Two totally unrelated questions...and cookies :)

[brennaz]

1. Anyone else have the issue of their maternity pants falling down constantly? I think my ass has fallen off sometime in the last 20 weeks. Anyone have any suggestions to help hold pants up? I'm considering a maternity belt and/or trying to sew elastic into the back of the jeans, but I don't know if either will really work, so I'm open to input. 

2. Anyone know anything about white blood cell count? My last lab results came in and my doctors office said the absolute whatever is really high (79%) but the other kinds are all below normal, and they want me to do further testing to see what's causing it. She said it could be anemia, stress, an infection, an autoimmune issue, or preeclampsia, or a zillion other things. This was all in a voicemail I got last night after work, and she hasn't returned my call yet today, so naturally my mind is going crazy. Also, I can't figure out why THIS information they leave on my voicemail, but I had to call back and talk to the NP to "find out" I'm RH- and need the rhogam shot, and call back again to find out my insurance approved it. ::facepalm::

Here's cookies for your time  

[noeliav]

1) Yes. Usually, they are just too big. The ones that are slightly too small (as in, less comfortable) stay up without any problem.

No idea on the second. And I can always have moar cookies, thx.

[brennaz]

oops, just saw the randoms thread, this could have gone there. Sorry for being a PW, it was not intentional

[noeliav]

I have no beef with you, PW

[bendherova]

mmmmmm, cookies.

[Girlymama79]

If you eat more cookies your pants will stay up better

Seriously though. My maternity pants are either tight and not comfy or they fall down too

[mrskblack11]

If I wear mine too often without washing, they start to fall down. I wash them, they shrink a bit and then I am good for a few days.

I know nothing about white blood cell counts.

Maybe if we all eat extra cookies, our pants won't fall off

[brennaz]

Feb 4, 2015 14:43:54 GMT -5 mrskblack11 said:

If I wear mine too often without washing, they start to fall down. I wash them, they shrink a bit and then I am good for a few days.

I know nothing about white blood cell counts.

Maybe if we all eat extra cookies, our pants won't fall off

This sounds like a great solution!

[tatersalad]

Feb 4, 2015 14:14:02 GMT -5 noeliav said:

1) Yes. Usually, they are just too big. The ones that are slightly too small (as in, less comfortable) stay up without any problem.

No idea on the second. And I can always have moar cookies, thx.

Those cookies look delicious. Now I want cookies.
I'm with noeliav and have no advice on the WBC, but I bought a pair of maternity jeans a size smaller than what I would wear pre-pregnancy and those are the only full panel pants that will stay up for me without a belt. I also have Paige maternity jeans with stretch pockets and belt loops, and those are great with a belt.

[noeliav]

Feb 4, 2015 14:43:54 GMT -5 mrskblack11 said:

If I wear mine too often without washing, they start to fall down. I wash them, they shrink a bit and then I am good for a few days.

I know nothing about white blood cell counts.

Maybe if we all eat extra cookies, our pants won't fall off

QFT.
I have a pair of work pants that can only have one wearing between washings or else I spend all day pulling those suckers up.

:: eats another cookie ::

[teenybird]

I'm in the same camp re: pants...no help They are either too tight and cut right across my bladder when I try to sit down, or they sag off my butt by midday. If I don't wash after each wearing, I still toss them into the dryer each time to tighten them up.

Not sure about the WBC, but I know that in non-preggos docs seem most interested in it as a sign of possible infection. Could be something as simple as the world's most low key yeast infection or your sinuses gettig backed up, or a million other things. FX that is NBD, mama! Hope the damn office calls you back soon.

[billyhorrible]

1. I'm having this problem this time around and I did not have it last time. However, I didn't wear maternity clothes as early either last time. So maybe it'll get better as you get bigger? I've also been seeing a lot of side-panels for pants instead of belly panels. Maybe that would work better?

2. Keep in mind your WBC is going to be higher during pregnancy anyway. (perinatology.com says that for nonpregnant it's 3.5-9.1 and for second trimester it's 5.7-13.6). When it's higher, that is often a sign of an infection, but not always. Did they do an urinalysis with your last pee cup? My guess always jumps to UTI since we're all peeing so much anyway it might go unnoticed.

[Deleted]

1. The only pants that give me a problem are my maternity jeans (full panel). Even though my ass has doubled in size and the pants are tight, they start to slip down after a few hours. All of my other maternity pants are great.

2. I don't know anything about white blood cell count.

[billyhorrible]

Another thought while I was out - were your absolute (somethings) high or just your (somethings)? I was looking at my most recent CBC and the absolutes are listed by amount, with a percentage of the component listed as a percent.

For instance, my absolute neutrophils are 8.1K/mcL (which is "high" but normal for pregnancy). My neutrophil % is 71% (also "high").

[brennaz]

Feb 4, 2015 17:16:48 GMT -5 billyhorrible said:

Another thought while I was out - were your absolute (somethings) high or just your (somethings)? I was looking at my most recent CBC and the absolutes are listed by amount, with a percentage of the component listed as a percent.

For instance, my absolute neutrophils are 8.1K/mcL (which is "high" but normal for pregnancy). My neutrophil % is 71% (also "high").

the absolute "somethings" is high (I think neutrophils is what she said, but it's basically a foreign language to me). The rest I just got letter abbreviations, but they were low, which is why they want to do more testing from what I understand. 

Still no call back. 

Not a fan of my OB's office staff, seriously. I don't feel any different, but anemia is my gut-feeling because it's common for me non-pregnancy, and with DS I had to take a ginormous amount of iron in addition to prenatals. I can't think of anything from the time of the draw that would tip me off to illness, infection, whatever. They didn't do a pee cup that time, they were just re-doing labs they had lost or didn't do or whatever from my previous go-round, but I'm sure they will add it this time around. I am starting to think it's just this one receptionist/nurse whoever who is terrible at communication, she has repeatedly worried me over nothing, and the more I think about it the more I think it's probably nothing and she is making it sound like something. 

[billyhorrible]

Yeah, I can't help but feel if my neutrophils were "high" but normal at 71% during the first tri, then they might be overreacting to yours in second tri.

It has been YEARS since I've done interpretations - when I worked for a vet I sometimes got to do counts for cultures, but that was....20 years ago... But basically all of those "absolute" components are types of white blood cells. And they all have different tasks (like I'm sure you know about platelets and clotting). So if your body is producing something extra, it's likely due to a signal to produce more for some reason (like to fight off infection). But because you're pregnant, your body is getting that signal and producing more.

So if there's a history of her worrying you over nothing, then I could see this falling into the category. An increase in value wouldn't signify anemia - because that's a deficit. I also think (but I'm not sure) that shows up in your Red Blood Cell count (RBC) not the White Blood Cell count (WBC)

[leenziepops]

Oh you little PW
i can only chime in for #1. I bought some pants with 10% lycra in it so they stay up pretty well and I have a small butt. No butt baby here ladies. The waist band part goes over my bump nicely and is not fitted around my bump. I'm surprised it stays up as well as it does but can slide down just a little if I'm walking a lot.

[brennaz]

billyhorrible - well that further decreases my confidence in her, because anemia was one of the things she rattled off. I missed it the first time I listened to her message, but the second time I caught it and went, "ahhh, that would make sense."

Damn woman is pissing me off. Now they're closed for the day and still no return call. I'm going to assume that it's nothing major or they would have called me back after my first message...but hey, I missed the second tri screen because they didn't give me the paper work until after the deadline, and they didn't tell me I was supposed to do a blood draw with the NT scan, so there's that. Oodles of love for this place. Can you tell?

Bleh. I will ask Quest for my results directly and see what I can find out with Dr. Google...I might get a faster response that way than waiting for a call back from the office.

[ktbear]

All I know is I like cookies and my pants never stay up

[nicolec78]

The full panel ones don't want to stay up.

Thanks for the cookie pic!

[missjenniebean]

I have a pair of maternity. Jeans that someone gave me that fall down!

No advice, I'm sorry.

Yay cookies!

[kemdupuis]

Yeah, I'm always hiking up my maternity pants too. I agree with PP- leggings are awesome!

Wish I could help with the white blood count question, but I have no ideas/advice/info to give. Good luck!

[jessila]

I think that there need to be maternity pants suspenders that easily connect to our bras so we can unclip them to pee.
I have side panel jeans that I've been living in since I was 10 weeks. I was able to wear a belt with them until 15ish weeks but then it was uncomfortable. Now I play the constant hike up game.

[kimberlyandthor2014]

yeah I think we need suspenders for the maternity jeans. I am constantly hiking them up or having bag-ass. My comfy maternity pants don't fall down, only the jeans--maybe because the material is heavier on the jeans? I like the idea of eating more cookies to keep them up... but for realz, sometimes I tuck the top of the panel into my bra. It doesn't work indefinitely but it does lengthen the time it takes them to fall.

[leenziepops]

We should bring back denim overalls!

[noeliav]

Feb 5, 2015 16:16:49 GMT -5 leenziepops said:

We should bring back denim overalls!

The pregnancy hormones have fully infiltrated my brain because my first thought was "oh, that's cute!" 
Send help. 

[tatersalad]

Feb 5, 2015 16:16:49 GMT -5 leenziepops said:

We should bring back denim overalls!

My husband actually requested that I wear some denim short alls this spring. I haven't owned a pair since junior high.

[bookninja]

Oh, gosh, flashback to my (thankfully short lived) overalls period.

My pants won't stay up either, but I got a pair (Walmart) that have a thicker elastic band at the very top. Doesn't look good with any sort of tighter shirt, but does stay up!

[gingerbabe]

1) My maternity pants with a tight stretchy full panel never fall down. They are the Motherhood maternity secret fit belly pants. The ones with a cotton panel (from H&M) get stretched through out the day and so I have to wash them after one wear.

2) There are so many reasons for WBC count to be high. I have not had it show up for me personally during a blood test, so I can't give any real info or advice. I hope you can hear back from your OB first thing in the morning.

[girpipley]

My very basic (google) knowledge of WBC, is that it could be related to anything from an infection to a new bruise, to a flower you walked by outside that made your allergies flare up.

My MFM has told me that they will elevate in response to stress, so if you have white coat issues, that can impact things.

For example, I had mine drawn yesterday, mid panic attack, and it came back 17, which is pretty high.

They drew this morning at 6am (less than 12 hours later) I was barely awake, and they were down to 13, which is normal for pregnancy.

I hope that they call you first thing in the morning, I know the wait is horrid.