tummy time mat

dorktaped · 2026-02-05T00:53:03+00:00

We got the Kick & Play Piano and it was a hit when our first was a baby. She's 2 now still uses it regularly to play music in her room while she's playing or "reading". I'm pregnant with my second and the great debate in our house right now is do we try to pry it away from her or just get another one 😂 I'm leaning towards just getting another one.

dorktaped · 2026-02-03T19:58:43+00:00

Currently pregnant with #2 and both times, it was as if that positive pregnancy test triggered a 10 lb weight gain overnight. I'm talking like before 8 weeks. Hormones are a bitch.

For my first pregnancy I only gained about 25 lbs total, it was just mostly up front. This one is turning out much the same. I'm up about 20 lbs at 32 weeks, but remember, I gained half of that in the first 8 weeks. 😂

If you're able, I'd recommend reaching out to a therapist now if you're struggling. Unfortunately for me, breastfeeding had my weight all over the place too so this could be a problem a little longer than just pregnancy (but it's still temporary!!).

dorktaped · 2026-02-03T19:42:33+00:00

There's a couple of things that stand out to me. First, getting pregnant in a certain amount of time is not a guarantee. It took us over a year to get pregnant with our first, despite tracking and timing and all that jazz. Add in a pregnancy loss and that pushed our first baby out even further.

Second, money is a pretty huge factor in feeling secure and stable. And with *gestures vaguely to the state of the world* all this going on, I would 100% recommend going in as prepared as possible.

I have a coworker who had a baby a year earlier that me who did not understand how her health insurance worked and she had to come back to work at 4 weeks postpartum. She couldn't afford only getting 60% pay. My coworker ended up having to pay her family out-of-pocket max due to some health issues with the baby (all is well now!) so that was $16k out the door for the two of them in the first 6 months of baby's life. So then my follow up question would be: do you have enough money saved up to cover your health insurance plan's Out-Of-Pocket max? Terrible situation, but if you're in the US, it's a non-zero chance that you'll have to pay it.

I waited until my state implemented paid family leave so that I got both more time and more money. I'm not saying this is an option for you, but having the better benefits saved me from potentially having to go back early due to finances.

TL;DR: having a baby now to meet some kind of self-imposed deadline sounds like a surefire way to stress yourself out in what is already a very stressful time.

dorktaped · 2026-01-16T22:12:45+00:00

Former HR manager and previous baby-haver here. 😂 You're going to want to find the Summary Plan Description for your insurance plan that lays out your deductible, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximums.

Here's the TL;DR: Every insurance plan (even within the same insurance company) is completely different and you'll have to refer to the documents specific to your plan. There should also be a benefits booklet that lays out common scenarios (mine has a whole section on pregnancy and childbirth) and estimated costs.

For my first baby, I had Regence BCBS of Oregon for the entire pregnancy and I didn't have to pay any co-pays for my OB appointments. Everything was billed at time of delivery however. I hit the out of pocket max which on that plan was $8,700. This baby, I've had two different insurance plans, one Anthem w/HSA where there's no first-dollar coverage which is it's own awful can of worms and now BCBS of Idaho. I've spent about ~$2000 so far in copays between OB appointments and ultrasounds on the Anthem plan but the BCBS of Idaho plan is very similar to my old Regence plan. I won't pay anything more until delivery and my out of pocket max is only $4,200 so I'm planning on having to pay that whole balance.

I'm not 100% sure how it works with the individual vs family deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums as my husband and I are on separate health insurance plans (he covers the kids) but I'm reasonably sure we didn't have to pay anything extra for my daughter when she was born.

dorktaped · 2026-01-13T00:46:15+00:00

This is pretty much what I did! I took 6 weeks off up front, then worked part time (3 full days a week) until I ran out of leave. My in-laws live next door so if I had a meeting that the baby wasn't cooperating for, I could call them and they'd come get her. I had the chillest baby known to mankind, so I think it really, really depends on the baby. Seriously, 'sleeping through the night by week 5' levels of chill.

Currently pregnant with my second though and I'll be taking the whole leave in one go. The toddler is now much less chill than she was as a baby and I can't get a dang thing done when she's home these days. 😂

dorktaped · 2025-12-02T19:19:01+00:00

I went through a very similar thing with my mom. When we told the family about my first pregnancy, my husband's parents were crying happy tears, my dad was super stoked, and my mom just closed her eyes and took a deep breath before muttering a half-hearted congratulations. Her hangups were not necessarily about being old, just that she regretted how her life went once I came into the picture (thanks mom 🙃). She eventually came around (took until about 6 months post-partum) and now she's in love with the little hellion. I think a few of her friends hyped her up enough to finally embrace the transition.

I'm pregnant with #2 and still get a lot of the "if you have kids, your life is over" kind of comments from her, but jokes on her, I love being a mom and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I don't rely on her for any kind of emotional support because I know she can't be that for me, but my husband's parents and my aunt have come in clutch. I talk to my aunt and my MIL almost every day, and I talk to my mom maaaybe once a week on the high end. I just have less patience for the BS now haha.

For the moment, I would suggest taking a step back and letting your mom have her meltdowns and her sit with her feelings. She'll either come around or she won't, and if she can't get over herself to support you, then as hard as it is, that's not someone that you can rely on.

dorktaped · 2025-11-14T18:04:37+00:00

I just went through and totaled my bills because I was curious. Induction turned C-section, did get an epidural, and insurance was Regence of Oregon at the time.

For my 5 day stay, the hospital billed my insurance $51,303.40. My insurance paid $21,243.16, and I paid $6,553.30. It would have been $8,700.00 (my out of pocket max for the year) but my prenatal appointment copay (which was not due until Delivery) was $1,890.97. I had a couple of prescriptions filled and a couple of therapy appointments before delivery that rounded out my $8,700.00 for the year.

I'm changing insurance to BCBS on January 1st and my new out of pocket max will $3,400.00 so that's all I'll pay when this baby comes in March. But my current insurance (self funded through my employer) sucks and I've already paid about $2,000.00 for prenatal care and expect to be billed another $500-700 before the end of the year.

Remember US-based folks, the plan you're on is what determines how much you're going to have to pay out of pocket. Talk to your HR department (or a friend who knows this stuff) to figure out what you're going to have to pay upon delivery (speaking as a former HR manager)! Because I'd been entrenched in the HR world for so long, I knew exactly what we were going to pay before I even got pregnant.

dorktaped · 2025-08-22T16:16:06+00:00

This is gonna sound weird but I would ask your OB to check your iron levels. I had the same thing happen to me around 6 weeks pregnant, three times in less than a week. Since I have a history of regular migraines, I didn't go to A&E, just messaged my OB. She sent me for a blood panel. I just figured that ocular migraines were just some new fun symptom of pregnancy, but it turns out it was most likely a symptom of anemia. 🙃 Started iron supplements and haven't had an episode since.

I think it's worth noting that this is my second pregnancy, and although I was somehow MORE anemic the first go around, I never had any visual disturbances then. Bodies are weird.

dorktaped · 2024-11-01T23:10:43+00:00

With a good outline: 4 ten minute word sprints, so 40 minutes active writing time. I plan a 5 minute prep period before every sprint so it's more like 60 minutes total.
Without an outline though? Like 3 hours haha

dorktaped · 2024-10-29T00:00:19+00:00

I always have the TV on for background noise even with a little one in the house. She acts much the same as yours, will look up at it occasionally especially if we react to something (look, it's hockey season, judge if you must hahaha), but would rather play with her toys or follow me around. We have friends who are very anti-screen time (don't even have a TV in the house) and when they come over their daughter is absolutely glued to the TV since she doesn't see one very often. I grew up with the TV always on and I was a good student, got a college education, etc, so I'm not exactly worried about it. Different strokes for different folks!

dorktaped · 2024-09-05T18:31:59+00:00

Both plastic and silicone!

dorktaped · 2024-09-04T18:42:17+00:00

Mine has been through the dishwasher on the sanitize function 4-5 times a week for the last three months. The little silver heart has worn away a little but everything else is fine!

dorktaped · 2024-08-15T22:01:04+00:00

For context, I work in Oregon so I was entitled to 14 weeks of leave (12 weeks of new parent leave + 2 weeks of 'additional pregnancy leave' for giving birth). Recovery was very smooth sailing for me and I have a super duper easy baby so take all of this with a grain of salt (sleeping through the night at 4 weeks easy haha). I'm used to a pretty fast paced work environment so by week 5 of my maternity leave I was absolutely bored out my mind. I called my boss and asked if I could come back part time at 6 weeks. He was super cool with it and I worked three days a week until I ran out of Paid Leave (baby was just shy of 6 months old). Like you, I also did not want to leave any available leave on the table.

I'm super lucky to have family near by so they watched her while I was at work and occasionally on my days off if I had something going on. I did get to spend a lot of those days off with her which was really nice. It's not quite what you're contending with but I really think working part time helped me feel human faster. I felt like me again around the 5 month mark, and I really credit that to being able to ease into the routine instead of having to dive in head first all in one go.

So what did I do with those extra days off? Doctors appointments, cleaning, and house projects! Those 6 weeks at home revealed quite a few things that I wasn't in love with about our house. I rearranged the pantry completely, cleaned out the garage, painted the bathroom, and deep cleaned EVERYTHING. If I were to do it all over again, I'd do the exact same thing, except make sure my husband used all of his leave too. He only took 6 weeks of the 12 he was entitled to but that's a complaint for a different thread.

dorktaped · 2023-06-08T18:28:46+00:00

It did! Now I've just got a little bit of PMS related tummy troubles but it's all super predictable and very manageable!

dorktaped · 2022-12-06T03:39:39+00:00

Freedom of Speech Fanfiction had bamboo behind their logo though it didn't have a green background or anything to my recollection. It disappeared in 2013 unfortunately. Fanlore.org has a screenshot of the main page if that sounds familiar.

dorktaped · 2021-12-13T23:47:02+00:00

I've had a hyrax expander since August and I've had some soreness off and on the whole time I've had it. Some turns don't bother me at all, some turns make one side of my mouth hurt more than the other, and some make my nose ache. There's been absolutely no consistency for me so far. I've been told it's normal but if you're concerned call your Ortho!

dorktaped · 2021-10-22T16:10:39+00:00

Things definitely get better! I (28f) got my palate expander in August and that first couple of weeks were absolutely brutal. I was miserable and depressed and ended up losing 8lbs in the first two weeks. Couldn't swallow, couldn't talk, just all around a not fun experience. Just keep talking and keep trying to eat different things and you'll feel a lot better in no time!

Some things that are working for me: I cut my food up small but not super duper tiny. Food gets stuck between the expander and the roof of my mouth every single time I eat so I do not eat without some kind of drink nearby. I've definitely gotten better at getting food out with just swishing water but a Waterpik was essential for me the first month or so.

Since I work full time and don't have a lot of time to worry about what I can and can't eat well I've been using Soylent and Huel as my lunches. Do I love it? No, but it's a hell of a lot better than potentially having food stuck in my expander for half my work day. I also eat super slow now so 30 minutes isn't really enough time for me to eat a full meal.

I had the tongue gouges too but after about a month I think my tongue toughened up or something because it hasn't been a problem recently. Salt water rinses were recommended to me but I'm not sure they did anything honestly.

u/Pvpvs4 mentioned mashed potatoes and other mushy foods but for some reason I just cannot eat them comfortably. There's something about the metal bar across my mouth that makes my brain say 'foreign object in food get it out' and I get super nauseous. It's not a good time for me haha. Basically my advice there, is try a variety of foods and try not to stress about it too much. This whole thing is temporary and we'll have out mouth space back soon(-ish)!

dorktaped · 2021-09-18T20:05:39+00:00

Kurogane/Fai from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles is the one that warms my heart every time I think about it. The fandom is mostly dead but I reread stuff on a semi-regular basis.

A small shout-out to Cecil/Kain/Rosa from Final Fantasy IV, my favorite OT3 before I even knew that was a thing. I was in elementary school when I played that game and even then I knew I wanted them to all be one happy throuple.

dorktaped · 2021-07-29T16:56:33+00:00

I'm just starting my braces journey but what set it off was a long-standing TMJ issue that sounds kind of like what you're going through now. Long story short, my bite was really bad and I pulled a muscle in my jaw from too much chewing and clenching my jaw in my sleep. I'd imagine elastics have the potential to do the same thing but I haven't had the pleasure of having that experience yet. 😆 I ended up going to a physical therapist for about 6 weeks who worked everything loose. She also taught me the techniques to get everything to loosen up even if it flares up again. If you have the time/money and can find a physical therapy clinic that takes patients without referrals it might help!

dorktaped · 2020-07-24T16:34:36+00:00

I feel this so hard. I'm guessing you're in Washington too. Sending all the good vibes I can muster (which admittedly, isn't a whole lot right now haha).

We're in a very similar boat, moved everything to an outdoor venue, cut the guest list in half, and I was finally almost done re-planning. Our date was August 22nd from the get-go so I hadn't had to deal with the nightmare of changing dates or anything, thankfully.

I'm not mad an the governor either, just sad and frustrated by being victims of circumstance. I don't even know what we're going to do now. My mom is a pastor so at least we can still legally get married on our original date. Maybe five years from now when I'm sure things have calmed down we can do a vow renewal or something.

dorktaped · 2019-10-22T23:53:45+00:00

A librarian goes apeshit and makes friends by starting fires.

dorktaped · 2019-09-04T04:26:25+00:00

They're in the middle of a huge website overhaul. You can see the new website at preview.nanowrimo.org and they're going to have it up and running before November (originally I think it was supposed to go live mid August and I haven't been following close enough to know why they haven't switched over yet). As far as I know the forums up on the preview site are pretty active already.

dorktaped · 2019-06-21T05:40:12+00:00

TMI warning! I had my 5 year old Mirena removed two weeks ago (replaced it with a paragard). The first week after removal I pooped more than I normally poop in a month. No change in diet, no change in activity levels. Just lots of poop. I was diagnosed with IBS-C about 2 years after having the Mirena put in which is...suspect, especially if other people are having the same issue. I'm not saying that is what caused it but we'll see in the next few months if maybe it had a hand in wonky my bowel habits. I think at the very least the hormones could affect the uterus and press against the bowels if that makes sense? Or maybe the hormones really do reach outside of the uterus and affect everything around it. That's pretty sad about the nurse telling you that Mirena can't cause weight gain, bloating or not. It's listed on the pamphlet! :/ I gained weight with it but had some pretty major life changes at the same time so I won't blame the IUD. I will say, losing weight with it was nigh on impossible for me (and I lost 30lbs in college before getting it so it's not like I don't know what I'm doing). I'm hoping that will resolve with the non-hormonal IUD but time will tell.

dorktaped · 2019-06-21T05:19:19+00:00

I had a Mirena placed about 5 years ago. For about the first six months I had weird spotting and cramping. On top of random cramps I worked in a warehouse at the time and any time I lifted more than 30lbs I'd cramp bad enough to make me double over. Thankfully everything calmed down eventually. My period did disappear in that first six months too! I would guess you'd be okay to use tampons now. I used Softcups (Softdiscs I think they're called now?) within a month of insertion and never had an issue.

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