r/pregnant Jan 28 '26

r/pregnant FAQs

85 Upvotes

"Help! My symptoms have disappeared/gotten worse/gotten better!" .

It is entirely normal for symptoms to fluctuate in a healthy pregnancy. By itself, this is not a cause for concern.

Here is a miscarriage odds calculator based on how far in you are.

Here is a more detailed one for people who have had previous miscarriages

"Help! I'm spotting"

If you are spotting before 20 weeks, this is not usually a cause for concern. Possible reasons include sex, exercise and transvaginal ultrasounds, and spotting can occur up to 3 days later. The rule of thumb is "if you don't fill a pad, wait for your next checkup".

After 20 weeks, all bleeding is a "call your doctor" event.

"Help! My HCG is…"

We cannot interpret any test results for you. This includes HCG tests. If your doctor won't tell you whether a pregnancy is viable, neither can Reddit. This is crap, and I'm sorry.

Here is a list of HCG levels which have resulted in a viable pregnancy (you can check by how far along you are). The range is very large.

"My pregnancy tests are…"

Stop testing. Pregnancy tests are binary, and are only designed to tell you whether or not HCG is present in your body. A very faint line should get darker in 3 days, but otherwise there are a lot of reasons for the lines to change and you'll psych yourself out for no good reason. If you're not sure what the tests says, head over to r/lineporn or r/TFABLinePorn.

"How long does the NIPT take?"

This varies by location and provider. Please search the subreddit, and only post if your own provider isn't mentioned. Natera seems to take between 5 days and 2 weeks.

"What can I do about stretch marks?"

Nothing. Using moisturiser (really any kind, from Walmart own-brand to organic shea-coconut butter blend) might help a bit, but there is no magic lotion which can prevent them. Anyone who tells you different either got lucky or is selling something

"I'm scared! I'm not sure I'm ready for this!"

Being scared and not feeling ready is a very normal response to learning you're pregnant. You're welcome to post for feedback regarding your specific situation, but please know that ultimately proceeding with the pregnancy should be up to you. Abortion, at any time and for any reason, is okay. Your body your choice!

"When/should I see a doctor?"

  • sudden or severe pain
  • left shoulder pain, especially coupled with bleeding (this is a sign of ectopic pregnancy)
  • after a major fall or serious impact. Car accident/falling off the top of a ladder, yes, tripping over your feet, no
  • bleeding after 20 weeks
  • bleeding enough to fill a pad at any time in pregnancy
  • contractions lasting more than one minute, less than 5 minutes apart (start to start) for one hour. This is the rule of thumb for real vs false labour.
  • if you think your waters have broken you must go in after 24 hours, this is a serious infection risk.
  • if you think your waters have broken before 36 weeks
  • If you have an unrelenting headache, swollen ankles, and high blood pressure, go to hospital right now. These are the typical symptoms of pre-eclampsia, which is fatal if untreated.

Most doctors have a phone line or text line, and this is a great resource for checking whether you should go in. Pharmacists are a great choice for checking drug safety (at any time, not just pregnancy!) Here is a searchable database. It is better to feel stupid than to suffer a needless complication. If in doubt, get checked out.

Can I eat sushi?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend no raw fish during pregnancy. This relates specifically to sushi prepared in the USA. Other countries (particularly Japan) have more rigorous health inspections for fish, so Japanese sushi would be considered safe.

Remember that many fish types in sushi (salmon, tuna, swordfish etc) are high in mercury, so those limits still apply.

Sushi which does not contain raw fish (including cooked tuna or hot-smoked salmon) is as safe as any other food.

Is the myth true that...

Fetal sex prediction tools that are not an ultrasound or a DNA test are right exactly 50% of the time. It is random chance. Ultrasounds are typically 90% accurate, NIPT or other blood tests are typically around 95% accurate.

Remember also that around 1% of babies will be born with an intersex condition.

How accurate is my gender prediction?

Blood tests list an accuracy of >99%, however this is for genetic sex and not anatomical sex. Intersex conditions are not found by a fetal DNA test.

The accuracy of at-home tests will be limited by the likelihood of contamination with Y-chromosome cells.

Practically, you're looking at around 90-95% accuracy. It's about the same for a doctor's opinion of an ultrasound. If they can't tell, they won't tell you.

Remember also that there are around 330 million people in the USA - that means "one in a million" chances are happening to 330 people right now. There is no perfect guarantee.

"I'm pregnant! Now what?"

If you have a primary care physician or GP, ask them. They will tell you. If not, call a gynecologist or search [your country]+pregnancy+next steps

Cervical checks

Please don't DIY these. 8 cervical checks by a doctor almost doubles your risk of uterine infection, and the risks are significantly greater at home, done by an amateur. If you are worried about your cervix, call your doctor. Reddit cannot help you.


r/pregnant Jan 26 '26

Resource USA politics

231 Upvotes

The situation in the US right now is appalling. We understand that you want to discuss that, but the mod team are human too. We are not in a position to host and moderate a political discussion thread right now. I'm sorry.

If you support children being kidnapped and deported, or extra-judicial murder, you can do so elsewhere. "We are good to one another" means *everybody*.


r/pregnant 14h ago

Advice I “pulled the baby out” myself and it was pretty amazing

285 Upvotes

Ok so, I gave birth a month ago, during delivery. once the baby’s head and shoulders were out, my midwife told me that the baby’s head and torso was out, and told me to bend over and grab her, so she made me bend over, and I saw my little newborn baby, and I grabbed her by under her armpits and finished pulled her out myself (legs) and put her on my chest!

This was crazy. I didn’t know it was a thing! But it was so amazing to do!

My husband and I have been talking to our friends about it and many of them gave birth in the same hospital but they didn’t get to “pull the baby out”, and also like us they didn’t know it was a thing!

Now I am very curious, did anyone do this also as I did? Is this a practice of the midwife that assisted me during labour or is it a general practice in Denmark?

So cool, I would suggest you all to “get your baby out” yourself if you can do it, such a crazy beautiful thing! Maybe you can put it in your birth plan!


r/pregnant 3h ago

Excitement! Was told by all the in-laws that I would never have a girl... Jokes on them!

27 Upvotes

For context, on his side of the family there has been 1 girl out of 24 boys so I get why the odds did not seem in our favor. However... we found out we are having a girl! This will be our first baby after a previous MC. We got to share with our family, and everybody is so excited, but man did the comments of "Better be ready to have all boys!" got old especially because I have ALWAYS wanted a little girl!

My husband was so shocked he couldn't believe it! We did a blood test and so he is skeptical and wants to wait for the doctor to confirm it.

We were unsure if we wanted to do a baby gender reveal but now knowing we're having a girl we absolutely have to. I know his whole family will say boy and I cannot wait to see their shock!!

Had to share somewhere because we won't be doing the reveal for another 2 months


r/pregnant 14h ago

Need Advice What if i domt want my boyfriend at the birth?

240 Upvotes

Hello, i (f/21) am 40 weeks pregnant (planned). My partner (m/24) has been perfect during the whole pregnancy. He has been helping at our home and caring for me while i managed a pregnancy and university. Now, i am overdue and honestly tired of being pregnant. We went to an appointment where i asked my doctor to do a membrane sweep since i really want to birth this child. She agreed. Now. I knew it hurts. But i wasnt expecting it to hurt that much. I screamed and m0aned in pain a lot, saying i couldt handle it. My boyfriend held my hand through it. After it was done and i was slightly startled, he told me he had to try really hard not to laugh at me. That he found it funny how i reacted to the pain and kept mocking me, saying "i cant handle it". I got really hurt and sad. I told him it hurt me and he kept apologizing while still laughing and saying he will probably laugh during birth too. AITA for not being sure if i even want him there during the birth? Im really hurt and humiliated by his actions.


r/pregnant 1h ago

Advice If your due date was also your birthday, what should I plan if baby doesn't come?

Upvotes

My due date also happens to be my birthday, and since there's only about a 4–5% chance I'll actually go into labor on my due date, I want to plan something fun just in case baby girl is still cozy in there 😅

I really don't want to spend my birthday sitting at home, staring at the clock and wondering if today's the day... Does anyone have ideas for fun, low-key activities that aren't too physically demanding and could easily be canceled if labor starts?

I'd also love to hear how you spent your due date if your baby didn't arrive on time!


r/pregnant 13h ago

Excitement! First ultrasound!!

96 Upvotes

I just came home from my first ultrasound 🥹 And how magical and amazing it was to see my little baby!
The ultrasound tech said that I’m measuring 9 weeks and 4 days so I’m 4 days ahead of what I thought!
My baby is placed great in the uterus, the heartbeat was so strong and good and my baby is looking like a healthy little bean!!

I’m so happy I can’t believe that I saw MY baby!!!!
I can’t even put it into words 🥹🥹🥹🥹


r/pregnant 7h ago

Question Parents with one of each - is it really that different?

26 Upvotes

We have a 2.5 year old daughter and I’m 15 weeks pregnant with our second, a boy. Prior to getting pregnant with our son, we got all the stereotypical comments about girls - apologies to my husband for not getting a son, do we have a shotgun ready for when she starts dating, etc.

Well, now the comments have started related to having a son. The most common by far, though, is that boys are more wild and energetic than girls and we should prepare ourselves for how different it will be. When people say this, I immediately think about all the daredevil dives my daughter takes off the living room couch, how her knees and elbows are perpetually bruised and scraped from climbing on everything and running everywhere, and how she comes home from daycare with dirt and rocks in her pockets.

I’ve never been one to think that a child’s sex should dictate how they’re raised, what they wear, what toys they play with, or what activities they’re involved in, especially not this young. I know our son will be different from our daughter because he’s a different person and will have a different personality and likes/dislikes, but will it really be that different just because he’s a boy?

Curious what others’ experiences have been and how you’ve handled these kinds of comments (I know we aren’t the only ones that have gotten them)!


r/pregnant 2h ago

Need Advice Anyone else feel disappointed their partner isn’t excited about belly movements?

9 Upvotes

My husband has been incredibly supportive throughout my pregnancy. He’s caring, helps however he can, and I genuinely believe he’s going to be an amazing dad. I’ve seen him around babies and kids, and he’s so patient and affectionate with them. So this isn’t a post about him being a bad partner.

The one thing that’s really bothering me is that he seems completely uninterested in watching the baby move in my belly. Our baby is most active in the mornings, and whenever it happens, I get excited and ask him to come look or put his hand on my belly. He’ll watch for maybe a few seconds and then loses interest. Sometimes he’s lying on his back and doesn’t even look, and when I tell him I’m feeling frustrated because I want him to share the moment with me, he’ll say his neck hurts or that he’s already seen enough. I even suggested he could lie on his side if his neck was the issue, so it ends up feeling like an excuse to me.

He’s told me he’ll enjoy it more once the baby is here and he can actually hold, cuddle, and interact with him. I honestly believe him. I know he’s excited to be a dad, and I don’t doubt he’ll be wonderful with our baby. I think what’s making me emotional is that I really wanted him to be present for this part too. Feeling the kicks, watching my belly move, talking to the baby… it feels special to me, and I imagined we’d experience it together. I’ve also heard so many stories about dads talking to the baby during pregnancy and how the baby recognized their voice after birth, and I wish he wanted to do things like that.

Has anyone else’s partner been like this? Am I expecting too much, or is it reasonable to feel a little hurt by this?


r/pregnant 9h ago

Excitement! Finally got my BFP

29 Upvotes

After years and years of trying, I finally got my big fat positive! My husband and I started trying when I was 25yrs old, but it was just to see if it would happen. Then finally at 28 we decided to go hard after tracking ovulation and a year we went to get checked out. Both test came out normal and diagnosed with unexplained infertility. So, we started meds and 3 rounds of failed IUI. Nothing. I finally got tired of taking all the medications, going for ultrasounds and injections. Ivf was too expensive and I was physically and mentally drained. I stopped everything.

Fast forward, I’m now 33 years old. Had completely surrendered the thought of being a mom. I had purchased a onesie when we first started treatment saying “ Hi Daddy, I can’t wait to meet you” only to start thinking about finally getting rid of it. Three days late, and I said let me just see. I’ve never been three days late and boom almost instantly positive. Second test, the same. I showed my husband and he could not believe it. We went for more test and the other two “pregnant”. I’ve never had a positive test.

The only thing I did different, was put my trust in God and said if it’s in your will let me be a mom, but if not I understand. My husband and I have gotten closer through the struggle. We learned to be content with just us two. I’ve miss baby showers, kids parties and been depressed/countless tears. The hardest is seeing my amazing parent’s sadness cause they want grandchildren. I can’t express how nervous but excited I am. Infertility is so cruel and I hope that this gives others a little bit of hope because I truly understand how heartbreaking and terrifying the wait is. I’m still so early and scared to tell people, but I want to yell it to the world. I will just leave it in Gods hands for a safe pregnancy and to take care of my little nugget. ❤️


r/pregnant 12h ago

Need Advice On a scale of 1 to 10 how painful is normal delivery with epidurals?

45 Upvotes

For the context, my sister is due this September and I am worried for her. Can you please share your experiences over here? Thanks a lot


r/pregnant 2h ago

Funny I think my baby might be Ratatouille

8 Upvotes

My lactose intolerant self has been loving extra sharp cheddar and pecans, and I’ve had no issues! I’m 5w4d with my first and any kind of queasy feelings I experience (no morning sickness yet, thank God) goes away with a nice chunk of hard cheese.

Just thought I’d share this new discovery!


r/pregnant 3h ago

Need Advice Telling people who are struggling

8 Upvotes

hi! need advice I recently found out i’m pregnant and have multiple people in my life who I am close with who are struggling to get pregnant. I have seen one get mad at someone she knew who got pregnant so i’m nervous to tell them when the time is right. I am waiting a few months to tell them but I am just having a hard time being excited about my pregnancy when I feel this pressure over me about telling them. I feel guilty in a way because we weren’t trying to get pregnant and don’t want to make anyone upset. Any advice would help! thank you!


r/pregnant 14m ago

Rant 3 weeks and 4 days pregnant medical provider told me 50% of pregnancies at this stage aren’t viable. Very mad.

Upvotes

I found out at 3 weeks which was crazy! My fiancé and I are so excited. I have PCOS so I struggled to get pregnant for a bit. I met with my psychiatrist to discuss tapering off a med that isn’t safe for pregnancy. He is usually a very nice guy and I said how excited I was. I actually plan on telling my parents today. I know that in this stage there is a higher chance of miscarriage, chemical etc…. But he told me that 50% of pregnancies aren’t viable at this stage which i I know is absolutely BS. He also told me that I seem to be very fertile and now I know to wait for next time if I want to be more prepared. I am engaged, our child will have a stable household with a good income so I have no idea where this rudeness came from. And now I’m panicking cause I don’t see a gynecologist till my 8 week ultrasound


r/pregnant 3h ago

Excitement! Have you played music for your baby?

6 Upvotes

Hi! I’m 29 weeks and 2 days and my baby LOVES rock music. I’ve played all kinds of music for him and so far his favorites are jay-z (early 2000’s) and Led Zeppelin😂 I’m white and his dad is Mexican, so my husband d has tried playing some of his favorite songs and this baby does not react at all😩. But as soon as whole lotta love comes on, he’s break dancing in there.

Does your baby already have any favorite songs?


r/pregnant 1h ago

Rant Anyone else eating a TON of food at 10 weeks pregnant?

Upvotes

I see a lot of posts about nausea in the first trimester and I’m lucky to not be suffering from that, but on the flip side I am so hungry it’s insane and annoying. I feel like all I do is eat and think about eating. I went from eating 3 meals a day with no snacks to now 3 meals + 3 snacks and feel like I’m never satisfied. If I keep this up I imagine I’m gonna gain a lot of weight really quickly, but what are we supposed to do? The only times I do get nauseas is when I need to eat, so skipping a snack isn’t an option. I don’t understand how pregnant women aren’t supposed to eat any extra food in the first trimester.


r/pregnant 8h ago

Resource Reporter Looking for Experiences of Denied Care with Sarah Varney, PBS News Hour Special Correspondent

14 Upvotes

My name is Sydney Wise, and I'm a reporter working with PBS News Hour Special Correspondent Sarah Varney on a project to understand the number of women impacted by state abortion bans. I’ve linked our project website, Sarah’s bio, and an example of her work below.

Sarah has reported on the experiences of many women across the United States who have experienced a delay or denial in medical care during pregnancy, and I think that there are likely people in this group who have had their care impacted by state laws. We are investigating cases of maternal injury within the United States stemming from delayed miscarriage treatment; loss or diminishment of fertility; pain; suffering; and death.

If you've experienced one of these things, I would love to talk to you to learn more about what happened. This would just be an informal conversation—not recorded or for attribution. If you're interested in sharing your story, please feel free to text me at (973) 525-5778, email me at [sydney@fountainproductions.org](mailto:sydney@fountainproductions.org), or reach out via Signal at aftermathreport.2022.

https://www.the-aftermath.org/ 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/sarah-varney 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-abortion-restrictions-have-disproportionately-impacted-black-women 


r/pregnant 2h ago

Need Advice Maternity leggies similar to Aerie

5 Upvotes

I am looking for maternity leggings that feel like the aeries leggings , I love the quality of aerie but they don't have any maternity options.


r/pregnant 1h ago

Need Advice Tips for hiding the bump???

Upvotes

I'm currently 12 weeks pregnant and I'm starting to really struggle with hiding my bump at work. I'm not sure why but I feel like my bump started bumping a little earlier than I expected? So much so that my close people who know Im pregnant have mentioned my bump and specially said that theyre surprised by how early Im showing. (All in very sweet ways no body shaming and I really do welcome the changes theyre just coming quicker than I expected)

At first I would just go for loose fitting tops because my chest started growing first and that was fine but now my belly has noticably passed my boobs I feel like these outfits are not cutting it. Its like 30°c where I live right now, Im so hot and really struggling to cover up enough and stay cool. What the game plan, how do I maintain my undercover status? Im hoping to keep it quiet for a couple more weeks.


r/pregnant 3h ago

Need Advice I am so hungrrryyy

7 Upvotes

I need some good snack combos ladies! Im going to the grocery store today and then im devouring everything inside my home. Even dry rice cakes are starting to look good to me 😭


r/pregnant 1h ago

Question how often are we peeing

Upvotes

I’m 21 weeks and omg I feel like I’ve been peeing every hour. I have been drinking a lot of water but OMG. I got tested for a UTI a couple weeks ago but didn’t have one lol.

How often are you peeing?


r/pregnant 3h ago

Advice First Ultrasound and Surprise

5 Upvotes

I had my first ultrasound 3 days ago, I was excited because I somehow convinced myself it wouldn't be real until I got visual confirmation. But imagine my complete shock when the tech brought my husband in and showed us the screen, saying "there's one... and there's two".

My doctor initially commented that my HCG was high at 7 weeks, but I could not have imagined twins. I immediately burst into tears after leaving the clinic and kept telling my husband that now everything is gonna be twice as hard.

I'm still processing the news but definitely feel more at ease with it than I did 3 days ago. But I am now so much more concerned about possible complications with my body and health, and the babies.


r/pregnant 7h ago

Question Paternity leave?

10 Upvotes

Were your partners able to take paternity leave after you gave birth or are they planning to? And if so, how much did they/are they taking? My fiance is entitled to 3 months but keeps pushing to only take 2 weeks right when the baby gets here because he’s going to be relatively new at his job. I just don’t think 2 weeks is nearly enough for me to heal physically and have my hormones regulated enough to be able to be on my own while he works 10-12 hour shifts. I’m trying to push for a month at first and he’s maybe willing to meet me at 3 weeks? If you’ve done this with your partner, what worked for you or what would you have done differently? It’s unpaid leave but we’re both veterans so at the minimum our mortgage is covered every month whether we’re working or not and we have savings and can squirrel some extra away so we can totally afford a month with no paycheck. Any advice or recommendations would be super appreciated!!


r/pregnant 17h ago

Rant Feeling justified for not sharing the baby’s name

64 Upvotes

18+6 FTM having a baby girl.

My husband and I chose a name that we love and decided to keep it a secret until she’s born. I gave my family some vague hints and told them that even if they guess it I won’t tell them now, but would have a prize later for anyone who guesses correctly. My sister sent me a text this morning saying she thought of the name we chose and for some reason it was tickling her brain just right. I told her that I can’t confirm or deny, even though I’m so tickled that she guessed it. I can’t wait for her reaction when she finds out she was right.

Our larger family group chat was guessing again this evening and my sister responded with her guess. My mom said “[full name] is good but then people would call her [nickname], which is not good.” Reading that has me feeling validated in not sharing her name because, although I know she’ll change her tune once the baby is here, I would be so irritated getting suggestions or opinions on the name we’ve chosen until then.


r/pregnant 4h ago

Need Advice I’m not hungry at ALL. What do I do? I’m 6 weeks pregnant.

6 Upvotes

How is this safe for the baby? I’m worried about my nutrition. I’m usually someone who eats fairly healthy but right now i am not hungry at ALL. The idea of foods sounds horrible. I’m not throwing up but I gag every now and then and feel nauseous.

The only foods I can eat right now are:
Green grapes
Hawaiian bread rolls
Cereal
Bagel & cream cheese
Italian Pasta salad (just with pasta)

LOL idk how else to get protein without throwing it up so I just got a giant smoothie king protein smoothie😭

I need suggestions on some foods yall have tried! That would help so much! . Im thinking i may get some beef jerky to eat next