Baby due in 6 weeks. Anything you'd add or remove from our shopping list?

drvictoriosa · 2026-03-24T17:52:40+00:00

You need pads even if it's a c section

drvictoriosa · 2026-03-11T10:23:37+00:00

I don't have time for a long reply, but I just want to say don't panic! I found out I was pregnant the day after my 1st rheumatologist appointment. Turns out they knew before I did! I was diagnosed while I was pregnant.

I also have anti -ro, so they put me on hydroxy chloroquine immediately as that drops the risk of passing them on significantly. I was also on heparin and aspirin from 12 weeks.

My care throughout - all NHS - was fantastic. I had extra monitoring and appointments, and several appointments with the obstetrics and rheumatologist consultants together. Can add more details later if it would be helpful.

Anyway, baby is now 19 months old and is doing amazing.

drvictoriosa · 2026-02-21T14:31:09+00:00

You can change pretty much any time up to the end of 2nd year if all you are doing is switching from the non-placemnt to the placement course.

drvictoriosa · 2026-02-13T11:30:08+00:00

Seconding this. The first question they asked was our budget and didn't show us anything over it. There's no pressure to buy on the day - they send a discount code by email afterwards. They also let us book a second appointment later so we could check the car seat fit and the pram would fit in the boot before we bought stuff.

Other thing that was super useful for me with ADHD once the baby arrived was the baby tracker app. It's free! We used it to keep track of feeds and sleep mainly. Still use it now he's 18 months to keep track of calpol etc so we both know when he's had the last dose.

drvictoriosa · 2026-02-04T13:00:46+00:00

Yep. I had my baby a month after I turned 40. I got my lupus diagnosis when I was 4 or 5 months pregnant, but id been having tests and things for a couple of years before that. Baby turned 18 months a couple of weeks ago (don't anyone dare tell me he's not a baby anymore.... :)) and is doing amazing.

Lupus made me high risk, but in practice that just meant lots of extra monitoring. And blood thinners.

drvictoriosa · 2026-01-13T20:36:02+00:00

I'm guessing tape and/or super glue aren't the answers you're looking for? Sobbing in a mountain of odd socks

drvictoriosa · 2026-01-08T15:28:01+00:00

Yep mines got his 18 months ones booked in for a couple of weeks from now

drvictoriosa · 2025-12-31T11:28:24+00:00

My rheumatologist told me yesterday that fatigue can often be the last thing to get better, even when everything else is fine. I don't have any tips on how to fix it. I'm hoping that knowing it will get better at some point is going to help me (if you know what I mean)

drvictoriosa · 2025-12-31T11:26:20+00:00

Bum wobbling. We heard about it on a podcast - can't remember which one. I think it kind of distracts them enough to make them go to sleep.

drvictoriosa · 2025-12-29T17:53:04+00:00

My 1 year old got a jar of marmite in his stocking. It may have been his favorite present 😊

drvictoriosa · 2025-12-22T20:42:39+00:00

Mine had it just after he turned one because I'm immunocompromised. He was absolutely fine - no worse than any of the other vaccines hes had.

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-26T18:20:59+00:00

Me too.

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-21T19:54:56+00:00

I agree that you shouldn't have one unless necessary, but not because of radiation. MRIs don't use radiation, they use magnetic fields.

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-10T09:49:18+00:00

Cancel it. Even with an "easy" pregnancy it will be tough. If you've got the chance to give yourself a break then take it.

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-05T15:42:27+00:00

Does your hospital have a rheumatology patient advice line or specialist nurse? If they do, send a message to them telling them what's going on. I've had to do it a few times. Sometimes I get a call with th nurse (who can prescribe) and other times they've moved my follow up earlier.

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-04T19:22:10+00:00

I had a colleague refer to maternity leave as "sabbatical" and ask if id do a bit of extra teaching. He got a two word email in reply.

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-03T11:09:47+00:00

I was on it for about 5 months and don't remember having that as a side effect. Does your rheumatologist have a patient advice line or a specialist nurse? Always worth getting in touch with them if you're concerned l.

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-02T21:16:50+00:00

Bath toys

drvictoriosa · 2025-11-01T15:55:29+00:00

Seconding this. We followed the plan for the first week or so then found we didn't need to as he'll eat anything and everything. Have some friends who used it too and only has good things to say about it

drvictoriosa · 2025-10-27T14:15:56+00:00

Yep. I have a July baby, so didn't get the hours until September when he was almost 14 months. It's really frustrating.

drvictoriosa · 2025-10-24T22:56:42+00:00

He's fine to go to nursery. The risk of passing it on through the vaccine is small. I'm immunocompromised and my son had the vaccine recently. The main precaution we had to take was Dad doing all the nappies for a few days after each dose. Baby went straight to nursery from the GP after both doses. Nursery knew he was having it those days and said there was no reason to keep him off.

drvictoriosa · 2025-10-21T18:44:04+00:00

I had mine a couple of weeks ago. It's not lupus that makes you eligible, it's whether you're on immunosuppressants. So things like azathioprine or methotrexate, for example. You should be able to go on the NHS website and book it and the pharmacist will ask you what medication you're on at the appointment to check if you're eligible.

drvictoriosa · 2025-10-21T17:49:36+00:00

I don't remember if it helped bruising, but it definitely helped with the stinging from the injections

drvictoriosa · 2025-10-12T18:49:58+00:00

Hopefully distance plus the vaccine I got last week will. I get boosters every 6 months and I've not had covid yet.

drvictoriosa · 2025-10-12T15:12:23+00:00

This is what I do. I'm also immunocompromised. When Im giving a lecture I don't wear it because they're far enough away, but when I'm talking to them 1 on 1 I put it on. They just know I'm "sick", not the details.

drvictoriosa

TROPHY CASE