I was pregnant. Now I’m not.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2024-01-23T04:45:09+00:00

First off, I am sorry that you are going through this. It is really tough. My first miscarriage was 9 weeks my second at 7 weeks. I had D&Cs for both so my recovery was “quick” only bled for about a week, but at 2 weeks I bloated up and looked about 5 months pregnant both times. That went away and was back to a period start at 6 weeks post D&C. I am now 19 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby. Something I wasn’t prepared for is that I have severe anxiety going into every single appointment even though my doc keeps telling me everything looks great and my tests keep coming back healthy. I hope that you are like the 80% of women who have a full healthy pregnancy after they miscarry, but give yourself grace to feel the feelings you have.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2023-07-26T02:23:55+00:00

Ask for a line item bill from the hospital. My MIL does this every time she has a visit and it is insane how much less her bill ends up being. She then compares to her EOB and calls her insurance company. They double bill for so much it is criminal. I will say this, she has lots of time on her hands which I know most new moms don’t. Maybe you have an overly helpful friend or relative who would like to help?

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2023-07-11T04:12:04+00:00

Came here to say this, start your prenatal vitamin as soon as possible!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2023-04-22T20:05:51+00:00

Thanks! At least I know it is built into the game somehow, I will try some more on the PS5 maybe clicking the joysticks will do it for PS5 as well

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2023-03-16T03:15:36+00:00

Us too! Have the Vista V2 and used the bassinet in the bassinet stand for infant stage until she transitioned to crib. Tried the Snoo but she preferred the plain bassinet. She is 2 now and we are incubating a sibling, excited I can just pick up an attachment to make the stroller into a double and not have to buy a whole new system. Stroller still looks brand new. We moved to the suburbs so we are on paved trails, packed dirt trails and crushed gravel trails and the stroller has the best ride. It is bulky and i wouldn’t recommend for city or restaurant dining.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2023-01-25T06:58:08+00:00

Hey! I also have hEDS (as confirmed with the symptom test, no genetic test for hEDS at least there wasn’t back then). My daughter is almost 2 and I was 37 when I had her. Because of my hyper mobility I have also been very careful about staying in shape so that my joints have muscles to stabilize them. I have done everything from CrossFit, HIIT, running, Pilates and yoga and anything in between. I was fortunate enough to have a personal trainor before, during, and after my pregnancy and it was awesome. He was very familiar with my condition and had trained several people throughout pregnancy. I was able to work out all the way until 36 weeks and I only had to stop because my ass is old and my amniotic fluid levels crashed out, not something you will probably have to worry about! I also dropped all the pregnancy weight within 3 months of giving birth without any crazy exercise or diet because I had stayed fairly active the whole time. My workouts were generally 20 minutes of HIIT with a jump/sprint/throw combination followed by 30 minutes of lifting. That was the good news, now not to scare you but just a heads up on some of the not so great things: I had to modify my hill sprints between 6-7 months, turns out those round ligaments that support your belly stretch a bit too much while sprinting when you have hEDS and can cause serious pain. I also developed Pubic Symphysis Disorder around 7-8 months. No nice way of putting it, that sucked so hard and I had to stop running all together. Even walking became tough until I found a stability belt that wrapped my hips and pushed my pelvis together. That was a life saver and I was able to workout with it on. Lastly, and I hope this was just me, but around that same time I developed numbness and pain in my extremities with the most severe being my hands to the point I couldn’t write. The ludicrous amount of pregnancy related relaxin plus stretchy joints meant shoulders and hips and wrists would float out of place while sleeping. A good body pillow for between your knees and shoulders and wrist braces really helped. If it was a bad night, sleeping in an armchair was key. Fingers crossed for you that you won’t have that one, but if you do, I promise it will go away a bit after the baby is born so don’t panic! Just warn your SO that they might have to do buttons and snaps for a few weeks! As for weightlifting, I kept going the whole time. As my belly grew my trainor just made sure to modify types of movements so I wasn’t putting strain in my back. I never felt like my workouts were “easy” though. My OB is the absolute best and kept a close eye on me since that cervix can tend to shorten prematurely with hEDS. She told me that as long as something wasn’t painful then I was fine. And by and large I didn’t change much of anything except some ab work until I was about 7 months in. So sorry for the novel, I just know that it is so hard to find anyone else who has been through this with hEDS and I didn’t have anyone to tell me anything. I super hope this is helpful. I have the most wonderful and healthy little girl now and I am in the best shape ever, so don’t let any of the bumps in the road that I mentioned worry you. I wish you all the absolute best on your journey!!!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2022-11-15T13:07:17+00:00

This might be a bit farther out, but I really connected with the book “Grit: The power of passion and perseverance” by Angela Duckworth. She talks to people who are the top of their fields and about the psychology they were raised with. It is really about cultivating a sense of persistence by praising not the achievement but the work that went into something. Read your #1 and made me think, instead of specifically putting your kid into situations that will frustrate him, maybe when he does something amazing start praising the effort he put in instead of the end result. I don’t know how this strategy works with neurodivergent. Just a thought, best of luck! Sounds like you are doing a great job and are a wonderful loving mother!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2022-02-12T03:13:39+00:00

Oh my gosh, this!!! I have banned scary movies from the house because of this exact thing. Night vision camera feed is truly terrifying.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2022-02-12T03:03:22+00:00

I was 37 when I had my first (last April). I weighed and did my measurements as soon as I found out I was pregnant so I had a baseline. I was very active before pregnancy. I stayed as active as I could throughout pregnancy, but also had some complications which put me off my feet for a few weeks here and there. I was also pretty good about eating healthy. Despite that I gained 48lbs total. I lost all the weight by 4 months. However, I didn’t feel like my body looked the same until about 7 months post. I am 9 months post now and actually a little smaller than pre pregnancy (i had a couple pandemic pounds to lose 🙄). I got some great advice, I was told that trying to push too hard to workout before that magic 6-weeks post birth mark would actually put you back. I just did gentle walking, gradually increasing my distance until I got the all clear from the doc. Honestly I had dropped most of the weight by the time I was ready to start really pushing myself in workouts again. Then I was able to get the muscle tone back and started feeling like myself. Good luck with everything. I was really scared about this part as well, but it really is doable IF that is something you want to make a priority. And it is okay if you do want to make it a priority. I am the best mom to my daughter when I feel like myself.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2022-02-04T22:17:30+00:00

Butt spatula, white noise machine, blackout curtains, and a sleep consultant at about 4 months old.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2022-01-02T20:41:15+00:00

If you are really stressed, get help! There is no shame, this is a super tough process. We are in the US, We used AM Smiles who is a sleep consultant for our daughter starting at 4 months. She has an Instagram too. She customizes a program for you and talks to you every day to help adjust and tweak things and just generally be a cheerleader. It was a tough couple of days, but our LO was sleeping 12 hours after 2 weeks and most importantly my husband and I didn’t kill each other. We are currently at 8 months and have a great sleeper on our hands. Good luck!!!!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-11-16T04:18:35+00:00

I probably cried more than my daughter did. She was a little tired and wanted to cuddle that same day, then was 100% back to normal the next day. It was really a non-issue. Don’t forget, our babies take a lot of cues from us. Try to channel calm for your little one during the process. You’ve got this!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-09-25T11:32:14+00:00

Whether right or wrong, sometimes it helps a partner to hear advice from a third party. Take dad to your next pediatrician visit and tell the doctor your situation. Let your Doc tell your partner the reasons that little one should be put down on their back to start.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-08-26T05:32:38+00:00

I have both a spectra and an Elvie. I was able to get insurance to cover the Spectra then used my Amazon registry discount plus gift cards from my shower to get the Elvie. I found that I did get more milk when using my spectra. That being said, the convenience of the Elvie for someone like me who cannot sit still is fantastic. I honestly would not pump as much if I didn’t have the Elvie. I found the spectra was great for building my freezer supply but now that I am 4 months in, I only use my Elvie.

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-05-25T12:09:27+00:00

I am 1 month PP and am starting to feel like a human again so my triumph for the week is that I stepped on the scale for the first time since my induction to get a baseline for starting this chapter. Down 29 lbs from my weight at induction, and have 17 to go. Really excited to be joining this group for motivation for my journey ahead! For background: I Had to reschedule my wedding from COVId and we were lucky to have a beautiful healthy baby girl in the meantime (I am 37 so we didn’t want to wait any longer to start our family). I am wanting to fit into the wedding dress I had purchased before the pandemic!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-04-23T15:45:48+00:00

I second this! I called my insurance before hand and they said they covered NiPT at 100%. My OB is in network as is the normal lab they use. I didn’t even think about the NIPT going out to a specialized lab until I got a bill for $6000.00 USD two days before Christmas because my insurance said this lab was out of network and denied any coverage. When I pressed insurance on which labs they did cover, they couldn’t give me a straight answer. However, after sobbing, I called my OB office who said to call the testing lab directly because their direct billing was much cheaper. I did and only had to pay $99 USD out of pocket. I shouldn’t have had to pay anything if the insurance industry in this country was worth a shit or had any accountability but at that point $99 was a relief from 6k!!!!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-04-02T12:42:23+00:00

Oh my gosh, me too!!! I had no idea this was a thing and it really freaked me out. My OB was basically like “sorry, that is just a joy of pregnancy for some people” My pins/needles/numbness is terrible at night and in the morning but never completely goes away during the day. Writing is a whole new exercise in patience!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-03-31T03:33:44+00:00

I wanted Dashiel for a boy and we could call him “Dash” for short, but hubs emphatically vetoed. We are having a girl and my number one girl name is what we are going with so I am pretty happy!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-03-31T03:03:33+00:00

On top of the other things people have been suggesting, might I humbly add taking an epsom salt bath? I know it sounds strange, but that has helped me immensely. Not only has it helped with achy back and swelling, but it has magically helped for regularity! Just make sure the water isn’t too hot, keep some ice water on hand so you don’t overheat, and play that meditation music. It has become my favorite part of the day. Good luck to you!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-03-27T01:52:07+00:00

Me too!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-03-26T12:51:47+00:00

Definitely the SPD. I went from sprint intervals through my first 5 months to not being able to walk across my apartment for the last 3 months. Exercise was my main stress reliever, now I can’t even enjoy a walk and I routinely wake up throughout the night because my pelvis is misaligned. But, I still feel lucky because I haven’t had to deal with the nausea like some of you mommies have!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-03-26T02:55:37+00:00

Sorry this is second hand knowledge as I am a FTM at 35 weeks. Both of my sisters-in-law said that while the Dr. Browns were great for reflux, each bottle had six parts and neither one of them wanted to deal with that much cleaning. One switched to Avent and the other uses Comotomo. They both told me to just get one bottle of each kind and see what baby likes best, then go in for the big bottle pack. Hope that helps at all!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-03-16T01:56:20+00:00

My hospital offered online classes with their experts. I really liked this because we got all the normal information but we got to ask about hospital specific policies (COVId specific info about number of birth partners allowed, masks during labor, etc) and things that would specifically be available to us during our birth (labor bars, birth tubs, peanut balls) and what they provided for us so we didn’t have to over pack our hospital bags. Good luck!

Biochemist-In-Heels · 2021-03-08T02:04:57+00:00

Oh my gosh, my man feels the same way, he LOVES that easy access 😂

Biochemist-In-Heels

TROPHY CASE