I didn’t think much of it in office, but now I’m looking at these ultrasound pics I’m concerned about what appears to be a prominent bulge on baby forehead in the 3D images. The forehead furrow line definitely runs in the family, but some of these images look like a dramatic bulge. Thoughts?

If you're considering, or already pursuing surrogacy, and wondering 'what actually happens at the IVF clinic after you match with a surrogate?' Pineapple Family is co-hosting a free webinar with Dr. Melvin Thornton of Global Fertility & Genetics.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Link in comments

Matching with a surrogate is a major milestone. But what happens next at the fertility clinic? For many intended parents, the medical side of surrogacy can feel like a series of decisions happening behind the scenes.

From preparing embryos to navigating transfer and early pregnancy, understanding what the clinic evaluates and decides is an important part of preparing for the journey.

Together with Global Fertility & Genetics, Pineapple Family is co-hosting hosting a free webinar on Thursday, November 5, with Dr. Melvin Thornton, Reproductive Endocrinologist & Fertility Specialist to walk through the medical side of a surrogacy journey.

He'll be covering topics like:

• What happens at the fertility clinic after matching
• How embryos are prepared for transfer
• What the clinic evaluates before proceeding
• How the embryo transfer process works
• What happens between transfer and early pregnancy
• Which medical decisions are made by the clinic

There will also be a live Q&A, and questions can be submitted anonymously.

It's Thursday, November 5, at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET. Registration is free, and both intended parents and gestational carriers are welcome.

DISCLOSURE: I'm a co-founder of Pineapple Family, a family-building platform supporting independent surrogacy and egg donation journeys. We are not an agency. This webinar is an educational session, not medical advice. Medical decisions should be discussed with your treating fertility clinic.

Hi all!

I’m a FTM currently in my second trimester, and I’m looking for some advice on breast pumps! These are the breast pumps covered by my insurance, although I also have the option to upgrade, which I don’t mind paying extra for if it’s worth it.

My goal is to breastfeed my baby, but I’d also like to pump so that I have a backup option if I’m unable to breastfeed directly or if breastfeeding doesn’t go as planned.
For those of you who have used any of these pumps, I’d love to hear about your experiences! Which one would you recommend, and are there any upgrades you think are worth the extra money?
Thank you!

Edit: wow! Thank you all for your helpful advice and recommendations! It looks like the blue Spectra is the most recommended, so I will go for this one

I need to vent and get some outside perspective because I feel like I'm running on absolute empty, and I don't know what to do anymore.

My boyfriend and I have a baby girl together (let's call her Emma), who is six weeks old. I am severely struggling with postpartum depression, deep fatigue, and feeling completely unappreciated. Whenever I get sad or overwhelmed, my boyfriend just asks, "What's wrong? What's wrong with you?" instead of being supportive. When I tell him I just want us to be connected, he gets upset or flips it back on me, saying he wants more affection and that I should kiss him when he walks through the door—even while I'm actively holding the baby, making dinner, and serving him.

Here is what my reality looks like:

Zero effort on dates/romance: I’ve explicitly told him I want to feel chosen and go on dates. He acts like planning a date is moving mountains and says, "I don't know where to take you." When he finally picks a spot, he says things like, "You're either going to really love it or really hate it," which completely ruins the mood and makes me not even want to go. I’m not high-maintenance at all—I’ve told him I’d be thrilled with a beach picnic, eating sandwiches in the car while listening to music, or getting In-N-Out. Yet, when I asked him for something simple recently, he just came home with a single Twix bar instead.

Night shifts and baby care: Emma eats a lot throughout the night, and I bottle-feed her continuously. Monday through Friday, my boyfriend works, so I do all the nighttime diaper changes, feedings, and care on my own. On the weekends, he still doesn't help. He won't feed her or change her diapers. Occasionally, he will pick up a used diaper and throw it outside, and then he considers that "helping."

Evening routine: When he comes home from work, I serve him food while he showers. He'll hold Emma briefly until I serve his meal, then he eats and takes his time. After that, he takes the baby so I can finally eat—but if Emma starts crying while I'm eating, he gives me "the look" like he hates holding her, forcing me to rush through my food.

Family comes first: He consistently puts his family before our peace. When his family comes over, I am exhausted, Emma is crying, and she needs her diaper changed—yet he doesn't step up to help me at all.

Fridays & drinking: Every other Friday after work, he goes to his brother's house from 4:30 PM until 9:30 PM. When he comes home, he's under the influence and expects me to make him food.

I do so much, but I feel totally unloved, uncherished, and alone. I just want to feel taken care of, too. Instead, I'm getting to the point where I'm just completely burnt out and numb.

Am I going crazy? What would you do in my situation?

Hi, our 17m old’s left foot turns inwards and he mostly walks on his toes on that foot. We are concerned about it but when I mentioned it to his Dr. last month he said that is normal? At that same appointment I told him that son had started to stand independently. Since he was making progress he wanted to hold off on a PT referral. So I’ve tried to give extra playtime to activities to encourage his confidence and walking skills.

I’ve waited a month with no change seen in that foot but he has started to walk independently for up to 10 steps when he’s in the mood to. None of my mom friends have seen this with their kiddos. In this video you can see that left foot turns inwards and doesn’t quite do what it needs to. As a note, he does this when on his Y-Bike and while holding someone’s hand and walking but it’s less dramatic. When walking independently it’s also less dramatic but you can still tell that foot doesn’t want to cooperate.

Have any of you seen this? Should I just stay patient and keep encouraging him? Go back to Dr and Insist on a PT referral?

My baby girl is 8.5 months (7 corrected) and has come down with a sickness, it started as a dry cough only at night for the past 4 nights and now it’s progressed just since today as a wet cough and the sound of congestion in her chest/nasal passages. Yes, she is vaccinated, and yes she has her flu shot!

Things I have tried:
Nebulizer
Baby Vicks rub
Humidifier
Motrin
Offering lots of fluids