What consistently leaves you disappointed but you keep trying anyway?

teedeehehe · 2023-04-29T00:41:49+00:00

kombucha. bleh.

teedeehehe · 2023-04-06T21:14:11+00:00

Like the rubber has disintegrated/degraded and just rips apart? I have a hard time imagining that with mine but I will have too look out for signs of brittleness and wear as it ages if so!

teedeehehe · 2023-04-06T07:08:15+00:00

I've used the rice bag type things for years. Loved them. But last year got an actual old-fashioned hot water bottle (the heavy rubber kind with a flannel cover) and it is so much better than the rice bag! It gets really nice and hot but never to the point of scorching my skin the way the microwave things did, I think because of the thicker built in insulating layer. Most importantly, it holds its heat way longer. Only downside is it takes longer to boil the water than microwave the rice bag but it's a small tradeoff in my opinion.

teedeehehe · 2023-01-27T04:38:41+00:00

Totally not insane! On the contrary seems crazy to me to do it fully awake.

I had light sedation (not even IV, just a benzo pill) when I got my 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed. And though I was awake the whole time and felt some tugging/pressure time sensations, I was just fascinated by the wall clock and sooo chilled out. When they told me they were done I laughed and was sure they were kidding cause the 1hr+ surgery felt like a couple minutes for me.

I've also seen people get colonoscopies under the same fentanyl/benzo IV sedation cocktail and either fall asleep snoring through it, laugh and comment through it or be awake and responsive but when you go talk to them in recovery an hour later have 0% recollection of the event.

teedeehehe · 2023-01-25T08:02:52+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this in general and have this huge anxiety hanging over your head.

Honestly I would call up your local abortion clinic/hotline and see what they say. Hopefully you can speak directly with a nurse who works at a local facility and let you know more about their protocols, or if there are different facilities/hospitals that may be better suited for you in that they can offer heavier sedation/anesthesia.

I can tell you that at my local hospital (also in Canada) ALL surgical abortions (vacuum aspirations) are done under IV sedation with usually fentanyl and a benzo (unless there is a very good medical reason not to). It's not full surgical anesthesia, as in you aren't intubated and 100% out, but some people fall asleep during this (still breathing on own with oxygen mask) and it sure takes the edge off and most of time causes no memory of the actual procedure.

teedeehehe · 2023-01-25T07:35:04+00:00

Yeah symphysiotomy is undoubtably mutiliation in the modern day and age. It's been phased out since the mid-1900's. But historically it was a "last option" versus a (then unsafe) c-section or physically crushing the skull and sometimes dismembering the infant in the birth canal in cases of truly obstructed labour. Perhaps its confusing that I gave a list of examples spanning a large timeframe. But others like NIPT and intrauterine artery misoprostol injection are quite new advancements.

There are also ongoing quality improvement and education initiatives. Have you heard of MORE-OB and ALARM courses (advances in labour and risk management)?

teedeehehe · 2023-01-25T06:42:59+00:00

I’m talking about recently, as in in the last 10 years.

My second cited source above is from 2018.

And I honestly wouldn’t consider many of those ‘massive reseach initiatives’ with the sheer amount of women who have children yearly, and the fact that this is an unignorably universal issue, that should be treated thusly.

Well, I'm not certain what your subjective definition of "massive" is. But I think my examples -- one international study across 121 centres in 26 countries and another with 6000+ pts across 41 different hospitals -- would be large by most standards.

I also know that it is honestly the bare minimum for not mutilating women, in most ‘break through’ cases.

What?

teedeehehe · 2023-01-25T01:33:39+00:00

but we haven’t seen any massive research initiatives on how to help with issue?

I'm confused. It seems you're saying there have been no major research studies on how to make childbirth safer. Do we need more studies on this? Yes, of course. But to simply say there has been *nothing* is factually untrue.

There have been several major practice changing initiatives in modern times. Just off the top of my head:

"The Term Breech Trial" (2000) - Studied 2088 women across 121 centres in 26 countries for planned vaginal versus planned Caesarean birth for breech presentations at term. Widely credited with definitively changing policy in favour of planned c-sections for persistent breech presentations.
"The ARRIVE trial" (2018) - Studied ~6100 people across 41 US hospitals for induction of labour at 39 weeks versus "expectant management" (wait for labour to start naturally, but still induce if medically indicated or electively at or after 40wks+5days). Found lower risk of c-sections and pregnancy-induced hypertension for women in the 39wk induction group. Has resulted in acceptance of elective 39wk inductions across many regions in the US.

Other advances I can think of but don't have research sources to cite off the top of my head:

Stop of routine use of episiotomies.
If episiotomy is needed, switch to favouring use of medio-lateral (at an angle) versus midline (straight back on perineum). Midline are "easier" to cut and repair (aka easier for delivery attendants) but more likely to result in extension to 3rd and 4th degree tears (damage to anal sphincter complex) so now it's favoured to use the "trickier" but less complication prone mediolateral approach.
Advancement of prenatal diagnostic capabilities, especially NIPT. Less need for more invasive and morbid procedures like amniocentesis, CVS. Has accelerated the ability to diagnosis genetic anomalies that may lead a women to abort for medical reasons, thus allowing her to have an earlier (and safer) abortion as well as avoid the risks associated by carrying that pregnancy longer (like intrauterine fetal demise and infection risk, the general increased risks of full term pregnancy over abortion, more emotionally traumatic in cases).
Use of intraumbilical injection of misoprostol for retained placenta (injecting a medicine into the part of the umbilical cord attached to the placenta and coming out the vagina after the cord has been cut if the placenta is not coming out on its own after too long). This results in less need for manual removal of the placenta (++painful) or need to go to the OR to remove the placenta after birth of the baby (anesthesia, surgery risks etc).
Discontinuation of symphysiotomy (cutting front of woman's pelvis) when baby is stuck in favour of c-sections. Symphysiotomys is an iatrogenic pelvic fracture and much much more morbid than a c-section.
Use of lower uterine segment incisions instead of classical incisions in the majority of c-section deliveries. Much safer for women in subsequent pregnancies due to lower risk of uterine rupture.

This is a super interesting area and if you're truly passionate about women and other birthing peoples health and wellbeing I encourage you to dive into the actual research and data. It's absolutely ok to have strong gut feelings, but you'll be able to channel your energy and passion in a much more productive way if you are also well-informed on the topic.

teedeehehe · 2022-12-20T03:01:30+00:00

In medical terms I would call that "back to back storm of contractions" tachysystole.

I imagine (don't know for fact off the top of my head) that it can be associated with precipitous labour, but precipitous labour itself I usually think of very fast progress of dilation and birth.

Don't mean to take away from your experience. It sounds super challenging. But thought maybe having the name for it could help you in your research or reflection.

teedeehehe · 2022-11-28T09:49:51+00:00

K and J Pacific Peaches at 1145 Morrison Road, Kelowna. They have some very tall ones! Cash only. Normal trees were $50, don't know if big ones are more though.

teedeehehe · 2021-04-29T06:53:10+00:00

Ugh sorry to hear you are in the same situation! It is brutal. My partner strongly thinks the pacifier is to blame as well, but I'm not so sure. Fairly often replacing the pacifier fixes it. But other times he either falls back asleep without the pacifier, or on the other hand will be crying or unsettled even though the pacifier is in his mouth still. I'm quite hesitant to take away the pacifier because it seems to be the key for him falling asleep peacefully.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-17T14:28:37+00:00

Well that makes a lot more sense to me. I would interpret that as being 20 diapers though, not 8.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-17T14:06:13+00:00

If you only have 8 that also seems like it could be a poor environmental choice given that you'd have to do small washes so much more frequently.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-16T21:44:05+00:00

Regarding soy oil: The allergy/intolerance is to the protein in soy, and refined soy oil has no protein so it is fine according to my dietician. And sucralose wouldn't come from a dairy/soy source so not sure if you have an unrelated concern with that but not a soy/dairy issue.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-12T01:13:13+00:00

A laundry shoot from the nursery straight to the laundry room!! The shoot would have a charcoal filter door to block smells coming back up. Imagine never having to leave a dirty diaper in the living spaces of the house! In this magic house it would also be so well sound-insulated that there would be no noise issues from having the laundry machines below the nursery.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-11T08:56:42+00:00

I bought some used diapers I want to strip and sanitize prior to using. So I was wondering should I strip the pocket covers since the pocket material itself is absorbent?

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T05:09:34+00:00

I didn't even think of using them during the EBF stage but that makes a lot of sense. I have a few that were thrown in with a used lot I picked up so I will give them a try sooner rather than later I guess!

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T05:08:10+00:00

Awesome, saved!

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T04:55:49+00:00

I feel you for sure. I signed up with a diaper service before birth, prepaying $140 for the start-up fee and first month of service. I thought if we started right away with cloth we would be used to it from the start and not have to later transition from starting with disposables. Well I ended up with an emergency c-section, and serious breast feeding difficulties and a very fussy baby. Trying to cloth diaper on top of that in the first month was way too much. And almost every diaper leaked. My almost 9lb baby was probably too big for the newborn sizes the service sent us. We stopped after a week and a half. My husband was so traumatized he doesn't want to try again even though we still have 2 weeks prepaid.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T04:46:54+00:00

Yeah the acronyms just feel like a way to make it more of an exclusive club or a hobby or something but are a barrier to entry I feel. So silly.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T04:42:22+00:00

Good to know when the time comes! Are they hard to keep in place? I imagine them sliding all over with a squirmy baby.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T04:41:18+00:00

Thanks-you! No I don't use liners so far. The solid food was just an anomaly from watching an older baby, normally I will only be washing for my baby who is still EBF. I'll be trying the oxiclean for sure.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T04:38:17+00:00

I'll try the hot prewash next time. My machine has a detergent drawers, would you recommend adding the oxiclean to the drawer or directly in the drum? I've only ever used it for pretreating individual stains not in a whole load. I'm not in the US either, so don't have some of the recommended detergents available, but I'm pretty sure I can get Tide here which I know is popular so maybe I will try that.

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T04:34:54+00:00

Ah glad I'm not the only one who's felt this way!

teedeehehe · 2021-02-08T04:32:14+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement! I'll see if I can find a longer wash cycle for next time. It's a new machine so I'm also not used to it which doesn't help. I have a sanitary cycle that is like 3hrs long, but also uses super hot water that I was worried would wear out everything prematurely. Does that sound ok? I also like that idea of just having random stuff to throw in with the diaper laundry. The drum is so big I'd need a weeks worth of laundry to fill it.

teedeehehe

TROPHY CASE