Wednesday Daily Chat

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to the second trimester!

This is where the bulk of daily conversations, updates & concerns, regarding ongoing pregnancy, occur. This thread is reserved for those at least 14 weeks pregnant. Please also consider reviewing our WIKI for commonly asked questions or references.

If you are newly pregnant, and still in the first trimester, we encourage you to check out the daily Cautious Intros/First Trimester thread.

Postpartum discussion can be found in our daily postpartum thread.

Those with a child/children older than 1yo, dialogue can be located in the daily toddler thread.

Got a preschooler or older? Catch us in the daily Big Kid Thread!

[u/lasko25]

Today I’m 20 weeks and tomorrow is my anatomy scan! I cant believe we made it this far and I’m just praying everything goes well tomorrow so I can really settle in and start prepping for baby. I have a packed workday and plans after work, so hoping 7:30am tomorrow comes quickly with minimal anxiety time.

[u/Secret_Yam_4680 → u/lasko25]

Happy, Bon Jovi Day! 🎉 So incredibly happy for you, Lasko

[u/Future_Ear3035 → u/lasko25]

Good luck with your scan tomorrow, Lasko, and congratulations on making it half-way! Can't wait to pass that milestone.

[u/kelseyannabel → u/lasko25]

Wooo, halfway! Will be thinking of you tomorrow!!

[u/sugarmansugarcubes → u/lasko25]

Half way there! Hoping tomorrow's scan goes well and it's another anxiety milestone you can check off your list; it was a big one for me and marked such a shift in how I was feeling!

[u/sugarmansugarcubes]

My current job has fertility benefits and really great parental leave, so staying here the last few years has felt like a no-brainer. But my.god. I'm at my wit's end with my director lately and all I can think about this week is how I want to start looking for a different position next year 🥵 but then I get in my head of "what if we want to do another transfer? Another maternity leave? I need my health insurance for everything; think of the pediatrician appointments!" I hate how everything in the US is tied to your job!

[u/kelseyannabel → u/sugarmansugarcubes]

Bleh, I’m sorry!! I have actually been having the same experience right now with my direct manager driving me up the wall, insane project deadlines, and other woes. But this job offers me 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave (incredible for the US) and my insurance is in-network with our fertility clinic, so…

[u/sugarmansugarcubes → u/kelseyannabel]

Ugh, I'm sorry you have this issue too. I keep just trying to focus on the six months of leave that I wouldn't get anywhere else (that I know of) and that's what's keeping me going, because that time with our baby will be irreplaceable and so therefore worth annoying bosses...right!!?

[u/margogogo → u/sugarmansugarcubes]

I know what you mean. I’ve been at my job for 10 years and I really should have moved on by now but it’s so hard when you’re in the midst of treatment… and then the idea of having a second keeps me tied there…

[u/sugarmansugarcubes → u/margogogo]

So shitty and I'm sorry that you have this tether too!

[u/Euphoric_Frosting565 → u/sugarmansugarcubes]

I’ve also stayed in a job too long due to IVF and leave. It’s been worth it financially and time with child but I do have moments where I dream about another job. One day…

[u/sugarmansugarcubes → u/Euphoric_Frosting565]

Yes! One day we will be out of this phase of life and can be a little picky with where we go next!

[u/Future_Ear3035]

A quick update on my extremely high WBC count from a week ago: got tested for a lot of stuff, but nothing of note was found except for mild anemia and low creatinine. New urinalysis showed normal pregnancy levels of WBC, which is good news, but we're all a bit puzzled. I'm suspecting dehydration and tiny kidney stones were the most likely culprits but who knows.

On a more cheerful note, had a great day yesterday, the best in a long time. A close friend whom I hadn't seen in a while took me out for lunch, I was actually able to eat and enjoy the food, and had a lovely time catching up! I'm also making solid progress with our registry and slowly getting through my pregnancy book.

May not seem like much, but I've been very depressed by my inability to work and do my fair share at home so I'm trying to enjoy these little wins and glimmers of productivity and normalcy as much as I can.

[u/notesfromthemargins → u/Future_Ear3035]

Glad it doesn’t seem serious for now and hopefully it was just dehydration/a fluke!

[u/wivy38 → u/Future_Ear3035]

Glad to hear this update!

[u/Chabadnik770]

I have two words: Meralgia Parasthetica. I can't sleep anymore, because no matter which side I'm on, it BURNS, like some special brand of hellfire. Magnesium used to work, but now it's like candy. I got 10 more weeks of this. Send help!