Yup, today we’re talking hair, and not the hair on your head.   Hopefully, you’re only reading this post if you’re wanting to hear about it — but, a lot of people have his question — so let’s get started!

So, if you’re wondering why on EARTH you should take my advice (and you should always wonder that)…

Hi, I’m Hilary I’m the curly head here around Pulling Curls, but a lot of people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse. I have 20 years of labor and delivery experience, and I’ve been a nurse since 1997. I can’t tell you HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN ASKED THIS QUESTION — usually via text or whispered at dinner. And, since I’ve seen thousands of legs (and other parts) at birth I’m an expert on this.

I bet you found yourself wishing shaving was easier (like it was pre-baby). And maybe you’re wishing a LOT of pregnancy could be easier, but I’m here to say I have made at least ONE part of pregnancy easier — and that’s getting prepared. If shaving is getting tricky now is the PERFECT time to join me in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples where we get BOTH of you prepared in just a few hours. The real beauty is you could shave your legs while you watch it in the privacy of your own home!

Ok, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:

Shaving While Pregnant

We’re going to talk about ALL The facets of shaving any unwanted hair on any parts of your body while pregnant, and at the end, I’ll give the honest opinion of your health providers when you’re “baring it all” down under, and if we care if you have pubic hair.

If there’s a particular subject you’re interested in choose it here:

I should say that a LOT of this varies depending on how far along you are. You can easily do things in your first trimester, that won’t be as easy later on. So, much of this is for ladies a bit further into pregnancy.

How to Shave Your Pubic Area While Pregnant

It is completely safe to shave while you’re pregnant.  But, pregnancy does pose some issues with shaving (especially your “private area”):

Problems with shaving your bikini area during pregnancy:

Your pubic area has extra blood flow from being pregnant and the pressure that pregnancy puts on that area (which is why people love these).  Which means:

• You may bleed more if you nick and it may take longer to heal.
• It may hurt more when you use a procedure – like waxing, epilating, etc.
• You may react differently (creating skin irritation) because of all this — PLUS the hormones.
• Your hair may grow faster, or different because of those lovely hormones!

So, your regular “routine” may not work when you’re pregnant.

Also, as you head into the end of pregnancy things may get a bit damp down there {here’s my post on discharge during pregnancy}.

TRUTH: There is absolutely nothing wrong with going au natural during your pregnancy.

Pro tip: Talk with your provider on this subject if you have any complications with your pregnancy. They may have things they don’t want you doing for specific reasons just for you! For instance, any infections will change how you take care of things “down there”.

FYI, I do have a podcast on this subject:

and a video…. (I’m nothing but thorough)

Pubic hair growing during pregnancy

There is a medical reason why your hair seems different.

Pubic hair growth, as well as the hair itself, may change during pregnancy.  All of that is normal.  You probably notice something similar on your head as well.  After the hormones are gone your hair will likely go back to normal. Hair follicles are affected by hormones (both up top and down below).

Also, the hair growth cycle will change (and the hairs may change with it).

And yes, it’s not just the hair that feels different.

Feeling like you’re missing a lot with what your body does in pregnancy & labor — grab my insider tips here:

How to shave your private parts during pregnancy

When I get the question, if you plan to shave — I recommend the this razor.  Mostly because it is COVERED by some sort of soap/gel/ shaving cream that makes it REALLY hard to nick yourself or have ingrown hairs, etc. Make sure you’re using a new blade, as you’re more likely to nick with older blades.

Whatever you use, make sure to use plenty of foam/soap or whatever you use to make it more gentle.

Another option is to use electric shavers. Your chance of getting cut is less (but it doesn’t shave as close).

Pregnancy mirror for shaving

If you want a bit more vision — something like this might be helpful to see it all.  Although, make sure the lock on your bathroom door works if you have kids at home.  #awkward.

There are also razor extenders to lend a helping hand.

And while we’re talking toiletries — grab my hospital packing list here:

Laser Hair Removal During Pregnancy

There are no long term studies as to if this could affect the baby, so most providers recommend NOT doing this during your pregnancy, but maybe call your local center (if you’ve done it before — pregnancy is NOT a time to start this, because of all the reasons I previously mentioned) and see what they think.

I have a whole post on laser hair removal during pregnancy on my sister site.

I also a few other articles on things you should/shouldn’t do:

• When Should I Start Drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea?
• Can Curb Walking Induce Labor?
• When To Start Eating Dates During Pregnancy?
• Sleeping Positions To Induce Labor: Best Positions To Dilate

Why you shouldn’t shave pubic hair while pregnant

I’ve seen some current research saying it increases infection rates, but I haven’t heard anything about asking people NOT to shave. However you do it, make sure that you wash the area afterwards with your regular body soap (antibacterial soap should be saved for hospital use or a pre-surgical prep).

Something else to think about:

God gave women pubic hair for a reason.  Part of the reason is that it keeps “bad stuff” out of your urethra (otherwise known as your pee hole).

If you get frequent uti’s (also called bladder infections or urinary tract infections), I would 100% recommend NOT shaving during pregnancy, maybe that’s part of your problem?

This all being said, there are a lot of home hair removal methods that will likely be fine.

Shaving legs while pregnant

I still love that intuition razor for legs while pregnant.  As your belly grows, you’ll have less vision of everything below your baby bump, so safety should be your #1.  Something like this may extend your reach (I just think it might be easier to cut yourself with that).

Also, husbands or partners can be great to shave legs, I have heard a lot of women who use that route.

Honestly, the more you can get your husband involved, the better — which is why I created this.

Shaving your face while pregnant

This is ONE area it’s not harder to reach. However, you may react differently than you have in the past, so be aware of that if you are wanting to get rid of facial hair.

Shaving stomach while pregnant

I guess this gets googled.  I haven’t seen it.  You may grow more hair on your belly when you’re pregnant, and that’s normal.  I wouldn’t shave it though — I think it will just make it feel rougher. If you get a particularly long one, you could always use tweezers to pluck it.

Hair growth should go back to normal after the baby.

Here’s a few other posts on personal care during pregnancy:

• I’m So Nervous About Birth – What Do I Do?
• What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like
• Should You Buy Your Own Fetal Doppler?
• When Should I Start Using A Birthing Ball?
• Can A Hot Bath Induce Labor At 39 Weeks?

Hair removal creams during pregnancy

Ok, let’s talk creams.

First off, a cream “down there” makes me nervous and personally, I’ve never tried it.

I do NOT think that pregnancy is a great time to START using something like Nair, or other depilatory creams.

If you’ve been using a hair removal cream before pregnancy I’d just use it with caution.  Just keep in mind what I said before, that your skin may react differently. You have a higher chance of an allergic reaction during pregnancy.

In rare cases this could be REALLY problematic and possibly lead to health complications if the allergic reaction is severe.

Shaving if you’re in preterm labor/bedrest

I wouldn’t put shaving ahead of your baby’s health.  Let it grow, you can take care of it after the baby.

Also, if you were to nick something important “down there”, you may have increased preterm labor problems.  I’d just refrain from it.  But that’s me.

Waxing while pregnant

A lot of women still get a Brazilian wax while they’re pregnant, but I’d call the spa you use to make sure they will do bikini waxes on pregnant women.  Be sure you’re going to a reputable salon that uses clean wax and clean technique.

Waxing before delivery

If you’ve been doing it during pregnancy that’s fine.  I would not wax right before delivery if you haven’t been waxing lately.  It’s just too risky that your body won’t react well and you’ll be in a LOT of pain.

Pregnancy is NOT the first time to go waxing.

If you’re going for a C-section, we will shave the top part of your pubic region hair (just above your bikini line) before surgery.  It’s part of our job and we would MUCH rather do it vs you hurting yourself doing it.

Pro Tips like that (but about ALL of birth, including C-sections) are all over this class.

Shaving after birth

I would give yourself some time to heal a bit after delivery and certainly, don’t shave in the vaginal area until your 6 weeks are up, just like vaginal rest. It would definitely increase your chance of infection before that area is totally healed-up.

Here’s a few other postpartum posts that might interest you too:

• Your Post-Baby Plan: Setting Yourself Up for Success in the Fourth Trimester
• The Postpartum Mindset: Navigating New Parenthood with Dr. Fran
• Breastfeeding Not Working: Transition from breastmilk to formula?
• 10 Things to Have on Hand After Baby is Born for MOM
• Things To NOT Do After You Have Your Baby

Shaving While Breastfeeding

Honestly, I can’t see this as too much of an issue unless it’s nipple hair, but you can always ask a lactation consultant.

Ok, time for the big question… the one every whispers to me…

Should I Shave my Pubic Hair Before Giving Birth?

As you get closer to your due date it is normal to wonder this question. Often around 38 weeks of pregnancy, many women find this question quite pressing.

No, it is 100% up to you. It does NOT MATTER!

{I hope you can hear me screaming that in this text, because I really do mean it}

I want to state this categorically.  There is NO reason to avoid healthcare or seeing a doctor because you aren’t shaved/waxed/clean down there.

A lot of different nationalities/cultures have different feelings on that area of the body and shaving in general. It really is a personal choice.

When I worked in CA very few people shaved their pubic hair.

In Arizona, more do it, but probably not the majority. Mostly just he culture of the area.

And I don’t care.  At all.

The good news is that we also realize that it’s an almost impossible task to do it like you used to!

Sometimes, if the doctor plans to give you an episiotomy, he will cut some of your hair so that it makes for easier/safer sewing up — but it’s not a big deal at all.

I have a slogan I always say — “You’ve seen one vagina, you’ve seen them all” — and frankly, it’s pretty true. They all look pretty similar and as soon as I leave the room I basically forget what it looked like because I’ll just be seeing another one in a few minutes.

We really look at vaginas in a very different way than normal people and we mostly just want you comfortable and happy.

But, let’s be honest — there’s likely a WHOLE lot that you’re not feeling confident about when it comes to delivery day. When you’re ready, come join me in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples where we get you prepared in just a few hours!

Shaving During Pregnancy FAQ’s:

Here’s a few other labor posts to help you out:

• 6 Things To Know About Your Fetal Growth Ultrasound
• How To Dilate Faster
• Can You Use a Microwave Heat Pack While Pregnant
• The EASIEST (and best) Labor and Delivery Nurse Gift Ideas!
• 5 Mistakes Families Make Preparing For Delivery

In just three hours you can be prepped and ready to go! And yes, having your mind ready is WAY more important than shaving your lady bits. If you like this kind of open, frank and honest advice — check out the class.

Or, if you’re not quite ready for the full class, don’t forget my free insider tips — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.

The post Best Ways to Shave While Pregnant: Answers from a labor nurse appeared first on Pulling Curls.

I’m going to explain ALL of this (including why tipping is a BIG no) — but if you just want info on what gifts to give click here.

First off, hello! I’m Hilary — many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse . I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of OB nursing experience. I’ve had patients of all income levels and some of my favorite gifts were mostly gestures, nothing expensive — but today I’m going to share some easy ways you can share your appreciation with the staff.

And yes, getting prepared in advance is one of our most favorite things — so come join me in my free prenatal class lesson to get started!

Before we get going, I want to be super clear that most patients don’t bring anything which is totally fine. We know it’s a stressful (and often expected) hospital stay — so we’re just glad you’re there and safe! So, if you don’t feel like this is something you can or want to do — that’s AOK! Nothing is expected!

Should You Tip Your Delivery Nurses?

We live a life of tipping.  We tip our doorman, our garbage man, and our mailman — but the area of health care hasn’t really succumbed to tipping. Perhaps for a few reasons…

• Price?  who’s going to tip 20% of your delivery bill?  Umm… no one.
• Sometimes you can’t actually put a price on our services.
• People of all income levels come to the hospital.
• The nurses really don’t expect anything — you won’t find tipping envelopes in your bathroom.

And perhaps, most of all — tipping healthcare workers is actually not legal — at least not for the nurses to accept (with some exceptions).

I love my job and I love my patients, and let me equivocally say that I very rarely get a gift.   And that, is OK.

I am 100% not in it for the delivery nurse gifts.

I love my job because I am helping new moms.  Not because I’m hoping for some lotion.

That isn’t to say that hospital staff doesn’t appreciate them during long 12-hour shifts.

I also REALLY want to say that NO ONE expects every expectant mother to give us a gift. It’s a perk when it happens — but we are there to make sure you and baby are safe and happy.

Why is tipping healthcare staff illegal?

Well, a tip is meant for exceptional service –right?

BUT, in health care, we really should be giving exceptional service to EVERYONE.  Most of all, I shouldn’t only give exceptional service to someone who looks rich and may tip me better than the homeless woman down the hall.

I am a big believer in this.  I rarely look at people’s insurance.  Once women are in gowns it’s often not as apparent who has money and who doesn’t — and I want to love and serve each of them the same.

Now, be rude to me or condescending to me, and that’s another story….

SO — you trying to tip me, that’s not illegal.

BUT, me taking it, that IS illegal.

I’m not saying that they can throw me in jail — but I can say that the hospital can get in trouble and I could lose my job.  In the healthcare ethics classes I have gone to for my work, they have made it VERY clear that tipping is NOT OK — for the reasons mentioned above.

Also, because people who are paid through government dollars (aka, Medicare or Medicaid) are not able to take tips.

Now, I have had one exception and that is the red envelope.  Some Asian families will prepare envelopes of thanks in advance for those who participate in the bringing into the world the new baby.  Not taking the envelope it is VERY rude.  So, as long as the envelope had less than $5 we were able to keep it.

**Some hospitals are more/less lax on this — so you may want to check with your nurse if you’d like to give her something really nice.  But, officially — gifts JUST for us with more than $10-15 in value are a big no-no.

What nurses can accept for thank you gifts?

Nurses are allowed to accept products.  But, at a low dollar amount.  I am not sure the dollar amount, but it’s low maybe $5.  If you bring me a lotion or a cookie — I can take that.  But, officially, we shouldn’t take gift cards or cash for any reason (although I have seen managers turn the other way when a patient is very generous).

Please note that the amount nurses are able to accept varies between hospitals, but a small inexpensive gift is almost always OK (you can call the unit ahead of time to check).

We are also able to accept larger valued products for the whole unit.  A tray of cookies, lunch for everyone.  Things like that.

You being prepared is probably the BEST gift you can give us! It sounds dumb, but I REALLY mean it!

The Best (and Easiest) Gifts for Nurses:

Ok, so what do they really want (and might I just say you’re wondering that instead of just bringing something rando — THAT is so thoughtful):

Food.  Food is always welcome.  If you’re going out for dinner, maybe ask her what she’d like and bring her back some.  I ALWAYS appreciate this, even if I sometimes turn it down.  It’s very thoughtful, and not a lot of extra work for you/your family.

Baked goods for the staff.  While you may just see one nurse, there is a crew of people behind her that are also helping out.  Techs, secretaries, housekeeping, doctors, managers, etc.  By bringing a tray of baked goods, everyone can share.  Remember that you will have both delivery nurses and postpartum nurses.  Those can be separate areas, so sometimes two trays is a great way to thank all of the staff. Think cookies, donuts, starbucks — any of the above is MUCH loved.

Candy — clearly, we don’t eat much…..  If you could give us a way to pee without leaving your room, that would be awesome too. Sweet treats can be shared and enjoyed by all the staff. These make it so cute (and easily individually wrapped)!

Lotion — our hands get SUPER dry as we wash when we’re in the room or sanitize, each and every time we’re in your room (plus, somehow hospital air is dryer).  I thought this set was pretty cool, and still under the dollar amount (and you could give one to each of your nurses). Lotion is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give.

Lip Balm — Just like your lips get dry during labor, ours get dry in there with you. I thought these were so cute. Or these if you prefer a “slim” balm. This are great ideas for labor and delivery nurse gifts.

Snarky Tee’s — I have yet to meet a labor nurse who didn’t enjoy a little snark. I thought this T-shirt was so fun and cute, often nurses like to wear long t-shirts under scrubs if they get cold. There were also a bunch of other cute options available on that page too. This one might be a good one to give a nurse after delivery. You (or a friend) may even have a Cricut you can make a few L&D nurse shirts with iron-on vinyl! This would be amazing for your best labor and delivery nurse!

A Card — a gift certainly doesn’t need to be big to be meaningful.  One of my favorite gifts ever — I had a bad delivery and the woman’s mom sent me the nicest card about how she’d always remember what I did to save her grandchild.  I still have it.  Gives me many warm fuzzies. These are already themed for you, or just use regular ones (I love how those look!). Cards are REALLY thoughtful gifts for labor nurses, and really brighten their day! We often have patients just send them to the unit (and our director makes sure we get them) — bonus that you also don’t have to take baby/yourself to the hospital for that!

One of the BEST gifts you can give is to give a card with something in particular the nurse did that helped you out. It really means SO much to know that our little acts of kindness really do make a difference. << This has been my favorite gift I’ve gotten!

Pens — We’re always losing pens and loving some. These are my favorite, and these are amazing (and we’ll always remember you with those!) I also loved these labor-specific ones.

Badge Reels — Nurses all need labor and delivery badge reels to get around the hospital, and getting a few fun ones like those might be a fun way to say thanks. These are a bit cheaper (and more generic for any nurse). AND labor nurses love these dilation beads you can clip onto a badge (you could even make some if you were feeling crafty — each bead represents a centimeter). This is one of my favorite gifts for nurses.

Hair Ties are always appreciated. Love these, very nurse-appropriate (and I really like the price tag).

Some other gifts you can consider hand sanitizer, a coffee mug, a water bottle, or protein bars.

**Especially if you had a scary delivery we LOVE to know how things are going once you get home.  HIPPA rules prohibit us from finding out too much after you leave, but I had a mom try to die on me once — she went over to ICU and I never heard too much afterward.  The unit got a Christmas Card of her twins and I was so happy to see they were doing well.  It was better than any gift I’d gotten!**

When to give labor and delivery nurse gift?

All of these can be brought when you deliver, or afterward.  We’ve had patients do it both ways.

Some people keep the gifts in their room and offer them as staff come in, and some people take them to the nurse’s station (although, if I had my choice I’d say to take them to the nurse’s station as I am often busy when I’m in your room and later feel awkward about asking about it).

If you had a specific nurse you appreciated (or the one who delivers you) — feel free to give it to them at the end of their shift, or before they transfer you.

I forgot to bring anything last time (lame, I know) and I dropped something by the nurse who delivered me. For me, it was more important to write to her exactly how she’d helped me because I knew that words mean a LOT. So don’t forget to do that if it’s after the fact and you have a bit more time.

Pro Tip: Do not feel weird about bringing something by afterwards. It really means a lot no matter when you do it! You can always just leave it for them, and the unit is good to make sure they get it. We all know that a thank you is almost as good as a paycheck. You can also always as to see if they’re there, and seeing mom thriving post-baby is a BIG gift too!

The Problem with a Gift Card

While normally I’m a HUGE gift card fan, they can be problematic in the labor room. You may have several nurses, you may have a lot of staff that were very helpful. Often smaller gifts can be better as you can appreciate each one.

However, I have seen patients who had a specific nurse that really helped them come back with a gift card after birth (and often our manager has looked the other way)…. so, that’s something to think about if you really want to tell someone specific thanks for their hard work and help afterwards. Just keep in mind they may refuse it do to hospital policy.

How many Nurses Will I Have?

As an average guess I would think 2-3 labor delivery nurses and 4-6 postpartum, or mother baby nurses (that can really vary if they are on the schedule multiple days). However, it really depends on how long you are in labor and how busy the hospital is at the time of delivery. Sometimes I am with patients the full 12 hours, and sometimes I end up moving around and you get a lot of us.

Pro Tip: Baked goods are nice way to thank your whole delivery team — even doctors take a brownie on the way out their door. We work long shifts and we’re all always hungry. That way you don’t have to worry so much about how many team members there are — just bring a package of cookies or something from the grocery store for all the team members

Also, if your baby goes into the nursery you’ll have a NICU nurse to consider (you can see how this can be a bit of an issue).

Also, remember that after you have your baby, that unit (called mother/baby, couplet care, or postpartum) is often staffed with different nurses.

FYI, if you have a longer induction or a c-section you will likely have more.

And, if you’re wondering the difference between labor and couplet care, I go over ALL of that in this course. Couplet or mother/baby are the nurses who help you after you have the baby.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget you providers –– ones you saw in the office like a midwife or a nurse practitioner, or if you provider did something great at delivery don’t hesitate to write a thank you note or give a meaningful gift for them.

Do you have to bring gifts?

Absolutely not. Nothing is expected. Verbal appreciation, especially about anything specific you enjoyed is just as welcome, and you can obviously bring gifts for your labor nurse later if you want to.

We know you have had a lot to prepare, and it is not expected. Especially when it’s a surprise you’ve even come to our unit (like with preterm birth or a problem found at one of your appointments).

I also have a second post on labor nurse gift baskets you might enjoy on my sister site!

So, that’s that.  A few final thoughts:

1.  Never feel bad you don’t have a gift.
2.  You can always bring something later (and if you get caught-up in new-mommy-hood, that’s fine too).
3. NEVER forget to say thank you.  You may never know what she did that saved you.  You never know the meals she missed, or the pee she held.  We do it because we love it — and we enjoy a paycheck.  A loving thank you goes a long way. A heartfelt thank you is always a special time for your delivery staff.

Ok, now that you have the gift ideas taken care of — let’s get you PREPARED for that big day!!!! Remember, this class has many perks:

• It can be done in just a few hours
• It is an all-in-one class for pregnancy, birth and postpartum life.
• Is created by one of the top labor nurses in prenatal education — and will keep you both engaged!

Or, if you’re not quite ready for the full class, check out my free prenatal class — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.

The post The EASIEST (and best) Labor and Delivery Nurse Gift Ideas! appeared first on Pulling Curls.

How do I know so much about cervical checks? — many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse . I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of OB nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind this website Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. ​ I’ve performed thousands of vaginal exams (and stopped many doctors as well). A lot of women have this issue, and I’m excited to share some great info with you today!

Vaginal checks may be part of your third trimester testing — so grab my free lesson about that right here:

Looking for advice on just how to make them less painful? Click here and jump to just that part (skip the part on why they hurt).

Do Cervical Checks Hurt?

Most people find them uncomfortable, but some people find them downright painful. The way our bodies are made down there (and every person is different, I can testify to that) really changes how we feel them.

Combine that with history of sexual assault or other issues and it can be really bad.

If you haven’t had an exam yet (I have a post here on when they start) you should just plan that you’ll do fine with it (and some of the coping skills in here might help as well). If you go in expecting it to be miserable it likely will be — so go in with a neutral mindset and I think you’ll be glad you did.

But why are they painful?

Can You Refuse a Cervical Exam?

Pro Tip: At ANY point in time you can refuse a vaginal exam (and we’re going to talk about that in this post). However, at some point, you will likely need one. You can certainly lessen the number of them and make sure they are only doing them when necessary.

FYI, you can really refuse pretty much anything at the hospital, but there are consequences.

I have a whole video about them:

I also have a post on my sister site about when cervical exams start.

When you are wondering if you NEED a cervix ask you & your provider these questions:

• Will this change my plan of care (for example if they think you’re in preterm labor and need to stop if it if you are, or if you’re planning on an induction they need to know how to start it)
• Am I curious to know the results? (I’ll never shame you for wanting to know what’s going on with your body)

If it won’t change your plan of care, and you don’t really care as to what the results are you may consider refusing.

We talk about pro tip questions like this a lot in here so you can get in the driver’s seat of your birth!

Why do providers do vaginal exams During Pregnancy?

There are several reasons why providers do internal checks

Pap Smear/STD Testing — It is standard of care to do an internal exam at your first appointment, as well as doing a pap test (checking for cervical cancer) and STD testing. This is done as a speculum exam. Your medical provider will also likely check for any issues with your uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes with their hands (called a bimanual exam).

Most often they do this smear test to check for cervical irregularities at your first appointment.

As STD’s can affect your baby as you progress in your pregnancy, this is important to be done (and treated if they find one). However, those are just the Q-tips and you can ask you provider to just check for those. Many providers do these as a urine screen as well.

Assess for Preterm Labor — With my last baby, I had an internal exam from 28 weeks on. They said they were checking for any signs of preterm labor. I have heard that in Europe this is the standard of care as your provider will be able to tell if your cervix is shortening (aka, preterm labor).

There is a condition where your cervix just can’t keep closed called cervical insufficiency where they can place a cerclage that basically sews it shut until closer to your due date.

In retrospect, I have ZERO history of preterm labor (nor did my mom) and I wish I would have said no. But, even labor nurses get caught up in the white coat…

Assess for Labor Progress — As you get closer to your due date (often around your 36-38 week appointment) your health care provider might assess how open your cervix is (called cervical dilation). However, these are pretty fruitless. Just because your cervix is closed today, doesn’t mean you won’t go into labor tomorrow.

If you aren’t interested to know what it is, these are easy to refuse at the end of your pregnancy.

If you are in labor for a long time they will likely need to do one to check for labor progress and decide if a cesarean section is necessary. While they do it, they’re also checking baby’s head and baby’s position to possibly rotate you to aid in baby moving down the birth canal.

Beta Strep Testing — Beta Strep is a bacteria that they have found can be harmful if the baby is born through it in the birth canal. So, they test for it around 36 weeks. It is just a Q-tip that is inserted into the opening of your vagina and rectum. It should not be painful and is very quick (some doctors let patients do this themselves).

Stripping Membranes — (also called a membrane sweep) this is a procedure that can be done to bring on labor (although the studies are pretty low for it). This is considered the most painful exam as they use their finger to separate the cervix from the bag of waters and many people find it quite painful (myself included). Read more about stripping membranes << in that article.

Absolutely ALL of these exams should include an informed consent. Providers are bad about saying “now I’m going to check your cervix” but it 100% in your right (and it should be done) to ask why they’re doing and what they’ll do when they are in there.

Assess for Your Stage of Labor — When you present to your provider thinking you are in labor they will need to do an exam to see how far along you are.

For instance, we have women in a LOT of pain who are only one centimeter — and would be much better to go home rather than to stay in the hospital. So, as nurses, we do need to assess where you are at when you first present to the hospital.

Or women who are in preterm labor might need an exam to see what their cervix is doing — if it’s opening they might need bed rest.

Some providers do routine pelvic exams your last week of pregnancy, but you can 100% refuse them (but some pregnant women really like knowing what their cervix is — and both choices are OK).

Assess for Vaginal Bleeding — If you present bleeding, they may want to do an exam to learn more about what is causing it (“bloody show” is not unusual when you are in labor). I have a whole post on bleeding at 20 weeks.

I will say a lot of women find the unknown the most scary — and that can even add to your pain! The Online Prenatal Class for Couples is the easy way to get prepared (just 3 hours my friends)!

Some people find they are in pain even after a vaginal exam << and I explain why in that post.

How do medical professionals perform a vaginal exam?

They can either use their gloved hands (usually two fingers) or they can use a speculum (that’s the duckbill shaped implement they put inside).

The speculum is most often used when they need to visualize your cervix (most often needed for STD exams and a pap smear, although we sometimes use them in pregnancy as well for other reasons — including telling if your water is broken).

During pregnancy, we use a sterile glove in the hospital to be extra cautious about extra bacteria in the vaginal canal.

Most often the doctor uses a small amount of a lubricant (like KY jelly) to make it easier on your tissues. Some tests can’t have a lubricant, they can sometimes use water though.

** Some delivery centers do them every hour (or in some time of regular stages) to make sure a patient is progressing. This isn’t the recommended standard of care (and also not how I routinely practice). If you find that your nurse is doing frequent exams just because it’s policy — that is a time to opt-out of that policy (which is fine).

Pro Tip: A lot of people think you can do your own cervical exam in labor. Reaching your own cervix can be hard when you don’t have a baby, and it’s even harder if you don’t know what you’re looking for. I never tried it as I didn’t want to pull a muscle reaching back there.

BTW if you’re wondering about exams, be SURE you’re doing your kick counts — grab my cheat sheet here:

When not to have a Cervical Exam

There are times that your healthcare providers will NOT do a cervical exam. Most often it is due to a risk of infection once your water is broken. Once your water breaks the bottom line is that your uterus is open to any bacteria in your vagina which can be problematic.

If you bag of waters (or amniotic sac) is intact, there isn’t to much of a medical risk reason to not do an exam.

I actually have a whole post on cervical exams at 36 weeks that explains more about this.

What do they learn from a Pregnancy Internal Exam?

I have a whole post on what the numbers from a vaginal exam in labor mean.

Mostly they are learning the position of the baby (is it head down?), how far your cervix is opened or if it is shortened (called cervical effacement)

Also the position of the baby in relation to your pelvis (or how low the baby is).

I think of your cervix is a thick tight-necked sweater that must stretch over your head.

I will say that vaginal exams have gotten a bad rap on social media in the past. A well-performed exam by an expert provider can actually tell us a lot about your labor progress and any interventions you may need during labor. It’s not just a few numbers, it’s a total picture of your pelvic vault/birth canal for your provider.

We combine all this information into something call the Bishop score that is an easy well to tell each other how ripe your cervix is.

Informed Consent for Vaginal Exams

Your provider will have a reason to perform a vaginal exam, and you should feel free to ask as many questions as you’d like before they do it.

You should also feel comfortable that the exam is necessary (I find that helps me feel better about any discomfort I feel during the exam).

Doctors SHOULD Be asking permission before they do something with your body. The end. It’s up to us to set this expectation with them.

Procedural Tip: Most often your provider will have a “chaperone” who comes in the room when they perform a vaginal exam. Often, if your spouse/partner is in the room, they can forego this (that just protects the doctor if you were to say that something inappropriate happened during the exam).

Related: If you’re thinking about exams, be sure to get that hospital bag packed too:

Why are vaginal exams painful?

I see several places online that say a vaginal exam should not be painful.

And guys — after 20 years in labor rooms (as well as having my own 3 children), I have to say that for most women this just isn’t true (especially with your first baby).

They can be very uncomfortable. They are intrusive, some women find them humiliating (but they shouldn’t). AND, for a lot of women they bring up powerfully bad memories.

I would think this is fairly self-explanatory. Your vagina is a fairly small opening, and while you do use it during intercourse, that has a lot of different feelings and emotions involved vs a check-up.

A lot of people have pain during their first few times with sex, so it isn’t unusual or different for you to have issues with the vaginal exam as well.

You may feel that the doctor is being unfairly rough but most providers are doing it with the utmost respect, but they do have a “job” to do. Sometimes in order to do that “job” it is uncomfortable for you. We do know that prolonging it excessively only makes it worse most often.

Frankly, slowing down the process doesn’t really make it less painful — it just makes it last longer. That’s something to keep in mind.

However, you can 100% stop them at any time if you feel too much pain. Always keep that in mind! It’s just a fine line between being an adult to get the information that you need vs managing your pain with it.

Vaginal infections (including yeast or bacteria) can make exams painful as well. You can always ask your provider if they think you have one of those if you find them intolerable — that could be an issue!

Vaginal Exam Anatomy Lesson:

As a note, women have three “holes” in their bottom/perineum area. There is:

• Urethra: The hole you pee out of.
• Vagina: The hole the baby will come out of.
• Rectum: The hole poop comes out of.

It is not unusual for women to not understand/know those 3 holes before — so I just wanted to clear it up. And yes, I talk about it in here in much more depth.

And I also have a whole post on avoiding pooping at delivery that talks a bit more about how these 3 holes interact at the end.

Something else to keep in mind is that first time moms tend to find the exams more painful than women who have had a baby. So, that’s good news for next time!

I love writing stuff like that down to remember next time. Which is why I made this pregnancy planner for you!

A quick soapbox moment: You don’t see men saying that their prostate exam wasn’t painful? No! They all dread and hate them, so when women say they hate exams we can support them by saying that they can be pretty miserable. No reason to chime in and say you love them!

Reminder: You CAN refuse

At ANY point in time, you can refuse a vaginal exam.

And, I am sad to say that many doctors don’t make this apparent. They just pull back the sheet and say they are going to check you (which is not informed consent).

I have a WHOLE (wonderful) podcast on how to say no in labor — but here are a few times it’s smart to say no to a vaginal exam:

• If you don’t see a reason for it — informed consent should make it clear why they are recommending it.
• You are waiting for your partner to come back to provide support.
• You would prefer they wait an hour.
• They are too painful and you simply don’t want to.

I also have a whole podcast just on refusing vaginal exams.

Keep in mind this can have consequences — and that there are times when you are in labor that you will likely need it done.

However, there are times that I see it done when it isn’t necessary, so I would encourage you to make informed choices with your team. Be sure to weigh the information you could get against the discomfort you might feel.

How to Make Vaginal Exams Less Painful

There are a few things you can do (and we’ll talk more about them below the list):

1. Learn some breathing techniques to help you relax
2. Push your bottom into the table rather than lifting up
3. Wiggle your toes (read on to find out more about that one)

If you love little tips like wiggling your toes to make it easier, there are tons more tips for labor, birth and postpartum in here.

Relax to make vaginal exams less painful

Sure, it seems totally impossible, but the more you tense-up the more painful it will be during your vaginal exam. It just makes the “hole” smaller and that is harder on you.

Try to breathe and try to think about all the positive things about being pregnant including that cute baby (and yes, I go over that type of breathing in one of the bonus videos in this class).

Press down to make vaginal exams less painful

A lot of women lift their hips UP during a vaginal exam (one doctor I followed during nursing school called it the chandelier reflex). This makes it harder and more painful for you.

If you push your hips down, it helps you to relax.

Raise hips to make vaginal exams easier

Sometimes, if you have a tilted cervix (and most people do in early labor) we will ask you to put your hips on your fists (or we will put a bedpan under you) This different position raises your pelvis. BUT you are still able to relax as you are putting weight on your fists, vs tightening your thighs/butt to raise your hips up.

Wiggle your Toes

I had a lot of people comment they wiggle their toes during the exam (I think it makes it easier to relax your pelvic floor).

Find a midwife

I do not recommend lay midwives, I do recommend a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife)– one that can deliver in the hospital and has a load of training.

However, midwives are often more gentle and explanatory with exams. If you find that your doctor is too rough, consider finding a midwife to work with.

Discuss feelings/issues with your provider to make vaginal exams easier

Women who had forms of sexual abuse often find vaginal exams very painful. Besides the physical pain, it can also bring up emotional pain that they maybe haven’t processed.

Discussing these issues with your provider can be helpful for both of you. Sometimes, by them being specific about what they are doing and why they need to do it, it might help your brain be more at ease with the process.

**Moms of previous stillborns or even miscarriages often have feelings “swept” up during vaginal exams and that can be really hard too.

In all of those cases, we can’t help you unless you let us know — so be sure to talk to us!

Get some support to make vaginal exams less painful

By bringing in your partner, your mom or a good friend, they can help distract you some during a painful time. Some women find a doula very helpful in this case.

I have a podcast episode on what a good doula can do for you:

Some women just feel very awkward with a physician in this experience. I can assure you that it is not awkward for the provider and that it is just their “job” to do that day. Sometimes support can help you in that awkward time.

As you get towards the end of pregnancy, talk with other friends to see if they found it painful. Maybe you’ll realize you’re not alone.

And remember to go in with an open might. Will no one loves exams, many people find them to be very tolerable, and something to get over with (including myself).

What to do if vaginal exams are too painful?

While you can limit the number of vaginal exams (you are free to refuse them at any time) it is important that they occur:

• In the beginning to do a pap smear and std testing.
• In labor, to see how you are progressing (but this is limited, no need to check every hour or so).

Other times, you can talk to your doctor to find out if the procedure is very necessary. Refuse it, if you feel you can live with the consequences of not doing it.

BUT….

You need to remember that your baby’s head is much larger than the speculum or your providers’ fingers.

You are going to need to work on your personal coping skills to get through it.

Even if you plan to get an epidural, you will need to learn how to cope with pain before an epidural.

You will also need a vaginal exam after delivery to make sure that things are healing well. Along with your recommended pap smear.

I can’t recommend taking a prenatal class any more. This one will give you the tools to:

• Decide if you NEED an exam
• How to cope with pain (with it’s natural pain mangement bonus video)
• Know what to expect so things just aren’t as scary!

The good news about vaginal exams

The further along you get in labor, and life — vaginal exams hurt less.

• As your baby progresses down the vaginal canal, it makes it easier for us to reach your cervix, and makes it less painful — your cervix moves forward as labor progresses (remember as they progress into the canal you dilate more too)
• Your baby will stretch those tissues and with subsequent babies it hurts less.
• You learn to cope with the pain better — and contraction pain gets more intense (so the exam feels less painful)

So, that’s good news. It is rare that a second-time mom finds them as painful as they did the first time they had a baby.

Ok, time to get that prenatal class in. There’s SO much about pregnancy and labor that I can help you with if you just take the time to take the class. The meat of it takes just 3 hours, so you can do it! Come join me!

Not sure we’re a good fit check out my free class — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.

The post Painful Cervical Checks During Pregnancy: What to do if you’re scared. appeared first on Pulling Curls.

You feel fat, you’re tired, your baby is like a parasite taking every ounce of energy you ever considered having….  Put a fork in you, you’re done.  BUT, that sweet babe eating your life juices — they’re happy as a clam.  They love your uterus.  They want to live there forever!  This post is going to give you some of the things I’ve seen work — how to go into labor.

But first, how do I know so much about going into labor?

Hi, I’m Hilary — some people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse (but I’m also the curly head here at Pulling Curls). I have 20 years of labor and delivery experience and I’ve seen SO many people wonder HOW TO GET THAT BABY OUT (including myself).

It’s probably the question I get most often — this has all my best tips (although I recommend a full prenatal class, that has just baby-out tips).

Note from an experienced L&D nurse: If I had a nickel for every time a friend begged me for ideas to start labor in natural ways ~ I’d have a lot of nickles…. and frankly, there is no perfect “system to make it happen”.  And anyone who says they DO know is lying. Trying to find out how to go into labor is NOT a reason to call labor and delivery.

I DO know I’d never take castor oil or midwives brew (made from castor beans). I’ve seen the by-products and how LONG they continue and I’d steer clear of that one.  Yuck.

Going Into Labor Disclaimers:

DISCLAIMER ALERT: **Please talk to your healthcare provider and make sure it is safe to try any of these ways before proceeding with caution.  ALWAYS take your doctor’s advice over something you read on the internet.  Be it here, or the 400 bajillion other sites on the internet.

*NONE of these things I mentioned to possibly help you go into labor should be attempted until you can see 40 weeks out your window.  I’m talking at LEAST 39 weeks.  You have to remember that ultrasound dating isn’t perfect.  You don’t want to think you caused your baby to come early with lasting effects.  PLEASE above all, pick a doctor you trust and whose advice you are willing to follow.  If you don’t have that — you need to figure that part out and fast.  Do not take ANY advice given here above the advice of your physician/midwife. You’re paying him/her a lot.  Make them work for you.

What triggers Labor to Start?

Remember when you’re trying to go into labor there are three components that mostly have to agree:

1. Your brain — your brain needs to say yup, let’s do this (that’s why you prepare so you don’t hold that part off)
2. The Uterus — They aren’t sure but possibly it stretching to a certain point or chemical receptors somehow tell your body this baby is getting too big it needs to get out
3. The Baby — The baby likely lets of hormones when it feels “ready” to be born (aka, lungs mature etc).

**Now, not always do these three things have anything to do with it, but those are the basics that put a person into labor.

A word of caution while trying to go into labor

Be SURE to do your kick counts. You want to make sure that baby is doing well. Especially as you get to the end of your pregnancy, and placental shelf life, you want to do them DAILY!

Ok, after ALL of that, let’s get down to the meat of it:

How to induce labor yourself

Will Sex Put You Into Labor?

My best idea is that the way you got INTO having a baby is the same way you MAY get out of it. You’ll probably have to be inventive for positioning and let’s just say it’s a great, sexy time. Or, at least it’s a shared experience that you and your partner will look back at and laugh.

Semen has similar hormones (prostaglandins) to induction drugs it is deposited right next to your cervix during said sexy time (FYI, there is a good chance you’ll need some of this). I have a whole post on how to go into labor TONIGHT that you might find helpful.

You’ll hear a lot of anecdotal evidence from friends about how sex put them into labor. I even have a friend who’s water (amniotic sac) broke during it (it did not end up being a sexy time, as you can imagine how that might scar your partner).

Plus, there’s pelvic rest for 6 weeks anyway — why not have a nice send-off?

There are studies that show having sexual intercourse several times leading up to your due date can increase your chance of going into labor naturally, so it could be an option. But, dates also had a similar effect!

And while we’re here — have you made your birth plan?

Opening your pelvis for labor

I do think that sitting on a yoga ball (like this) and rotating your hips helps the baby find a great position to head on down to the birth canal. Most things that move your hips in new and special ways can help in that as well as help stretch them out so maybe you can have a freakin’ nap!

I don’t think walking puts you into labor, I don’t think stairs will or the trampoline.  I think they’ll make you HURT.  Hurting and labor are two VERY different things.  Sad, but true.

What’s the difference between hurting and a contraction?

Contractions are from your uterus.  They come and go.  Often ligament or other pain is constant or is only relieved by positioning. Many of the ways to “put you into labor” really just make you hurt (like jumping jacks) they don’t actually get your baby out.

BTW we talk a TON about knowing if you’re having productive contractions in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. I really aim to separate truth from fiction in that class! It’s easy to think that something you’re doing is helping (be it nipple stim, or curb walking) but in reality it’s really just making you hurt. And no one needs that!

Dehydration Contractions

A lot of time your uterus will get angry when you don’t drink enough water. It will make you contract.

Those contractions can be very painful, but they are not labor. So — to make sure that you are pain-free (and only having TRUE LABOR contractions), make sure you stay hydrated!

I have a whole post that talks about what contractions feel like.

How to Stimulate Nipples to Induce Labor

Nipple stimulation will make you contract (it releases the hormone oxytocin, also called Pitocin, ~ you can read more about that here). But, if labor isn’t going to happen, this won’t push you past that bump. Either way, it gets the ol’ nip-nips prepped for the juice bar they’ll become later (it literally just is the exact way it sounds — you rub your nipples). Sounds fun, right?

And yes, stimulating your nipples normally DOES cause uterine contractions (through a release of oxytocin), but that doesn’t mean it’s going into active labor.

Similar to jumping jacks it may make you contract, but just not go into labor (at least you won’t pee on yourself while you’re doing them).

Oh, and while we’re here talking about LABOR have you packed your hospital bag:?

Foods that Induce Labor

I have yet to find any that do.  Again, food might make you HURT, but hurting and labor are two very different things.

Spicy food: Mostly gives pregnant women heartburn (don’t forget these), and make it difficult to sleep (and again, hurting and contractions are 2 different things). I think it’s one of the old wives’ tales.

I have a post on if eggplant makes you go into labor.

Ways to Go Into Labor FAQ’s:

Frankly, that baby and your body have to make an agreement that they’re done with each other.

The reality is that “natural methods” aren’t as good as the medical ways to induce you — which is why we use the medicine to do it. It’s not like a “home remedy” that has been proven over time.

If you truly want to induce labor (and you’re past 39 weeks), talk with your provider.

I also have a few other posts about what can put you into labor on The Pregnancy Nurse.

• Positions To Induce Labor: Best Positions To Dilate
• Can A Hot Bath Induce Labor At 39 Weeks?
• Can Prenatal Massage Induce Labor?
• How Can You Increase Oxytocin To Induce Labor?
• Can Coughing Induce Labor?
• Can Getting A Pedicure Induce Labor?
• Is Midwive’s Brew Safe? (that contains castor oil)

And of course, none of this is to even be CONSIDERED until LATE in your third trimester!

The reality is that a lot of these “old wives tales” have been tested on people a the end of pregnancy — and then (surprise) they go into labor in a few days. That’s because they’re due, not so much that the natural method really worked)

I will say I am a HUGE fan of going the full 40 (to at least your due date). However, the arrive trial (which I have a whole bonus video about in here) has shown that being induced at 39 weeks is likely just as safe as waiting for labor, if not possibly safer.

Understanding why you might want to induce labor or wait for natural labor can be a hard choice.

Frankly, a lot of labor can have some hard choices when you haven’t really thought about them in advance. The Online Prenatal Class for Couples aims to help couples navigate those choices prior to labor so they can easily make the choices when it happens. It truly is the EASY way to get prepared for labor.

Have you heard anything else that’s supposed to put you into labor? Tell us in the comments! I’ll tell you what I’ve read about it!

The post How to Go Into Labor — the Labor Nurse’s Guide appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Sore throats are the worst!  Especially in kids. Their heads are so small that EVERYTHING just hurts, their eyes, their throat, their ears.  It’s all connected and they’re so miserable (although, frankly as an adult I felt pretty miserable as well).

I just did a podcast on strep throat that you might enjoy:

How do you know if it’s just your basic sore throat (which is usually just a viral infection) or strep — where you need to see a doctor?  How is a mom ever to know all of this?  Also, how do you get rid of it?  Take a deep breath, I’m going to go over all of that!

Hi, I’m Hilary, a lot of people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse®, but I used to work for a pediatrician right out of nursing school so I did a lot of phone triage and learned a LOT about strep throat (and did a LOT of strep tests).

I moved around a few times and landed in labor and delivery. I now have 20 years of L&D experience and am the creator of The Online Prenatal Class for Couples.

Normal Sore Throat vs Strep Throat:

My daughter woke up sick this morning.  It all hurt and her throat was awfully red, with some possible white patches ( a tell-tale sign of strep).  It was hard to tell because she’s so miserable, she’s unwilling to open up much (I am guessing this is sounding familiar if you’re reading this article)

So, we took her into the office (offices USED to provide strep tests as a walk-in, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore) to test for strep.

FYI, Actual Strep throat is something that truly needs to be seen by a physician (or healthcare provider).  They will need antibiotics and people often died of it before antibiotics because it can attack your heart causing serious issues.

Pro Tip: Viral infections do NOT respond to antibiotics, ONLY bacterial infections will do that. There are also risks to taking an antibiotic, so you want to be sure which you have going on (which is why you see a doctor).

Strep Throat – Symptoms

Sometimes the symptoms of it, especially in children can be masked.  In adults, it’s just the usual REALLY painful sore throat (and tonsils, and glands and often ears — as they’re all connected).

Get out a flashlight, open wide, say ahh and check down that throat of yours (or have your spouse do it — although I can do mine in a mirror pretty well).

Instead of looking just red, it will also look white (and, likely also red).  That’s because there is pus in your throat, on your tonsils.

** Keep in mind, you’re looking at the THROAT, not the TONGUE — many people’s tongue is white, and that is not it!** You are looking at the back of the throat, there are two small blobs of tissue on the left and right — those are your tonsils.

You may have to have them tilt their head back and forward to really get a good view of the throat. Tell them to touch you with their tongue (or try — don’t be close enough they can). That way the tongue gets out of the way.

You could also try this in a cooperative child (sometimes it’s good to do this when you’re healthy also, just to have a good idea on what regularly lurks down there).

Symptoms of Strep Throat in Children

1.  Nausea and vomiting (fun, I know)
2.  Headaches
3.  Sometimes rashes, but if that’s the case you need to be seen by a doctor ASAP.

It may or may not include a fever (this thermometer is good for all ages!).

Signs of Strep throat in Adults:

In adults it is usually seen as a sore throat with no other major symptoms, besides extreme (often radiating to the ears and glands) pain in their throat.

I am talking a REALLY sore throat, not like just a mildly scratchy throat.

Pro Tip: Glands are also called lymph nodes, and may feel like swollen balls underneath your chin and the sides of your neck.

You will still see white patches on the tonsils/throat though.

I have a whole post on a sore throat in pregnancy also if that is you!

Symptoms that are likely not strep:

Do you/your child have a cough?  It is likely not it.  Strep doesn’t feel like a cold, it feels like a VERY sore throat, and possibly the other symptoms.

If you/your kid has common symptoms of a cold (a runny nose, cough, etc.) it is likely not strep.  Most of those are viral sore throats.

Unless, they have strep AND a cold — then double whammy. Which can totally happen, kids are incubators.

Most often, we don’t see it in kids under 2. Although it’s possible, it’s not as likely (probably from immunity from the mom/womb).

Sore Throat and a Rash

This could possibly be Scarlet Fever (or rheumatic fever), which is when the strep goes through your whole body. It must be seen by a doctor ASAP so you can be placed on antibiotics for treatment. Scarlet Fever normally looks like a “sandpaper” rash (the skin looks red and rough)…

My Great Grandma actually died from this because it can attack your heart and cause life-long issues. Hence, strep is really serious.

Strep throat without a fever?

Strep throat doesn’t always have a fever, especially if it’s early (btw, this is my favorite kind of thermometer).

Pro Tip: Fevers themselves aren’t bad — they’re just your immune system revving up to FIGHT — and we WANT that. But, if kids are feeling miserable, talk to your provider about what medication to give. High fevers can be scary though, so be sure to contact your provider if you have questions.

The main symptom is the sore throat, and it must be confirmed by a rapid strep test or throat culture.

Sore throat with NO other symptoms?

This could be strep. Often, the sore throat is the main symptom (although it can extend to ear and gland pain because the throat is so sore).

But, it could also be allergies, or poor air quality.

How to diagnose strep throat:

In order to know for SURE that you or your child doesn’t just have tonsillitis (and not use antibiotics unnecessarily), you’ll need a strep test.

**Strep throat can NOT be diagnosed just by looking at it.

Strep Test Types

• Rapid Strep test — which results can be told within 5 minutes
• Overnight Strep culture where you have to wait til’ the next day.

Both of those tests are looking for Group A Streptococcus (also called Strep A — which is the strep which causes step throat (vs Beta strep, which is what they culture for in Pregnancy).

On the day our daughter was sick, we took her to the doctor and they did a rapid test.

The visit ended up costing around 100 dollars — just to find out it was viral.  Then, you just treat the symptoms with plenty of fluids and maybe some Lolleez

Viral sore throat is called tonsilitis — or an infection of the tonsils.  It should NOT be treated with antibiotics, as that can only help a sore throat that is bacterial (vs viral).

Tonsillitis can be due to a variety of issues — allergies, yelling too much, viral infections like colds.

It seems like doctors no longer offer strep tests without seeing a provider (we saw a very nice nurse practitioner), which is a shame (and a waste of our health care dollar, but I digress…).

Diagnosis of Strep Throat at Home

I really wasn’t a fan of paying so much, just find out the sore throat was viral.

BUT, then I googled it, and guess what I found:

That’s right, my very own tests

They go in and out of stock (and often can only be bought by a small business), so I have a few other places you can find them (which also go in and out of stock).

• Walmart

I’m not afraid to culture a kid.  It sounds like everything’s in the box (mostly a giant Q-tip, the solutions, and a vial to mix it all in).  SO, if you’re willing to swab your own family I think this could save you some serious dough.

** Keep in mind these tests are only accurate if you do/read them correctly, so take them at your own risk and if you have ANY concerns, call your healthcare provider!

On the few occasions that I get a positive, I do need to go see a doctor.  However, when I have hauled in my positive test they have always taken my word and not had to re-swab me (saving me about $20 dollars). You could also try an online consult.

Personally, I have a DPC with a Healthshare and you can easily either see him or do a virtual visit.

Of course, you might be wondering how to swab your child — and YouTube (as always) has some helpful tips!

I should also say that these rapid tests sometimes give a false negative.  So, if the tonsils have a white or pussy spots and it was still negative I think I’d have no choice but to take them in and shell out the cash.

You can also swab too early or not well enough, and that can lead to other false negatives — if your child is really miserable, it would be worth it to take them to a doctor.

**A note, if you plan to get these for your family you need to be willing to get back to their tonsils and really give it a good swab with the q-tip thing.  Maybe have a nurse friend show you the first time.  It isn’t hard, but it does need to be done right.  Swabbing their cheek won’t get you the info you need!

The true standard of a strep test is a culture on the ol’ petrie dishes

Strep Throat Remedies

Natural Sore Throat Remedies

There is nothing natural that can cure strep throat. However, there are some natural ways to help with the throat/gland pain.

Essential Oils for Strep Throat

While it HAS to be treated with antibiotics (and I can’t say that any more strongly) you can use some essential oils to mitigate symptoms.  I really like using some diluted lemon oil on my neck to help my glands process their swelling and go back down.

Natural Throat Remedies for Kids:

Momeez Choice reached out to me about their Lolleez product line and I thought it was the perfect addition to this conversation!  Let’s talk about sore throats and how this organic remedy on a stick can help ease sick days for kids and moms (sponsored by Momeez Choice).

Lolleez are organic throat soothing lollipops for kids and my secret weapon on sick days. I can very much relate to the founder’s story, as she didn’t feel comfortable giving her kids a throat lozenge because of the risk of choking and artificial ingredients they are usually made with, so she invented Lolleez!  Go mom! They are flattened suckers, which make them less of a choking hazard than a round ball.

Note on how I’d use them:  If your kid has a sore throat, of course, I’d see if it was strep FIRST (as that needs an antibiotic).  But, once it’s negative — you just need to treat the symptoms. These are a GREAT option for that! Especially because sometimes sore throats are from environmental things drying their throat, so these effective suckers really help!

Strep Throat Treatment

Strep has to be treated by antiobiotics.  I have seen some people mentioning that they will treat it at home, but my own great-grandmother died from a strep infection, so it really does need treatment.

It is also really important that strep be positively identified with a test or culture — BUT, once those are positive, you really need treatment via penicillin (that is the recommended treatment — there is no reason to get a really broad-spectrum antibiotic).

It’s just my “culture.” {wah-wah}

What antibiotics treat strep throat?

The gold standard is a routine dosage of penicillin to treat strep bacteria.  It’s best to just get that vs a broader-spectrum Z-pack.

You MUST take the entire course of antibiotics that you are given.  It helps it not come back even worse!  Make sure to set a reminder in your phone for the duration!

How do you get strep throat?

It is passed by

• Anything that was in your mouth — utensils, cups and then someone uses those items
• Coughing
• Improper/infrequent hand washing

It is SUPER contagious.  Often if one family member gets it — I’d ask your doctor if you can call to get a prescription for the rest if others get a sore throat.

Pro tip: Many people recommend changing out your toothbrush once you’re no longer contagious as you could re-infect yourself (they recommend this with all sore throats, actually).

How Long is Strep Throat Contagious?

It is super contagious, so be sure to watch your other children if one of them gets it.  It is contagious until you have been on antibiotics for 24 hours. Tonsilitis is contagious while you have throat pain.

Is strep throat contagious?

YES, very much so. If one child has it make sure to quarantine them as MUCH as possible, but also talk with your provider about what to do if your other kids get it (or if YOU get it).

Strep Throat FAQ’s

This post was originally written in Sept 2012 and has been updated.

The post Sore Throat vs STREP throat: How to tell the difference appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Having your own will is something I am SO passionate about — I actually did a podcast that explains what I did, and what I would do if I didn’t have the cash to make a trust right now.

Oh, and before we get started, grab my steps to the steps to creating a will and trust to remind you in your inbox:

And, while we’re here adulting, here’s my post on what I wish I’d known about moving my parents into retirement living.

Creating a Will & Living Trust at the Age of 40.

You might wonder how on earth I know all of this. Hi, I’m Hilary and I’m an RN who knows that life changes in an instant. I’ve also had two uncles die untimely deaths and I am well aware of the need for a legal will.

BUT, finances, and a lack of will (see what I did there), always kept us from getting one.

And it almost kept us again. It was just SO disheartening to call around and find out it is THOUSANDS of dollars for a lawyer to go into a computer program, push a few keys and print out a valid will for us. I found out that a will wasn’t anything, that we for sure needed a Living Trust (as do most adults)… 

We really thought about doing Legal Zoom, but we have a few issues like our own business that makes it a bit more complicated — plus, I will admit I wanted some hand holding. If I were to do it again — I think Legal Zoom would be a good option. I know what we did won’t work for everyone.

It is certainly cheaper (but also be aware they charge extra for the house deed, etc).

So, I asked on Facebook. And basically, no one I knew had even a simple will. Until my close friend, Betsy answered that she’d used a paralegal.

And a light went on.

I called her and found out her rate seemed really reasonable. We used Christy at Arizona Legal Ease. She is a paralegal and a certified document preparer. And was, frankly, the answer to a prayer. She was so great during the whole process and answered ALL of my questions (there were a few).

In fact, Drew and I were headed on our first flight together since we’d have kids (disclosure, one of my uncles died in a plane crash, so this is a tender spot for me) and I really wanted to get things going before I left on that trip for my own peace of mind.

Christy made it happen. We had the will and the trust before I left. And I had placed about 80% of the things in the trust before I left. It was awesome.

Some of the lawyers sounded like it would be weeks before we could be done with the paperwork.

I’ve heard from a lot of you who can’t find a paralegal in your area who does them. I’d 100% recommend checking out Legal Zoom then!

Here are a few more “preparedness” posts that might interest you:

• Emergency & Disaster Preparedness
• Disaster Preparedness Organization for Families
• First Aid Supplies – Get prepared!
• Bread Hacks: Tips for better bread making

How to Make a Will & Living Trust

At What Age do you Need a Will?

I would say it’s a good idea for anyone who has amassed wealth beyond basic retirement and bank accounts, including a home should get a will, and should strongly consider a living trust.

Anyone who has children should probably have a will (but may not need a living trust yet) so that if both parents were to die, the children’s legal guardian would be undisputed.

All people should have a will (notice, I said WILL — we will talk more about that further in this article), and parents should likely have power of attorney papers for their adult children that are not yet married (aka, my 18-year-old — if he went to the hospital right now, I would be unable to find out anything about him or make medical decisions without those papers).

What is a Will?

A will is a document that covers important things you want to be done when you die.

Who you want to have the items you own?

Who is supposed to take care of your children at your demise?

It’s actually pretty simple (and there are a lot of free places to write up an online will — we had used one of them before we did a pour-over the new will with Christy). It looks like there are several places that allow you to make a free simple online, just google it.

Our will:

• Says that anything that one spouse owns goes to the surviving spouse upon our death.
• Names our oldest child (who is an adult) as the executor of the will and the guardian to our other 2 children — more on that later!
• Says that anything that isn’t already in the trust name should go into the trust (meaning it will divide the same as the items IN the trust)
• We also have the option to list specific possessions we want to go to specific people.

What is a Living Trust?

A living trust puts all your assets into one “pot” which will prevent those items from needing to go into probate.

That living trust is an entity that is now on the deed to our home, on our retirement accounts, and a member of our LLC for our business.  

And, it is a lot more complicated.

Our will lists:

• The executors of our trust (which is my son, followed by my mom and brother)
• How our trust income will be doled out to kids (we don’t give them a lump sum — they get a certain % as they age, beyond the money to raise them or to go to college)

This has a LOT more legal jargon than that, but the MAIN thing it will do is prevent our property and money from having to go through probate court once we die. The probate process can be costly (depending on your state laws, it actually isn’t too much in AZ) and can take a lot of time.

What needs to go into the living trust?

• Every single bank account we own (including HSA’s)
• Every single retirement account we own
• Every single pension account we have
• Life Insurance (from both spouses)
• Our business (we are now listed as co-trustees of our trust on our LLC documentation)
• Our home (the living trust is listed on the deed to our home)

** The living trust does NOTHING to prevent probate unless those items are put INTO the trust, and we’ll talk about that later.

Here’s a few more financial posts you might like:

• Is a Health Share Right for You? Discover If You’re a Good Fit.
• Recession-Proof Your Family Budget with Lauren Pearson from The Wealth Edit
• Alternatives to Audible: Why is Audible so expensive?
• Grocery Price Comparisons: Compare supermarket pricing easily

Why do you need a will & living trust?

You need both of them. The living trust deals ONLY with assets and doesn’t talk at all about what would happen to your children or any assets not specifically in the living trust.

How much is a will?

Honestly, I would do a freebie will (just google it). I am not sure that they are worth paying for as most people are doing a will to list where children should go if they die. 

BUT, in calling around a will seemed to be around $500 with a Lawyer.

How much is a living trust?

I called about 5 lawyers in the Phoenix Metro area. It varied from about $1800-$2500 (honestly, I am not sure what exactly was included in this pricing. I wasn’t aware that they often charge extra to:

• Put our house deed into the living trust
• Move my LLC into the living trust.

How can I make a will & living trust without a lawyer?

You can use a paralegal or a legal document preparer. Keep in mind they can not give you legal advice (but they can explain what your options are — so, honestly, I felt advised), but the documents were prepared in the same way a lawyer would. We were able to adjust things (like the timing our children could receive money from the trust).  

You could also use something like Legal Zoom. BUT, in looking at the pricing. Legal Zoom is not THAT much cheaper than our Paralegal was. At this time in 2019, a living trust starts at about $200-$300. BUT, that doesn’t include moving the deed — which cost another $200 or so (I am not sure of the number, and I can’t find it now). By the time you print it and go through notarizing what needs to be notarized plus witnessed… it’s probably half the price. I am sure moving the LLC was another $200… but I have no idea, because that just seemed like too much.

Just thinking about going through Legal Zoom and then trying to figure out how to move things into the trust. Well, it made me want to burst into tears…

I just liked the happy medium that our paralegal gave us (and she really walked us through funding the living trust).

How do I find a paralegal that will make a Will & Living Trust?

I would google “paralegal living trust”. Start there, hopefully, there is someone in your area.

You could also ask around on Facebook — see if anyone has someone they recommend!

What do you need to create a will?

Everyone I spoke to had a list of things you would need to complete the will. Some of them varied a bit, but mostly it was:

• Deciding who was going to be your children’s guardian (if applicable)
• Deciding who your executor(s) would be
• Deciding how any assets (including digital assets) would be distributed (our kids get them slowly as they grow up, vs a lump sum)
• Bank Accounts
• Retirement Accounts
• Life insurance policy

Our Paralegal had a questionnaire we just filled out. It was pretty easy! It maybe took an hour or so. It took longer to get all the accounts, etc.

What is a living will?

A living will specifies what you would want to be done regarding your healthcare if you were in a state that didn’t allow you to speak for yourself.

Aka, if you’re in a car crash, and a vegetable, and can’t make your own future health care decisions — do you want them to pull the plug?

Although, there is more to it than that — that is the main reason it is used.

What is Power of Attorney?

This means, that if I were incapacitated for some reason, my husband would have power of attorney (meaning he could make all choices for me). If my husband isn’t around, it specifies who that responsibility would fall to next.

What is HIPAA Authority?

That means you can get healthcare information about the person if they are incapacitated.

I want to try to get this for my son, as once they are 18 you can’t get healthcare information about them.

Here’s a few more healthcare posts that might interest you:

• Healthcare Cash Price
• Reducing healthcare costs
• Pain Medicine I Have on Hand
• Over the Counter Medicines — Respiratory
• Family Health Tips: Be the mom-nurse your family needs.

What do I do after I make the will & living trust?

This is the most important part.

You need to speak to each of the accounts, etc that you are placing in the trust and get them moved into the trust’s name.

For some accounts, my husband is listed as the primary beneficiary, and the trust is listed as a contingent beneficiary.

It is TEDIOUS and it can be overwhelming. But, it wasn’t that hard. Just a LOT of paperwork. 

So. much. paperwork.

Also, we are going to create a paper that would tell my son trusted people to help him in all of these areas. Those types of people would include:

• People he can speak to about healthcare decisions (for me, I will list some of the nurses I trust at work)
• People to help him with the finances, as he will be left with A LOT of money that needs to be invested wisely (I have a cousin who is a financial advisor, and would be willing).
• He already knows people, family members he can call for help as the new guardian of two little people.

** For accounts that allow it — you place the trust as the beneficiary or contingency beneficiary vs putting the accounts in the trust name. I was grateful for our paralegal’s support in knowing how to best do this!

What is the hardest part of creating a will & living trust

While gathering all the paperwork and going through all of it is hard, the idea that my kids might have to live without me is heart-wrenching. I literally can’t even think about it. I just typed that sentence above — that my 18-year-old would be the GUARDIAN of my two other children if I were to die and I got sick to my stomach.

I think it is important to be honest with yourself that this is an emotional hurdle for you to cross.

It isn’t a nice feeling, and that’s OK because it’s more important to get it done.

How do you pick an executor of your will and legal guardian?

I bet some of you reading this are thinking YOU PICKED YOUR EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD TO PARENT YOUR OTHER CHILDREN?!!!

And yes, we have gone the rounds with him, but — in general — he’s a pretty smart cookie.  

2023 Edit: He’s now 23 and I really think he’s the best option for our daughter even if it was kind of weird at the time.

I think he is 100% aware that he would need resources to help him in raising those two kids. There is also a clause where he can bow out of any of the responsibilities and then my mom and brother would take charge. These are my minor children’s closest relatives which I think is important for them, they are close to them.

I wanted to write this will to be good for another few years — and it makes the most sense to put him down. In 3 more years, we amend it to put my other son as co-executor (although I think I would keep the oldest son as guardian of my daughter).

You can set the terms of your will. You do need to list a specific person to be the executor and you need to list someone to be guardian.

When should you amend your will/living trust?

We should amend ours as each child turns 18, or if my mom were to die.

After that, I think we will re-look at it every 10 years or so. There are important details that may change and you want to stay on top of them. At some point, we’d need to take out the clause that limits how much money each child can get at a certain age (and we might want to raise that age as we see them grow up).

You should also check if you need to update these if there are new special needs, a major life event, real estate changes, etc.

What should I do if I can’t afford to make a will or living trust?

My first choice for you is to make it a priority and to save to make it a reality.

The next step is to:

• Create a free will — to share who would have guardianship of your minor children, it’s an important first step
• Get a document going that has the last 4 of each account you own
• Bank Accounts
• Retirement Accounts
• Pension Accounts
• Also, include your life insurance policies and the phone numbers of those companies
• If you don’t want to keep this document in a google doc under a hidden name, print it off and keep it in a safe place where your family knows where it is.
• Make sure you include the full name on each account

Talk about what you want to be done if you were to die (frankly, I still have no idea on this one — I want to be cremated, but my religion recommends not to).

I hope this helped you get some ideas on getting prepared on your own. I wish someone had explained all these differences to me and I am so grateful I found Christy at Arizona Legal Ease. It made a LOT of difference to have our handheld, while not paying her a ba-jillion dollars for it.

If you like, I will send you the reminders of what to do NOW so you can have that sitting in your inbox to remind you.

The post How to Make a Will & Living Trust Without a Lawyer appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Ok, let’s step back into 2013 when I had a corner cabinet that was JUST a mess it.

You know you all want to see it.

Admit it.

Hilary (The Organized Mom), with a cluttered cabinet?  The outrage. {please note sarcasm font}

SO, yesterday I decided to tackle this wonky cabinet we have by our oven (wonky being a very technical term).  Here’s a “zoomed-out” picture to show you it’s in a “wonky” spot. I know you know what I mean. You really can only mostly see the cabinet door.

Ok, so here’s our kitchen.  TO the left is our fridge, and to the right is the entry into the dining area (which we use as my blogging shrine…).  The cabinet in question is the one there on the right at the bottom.  Its door is open, it’s a tiny door and a big cabinet that extends back to the wall to the right of the stove. It leaves you reaching WAY back there.

Anyone else have a cabinet like this?

Also, it’s just half a shelf on the top.  I decided to keep my pans in here (keeping things by where you use them, aka, the stove).  I also have some extra #10 cans of wheat back there.  Is by your stove the best place to store wheat?

Maybe not, but honestly is Arizona the best place to store food?  Maybe not.

Gotta do what you can, right?

If your corner cabinets feel like a black hole of overwhelm, this is exactly where simple, step-by-step organizing systems make all the difference.

So, my problem was pans.  I was piling all my frying pans of random sizes all together.  You know, stacking them.   This was problematic in a few ways:

1.  It could scratch the non-stick coating, which is not good.

2.  It was a PAIN in the pa-tootie when I wanted to get out any frying pan (and the largest is not the one I reach for most frequently).  I also had lids rolling all around in that place.

My kids empty the dishwasher and sometimes just toss stuff in there. Because there wasn’t particularly a “system” it made it hard to be upset about things like that.

So, I took some organizing stuff I’d gleaned from the internets and came up with this:

First off, let me say that if I’d had this cabinet in California it would have be PACKED TOP to BOTTOM with stuff.  I would have been so grateful for this cabinet I would have worshipped it in a sad and pathetic way. It was a small kitchen — this much space would’ve been overcrowded for sure.

BUT this is Arizona and my kitchen is a lot bigger, and the sad truth is that in order to really organize this cabinet I couldn’t pack it top to bottom (and I have more convenient ways to store less-used items now, like on the top of my cabinets.  I’m classy). This kitchen just has a lot of space compared to our previous house.

BTW, we know kitchens require some cleaning — so grab my cleaning schedule here:

Here’s a few other kitchen posts you might find helpful:

• Zoning Your Kitchen
• Decluttering Your Kitchen
• Kitchen Sink Organization: The big tips making dishes easier!
• How to Clean Your Kitchen: Cleaning in Circles
• Organize Your Kitchen: Genius ideas for your most-used room

There’s definitely more room to put stuff in here, but it’s so awkward it’s difficult.  I certainly could add a few more food storage cans.

When even one cabinet feels like too much to handle, it’s not about effort—it’s about having a clear system to follow instead of staying stuck in messy-home paralysis.

Oh, and don’t judge my cabinet paper or lack thereof on the bottom shelf.  I already spent 20 minutes explaining cabinet paper to my oldest.  It wasn’t pretty {btw, he was my partner in crime on this one.  I really like passing on my OCD showing my kids how to organize effectively}.

So, back to the lower cabinet.  In it, we have:

1. 5 #10 cans (don’t have to be here, but it’s a good place to store cans, I may add a few more in the coming weeks)
2. 5 frying pans
3. 2 smaller pots, one larger pot.
4. Lids (one of our lids fell victim to our tile floor, so I got a giant multi-purpose lid that is extra annoying, but also super handy)
5. An extra set of stainless steel bowls that I rarely use, but I can’t part with for some sad reason.
6. A cast iron pot (my mom gave me this, it was theirs when I was growing up, I love it!)
7. A smaller grill pan.
8. A splatter screen (one of my favorite things to help keep my stove clean when I’m making a tomato-y sauce)

The good news is that this is most all pots and pans — no small appliances or things REALLY weird to hold. I knew would could make this a great storage space, and be accessible (if we didn’t over-pack it).

The bad news is that pans are all round shape items that don’t often stack well and are bulky to organize in a corner space.

The corner of a kitchen can still be a REALLY important place to be — and this is for us. We do a lot of food prep here by our stove and the other kitchen cupboards hold spices, bowls and kitchen tools nicely!

Corner cabinets are one of those ‘I don’t even know where to start’ spaces—this is where having a proven process turns frustration into real progress.

Again, there is PLENTY of room for all this stuff but with the whole small door and the wonky space behind the stove I grumbled each and EVERY time I got something out of it. I think they call this a blind corner cabinet (probably because you can’t see anything in it)

What I did (I talk a lot about this process in my free challenge here).

1.  The first step (and a good idea) — I removed everything from the cabinet.

2.  Cleaned out the whole cabinet with an antibacterial wipe (actually, I had a child do this).  If you’re cleaning out, you might as well CLEAN out. This can be the best part because things look so great when you find your simple solution!

3.  Shoved the wheat to the back of the cabinet — in the bottom corner.  I think nothing is actually in the MOST difficult corner to get to (the one right next to the stove).  I then was able to shove the bowls on top of the wheat before the 2nd shelf.  You can kind of see that here. It’s not something we need easy access to.

Pro Tip: Put large items in the back. If I put a bunch of small items back there I don’t think I could literally get them out — it’s SO hard to reach (I could send a kid in though).

3.  I then looked at our stuff and thought about how often we use any of it.  The red pan probably gets used least (but still probably every other week).  SO I put it next. BTW, this whole system is from my 5-word Organization Challenge — it’s totally free, and it’s going to change how you see organizing:

My mind wandered.  I just hated all those lids and I knew the budget for my little cabinet remodel was tiny.  I was going to use my dish drainer as a lid organizer, but then I saw to replace it would be like 20 bucks (I have a small one in my sink that is crazy handy, but expensive).

If you’re at the point of feeling desperate for change in your kitchen, you’re not alone—this is exactly why simple organizing frameworks exist to help you reset your space without overwhelm. It’s helped hundreds of families!

Solving the problem of rolling lids:

So, I went to Walmart (you could easily find this at a place like the Container Store too) on my way home and found something like this (I love that this one is adjustable).  My problem is that I needed it to be small enough to fit between the wall of the cabinet and before that 2nd shelf, so mine only has room for like 4 lids.  I wish it held more, but life goes on, right?

I brought it home and {angels singing} it worked!  No more rolling lids and I had a system that my kids could understand and follow (as well as any kid follows any system).

Solving the problem of stacked pans:

At this point, I had the pots on the bottom and all of my pans stacked on the shelf above and I still hated having to pull all those pans out to get my tiny little frying pan to do an egg in the morning.  So I dabbled in our friend the internet and found this little diddy.

It’s made by Rubbermaid, you can get it on Amazon.  It’s REALLY Sturdy and the “racks” are really well coated so the constant pulling and pushing in of pans aren’t going to wear it down to the metal, or at least I think so.

The sad news, is that the top shelf is just under 12 inches so it just slides into the bottom part of the cabinet (good news is that it’s wedged in there, so I’m not worried about it tipping), and nothing can fit on top, but I am LOVING how easy it is to pull pans out.

The other sad news, is that the bottom rack isn’t large enough for our largest frying pan.  So I had to figure out a home for it elsewhere, but that gave us an extra spot for the griddle pan.  Horray!

Also, there’s room enough on that shelf that if I got one more smaller frying pan it could fit on top of that if need be, but that brings me back to the whole scratching your nonstick coating business.  Blech…

So I came up with the option of putting the larger frying an on top of the red one.  It literally fits nowhere in any other cabinet, I tried.  That sucker is BIG (but great for large stove-top meals, I really like it — I got it Costco).

Then, the small pots can stack next to it (with lids, that frees up some room in my lid organizer — think the kids will remember to keep them together) and my most-used pot next to them (its lid is the one that shattered, so I wish it had a lid to go with it, but it doesn’t).  If anyone has a brighter idea for this large pan, please share.  I’m mulling over putting it under the stove, but that brings me back to the whole “no stacking” thing, and this way is probably more convenient, but time will tell.

Ta-da! 

It’s my useable cabinet.  I’m hoping it stays as useable.  I’m on the lookout for other stuff that could go at the back. 

Tired of your kitchen feeling like a never-ending organizing project? The right system helps you finally get traction—starting with the hardest spaces like corner cabinets.

There are a lot of really great pull-out lid and pan organizers out there.  I lusted after those, but I knew in buying one of those I was relegating the rest of the cabinet to things I would NEVER use, and that’s just not how I roll.  I think this is doable.

We actually sprung for some pull-out drawers in the rest of the kitchen, but it just doesn’t work here. These blind cabinets in kitchen corners are tricky!

In our other kitchen corner cabinet we utilize a Lazy Susan. But it just doesn’t work in this (because of the oven). The Lazy Susan’s rotating design sure makes it simple to get to all the things and food items. We keep oils and sauces on top and food storage containers on the bottom.

We do actually have an upper corner cabinet that is similarly as bad — it’s just not as deep, or painful. But it is still an awkward corner cabinet space. Once again, I prioritize things we REALLY use at the opening, and push things we RARELY use in the corner. I also try to make it as easy as possible to move the things at the front opening (container those things so I can take them out), so the back corner things are at least somewhat accessible. Some day I hope to have minimized our needs enough to leave that back lonely corner as dead space.

In some ways think upper corner kitchen cabinets are even worse (than bottom corner cabinets) because you have to be taller to get all the way back there.

Best Thing Tip: Put small items into a container (I love Ikea various containers) in easy reach — that way it’s easier to pull them all out to access any specific items in the back.

The best way to organize is to always put the things you reach for the most as the most accessible. A great way to do this is to separate out the most important things.

Here’s the best news: Total Budget about 15 dollars with tax.

So, do you have a wonky cabinet?  How do you organize it?  Inquiring minds…. I hope this helps you organize your own corner cupboard.

If you’re thinking — HILARY, it’s not just one cabinet at my house — it’s the whole house!

I was the same way. Things like this just made me want to burn my house down rather than find a fix. BUT I found something that really helped.

I needed a process that…

• Got MIND on track to what you want your organizing to look like.
• Gave me IDEAS to help you organize spaces of your own
• MOTIVATED me to keep going and make a change.

It’s called The Organized Home. It was created to help families organize and not feel so alone while they’re doing it.

Organizing is hard, it can feel REALLY tiring, so a little help can help a lot!

The post How to Organize Corner Cabinets appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Please note that the review for these nails was done in 2019. I no longer wear nail strips and have heard that some companies have upped their quality since then (especially Lilly and Fox) — so definitely read the comments too for people’s experiences with them.

A few of the companies in this post have gone out of business or are no longer selling — be sure to check out my post on the best nail strips 2024!

Nail Strips

Why Nail Polish Nail Strips?

Nothing beats a great mani/pedi at a nail salon– but the time and expense can be daunting. At-home just isn’t the same, and if you lack coordination (like me) it can be REALLY HARD to get a good manicure on your own. SO, nail strips offer a convenient and stylish option. Which one is best?

Benefits of Nail Strips

They’re really easy to apply the strips, and require no dry time. Plus they come in great colors.

There are even some of the gel manicure variety that give your own nails a really solid base (I love this type if I was moving or something heavy on my nails). No base coat is required (although some people prefer to use a top coat).

Just make sure that you’re staring with a clean nail (I wash my hands and then wipe with nail polish remover (some use an included prep pad) to make sure it’s starting out “fresh”.

I really do believe that with the right strips, you can have a salon-quality manicure, and even look like a nail artist.

Some of the strips come in solid colors and some have an accent nail, there are also french tips, and some of them are all patterns (sparkles, geometric designs). There are a lot of options.

These beautiful nails come in different sizes for a better fit on your different fingers.

Remember, the great thing is that there is no drying time, and you’re much less likely to mess up than with regular nail polish or gel polish. These are NOT fake nails (although some of the brands carry a separate fake nail kit).

NO uv lamp, warmth or warm water is required with these nail polish stickers. And your right hand is just as easy to do as your left. No artistic skills necessary!

As you read these reviews, please note that this is my review of them in 2019. Any of the brands may have changed their formulation since then. Many people have said that Lily and Fox has gotten better, but I have not re-tried them. FYI.

Review of Incoco Nail Strips

Price: 6’ish

Incoco nail strips are made by the same people who do Color Street Strips. They have had them for sale for Walmart or Ulta Beauty for years under the brand Incoco.

You can also get them at Sally’s and at Ulta, as far as I hear.

They are actually the first nail strips I tried (I did try Jamberry a few years ago with lack-luster results). I have also tried the “stickers” you can get at the dollar store. They lasted about a day.

I love the price and how easy it is to grab them at my local Walmart.

I have also ordered them online and picked them up in-store, as Walmart.com has a larger variety than my actual store.

Application is very easy. The strips are well made and the “tabs” come off easily.

Wear is good, but I did notice cracking on the lighter nail varieties. I think it was only noticeable to me — but it is there. Really tiny cracks.

They also chip quite a lot on the ends. I am not easy on my nails, by any stretch of the imagination. I type a LOT and I also do dishes and clean quite a bit.

I also notice on these that my nail will snag on the area closest to my cuticle as these grow out. It’s annoying.

These strips feel very smooth and polish-like though.

An absolute dream for someone who hates painting their nails (and gets the polish all over).

Review of Luna Nail Wraps

Price: $6’ish (with free standard shipping)

Luna Nail Wraps are brand new to the market, and I was excited to try them (they did send them to me, but they are local to me so I am also excited to support a small business).

BTW use code PULLINGCURLS to save 10% at Luna Nails!

Putting the nail wraps on was a simple process. They feel VERY similar to Color Street and Incoco.

The one issue is that the “top” part of the nail doesn’t tear off. We had to use nail clippers to cut around it. It was also a bit harder to get the backing and the clear sheet to tear off, but nothing too hard to handle.

Also, in comparison with Color Street, I couldn’t use my finger nail to tear off the nail strip at my cuticle, it was a bit too thick. That being said — I’ve had a hard time with that on all the brands.

Wear was pretty good, this Instagram shows some of the cute glitter ones I have and how they lasted (these are pictured after a week).

Luna Nail Pro’s

SO many cute colors and patterns (similar to Lily and Fox below) and she gets new ones really frequently

Free, fast shipping (and she sends a little treat too)

Lasted well, very little chipping

Came off easily with mineral nail polish remover. Some people still use an acetone nail polish remover for these too.

Small business, which is always awesome to support!

Luna Nail Con’s

Feel a bit more rubbery than color street — they also seem thicker (which is probably why they had better wear).

Application process was a bit harder than Color Street — doesn’t come off the backing and the top clear cover doesn’t come-off as easily.

>>Purchase Luna Nail Wraps Here!<<

(be sure to use code PULLINGCURLS)

Nails Mailed Review

I have ordered a set from Nails Mailed and just put them on. They are exactly the same as Luna Nail wraps (but I don’t have a coupon code). A little “sticky” feeling but otherwise well wear. Seem a bit thicker than Color Street but I was pretty pleased.

Review of Dashing Diva Nail Strips

Price: $7

I found these (actually, my daughter found them, and gave them to me for Mother’s Day) in Walmart. I love that they’re available there. They are also on their website.

Putting them on went well, except I felt like they didn’t have very many large strips and I had to go with a smaller strip for my thumb.

Easy to reposition and nail still stuck well.

The strip was harder to “file” off — I tried filing, but next time I think I’d cut them with a nail clipper to see if it works better.

These strips seem thicker and more “rubbery” than the other brands. I think these are more gel nail strips (because of that weird feeling — it does feel so much different).

The strips stayed on SO well. No chips, no cracking. Just my nail growing out til’ it’s awkward so I took them off. You can see in the picture above (top is day 1 and the bottom is at two weeks — I had hardly ANY chipping and they looked great!

I used just a drop of cuticle oil and just pulled it off with a cuticle stick (which is how they recommend). I did also try nail polish remover. It didn’t work quite as easily and I felt like it left extra goo on my nail.

Overall I didn’t like removal as much as I liked the Incoco. I feel like it might not be AS healthy for your nail, but I haven’t tried them enough times to be sure…

But, the nails looked better close up and I like all the options they have for “accent” nails. I was able to use quite a few of the nails on both the left and right of my hand, but not the for my thumbs. The strips don’t seem quite as wide.

They also have a pretty good variety of nails if you shop in their online store, and I like all the “accent nail options”.

Review of Lily & Fox Nail Strips

Price $2.99

Fyi, I only found these online, but they do have free shipping.

I was SUPER excited to try these! I loved the price, but most of all I loved all the different options that they had. SO many cute colors and patterns. Great themes for holidays, etc.

At first glance, they look like the rest of them.

Then, I pulled them out of their package, and tried to use them.

It was a SUPER difficult application process.

First off, the clear stuff on the top was super hard to peel off, and it was also more difficult to get the sticker off the backing.

The sticker itself seems thicker than Color Street. The first side went on fine, but when I went to remove the tab and use the other half for my other nail…. it wouldn’t come off.

I ended up stretching the sticker and it was super wonky for my other nail.

Eventually, I just started cutting off the “tab” section on each nail, which made it work.

Also, I bought stripes for my first go with these, and that made it even harder, fyi — for any of these, I think I’ll steer clear of stripes for a bit. I’m not that adept.

The wear on these was horrible. Within minutes I was seeing chipping along the edge of my nail. Sometimes it didn’t chip, but the “sticker” would just slouch up — making it super annoying.

I had chips and weirdness on them immediately. You an also tell in the photo above (the top is day 1 and the bottom is day 7) that some of the color rubbed off, and they just wore REALLY weird.

The sticker itself was more like a “sticker’ and was pushing up on my nails.

By day 7 I was completely over them and removed them.

They came off similarly to Dashing Divas in that I ended up just pulling the whole sticker off. I tried to use nail polish remover but it left a goopy glue layer on my nail that I wasn’t a fan of.

Anyway, I was SUPER disappointed with this brand. I do have a few other strips and I might try them, but from application to wear, they were a big fat no. Sadly.

If they changed their formula and made them easier to apply I’d be on board to try them again. They have SO many cute patterns. Just didn’t execute well. I also feel like these were nail stickers vs real nail polish strips.

Review of Color Street Nails

Price $13

Shipping was also $3 — making these by FAR the most expensive. If I had bought 3 I could’ve gotten one set for free, putting them closer to the $10 dollar range (and shipping is always $3).

I thought I’d try the ACTUAL Color Street if I was going to share alternatives with you guys.

After trying Lily And Fox these were an absolute DREAM to put on.

SO easy to get them off the paper and apply to my nail.

I actually think they were easier than Incoco.

They smoothed out so nicely, and they don’t feel like rubber on my fingers.

I had heard they were of a higher quality than Incoco, but honestly, after I put them on (which was easier) they feel pretty much the same. If you buy through a color street rep (my friend McKenzie sells them) you will get a much larger variety of nails to try, but the nails themselves seem pretty similar to Incoco.

Also, you do get more nails with Color Street than you do with Incoco – so that is a benefit!

Keep in mind that they say you can only use them when you open them. That’s because these CAN dry out. I put mine in a ziplock and cross my fingers, but a lot of my friends use their flat iron to seal the packet for their 2nd use.

I could also use my food sealer…. but that seems like a lot….

I also liked that they include a larger variety of nail sizes. They had one much bigger than my thumb (it would have to be for your toe) and they have one that is smaller than my pinky. Which, is nice.

These seem to wear very similar to Incoco. I noticed some chipping on the ends right away. The strips I chose were darker in color, and I don’t notice cracking (but I find it’s harder to notice that on darker colors).

Removing Color Street Nails

This can be really problematic as those nails STICK to you (which is great, til’ you want them off).

I use this mineral remover, and it works a lot better. I also think it is healthier for your nails.

My big issue with Color Street is that it is a MLM and I just don’t like that business model. I also much prefer to just get my wraps at the store rather than having to wait to get in contact with their independent stylists and then get them sent, etc. Between that and the price point, that’s what sent me to look for Color Street alternatives. But, I do love the color street nail strips — they probably are the best.

Nail Wraps Compared to At-Home Gel Nails

While I was at a family reunion one night, my niece was doing gel nails for all the girls, which was awesome.

They turned out great and they are wearing really well on my daughter.

It had to have taken DOUBLE the amount of time to do that gel nail thing vs the nail wraps — because I did my color street set while they did theirs.

Yes, the gel thing is probably cheaper once you have the whole kit and are only buying the polish. But, yipes! The time!

Also, my daughter said it sting-d, I think after they put the top coat on.

A great finished product, just a lot of time. I’d guess at least 1/3 an hour, and that’s when someone else is painting your nails for you!

No one’s nails lasted as long as the strips though, I find the strips to be much easier and longer lasting than at-home gel nails!

Tips for Nail Wraps at Home

With all of these, I found some tips that seem to help the application.

You can use both ends of the nail wrap

I would cut them in half vs trying to file/nail clip off the end.

You can re-stick a nail wrap

These are great, because if you get the wrap on your nail (before you cut it off) you can lift it up and try it again. So, if you don’t get it centered, or you end up placing it diagonally, just lift up and try again.

These nail wraps vs Jamberry

Now, I’m pretty sure that Jamberry is out of business. BUT, I did use them back in the day. The biggest pain point was that they had to use heat to “seal” onto your nails. That was just a big fat pain. None of these require heat to attach to your nail — which is awesome!

How to cut off the nail wrap

With an of them, you’ll need to cut it off the end of your nail (the excess) somehow.

With all of the brands, I preferred clipping the ends off — often taking a bit of my nail off with it.

I know they say to wrap it around your nail and then use the filing board to file it off. But that always left me with jagged ends, I thought.

I already don’t love them for the first 24 hours or so, but using a nail clipper helps a lot.

FAQ’s about Nail Polish Strips

Ultimate Comparison between Color Street and Alternatives

Best nail stickers:

• Color Street/Incoco seem to have the best strip formula
• I love how Luna has more variety (like, a LOT more).
• Ultimately, I think Dashing Diva was my favorite if you are looking for STRONG nails. They just make your nails SOLID. They’d be especially great if you were doing something tough on your nails, as I think they are a good support. They just feel a bit weird, and I don’t know that I’d wear them frequently as I felt they hurt my nail health a bit when I ripped them off).

So, that’s all I can say about these. I actually only use them anymore a couple of times a year because I don’t like what any of them do to my nails. They just seem so brittle for a month of so afterwards.

The post Best 6 Alternatives to Color Street Nail Strips appeared first on Pulling Curls.

If you’re reading this post, I am guessing you’re a bit overwhelmed by your life and the people in your life right now. Am I right?

I know this feeling.

I also have one that I did that talks about what to do when you’re just mad at your kids.

Hi, I’m Hilary — I’ve been a mom since 2000 and I am in the midst of parenting my last teen. I am here to testify that it is confusing, but one of the BEST things you can do is take some time to consider a consequence. No consequences needs to be handed out NOW.

Your first step in controlling some of the chaos is to get into a good routine at your house — Family Routines can easily help you get on the road to smoother days. Join for just a month to get the ball rolling!

Ok, let’s talk consequences!

Consequences for Teenagers

I loved the book Love and Logic.  It is amazing for little kids.  The idea that kids have to fix their own messes is HUGE for me.  It changed the way I potty train, the way I dealt with poor behavior, and messes.  It really made me think about the consequences.  And me screaming at them was never a natural consequence — even if it comes naturally sometimes.

And I always find that consequences work better than discipline.

But now I have this gangly teenage boy.  I have no idea what a natural consequence is for him blowing off his curfew?  I just know I’m SO angry and I feel like I can’t change a SINGLE thing with him.  Then, we just stare at each other in a control game.  It’s awfully fun to have teens.

It’s awfully fun to have teens.

But then he’s also amazing.  He’s smart and funny.  He’s kind and genuine.  He’s really thinking about the world around him and how he can make a difference.  Such an exciting time.

It really is awfully fun to have teens.

Another thing that is good for me to remember is that it really is NORMAL to make some poor choices as a teenager. It’s a period of time of learning, so make sure you remember this is NORMAL (like a toddler wetting their pants during potty training). Remember it is normal for older children to have:

• Disrespectful responses
• Mood Swings
• Rude behavior

It is JUST as normal as your baby learning to crawl. It’s not about you.

But, back to the control game.  We play it a lot.  Me tightening down, him getting mad.  It’s awesome.  I really thought that returning to love and logic, with the logical consequences might really help me and my teen’s behavior.

BTW I did an interview with my son (who was now an adult) about what I did wrong — might be a good listen for you (it talks a lot about control):

Love & Logic for Teens

Keep in mind that a lot of times you’re feeling a VERY hot power struggle. Remember, they may just be doing the behaivor to get in that struggle with authority figures. In the heat of the moment, don’t let that take over. Take a deep breath, have a calm moment and do the right thing with a reasonable consequence. Natural consequences teach them — so hopefully you’re not always having a hard time.

Loss of an Item

Just like if my 4-year-old cut his hair with his scissors, I’d take them away.  If he’s on his cell phone instead of doing homework or using it during dinner, it goes away.  I have an electronics contract where the house rules are spelled out along with the consequences.  It works pretty well.  This is a constant fight though.  I’d prefer to fight about something else these days. #commentandhelpme! Having really clear rules and consequences (written out even) has REALLY helped on this one).

Interested in more on cell phones, check these posts out:

• Kids & Cell Phones with Katherine Sellery from The Conscious Parenting Revolution — Episode 136
• Kids & Cell Phones — How do you decide?
• To the Mom on Her Cell Phone: You are doing great!
• Gifts for 18 Year Old Boys
• The Family Clean — Episode 134

My service to him is not mandatory

If someone is consistently rude to me I don’t need to keep helping them, even if they are my child.  If he’s regularly rude I pull back my support of him.  He can take the city bus home.

I think a lot of the teen angst is the fact that they feel like they are 100% responsible for their own life. They have ZERO idea or choose to not notice that we’re behind them juggling balls to keep them afloat.  Maybe stop that juggling for a bit to let them see what happens.

Adulting

If he likes being in charge of himself, he can do it more frequently.  When laundry was an issue, I stopped doing it.  When lunches weren’t being made I just left him on his own.  I needed to be more hands off.  It’s a good consequence for him and me.

My job truly is to mother him out of needing me.  That needs to start sooner rather than later.

Time for a Break

My teen takes a lot of walks/bike rides and skateboard rides.  I bet his hormones are just racing around in that brain of his.  He’s somewhat irrational as a 16-year-old boy.  Frankly, I need a good cooling off too.  Giving kids space is a natural consequence that works.

I DO think that the more natural and logical the consequence is, the more it mimics real life. Creative consequences can be great as well, but just make sure they address the natural consequence of their behavior.

Just like in potty training.  Once my kids have proved that they are capable of using the potty and doing it on their own their natural consequence is cleaning up after themselves.  That means cleaning up the spot, changing their clothes, and sometimes even helping with laundry.  The reason I don’t wet my pants is that I don’t want to change my underwear and pants (or to avoid embarrassment, but somehow that doesn’t work on a 2-year-old).

SO, when my son wants money but is unwilling to do household chores or extra jobs.  He doesn’t get to have money.  That’s the natural consequence.  I don’t go to work — I don’t have money, we get foreclosed, etc.  Hence, I keep going to work. It’s a valuable lesson to learn in your teenage years.

Pro Tip: If you’re taking away something it’s awesome to fill it with something they will enjoy. Maybe your kids did Kiwi Crates as a kid, but their Maker or Eureka kits can be so helpful. My kids particularly love the Eureka ones, and it’s nice to see them put their phones down and get interested in something entirely different.

List of Logical Consequences for Teens:

Here are a few effective ways to help shape their teenage brain:

• The consequence for a disrespectful teenager — He doesn’t respect me, I don’t respect him.  I don’t need to pick him up or cook him meals (you can extend this as far as you want). Disrespectful behaviour is HARD, I feel you on this one!
• The consequence of lying — You can’t trust him.  You can’t trust him to stay out with friends, use the car, be in his room alone, use his phone.
• The consequence of defiance — I would say it’s similar to respect.  Although, check yourself on what he’s being defiant at — is that worth the fight?
• The consequence of drinking or drug abuse — again, I would say you can’t trust them.  So, privileges that require trust would be eliminated.

I recently did a podcast on teens and pornography that really explored dealing with our teenagers on important topics like this (I also have a whole post on talking to them about sex).

How to punish a teenager who doesn’t care

The reality is that they DO care about something. The key is finding that thing.  Be it his phone, video games, sports, etc.  You have to be willing to be firm and make it logical.  Those two are the key.

When you can’t do those

The key to consequences for teens:

The first step is often saying that you need a little time to figure out the consequence.  Sometimes the actual natural consequence is hard to figure out in the spur of the moment.  Also, they can ruminate on how they could change this next time.  Not knowing if this is a life sentence or just a slap on the wrist for them — sometimes that’s the start of an awesome consequence (not a punishment).

Don’t feel like you need to decide the consequence right away — let them boil a bit inside. This alone can drive teen girls crazy in their own way.

Like most things practice makes perfect. The more you do it, it does start to come more naturally and will make them better adults in the long run.

OH, and don’t forget to give consequences for GOOD BEHAVIOR. Get great grades, have more time with the things they love. Consequences can certainly be given out in a positive way! This really helps parent-child relationships!

Fist bump to all the moms with teens.  Good luck! I wish life was as easy as sleep training at this point.  It’s a constant battle between loving the AMAZING human beings that they are becoming and wanting to pull your hair out wishing they were different (or questioning where you went wrong).

I was just reading through a few other articles out there, and I really liked this one. She had a really realistic view of parenting kids and sometimes it’s just nice to know I’m not alone. Remember the important thing is shaping humans into good people who can make the world a better place. Less so is the day to day stuff.

Ok, now that you’ve thought of some ways that you can make things more logical and effective, it’s time to lower your effort at home, so you can focus more on them and their needs. Come join me in Family Routines. I really think moms of teens only need a month, and then you can jump out and put it all to work (or buy for a year to have more time to work on it):

If you’re not quite ready for the full course, join me in Practical Parenting for FREE where I give my 5 best tips for using love and logic with teens (and frankly this is awesome at ANY time, getting good at it early on and through middle school will only give you a new skill you can use for good!).

I’d love to hear your thoughts on logical consequences for teenagers. We moms of teenagers need to help each other, so share your tips and thoughts in the comments.

The post Consequences for Teens: A list of logical consequences for their actions appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Reminder:  Please don’t take the advice on this website over the advice of your physician or a professional. This post is not medical advice.

This post includes (click to what ever area you’re interested in):

First off, how do I know so much about water breaking?

Hi, I’m Hilary — many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse . I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of labor and delivery bedside nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind this website Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. ​ I’ve helped hundreds, if not thousands, figure out if their water was broken — so I really an expert on this.

Before we get going, have you thought about what you’d like for your BIRTH? Grab my free birth plan tips & template here:

Did my Water Break?

Everything changes those last few weeks of pregnancy, it can be REALLY hard to tell (I get it).

First off, let’s try a little quiz — that might give you an idea:

Did my Water Break Quiz

I’m going to give you a Is my Water Broken Quiz? to help you determine IF yours is — and then we’re going to talk about ALL The answers, as well as some common mis-conceptions about water breaking.

Tip: If it’s taking forever to load (SORRY) you can also find it right here.

If your water IS broken, it’s time to call your doctor and pack your hospital bag. This is the big time! FYI, You are still going to be sure that baby is moving as you do those things.

However, if your water is not broken — I have a tip for you!

Maybe you’re feeling….

• Overwhelmed by all there is to know
• Really wish you could fit in a birth class but even THAT is overwhelming because Tuesdays at 6 pm just doesn’t work for the both of you.
• Want class with an engaging expert that you know you’ll really get something from.

The Online Prenatal Class for Couples was created just for you.

• It’s available 24/7 (and can be done in 20-minute “birth bites” so you’re not overwhelmed).
• It’s meant for couples — so your partner isn’t just a cheerleader but a teammate
• Is an all-in-one class that makes sure you’re not missing a thing!

What does Water Breaking Look Like?

A lot of people wonder WHAT it is going to be like. Honestly, most people feel a small trickle of fluid that just continues (sometimes the baby’s head corks it off), however most women have a different “story”

It is a varied feeling among women — but let’s talk more about how to know that’s IT!

What will it feel like when my water breaks?

Some women say it feels like a pop and then a big gush of fluid.

Some women feel like it’s just like they’re peeing, but they can’t stop it.

It isn’t painful, unless it is accompanied by labor contractions (and it’s the contractions that hurt, not the breaking of the water).

If you’re looking for the signs of labor I have a labor checklist you might enjoy:

What should I expect from amniotic fluid?

What does amniotic fluid look like? 

Amniotic fluid is WATERY, it’s not thick and it isn’t normally bloody (but can have streaks of blood or mucus, that’s normal).  If you do gush blood, you need to get yourself to the hospital, and if it’s a LOT you need to call 911, but amniotic fluid smells kind of like a public pool.  A little chlorine-y, and a little bit like urine (because amniotic fluid is made mostly of baby pee).

The amniotic sac is a membrane that surrounds your bag of waters. It normally is pretty tough, but can break (obviously).

Your amniotic fluid does NOT look like mucus. That could be your mucus plug, but be mindful that discharge changes a lot towards the end of the third trimester — or closer to your due date. I have a whole post on if it’s discharge or your water breaking.

How much amniotic fluid will come out?

You may get a gush, you may get a trickle of water.  Depending on where your on the “sac” it broke, it will gush or trickle.  It is likely to dump more when you move, or when you go from sitting to standing.  We call that a slow leak — when it’s only a little.

Check out most post on how much water comes out when your water breaks that helps answer this.

We go into detail about why that is in here.

When will the amniotic fluid stop coming out?

It will continue to come out.  If you get a gush, and then absolutely nothing, you can probably thank your bladder.  I’ve heard of pregnant women who had a “dry birth” and I’m not sure what that is.  It does keep coming out, it’s baby pee.  And in case you didn’t know it already — baby pee is in a seemingly endless supply!

Can I tell if my water is going to break?

Not normally, but I do have a post on the signs your water may break soon.

I have a bunch of posts on water breaking you might find helpful:

• What Does Water Breaking Look Like?
• What Does It Feel Like When Your Water Breaks?
• Can Your Water Break While You’re Peeing?
• What Makes your Water Break During Pregnancy?
• Signs Your Water Is Going To Break

How to tell if your water broke or you peed

I JUST had this the other day.  A lady came in to tell me that about 5 hours previously she had woken-up to a SOAKED bed and was sure her water was broken.

I asked her if she had any leaking since then, and she’d had none.

And her water hadn’t broken.

She’d peed.

And frankly, guys – it’s not unusual.

Especially, it was her 3rd, she was older and she just didn’t have a “young” bladder anymore.

The big thing to watch for is if it KEEPS coming out.

Your amniotic fluid is made of mainly baby pee — so it KEEPS coming out.  Coughing, or going from sitting to standing should elicit another gush.

It really helps to know that a lot of what you think is CRAZY is actually VERY normal in the land of labor and delivery — learn stuff like that from an expert!

Did my water break or is it discharge?

AS I said above — when your water breaks, it is super watery.  Yes, you can have a trickle, but if you cough or change positions usually more comes out.  Discharge is more constant and often thicker or white. However, at the end of your pregnancy it will likely thin out. BTW, I have a whole post on vaginal discharge during pregnancy.

This can be hard to tell — which is why we have the test I talk about next….

How to check whether your water broke

In order to REALLY know if amniotic sac ruptured — you will have to go to your doctor or to the hospital.  Your Labor & delivery nurse can test it. There is also this “at home water leaking test“

The hospital does have a definitive test to tell if your water has broken. It’s called Amnisure (other hospitals may use Ferning, and some may use Nitrazine paper as an initial test) — it is a very simple test.  It isn’t something you want to wait and wait to decide if it’s broken, but you can certainly wait a couple of hours.  Maybe shower, put on a sanitary pad and see if it’s still coming out.

If you THINK it might be broken, I’d call your doctor to see what they recommend. And yes, I do go all into contacting your doctor late at night in this class.

What to do if you can’t decide if your water is broken?

Sometimes there’s LOTS of fluid, and sometimes there isn’t much fluid (thanks to the baby’s head shutting it off) — and that can be confusing.

First off, put a call into your provider. Sometimes they don’t answer right away, and they might give you some good advice for your particular circumstances. This is definitely true if you are not yet full term. If you think have premature rupture of membranes, also called PPROM, call your provider immediately.

Second, put on a pad or panty liner on and do some stuff. Lay down and read for a bit, and then get up — does more come out? Most often it will (but not always) if it is amniotic fluid.

You should hopefully have some pads on hand — you’ll want some for after baby (grab my checklist for after baby here):

Tricks to Tell if Your Water Broke:

There are a few tricks you can try (I go over these and other tricks in the prenatal class for you):

Stand up (or lay down for a bit and then stand up). If your water is broken, most often you’ll get a gush of fluid that has collected in your vagina and runs out when you stand up.

One other time I see a lot of fluid come out is when women lift their hips up off the bed (most often they do it when we’re changing out something that’s under their butt). Often a lot of fluid comes out with that.

Cough — sometimes coughing will also make fluid come out (but also if you have a week bladder, it can make you pee instead, and no coughing won’t induce you).

What happens after my water breaks?

Water breaking itself isn’t all that exciting, but it normally does start “labor” — so, what REALLY happens after it breaks?

Pro Tip: Most nurses have to chart how long labor lasted, and we most often say that labour starts when your water breaks (especially if it did it naturally)

If you’re worried about fluids on textiles around your home (your bed, couch or car) I recommend these. I think they can also be helpful for YEARS to come with kids!

Will I go into labor after my water breaks?

Once your water breaks, contractions usually start in the next few hours.  If you’re heading to 12 hours without contractions you can expect that your doctor is going to want to start you on some Pitocin (the other induction agents are limited once it is broken).  There is an increased risk of infection now that barrier is broken.  They’ll take your temperature frequently (enough to drive your nurse insane).  An infection is the main concern if your fluid is broken for a long time.  They also may start you on antibiotics after it’s been a while.

They will want to see you in active labor sooner, rather than later. Especially if you have certainly risk factors like group B positive (most providers call this the GBS test). Your risk of infection increases the longer your water remains broken.

BTW, you might be feeling some cramps and wondering when labor is going to start — all very normal! It is harder than you imagine to know if you’re in labor. In fact, I have a whole podcast on labor signs.

The thing is there can be some time between water breaking and labor really getting going, which is why I tell you what to do during that time in this class.

Can bad things happen after it breaks?

If anything comes into your vagina  besides fluid from your uterus (or just your basic discharge — I’m talking about the umbilical CORD or an ARM), you need to get your butt in the air (hands and knees with your face in the floor, bum in the air) and call 911.  The cord can slip out when your amniotic sac breaks and this can have serious consequences.  Don’t take a shower, don’t have dinner.  Call 911.  The end.

If you feel something in your vagina, feel free to reach up and check

BTW, this is pretty rare, but it is certainly a pregnancy emergency. Talk with your provider if you have questions about this.

Things to take note of when your water breaks

If you know your water’s broken (and it’s often fairly obvious) check coat:
C — Color of the fluid (is it clear or green?)
O — Odor (does it smell funny?)
A — Amount of fluid (giant gush or a slow trickle)
T — Time (what time did it break, remember the clock starts going after your water is broken)

If you know this, they will answer most of the important questions your healthcare providers will ask.

And, when in doubt — call your health care provider or head into L&D.

I also have a whole podcast on how to tell if your water broke that you can listen to while you read:

And, of course a video too!

Water Breaking Common Questions

Ok, now that we’ve talked ALL about that amniotic sac. And guys, that’s a pretty small part of the whole picture.

Come join me in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples.  It is SO important to get prepared for your birth, but the traditional Tuesdays at 6 pm for 3 hour class just doesn’t work for families anymore — so I made my own. It really covers everything from bump to bassinet!

Or, if you’re not quite ready for the full class, check out my free pregnancy tips class — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.

Be sure to check out my post on EVERYTHING you need to know about your water breaking for more on this important topic!

This post was originally published in March 2014, and has since been updated.

The post Did my Water Break Quiz: How to tell if your water broke appeared first on Pulling Curls.