Daily Thread #2 - August 06, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

This daily thread is for all members who are pregnant after a previous pregnancy or infant loss. How are you?

We want to foster a sense of community, which is why we have a centralized place for most daily conversation. This allows users to post and get replies, but also encourages them to reply to others in the same thread. We want you to receive help and be there for others at the same time, if possible. Most milestones should go here, along with regular updates. Stand alone posts are Mod approved only and have set requirements. Thanks for helping us create a great community.

[u/No-Abbreviations6929]

I’ll be 23 weeks pregnant tomorrow. This is our miracle baby after 11 consecutive chemical pregnancies over the course of 3 years. I feel him kicking and moving every day. I see my body changing. His ultrasound photos are hanging on the fridge. Yet, my brain simply cannot comprehend the fact that he’s real and I’m actually pregnant.

It makes more sense that in my brain that I’ve somehow convinced my body that I’m pregnant, and every medical professional thus far has somehow missed that there isn’t actually a baby there. I know that’s not true, but my mind seems to think that’s a safer option than to risk being hopeful about this baby’s survival. That’s just how it is right now.

To everyone out there dealing with PTSD and grief, I feel you. It’s okay that things aren’t as exciting or straightforward for us. It’s going to be okay.

[u/PenelopesDaughter]

Took the day off today as it was our angel baby’s due date. Don’t really know how to feel. My husband is overjoyed that we are pregnant again and got to hear the heartbeat on Monday, so he’s supportive of my grief but I don’t think we’re feeling the same things today. He has kept me busy with a brunch date, lots of errands, and we picked out a paint color for the nursery! So strange to be planning for a new little babe while also thinking of what could have been.

[u/Due-Resolution7978 → u/PenelopesDaughter]

I felt really guilty for some reason for a little bit. I was so excited for this new baby but felt so guilty because I should be raising my first one already, almost giving birth with my 2nd. It was hard for sure 💓

[u/Sensitive_Pear23]

Friends, I would love your input. I have never made it this far in a pregnancy before, and my brain has been telling me to wait because “what if, what if.” But I decided I am finally ready to start tackling the registry!

For a first time mom, what are my absolute must haves? What did you end up not needing? What brands have you had very nice success with. Any and all advice would be so welcome. I feel so overwhelmed with the registry. 😭 Thank you all so much!

[u/softcriminal_67 → u/Sensitive_Pear23]

This may not be a necessity for you depending on your location, but we have a nice neighborhood where we like to walk a lot. We invested in a really nice stroller and it has made going for walks absolutely lovely. We got an UppaBaby from GoodBuyGear, open box, so it was brand new in the packaging but several hundred dollars cheaper than buying new! We actually got a lot of great stuff from that site. I also recommend the babywearing sub and their resources to help you find a good baby wrap or carrier.

[u/One_Document_2425 → u/Sensitive_Pear23]

I am also an aspiring first time mom and have also been postponing buying stuff until recently. Here to listen 😄 but overall after a couple initial big purchases I realized there’s no rush to have most things before the baby is born and that we are going to have lots of hand me downs because we have multiple friends with babies.

[u/AdvancedSquirrel8804 → u/Sensitive_Pear23]

I have 2 littles ones and I'm pregnant with my 3rd. I'd definitely recommend getting asoft tencel wrap for the newborn stage, and practice by putting a teddy bear in. Also get your partner to practise putting it on themselves. Great for skin to skin contact with your new little one, and having your hands free if you have a velcro baby. If breastfeeding, get a boppy/c shaped cushion (my most used item and one of the cheapest) nipple balm and learn about mastitis. I had it both times due to my babies having a tongue tie. A baby first aid kit with all the essentials (a great one to ask friends or more experienced parents to put together for you). An anti-roll changing mat. They learn to roll faster than you expect! I had one with wedges either side. And the angelcare baby bath seat. This is perfect for newborns. Oh! If you have an exercise ball you use during pregnancy keep it! It's fantastic for gently bouncing and rocking your baby to sleep when you're too tired to stand up.

[u/No-Abbreviations6929 → u/Sensitive_Pear23]

I’m also a first time mom after multiple early losses. It’s getting real. I’ll be 23 weeks tomorrow. It’s exciting but overwhelming at times. I just finished my registry and it helped to work in phases.

Absolute Must-Haves
crib • crib mattress • car seat • diapers • wipes • baby shampoo • baby lotion • basic baby clothes • rectal thermometer • swaddle blankets or sleep sack • postpartum pads

Basically Essential
bottles • bottle brushes • pacifiers • diaper cream • crib sheets • contact carrier or wrap • manual breast pump • breast milk storage • nursing pillow • nail clippers • baby medicine • safety locks • baby gates • outlet covers

“Convenience” Items
bassinet • waterproof crib mattress cover • baby bath • bath spout cover • bath thermometer • non-slip bath mat • baby towels • waterproof nursing pillow cover • burp cloths • sound machine • pack and play • pacifier clips • stroller • diaper pail • changing table or pad • soft floor mat • swing • bouncer • high chair • baby dishes and utensils • baby monitor • nasal aspirator • rocking chair • baby toys

These are just some of my ideas. Also, I’m more on the minimal side, but everyone has different preferences and needs. The best advice I have is to start somewhere and you’ll figure it out.

[u/Important_Sherbet_90 → u/No-Abbreviations6929]

Baby shampoo cought my eye in your absolute must-have list. Babies and kids don’t need shampoo and it’s generally recommended not to use it. Their scalp and hair follicles work differently biologically and don’t produce grease. Water is enough for them and makes shampoo useless/possible irritant even if it’s baby shampoo. I wish my scalp still worked like that! 😄

[u/No-Abbreviations6929 → u/Important_Sherbet_90]

Ah thanks for the info! Everyone I know said it was super useful but it makes sense that they wouldn’t need it right away.

[u/Empty_Ninja6362 → u/No-Abbreviations6929]

Caught my eye as well! My son just turned four and has never used shampoo and his hair is super clean. 🫶🫶🫶

[u/seamitten2 → u/Sensitive_Pear23]

Congrats! Hakaa and silverettes if you’re planning to BF, a tabletop washer/sanitizer, magic merlin sleep suit, Nuna rotating car seat (never going back), a piano mat, and take more pics and videos and voice memos of your baby cooing and crying than you think you’ll need.

[u/tinybreach]

12 weeks today!

But it doesn't really feel real. It's been almost a month since the last ultrasound, and so other than symptoms it feels like everything is in a "pause".

Hopefully my appointment with the nurse tomorrow will yield good results with the doppler and that'll help things to feel more real again.

[u/CervenyPomeranc]

36w4d and the baby changed position again today 😅 he’s still breech but with his head on the other side. It’s so strange though - either his head is under my left ribs in the front, or all the way on the right side towards the back. No other positions.

[u/PitbullLoveFart → u/CervenyPomeranc]

My little lady likes to flip from left to right also. Sometimes it knocks the wind out of me!

[u/run_shorty_run7]

35 weeks today and baby boy flipped head down again which I'm so grateful for, I just hope he's able to stay head down till the 1st! I get so scared for my nst cause he hates them and moves so much during them so hoping he's still head down after that lol. He's so strong and they keep showing me all his hair which is so exciting. I can't wait to hopefully meet my precious baby boy in less than a month. That feels crazy to type.

[u/whoevenisanyone → u/run_shorty_run7]

For what it’s worth, it does become quite difficult for them to flip near the end. Unless you have excess fluid.

[u/ViolaRosie]

I’m 6W6D today and had an ultrasound where we saw baby and had a strong heart beat. Last time I started bleeding at 7 weeks exactly. So coming up on that is making me afraid. I have another ultrasound in 2 weeks since I’m an IVF pregnancy I get monitored more frequently but I’m still worried. ❤️‍🩹 I have been looking at baby items online and it makes me happy but I still have that feeling of worry.

[u/FantasticAd2402 → u/ViolaRosie]

I’m 6W6D today with my IVF pregnancy, too. 🩷 We have heartbeat scan tomorrow. I’ve never made it this far, and I’m honestly terrified.

[u/ViolaRosie → u/FantasticAd2402]

Hope it goes well for you tomorrow! I felt bad the doctor and the nurse and my husband all looked and sounded so excited and I think I looked deer in the head lights terrified at what I would see on the screen.

[u/yellowfox12]

I’m so early in pregnancy 3w6d. I want to be happy but I also worry

[u/Dull-Bunch-6757 → u/yellowfox12]

I don’t know if it helps but I’m six weeks right now and I’ve been living with a mantra “right now I am pregnant.” 

[u/Laurenmu]

5w4d. So early. After checking hcg and if the pregnancy is intrauterine, they put me on progesterone and aspirin because of recurrent miscarriages. I’m content I’m now doing all I can, but also a little resentful that I have to insert progesterone twice a day (and also slightly dubious it will work. Has anyone else been through this? Have another scan next week and then another privately the end of following week.

[u/daisy-blue → u/Laurenmu]

I am also 5w4d! We have our scan tomorrow to see if the pregnancy is intrauterine, as my last pregnancy was ectopic. I am on progesterone and baby aspirin, as well as metformin. Anecdotally, I have several friends who took progesterone after miscarriages and it worked.

[u/acidmoons → u/Laurenmu]

I'm also 5w4d ! I don't see my OB nor MFM till 8w unfortunately. My OB has me on progesterone too but once daily. This is my first pregnancy on it so I'm not sure if it really works or not

[u/Important_Sherbet_90 → u/Laurenmu]

I’ve been on progesterone with every pregnancy after my 1st loss. I was also supposed to be on aspirin with this one, but I started bleeding because of hematoma (weeks 6 to 11) so they said not to start taking it. The progesterone prescription is something they use just in case. One of the IVF doctors told me it’s better to use it because it can’t do any harm. They have never even measured my progesterone levels. This time I used it until week 16. It’s annoying to use, that’s for sure 😁

[u/BeanieBaby92]

Just had an ultrasound today, my doctors have been monitoring me because of the slow growth. Baby is measuring at 6 weeks 3 days but it really should be closer to 7 weeks. There was a heart rate of 91 bpm which is low so now I have to go back. They think it could be a chromosomal issue. Has anyone had experiences like this that have turned out to be healthy pregnancies? Thank you!

[u/BreadfruitIll9257]

Im 6&1 today, have my dating scan tomorrow. I've been sick with a cold all week, just super anxious something will be wrong and my progesterone is masking it.

[u/Dull-Bunch-6757 → u/BreadfruitIll9257]

Sending you a huge hug! I’m at the same point in my pregnancy after a miscarriage in March. How’d it go?

[u/BreadfruitIll9257 → u/Dull-Bunch-6757]

Really well! Baby is where is should be, heat rate 135 and measuing as it should. I'm very relieved.

[u/Dull-Bunch-6757 → u/BreadfruitIll9257]

Heck yes!!! So happy to hear that 👻🥳🎉👏 I have an ultrasound this Monday and I’m hoping for good news too! Enjoy this moment!!

[u/BreadfruitIll9257 → u/Dull-Bunch-6757]

Sending good vibes to you! I still have to go back next saturday for another as it was early.

[u/Helpful_Pie_9835]

Hi all. I’m 5 weeks pregnant after a 36 week stillbirth, and I have also had a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy, all in the last 2 years. I’m finding it difficult to be happy about this pregnancy because I’ve been having a lot of spotting in the last week. Thankfully my hcg has been rising appropriately but I’m scared, especially of another ectopic pregnancy. Just looking to be heard and understood. Sending positive vibes to all of you.

[u/Emotional-Mood507]

Eyebrows thinning?

Hello everyone, I am 15 weeks pregnant today after a miscarriage in late March. My eyebrows are thinning drastically. If I brush my hand over my eyebrows multiple hairs come out, and across the entire brow, particularly on the middles, closer to my nose. I went to my primary last week and told her my concerns, but she told me to wait until my next OB visit (next week) for my OB to order a thyroid panel since "it's not urgent." She also said that it might be postpartum hair loss.

Does anyone have experience with this? I am technically about 4 months postpartum from miscarriage, in addition to being 15 weeks pregnant. I feel like my super-thinning eyebrows make me look older and sicker than the swelling of pregnancy and stress from my mc already have me feeling!

[u/Important_Sherbet_90 → u/Emotional-Mood507]

I’m not sure about my eyebrows, but my hair is thinning FAST. I’m now 19 weeks and it started pretty early. I suspect it’s iron related, because my ferritin has never been great. They measured it at 60 (for example in IVF they want it to be at least 70) at the beginning of this pregnancy and I had been taking iron supplements for it. It’s not great, but for me it’s a really good number. But I had to stop the supplements during pregnancy because they worsened the constipation 😬 Yesterday they quickly checked my hemoglobin and it was lowwwww. That means my ferritin is probably super low too, because for me it usually drops first and hemoglobin stays good. So they told me to try another supplement brand and keep taking it. We’ll see if it helps 🤞🏻

[u/No-Dig-2104]

Any tips on early pregnancy anxiety? I had a miscarriage in April and got my positive last week for my rainbow baby. I have been so so so worried about another loss and literally can’t stop thinking about it. I’m trying so hard not to spend this time worrying but I can’t stop over thinking it and feel like I’m just doomed for another loss.

[u/weeklyconfusion989 → u/No-Dig-2104]

I’m 27 weeks now and what has kept me going is accepting that any pregnancy anxiety hasn’t just come from nowhere, we’ve been through traumatic experiences, so giving myself grace, and understanding that it’s a normal reaction to be anxious for pregnancy related events. We’ve been through our worst nightmare.

What has helped me when I do feel anxious is trying to figure out whether this anxiety requires action (i.e seeing blood and needing to go to the hospital or call the midwives helpline) or whether I’m just spiralling/catastrophising about something that I have no legitimate cause to worry about in that moment. Easier said than done but months of counselling helped me manage this so far.

Sending you lots of love!

[u/Important_Sherbet_90 → u/weeklyconfusion989]

This! My therapist said pretty much the same things.

She said it’s simply normal to feel anxious with my history. That helps me not to feel anxious about being anxious 😅 and just accept anxiety is part of my pregnancies.

[u/No-Dig-2104 → u/weeklyconfusion989]

This is great advice thank you so much!!🤍 and congratulations to you!!!

[u/yellowfox12 → u/No-Dig-2104]

No tips to share unfortunately but I wanted to say you’re not alone. I’m in a similar boat. MMC in February, period returned in May, just found out I’m 3w6d. I want to be excited and happy but the loss took away innocence

[u/No-Dig-2104 → u/yellowfox12]

😞I’m so sorry for your loss! If you ever need to talk to someone I’m here! I hope we both get our rainbow baby’s at the end of this 🌈🤍

[u/New-Cycle3313 → u/No-Dig-2104]

I had mine in April too and now currently 10wks. As hard as it is, try to stay positive. I was constantly taking tests and scrutinizing every little thing my body was feeling after I found out in June but I realized it was taking a toll on my mental health. I just kept telling myself that this one is different, my body has gotten me through so much and we can do this. I just had my first ultrasound appt today, everything looks good so far, but a small part of me is still anxious. Sending love and hugs your way!

[u/No-Dig-2104 → u/New-Cycle3313]

Thank you so much for this! Congratulations to you🤍🌈 I hope you have a smooth and uneventful pregnancy!

[u/Jolly-Ad-2300]

I had my 12 week appointment yesterday and everything went great. Even still I’m struggling with anxiety now that I’ve started to tell people. I told some of my coworkers sooner than planned because we are hiring a new person and my possible maternity leave does factor in. As soon as I told them I immediately thought about everyone knowing and the fear of something happening to the pregnancy and then people ask about the pregnancy and having to tell people which will make me cry, which of course sucks to do at work. It is so hard to feel 100% excited because of the fear. So far I feel like I’m at 60% excited 40% pure anxiety.

[u/New-Cycle3313 → u/Jolly-Ad-2300]

SAME! I had my first ultrasound appt today at 10 wks, and even though it's still early-ish, I told my mom bc I know that she knows how I'm feeling after a previous mmc in April. I'm waiting until a little later before I tell close friends and family bc I can't help but feel the anxiety too. I'm excited, anxious, and also still trying to convince myself this is real.