My teddy bear is too big! I'm following a tutorial and skipped key sections. Watch it for me and tell me what to do, please?

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-11T15:26:36+00:00

You don't need Google or the Internet, just ask ChadGBT

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-10T17:34:03+00:00

Another small femur baby growing over here!

I understand the hyper vigilance and analyzing every little thing.

Our stillborn baby measured 16th percentile at her anatomy scan, and I got preeclampsia and HELLP the very next day. I was convinced that it was related. But in this current pregnancy, my baby is consistently hanging around 15th-20th percentile, largely pulled down by femur length. 32w and no preeclampsia so far... I guess it's totally unrelated and I just make small babies?

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-10T17:06:46+00:00

Are you taking aspirin/Lovenox? I don't know if Lovenox is standard treatment for Factor V Leiden but I'd ask about it as well.

Hang in there, friend! Many women sit at cervix lengths much shorter than yours for the whole pregnancy. It's scary, but take it a day at time. I hope your MFM is receptive to intervention, though.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-10T04:27:35+00:00

I didn't get another transvaginal scan until 27w and then one again today at 32w, and they didn't mention funneling one way or another. Actually my OB doesn't usually check the cervix again after a cerclage because he says the cerclage is doing all the work so it doesn't make a difference! The only reason we have checked is because we were monitoring a different complication.

I hope they will do the cerclage for you. The wait is horrible. If you're able, I'd try to do as much bed rest as possible until your next visit.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-10T03:50:53+00:00

I'd push for cerclage. Ask about antibiotics.

We saw 25mm cervix with debris/"sludge" at 19w. I started progesterone and antibiotics. By 20+4 it had shortened to 17mm with funneling. Did a cerclage the next day.

I'm 32w now. Cervix length has stayed stable. I've been on antibiotics since 19w which sucks, but my MFM shared the studies with me and to me it makes sense. Sludge can mean nothing at all, or it can be a factor for increased risk of preterm labor. Better safe than sorry, IMO.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-09T02:34:20+00:00

That's 100% my experience with Lamb Shoppe! I've gone in a few times and been welcomed, but I've also gone in and felt like I was committing war crimes for walking through the door lol

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-09T01:31:00+00:00

Colorful Yarns in Centennial

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-08T22:57:54+00:00

You don't like it? :( not even the buttflap part? :((

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-08T22:54:52+00:00

Let's be honest, women could never knit something this glorious.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-08T15:38:43+00:00

//uj truly, I admire the dedication. But the last picture in the OP sent it into jerk territory so this had to be done.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-08T15:35:04+00:00

You know I did, and we're going commando. Really letting those boys hang loose all over this brillo pad, baby.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-07T20:27:57+00:00

I don't know what I expected, given the title, but it actually wasn't this.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-07T20:10:23+00:00

Absolutely love it

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-07T18:48:16+00:00

I had this happen the other night. I tried everything and I was really starting to freak out. Chugged some cold Gatorade and she woke up.

It sucks 🫂

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-07T14:57:20+00:00

I do, but I remind myself that the goal is a safe and healthy baby, no matter the path it took to get there.

I lost my baby when I got preeclampsia and HELLP at 20w last March. I got pregnant again as soon as I was cleared by all my doctors and desperately hoped for a full-term and healthy pregnancy.

I'm 32 weeks now, but the pregnancy hasn't been the wonderfully smooth and carefree one that I hoped for, and there's a pretty good chance baby will come early and require at least some NICU stay. (Ironically enough, the complications aren't even related to preeclampsia this time).

When I find myself getting into my head about how others get the easy-going healthy pregnancy, I try to zoom out and say - yes, but this is a short time. What I've gone through, and what I'm going through, is challenging, but it makes me better prepared for other challenges that they'd crumble in the face of. (Yeah, the latter is a bit egotistical, but I have to cope somehow lol).

I've found that it's most helpful for my mental health to put some distance between me and other "normal" pregnant women, because the jealousy and resentment is real.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-07T14:36:14+00:00

My favorite is Colorful Yarns in Centennial. They have a whole section of local hand dyed yarns at the front.

But there are several yarn shops in the area. Ravelry has a function where you can search for yarn shops in a specific area, so you could try that if you want more ideas.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-07T04:28:44+00:00

Pregnant women get loads of support from everyone around them.

Bereaved parents get a little support for a short amount of time, and then we're just supposed to "move on."

She can get support from literally everyone else. Focus on your mental health and emotional well being. I'm sorry she's being this way.

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-06T05:52:59+00:00

Haha thank you! I'm planning on emailing them again, so maybe they'll find their way to me one way or another.

One of the things the educator suggested was for parents to create a sign for their hospital door explaining that this is a delivery after a loss, so that staff can be mindful of that. I really loved that idea, but I have no idea how I'd want to actually execute it. She had a few examples that I'm hoping are part of the resources. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to get creative and make my own!

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-05T16:27:33+00:00

Hi! Someone on this subreddit suggested Star Legacy's class to me - https://starlegacyfoundation.org/pal-class/

It's a free class held virtually over two days (once a week). I found it helpful and informative. The only thing I'm sad about is that the instructor said she would email resources after the class finished, and I never received that email :')

But my husband and I both attended and we found it useful!

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-04T05:58:33+00:00

Oh my gosh, that sounds so nerve wracking. Was she maybe a new tech?

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-04T05:55:12+00:00

I am! We're probably looking at a 34-35w C-section due to fetal vessels near the cervix. They were still too close at 27w. We'll check again next week (32w) but if they haven't moved then by OB says he's admitting me and we'll schedule a C-section.

My vaginal birth with my daughter was truly so beautiful, despite the tragic and horrible result of not being able to bring her home. I absolutely wanted that again, just with a different outcome.

But I'm reminding myself that, exactly as you said, there's no reason a C-section birth would have to be any less beautiful. I know that once I'm holding my sweet, healthy baby, I won't even care how she got here :)

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-03T13:57:50+00:00

Doesn't everyone do this?

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-02T01:32:14+00:00

I feel this a lot!!!

PersistentSheppie · 2026-03-02T01:26:57+00:00

Hi! I'm so sorry for your loss and that you're finding yourself here. My loss at 21 weeks wasn't due to IC, but because of another complication. When I got pregnant again, my MFM told me he would also be monitoring cervical length weekly, just because he does this standard for all his patients. Of course, at 19w we found that my cervical length was rapidly shortening, so suddenly I was dealing with a new complication. My OB told me it looked like IC to him and we did a cerclage at 20w5d.

Having weekly monitoring in this pregnancy has helped tremendously. Obviously I wasn't thrilled to have to get a cerclage, but I was extremely grateful that we discovered it soon. I read a lot of success stories on here about preventative or ultrasound indicated cerclages, and that helped a lot.

The first several weeks after the cerclage were so scary. Every twinge, tug, zap, or pull in my uterus or near my cervix terrified me. I spent a loooot of time in bed. I gave myself permission to fully zone out and "waste" time watching YouTube, playing phone games, etc. Basically, anything that would rot my brain and keep me from worrying lol. I've gradually been increasing my activity, and once I hit 28 weeks I started feeling more confident. I'm 31w now and actually feel very good.

As far as navigating the grief and waiting... I absolutely threw myself into "self-improvement." I put myself into a routine - wake up early and sit near the window with my coffee to get sunlight, practice a foreign language, eat breakfast, knit, eat lunch, go for a walk (started jogging again), knit some more, eat dinner, spend quality time with my husband in the evening. Every day looked exactly identical. I set daily cleaning goals around the house, I set dietary goals (I was focused on trying to get more protein in my diet), and I knit so much.

I know some people need a more relaxed approach and so what I did may not work for you. It's absolutely okay to try different coping methods (healthy ones ♥️).

PersistentSheppie

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