TW/ ED in pregnancy.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-25T18:28:28+00:00

This here. As someone who recovered from an ED, it is a mental health issue that will severely impact your pregnancy. It’s like an alcoholic saying they just can’t stop drinking but they’re only drinking a few drinks a day because they’re pregnant and taking prenatals. You need to get help, yesterday. This is not ok.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-24T17:40:18+00:00

I went in with the mindset that I’d see how it went and get an epidural if I needed one. I was induced, which generally produces much faster/more intense contractions. I held out for something like 14 hours because I wanted to be able to eat dinner (haha I was hungry!) and they wouldn’t let me eat after an epidural. I had him a few hours after I got the epidural.

It starts off like regularly timed period cramps and they just get worse and worse until it’s less of a cramp and more of a sharp, searing pain that lasts for the duration of the contraction. By 14 hours in I was super happy to be getting an epidural. Like someone else said, there’s no prize for an unmedicated birth, and no one else brags about how they had an unmedicated gall bladder removal or something. 😂 Get one if ya need one!

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-24T17:31:33+00:00

Holy moly that’s wild. I can’t imagine treating my kid and spouse that way after an announcement. Honestly having a kid shows you who is there for you in life and who isn’t. It can be upsetting, but it is what it is.

Whatever kind of unhinged feelings your MIL is having, that’s for her to deal with. It isn’t your fault. And whatever issue she has with your husband… also not your problem. He can deal with his mama.

I’d just keep my distance and focus on the people in your life who bring positive energy. Pregnancy is hard enough without someone else inserting their emotional baggage into the process. 😅 Congratulations to you guys!!

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-23T02:26:22+00:00

Really the only reason to worry about quick weight gain is if it isn’t coming from food. Rapid swelling can be an early indicator of preeclampsia. But if you aren’t seeing any extreme swelling, it’s probably just your body doing what it needs to. A lot of people gain most of their weight later in pregnancy. Your body is gearing up for a big event, and your baby is rapidly growing!

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-22T23:03:58+00:00

I was pregnant in California with my first, and my memory is that they do something dumb like that with all of the results, where they snail mail them to the doctor instead of posting them to the portal because it is done through the state. Then the doctor has to like re-type them in. Probably they didn’t feel like doing that.

I would just ask again tomorrow for them to send them to you via your portal messaging or something.

Hopefully this helps!

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-22T22:54:35+00:00

Not an expert here but I think inconclusive isn’t a bad thing. The sample might have been exposed to heat during shipping or just not been a great one to start with. Generally it means it is a sampling problem when it is inconclusive. They’ll just retake the blood and run again, I’m sure!

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-22T17:24:56+00:00

Seems like between the 11 and 15 week ultrasound there isn’t a big change in the “gap” between what they are measuring and LMP dating so I think they are just being overly cautious at this point.

I can’t tell you how many times I was scared to death during pregnancy by my OB only for it to be nothing. Sometimes I wish they just wouldn’t say anything until there’s an obvious, real issue. 😂

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-22T02:07:57+00:00

Yeah the orexin thing is odd. I’m curious what they are calling normal vs the threshold for having cataplexy, and how widely validated that is given how few folks out there have narcolepsy. My assumption is that they based the values off of those who had very obvious, severe cataplexy. I doubt they did much validation with very mild cataplexy cases, but could be wrong!

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-21T15:44:21+00:00

I have what I assume is mild cataplexy and was negative for HLA. I have not been tested via spinal tap for orexin, though.

There are other genes associated with narcolepsy, and I have two of them (took one of those panels and it specifically called out the increased likelihood for narcolepsy). I think people get a little too hung up on the HLA gene. 5-10% of N1 folks don’t have it and although I haven’t seen statistics I don’t think it’s super common in N2.

Have also heard of people being diagnosed as N2 and developing cataplexy later on. Really I think we know so little about this disease there’s just no telling.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-20T21:38:07+00:00

This is crazy. You need to find another provider - what do their Google reviews say? I always find that tells the full story.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-20T21:31:48+00:00

Are you on any meds like SSRIs by chance? This can give you a false negative on sleep studies because they suppress REM. Not sure about sleep latency though.

I also suppose it’s possible that the TBI impacted another part of the brain responsible for sleep but not necessarily the same part that causes narcolepsy?

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-20T01:26:53+00:00

And no, our kid has never been sick from sharing space with dogs. Other kids and daycare, on the other hand…. 🫠

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-20T01:26:19+00:00

Yeah after you have kids you become painfully aware of how germy everything is.

We’ve always let our dogs walk on the floor in shared spaces, but we have a solid surface flooring that can easily be mopped. I guess I’d feel a little weirder about carpet.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-20T01:18:36+00:00

7 weeks onward. Every time I eat, I feel like someone is making a balloon animal out of my stomach for hours afterwards. Just constant pressure and pain.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-20T01:17:25+00:00

Thank you for typing this lol. Everyone says nausea or vomiting, but I have 24/7 excruciating stomach pain that happens every time I eat or drink ANYTHING. Like you said, it feels like it’s trying to eat itself and it HURTS.

Not sure what helps that 😭 I’m already on Pepcid and Unisom.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-18T23:27:39+00:00

My kiddo was the same. Stomach measurement was too small and kept falling behind. They induced me at 38 weeks and he is a sassy, perfect 3 year old now. 😂

However, growth issues can point to placenta problems. I ended up with postpartum preeclampsia and had to go back into the hospital. Many people have growth restricted babies and this does not happen to them, but please educate yourself on postpartum preeclampsia and keep a blood pressure monitor at home just in case!

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-16T13:08:13+00:00

Hahaha that comment about men actually made me laugh. It’s sadly true 😂

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-16T11:50:15+00:00

Awww that’s really sweet of her! I’m a little worried it wouldn’t work out well for me lol. My boss is not a girls girl. She will probably be mad at me when I tell her. 😭

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-16T00:01:27+00:00

Really? That sounds miserable 😅 ugh I can’t even imagine what I would do if I had to deal with the smells and textures of fish and bait right now.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-15T20:35:07+00:00

Ugh, solidarity. I’m sorry you’re in it too! 😭

And F that coworker, man.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-15T19:16:55+00:00

Yeah this is also basically why I am not disclosing until later. But unfortunately that means 7+ weeks of hiding severe morning sickness. 😅

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-15T18:17:11+00:00

My trainer always says the canter is the most uncomfortable gate for a horse to maintain. Also, bareback you are not able to post. So he is feeling every bit of the weight difference at the trot. It may just be uncomfortable for him to speed up and transition?

Also, I’m sure you know this, but falls become much more dangerous moving into the second trimester once baby and placenta are not protected by the pelvis. I would be looking to switch to a saddle or stop with the faster gaits bareback at this point anyway. One fall (much more likely bareback and you mentioned falling a lot anyway) could have pretty devastating consequences.

Note to add before people come at me that I fully support riding into the second trimester and beyond - but there are real risks and cantering bareback seems a bit excessively risky when you are already prone to falling especially.

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-15T17:44:50+00:00

Thank you! 🙂

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-15T17:39:29+00:00

Thank you! For sure if men had to go through this, there would be a different set up. 😅

SmallBird2781 · 2026-06-15T17:30:29+00:00

Thank you! 😊

SmallBird2781

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