u/shamanfa

I have an opportunity to do a lyra photoshoot when I'll be about 30 weeks pregnant! I'm looking for ideas for mostly beginner/intermediate shapes that will photograph well and capture the bump :) Anyone have any inspo they can share?!

Obligatory: I am cleared by my doctor, have been doing aerial for ~7 years and am sticking to beginner/intermediate shapes for my own comfort, not because that's where I'm currently at skill-wise.

I've always had a pretty strong core - and thought I understood a lot about core engagement because of my background as an aerialist. Now that I'm starting to modify exercise (approaching 20 weeks), I'm replacing my usual core work with things like bird dogs and bear planks.

Bear planks are all good, but whenever I try bird dogs - I feel absolutely nothing. I'm being super mindful of muscle engagement (core to pelvic floor), but it doesn't seem to be doing it for me. Any tips to maximize this movement? I see so many people talking about how it's great for deep core work, and I want that!! Also very open to other suggestions for more impactful core moves :)

We're going with a mini crib for our little one to save space (we're in a tight city apartment). I am working on our registry, and would like to include a handful of mini crib sheets. We're using Babylist, and the only options they have are the Babyletto and Newton mini crib sheets. Neither have great reviews, so I'm looking elsewhere.

There are INFINITE options on Amazon, but quality is important to us. I'm also always paranoid that Amazon sellers will say 100% organic cotton or bamboo - but the product is not actually.

Looking for recommendations for brands that have served you and your babe well!

I'm pregnant and due in December. The consensus from EVERYONE is to get on waitlists for daycare ASAP. We are hoping not to need daycare until August 2027 with my maternity leave, but are starting to research and plan. I have a million and one questions, and I'm hoping someone here can help me wade through the noise - because right now I feel like I'm spinning my wheels.

- Generally speaking, how do waitlists work? I'm assuming it's usually not a courtesy hold, so what's a typical cost or range?
- We live in West Loop now, but hope to move next summer when baby is about 5/6 months old. We cannot swing moving now. We are pretty flexible on neighborhoods, but are most interested in South Loop, Kenwood/Hyde Park or Bucktown. We can't go much further North or West than Bucktown because of my commute to work. It feels kind of "chicken and egg"-y. Do we see where we can get into a daycare and narrow our search down that way, or narrow down our neighborhood preferences and then hope for the best with daycares in that area? OR do we cast a wide net (contingent to the answer to my first bullet point lol) and get on waitlists in a few neighborhoods to keep options open?
- We are also curious about nanny sharing, but feel TOTALLY lost on where to begin that research. A year and some months feels like way too early to start coordinating that, but if it's comparable in cost to daycare - it's something we would be super interested in arranging with some other families in our area. What's a good timeline to start exploring this?

I should note that my husband doesn't drive and will be the one handling drop off and pick up most days. It's important that we have a daycare that is walkable from our home - wherever we land - for this reason.

Screaming internally. Thanks for any help you can provide!

I recently hit my 120 payments and have officially applied for PSLF. I sent the form off to my employer, and we're coming up on 2 weeks without them completing their portion of the paperwork.

I do not want to be naggy, but I can't imagine it will take them much longer than 5 minutes to fill in the relevant information. I have been with my district with no gaps in employment since 2013. Does anyone know what certification looks like on the employer side? Is it just a simple "Yes, I can verify they've worked here these dates" or is it more involved?

I'm a teacher on summer break, so I can't easily just pop into my HR office to get an in-person signature - although I may end up doing this if we hit 4 weeks with no response (HR works 12 months). I know they technically have 60 days, but every day that passes, I just picture the generic DocuSign email sinking lower and lower into my HR person's inbox and it's KILLING ME.

Hi! We have an Uppababy Vista (V1) that's been passed around the family a bit. We are currently pregnant and starting to work on our registry, and one of our family members very kindly offered to give us the Vista for free if we wanted it.

I know Uppababy is a great brand. Do you think a loved Vista V1 will be durable? My husband is decently handy, so if we need to swap out wheels or something, I'm confident he could manage that. We live in a big city and walk quite a bit! I'm definitely drawn to the FREE aspect, but nervous we'll end up wishing we had a newer model post-shower and will wish we had registered for a new stroller of our own.