This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ladies, what are your favorite products for summertime snack bags and containers? I love the look of these reusable snack bags, from Amazon — they come in a variety of fun colors, have a PVC-free lining, and are machine washable. (We have some like this; we also use these guys.) The pictured reusable bag is $9.42 at Amazon. Itzy Ritzy Snack Happens Reusable Snack and Everything Bag, Sunshine Chevron, Regular (L-3)Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
Click here to see our top posts!
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
waiting... says
I’m waiting for results of my first beta with my first pregnancy (after IVF). I got a positive home test yesterday evening, and a positive this morning – though it was maybe a little lighter, which made me freak out (though I didn’t time when I looked). I cheated and had my blood test done this morning, two days early and 12 days post ovulation.
Any idea what a good result is? I know the important thing is doubling, but based on a paper I just read, it sounds like first beta has significant predictive value. I’m just driving myself crazy googling random questions and completely useless at work today.
I realize I’m being nuts, and think they probably wrote that on my chart when I strongly requested an early beta.
TIA!
CHJ says
My first response is to say congrats, and don’t drive yourself crazy trying to interpret a single beta score! Like you said, the doubling is the much more important piece of information, and you won’t get that from a single, early blood test.
But my second response is to give you this link, in case you can’t help yourself. =)
http://www.betabase.info/
PinkKeyboard says
They can generally let you know if it’s a chemical pregnancy. With our first try they called and said “sorry, the number is technically positive but it’s so low it’s a chemical pregnancy”. So good luck!
OP says
PinkKeyboard, sorry to hear your first try was a chemical. Wishing you luck if you still need it!
And thank you, CHJ. This is so hard without anyone to talk to. I really can’t imagine telling anyone yet.
Just wanted to update with results: my beta came back at 58, and they said they want to see at least 50 by the time of my scheduled test (which is Thursday). I’m relieved, but now just worrying about that next hurdle.
Msj says
I need help finding style inspirations for a new professional wardrobe. I plan on weaning in the next few months and will need to rebuild my closet around my newish body and lifestyle. Most of my work clothes were pretty tightly tailored before falling pregnant and are now not the most flattering option for my post partum belly that I don’t think will ever get back to completely flat. Yes, I can technically get most of it zipped, but it’s not exactly comfortable or appealing.
I actually liked having a limited wardrobe while pregnant and would like to stick with a simplified capsule wardrobe or uniform of sorts. I wear mostly skirts and dresses. I am in a business environment. I wouldn’t call it casual but I only need to wear a suit a few times a month and it can be a ‘fun’ suit
I’d love to find some new style icons to get inspired (although I’m not sure i had ones previously) and have a more cohesive “look.” Ideas? Are there women in their 30s who can pull off Eileen Fisher draping?
pockets says
I am kind of in the same boat and wanted to tell you that YES Eileen Fisher. I’m 31 and I wear many Eileen Fisher pieces, mostly the drapey tops and the skirts (the dresses don’t work for me). I don’t know if you can go full on harem pants and linen vest over boxy silk shirt, but I do like wearing the fancy-ish tshirts over a pencil skirt, or an Eileen Fisher pull-on skirt (http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/eileen-fisher-pleated-skirt?ID=874318) on casual Fridays.
Another brand that has worked well for me is Lafayette 148.
hoola hoopa says
I’m 33, wear EF, and get compliments. One of my favorite pieces is a loose A-line dress that I can wear with a belt when I’m feeling svelte or loose when I want something more forgiving. Bonus that it feels like wearing pajamas.
JJill has a similar look for a fraction of the price. I’ve been happy with the quality.
When I’m not pumping, I really like sheath dress with a loose cut. When I’m pumping, I generally stick with straight or slender cut pants with a loose, drapey top, and structured jacket.
anne-on says
I wear pencil skirts and sheaths almost exclusively. Pencil skirts with silk shells or drapey tops (and blazers) and sheath dresses with blazers. Brands that skim but don’t cling are hard to find, but Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, and some JCrew dresses work. Looking for dresses that have some sort of detail or tailoring at the highest part of your natural waist and then flow out a bit also helps.
MSJ says
Thanks! Are there any specific tops or dresses you are particularly fond of?
anne-on says
The JCrew wool pencil skirts, sheath dresses, and ‘interesting’ blazers that look intentionally mismatched. Honestly, I tend to buy 1-2 pieces a season, usually on sale or off-season, and multiples of things that work for my body type. The classic sheath dress post on the main site the other day was a great resource
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/Saxxon%C2%AE-Wool-Cap-Sleeve-Dress/WX00246,default,pd.html?dwvar_WX00246_Color=KHAK&contentpos=13&cgid=0317
JJ says
So I recently bought a ton of those Pleione mixed media blouses (and the Target Merona knockoffs in brighter colors) and wear those with a pencil skirt probably 3 days a week. I wear a sheath dress with a cardigan/blazer on the other day and jeans on Friday. I used to really care about dressing for work, but now I just want to make sure I’m professional, presentable, slightly tailored, and don’t have to devote mental energy to it. I love knowing that I can just throw on one of my trusty blouses, a neutral skirt (navy/black/grey/grey plaid), and call it a day. I’ll dress it up with different earrings or necklaces to change the look a bit from day to day.
I love Eileen Fisher – very happy to hear it’s possible for a young 30s woman to pull it off.
Maddie Ross says
Could you point me to the target version?
JJ says
The Merona Women’s Popover Top: http://www.target.com/p/women-s-popover-top-merona/-/A-16475033
Amelia Bedelia says
I am in the same boat. I am about 5-7 pounds from pre-pregnancy, but my body is just different now. I’m trying to embrace it and get professional clothing to fit it. I’m really considering hiring a personal shopper at Nordstrom. Anyone done this? Any additional recs on designers?
(former) preg 3L says
Any tips for actually getting your belly back? Even just a little? I have a serious gut and it’s just… unnecessary. I hope. I also definitely have DR and don’t really know what to do about it. Any advice? (I have a doc appointment next week…)
anne-on says
Pilates helped me quite a bit, but honestly I’ve had to accept that short of a tummy tuck my stomach will never be as flat as it was pre-baby due to the stretched out skin. Ah well.
MSJ says
I feel you. I don’t think I have DR (have tried the finger tip test) but I do have twin skin, lack of toning and no time to do anything about it (hence my question above re camouflage). If it is DR, you’ll definitely want to see a PT as they can direct you to certain exercises to help and what to avoid. If you don’t need a referral, I’d go straight to them as OB’s aren’t overly helpful for this stuff. I’ve heard of things like Mutu but haven’t looked into them seriously enough to comment
Pre-pregnancy, I had a lot of luck eating clean – no added sugars, no refined carbs. Sorta paleo but I ate high quality dairy. I slimmed down immediately and kept it off until I got pregnant and only wanted to eat bread. I’m still nursing so I don’t want to change my diet at the moment, but I’d consider it again post-weaning if needed.
TBK says
Ugh twin skin. I hear you.
quailison says
Can’t speak to long term success just yet, but doing Lindsay Brin’s boot camp for a few weeks really helped with my pelvic floor issues (I couldn’t run without peeing – and now I can!). I ordered it after it was mentioned here. It’s focused on core work for moms and seems premised on the idea that you can’t get your abs back without first restrengthening the underlying core muscles (and then getting the fat off the top through cardio/strength training). I find Brin kind of annoying but it seems like the exercises work, so I put it up with the narration.
FVNC says
Yes to all of this. I also bought the boot camp video after someone here recommended it, and have noticed good results. Re: annoying-ness, now that I’m familiar with the routines, I turn down the volume on the DVD and listen to a podcast or my own music instead. Now I get a decent workout and do not have to hear “bun cakes” — win, win.
RDC says
Is this the kind of video that is not super overly rigorous for someone not currently exercising (me)? The words “boot camp” are a bit intimidating.
FVNC says
It’s not super rigorous compared to, say, the Beach Body workout videos. And there are modifications you can follow if the main exercise is too difficult. I was not really exercising when I started it (maybe a little walking/jogging) and I found it challenging but not overwhelmingly difficult.
quailison says
The core workouts are not difficult in the sense of huffing and puffing, but they are hard to do correctly … which I guess is the point! The 10 minute cardio and toning segments are challenging but there are modifications, and each exercise doesn’t last a long time. I found I could do the unmodified version for most exercises, but it was nice to know I could downshift if I needed to.
Because the cardio and toning segments are pretty short, I find it’s easier for me to do them than other forms of exercise, and something is better than nothing. So that psychological factor along with the modifications makes me think this is a pretty good video to start with.
just Karen says
Thank you for this recommendation! I just ordered the video on Amazon.
anonmama says
YES! Lindsey Brin got my body back after baby and I had a baaaaad diastasis recti. She’s awesome. At first the belly exercises don’t feel like much, but do NOT rush ahead to the next level. Follow her instructions, because getting the DR to come back together and strengthening those interior muscles really are the most important part of getting a flat belly again.
(former) preg 3L says
Thank you all! This gives me hope.
Carrie M says
A friend had DR pretty severely and saw a pelvic floor specialist who worked with her a bit and referred her to a great postnatal trainer. After getting the DR under control (and getting clearance from her doctor), she increased her workouts and began using kettlebells, with which she had a lot of success in strengthening her core and toning her abs. I think she would say that she got pretty close to pre-baby appearance (and then got pregnant again!).
I’ve been taking classes that incorporate HIIT, body weight, and some actual weight work. We do a lot of cardio + strength combos (squat jumps, lunge jumps, plank jacks, etc.), burpees, sit ups, various planks, pushups, and other ab and core focused exercises. I’ve been doing it about 9 months and have lost inches and some weight, and gained a lot of muscle and toning. My stomach is still not back to pre-baby, but I took before and after photos recently and definitely saw a big change.
K. says
I would definitely recommend Mutu system–it is a really good exercise program for DR. I have personally found it to be really helpful and you can join a closed Facebook group for support too. I don’t sell it myself and have nothing to gain from recommending it, so I hope that is okay. I’ve been gradually closing my gap.
For what it is worth, planks, sit-ups and crunches all make DR worse, so it is really important to avoid those for DR. I also saw a pelvic floor physical therapist that was helpful too.
quailison says
I have a few of these bags in both the snack and sandwich size and they are awesome. The zipper is far preferable to other brands that use velcro which inevitably gets disgusting. I haven’t machine washed them but just handwash and they seem to stay in good shape.
KRS2 says
How often are you supposed to have doctor’s appointment when you’re pregnant? I had my first at 8.5 wks, now have my second scheduled for almost 11, and then I understand you’re supposed to come in for an u/s at 12 weeks too. Is every 2 weeks so early on basically normal? I think I’m a little paranoid that something is wrong and the doctor doesn’t want to alarm me but it could also all be in my mind.
NewMomAnon says
Sounds like your first appointment was earlier than my first – my first appointment was the u/s at 11 or 12 weeks, and a long intro meeting with a nurse midwife. But it was hard to schedule both the u/s and nurse midwife appointment at the same time, so I could see those being on different days. It sounds like just a scheduling quirk of your first appointment being so early and the u/s being scheduled on a different day than your doctor appointment.
I don’t know if this is helpful or not, but if there are problems that early in the pregnancy, I don’t think they schedule two follow up appointments; I think they send you home with information about miscarriage. So I would actually take that extra appointments as a sign that everything is normal, but their calendar is a bit full right now.
Newly pregnant says
Don’t be paranoid. It is all in your head. If there were something to be worried about the doctor would tell you. The 12-week ultrasound is a separate appointment that isn’t really related to your standard appointments. In your first and second trimesters it is standard to have an appointment every 4 weeks, so it would be normal to have an 8 week and 12 week appointments. It just seems like you’re having your 12-week appointment a little early. If you’re concerned, call your doctor’s office and see if you can push it back.
KRS2 says
I guess that’s why I’m concerned. It seems like every 4 weeks is standard but they’re doing it every 2. I asked the doctor what the purpose was and she just said “to make sure all is well, hear the heart, check in” – but we already did the first appointment u/s at 8.5 weeks and I don’t think this is the 12 week u/s scheduled early.
Newly pregnant says
Maybe your doctor is just being conservative. Are you older than 35? My SIL was 35+ when she was pregnant with her first and she had to go to more doctors appointments than I do. Either way, I wouldn’t worry about it at this point. Just think of it as an extra check to make sure everything is progressing.
NavyLawyer says
The ultrasound is often performed by radiology instead of the OB, so it’s outside of the every-four-weeks standard. Also I don’t think they can hear the heart at 8.5, hence the 11 week so they can catch anything early. But the u/s can’t be combined at your 11 week because usually they can’t see much. It’ll get better…until the end of the 3rd trimester!
KRS2 says
They can and did hear the heart at the last appt., 8.5 weeks. She also did the t/v u/s so we saw the baby, tiny as it was. All of these appointments are at the doctor’s office. I’m not saying it’s not all in my head but these are not things that apply which is why I’m concerned. And I’m in my early 30s but not over 35 so not “high risk” technically.
mascot says
Are you doing the early genetic testing? I seem to think that some of those have multiple parts (parent interview, blood draw, u/s) that might require separate appts.
TBK says
Does anyone have resuable food pouches they like? I bought these (link to follow) but they squeeze the food out too easily. My guys just made an absolute mess the first (and only) time they used them (but they do fine with the commercial kind). They really like yogurt but at 13 mo aren’t really up to using spoons yet. I had hoped to use these pouches to feed them plain yogurt and yogurt/fruit smoothies. (They’re totally over being spoon-fed, and I’m long past being over sitting there trying to feed them.)
TBK says
http://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Food-Pouch-Capacity-4-pack/dp/B00AM5NTIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430837786&sr=8-1&keywords=green+food+pouch
Momata says
We just took a break from yogurt until around 16 months when kid could start using a spoon. (We started her on the spoon with peanut butter since it clings well.) Then we reintroduced yogurt along with cottage cheese for spoon practice.
Maddie Ross says
This. Even the “Yo Baby” pouches aren’t really good for babies. IME the yogurt is too thin/not the right consistency to come out of the pouch the same way that fruit and veggie purees do. We would do a combo of messy self-feeding with the spoon for practice and some parent feeding, and now at 2 she’s a yogurt eating champ.
anon says
A mom friend of mine invented Little Green Pouch, which are refillable and reusable BPA-free food pouches for toddlers. I haven’t personally used them, but I know her business is growing well.
TBK says
that’s the one I linked to
NavyLawyer says
I like this, but how do you clean it?
hoola hoopa says
I haven’t tried it yet, but I recently took note of the Kiinde Foodii pouches.
There are these, plus a ton of homemade ‘gogurt’ tutorials online:
http://www.amazon.com/Zipzicle-Ice-Molds-Clear-12-Pack/dp/B00NN42ZT4/
http://www.amazon.com/FoodWorks-Silicone-Maker-Molds-Popsicle/dp/B00D9HQ30W/
CPA Lady says
I don’t know what their skill level is as far as spoons, but could you try num num dips? It works on the concept of surface tension, so food will sort of stick to it. It’s got a short handle, and the “spoon” end is flat, so the kid just sucks the food off the end. This won’t help with something runny like a smoothie, but it should for thicker yogurts. May not be what you’re looking for, but I have some and they’re neat.
Meg Murry says
I just need to post a slightly indulgent rant about Mother’s Day, please bear with me.
I am so so over being expected to coordinate something for Mother’s Day for my mother, my husband’s mother and my grandmother, buying (or nagging my husband until he buys) present, being expextes to come up with meals/menus and sometimes cook too and then spend the day running from place to place dragging around the kids and doing all the things.
I feel like every 2-3 years I break down and tell my husband “all I want on Mother’s Day is to not have to plan anything, cook anything or make any decisions.” And he gets it for a year or two, and then we’re back to me either having to nag, do it, or feel like the worst daughter/DIL in the world for not wanting to do anything. This year my sister is the one asking me for timetables and for menu suggestions, and I’m really afraid I’m going to blow up at her if she texts me one more time about it.
Anyone else feel like you need a post-Mother’s Day day of your own? And then feel guilty and think, “did my mother feel this way? Will it get better when my kids are grown and I can hope they will get it? Or will this day always make me feel more guilty than appreciated?”
It also doesn’t help that I’m the only daughter/DIL on my husband’s side, so I wind up doing Mother’s Day AND Father’s Day planning, in addition to the Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter rigamarole
I know I sound like an ungrateful brat, thanks for letting me whine here so I don’t bite off the head of my sister/husband/MIL/whoever bother me next about this!
Shayla says
Amen.
pockets says
Last year we spent like 3 hrs in the car driving back and forth to my MIL’s house for Mother’s Day (usual roundtrip is probably 1.5 hrs but traffic was so insane). This year we are just. not. doing. that. I told my husband that if she wants, he can pick a nearby restaurant for brunch and make a reservation, and his mother can drive in and we can go for brunch. Any plans beyond that will not involve me or the baby.
anne-on says
I buy cards/gifts/flowers for my mom, my MIL, and all the other mothers in both families (SILs, etc.). I draw the line at having people at our house. My husband invited his parents for the day before mother’s day and I told him he and his family can hang out with our son while I take a day to shop/go to the gym/relax, and that I’ll join them for dinner. Its my day too and I am over hosting for family when we also host Thanksgiving and Christmas for both sides of the family.
JJ says
Preach. We’re doing breakfast on one side of town with my mom (and our kids) and then snacks/dinner on the other side of town with my husband’s mom (and our kids). In-laws’ house is not child-proofed and they have no toys. This is not ideal.
ETA: I told my husband last night, actually, that we’ll do all this on Mother’s Day. But next Saturday, that’s *my* day and I don’t want to cook, clean, or do laundry. So hopefully I’ll get a make-up day.
Meg Murry says
Yes, I think I need to declare a “you take the kids and have a boy’s day out” day for the next weekend. That would give me something to look forward to, even if it’s just sleeping in and eating a meal in peace.
Sarabeth says
Would there be serious fall out if you just…didn’t do any of this? Like, respond to your sister’s texts with a cheery, “My Mother’s Day gift to myself is that I’m not planning any big events. If you want to plan something, I’ll show up, otherwise it’ll be a quiet day at home for me.” Tell your husband that if he wants anything done for his mother, he’ll have to do it. Send a card to your own mother and grandmother and tell them that you love them a lot, but that you are spending this Mother’s Day at home with your husband and kids (unless your sister plans something that’s easy for you to show up for). If your family is reasonable, none of this will cause a big issue.
Meg Murry says
Yes. I live less than 5 miles from both sets of parents, and less than 20 miles from my grandmother. We see them multiple times a week. Skipping Mother’s Day would be a huge slap in the face. Or, at a minimum, I would feel super guilty about it.
ETA – or even worse, my in-laws or parents or both would just show up at my (uncleaned) house, and stay as long as they like – at least at their house we can leave when I can’t take any more family togetherness.
I’ve told my husband to handle it, but he’s not a planner, and I get stressed out at his lack of planning until the day before the event (and my sister legitimately does need to know a time, as she is also trying to juggle 2 sides of her family and has a farther drive).
It also doesn’t help that my husband’s family are churchgoers and my youngest still naps in the afternoon, so Sundays are just a terrible day to juggle 2-3 visits into a day. We’ve managed to spilt up Christmas and Thanksgiving over 2 days or combine both families, in ways that seem fair and unstressful but Mothers Day is always a patchwork put together at the last minute, and always needs to be done on the day of, for whatever reason.
I also have a terrible cold and could just spend the whole weekend in bed, so I’m extra grumpy/whiny this year. And my husband alternates between being great about this kind of holiday and barely giving it a nod, and it really frustrates me.
anne-on says
If it makes you feel better at all, I could care less about gifts/a big fuss being made for my birthday, Christmas, anniversaries, Valentines, etc. but the offhand comment my husband made about not bothering with flowers for Mother’s Day since they only die had me in tears. He was a bit taken aback due to my normally chilled out attitude about gifts for special occasions but mother’s day is the one big deal holiday to me. I try to make it special for the other mother’s in my life too, so it hurt that he wouldn’t return the favor and make it special for me.
PregAnon says
Hmmmm….I worry about boundary issues when you say they would just show up and stay as long as they liked….
If someone, including family, just showed up at my doorstep uninvited, the door would not be opening. It sounds like you’re sick and should just spend the weekend getting better. After all, you’re a mom too! Now that you are a mom, they should be taking care of you.
Meg Murry says
Yes, some people would probably have what would be considered boundary issues. This is a pretty common family dynamic in our area though – family members just “popping by” to visit is not atypical. On days when I’m annoyed at them (like right now when I’m internet ranting) it seems pretty frustrating. But it also sometimes nice too, like when they pop in to drop off soup when I’m sick, or to play with my kids for half an hour before going to the grocery store, or keep my fridge stocked with meals and my dishwasher unloaded for my first 6 weeks postpartum. And it’s not always a complete suprise visit – more often than not, they have called my husband or mentioned to him that they might stop by on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, but the message wasn’t relayed to me. And this goes on from both sides of my family – I just like my own parents more, so I’m not as annoyed by the exact same behavior from my own mother and father as my in-laws :-)
All family dynamics are unique. Ever see those sitcoms where the family members are always showing up at each others houses and annoying each other and things like the youngest brother crashing on your couch for a few days or constantly over to do his laundry at eat your food and wonder who does stuff like that? Sometimes, I’m pretty sure I’m living in a sitcom. Some days, it’s pretty great – like an episode of Parenthood. Other days, its more like Everyone Loves Raymond.
But this is how my family operates, and the other 95% of the year I’m generally happy with it, so no, opting out of Mother’s Day isn’t an option – I just don’t want to be stuck doing 100% of the planning, hence my ranting. But I also just wonder how much my mother and mother-in-law were feeling the exact same dynamics when they had young kids.
I didn't learn this in school says
Q for peeps re: TTC: Do you really need to wait a full year to get tested to see if anything is up? Perhaps I’ve watched too much TV, but I can’t help think the odds of having a Monica-Chandler situation or a Charlotte-Harry issue (even though that one worked out eventually)are quite high. I’m also watching that Newlyweds show on Bravo and one of the mid-20’s something women was tested before they even started trying and told she has a 0.02% chance or something like that. If that’s the case I’d rather know much earlier than after trying and watching the calendar for a whole year. Anyone else?
pockets says
I remember reading that 90% of fertile couples will get pregnant within a year of trying, so, TV drama aside, chances are you’re going to be fine. That said, I think some specific issues will come up earlier – for me, I didn’t ovulate regularly, which I knew because I didn’t get my period regularly, so it didn’t make sense to wait an entire year before interventions. Without such a clear sign that things won’t work as expected, you might be able to cajole a doctor into referring you to a reproductive endocrinologist after 6 months of trying, especially if you’re older.
PregLawyer says
How old are you? I’m 30, and it took me 7 months of trying before I got pregnant. It took probably 4 months to figure out when I was ovulating. Apparently I’m very normal. You certainly could get tested, but unless you have any real reason to rush things, I wouldn’t want to overthink it. Quick word of caution: I have one friend who didn’t get pregnant after 9 months of trying at age 31. She went into a doctor who thought it would be a good idea to do invasive surgery to remove some fibroids in her uterus, even though there was no real indication that the fibroids were causing infertility. He botched the surgery, which led to scarring on the uterine wall, and now she can’t get pregnant at all.
I don’t know. Maybe this isn’t helpful. I just think the year-long waiting period may be a good idea to let nature take its course and to keep people from getting doctors involved too early.
KRS2 says
There are things you can know and things you can’t. Sometimes it takes some trying to figure out if you actually need an intervention. If you’re not getting reg periods, think you might not be ovulating, those are things you can talk to a doctor about at the outset. But if your periods are “normal” and you have no known medical reasons to think you would have trouble, I agree that most doctors won’t even intervene until you’ve been trying for at least 6 mos., esp. if you’ve recently gone off the pill and it’s assumed your cycle might need to time to adjust.
I’d say try not to overthink it and just enjoy the process. Sometimes it’s quick, sometimes it’s not, sometimes it’s heartbreaking but why start down that road sooner than you need to? If you do want to make sure that you’re operating “as should be,” buy one of those ovulation predictor tests at the drugstore. They’re fairly reliable and they’ll tell you if everything is in good working order. You can also start charting your temps to make sure you’re ovulating month to month. But sometimes these things just take time. We tried for about a year and nothing and then it happened all on its own at about 14 months. It was very frustrating at times, but I am so glad we kept a cool head about it all and didn’t go crazy from the beginning.
I didn't learn this in school says
Thanks all, this is really helpful. I’m on the cusp of 33, have been using the fancy OPKs and cycles are normal, so sounds like we just have to take a huge chill pill. I went off BC several years ago just because, so cycle has been regular for several years, I just wasn’t sure if there was anything else to be be wary of. Maybe another takeaway is I should probably watch less tv.
Meg Murry says
Are you close to the time to see you OBGYN for an annual appointment anyway? I think there is no harm in mentioning it at a regular appointment and (and taking your charts, calendars, etc with you) even if it has only been 6 months and ask for an opinion as to whether you should wait another 6 months or get some testing now. In our area from what I understand there is also a couple month backlog to see some of the specialists, so some doctors now make the referral at 9 months of trying, with the understanding that the actual appointment will be around 12 months due to the backlog (which of course, you can always cancel if you wind up not needing the appointment).
TBK says
Many insurance companies won’t cover a visit to a specialist until you’ve been trying for a set period of time (it varies based on your age — if you’re 35 or older, you’ll likely get a referral sooner).
anonymama says
The odds of there being something wrong are actually quite low, and I’m sort of appalled that you are using TV shows as a reference point for something like this. The tests are pretty expensive, and the testing and waiting for results is pretty stressful. At some point in the whole pregnancy to baby to kid process you have to learn to be patient and trust that things will work out, or you’re going to drive yourself nuts.
NavyLawyer says
Stressing about it actually makes it harder to conceive, as can lack of sleep or poor nutrition. It takes a few months of good data to simply pin down ovulation. I always joke about how teenagers get pregnant just sitting near each other, but in your 30s it takes work. You think “oh, we’re pretty much on schedule, I’ve got whatever reason so let’s skip today” and maybe for you that was THE day. Think about your examples – there are only 3; that’s not remotely statistically significant. You’ve got plenty of time!! Do you have an ovulation kit? That will help, though they’re not dead-on.
Maddie Ross says
Figure it this way, in your example shows, Rachel and Ross got pregnant using c*ndoms and Miranda and Steve got pregnant with a lazy ovary and one b*ll. It’s all just TV and manufactured drama. Statistically speaking, you’re probably just fine. Both of you. There may be an issue, it certainly happens and we all have friends, family or even personal experiences with that, but stressing about the what-ifs or jumping into invasive tests isn’t likely to help if you don’t have any real medical reason to believe there is an issue yet.