I also have PCOS and was on metformin to get pregnant. It's used to treat insulin issues and studies have shown it will assist women with PCOS to increase their chances of getting pregnant (80% in the first 6 months). I got pregnant after only 2 months on it.

I also second the weight loss line. It's something I struggle with, but know that to keep the PCOS more controlled I need to keep my weight down and watch my diet.

Good luck!

DH, DD and I will be moving to Gaithersburg in March (currently live in WI). We're trying to figure out what medical insurance to get and some recommendations for Dr's. We can't keep what we currently have as it's a local insurance.

The big things we need are a general practitioner for all 3 of us (DD is 11 wks now), access to psychologists/psychiatrists, good optometrists, gentle dentists, midwives, and access to women's endocrinologist (or other specialist with experience with PCOS).

We want something/someone that isn't going to pressure us to do a lot of medical interventions and such. We aren't doing all the vaccines, we tend to try homeopathic and alternative remedies before we try medication and if we're in the area when we decide to have child #2 we plan on using a midwife.

Any suggestions or recommendations will be greatly appreciated!!!!! We'd like a practice closer to Gaithersburg but are willing to go further for quality!

THANKS!

You can trust wood, and cloth toys. Or anything purchased from an organic retailer (so long as they state what all is in the toy).

If you're going to be worrying about it, you may want to replace/exchange the toys just for your peace of mind.

You can also use a mix of water and Tea Tree Oil. It's a natural antibacterial that is safe to ingest. We use this for cleaning all over the house even.

The sign language class may be worth it though. It's a way to help you and your baby communicate before she's talking (and even beyond). I've seen a lot of success and less tears in homes where the baby can sign (even just things like hungry, diaper, hurt, etc). We're already starting to use some signs and our baby's not even 3 months! She can't sign back- but we're at least getting in the habit.

Check out this website. http://letsgopets.com/index.php

You can also Google "pet friendly hotels" and see what comes up.

We're moving to MD from WI in March and plan to use this to help us find places we can stay with out cats.

Good luck!

From what I understand the 6 weeks post delivery is just penetration. There are other ways to get the satisfaction you need

It may be a little uncomfortable to orgasm right away, but that goes away.

I married into a family of teachers (MIL, FIL and SIL all teach, with a few generations before also teaching). I can attest that most teachers, if they see a child not being challenged, will go above and beyond to give that child what they need.

If you're looking into a school ask to interview the principal, a few teachers from the grade, and for a few families with current and past students. Be sure you get to see the classrooms too.

You could also look into a home school co-op. That way you can know that everything is tailored to your child's level.

Choosing a school should be the same process you use when choosing a daycare. Unfortunately not everyone gets that chance.

Good luck finding the right fit!

I wouldn't trust the USDA's "organic" labels. They have inconsistent and very lax criteria.

Organic Valley is the best option for organic foods. They're a co-op farm company that uses small family farms. They're based in Wisconsin.

Try Bell Evans chicken (if you can find it- we have it in WI but since I haven't shopped or groceries in MD yet I don't know if it's out there). From what we've found they use no chemicals in feed or raising them, they're free range and organically fed.

For eggs- nothing beats finding a local small farm and buying right from the source.

Check out DONA to find more info out about Doulas andhow to find one in your area.

In the midwest we paid $400 for unlimited phone and email support, her to be there for however long during labor and a postpartum appointment. Each doula offers slightly different services. The important thing is to find one you connect with and like.

http://www.dona.org/

I was induced at 41 5/6 weeks. I was about 90% effaced and 1cm dialated. I only had one shot of morphine early on. But my labor was also only 4 hours short (including pushing). I used a tub for about an hour and changed my position a couple of times. No c-section, no tearing. And one happy and healthy baby!

Good luck and congrats!

Doula's are fantastic no matter the situation. They can be one more set of massaging hands or one more comforting voice.

Also, they're so wonderful at running and getting you what you (or anyone else) needs.

Don't assume you'll tear or will need an episiotomy. I'm not athletic in any way. I did practice kegels early on but stopped later. If you use different positions to birth in (not on your back) you're less likely to tear.

I was lucky: I was induced and had a 4 hour labor (2 hours pushing). I had no tearing just a small skid mark. I stayed off my back as much as possible.

Good luck! You may want to try and find a doula to help you.

It depends on the doctor as to how long they let you go. Also if you go with a Midwife they are more likely to let you go longer.

If you don't like your OB you really should try shopping around. This person is going to be catching your child and interacting with you during a time that you'll be stressed out. You really don't want the added stress of not liking a doctor.

You can find wool puddle pads on line. We're in Madison, WI so we got one at a local environmental bedding store. You can find them on-line at http://www.satara-inc.com/

I think there's some at Amazon too. You wash them the same way you wash all wool- the important thing is how you dry it (air dry). Some wool pads need to be treated every so often with lanolin to keep them soft.

As per wipe warmers: if you use cloth (reusable) wipes they're actually quite useful! We put the cloth wipes in with some water (some people use a wipe formula that includes baby and tea tree oils). It's not so much about keeping the wipes warm as it is keeping them wet.