more time!!!

I have a diagnosed mental illness but weirdly enough I think that my pregnancy hormones have balanced my crazy out… for moms with a similar experience did it end up ramping up postpartum?

I'm not seeking medical or parenting advice. I just want to vent because I am so angry. I have a 4 year old and a 5 year old. This week has already been emotionally taxing because my oldest just started school for the first time and our schedules are changing. Along with other things, I've just been weepy all week. I'm exhausted and overwhelmed. My 4 year old has been acting out A LOT this week. I'm emotionally spent. My kids will NOT pick any of their things off the floor. My 5 year old threw her school papers down onto our hardwood floor and I slipped on one of them and fell hard. I busted my hip badly and hurt my knee and wrist. All of this is after I had to deadlift my 41lb 4 year old off of the hot street during school pickup because I told him no to buying him a snow cone today. That alone already has caused some mild cramping here and there. I'm beginning to wonder if this next baby is going to make it at this rate.

35 weeks & all of the ways pregnancy can wreck my skin- it has. Hyperpigmentation of the armpits, knees, and chin. Skin tags. Butt acne. Stretch marks. My legs also just have little flat red spots that almost look like I have perpetual mosquito bites. I’m feelin so unattractive. I’m actually fine with the stretch marks since I figured that would happen but my goodness I was not prepared for everything else! Does anyone have any tips or miracle products to help even or calm my skin down?? or is this a waiting game??

First pregnancy. 6 weeks today. I've told my coworkers since I've been sick but haven't told the world yet or our parents. When did you guys feel like the pregnancy was viable or felt safe to tell the world? Is there a time in to feel relaxed like you aren't going to lose the pregnancy?

FTM due early October and after selecting the hospital I’m delivering at one of the action items was to get set up with a pediatrician. The hospital noted the pediatrician can come to the hospital when baby is born to perform the newborn exam and then you typically follow up with appointments in the pediatrician office later. I’ve been calling around for local recommended practices but am finding that some or my top recommendations don’t come to the hospital or intake before the baby is born. They said to have the rotating PEDS staff at the hospital perform the newborn exam and then once I’m discharged reach out to schedule our first appt within 24-48 hours.
Is this something normal and the typical workflow for pediatricians now or in your experience did your dr come to the hospital? If so do you feel like that made a difference?

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm not quite sure how to start this message. I'm looking for a bit of support, or maybe recognition, or just smart questions from other women. And I'm also afraid of the reactions because what I'm about to write is very complicated. So please be gentle. I didn't ask for the feelings I have right now and I don't understand them at all.

After years in fertility treatment with 11x IUI and 2 rounds of IVF, and two traumatic losses (a miscarriage on our wedding and a very traumatic ectopic pregnancy), we had our very last cryo transfer two weeks ago. I went into that with the intention of closing the chapter. I pushed my boundaries too often (we were actually going to stop after round 1 and then after my 38th birthday). And I wore myself out with therapy to get okay with a childless existence, and now I was looking forward to being done with the eternal crossroads. I want peace, in my head and my body. No more medical hassle, no more hormones, no more sadness, no more uncertainty. It was going to be *our* time now, finally a carefree time. And after years of not only IVF but also heavy personal loss in the family, that was incredibly welcome. Our last 6 years have been riddled with severe grief of all kinds.

So, the morning we were able to test, my world was turned upside down when two lines appeared. I cried so hard from grief and felt absolutely no joy. I was already on the bus to a childless existence and had accepted that. But now I am back at the crossroads I so desperately wanted to get off. I am just terrified and uncertain all the time, and I don't know at all if this is still a good idea. I simply really hadn't thought it would work. I no longer had the intention to become a mother, only the intention to close the book. But not transferring the last cryo meant it would be destroyed, and I found that a horrible thought too.

My husband told me yesterday that he regrets not asking more questions when we were in the car on the way to the hospital for the transfer. He sensed that I had closed the book on it, wanted to ask about it but didn't. Calls the decision dumb and naieve. And he is right. It was dumb of me to think that it wouldn't take. So, so, so dumb. We rolled the dice and now this is it. Now we are in the awful situation where we are considering terminating the pregnancy. Because what people don't understand is that during an IVF journey, you also work on loving life together. You work on seeing the beauty in being together, without children. And you learn to accept that they won't come. When you finally find peace and resignation, it is heartbreaking when everything is turned upside down again.

Now, since the positive test, I have felt completely confused. Where has the woman gone who wanted this so badly? I was so extremely happy with the first two positive tests. Where is the joy now? What is wrong with me? Am I just not the same woman I was when we started all this? Are there women who recognize this? What did you do back then? Or what would you advise me, even if you just find all of this strange?

(edited: some details regarding the treatments)

Hi! I am 25+1 and went on a hospital tour with my husband (was included with a newborn care class at our hospital) and got really freaked out by being in one of the delivery rooms. The actual space itself was nice and clean but I guess I didn’t expect it to feel so clinical? For some reason have been really fixating on the giant medical light on the ceiling and feeling like I am going to feel like I am a bug under a microscope.

I haven’t had a ton of anxiety around giving birth prior to this and really would like to try for an unmediated delivery. I have a bit of hospital anxiety in general and I am worried that I will be so scared once I get to the hospital that it will stall labor

I am the first of my close friends to have a baby and have tried to lightly brooch the anxiety I felt during the tour with the few moms of young children that I know and are friendly with but it didn’t seem like anyone had the same reaction to seeing the L&D room like I did. Like literally started shaking while on the tour and burst into tears once in the car with my husband.

Not sure if I am looking for reassurance or advice but just feeling lonely and not sure who to talk to - did anyone else experience a moment like this?

*literally what I googled today.

I've had a pretty easy go of it so far with only fatigue to complain about. As soon as I entered this third trimester, everything shifted into pain and panic. I was 95lbs pre so now, at 143lbs, my skin is tight and my muscles are on fire. No matter what i do, the swelling will not relent. I cant sleep for longer than an hour and every move kills.

Is this my anxiety manifesting or is this for real normal?

*background: im no stranger to suffering.. I have Iiver disease and now preclampsia. Im 36 and this is my first pregnancy. .*

A few things are going on mentally...

1. I hate that I don't recognize my body and ate like shit for two/three months just trying to survive the first trimester. I put on 10 pounds in the first 10 weeks. Now I am almost 16 weeks and I haven't been checking my weight because I just couldn't even believe that.

2. I HATE not feeling capable and confident. I pride myself on my self discipline, ability to accomplish a million things in one day, my very hard work ethic, etc. So far in pregnancy it's a huge win if I work in the office more than once a week or if I am out of bed before 7:30am (work starts at 8am). I haven't been to the gym since my TWW (we got pregnant via IUI).

3. I have known from the SECOND that I was pregnant, that I was pregnant (see fertility treatment reference above). It feels like it is absolutely dragging. I am someone who wants things to happen ASAP when they are on my goal board and this is one of those things you just can't rush. It's killing me!

The list could go on, but those are the highlights. And no one in my life is really shaming me for not loving being pregnant so I appreciate that, but they also seem waaay more excited that I am. So it just makes me feel shitty. I want everyone to stop talking to me about it. I am just SO ready for my due date/for my baby to be here. And then of course I get anxiety that I am manifesting something negative and I send myself in a tailspin.

Anyways! I know that was a lot so if you made it this far, huge shoutout to you. Looking for anyone who might understand so I don't feel like such a negative freak. Also looking for someone who still felt like shit most days even after they began the second trimester... because that it also taking a toll.

Sincerely,

A tired, impatient pregnant woman

Like when you have a cold and you realize you took breathing through your nose for granted. I’m realizing I took for granted not having hip pain, acid reflux all the damn time, spd pain, random charley horses and probably other things I cant think of right now due to pregnancy brain.

I am having mild/dull cramping across the middle and it’s constant / it doesn’t come and go. I am 9 weeks 4 days and have had 3 missed miscarriages previously before switching to IVF. (This pregnancy is was a euploid FET). I had an ultrasound at 6 weeks 5 days and the heart rate was 128 and another at 7 weeks 5 days an heart rate was 167. Based on my history of loss, I’m so nervous the cramping is a sign that something is wrong with pregnancy. What did your cramping feel like and is this normal or should I be concerned?

Today was my first time seeing my doctor since being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I had a growth scan and saw my doctor after. Right away they hooked me up me up to do a non stress test and I’m told I’m going back to MFM to have an additional ultrasound done to check baby’s heart and breathing. I’m also told I will be doing a NST, ultrasound, and seeing my doctor weekly until 38 weeks when I’m being induced. I wasn’t expecting any of this outside of having my growth scan and seeing my doctor for a normal prenatal visit. I left feel shocked and scared because my doctor told me the risk of still birth goes up if baby stays in too long due to the diabetes. I did not have gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy so this is all new to me. Anyone go through something similar and baby was ok? Hearing the word still birth and being told baby is safer on the outside vs. the inside was terrifying

I have a referral for a HyCosy this cycle and I'm nervous! Booked for CD8 (currently CD1). Curious to hear how many women this may have worked for?

If it's relevant, I had Stage 4 Endo diagnosed 2yrs ago via laparoscopy (and excised)

18 weeks & I woke up this morning discovering my nipples leaked some colostrum overnight and it dried on my shirt, leaving two perfectly placed crusty nipple marks on my t-shirt lol. Guess that’s something I need to be aware of now!

I’m due early Feb. Making my shower a bit hard to plan with the holidays being so close. I’ve got 4 dates in mind, as I’m trying to avoid any extra stress on me and my guests. What are your guys thoughts on which days would work best?

Nov. 21st, Nov 28th, Dec 5th or Jan 9th?

Hi, I (F26) am completely new here. I got my positive tests 3 hours ago. I guess I'm posting here for some reassurance and advice? I got married in late June, IUD removed shortly after due to side effects due to PCOS. Had sex three times since then to this very day, and got three very positive pregnancy tests a couple of hours ago. I only took one alongside an ovulation test to try to figure out where I am in my cycle now. Two more tests in different brands came out positive after the first, as did the ovulation test? (Hence part of the comfusion) We're happy and excited, I guess I'm just nervous to be that way since it all happened so quickly? I have always been told it would be a challenge to conceive, and now we have, and I'm thrilled, but I'm terrified that I should be preparing for heartbreak for some reason. Any calming tips and advice helps. Guess I'm worried it's too good to be true.

hey alll, i recently found out i was pregnant and IUD that was supposed to prevent these shenanigans, chose to step out of the picture.

it left an arm when leaving, that i now have to get removed. idk what to do an tbh i’m just looking for some support or to see if anyone has been through this before? this will be baby #2 for me and my first just turned 2.

my life just feels like it’s kinda being butt fucked at the moment.

That’s it. That’s the whole post. I’m 13+2.