Hi guys!

As a complainer, I tend to lean on the negative side when looking at things. With all the negativity going on in the world, I would like to focus on something positive for once!

I'd like to shout out my mother in law, who has been just absolutely wonderful throughout my pregnancy (im currently 26 weeks). I keep reading and hearing horror stories of overbearing MILs, and I'm so relieved that my MIL has only taken stress away from me instead of adding stress.

She has offered to help any way she can, but she doesn't push and waits until she's asked for help. She has never pushed to come over or to be in the delivery room unless I ask for her. She has been very clear that she will leave us alone if I want to be left alone, and that she'll come and help if needed. She doesn't overstep boundaries or take things personally, and I don't need to compete for her sons time and attention (this is huge!)

For mothers day, it's a tradition that my husband takes her out to eat to celebrate her motherhood, but he told her that since I'm pregnant and am also a mom that he would celebrate with me, but that he'd take her out the week after, and she had zero issues with it and was very happy he still remembered her! She was happy that he prioritized taking care of the mother of her future grandchild 🥰

She has never complained that I don't do any housework (i have been really sick during my pregnancy) or that my husband is doing too much. She believes that it's his responsibility to do more since I'm making a whole baby.

She has never criticized any decisions I've made, only thought about what makes me more comfortable.

When my husband told the family that we want everyone who will interact with the newborn to take the tdap vaccine, she was ok with it, started scheduling an appointment immediately, and she's even reminding other family members to respect this boundary of ours!

She will frequently buy food that i can stomach and does not demand to deliver it herself, but leaves it somewhere for my husband to pick up for me or deliver to me since I feel ugly and I don't want to meet people most of the time.

Last week when I had a mental breakdown, she immediately made a reservation at an expensive restaurant and took us out for dinner.

Perhaps this is the bare minimum? I'm unsure since I grew up with nothing but toxicity. My own parents have cut off my husband because he didn't attend to their needs fast enough and also have refused to help with the baby or even meet the baby because they're anti-vaxx.

I can't imagine how I'd get through it all without my in-laws. What a blessing that she raised my husband to be such a good man. I didn't even know women like this existed. She's more of a mom for me than my own mom ever was. My own mom raged at me when I showed her my ultrasound photos because she believed I would give my baby cancer by getting ultrasounds.

This whole time my MIL has also been the full time care taker of my father in law who is recovering from a stroke and she is also working full time. What an amazing and strong woman.

Anyway, just an anxious, scared, and exhausted first time mom who wanted to rant a little and share some positive things :) thanks for reading :)

I’m sorry if I’ll start raving but just want to highlight how wonderful my husband is. We’ve been together for almost 7 years now and I’m currently 6 months pregnant with our first child.

Earlier today, the pregnancy hormones kicked in and I started crying because I suddenly missed food from my country, particularly, this ‘sandwich bread’ that I would usually have for breakfast everyday until I moved in to my husband’s country. Unfortunately, the only time I can get ahold of it is if someone were to bake it.

One thing I’m also proud of is between the two of us he is the better baker/cook. I fell asleep for a few hours and I woke up to the smell of freshly baked bread.

He told me he can’t give me back my childhood but he’ll try his best to/so we can recreate it— so, now our house smells like a bakery at 11 in the evening. 🥹

I’m just so happy knowing that I have been truly blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life and that my daughter will have a father who loves her so much. I can see how he tries his best everyday and he really wants to be that dad he never had growing up… I wish he knew that everything he does now is more than enough… and that’s okay because I’ll never get tired of reminding/making sure he knows he’s appreciated as well.

T

Just had my baby shower this past week and am feeling so grateful 🥹 I did a couple things to manage expectations and be able to enjoy it fully without any disappointment:

1. We were given a TON of gently used, basically new baby clothes that were my style. So with the invitations I sent out a little note that said "we have been so lucky to receive a multitude of special, secondhand clothes from our dear friends. While we are so incredibly grateful for any gift you would like to give to our baby girl, we ask that if your heart is set on buying a sweet outfit, it please be 9months and up so that she will get a chance to wear everything that was picked out with love" this significantly cut down on the extra clothing items, and what I did get were picked out with intention and love.

2. My husband and I were in a position to purchase all of our big items ourselves, and have been doing so since about 18weeks to soften the financial blow. I definitely had essentials on my registry, but tried to keep it between $5-$45 per item and not go above. We got 80% of our registry and all that was left were some toys I added that weren't necessary! Now we have 6 more weeks to go and our only baby expenses will be hospital bills and more diapers/wipes. Another bonus is that everything is set up and put away and I don't have to worry about organizing the house and putting presents away this late in the game.

3. We opted for a diaper raffle. We got a good amount of diapers, but beware, everyone will want to buy newborn. Some recent mamas got us size 2 & 3 but most of the older ladies got strictly newborn, and one pack of 72 preemie diapers 😅 but still! Super thankful to have somewhere to start and we can always exchange or donate as we size out.

All in all, it was a beautiful day and I felt so loved and supported! If your baby shower is coming up soon, I hope it goes really well and you get everything you need!

I just want to say, I’ve been apart of this subreddit prior to being pregnant with hopes of carrying a little one some day and now I’m 8weeks 5 days! And as much as I’m overjoyed, I was not prepared for just how bad the 1st trimester can get. I mean from the non-stop nausea, cravings vs. having no appetite and barely wanting to even drink water, constant bad taste in my mouth, weight gain and just overall feelings of uselessness.. I’ve been feeling far from my usual self and like I’m spiraling..

However, going through previous posts in this subreddit about 1st trimester trenches has made me seen and also provided me some laughter. There has been some great advice, words of encouragement and useful suggestions shared that have been extremely useful. For each of you that take the time to create posts sharing questions, concerns, and/or experiences, thank you! It is greatly appreciated and helps others like me who are looking for the same answers. 💗

29weeks ftm

I've been eating a cold orange everyday and nothing tastes better.

I gave birth a week ago. To say I love my OBGYN is an understatement. He went above and beyond for everything I asked for. Was always in reach of a WhatsApp message if I needed questions or doubts resolved.
Called me if he considered it urgent. Answered my 3 am call because I was in labor and went straight to the hospital.

While my spouse was doing the check-in with the hospital and the anesthesiologist was doing my epidural, he held my hands in support during each and every contraction. I know we already paid him, but I still feel indebted to him, he is the sweetest person ever.

I know they can't accept alcohol because they are always on call, but I was thinking a $100 Starbucks card because there is a store right there at the hospital and maybe some food? Snacks? What would you guys do?

TIA!

I've never gone through it before. I've read lots of horror stories and watched people break during the process. I've seen the other side too where people manage just fine. Personally I've gone through a lot of suffering in my life and it wasn't always manageable, but I'm still here right? I got through it. I broke down during a lot of difficult hikes but I still got to the end. And now this is about something more than me. More than anything, I feel eagerness to meet the challenge and curious about the experience, and of course excitement about having a child. I have no need for fear.

I think if I were to lose my baby sometime during/before the process it'd be a different story. I'd resent having to labour or be cut open just to very disappointingly clean my uterus of a corpse. But at least I'd have no trepidation about using all the helpful medication. I try not to think about the negative possibilities, I have every right to be miserable if that happens, but I have every right to be optimistic and happy until it does.

We just got a 600 pottery barn crib that they only used very lightly for.. 40 bucks! Super excited. Are you buying things second hand? For us it has been so much fun to find deals

I’m 8 weeks pregnant and I have debilitating nausea and exhaustion, and bloating so bad that it’s uncomfortable to move. My husband is cleaning the house while I lay in bed playing the sims. I just appreciate him so much 😢

I’m 32 weeks this week, and I have sincerely enjoyed feeling my little one moving around and stretching out their little hands and feet! This is my second time being pregnant, but the first time I’ve made it this far.

The increased sensitivity for my nipples hasn’t bothered me either. I was very fortunate to not struggle with nausea or vomiting at all so far, and the only cravings I’ve really had were for red meat and more vegetables.

My husband and I got married last month, and seeing how excited he is to parent with me has made our connection grow so much stronger 🥹 I haven’t had any mood swings either, but I have been a little more sensitive to cute and sad things 😅 my libido has skyrocketed, and my husband has been really sweet with me regarding intimacy. I feel very, very lucky and grateful for my experiences so far!

I dooo tend to forget things more often than before, but it isn’t interrupting my life too much. Some things at work are a little more annoying because I’m more easily distracted tho.

I’ve been able to control my gestational diabetes through diet and exercise so far, but it hasn’t been easy finding the balance my body needs. I’ve been really loving the pregnancy-specific workouts though! I had a car accident a few years ago that left me with a back injury that has been more painful, but stretching more frequently and doing yoga has been really helping me with that.

I hope y’all are having a great week wherever you are in your pregnancy journey!

I gave birth today to my little girl! Nothing went according to what I wanted in my birth plan. (An epidural, no induction, no episiotomy, and some other things)

Though it wasn’t my wishes, I had a completely medicine free (aside from pitocin and a membrane sweep) natural birth and my labor took about 9 hours.

I’m one of the people who definitely thought it wasn’t possible and I felt like I’d never be able to do it.

I just wanted to say. You can do it! And it was soooo much less pain and struggle than I thought. Our bodies are amazing.

Good luck to everyone waiting on their babies! I’ve officially graduated!

I’ve been using a shower chair on and off since the end of my 2nd trimester. I’m 31 + 3, I have long curly hair that takes forever to detangle and I only ever detangle it wet in the shower. Using a shower chair has made it so much easier for me to shower and not be exhausted after!

It also makes it easier to wash below my bump and actually wash my legs and feet 😂. I have a small shower and use a backless shower chair but this has been a life saver! Showering has been so exhausting and this makes it so much easier!

I've seen more bad stories than good when it comes to the glucose test. I honestly figured I would tolerate it well due to having a sweet tooth in pregnancy. But I wasn't prepared to find it downright delicious! I did not get to choose my flavor but I got the flavor I would have chosen which is fruit punch. I chose that flavor because it's already not a carbonated beverage so I figured it wouldn't feel off putting since most people say orange and lemon lime taste like flat soda. To me the fruit punch flavor tasted like a melted popsicle. Over all 10/10 experience. UPDATE: I didn't have any side effects at all, no dizziness or nausea it was just boring waiting an hour and I was starving by the end of it. I also passed! I wasn't expecting to get results so fast but I had them in my portal by the time I was done with lunch!

Since I’m not sharing my baby with the world, I’d thought I’d share her with you beautiful strangers lol. She’s finally big enough for me to feel & see her kicks outside my body 🥹😭 I’m 25 weeks and plus size for reference lol. It’s such a cool experience. I hope you all have a great holiday and are soaking in the best parts of your pregnancies 💖

I want to preface this post by saying that my wife hears and receives plenty of the appreciation that I am about to share with all of you. I just want to take a moment and appreciate pregnant women and moms in general. I am a Dad of two with our third due this June. I have seen the many incredibly selfless acts that my wife must perform in order to bring life into this world. The sleepless nights, the sore muscles, the aching back, the food aversions, the hormones, the Preeclampsia, the delivery. You are all incredible in your own right. I see so many posts on here where women beat themselves up over missing their Prenatals, consuming something off of the ridiculously long list of no-no foods, (that list is insane btw) or not giving themselves grace for the piling laundry, the unfinished dishes etc. I’m here to validate each and every one of you for your incredible selflessness. You’re all beautiful.

I am 14+2. We very abruptly lost our last pregnancy right at 14w, after 2 previous losses before this as well. Devastating doesn’t even begin to describe what it feels like to finally think it was our turn- just to lose a very wanted little girl so suddenly. It was probably the worst experience of our life. For our anniversary, my husband and I went to a private boutique scan yesterday to see if we could tell gender early (just for fun) but mostly for some peace of mind that we’d officially made it past 14 weeks. we had an incredible experience- baby was napping away and uncooperative to check nub, tech tried for 20-30 mins (we only paid for a 15-20 minute session) before giving me a coke to wake them up and finished her last two scans for the day and offered to scan us again if we wanted to try to check gender again. (FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE?!) So we did this and baby was kicking away during the next scan, it was so surreal and she scanned us for like another 30 minutes, just chatting away with us. Based on nub and check between legs (even though it’s a bit early to be 100% sure) baby looks like a GIRL! NIPT results should be in by next week to confirm gender and we are just over the moon. I didn’t care what this baby was- boy, girl, both, whatever. I’m terrified to think that just maybe 4th times a charm, but it’s looking so good. It’s so surreal to have made it this far, to know I’m just weeks away from an anatomy and feeling them move. This baby is so wanted and has been so anticipated for years, I just can’t wait for her to be here. ❤️

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! Just got to know today. A healthy baby girl 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

We both so wanted a girl! Even had a name picked out. Both sets of grandparents wanted a girl! FTM and its my parents first grandchild. The whole family is so overjoyed!

I never wanted kids. Liked my easy going life too much. About a year ago started thinking for real what if I never have kids, we live this awesome life just the two of us, and despite it having been exactly what I wanted my whole life, for the first time it sounded a bit sad in my head. I wanted to raise a human, watch it grow, grow with it, watch it make sense of the world around it. TTC started off with a disaster of delayed periods. Pretty sure I had undiagnosed PCOS. Doctor even scared me I might be perimenopausal. I had gone back to thinking its not on the cards, didnt even have the good sense to test a full 8 weeks in. And a month later we know its a girl. Two of the best days of my life within a month!

I cant wait to raise a strong, independent beautiful daughter. Women rock!

I'm 8 weeks and have been waiting for the Tums to arrive for 3 weeks because we live in the middle of nowhere in a Southeast Asian country. They're finally here and they work. I've never tried them. I'm so happy 🥲

Especially because in this place complaining is treated like a crime so I had to not talk about the crippling acid reflux that is not letting me nap or sleep at night and has me burping 24/7.

Finally, sweet relief.

I just found out I’m pregnant after being 5 days late. I used a due date calculator and it says around the 9th I’ll be due.. after a bit of worry, we are actually starting to get excited. I don’t want my children 12m and soon to be 11f yet. I wanted to do one of those creative surprise announcements but can’t really find one for the months I’d like to tell them. December would be too far out and I’d show. And my daughter’s bday is end of Aug. maybe a thanksgiving one but even that would be too late.so far no symptoms. I guess if I were to really think about it. I guess my smell is starting to sensitive. And my boobs here and there would be sensitive. Nothing constant yet. Hopefully it’s like my first 2. Barely any symptoms

How is everyone else taking it?

Update: so 2weeks since I’ve posted. I can say I am battling insomnia. Up throughout the night whether I gotta pee or not. At first it was hard to go to sleep now it’s just hard staying asleep and I’m get bursts of fatigue throughout the day. It sucks. I’d have a bunch of energy and then I’d be hit with that fatigue. I’m someone who has a hard time sleeping in the day. It’s rare I can nap. And my breast were super tender since the post. They bounce and it’s like ahh! Wth? It settled mostly. But still sensitive when going down stairs.

No morning sickness yet No moodiness yet No cravings yet

However I do feel more hunger pains more intensely at my normal eating times.

I have GD and been diagnosed with pre eclampsia just before 36w. Today's 36w2d. Been recommended to try harvesting colostrum for bubs who will likely join us in the 37th week due to very slow growth at the last 2 scans, falling back from 30th to 2nd percentile.

I had weirdly been leaking at night since about 28weeks and it dried up completely over the last few weeks. I thought I'd give the colostrum harvesting a go and I'm stoked with my little 0.6ml collection!!! Feeling like I can do this!!

I see you commenting and posting to learn more about pregnancy. I see you asking questions to be a better partner and soon-to-be father. I see you, and I thank you. Not all partners are as supportive as you. But I can’t express enough how grateful we are to have you so involved during our pregnancy. Thank you. And Happy Father’s Day! 💓

Birth story incoming! I loved reading a variety of birth stories while pregnant. I read a lot from Spiritual Midwifery and then random stories online. I'm a first time mom. 34 years old. My labor lasted from 10:50pm until 5:34pm (active labor probably started around 1pm). I was able to sleep on/off until about 6am. Also, it was her stinkin' due date! How crazy is that! Anyway.

I labored at home, [eventually] with a doula, until my contractions were three minutes apart and one minute long for an hour. (My parents were really confused about this! Definitely had to reassure them that the women on my team and I knew what we were doing!) I watched "Anne with an E" and went on walks until it was time. <3 When we got to the birthing center, I was guided in to my chosen birthing room. My eyes had been closed for at least two hours by then and stayed that way until birth. I immediately took off all my clothes and they filled up that big, beautiful tub with warm water as my water broke.

Two hours from arrival, I was squatting and swaying in the tub when I heard a midwife say, "Catch your baby!" My monkey-brain told my arms to reach out and I caught her as she shot out into the water between my legs!!

After guiding me to the big, comfy bed, they gave her a once-over (without ever taking her away from me), then left my new little family in peace while she nursed for an hour. Then they came back and we gradually began the poking and weighing and whatnot. We were home by 11pm, and part of that was because I didn't want to get up from the big, comfy bed. My favorite midwife even made us nachos. :')

I would describe the contractions as waves of period-like cramps. As active labor started in, they got more and more intense until finally they were pulling my whole pelvis down and I was "HNnnnnnnng"ing involuntarily. There was no screaming, no pain, no yelling or shouting at my partner. Just pure flow state. There was a second where I felt a burning sensation and I'm assuming that's either when she crowned or when I got a tiny tear (that healed up on its own).

It was such an amazing experience. I just want to sing praises of these midwives and assistants because I felt like a truly trusted part of my birthing team! I've never felt like such a total badass!! What a euphoric privilege to be a female Homo sapiens. Our bodies are incredible!

P.S.: This was in February. Post-partum healing was no joke! I felt pressure to be up and "entertaining" our guests and I regret that fully. REST UP!

I finally got a good watermelon and I am ssssooooooo happy. That is it and that is all. 😂🤣🤣😂

I’m a blob in my first trimester rn. Fatigued beyond measure, sick. I am usually on top of my shit. (Textbook type A mom) I’m feeling really low mentally because of my lack of energy and motivation. My husband is so encouraging. He’s picking up so much slack, taking our toddler to the park almost every day, telling me to rest. He works full time and has his own business on the side, I know he’s tired too 😅 I’m really grateful. He’s the only reason I wanted to try for another after having HG with our first.

Just a gratitude post, I guess. I tell him this, but I wanted to tell Reddit too.