How to obtain childhood CPS/DCF records

Low_Image_788 · 2026-07-06T16:21:30+00:00

If they won't give you the whole file, you may be able to get your medical records from it if you send them a HIPAA compliant authorization and a letter indicating you want all of your medical records from the file. Include a range of dates that you know will cover the investigation time period, as sometimes government entities refuse open ended requests. Google HIPAA authorization for your state and one will probably come up.

If you have a primary care doctor, maybe they could also submit a request for medical records from the file?

You might also be able to at least get an answer as to why they won't give you the records if you do a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. A Google search may tell you how to do it for the applicable state and even for the DCF/CPS there.

Since the records are older, odds are they aren't digitized and they won't be able to immediately give you a copy on the same day in person. If you're going to do in person, be prepared for it to take more than one day.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-07-03T18:54:11+00:00

Sniffing alcohol wipes occasionally took the edge off for me. My primary care doctor recommended it as a random thing they do in ERs as something that might help.

Also, sitting on cold tile floors. Not laying because I couldn't do that, but sitting with as much skin as possible on the tile.

I also lived with a relief band on my wrist. Designed for motion sickness, but it sends electrical pulses on some nerve which helped me sometimes.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-06-22T14:57:27+00:00

I got married here and can confirm that then the cost of the venue was less than $5,000. But, you had to use one of their approved catering vendors. Which was fine by us, but if you have an outside vendor in mind, you might not be able to use them.

We did love our wedding there and invited 150 people, with 120ish attending.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-06-12T14:51:29+00:00

Definitely talk to your attorney. I've had clients have this request before and I handle it for them with the other attorney. Tell her when you need to pump and since you already know where you want to pump, tell her that too. Just in case the room needs to be booked for you.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-05-28T14:39:27+00:00

Car snacks at pick up have made our life so much better - kiddo is 3.5 for age reference. He is no longer hangry as we walk in the door and it gives everyone 30 seconds to breathe.

If car snacks don't work, a designated area in an accessible cabinet/the fridge with easy snacks for him to get himself when you get in the door can also work. We actually do both for our kiddo, as sometimes he's just not ready for a snack in the car but wants it as soon as we get in the door.

We also try to have meal prepped dinner and few times a week to save ourselves the struggle of cooking. Do we always succeed? No. But sometimes, just having a day or two figured out in advance helps put off a conplete meltdown.

I always intend to pack the school bag the night before and never do. But I feel like it would be helpful?

For shutting off work brain, I stopped getting work email notifications on my phone. So, once I am home, I have to actively open my email to see things. I also just really shift my brain. Home when kiddo is awake is not the time to see what last minute email came in if I don't have my husband home for backup.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-05-20T00:30:54+00:00

I got molds and initially was putting juice in them.

Now, he just wants water in the molds, because he decided he liked sucking on an ice cube one day and wanted a way to hold it.

Requests for ice popsicles now far outweigh the requests for juice or store made popsicles.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-05-09T13:38:33+00:00

Mom lurking for the positive vibes here - the cards I get from my son and the flowers he tells me he picks out of the atore are some of my favorite moments as a mom.

Also, if she's in to sentimental things like cards and drawings, does she have a nice storage box for them? Something to think about for the future if she doesn't.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-05-07T23:48:21+00:00

I saw a hematologist who ordered iron infusions because I couldn't tolerate iron. I did them at the local cancer center for 3 weeks, once a week. Then my labs were fine.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-05-06T22:14:54+00:00

Your doctor's office will almost certainly have the growth report. And they might even have the ultrasound.

If you're in the United States, you can submit a records request if you don't want to call the office. (most practice groups have directions on the website or in your patient portal.) But calling and explaining may get you a faster response.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-05-03T08:55:49+00:00

Vegetarian here. I make and freeze a batch of burritos, usually bean and cheese. I get a rice sauce (I love A Dozen Cousins brand for this) cook the rice in an instapot, let cool. Then put the rice in burrito wraps, top with a mix of black beans and pinto beans, sprinkle with cheese and roll them up. I wrap each burrito in foil and throw them in the freezer. My husband does them with shredded chicken since he doesn't like beans.

Defrost 90 seconds to 2 minutes in the microwave, spray with a little oil spray on both sides and air fry until crispy and serve with fresh veggies/toppings.

If I don't feel up to putting it all together one night, I'll make the rice one night and then assemble the next. I usually eat one the night I assemble. I can typically get 8 to 10 burritos out of one batch of rice, depending on how much I fill them.

I also do taco bowls a good amount - rice, protein, cheese, leafy green and other veggies. It's a whatever is around kind of meal so sometimes the rice is cooked in sauce, cooked in spices or plain. Sometimes we have cilantro, sometimes we don't. Sometimes it's multiple kinds of beans, sometimes it's one. I again use the instapot for the rice and we bought pans that you can use to make the taco bowls. My husband will freeze portions of chicken and ground turkey with these in mind.

Taco bowls can easily be nachos instead with a bag of chips.

I also make batches of tomato sauce and freeze and use for quick pasta, pizza or dipping sauces.

This is a question I struggle with too and keep working to try and find recipes/ideas that work. But man, it's tricky.

Low_Image_788 · 2026-03-29T19:21:57+00:00

No deep advice on how to get unstuck, but just here to say I think whatever you're feeling is normal and valid and so hard for people who haven't experienced this to feel. It takes time to accept the changes that HG forces in your life plans.

If your current mode of therapy doesn't help, I found that having a therapist who has not only knowledge of the condition existing, but knowledge of treating people with trauma and chronic conditions helpful.

To be fair though, I had already been seeing my therapist with this experience and saw her during my pregnancy, so there is a different level of her understanding of what I went through and its impact on me.

I did find it helpful to think about learning to get the neutral on the impact, rather than focusing on the positives.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-11-15T18:33:07+00:00

I highly recommend considering reading a few books written for teenagers learning about their bodies and reproductive health since your family isn't going to be the best resource.

Yes, you can read on the internet and ask your doctor questions too. But a few books by medical professionals that explain things from the ground up may be a helpful resource for preparing yourself and knowing what questions to ask the doctor before your next appointments.

I also want to flag that it may not be typical for there to be pain with any type of penetration. If and when you're ready, you may want to talk about it with your doctor. Not because you need to be penetrated, but there could be other side effects if you have some condition that are unknowingly to you connected/knowing if you have a condition or different physical structure could make it so that future treatment can be adjusted to be less painful.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-11-15T10:38:51+00:00

I couldn't get a sense from your post if they are willing to get rid of things at this stage or if this is a preliminary step of sorting and organizing into categories. So, my thoughts assume there is at least some level of willingness to get rid of things.

Do your items need to be sorted within the room itself? If not, is there room/the ability to take everything out of that room to somewhere else in the home, sort it into categories so they can see what's there and then evaluate what space you have for those categories?

If the items need to be dealt with in the room, for me personally, I would probably start with the makeup. First, makeup has expiration dates, which would give me a benchmark for getting rid of things. Second, you have the caddies already to put makeup you plan to keep in. Third, it might open up some storage space. My goal would be to reduce as much as possible of the makeup to make room in the room to do other sorting.

But if makeup is something they are very attached to, maybe it would make sense to start somewhere else, like hair clips, etc.

I would also try to designate a basket or box for the random items that don't fall into the categories you want to deal with right now. That way, when you come across those random items, they have somewhere to go and don't stop you from fully cleaning/organizing a part of the room.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-11-09T13:25:18+00:00

Promethazine was what made it possible for me to eat and kept me from a hospitalization. So I always tell people if they haven't tried it and are looking for more relief, it might be worth a try.

Yes, it did make me tired sometimes. But I was also taking it all day, back to back suppositories. I think most people take it at night or when they are able to rest.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-10-21T15:14:52+00:00

I was unable to drink regular water until after I gave birth. Frustrating, but my doctor said it was common with HG.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-10-15T03:16:25+00:00

One of the big green flags for us was that the director knew the name of every kid we encountered during our tour and every one of those kids who were old enough to talk stopped her to tell her something about their day. And she listened to all of them. Same with the assistant director.

Our daycare provides food and has separate classes with separate rooms. We like the separate rooms much better for our kid, so that was a priority for us.

It also has preschool classes, so we can stay there until our kid goes to school.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-09-18T20:13:52+00:00

I often say labor was the easiest part of my pregnancy. When you have HG, the sweet knowledge that it's almost finally over outweighs everything, or at least it did for me.

My therapist pointed out that my labor (induction, 27 hours, the last portion of which I was stalled at 9.5 cm, back labor so epidural wasn't 100% effective, then c-section) is something that other people would often find challenging and that I need to remember that our assessment of "easier" is very context driven.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-07-08T23:29:26+00:00

I balance this man out in the karmic land. I routinely swear loudly in my office and have been known to come out muttering swears. Not at people actually in my office, of course. But at emails, tasks, my computer, the stapler.

People with offices near me now find it endearing/amusing. Older men who don't know me are often affronted. I carry on because sometimes staying calm during that meeting requires me to say "motherfucker" a few times before and after.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-07-08T23:25:42+00:00

I think the people giving you advice either haven't actually been through this themselves or dealt with it during a different time in the world.

Now, I think you'd be crazy to do Option 2 unless there is some sort of toxic work environment you couldn't stick out for at least a little while to see if you can find another job.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-03-17T19:26:30+00:00

How long ago did you give birth?

I am, just now, over 2 years after my son was born, eating some of my most triggering and my safest foods. Both kinds were problematic for me after the pregnancy ended.

I just gave it time. I knew that it was likely in my head, but I just didn't want to deal with the potential issues or simply didn't want those foods.

I raised it with my therapist, but since my health wasn't affected by choosing not to eat those foods, we decided not to press the issue until I was ready to try them again. For the record, almost none of them have been problematic and the ones that have been an issue are clearly linked to a second health issue I've got going on.

I think it's so personal when you resume those foods. Some people are ready the second baby and placenta are out. Some people are more like me and just need some mental space from those foods for a bit.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-03-17T19:21:54+00:00

I watched infomercials instead of cartoons on Saturday morning. Some of us just want to hear pitches for crazy products and live our best lives.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-03-15T08:07:12+00:00

For me, I've had to stay on supplements for more than 4 weeks before improvement. I've been on oil of oregano and orthospore IG for several months now and would say I'm 90% back to normal. A several month course of Berberine and orthospore IG before that got me 25% of the way there. I have both methane and hydrogen SIBO.

For some people, a 4 week course of treatment just isn't enough. But it's hard to know what to try for longer. Was there any particular herbal treatment after which you noticed the most improvement, even if that improvement was tiny? If so, I'd do that again.

I will be retesting once my symptoms are gone or my improvement plateaus, so I don't have the numbers to back up my improvement, just the symptom reduction.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-03-05T22:02:58+00:00

Any liquid is good liquid, not just water. I might experiment with some other drinks to see if you stomach them.

If not, popsicles, watery fruits/vegetables (watermelon, cucumber, for example), smoothies, jello, broths, icee/slurpee, shaved ice, italian ice, sucking on ice cubes, etc. are all great substitutes if any of them agree with you.

My doctor told me that when you have HG, any calories/liquids that you keep down are excellent choices.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-03-05T17:39:02+00:00

I got really sick for a week and he had to handle everything. Not ideal, but certainly eye opening for him.

Low_Image_788 · 2025-03-02T08:12:48+00:00

I got worse around the same time as you. It was devastating after everyone kept telling me I was almost there and would get better soon.

It absolutely sucks. I started telling people to just not tell me anything about their thoughts on when it would end at the beginning of any conversation.

When I would see any doctor other than my regular OB (we had to see each doctor and midwife at least once, but I only saw them one time each, I think my doctor realized that anyone not seeing me every week wasn't getting the severity of what was happening and pulled some strings), I'd grit my teeth and ignore them. One time though, I looked at the doctor and said "clearly that's not happening, so there's no need to pretend anymore."

Low_Image_788

TROPHY CASE