I’m only 31, but we wanted to do the VisibilT test for the detailed results, offered through Sequenom labs. We knew insurance wouldn’t cover it, so we paid out of pocket from the beginning. It was $349. I had spoken to someone at the lab, and they basically said that they charge a lot more to insurance companies than they do to individuals paying out of pocket. So, I’d suggest calling them and seeing if the price can come down if you pay as an individual.
[QUOTE=drmgncolor;8282921]
My Dr doesn’t offer a choice. They use MaterniT21, but I should never have been denied in the first place, so it’s a moot point for me. I found blogs on the internet that suggested Sequenom would shake the charge down to like $250 out of pocket but honestly, I don’t know.
Good question for the younger mother to ask her Dr though if she still wants the test, but doesn’t fall within the insurance guidelines for coverage.[/QUOTE]
There are a couple codes your doctor can bill for even if you are not advanced maternal age, such as “high risk,” “family history,” ect. But with insurance sometimes it is such a crap shoot. 
I think the coolest part of the test is finding out gender at 10 weeks.
Before we got pregnant via IVF, we did a genetic carrier screening test through Natera. Insurance didn’t cover it, but they had a special that month if your insurance denied the claim you only paid $25. The claim through insurance for the test was over $3k! Wowsers!
All of this talking about testing and “mystery” bills reminds me of horse showing and how you never know what your bill will end up being :lol:. Until you get it in the mail and then you cry :winkgrin:.
Congrats mscho!!
Heineken - thanks for the Ikea furniture info! Makes me feel more confident about their stuff for sure. 75% of our house is Ikea so it will fit the overall style we’ve got going already.
Can I just say - I don’t envy you guys in the States. I think its crazy how little time you get off for maternity leave. I’m in Canada. We get a full year of EI (employment insurance) and my employer tops up the first six weeks to my full pay. And all the business of whether or not things are covered by insurance - so happy to not deal with that.
I get my first ultrasound in 4 weeks. Very excited. My doctor offered the testing for the various trisomies as well and we elected to get them done. I’m not sure if this would be similar to some of the testing the rest of you are describing?
In good news - The show went well this weekend. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had lots of energy for it with some smart management of time/energy - decided to pawn off the braiding I normally do myself onto a braider and scratched our two classes on Friday because it was monsooning - normally I’d push through but I told myself I didn’t want to get sick in the cold wet rain all day. My classes were all late in the day too so I got to sleep in and avoid early mornings and instead did night checks for our barn. Came away with two 2nds, four 3rds, a 5th and an 8th. And we successfully went around the 2’9s for the first time including a 2’9 medal where we got 3rd. I was so happy with my horse. He was a rockstar for me all weekend.
Now the question is… is 16 weeks going to be uncomfortable to compete at? Because that’s our year end finals and I’m pretty sure that with this last show I will have qualified… (That’s a question I don’t expect an answer to since I know it will be very personal how my body is doing at that point - I’m thinking my strategy will be to enter and then scratch if I’m not feeling its a good idea as we get closer to the show date).
[QUOTE=Rescuer;8286210]
Congrats mscho!!
Heineken - thanks for the Ikea furniture info! Makes me feel more confident about their stuff for sure. 75% of our house is Ikea so it will fit the overall style we’ve got going already.
Can I just say - I don’t envy you guys in the States. I think its crazy how little time you get off for maternity leave. I’m in Canada. We get a full year of EI (employment insurance) and my employer tops up the first six weeks to my full pay. And all the business of whether or not things are covered by insurance - so happy to not deal with that.
I get my first ultrasound in 4 weeks. Very excited. My doctor offered the testing for the various trisomies as well and we elected to get them done. I’m not sure if this would be similar to some of the testing the rest of you are describing?
In good news - The show went well this weekend. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had lots of energy for it with some smart management of time/energy - decided to pawn off the braiding I normally do myself onto a braider and scratched our two classes on Friday because it was monsooning - normally I’d push through but I told myself I didn’t want to get sick in the cold wet rain all day. My classes were all late in the day too so I got to sleep in and avoid early mornings and instead did night checks for our barn. Came away with two 2nds, four 3rds, a 5th and an 8th. And we successfully went around the 2’9s for the first time including a 2’9 medal where we got 3rd. I was so happy with my horse. He was a rockstar for me all weekend.
Now the question is… is 16 weeks going to be uncomfortable to compete at? Because that’s our year end finals and I’m pretty sure that with this last show I will have qualified… (That’s a question I don’t expect an answer to since I know it will be very personal how my body is doing at that point - I’m thinking my strategy will be to enter and then scratch if I’m not feeling its a good idea as we get closer to the show date).[/QUOTE]
I think it all depends on you. I have a friend whose last show was at 15 weeks. I did not feel comfortable jumping after 14 personally. Less physical and more mental. I didn’t really start having physical effects on riding until 18-20, but I took a long time to start showing.
Congrats mscho! For those of you on the “other side” I love reading the “nobody told me” learnings. Nickelodian you are getting really close to gametime! I am excited to hear from you!
I am taking off 8 weeks and then working part time probably for another 8 weeks. I am lucky that my parents will be around to help a lot. We have a little guest house on our farm where my parents (both retired) stay much of the time and I am so incredibly thankful for that!
We found a great daycare nearby - but I am already having misgivings about leaving a tiny infant there for a full day. It seems like there could be too much stimulation overall and not enough time for the baby to rest, and then when the baby needs stimulation he might not get enough individualized attention. We are thinking of doing a combo with part-time in-home nanny care, but that is a serious $$ difference! The research on this issue is all over the map. DH says, “relax, the kid will be fine!”
Rescuer, I can send you pictures if you email me at hhytken@gmail.com
Huge storm here, maybe it’ll shake my little guy loose! Say a prayer for me, I’m so ready to be done!
[QUOTE=Rescuer;8286210]
Now the question is… is 16 weeks going to be uncomfortable to compete at? Because that’s our year end finals and I’m pretty sure that with this last show I will have qualified… (That’s a question I don’t expect an answer to since I know it will be very personal how my body is doing at that point - I’m thinking my strategy will be to enter and then scratch if I’m not feeling its a good idea as we get closer to the show date).[/QUOTE]
I rode and showed until about 20 ish weeks…and honestly only stopped then mostly because of the weather (we had an insanely hot June/July down here), and family pressure. But everyone is different…I have friends that stopped riding as soon as they found out, and friends that rode up until labor started. Is there someone that could be on call to ride if you change your mind?
I rode until around 22 weeks, and would have continued too ride had I not had complications. It’s such a personal decision with so many physical/mental/external factors. Just keep with what you’re comfortable with!
I like the enter than scratch if required idea - keeps your options open. Plus it’s nice to have one last hoorah before the pregnancy symptoms really start to kick in!
I am still riding. But jumping and showing is a whole nother thing to me. I grounded myself from jumping and showing earlier rather than later because I think it comes with more risk than hacking (personally).
Nick, That’s great and all, but I can’t believe you’re still riding. I can’t get my pants on most days without a struggle. :lol:
36 weeks. 9 Months. I"m so over this.
I spent yesterday at the ER for chest pains. I wouldn’t have gone in if I were not pregnant, but DH made me go. It wasn’t my heart, I knew that… but in my left lung directly under the breast. Painful to touch and I couldn’t take very big breaths, which led to shortness of breath. Overnight it turned into a constant painful throbbing and I didn’t get much sleep. I would gasp if I moved at all and the pain would leave me panting for air. The ER doc was concerned about a possible blood clot or partially collapsed lung.
EKG, chest X-ray, bloodtest, leg ultrasound and 4 hours later, I’m released. No threat of a clot, but no idea what’s causing my pain, although he did agree it was in my lung and was not indigestion or heartburn. Maybe a rib out of whack? Or some inflammation in the lining of my lung? Or just an oddity of pregnancy? Who knows. Just take some Tylenol and use some ice for the pain. So glad I went in. :no:
I can’t wait to see how much THAT’s going to cost us. I think my medical expenses this year alone have trumped anything I’ve spent collectively for medical care in the last 10 years.
I got some good rest last night, but still feel discomfort in that lung and the ribs there are still sensitive to the touch. I hope it will subside completely in the next few days.
drmgncolor - how scary! Glad to hear that you are okay. Good for you for getting it checked out!
We just had our 5 month appointment and everything is looking good in there - always a relief!
drmgncolor I get pains like that a lot, right under my bust, mostly on the left side (although I have had it occasionally on the right) super super sharp, take your breath away pain that happens if if breath too deep or move wrong. I’ve seen lots of drs about it and the best we can figure is that the outer lining of my lungs gets pinches between my ribs. Generally some light slow stretching will help it go away.
Hope you’re feeling better, that’s really scary at 9 months!
It’s funny how some things are super hard/impossible and others are still easy…I couldn’t put on my pants this morning but could get down on the floor to fix an IT issue at work and get back up again no problem.
I’m summing up the 3rd trimester with this about 84 times a night
drmn - That sounds terrible. I’m glad you’re ok though!
I have 4 more days to 36 weeks, 9 months.
Honestly, I feel my best on a horse. My legs feel like me again, as long as I don’t look down and maybe just walk.
Even with only a month left (32 days), I can’t make this seem real. It’s not happening right???
Nick, I’m 38 weeks right now. And it feels real real. I’m just so ready to be done. And I’m hungrier now than I’ve been all pregnancy. I’ve given up on shoes, thank you summer for the flip flops. And I’m about ready to give up on pants. Even showering is hard work…
Laundry, forget it, I can’t get into my top loader. My hubby is in charge. A friend with significantly more $$$ suggested that the answer was new front loaders. Why yes, of course, with the extra $3k I have sitting around as we expect a baby!
[QUOTE=ilmjumper;8291150]
drmgncolor I get pains like that a lot, right under my bust, mostly on the left side (although I have had it occasionally on the right) super super sharp, take your breath away pain that happens if if breath too deep or move wrong. I’ve seen lots of drs about it and the best we can figure is that the outer lining of my lungs gets pinches between my ribs. Generally some light slow stretching will help it go away.
Hope you’re feeling better, that’s really scary at 9 months![/QUOTE]
Unfortunately no amount of stretching or movement will make it go away. It’s like a knife stabbing me with every minuscule movement. But… it is better from the other night, so maybe it is just inflammation that just needs to dissipate. At any rate, it’s good to know I am not alone. Or crazy. 
And I would not have gone to the ER if I wasn’t so pregnant. But we didn’t want to take any chances.
Nick and Heinekin, I looked at DH last night and thought: “I can’t believe he’s about to be a dad.” I guess I’ve already accepted it for ME, but in the 15 years we’ve been together, I never thought this would happen and it’s just weird for me to think of HIM holding HIS son. But I will see it soon. And then it will be real, I think.
I have been following this thread the best I can while starting on page 23, and have been hesitant to actually post because I haven’t told many people in real life yet.
I found out I was in foal on July 29th. So the news has had about a month to settle in. By best calculation, I am nearly 10 weeks pregnant. My first appointment with the OB coordinator is next week.
My poor horse has been quite neglected lately. If I feel okay, I’m too tired to keep my eyes open. If I’m not that tired, I’m just flat miserable. After weeks of unrelenting nausea and a few times of actually vomiting, I finally called my doctor because I couldn’t take it anymore. Other than making me really tired for the first few days, the Diclegis helped a ton. After about a week, I started throwing up in the mornings again, so have since added a 3rd pill when I wake up. Thank heavens for prescription meds and free samples.
My due date should be around the end of March/beginning of April 2016. I’m not sure how long I will attempt to ride, but so far have not ridden hardly at all due to extreme exhaustion and just feeling miserable. So we will see. My horse is greener and I keep him at home, so often times I don’t have a lot of people around. So I am hesitant to ride at all, but even more hesitant to leave him sit for months. The joys of horse ownership.
I sleep at least 9 hours a night and sometimes that doesn’t seem to be quite enough. Hopefully in about another month at the end of 1st trimester, I’ll start to feel better. Fingers crossed.
Thinking I might have enough energy to groom and lunge my horse tonight. We will see.
Congrats to everyone who has already had their colts/fillies and sending good vibes to all those still in foal.
drmgncolor - yikes! I would have been at the ER too! I’m happy they don’t think anything is wrong - but oh man that sucks to have that pain still. Hopefully its temporary and goes away sooner than later.
akhunterrider - welcome!! You’re almost on the same timeline as me! I’m in week 9 now. Keep us updated
Nickelodian - wow! I can’t believe you’re still riding that late! You are giving me hope!
I haven’t been riding this week only because our air quality has been so bad from the smoke from the PNW forest fires. All sorts of advisories out recommending against any exercise outdoors. I don’t think its fair on my horse to ask him to work his lungs in this junk. Even if we ride in the indoor it’s still poor air quality in there since its not sealed from outside.
The air quality certainly isn’t helping my energy levels either. Walked two blocks outside to meet a friend for lunch and felt short of breath. Been falling asleep super early and waking up not feeling rested. We’re hoping for some rain to clear all the particulates out of the air but I don’t think we’re forecast to get any rain anytime soon.
Use the term “riding” lightly.
Step 1: Hoist on Breeches and thank the lord they are still going up over my legs. Note that the velcro barely touches each other on my calf, details.
Step 2: Hoist belly band over breeches, think about how these used to be my “loose” set.
Step 3: Pick a shirt to ride in, can’t be a maternity shirt, those are for public use only. Don’t want a giant T shirt, find one that stretches over belly.
Step 4: Socks. WTF socks, need some thin ones to squeeze my feet into my boots. Nope, nope nope nope, all too thick. Where are those hated hose-like boot socks at the bottom of my drawer. Ah yes, those.
Step 5: Ease myself down to step to put on boots and half chaps. Feel a lot like cinderella’s evil step sisters as I force my foot into my boot.
Step 6: Try to zip boot. pull pull pull zip! No that will never do, SQUISHED FOOT AH CLAUSTROPHOBIC FOOT LET ME OUT. Un zip, much better.
Step 7: Half chaps. stretch, stretch stretch zip, zip, ah yes on.
Step 8: Drive to barn feel much more successful in tacking up my horse vs tacking up myself
Step 9: Thank the lord for my 15yo A/O horse (saint), as I crawl my way on.
Step 10: Walk around the arena for approximately 10 minutes feeling amazing THIS WAS SO WORTH IT.
Step 11: Untack, head home, feel incredibly gratified by the two hour process to walk on a horse for 10 minutes.
The end.
