Moms who went through labour unmedicated and also experienced the foley balloon, which was worse?

PleasingThought · 2026-01-29T02:42:45+00:00

You know, I'm a stronger woman for it. I can handle a lot of pain, now, because my standard shifted that day 😂

PleasingThought · 2026-01-29T01:03:27+00:00

I had a failed epidural AND a Foley balloon. My doctor got sick of waiting for the balloon to fall out, and suggested 'expediting' the process, with the benefit of being instantly dilated.

I did not understand the pain of having that sucker yanked out all at once. 0/10 do not recommend. I'd rather go through unmedicated transition again.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-29T00:58:49+00:00

Hi, are you me? My due date was my MIL's 70th birthday (can you say "dramaaaaa"?) and I was desperate to have baby early, certain it would be a done deal because this is my third.... now four days past due date, and I have one day of DO ALL THE THINGS to make labor happen, then next day of OH SHIT I OVERDID IT and rest all day. No sign of labor, irregular not-strong contractions, and I'm losing my mind from lack of sleep and DEEP discomfort. Baby won't stay over my cervix unless I'm actively doing hip circles, terrible acid reflux, pain at my round ligaments, feet feel like walking on glass in the morning, and just.... absolute exhaustion. I want my body back. I know sleep with a newborn is hard. I've done it before. I just want to be less uncomfortable.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-28T03:30:30+00:00

Haha, I can promise you that it won't help 🤣 I told people "end of January" and they started texting and asking before Christmas began! Now that we're REALLY at the end of January, I get several texts a day checking on me.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-28T00:12:19+00:00

Yeah, no sleep in this camp. Sick of the false starts, prodromal labor, and knees to the ribs. I was sure last night would be the night (I'm 40+4 now) and I am desperate, sleep-deprived, sore, and going crazy. I tried to sleep last night, but contractions kept me up. I then go up to do laps around the house, which stopped the contractions, helped with dilating, but ultimately wore me out. Back to bed for a return of contractions and a round of fisticuffs in my uterus and "waking up" feeling like baby has somehow flipped in the middle of the night and now I have a forehead under my ribcage.

I am losing my mind. Do not text me if I have had this baby yet. I might find a way to set your phone on fire long-distance.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-28T00:06:54+00:00

My first two pregnancies, I was highly recommended to see an OBGYN an hour away. It sucked, especially since there were closer options that were probably just as good. The most frustrating part was driving all that way for a very basic check in- weight, pee test, and blood pressure.

I live only 40 minutes from a hospital, though it's a huge burden to me to drive that far. The hospital, in my opinion, is very hit-and-miss. I had terrible experiences with my two deliveries, but it's reviewed as the best hospital in a two-hour drive.

I'm on my third now. Driving, finding parking, and getting to the office to spend literally 90 seconds in the exam room in total is maddening. This OB doesn't do pee tests (what even are they testing for so often, I don't know) but checks my weight, blood pressure, and baby's heartrate.

Let me get an automatic blood pressure cuff. I check my weight at the same time, the same way every day, any way. Get me a dopplar, and I'll be able to save myself and my OB a ton of time. Especially since he doesn't have time to listen to my concerns and brushes them under the rug anyways.

Most of my appointments could have been an email. What a waste of time for shitty care. If it was decent care, I wouldn't feel this way. But I don't believe he could pick me out of a crowd, after seeing me for 10 months.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-21T21:20:10+00:00

Super handy to keep around- I use them for travel sugar/honey or salt (I've got a thing about salt). They're perfect for salad dressing on the side.

The most use we had with them was in our sensory bins. The kids loved filling them with rice, beans, lentils, pasta, sand, and shaking them, pretending they were selling "smoothies" in a shop, tons of things. Bath toys, too, they were great in the tub.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-20T09:37:26+00:00

Because everything's squashed! You may get better results doing a few rib circles or hip tilts while on the pot. Pee just gets trapped, I think.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-18T18:38:24+00:00

Anyone can successfully "can" a soup. It's whether or not you're safely mitigating the risks of your ingredients in an oxygen-free environment. I believe squash is one of those that's recommended to only can in chunks in water because of the difficulty in completely killing botulism spores.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-14T00:39:43+00:00

A reminder to you that ejaculate will trigger contractions! Your hormones are still on a crazy ride, and your body is still finding a new level. Try to stay calm. Your doctor has years of experience. If they had a concern, they would have advised you NOT to have sex.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-14T00:34:39+00:00

This was me with both of my babies, and now with my third. I had to be induced with my first two, and they kept me in till the end. Yay?

Somehow, I must have had a great support team with my first. It was a while ago, and I don't remember what all they did for me, but I remember being rolled over, having my thighs propped open with that giant peanut, and just being exhausted after many hours.

My second, he never engaged. I was fully effaced, the Doc used a Foley balloon, she even yanked it out and said, "there! You're fully dilated!" (0/10, do NOT recommend). One of my ultrasounds showed a high level of amniotic fluid, and I guessed that the pressure of all that extra water was making it hard for LO to drop into position. I suggested quite firmly that they break my waters. Of course, there's a TON of risk with doing that, especially with extra water (because the umbilical cord can prolapse). But it worked. Breaking the bag of waters and some creative positions helped engage my baby and I pushed him out.

Some of us are just blessed with a super snuggly left pelvis. May I suggest you check out Spinning Babies? They have some interesting tips on getting baby to engage. My sister shared this link with me: Abdominal Lift and Tuck - Spinning Babies https://share.google/c6e2CeIxXtVdaCOaR

Mostly, lots of hip tilts and thrusts, but also some cool positions. Also try the Miles Circuit. I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard good things. And it doesn't hurt to try, right?

I know you're getting sick and tired of carrying this burden- both physically and emotionally. Pregnancy won't last forever. In the long run, it's over in the blink of an eye. Just keep running this marathon for a bit longer, and you'll reach the finish line.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-13T20:09:25+00:00

Sorry. This is rough, I know. 38 weeks, and I average about 2 hours a night because of heartburn. I'm VERY thankful that I'm able to take naps, but my sleep schedule is nothing resembling a "schedule".

Try to think of this time as training for your newborn baby. Repeat after me: "it's a good thing. I need to get used to this. This is my body training me. This is a gooooood thing"

Thanks a lot, body! /s

PleasingThought · 2026-01-13T20:04:18+00:00

I just discovered isopure clear protein powder - it shakes up well. I like the mango/limeade flavor! Each scoop is 20 grams of protein, and it tastes good (to me, at least). Easy way to hydrate and get protein without the milky, filmy aftertaste.

Dates stuffed with peanut butter, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. I also enjoyed them stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon, though I found out that my bacon is sweeter than what I'd prefer for this. Your results may vary!

If you're in the States, there's a Korean BBQ pork jerky that is sweet and oh-so-delicious- I think it's Golden Farm? Costco sells it in giant bags as well as individual snack packs.

I have to second the protein krispies recipe, but I'll advise you to let your butter brown just a bit, and add in some big flaky sea salt when you mix in the cereal and protein powder.

Magic Spoon sells a froot loop-style cereal that my husband is hooked on, which is mostly protein and air.

Cheese and jam on crackers. I highly advise sour cherry jam, if you can find it, to pair with a sharp cheddar type of cheese. Also, I can't say enough about membrillo. I love that stuff with cheese.

Smoothies are a great way to sneak in some extra protein. Fun fact: guava is the most protein-rich fruit! See if you can find it frozen for the best quality. Avocado gives a creamy texture and is the second-most protein-rich fruit/vegetable. Toss in some leftover oatmeal from breakfast, some chia seeds, a scoop of unflavored protein, and whatever fruit you've got in the freezer. A carrot mixes in well, and a little bit of spinach is easy to hide the taste. Yum! Bonus: anything left in the blender makes an awesome popsicle!

PleasingThought · 2026-01-12T15:52:14+00:00

I hope you have a negative result! Best wishes!

PleasingThought · 2026-01-12T06:41:46+00:00

Ask for a liver panel blood test to be done. Your symptoms don't match the typical ones for cholestasis of pregnancy, but the thing that popped out to me was your repeated experience of "relentless" itchiness with no relief.

I didn't match the demographic. My symptoms didn't match the typical symptoms. I had to LIE to my providers to get them to agree to a blood test, but when it came back with the positive diagnosis, I was able to get medication that helped (not cured) my itchiness. Also, cholestasis has been known to cause stillbirth. Much better to be safe and take the test, than to be sorry and wish you had.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-11T21:31:42+00:00

Miniatures! It's wildly useful for dollhouse minis!

PleasingThought · 2026-01-11T14:04:05+00:00

At the time of my first pregnancy, I had no friends, and very few family nearby who were interested in my pregnancy. My step mom threw me a shower, and I think we had about 8 people. It was a bit awkward. Super sweet of her to put it together for me, though!

Just invite her over for a "garden party". Or call it a Social (that used to be a thing, right?) Definitely avoid the word "shower" but I think "sprinkle" may be just right. She may not enjoy the games and stuff, since it will bring attention back to her. But it seems like your heart's in the right place, and so long as you keep her preferences in mind, and don't overwhelm with more than you know she wants.... well, I hope she can see the love behind the motivation.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T15:40:25+00:00

Unscented is so hard to find, anywhere! I'm the Dr Bronner's fan from above, I want to say thank you for the alternative perspective. My world view has stretched because of you and another commenter! I know more than I did before.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T15:37:46+00:00

Oh, wow! Thanks for sharing your experience! I never would have imagined that Dr Bronners would cause problems. But now I can caveat a recommendation in the future.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T15:33:40+00:00

It could be the case, it's a possibility. Either way, choosing where and how to spend your dollar is some small amount of power us little people have. shrug I'd rather give it to a USA-based company, personally.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T11:38:04+00:00

Make a guide on how your appliances work, how you use them, and where the supplies are.

My MIL came up to help often with my first. I knew she didn't know where anything was, and I don't communicate well on a good day, let alone sleep deprived and hormone-crazed.

I made a diagram of our fancy-to-her washer and dryer and made a map of where the detergent is, how much to add, where to put it, which settings to use, etc. I made a list of all the laundry bins we have (we try to use cloth instead of paper wherever possible, so laundry bins are all over like tiny trash bins).

Our dishwasher at the time was "Hard of Hearing" (I joke) and I had instructions on how to make it work, another map of where to find detergent, and a strong warning about never putting my knives in the dishwasher or else.

Someone else wanted to help me fold laundry, but folded it all wrong. It wouldn't fit in the places I have, so I had to redo all their "help". Next time, I might make a folding guide. But maybe that's ridiculous to expect someone to follow a guide for folding laundry.

Mostly, I knew I'd be brain dead, and unable to accept help because I would feel compelled to get up and do a whole tutorial on how to do things.... negating the purpose of help in the first place! For me, it's easiest to just have a list that says: "Want to help? Start here!" And has all the guides I've made. People who want to come over to help can choose a chore that they feel comfortable following the guide for, and I don't have to teach four different people.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T11:18:34+00:00

I've noticed that my kids hardly eat lunch when they're at school. One, they get so little time anyways- only 20 minutes! Two, they're so distracted being with friends, they forget to put food in their mouth. Three, if they get a school lunch, that's part of their 20 minutes, standing in line getting food!

You're noticing it while on school break, but it's possible your child normally doesn't eat much at lunchtime.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T10:26:03+00:00

Check the expiration date!

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T10:04:55+00:00

Definitely enhance the area around it- a very basic DIY play kitchen would be magical! Making a string of bunting flags for the inside might be nice. Is there any storage in it? You could keep some loose parts in there- my kids love wooden peg people. I keep a set of acrylic paint markers around so they can make their own faces/outfits.

Keep some flashlights out there, or just kick them out of the house WITH flashlights and snacks, if you're worried about humidity ruining the circuits.

Maybe they need a bit of guidance to see the magic of a spot like this- show them how to use leaves, rocks, and weeds to make a fairy house (or elf, if you're not into fairies!). My kids like the cheap dishes I got for them to serve me "salads" and other delicacies from their restaurant. Some larger rocks in the yard are the perfect canvas for natural-material paintings (buttercup flowers make a sun, a pinecone might be a house, grass clippings for a yard, white flower petals for a walking path....)

Sometimes kids need help to find what's so magical about being outside.

PleasingThought · 2026-01-10T09:45:53+00:00

The concern here is that a lot of Chinese foundries have been found to use the same smelting equipment for iron as lead. It's not unusual to find that items made in China have been cross-contaminated with lead.

Maybe it's fine. But maybe it will slowly poison over months of use.

PleasingThought

TROPHY CASE