January 2020 Garnets!!!

[beccabear86]

Sophie, it depends on your medical insurance. Commonly, routine office visits are covered at 80-100%. For non-standard visits, there’s usually an annual deductible that needs to be met before insurance will kick in at 80%. My particular insurance plan has quite a high deductible (because it’s $300/mo less than the “better” plans). I need to pay $1,750 in individual medical costs each year before my insurance pays a dime, or $3,500 combined for my whole family. If I opted for the higher plan (which, again , costs $300 more per month), my deductible would be $800.

Basically... healthcare in the US can kiss my butt.

 

[MommyPrice]

Congratulations on your sonograms OnErth, Goingforit, BeccaBear, and Fit_Mama! (I think that's everyone, lol!)

I'm looking forward to getting some maternity clothes, since I got rid of all mine after the last pregnancy. There's a great second hand store in Canada that I'll be visiting when I travel up to visit family the first week of July.

I think I asked this before, but honestly can't remember - is anyone finding out the gender via Sneak Peek? You can find out at 9 weeks, and if it's done at a clinic, it's has an almost 100% accuracy (lowers at home risk of contamination). I wanted to stay team green, as I never had before - but knowing that I COULD know I think is going to kill me

 

[Literati_Love]

Becca - wow, that sounds so expensive! I’m glad I don’t have to pay for the majority of my healthcare costs.

MommyPrice - I don’t know if that test is available here, but I don’t think I’ll be getting it. I don’t do the genetic testing to find out about risk factors, etc, and that’s the only one here that tells the gender. That would be so neat to find out so early, though! Let us know if you cave and do it!

 

[Fit_Mama2Be]

Fit_Mama do you want me to change your due date on the first page?

Thanks for offering. I am strangely torn on this so maybe I'll leave it for now. I have another scan in 2 weeks so I'll see what they say then.

Our healthcare system has a strange policy where I live, in that you are given your due date at your first dating scan and then it does not change (unless your dates are way out maybe?). So regardless of what baby measures at future ultrasounds my due date is going to be January 23 from the medical communities perspective.

It also concerns me a bit because I'm planning to have another c-section and I don't want them scheduling it too early now. Thankfully my OB is a reasonable guy so I'm sure we can figure something out.

Your shopping sounds great Literati, I'm jealous! Since DS was a January baby as well I'm hoping I have enough seasonally appropriate maternity clothes to get me through. I might have to pick up some pants and leggings though.

Gl at your scan today Sophie!

 

[Fit_Mama2Be]

Congratulations on your sonograms OnErth, Goingforit, BeccaBear, and Fit_Mama! (I think that's everyone, lol!)

I'm looking forward to getting some maternity clothes, since I got rid of all mine after the last pregnancy. There's a great second hand store in Canada that I'll be visiting when I travel up to visit family the first week of July.

I think I asked this before, but honestly can't remember - is anyone finding out the gender via Sneak Peek? You can find out at 9 weeks, and if it's done at a clinic, it's has an almost 100% accuracy (lowers at home risk of contamination). I wanted to stay team green, as I never had before - but knowing that I COULD know I think is going to kill me

That sounds very cool but I don't think we have those labs here. :-/ I want to get the Harmony test which would tell us the sex but the doctor was telling me that I'm not allowed (by our healthcare system) to do the Harmony test AND have a nuchal translucency ultrasound even though I'd be paying for Harmony out of pocket. Grrr.

 

[red_head]

Hey all - sorry so quiet I am feeling rough! Which I’m over the moon about really but struggling to keep up with everything!
Congratulations on all the beautiful scans!
Mommyprice - I hadn’t heard of it before but having looked it up there are quite mixed reviews about accuracy? I think we will do the harmony blood test which tells about any potential genetic issues, as our last pregnancy had lots of issues and my husband has a chromosome issue. Not that it would change anything but gives us more time to prepare, but it will let us know the gender.
Those of you who have to pay for healthcare I honestly feel so grateful for the NHS after reading those figures. We are going to be closely monitored - possibly with scans every two weeks throughout so this would be incredibly expensive! We wouldn’t be able to afford a baby after the pregnancy!

Anyway, I’m still dreading going to this wedding this weekend, don’t know how I’m going to act like we don’t have this amazing secret while trying not to puke, surrounded by perfume smells (which I’m struggling with) and feeling soooo bloated and ugly (my hair is horrendous I miss hair dye already!) and tired! Fell asleep at 4.30 yesterday afternoon and only woke up at 6.30 when my husband got home and woke me! Oops!
Can I just say, I know I’m moaning but honestly I feel so grateful - I cried from happiness sat on the floor next to the toilet (haven’t actually been sick but been close) and I keep crying because I want this so much, but am so scared to relax and enjoy even a second!

 

[GemmaG]

Has taken me a few days to get here to ask for me to be removed from the Garnets Unfortunately it didn’t work out for us this time...........Wishing all you beautiful ladies a healthy and happy 9 months xx

 

[red_head]

Oh no I’m so so sorry xx

 

[co_fostermom]

Oh Gemma I'm so sorry.

 

[co_fostermom]

Sophie - I actually am a part of a medical sharing network which has been pretty reliable up to a point. None of my fertility treatment was covered, so that was completely out of pocket (though we did see a nice tax refund from it this year), but that's pretty commonplace with any insurance coverage. But once I confirmed pregnancy, the plan I'm on will cover up to $250k of my maternity expenses. The issue is that we have to pay everything up front, submit the bills, hope they get approved, and then they are shared by another member who sends me money directly just as I might send my share to another member every month. Everything that was eligible for coverage so far has been taken care of by other members. It's neat to watch us all take care of each other, but I definitely wish our insurance companies were more like that instead. I really don't think the insurance companies here care about people at all. They just care about money, which is why our government tried to fix the problem but I think they created more of a mess and now it's being dismantled but not put back together properly. It's really quite frustrating.

 

[MommyPrice]

I'm so sorry Gemma xx

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Our plan is no co pay but 6k deductible.
I went to the OB yesterday who wants a $500 deposit by next visit and the balance of everything due in full by 32 weeks after you're already making regular payments....
That is not standard or normal. Other OB simply bill insurance and insurance sends you a bill for your office visit, birth, etc and you make payments to them.

 

[Fit_Mama2Be]

So sorry for your loss Gemma. Sending you hugs and strength.

 

[beccabear86]

Oh man, sorry for your loss, Gemma.

 

[ashley2pink]

So sorry Gemma!!

 

[ashley2pink]

I’m having quite a bit of anxiety today because I’m having virtually no nausea today. Yesterday it was pretty minimal as well but today so far I just feel almost normal. It’s freaking me out because in my other pregnancies I was so sick all of the time. I do remember in my last pregnancy having a couple random days with less morning sickness but it was definitely still there. I hate having anxiety. I didn’t have anxiety with my other pregnancies. I only started having anxiety about 1.5 yrs ago. I keep getting super panicky that something is wrong and my anxiety makes it seem so real that something is wrong. My morning sickness should definitely not be easing up at 7+3. Normally this is the when I feel my absolute worst!

 

[beccabear86]

@ashley2pink I'm right there with you. I measured about a week behind at my scan, and am scheduled for a f/u scan next Wednesday. Meanwhile, I've put my body under a bit of a microscope, trying to make sure that my body still feels right. I had MS again this morning, but very mild... my boobs have generally been pretty sensitive since my BFP, but today they feel not so much? Trying not to read too much into it, but sometimes it just seems impossible... dear Lord, please let the next week go by quickly and let everything be just perfect... when is your next dr visit?

 

[red_head]

I’m with you both on the anxiety. I got so bad at one stage I became agoraphobic but have recovered a lot since then. But this pregnancy is bringing it back. I wish they handed out magic 8 balls with pregnancy tests! I keep trying to tell myself that it’s okay until it isn’t, but it is so hard. If you’ve seen a heartbeat at 7 weeks, the chance of miscarriage is less than 5% I think. Although I still feel like that’s high! But we’re half way through the first tri now (or more). It’ll be alright. Xx

 

[co_fostermom]

I think the 1st tri just sucks all around. You can be feeling horrid but it’s reassuring, or you don’t have pregnancy symptoms or they’re mild and you worry that something is wrong.

If it helps, I have found comfort in letting go of the false sense of control I want over this pregnancy. I’m really not in control. I can make good decisions with my health but other than that, there’s nothing I can do to change the outcome of this pregnancy.

It seems counterintuitive to choose to stop worrying, but I have found myself much more at peace the last week or so because of it. I was feeling super anxious at the beginning of week 7 too because of lack of nausea. Maybe that’s a common symptom for that week (anxiety that is)!

At any rate, things will get better soon.

 

[goingforit]

So sorry for your loss Gemma cx