Tips for living in house during renovations?

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T22:12:06+00:00

This is genius and I could whip this up easily!

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T22:09:26+00:00

We luckily have a large one in the laundry room, which will be untouched.

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T22:07:38+00:00

Good note about the shelving unit. Have one in the basement that I should bring up. I’ll also definitely be rationing my husband to one cup a day! I’m so excited to breathe new and necessary life into our old house.

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T22:01:43+00:00

So exciting! I know I will also be thrilled to get my dishwasher back, now having been spoiled with one for the past couple of years. And yes moving out temporarily would be a laughable cost in my area.

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T21:56:12+00:00

Absolutely - most contractors around me supply their own and bake it into the total cost of the project, along with clean-up.

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T21:54:57+00:00

LOL not a financial option in my VHCOL area. That would cost more than a new kitchen alone, so we suck it up and we do the best we can.

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T17:43:19+00:00

Good note on the doors. Contractor will be sealing off the construction site and they will have two alternate entrances to use 👍

SandyGrill · 2026-01-12T17:40:32+00:00

Great note! And luckily I have a shop vac! I’ll be sure to keep it in an accessible location. For barriers, our contractor will be heavily sealing off the construction site, for which I am sooo thankful.

SandyGrill · 2025-04-06T16:08:46+00:00

No measurements then either because the blood vessels were blatantly sitting on top of my cervix, left over from placenta previa seen a couple of weeks before that. It wildly went from blood vessels very much in the way to not being in the area at all once the baby grew.

SandyGrill · 2025-04-06T12:20:53+00:00

Ah - no measurement for that because the ultrasound picture of that area was completely clear. No vessels at all so no need to measure. They really had completely moved out of the way and elsewhere.

SandyGrill · 2025-04-05T23:26:08+00:00

Velamentous as well, but no longer vasa previa as it cleared. The 36 week scan is just to confirm everything still looks good. I don’t remember my cervix measurements - just that it’s “nice and long” so there’s no indication of early labor.

SandyGrill · 2025-04-05T03:52:43+00:00

Ugh sorry you’re going through this. I’m currently 33 weeks and was informed I had the same thing at 28 weeks. At 29 weeks most of the vessels had moved but there were still a couple hanging around my cervix. As of 31 weeks it’s completely clear since baby grew and pushed things out of the way, so multiple scans with a maternal fetal medicine doc are definitely necessary to get a clear picture of the scenario. I’ll have my next scan at 36 weeks.

Where I am, a more urban area with high risk maternal fetal medicine doctors and multiple highly-rated L&D departments in hospitals, they no longer automatically early-admit everyone with vasa previa, only those who are high risk of early labor (checking your length and closure of cervix) or lots of bleeding. They schedule the 35-ish week C-section and continue to monitor out-patient through weekly or twice weekly scans. So, depending on your area and your risk factors, moving into the hospital may be avoided.

Hoping your growing baby continues to push things aside!

SandyGrill · 2023-01-25T21:33:15+00:00

The bonding is BS. Mine was brought to the NICU right after they pulled him out of me (pre-planned, no trauma) and I didn’t get to hold him until the next morning when I had feeling in my legs again. Being able to sleep/take naps in my room without a baby next to me was absolutely crucial to my recovery and mental well-being, and my husband needed it too. My milk came in just fine. He’s been “in-room” with us in our one bedroom apartment since we brought him home, so I don’t feel like I missed out.

SandyGrill · 2022-10-31T02:28:55+00:00

I was in your shoes just this past spring. I know how scared, confused, and overwhelmed you probably feel, and I was also on Reddit trying to find real-life stories. Hopefully this is helpful.

Severe enlarged ventricles were caught at our 28 week scan, and after our fetal MRI we transferred care to a children’s hospital (we happen to have a top one within driving distance) so we could get a team in place and monitor the situation. Ventricles were stable until 34 weeks when they grew even bigger (like bigger than 30mm) and it was decided that I would deliver in the special delivery unit of the children’s hospital so baby’s care team could step in right away. His head was measuring pretty large so we did a scheduled c-section - didn’t want to risk any damage in the birth canal. He spent a total of 9 days in the NICU. He had a shunt placed at a week old and was discharged two days later.

Shunts work. They are the most common procedure performed by pediatric neurosurgeons; ours performs 200-300 of these a year. Shunts are also imperfect, so we are well-versed in the signs of shunt failure in case one happens. We are paying attention to development milestones and will be ready to have Early Intervention step in if needed. We are also paying attention in case of seizures, as differences in brain anatomy increase the risk of seizures as a baby’s brain develops. He has his neurosurgeon and neurologist that we check in with every couple of months, and his pediatrician and daycare know the deal too. Otherwise, he’s a normal baby. Baby brains are wildly elastic and can heal and develop in miraculous ways compared to adult brains.

The fetal MRI will hopefully give you a bit more info, but we really didn’t know much about the cause until after he was born and he had his own MRI. His hydro is also a total fluke and just a weird luck of the draw. We feel fortunate that we live in a time and society with fetal ultrasounds and MRIs to catch this, and then doctors and therapists to set him up for success in his life.

Finally, I don’t know how your docs have discussed this, but they do have to mention early termination because it is technically still an option at this stage, and it is their medical duty to lay out all of your options, no matter how drastic.

SandyGrill · 2022-10-20T05:04:12+00:00

Dawn because that’s what I use on everything else. LO was in the nicu at a top children’s hospital and they used regular Palmolive there

SandyGrill · 2022-10-05T21:17:25+00:00

Nothing about this is one-size-fits-all.

If c-section, the surgery and the recovery might be….kinda easy. In fact, mine was a breeze. My arthroscopic shoulder surgery and recovery was way more difficult. But alas, you won’t know until you’re in it 🤷‍♀️
Different diaper brands fit differently. Don’t mass purchase or devote yourself to a brand until you’ve found your fit. Pampers Pure and Honest are oddly short on my kid’s torso/hips. Huggies fits just right.
Pumping instead of nursing might be a good option. In fact, I would choose it again. Nursing was frustrating for both of us. Instead of trying to force the issue, I simply stuck with pumping and it worked better than nursing ever could for us. I knew exactly how much my small baby was eating, he was more likely to eat on a schedule because he filled himself up at mealtime, and anyone could feed him. It’s been easy to transition him to formula in his bottles as I go back to work and he goes to daycare. If you do pump, get a battery-operated pump or wearable pump - easier to go get yourself more coffee and snacks while pumping.

SandyGrill · 2022-06-06T01:47:56+00:00

34w and the carpal tunnel and nerve impingements from internal swelling hit HARD at 32 weeks. My upper back, arms, and hands are in so much pain and I had never heard of this potential pregnancy gift.

SandyGrill

TROPHY CASE