u/kelp_rolls

First time, and I don't know if I need advice, a pep talk, a good cry, or what. I've just hit 30 weeks and every day I'm getting more and more anxious about giving birth. Up until a couple years ago it was my biggest fear. I've been incredibly lucky this far that everything has been going according to plan. I have my glucose test in a couple days and I'm sure that will either make me feel better or worse depending on the results.

What is freaking me out now is if something changes or goes wrong and I end up needing to be induced or needing a C-section, both of which I absolutely want to avoid. I'm overweight and if I end up having gestational diabetes or developing preeclampsia later on I'm sure that will put me at higher risk. I also want to go without an epidural out of fear it could create the need for intervention. The fear of natural birth is bad enough, but the fear of needing intervention is almost paralyzing.

I'm so scared I'll make it to the end only to think that maybe I can't do this, or that something will go terribly wrong, and it's so hard not to have these thoughts. I hope I can stay strong and just remain adamant that I want to do things naturally when my baby and my body decide we're ready, as that seems like the way to go for me.

Any tips or advice are greatly appreciated, even if it's just to tell me to get a grip lol. I'd also love to hear your own experience.

I've been thinking a lot about how the dynamic will change once my baby is here (due early September). My cat is very clingy, like will not leave my side, will lay or sleep on me any chance she gets, loves to cuddle. I don't have other kids so I do consider her to be one of my babies and I love her so much. I worry about giving her the right amount of time and affection once the baby is here, since the baby will be taking most of my time. I don't want her to feel replaced or that I don't love her anymore. Has anyone else dealt with this, and how was the adjustment?

I just received my welcome box from Babylist! I'm very happy with it because it seems a lot better than the boxes from other retailers. My registry is solely through Babylist so it was easy to get.

To get it: Add 3 items from other stores, make a minimum purchase of $30 from the Babylist shop (can be done by you or someone else), and add items to complete 40% of their provided checklist. You may have to pay for shipping.

What I received: 3 anti-colic bottles (Philips Avent, Mam, and Dr. Brown's), 10 Motif breast milk storage bags, samples of Huggies and Rascals diapers, samples of Water Wipes and Honest wipes, 5 Parasol disposable bibs, 1 Suavinex pacifier, an adorable onesie from Small Story, sample of Lansinoh nursing pads, and trial sizes of Triple Paste, Palmer's stretch mark lotion and oil, Tubby Todd ointment, Aveeno baby balm, Jack 'n Jill toothpaste, Noodle & Boo laundry detergent, and Lume deodorant.

There were also included coupons for a free can of formula from Bobbie, a free swaddle from Little Unicorn, and a free pack of diapers and wipes from Dyper.

It is absolutely worth it, my favorite thing is that they included a few different bottles to try out. Don't sleep on this box!

Hi all! My baby shower is in a couple weeks and I haven't decided what I'm going to wear yet. I want to dress up a little and look nice instead of wearing my normal t-shirt and jeans. The shower is going to be very casual, we're doing a BBQ. I'm also on a budget so trying not to spend a lot. I'm not much of a dress person, but I'm open to wearing a long skirt. The weather looks like it will be low to mid 70s (F). Just looking for ideas, tyia!

31f, I'm 28+2 with my first baby, a girl! Feels like a miracle because I have PMOS.

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Up until this week, everything has been smooth sailing for the most part. All my labs have looked good and baby is growing and developing as expected. My blood pressure has remained in normal range. A few days ago, I began noticing I was having constant headaches and started randomly seeing stars and dark spots, and would sometimes get nauseous. I've read up on preeclampsia, and fearing that these were warning signs, I called my doctor's office. They urged me to come to the hospital as soon as I could for testing. They did a stress test, urine sample and bloodwork. The stress test came back fine, and my blood pressure was normal. Bloodwork was fine. However, they found a high amount of protein in my urine, and urine was dark. I know there could be many reasons for this, but their diagnosis was that I was dehydrated. They gave me fluids and sent me home.

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I have since increased my water intake and have been paying close attention to it. However, I am still having all the same symptoms that sent me to the hospital in the first place. I'm worried that they didn't take their time looking over everything thoroughly and may have missed something. The visit felt a little rushed. I'm worried that I *am* in the early stages of preeclampsia, where all the typical symptoms haven't shown up yet. My other fear is that it could be gestational diabetes, which I haven't been tested for yet, but I assume that's coming soon since my doctor has deemed me high risk. I already struggle with an anxiety disorder and this whole situation is not helping. I am so nervous about how the rest of this pregnancy is going to go because I'm scared that I'm not receiving the best care.

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If anyone has had a similar experience, or just words of encouragement, I would love to hear from you.

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Note: I'm NOT seeking medical advice from this sub.