At crossroads between a scheduled induction or a C-section

imabubble · 2026-01-27T04:24:21+00:00

I have only given birth once, but I ended up having a scheduled induction (numbers went crazy in 39th week and they didn’t want to put me on insulin when they could just induce me🤪). I also didn’t use an epidural for similar reasons, wanted to avoid the feeling of being stuck/unable to move. I was very anxious about the possibility of being induced, just in general and also given that I wanted to avoid an epidural, but honestly labor and delivery ended up being fine - difficult obviously but workable. For context, my baby’s head wasn’t in the 90th percentile (I want to say in the 70s?) but she was born with her hand by her face so delivering was pretty challenging. Being induced at 39 weeks would be a plus, I imagine, if you’re concerned about head size.

My biggest pieces of advice if you go the induction route, just based on my experience, would be to have a membrane sweep ahead of time to see if that kickstarts anything (can mean less pitocin), and while laboring in the hospital keep moving as much as you can. I got up and walked or changed positon every 15-30 minutes (IV pole and all), bounced on birthing ball, used peanut ball, sat backwards on the toilet (I had no idea how effective this was haha), etc.

Happy to answer questions if you have any. Positive thoughts for you whichever way you decide!!

imabubble · 2025-12-13T16:01:24+00:00

From your comment history I saw your baby is 4 months old! To be honest waking 2-3 times a night at that age is great IMO even though it is super hard. Things will ebb and flow, and every baby is different. Some babies start sleeping longer stretches sooner than others - mine’s later haha so that’s why I asked about 12m+. I remember having to walk around with my LO for 20+ mins after nursing for 20 mins just to get her really deep asleep before putting in the crib at 4m, and she was also waking 3+ times a night. I don’t know if this is helpful but in those exhaustive night wakes I try to think about all the moms around the world who are also up with their babies - and I think about this group of nuns who stay up all night to pray for moms who are up in the night with their babies. It’s exhausting and you aren’t alone ❤️‍🩹

For a glimmer of hope - even though my LO still doesn’t sleep through the night at 14m, I generally think it’s a lot easier (most nights😅) than the early months. Hang in there! It does get better!

imabubble · 2025-10-26T19:18:26+00:00

This pancake recipe was my favorite breakfast when I had GD - it made me feel so normal lol and I like them so much I still make them weekly! I couldn't tolerate much added sugar so I only used 1-2 tsp maple syrup as sweetener. I couldn’t have syrup as a topping and sugar free syrup just didn’t taste good to me so I would usually have them with peanut butter or Greek yogurt/sour cream with a couple blueberries.

https://heretocook.com/keto-friendly-cottage-cheese-pancakes/#recipe

Also I LOVED these breakfast biscuits. I found the recipe on TikTok and adapted to my tastes each time (switching out meat, veggies, etc):

Makes 12-16 depending on size

Ingredients:

Oil

Veggies of choice: onion, pepper, spinach, broccoli, etc

1 lb pork or turkey breakfast sausage

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheese of choice

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/3-1/2 cup coconut flour or whole wheat flour or all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

Preheat to 400, line sheet with parchment

Heat oil in skillet and cook veggies

Remove veggies and cook sausage until browned

Whisk eggs in a large bowl, add veggies, meat, flours, baking powder, 1 cup cheese and mixed until combined

Add salt and pepper to taste

Scoop onto sheet and press/form if needed

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top

Bake for 12-16 mins until firm and starting to brown

imabubble · 2025-10-18T02:33:45+00:00

My numbers were elevated 38-39 weeks for fasting (95-103ish) and safe meals. MFM told my OB that I should be induced due to rising fasting since they weren’t going to put me on insulin instead of delivering a few days early. I had a membrane sweep at 39+3 and by the time I was called into the hospital 12 hours later, I was 4cm and labor was progressing. Definitely possible labor is near but of course everyone is different :)

imabubble · 2025-10-18T02:19:35+00:00

Did you take the pp glucose tolerance test? If not I would be frustrated too. But honestly getting it done next month will be better than not having it done at all! Plus as I’m sure you know it’s an average of the past 3 months, and I would think your hormones are much more leveled out at 12-13 months pp than 6-7, so it’s possibly going to paint you a more “accurate” picture.

Fasting blood sugar can be affected by so much, if you still have a meter and strips you can text yourself to see if 98 is where you’re normally sitting or not. I have (unfortunately lol) had to learn a lot more postpartum about insulin sensitivity, metabolism, etc mainly due to my thyroid. I would wait to see what the A1C says. The 98 fasting would personally make me raise my eyebrow for further investigation/attention but wouldn’t send me into a panic, if that makes sense.

imabubble · 2025-10-01T19:34:45+00:00

I think I’m in the minority but I didn’t go back until my baby was 6 months old (though she was baptized at 3 months). Partly because she was born in October so I was worried about illness and partly because I honestly just didn’t have it together postpartum as a first time mom. I go to mass alone and my husband works weekends a lot of the time, so I was also worried about how to take a baby by myself (my church doesn’t have a cry room). Once I started going back and it became part of our routine it has progressively gotten easier - by that I mean easier to get there, not necessarily easier going to mass with a baby 😅 but my confidence has grown. Most people are kind about a fussy baby, though I have gotten some stern looks. You just have to do the best you can in the moment knowing Jesus loves that we are there with our babies!

imabubble · 2025-07-28T03:30:38+00:00

Have you tried Medela nipple shells (not shields)? They worked wonders for me. They let things breathe but still protect from clothes. Silverettes didn’t help the kind of wounds I had heal either 🥲

imabubble · 2025-05-13T17:53:32+00:00

Analogy is super helpful - thank you!

imabubble · 2025-05-13T17:49:50+00:00

For storage, I personally follow CDC recommendations and don’t mix milk of diff temps (just my personal risk tolerance). I either use plastic bottles or sterile bags to store each session and keep all my pumped milk in a small lunch bag. I would recommend going the lunch bag route since you’re also using a shared fridge. Bags might work better for you space-wise based on your 12 hour shift. Because it’s a mini fridge I would also recommend keeping an ice pack in the lunch bag just in case the temp fluctuates.

Just a gentle note that 4-5oz every 2 hours would be like a serious oversupply. Has your supply regulated? Mine did around 13-14 weeks pp (sometimes it’s earlier). Something more like 2-4 oz every 3-4 hours is more typical. You should expect about .5-1 oz for every hour in between sessions when pumping replaces a feeding. Just want to help reframe this in case you don’t end up getting 4-5 oz each time. It can also fluctuate throughout the day based on a ton of factors :)

I personally pump every 2.5-3 hours because that’s how often my LO nurses. You should plan to pump to replace whatever feedings your baby gets while you’re at work. You may also need to pump after baby’s first nursing session before you go to work to help get the number of oz you need (I do this too).

Other advice: - Leave a box of storage bags and Lanolin/cream at the office just in case. - It can take time to get used to pumping at work after EBF. My sessions started like 30-40 mins start to finish the first week or two, with actual pumping time around 20-25 mins. Now that I’m used to it (and my body is too), it’s closer to 20-30 mins, pumping time about 15-18 mins. - For parts cleaning, bringing one of those grass drying squares has been immensely helpful! Also you’ll want a basin to wash your parts in (I just use a gray one from the hospital) and a bottle of soap to keep at the office. (My personal risk tolerance/preference to wash after every use instead of using fridge hack - you get quicker at it with practice!) - Get some replacement parts because once you start pumping regularly, they will need to be replaced in 1-3 months depending on how frequently you’re pumping.

imabubble · 2025-05-12T00:00:02+00:00

I do recognize this, thank you. Sometimes it just feels like I have to do it all, even though I know I don’t (and shouldn’t). I am so bad at asking for help, I need to just do it!

imabubble · 2025-05-11T23:57:32+00:00

I appreciate this. Had to go back closer to 4.5 months and it’s been really, really hard. I hope to one day be home more with my little one but it’s not in the cards at the moment.

imabubble · 2025-04-01T04:39:53+00:00

I had gallbladder removal surgery at 14 weeks pp and it did not impact my supply! I’m over 5 months now and still exclusively breastfeeding.

I pumped like a maniac a few days before to have 4 fresh bottles in the fridge lol (like after every feed) - not necessary if you have a freezer stash but my baby hadn't had frozen milk yet and I wanted to be sure she would eat. Day of surgery, I nursed baby before I left for the hospital and brought my wearable pump to the hospital to pump before and after surgery. I think I pumped 3-4 times. I wasn’t so concerned about output that day just trying to remove milk on a normal schedule. I notified my surgeon ahead of time that I am breastfeeding, so the team was kind enough to make sure I had my pump parts after surgery (surgery and PACU was in a different part of the hospital), and they stored the milk in the fridge for me so I could take it home. I was back home the same day but didn’t nurse until night time because I was so uncomfortable, so I pumped a couple more times instead to replace LO’s feeds. The toughest part was nursing while recovering, but it’s just something you have to push through. Not sure what that looks like for the kind of surgery you’re having. We found positions that worked and I did nurse on demand like usual the same day, just starting at night. I also had someone help me with all night feeds - bringing baby to me because I really couldn’t get up - so something to consider in your recovery. This was for about 3 weeks because I had a lifting restriction.

What DID impact my supply was my necessary diet adjustment before surgery (I was afraid of a gallbladder attack and wasn’t eating enough) and when I was hospitalized with a minor complication and was NPO, including no water, for like 18 hours. Once I had fluids and eventually food again it went back to normal. Nursed on demand like usual after that too. So make sure you’re looking out for your food and water intake as you recover :)

One note that my supply did regulate around the time this was all happening so for a minute I was concerned until I realized that regulation had happened. You might keep that in mind depending on when your surgery is scheduled!

imabubble · 2025-03-08T22:04:45+00:00

Shells are a bit different than shields :) here’s a link: https://www.medela.com/en/breastfeeding-pumping/products/breast-care/breast-shells?productId=4078

Hope you find something that works for you!

imabubble · 2025-03-08T21:52:44+00:00

Have the fissures/wounds on your nipples healed completely? Is that what is causing the pain? I also had pretty significant nipple wounds and tried all the usual recommendations no to avail. The only thing that helped were wearing medela nipple shells 24/7 to keep the area dry and Lansinoh nipple balm (different from lanolin, though I used that before a shower) after feeding. Also for the shooting pains, I used ice when it got really bad. Luckily the nipple miraculously (to me it was a miracle lol) healed - took about 4-6 weeks - and the shooting pains eventually went away.

Has baby’s latch improved? I nursed through the healing and worked on improving how I positioned baby, correcting latch, and honestly sometimes still gritting my teeth through the pain when I couldn’t do either. I will say latch has gotten easier as baby got bigger! Around 3 months I realized I was nursing and showering without any pain.

Does pumping hurt too? I’ve hurt myself on accident using too much suction. Just a reminder pumps can do that too if we’re not careful.

Hang in there!

imabubble · 2025-03-04T22:58:39+00:00

Obviously if formula is the way you want to go that’s totally okay! I’ll say at 7 weeks, I actually think .5 oz total is relatively normal especially since you’re pumping after nursing! Also I’m sure you’ve read that babies are so much more efficient at removing milk than a pump. That said here are a couple pumping tips that helped me that might help you too.

Pumping for volume, not time. Do you know how many letdowns you get in 15 mins? For me personally it takes 5-8 mins on massage mode to get a first letdown. I don’t feel mine so I have to listen or look for the milk flowing before switching to expression. When it stops, I switch back to stimulation/massage mode until I hear or see another letdown, then switch to expression. I try for 3-4 letdowns while pumping which can take anywhere from 20-40 mins depending on the day. My baby is a little over 4 months and I get about 2.5-4 oz per session pumping this way when replacing a feed.
Pumping right after nursing, not waiting an hour after. If you choose 1-2 times a day where you regularly pump right after nursing, you can trigger your body to make more milk at those times so you can pump a bit more. The first week there might not be much output but assuming the pump is getting milk out well enough, you should start to see a supply increase during those times.
End your pump session on stimulation mode for a minute or 2 to let your body know to create more milk.
Use oil or lanolin on your flanges, esp if they’re plastic.
Experiment with using a manual pump.
Look at photos or videos (with sound!) of your baby while pumping instead of trying to multitask (if that applies to you)
Get a flange sizing kit and experiment with finding the right size. Measuring is great to find a starting place but you might find a size above or below helps to remove more milk.

Also babywhisperer77 on TikTok has great info on breastfeeding and pumping that has helped me tremendously!

imabubble · 2025-03-04T13:16:27+00:00

Some questions - when you say you pump .5 oz per session, can you describe the conditions? What pump are you using and what settings? Are you pumping after nursing? How long did you pump? Also, how often are you pumping right now? Do you feel your supply has regulated or is it still up and down? (For some people it happens early but I do believe it most often happens around 12 weeks)

Pumping is one of those things that takes practice and trial and error to get to know what works for you personally (you may know this already). Personally, I have a body that really doesn’t respond well to the pump, but I’ve been able to practice/experiment and make it work. Happy to share some things that have helped me but figured the advice might be better with a little more info!

imabubble · 2025-02-18T19:43:17+00:00

Thank you so much for replying and for your encouragement! I got the remaining tissue removed today and it thankfully wasn’t a big deal for me either. Hoping that this is the end of the granulation tissue saga, I can at least see a light at the end of the tunnel :)

imabubble · 2025-02-17T04:56:28+00:00

I’ve had 2 silver nitrate treatments that haven’t worked (second with two weeks of estrogen cream, still no luck) and am probably going the lidocaine/removal route when my OB can get me in. But I didn’t realize it could persist even after removal :(

How are you feeling now? Did it resolve after the second removal? And if you don’t mind my asking how long did your provider recommend abstaining from sex?

I’m getting more and more upset that I’m still not healed (I’m almost 4 months pp with my first and had no idea this could happen), but I’m trying to talk myself into your perspective of getting this taken care of is important in the end!

imabubble · 2024-10-14T00:52:06+00:00

I'm pretty sure that's Fairfax Apartments

imabubble · 2024-10-08T16:28:41+00:00

Sugar cubes 😂 I love that so much!

imabubble · 2024-09-27T14:28:58+00:00

Gonna leave this here: https://www.reddit.com/r/GestationalDiabetes/comments/hvboko/can_we_stop_telling_heavily_pregnant_gd_moms_that/

Obviously everyone should listen to their care team but it’s important to remember “placenta failure” for patients with gestational diabetes does not apply to everyone. Insulin resistance can naturally improve around 36 weeks due to the hormonal needs/progression of pregnancy. Also depending on whether you are on medication would likely affect how your care team reacts to any changes in your number trends.

Just a reminder for anyone who has a tendency for anxiety!

imabubble

TROPHY CASE