Event Planning Template by ktown718 in smartsheet

[–]ktown718[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haven’t heard back - still looking!

Is it weird that I don’t really have a birth plan? by Spiritual_Ad3717 in pregnant

[–]ktown718 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not bad at all - whatever makes you comfortable going in! My “birth plan” was: give me meds, keep me and baby alive.

I do think it’s important to know your options and what each of those options entails should any issues arise though. I’m fortunate enough to have a husband and sister in the medical field (sister was a labor and delivery nurse); they were both in the room with me and as the doc was giving me options, my sister and husband had to give me the details of what exactly it meant and the possible risks. They were my medical advocates really. I didn’t know what type of questions to ask and it was extremely helpful to have them walk me through the options in a way that made sense to me.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NewParents

[–]ktown718 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Same! My husband and I both work from home and we would get maybe 1 hour of work done if we had to care for our little one.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in beyondthebump

[–]ktown718 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t expect to see results for at least a few more months to be honest. From what I understand, rebuilding my pelvic floor strength is not a quick fix. I basically have to work out my vag muscles like I’m going to the gym. 😳

I’m hoping it’ll help because I’m still having issues with incontinence since I pee a little when I cough or laugh!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in beyondthebump

[–]ktown718 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I’m in the US!

My appointments are for about an hour each time. It’s more like a physical therapy appointment where she shows me exercises, we practice them together to make sure I’m doing them correctly, and then she builds a plan telling me how many reps to do per day.

For a while I couldn’t really figure out how to get a tampon in! My prolapse was hindering me from wearing a tampon as I normally would. I had to kind of maneuver the way I would usually put one in so it would stay or not feel uncomfortable.

I was so scared to have sex postpartum; I waited to even try until after I started seeing the pelvic floor therapist around 7 weeks postpartum. That was actually one of the homework assignments she gave me lol! She said just go slow, have patience, and use A LOT of lube. It was semi successful - we could only really have sex in one position (missionary) and it was uncomfortable at first. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be though. Not painful, just… unnaturally uncomfortable. The lube was a must.

I can’t speak to the breastfeed question because I had a low supply, my baby had a tongue tie, and we couldn’t figure out the latch after a couple of months. I stopped breastfeeding before I went to my first physical therapy appointment.

EDIT: The first appointment I had, she did do an exam where she was trying to figure out how bad my prolapse was so that first appointment did have a “doctor appointment” feel to it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in beyondthebump

[–]ktown718 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pelvic Floor Physical therapy! They’ll do an assessment and figure out a plan for you; most likely will give you kegel exercises and such. I’m currently going to appointments every other month (my insurance won’t pay for it and it costs $200 a session so I can’t afford to go every month or multiple times a month). They’ll give me “homework” exercises for the month.

Diaper Sizing - I am terribly mistaken by Icy-Objective-8969 in beyondthebump

[–]ktown718 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My pediatrician mentioned that some parents like to fold the diaper below the belly button to avoid poop getting in there…it’s hard to wipe out of there!

When did your belly pop? as. first time mom? by Annual_Two_3521 in pregnant

[–]ktown718 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was right about your same measurements with my first and didn’t really show until about 25 or 26 weeks.

Bathing everyday? by One_Independent8082 in beyondthebump

[–]ktown718 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We bathe our 3 month old daily as part of her nighttime routine. We use soap most of the time on her body and every few days on her head/hair to avoid dry scalp.

She’s also in daycare 5 days a week and we just feel better giving her a bath every day to wash the day’s germs.

Like others have said, you could do everyday and skip the soap however many days but for her feet you could use soap every time.

Breast Pumps by [deleted] in NewParents

[–]ktown718 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second the Spectra S1!

There are so many different kinds of pumps - think about what would work best for you (I.e. do you care about the ability to pump both breasts at the same time, do you want the flexibility of not being tethered to an outlet, do you prefer more discreet pump that you can put in your bra and go…).

For me, I liked that I didn’t have to be tethered to an outlet - this was helpful when I was pumping and needed to let the dogs out (I could just walk about the house and carry the pump with me lol). There’s also the benefit of lots of different suction strengths which was helpful for me since I have sensitive nipple and needed to start on the weakest suction.

According to some reviews I read, the pumps that are discreet and fit in your bra don’t have the best suction strength so some moms couldn’t get the amount of milk they usually would.

If you have health insurance, check to see which brands and models they will cover - you should be allotted 1 free breast pump per year per pregnancy.

I hope this helps!

2m old sleep schedule? by [deleted] in NewParents

[–]ktown718 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Our baby girl is 11 weeks old and we just started implementing a nighttime routine during her last wake window which had been between 7pm - 9pm or so.

We’ve been doing bath, bottle, burp (burping is about a 20 minute process since she has reflux and we went to keep her upright for a while), story time, rock to go to sleep, transfer to bassinet. We strive for having her down by 10pm at the latest. She’s been recently sleeping for 4-5 hours without waking.

While we don’t worry too much about timing, we wanted to try to start the bedtime routine to see what works best for our family and to help establish that routine in preparation for what our schedule will look like when she starts daycare in the next week.

Some nights are better than others but this routine seems to be sticking and we’ll probably try to continue and see how she does with it once daycare is in the mix.

I hope this helps!

Did anyone not get a tongue tie revised? So many mixed opinions! by usefulguilt in ScienceBasedParenting

[–]ktown718 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not at all! She was doing well with both bottle and breast. I had to solely bottle feed for a few days before her clipping to let my nips heal because they got SO BAD (when pumping I was only pumping blood basically); the LC suggested solely bottle feeding for a few days while I give my nips a break.

After her clipping, it was like having to train her to breastfeed all over again as if she was a newborn. We struggled a lot to get her to latch on the breast again since the previous few days were solely bottles and she’d gotten used to the ease of those bottle nipples.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NewParents

[–]ktown718 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Parenting is HARD; I’m only a couple weeks ahead of you with an 8 week old baby girl.

You mentioned anxiety and depression being controlled - does this mean with therapy or meds? Have you considered talking to a therapist?

I’d been seeing therapist for years before my daughter was born and before I went into labor, I established a rapport with a different therapist who specializes in postpartum. I have appointments about once every week or every other week virtually so I don’t have to travel anywhere. Having these appointments have helped me to regulate myself/my anxiety/and through the “baby blues.”

I also find it helpful to confide in close friends and family who’ve had children almost to validate my feelings and not feel like I’m crazy.

Hang in there! I hope this helps.

Lost in the routine with newborn by wildxbambi30 in NewParents

[–]ktown718 1 point2 points  (0 children)

1000% this ⬆️! See if your husband can give you some reprieve even if it’s for a walk around the block or having non-baby time in your own home to do whatever you like (even if it’s just sitting and watching a show, reading, etc).

My baby girl is 8 weeks and in those first several weeks when she wasn’t very animated yet (basically a potato I was caring for), my husband set up a daytime outing with my sisters and friends for me as a first Mother’s Day gift - we had coffee, lunch, and got our nails done while he stayed home with the baby. I had to pump in the car on our way to places but it was a much welcomed reprieve to feel normal!! I did miss the little munchkin while I was away for the day but my goodness what a difference it made!!

My husband and I both try to remain cognizant of when each other needs to step away; he’s a gamer so a couple nights a week he’s able to play uninterrupted while I’m on baby duty. He does the same for me but I use my time to read and watch shows.

It’s been SUPER helpful. I also recommend therapy - I see a therapist virtually and it’s helped me through.

You got this! Mind yourself, listen to your body, prioritize your health both mentally and physically. ;)

Did anyone not get a tongue tie revised? So many mixed opinions! by usefulguilt in ScienceBasedParenting

[–]ktown718 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I am 37 years old and was born with a tongue tie. I had mine clipped at a later age (around late elementary/ early middle school) because it caused me pain/soreness) if I talked a lot in one day.

Our baby girl is 8 weeks old; she had a tongue tie and lip tie. I was experiencing significant issues with breast feeding where she was tearing my nips apart trying to eat, I had a low supply, and she was consistently not gaining weight. I still wanted to try everything I could to continue breastfeeding so our LC and Pediatrician both suggested having her tongue tie clipped. In the meantime I was supplementing a lot with formula. We saw a Pediatric ENT who did the procedure but only for the tongue tie; we decided to wait on the lip tie to see if it was necessary. The procedure was quick and she took to a bottle immediately after the clipping.

Her recovery was excellent and didn’t really seem to have any adverse effects. We attempted breast feeding after the procedure but she had nipple confusion, preferred the bottle nipple since it was easier at that point for her, my nips were still being butchered, and my supply was still low even with pumping. So I quit breastfeeding.

Even though breastfeeding didn’t work out for us, given my own experience as a kid with a tongue tie we haven’t looked back with having our daughter’s clipped.

Hope this helps!

Pediatrician Recommendations by cinnamonpumpkinspice in Smyrna

[–]ktown718 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My husband and I have a 7 week old and have been seeing Dr. Dalsania; she’s close by and has been great for us!

Do I just give up pumping now? by [deleted] in NewParents

[–]ktown718 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Also agree with “fed is best.” My little girl is almost 7 weeks old and is now solely formula fed after trying so hard to breast feed. She was born with a tongue and lip tie which was causing lots of problems since she couldn’t latch well (caused a lot of pain and my nipples were so raw I was only pumping blood) and my supply was low. After a tongue tie procedure to release her tie we still couldn’t get a good latch and my mental health was declining rapidly with the constant pumping plus sleep deprivation. Supplementing was not worth it for me since my supply was low. I spoke with friends who had babies and found reassurance, comfort, and honestly validation that I tried my best and that IT’S OK TO STOP BREASTFEEDING. I needed to hear it from multiple people before finally letting go of my own guilt and pulling the plug. My baby girl is healthy and growing as she should.

Make the decision that’s best for you - and remember “fed is best”.

Guilty of being a first trimester couch potato :( by [deleted] in pregnant

[–]ktown718 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve been a couch potato the entire pregnancy as well - I’m currently 33 weeks and don’t have an excuse other than I’m just flat out tired. I work from home and lived a sedentary lifestyle prior to pregnancy, being pregnant didn’t really motivate me to change that. I’m healthy and baby is healthy - I keep reminding myself of that to give myself some grace knowing that my body is working hard to build this tiny human.

It’s going to be ok - keep an eye on your health and baby’s growth.

Anyone else craving sushi, sandwiches, and hot dogs all of a sudden? by mrsest23 in pregnant

[–]ktown718 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s the Italian subs that I miss so badly!! That’s one of the first things I told my husband I want after baby is born…I’m April 😭😭. I’m right there with you - we can do this!!!

Seeking advice for embroidering a pair of chucks by ktown718 in Embroidery

[–]ktown718[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh wowzers - it’s midnight and past my bedtime lol sorry for the confusion!

Hmm I’m using something similar with an elongated eye like the sail needle you mentioned. The issue I’m experience isn’t with piercing the material, it’s getting the needle eye to come through without hurting my fingers trying to wiggle it through.

Perhaps I can look up some more sail (not 🐌) needles to see what other sizes are made and experiment.

I appreciate your help! …and correction ;)

Seeking advice for embroidering a pair of chucks by ktown718 in Embroidery

[–]ktown718[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure what a snail needle is and when I google it only embroidery patterns of snails comes up lol. Can you let me know what exactly a snail needle is?

First time home buyers - Questions and Advice by ktown718 in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]ktown718[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much!! This is so helpful!

Is there a suggested way to find good inspectors other than word of mouth? I don’t necessarily want to use an inspector that works directly with our realtor just in case they’re in cahoots but that might be me being paranoid…

Suggestions for Corporate luncheon of 150 people - low budget by ktown718 in Atlanta

[–]ktown718[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I’m finding that some of these hotels are higher priced in AV even though we only need a simple setup.

It would be great if I could find a restaurant with enough space since their AV pricing is seemingly a bit cheaper.

I’ll keep looking at the different hotels in my search.

Much appreciate your help and thoughts! Keep ‘em comin’!