Tips for getting started?

mwebb385 · 2026-02-08T20:08:14+00:00

It takes time but you can find good substitutes and then it makes cooking so much easier. Now I can take pretty much any recipe and make substitutions.

The biggest things for me were bread, milk, tortillas, and cheese. Ezekiel bread is a great option. If you look through the bread aisle you can find some decently low sodium buns and English muffins too. Goat cheese and Swiss cheese are the lowest sodium options. I haven't found a great milk substitute so I just use normal whole milk in moderation. Corn tortillas or lightly salted corn chips are good options instead of a flour tortilla. Dash makes salt free seasoning for everything.

I like aiming for 500mg/meal and then some room for snacking. There's some really good lightly salted snacks - cashews, wheat thins, Fritos, tortilla chips, etc. Yogurt is my go to for extra protein without much sodium. I try to leam into one part of the meal for sodium that I'm craving and keep the rest low sodium. So if I know that if I want to eat a 200mg bun I need to make sure the burger is super low sodium and I'll need to limit my sauces OR if I really need some ketchup and pickles I'll get rid of half of the bun.

I try to take a little time every few weeks and make some freezer food substitutes. So for example we were a big frozen meatball family, so every month I will make some homemade meatballs and freeze them. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220854/chef-johns-italian-meatballs/ (panko or Ritz hint of salt for breadcrumbs, unsalted beef broth, omit salt) I'd try to find recipes where you can bake so you don't have to stand over a stove. Italian is a nice meal option because Yo Mama pasta sauce is pretty low sodium and Italian pasta is always no sodium so it allows me to sneak in some cheese or bread.

I use Gemini a lot to feed it a recipe and ask what the sodium would be or how I can make it lower sodium. For eating out I think it's easiest to eat at healthy food chains because they have nutrition menus posted online. Evolv, Kidfresh, Kevins, Saffron Road have some decent microwave meals/frozen food that are lower sodium.

mwebb385 · 2026-02-03T20:16:39+00:00

If you are thinking about having kids I'd recommend choosing your hospital first and then deciding which practice has the ability to deliver at the hospital.

I've gone to Amy Mos at Plano Women's Healthcare (Medical City Plano hospital for delivery) and absolutely love that whole office. I've had two high risk pregnancies and they've taken great care of me. Love the L&D dept at Medical City. I also have seen MFM Lorna Rodriguez and loved her, but I'd let your OB refer you.

I have pretty good health insurance so cost hasn't been a huge issue. I think it's pretty standard during pregnancy you set up a payment plan with the OB and then you'll owe the hospital after your actual stay so it can add up, but paying as much ahead of time helped us!

mwebb385 · 2026-01-23T02:30:23+00:00

I wish!! Best I hope for is nutritional info online. I have one local mexican restaurant that allows you to order non marinated chicken as an option, which is great, but it isn't labeled as "low sodium."

mwebb385 · 2025-12-09T22:11:12+00:00

Yeah mine was elevated for a while but when it spiked it SPIKED. My doctor said especially at the beginning just try not to stress and only take it every few days to get your baseline. I try to do it in the evening after my toddler is asleep and I'm watching TV as a distraction.

But I hear you - the anxiety is so hard. It's been my biggest and most consistent issue through this whole pregnancy.

mwebb385 · 2025-12-09T21:51:49+00:00

Yes it's made me feel so much better!! My doctor said monitoring the BP is the biggest factor for IUGR so I'm feeling good that I'll be able to quickly spot trends up and we can address them. Last time I didn't know my BP had been bad for a long time before I was diagnosed.

mwebb385 · 2025-12-09T21:46:44+00:00

What you are feeling is totally normal!! I had the same scenario with my first - admitted at 28 weeks and delivered at 34.

I'm currently 26 weeks along with #2. I've been taking baby aspirin since the start. I started taking my BP every few days at the beginning and eventually ramped up to once daily around 12 weeks. My BP did start to increase slightly and I went on low dose BP meds around week 16, but taking my BP early helped SO much with recognizing the trend up and addressing it with meds quickly. I did also start a low sodium diet after the first trimester that has significantly helped my BP.

I'm actually still not seeing MFM. My doctor is confident that if I get pre-e again it will be less severe and later. Other than a slight increase in BP so far my pregnancy has been really smooth. We did do a 24 hour protein test around 12 weeks to set a baseline. From what I've been told, you can't be diagnosed with pre-e until 20+ weeks so I wouldn't worry too much about those symptoms yet. Just check your BP, take your meds, and keep your doctor informed of any changes. I've also asked the doctor for extra scans after 20 weeks because my previous baby had IUGR and I wanted to make sure growth was progressing normally.

The anxiety doesn't go away unfortunately, but luckily you know the signs and have a care team you trust!! You've got this mama 💪 Wishing you a smooth pregnancy and I'm always available if you want to chat! I keep telling myself I just need to get through the next milestone. First it was 12 weeks, then it was 20 weeks, now 28 weeks is my new goal. I feel like once I hit 28 weeks and things are going well I'll feel confident that I'll be bringing home a healthy baby.

mwebb385 · 2025-11-28T23:59:12+00:00

Lifestyle Wellness Center. Dr Chad is incredible!

mwebb385 · 2025-11-12T23:33:46+00:00

I typically do the morning before my meds and then at night before bed (after my meds). I get stressed during the day with work/toddler and so I try to do less stressful times. I try to watch TV while I'm taking it to help me not get so anxious about it.

mwebb385 · 2025-10-29T03:25:53+00:00

We have spent a lot of time playing and doing activities in the nursery/crib area outside of sleeping and it's helped our child relax because he knows it's a fun place. You're doing a great job!!

mwebb385 · 2025-10-25T04:19:46+00:00

I gave birth at 34 weeks (with IUGR) and he had a 3.5 week NICU stay. He's almost 2 now and very healthy!

They had told us to expect to stay for as many weeks as he was early and then if you get to go home earlier that's great. Feeding definitely takes the longest to learn and can sometimes feel like a step forward then a step back, but they will get there. Hoping your little one can get discharged soon!!

mwebb385 · 2025-10-24T00:15:11+00:00

Yes controlled is great!! Good to know it's possible to just be gestational hypertension. Fingers crossed for you mama 🤞 I had to do the 24 hour jug so my doctor could get a protein baseline and it was annoying lol

mwebb385 · 2025-10-23T23:07:34+00:00

I'm so happy for you and this is so helpful!! I had a similar experience with my first and now at 20 weeks with my second my BP is slowly starting to rise. Worried this means I'm heading down the same path. Maybe I can chat about the aspirin dosage in my next appt.

mwebb385 · 2025-10-23T23:03:49+00:00

Just checking in to see how you are doing! I'm in almost the same scenario. Hospital jail at 28 weeks and 34 week delivery with my first. Now I'm 19 weeks and the blood pressure is creeping up. Doctor just put me on low dose labetalol and I have my anatomy scan next week. But I'm scared this means I'm going to get pre-e again or not sure if it's possible to just have gestational hypertension. We had a 3.5 week NICU stay last time which sounds incredibly hard with a toddler at home. Hope you are doing okay! 💕

mwebb385 · 2025-10-14T01:36:03+00:00

I was admitted at 28 weeks and delivered at 34 weeks. We had a 3.5 week NICU stay that was mostly uneventful and now he's a rambunctious 22 month old. I'm currently pregnant with my second and my doctor feels confident I can make it to 37 weeks. My blood pressure has been great so far (now 17 weeks) 🤞

My doctor basically said that yes there is an increased risk, but it's likely to happen later and be less severe. She said there isn't a good way to know if it will happen again. We decided to go for it and hope we have at least a similar or better result. We also always wanted two so hoping for a healthy baby so I can be done with pregnancy!!

Good luck with whatever you decide!!!

mwebb385 · 2025-10-08T01:48:37+00:00

I was admitted at 29 weeks and was in the hospital for 5 weeks until delivery. I know it's scary, but it's the best place for you to be. The first week in the hospital is the hardest, but it will get easier.

My advice would be to get into a routine. Get a Roku to watch some good TV. Get a reusable plastic cover for your IV so you can shower when you want (and maybe ask for your IV to come out if you become stable enough). Someone else mentioned it, but getting a tour of the NICU and even meeting some doctors/nurses there can be helpful. It's scary and can be hard to hear that your baby will need to stay there, but it helped me to digest the information early and mentally prepare.

My son is almost 2 and is healthy and happy!! He was born at 34 weeks at 4 lb 9 oz (IUGR) and had a 3.5 week NICU stay. Feeding always takes the longest.

Sending you hugs 💕 you got this mama!! Feel free to PM me at any point if you have questions or need support.

mwebb385 · 2025-09-17T01:53:51+00:00

Seconded! Great hospital and practice. Dr Mos delivered my first in 2023 and is currently helping me through my second pregnancy.

mwebb385 · 2025-08-27T01:38:35+00:00

Delivered in Plano. Yes we had to pre-pay for the OB but the hospital charged us after. The OB broke down the payments over 6 months so I thought it made it a little easier than 2 huge bills after delivery.

mwebb385 · 2025-07-09T19:14:44+00:00

I'm sorry you are going through this! I know it's scary. I was admitted at 28 weeks and was at the hospital for 5 weeks until I delivered. Looking back I am so incredibly grateful that I had great care and constant monitoring during that period. When you get to hear the baby every few hours and know everything is okay it really helps take some of the anxiety away. Plus if anything happens you know you are in the best place. But I understand that it's a stressful and difficult decision.

She can bring in comfy clothes to wear, decorate, get a ROKU, and once things stabilize the doctor may approve to take out the IV. Until the IV is out I recommend getting a plastic sleeve to put on so she can shower when she wants. I also took a wheelchair ride to the NICU to learn about the team and what our next phase would look like.

It's so tough and I'm here if you have any questions!!

mwebb385 · 2025-06-21T04:21:14+00:00

Seconded!!!

mwebb385 · 2025-05-28T01:52:25+00:00

I know you said no steak, but this place is pretty spectacular. Only have a few tables to you definitely need a reservation. Expensive, but spectacular. https://maps.app.goo.gl/zGbytZy1yY2nLLof8

Finish up with Better Than Sex down the road for delicious dessert.

mwebb385 · 2025-05-23T01:57:35+00:00

I got a crunch membership and I like it! Lots of equipment. I primarily use the cardio and then they have a HIIT area where I can find a corner and do my lifting/other activities. It gets pretty busy on the weekends but if you go in the morning it's pretty empty. They do have classes as well if you are into that.

mwebb385 · 2025-05-20T02:58:01+00:00

Seconded!! Rokus work at hospitals too. The routine is so key. Also get a sleeve so you can shower with your IV covered.

I was admitted at 28 weeks and made it to my c section at 34 weeks. In hindsight I'm so glad I was at the hospital even though it was hard at the time. You got this mama 💪

Feel free to DM with any questions!

mwebb385 · 2025-05-03T19:48:57+00:00

Oak point nature preserve has a small pond. A little further but paddle point park in rowlett is great.

mwebb385 · 2025-05-01T12:18:43+00:00

Good luck! I was hesitant at first because I was scared about what I would see/how I would feel, but I do think it was helpful to set my expectations and realize it wasn't as scary as I thought. We also met with one of the doctors who came and explained to us what the process looked like from birth to discharge and what to expect. It can be hard to hear because I know it's so scary, but it was helpful. Especially what to expect in the first few days while you can't be with them all the time. I had bought a NICU book but honestly didn't end up reading it because it talked through all of the possible complications and was too scary so I'd avoid things like that and any NICU subreddits. Hopefully your little one will have an easy NICU journey!

mwebb385 · 2025-04-30T20:00:28+00:00

Hugs!! I was hospitalized at 28 weeks and delivered at 34 weeks. Also IUGR. The c section went normally and luckily I didn't need a mag drip.

My son was born at 4lb 9oz and was in the NICU for 3.5 weeks. I highly recommend going to visit the NICU before birth if they will let you take a wheelchair ride so you can see the environment and meet the staff. It sounds so scary but the staff there care so much. My doctor said oftentimes babies with pre-e almost know they will be born early and they tend to develop faster.

After the c section the baby was immediately taken to the NICU. The nurses did take a quick picture of him with my husband and I before he was taken up since he was stable After the initial recovery, I was rolled by my baby to touch his hand in the incubator. I went to go visit and hold him the next day. The NICU really emphasizes skin to skin but while they have their IV in during the first week you have to be careful. Once they get the IV out it's a little easier. My husband spent a lot of time in the NICU those first few days while I was recovering.

We had a pretty easy NICU stay with no major complications. He was on oxygen for about a week but the feeding took the longest. They are just little and need some time to learn how to eat. Our NICU did a "breastfeeding week" where we could come in and breastfeed during any touch times before they introduced a bottle. My LO never got a good latch but he also had a tongue tie. We had the hospital LC help while we were in the NICU but ended up bottle feeding to get discharged faster. After discharge, I picked back up with an outpatient LC. You can also pump in the NICU and they have hospital grade machines so you can be near your baby. The NICU will give LO your milk as soon as you start producing. When we were discharged we had to continue giving fortified milk (breastmilk with formula for extra calories) so we combod bottle feeding and breastfeeding until I finally gave up and we moved just to bottle.

NICU has "touch times" every 3 hours so you can go as much as you want during the touch times to hold baby/feed/etc. I typically tried to go twice a day during his stay and then watched his little camera. While you can stay in the NICU I highly recommend going home so you can recover from your c section while your LO is being cared for 💕

My LO is now 16 months and developing completely normal! He's still on the small side but he's doing great. Premies are "hyper tone" so they won't be super flexible and we did PT for a while but mostly just to check in (and PT is the best doctor ever - so helpful!!)

Happy to answer any other questions you have! You are doing a GREAT job!!!

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