Spoilering for labour details. Not traumatic, just details pregnant people can read in their own time. I consider my births definitely on the positive end of outcomes.
Summary
I couldn’t stop the pushing, which meant i got a nice tear and bruising/ swelling. I dont honestly know how long it took to push, nobody timed it for me, but it wasnt the nice 3 pushes & out either time. But also my body may not have given itself time to prep for pushing, since it was a fairly fast ramp up over a couple of hours for each bub.
I was asked to try not to push because the push came at 9cm dilated for Pumpkin, and trying to push less?redirect some of the push? Was questionably successful. Maybe was asked to pause while ob did an episiotomy but it was not a detail i remember
And for those who havent birthed yet: it was a nuisance to heal, but I was fine and my body is fine. Follow your care teams instructions and you’ll do great.
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I am irritable about this on your behalf. What nonsense. Labour is not linear. I went from a bit uncomfortable to baby in about 2.5h the second time (5 hours from OB breaking my waters to birth)
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I had an epidural both times so I’m not sure. With that being said the second time around was way easier and I felt good a lot faster!
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Apparently I need to go talk to daycare about getting on their wait list now. Heard from a coworker that their current wait for infant care is next July 
. I don’t need care until October but I don’t think I want to wait until I get my genetic testing back (when I’ll be 14-15 weeks along, currently at 11). It seems nuts that I need to tell daycare that I’m pregnant before I tell most of my friends and family.
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Did any of you get screened for gestational diabetes during the first trimester?
I’m curious about this. I did the 1 hour glucose test at about 7 - 8 weeks both pregnancies. I have Kaiser in Southern California but it’s not clear to me if they do this as part of their standard practice or if I had to do it for some reason. My main risk factors are ethnicity and age (33 last pregnancy, 36 this one).
I guess I’m glad they tested this time around, because it looks like I have GD (which has been really rough mixed in with first trimester nausea). But everybody else I’ve talked to weren’t screened until late second trimester.
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Its standard here (Australia) to only test in late second trimester. I am unsure about people with more risk factors, though, since I have none.
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I was only screened 2nd trimester, at age 37 and also in the U.S. Sorry to hear about the GD and nausea, hope your symptoms start to ease up soon.
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Standard in US for normal risk is the second trimester 1 hour. I know some OBs add an early one if primary family members have diabetes? Also with higher BMI although I don’t know the cut off. Uhhh previous GD obviously. Previous borderline A1C values. That’s all I know off hand as more standard reasons.
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Hmmm….
That’s strange then. My BMI is squarely in the average range, and they also tested my A1C as part of the blood panels and that came back in the normal range. No diabetes in my immediate family. Actually - they had me fast for glucose testing even before my appointment to take my medical history last time. Literally the only thing they really knew about me was age and ethnicity, as far as I can tell with risk factors.
I wonder if this particular office screens everybody 1st trimester.
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My mom had GD with me so Kaiser had me do it in the 1st trimester with all 3 of my pregnancies.
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Strange! Yeah idk if that’s keiser or the specific doc then?
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Yeah, that’s weird. They thought about having me do it in the first trimester because I was over 40 and clinically obese, but then I guess they decided I was not fat enough. I think the BMI cut off for that practice was 35? I did have gestational diabetes when they tested me later.
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Been awake for two hours, in denial about how hungry I am. How is this possible?? I deliberately had a whole-ass burger for afternoon snack and a milkshake and chicken noodle soup before bed. I guess breakfast and lunch were both lighter quantity despite being hearty food (literally bacon and eggs for breakfast, and then cheese avocado jerky sandwiches for lunch… but toddler and toddler friend ate everything off my plate, because toddlers) and it caught up to me at 3:30 in the morning. It’s tricky because pregnancy hunger doesn’t feel like regular hunger at all to me, so staying fueled is more of a mental chore.
ETA Back in bed with almonds and hot chocolate.
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I asked at my last appointment. Apparently this particular office (not sure if she meant this particular Kaiser clinic or all of Kaiser SoCal) has as their standard practice to test everybody during the first trimester. She said they’ve been seeing so many cases of GD in second trimester that they’re suspecting started earlier that now they test everyone.
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TC, that is a blessing to be able to complain about: Eating every 2 hours so I don’t vomit from hunger nausea feels like a part-time job.
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Scare but okay
I started bleeding off and on Sunday night, though I had a normal 12 week checkup on Friday. Spent all morning yesterday at urgent care quietly crying into my kn95 mask (sooo many coughing kids at urgent care) because I thought I was having a miscarriage.
I’m okay though! It was a subchorionic hematoma, which means even more doctors appointments and monitoring.
I’m not very motivated at my job at the moment, just doing the bare minimum, but I do have deadlines coming up so I need to be doing more. I would like to take more sick leave but I’m already running low and at this rate I’m going to run out of paid leave by the time I go on maternity. We can afford it, but I’ll also need to pay my own premiums…. Ugh.
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Eek. That sounds really scary. Sending virtual hugs.
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Oh those are scary, i had one too. I’m so glad you got checked up. ((hugs)) even when you know things are ok it’s a rough time.
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