u/night-ly-owl

This is more of a rant than anything. I am so freaking tired.

When I first started seeing rheum a year ago my labs were just off enough to get a referral. I have an extremely extensive, generational history of autoimmune disease. My joint pain, fatigue and stiffness have increased drastically over the year. I got pregnant in October, and I am due next month. Baby is really healthy which is a blessing. OB is leaning toward induction because of UCTD and chance of placenta detaching early but I obviously do not want to induce unless it is 100% necessary due to the pain and potential complications that come with it.

My glucose test bloodwork was also run with a general bloodwork panel, and it looks like my body is fighting or was recently fighting infection or inflammation. My OB NP said it's just pregnancy, but I literally begged her to send it to my rheum. I told her it doesn't make sense to have labs come back this elevated or depleted even with the pregnancy without some sort of interference like an infection/inflammation etc. She did end up sending it. Still have not heard back from him. I understand he can't poke and prod a pregnant woman as much as a normal patient and I will get more testing done after baby is born. I am hoping for a more definitive diagnosis but at the same time that scares the heck out of me. He put me on plaquenil in July 2025, and I have only gotten worse. He won't take me off it until after baby is born which is understandable.

I can hardly move my fingers, and nothing makes the pain go away other than a temporary cold bath (which hurts like heck. I have extremely low tolerance to cold.) My skin looks mottled and my feet are purple a lot more than usual. I am so fatigued I feel unsafe driving to work anymore. I want to cry my eyes out every second of the day.

To top it off, I have really bothersome sensory issues, and I get overstimulated so easily that I will shut down. I have no idea how I am going to make it until the end of June. If anyone has advice or words of encouragement, please send some my way. I can't do this anymore.

Update: Thank you all so much for your feedback. You’ve convinced me to get the all-in-one! Makes sense to just spend a little extra up front rather than have to manually wash all that stuff or risk food contamination in the dishwasher. Thank you again!!!

Trying to figure out if getting a Momcozy or Baby Brezza all in one sterilizer is worth it, or if I should just get a sterilizer/dryer like Dr. Browns. I like that the sterilizer is smaller. However, my husband works overnights so I will have baby almost 24/7 which gives me a little less time to do small every day chores.

Anyone that has the all in one, any feedback? Any regrets? And people who wash by hand or with the dishwasher and sterilize after, I’d also like to know your opinion and if you wish you’d gotten the all in one.

My situation: Ideally, I will be primarily breastfeeding and pumping when necessary. I will be a SAHM for a while. I have the counter space, but I hate clutter. I run the dishwasher normally every other day. I really hate doing dishes (my husband usually washes them haha). Money is not really an issue, but I do like to save money whenever possible. So I have a pretty balanced amount of pros and cons.

I appreciate you all! Thank you!

I just got home and realized I picked up four bags of lemon candies instead of three. I have the receipt and was just in the store like an hour ago. Can I return?