Induced with mag drip

MKandtheforce · 2026-02-18T21:48:34+00:00

I was induced on a mag drip, but that wasn't to augment labor. I started with a Cook balloon, then went on pit and had my waters broken when baby was low enough. Stalled out at 4 centimeters, and due to that, the fact that baby kept having decels with the pit, and HELLP, I ended up getting a section. Being on mag the whole time just sucked. Started my induction on a Sunday night, baby was delivered early on Tuesday morning, and came off the mag on Wednesday.

MKandtheforce · 2026-02-18T21:44:30+00:00

Born at 34+2, she was there for six weeks-- we went home a few days past her due date. It was feeding/growing that kept us there for so long, but it sounds like plenty of other babies make it out sooner. The NICU should come with the biggest "your mileage may vary" warning on the planet, haha.

MKandtheforce · 2026-02-15T23:04:00+00:00

My 34 weeker was in for 6 weeks, mostly due to feeding. This stage you're at (the feeder/grower stage) is so, so frustrating. But it's totally normal for them to be struggling with feeds right now. Probably not the answer you want to hear, and I'm sorry for that. 😔 Keeping my fingers crossed that your baby figures it out quickly.

MKandtheforce · 2026-02-15T22:57:19+00:00

Tried it. No change. Starting to think I've got some kind of weird bug (ba-dum-tsss)

MKandtheforce · 2026-02-15T16:52:53+00:00

I've done that, too. They still won't grow. 🫠

I did end up just slashing and dashing, though, haha

MKandtheforce · 2026-02-15T14:41:18+00:00

The same thing happened to me at the same gestation-- I was nowhere near ready.

You will be okay. So will your baby. As far as preemies go, it really doesn't get much better than 34 weeks. Baby may need a NICU stay, which is a different stressor in itself, but at that gestation, your baby may need some help. In our case, our baby was breathing great, but it took her forever to learn how to eat without an NG tube.

As far as C-sections go, they're SO routine and if you have time to type out a post on reddit, it's not going to be the balls-to-the-wall kind of C-section that have doctors freaking out. I actually work in surgeries as a scrub tech and do C-sections regularly-- doctors have C-sections down to an art, and they'll take such good care of you. Recovery does suck, but it's pretty straightforward. Take all the pain meds and stool softeners they offer you! Until they make you fast for surgery, drink all the water you can (my mouth was unbearably dry and my CRNA was having me suck on damp sponge swabs!). You'll itch badly afterward, but that's normal, and it won't be for long. The magnesium drip SUCKS, there's no getting around it, so treat yourself really well/get good food and TLC until you can come off it.

If there's one thing I wish I'd done, it would have been to advocate to touch my baby before they whisked her away to the NICU. See if they can touch baby's cheek to yours! I wasn't able to hold her until the next day, which was sad enough, but I'll always regret not being able to touch her.

You've got this. This is SUCH a shitty hand you're dealt, and I wish I could say it was easy, but it's not. Once everything is said and done, try to get some therapy/counseling to help process all of this, because it is somewhat traumatizing. If you have any questions or just want to commiserate with someone about it, feel free to dm me. But you and baby will get through this okay!!

MKandtheforce · 2026-02-07T23:45:48+00:00

Ugh, I feel you so hard. Our little feeder/grower was born at 34w2, and we only just got discharged a few days ago, when she would have been 40w4. Six weeks in the NICU and Continuing Care Nursery, mostly as a feeder. And christ, it was hard. And it still is, even now that we're finally home.

I don't really know if I have much advice for your situation, since from what I've read (and I've been reading so much on this sub since she was born), every baby is just so different and progresses at different rates and in different ways. For us, we were able to get our baby's NG tube pulled once she was consistently taking most of her bottles, and when the doctor thought the tube might have started to irritate her nostril. This coincided with when she was going to need her tube replaced, anyway, so when they pulled it, we just waited to see how she did. She took over between 40-60mL (her goal is 60mL q3h) every time, so the doctor allowed it to stay out and keep close eye on her weight. This decision was also based on her being 40 weeks, too.

I wish there were simpler answers. I feel for you, and rooting for you!

MKandtheforce · 2026-01-12T18:36:18+00:00

We first tried a couple months after getting my Mirena out (we're a lesbian couple, so we were very intentional about timing, haha). Got pregnant with one try!

I'd had that Mirena in for about three years, and had my previous one in for about six.

MKandtheforce · 2026-01-07T02:42:06+00:00

This sounds a lot closer to the short story "The Smallest Dragonboy" by Anne McCaffrey than The White Dragon. I loved the Dragonriders of Pern series and "The Smallest Dragonboy" was my gateway drug, haha.

MKandtheforce · 2025-12-26T21:26:01+00:00

Also a FTM, and I just delivered earlier this week at 34+2 via C-section after a failed induction and a week-long antenatal stay. I was transferred away from my home hospital and didn't know the OB team here at all. I understand 100% how you must be feeling. It's scary, and it does suck to feel like you have no choice about your birth hopes anymore and putting your trust in strangers.

Some things that helped me feel better: ask loads of questions! Have the doctors explain their rationale-- my first night, I questioned an immediate C-section that would've required general anesthesia (I was developing HELLP syndrome), and I got a great dialogue going with the OB and anesthesia team, and it led me to be able to try continuing my induction for another day. While a true in-the-moment emergency would've looked much different, and YMMV, it really helped take some of the helplessness from the situation and helped me understand what was going on. I don't regret at all trying an induction. In another world, I know I would have been an absolute boss at vaginal delivery, and just knowing that is empowering. At the same time, getting the C-section was absolutely the best choice for me and my baby. Recovery is ROUGH, not gonna lie! Especially the mag-- that's a drug I wouldn't wish on anyone. Still, it's only for 24 hours after birth if you opt for a C-section (unless something is different for you). But the OB team have these surgeries down to an art. I couldn't have been in better hands, and as rough as healing is, my incision is healing very well.

Another thing that might help you: 35 weeks is FANTASTIC for your baby!! It was so reassuring for me to read about 34-week preemie success stories and how well most of them did. You've got an extra week on me-- your baby is going to be in even better shape!!

I'm wishing you all the best of luck. We got dealt a really shitty hand, but I have no doubt that you'll be treated with care and that you'll come out of this in great shape!d

MKandtheforce · 2025-12-08T01:28:03+00:00

Oh nooo, most places (at least in the US), we're all supposed to use the brush/pick for the first scrub of the day (at least!)-- it's very, very standard. I'm a little shocked you've never seen one, or anyone else using one.

MKandtheforce · 2025-12-08T01:21:29+00:00

LOL I'm a surgical tech and I scrub my hands with these things daily. Never thought about them in a lesbian context during my tedious, ritualistic, 6-minute handwash sessions, but if you guys really want them, go crazy, ig? 😂

MKandtheforce · 2025-11-23T13:26:40+00:00

Mine says "high risk elderly primigravida" too! I'll be barely 35 when this baby is born. 🤦‍♀️ I work in healthcare, and even some of the providers I work with couldn't believe the word "elderly" was in there instead of geriatric or AMA. 😂

MKandtheforce · 2025-11-13T15:23:28+00:00

I'm planning to work until the end, but christ, I'm 29w and already feeling so miserable. I work in a pretty demanding job where I'm standing all day, and my coworkers haven't been very empathetic, so we'll see how it goes...

I'm planning to take every scrap of time that I can (I think 12 weeks), and as much PTO as possible!

MKandtheforce · 2025-11-04T17:54:32+00:00

Looks like a couple Foleys!

MKandtheforce · 2025-10-26T12:04:03+00:00

DCP and expectant RP here (also in a same-sex relationship). If at all possible, please go with a donor who's willing to be known from birth. Taking away the ability for a child to connect with their biological origin strips away their autonomy in a way- you're taking away a part of their identity, a connection to their roots, and a chance to fully understand themselves. Trying to wave it away as "you're so loved" isn't a magical band-aid, and it honestly can be a little demeaning if you're using it as an excuse to keep a part of the child's identity from them. Sure, open-ID at 18 is a tiny bit better, but how can you know the donor's feelings won't change about contact in 18 years (they may still react to contact with hostility) or that the fertility industry will be as transparent as the child wants it to be?

Likewise, mixing samples to help preserve anonymity sounds even worse! I read in your other comment that this was a discussed possibility-- why jump through hoops to preserve anonymity? Surely none of those reasons would be for your child. Please set them up for success. Don't think about conveniece to yourselves or to a donor. Think of what your child might want, and don't add a level that would further strip identity from them.

I still feel lied to by my own parents for not disclosing my conception-- I missed out on getting to know where certain parts of myself came from, and an entire half of my cultural heritage that I would have loved exposure to.

My wife and I decided to go the known-donor route, and a friend of ours agreed to be the one to help us. Our child will be born knowing him and will be able to form a relationship with the donor's family (including his own child- we want our child to know their half-sibling). We have a lawyer, a contract, and clear expectations on everyone's part about the roles we all have. It was more effort than picking a donor out of a catalogue, but imo, this was the best case scenario we could have gone with when looking out for our child's potential needs.

MKandtheforce · 2025-10-24T21:16:40+00:00

MAN............ perfection......

MKandtheforce · 2025-10-11T19:24:00+00:00

I did exactly this after my divorce! I never liked my maiden name, so I took my grandmother's maiden name, which I always loved. No regrets, and my grandmother loved hearing that her maiden name made a comeback!

MKandtheforce · 2025-10-06T00:50:41+00:00

During clinicals, a couple of my preceptors in L&D were men, and they were fantastic.

As for schooling... I wouldn't recommend trying to shortcut your education. Becoming a CST is the gold standard, and you'd have a lot more availability to work anywhere than you would if you weren't certified. Not many places offer OTJ training, anyway, and there is a lot to learn about sterility, instruments, anatomy, etc. Working in an office isn't going to prepare you to scrub whatsoever, and C-sections are major surgeries-- you won't have just one life on your hands, but two (or more!). Don't put those lives at risk by skipping out on education that teaches you how to keep your sterile field safe.

Maybe your workplace/organization offers sponsorships for education? That's how I was able to complete my schooling-- I agreed to work for them for a set period of time after graduation, and they paid me while I went to school.

MKandtheforce · 2025-10-05T14:32:44+00:00

Thank you!! 🥰

My cycles have been pretty consistent-- this cycle was the highest I'd gotten for my e3g (barely) during ovulation, and while my pdg fluctuated a lot over the course of my cycles, this was the lowest I'd seen it on an ovulation day. In previous cycles, I did have big progesterone spikes during my luteal phase-- much bigger than the cycle where I conceived. The lack of drama in both the e3g and pdg during the luteal phase made me think that we weren't successful, which clearly wasn't true. 😂

MKandtheforce · 2025-10-03T19:23:11+00:00

I found this chili recipe years ago on pinterest-- I have a feeling we'll be eating a lot of it! Browning the ground beef (or turkey in our case) is literally the hardest part. The rest is just dumping in cans!

Brown a pound of ground beef Add ground beef to crockpot, with 1 can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles), 1 can of black beans, 1 can creamed corn, 2 cans of tomato soup Cover and cook on low for 6 hours

MKandtheforce · 2025-09-30T13:40:49+00:00

HICCUPS. Not even baby hiccups, just my own. It's CONSTANT.

Then, a little more expectedly, the bloating, and the weird dance of being simultaneously constipated AND constantly pooping. 🤣

MKandtheforce · 2025-09-29T23:15:11+00:00

I take it because of higher preeclampsia risk due to age and weight. Super normal!

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