It used to be so easy when people didn’t have private social media profiles. But these days, I’m finding it harder to be able to track people down.    

Well, my friends, I’m about to share a simple way to find those you’ve lost touch with and much more – TruthFinder!  

This sponsored article is brought to you by TruthFinder. As always, here at Plus Mommy, we love sharing helpful resources with our community and are so thankful for the brands that support our work. 

I’ve spent the past few weeks visiting my parents in California and staying in my childhood home. 

Walking around the neighborhood, I was flooded with many fond memories. Then, I started wondering what happened to Billy, the dodgeball champ, and Katie, who had the best Barbie collection on the block.   

With TruthFinder, I found information on people I’d lost touch with over thirty years ago in just a few clicks.  

Are you wondering how it works? 

You begin your search by entering someone’s name, phone number, email address, or address. So many different search options! 

Then, TruthFinder works its magic to pull public records that can include such information as name, age, email addresses, social media profiles, and location history. The TruthFinder background report could also include criminal and traffic records. 

It’s thrilling to walk down memory lane, looking up the whereabouts of those you lost touch with years ago. But there’s another reason you might want to look into this helpful resource. 

As parents, we never want to think about terrible things happening to our kids. And we want to do all we can to protect our children. TruthFinder allows me to search for information on the parents of my son’s friends before I send him away for a slumber party. 

Beyond that, TruthFinder has a Sex Offender Watch feature that searches for offenders in your neighborhood or near your kid’s schools. And as a parent, that brings me a lot of peace of mind. 

Lastly, this resource isn’t just to search for others – it’s a way to monitor what information is available about you! We’ve all left digital footprints, and knowing what others see when they pull your information is insightful.  

From connecting with long-lost childhood friends to looking out for who might become in contact with my son, I’m thankful to have TruthFinder at my fingertips. Try it for yourself today at TruthFinder.com!

The post How TruthFinder Helps Me Connect To My Past  appeared first on Plus Mommy.

Disclosure: Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This is our story!

As our collection of masks grew in March of 2020, my husband Chris and I talked about who would help take care of our son if either one of us got sick with COVID.

We never imagined these were conversations we’d have but knew plans should be in place.  

As a baker, Chris continued to work nonstop, aside from a short time when all our city’s restaurants closed. Meanwhile, I attempted to work at home while balancing our son’s distance learning.

I found an even deeper appreciation for teachers during this time!

As someone with anxiety, I wanted to stay informed but knew I couldn’t go too deep into all the corners of the internet.

So, when vaccinations became available, I consulted with a scientist and spent a lot of time on cdc.gov/coronavirus.

And, by a scientist, I mean my amazing father-in-law, Red McLellan. He’s one of many brilliant people who helped put the first man on the moon in 1969.

I know not everyone has a physicist in their family, so I definitely recommend all the evidence-based information available on cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Feeling good about our decision to get the vaccine, Chris and I registered to get it as soon as it became available. And, as an essential worker, he was the first to get the call.

A few weeks later, I got my first dose of the vaccine.

I shared my experience on Instagram and received quite a few private messages from other plus size women worried about getting the vaccine as a person of size.

I openly shared how I was treated with compassion and was offered a chair without arms. And Chris and I were fine aside from very sore arms, fatigue, and a bit feverish for a day.

And, we had similar responses for a few days when we got our second dose.

Flashforward to this past fall, when the vaccine finally became available for our eleven-year-old son, Braeden.

Chris and I talked, read the information on the CDC’s website, consulted with our on-call physicist, and spoke to our son’s pediatrician. In addition, we both had friends whose kids were in the vaccine trials and doing fine.

In the clinical trials, we learned that children have the same temporary side effects from COVID vaccines that adults have, such as the sore arm and fatigue that Chris and I experienced.

It was good to know that kids 5-11 receive a smaller dose, specially tailored for younger children. Those 12 years and older receive the same dosage as adults.

Ultimately, we knew there was no way of knowing how Braeden would react to the COVID vaccine. But we took great comfort in knowing clinical trials have shown vaccines help prevent severe illness and death from COVID.

We asked Braeden how he felt about getting vaccinated, and he told us he was counting down the days until he could get his shot.

Chris and I felt good about our decision to get Braeden vaccinated, and we received our son’s enthusiastic consent.

On the big day, we went as a family.

Braeden proudly stated his name when the kind nurse asked him, and he rolled up his sleeve.

As he received his vaccination, Chris and I teared up.

For the first time in what felt like forever, we breathed a little easier. And when we asked Braeden how he felt, he said, “I feel safe!”

Thankfully, Braeden only experienced a sore arm after the first dose. And for his second dose, he didn’t experience any side effects. 

All three of us are now fully vaccinated! 

Chris and I also received a booster shot that gives us an extra dose that helps keep up protection against COVID. 

We have the peace of mind that we’ve protected ourselves and our son with the most effective tool to fight COVID and highly contagious variants.

So far, we’ve all remained COVID-free. 

From drive-by birthday parties to distance learning and a collection of colorful masks – this hasn’t been the experience any of us wanted for our children. ⁠

And as parents, we’ve all done what we’ve felt was best to keep our little ones safe. But sadly, things have shifted in the pandemic. Since August, 1 in 5 new COVID cases have been in kids, so it’s more important than ever that we get everyone protected and vaccinated. 

I know that sounds overwhelming, but vaccines can reduce that number and help protect our children from severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID. 

If you have questions about the vaccine, talk to your doctor, just as I did with my son’s pediatrician. 

You can get vaccine facts at cdc.gov/coronavirus. And go to vaccines.gov or text your ZIP code to 438829 for vaccines near you. 

Each parent needs to make their own decisions, but I hope sharing our story helps put another experience out in the open.

#WeCanDoThis #Ad

The post My Family’s Vaccination Story appeared first on Plus Mommy.

When I was plus size and pregnant, my care provider talked to me about getting a noninvasive prenatal screen to see if my baby had a chance of having a chromosome condition like Down syndrome.

I didn’t want to do the screening.

At the age of 30, I figured whatever will be will be, and I didn’t want to face potentially devastating news during my pregnancy.

 My husband, Chris, pushed for me to consent to the screening, but he wouldn’t tell me why.

 Finally, he opened up and shared why it was so important to him.

 He said, “If we have a baby with special needs, I want us to start learning now how we can be the best possible parents.”

 I gladly consented to the screening at our next prenatal visit!

What I was unaware of at the time is that when you’re plus size, your test results have a high likelihood of showing up as “no result”, or the results of your screen may have reduced accuracy.

So when I heard about the Myriad Prequel Prenatal Screen and how well that it works for plus size moms, I couldn’t wait to tell my community all about it!

During episode 120 of the Plus Mommy Podcast, special guest Flynn O’Neill, a family nurse practitioner with over twelve years of experience, joined the show.

Flynn answered questions about noninvasive prenatal testing for plus size moms and introduced us to the Myriad Prequel Prenatal Screen.

Noninvasive Prenatal Screen As A Plus Size Mom

What is a noninvasive prenatal screen (NIPS)? 

Around seven to eight weeks of pregnancy, you’ll have an ultrasound with your provider for about 30 minutes to confirm the pregnancy, viability, and see the heartbeat.

That’s a huge milestone!

Then we bombard you with a lot of information. We talk about noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), also called noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS).

I explain to my patients that we’d like to introduce the topic of genetic testing. I tell them nothing has to be drawn today. They have time to think about it and speak with their partner.

I always share that no matter your age, no matter your size, with noninvasive testing there’s no harm to mom, and there’s no harm to the baby as well.

It’s a simple blood test drawn from the mother after ten weeks of gestation.

The screening looks for chromosomal conditions in the pregnancy, including Down syndrome (an anomaly on chromosome 21), trisomy 13, and trisomy 18. The screening also tells you the sex of the baby.

The turnaround time is about seven days. So that’s pretty quick, and it has a very high detection rate.  

Ultimately, we hope for normal results. If there is something abnormal, you have time to absorb the information and possibly have invasive testing to confirm your screening results.  

Why is the test not as effective for plus size people?

Part of the baby’s genetic chromosomal makeup, called fetal fraction, is in the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy. We have to wait till after the ten-week gestational mark so that enough of that baby’s DNA, the fetal fraction, is in mom’s blood.

Sometimes the fetal fraction is diluted if a person is over a specific weight range, and that gives us the “no result” test outcome.

Myriad is the only lab currently able to do screening with new amplifying technology with high detection rates regardless of weight.

They’ve tested over 20,000 women, including those at a class three BMI (BMI over 40). They’ve been able to amplify fetal fraction and get results for all patients, regardless of BMI.

How can people request their care providers use the Myriad Prequel Prenatal Screen?

While you can speak with your care provider about the Myriad Prequel Prenatal screen, you can go directly to myriadwomenshealth.com for a lot more information.

Your provider can get a kit sent to you directly, while Myriad’s customer service can help you understand options for getting your blood drawn.

When it comes to cost, Myriad is in-network with most major insurance providers.

You don’t have to worry about the cost in advance. After your sample is received, Myriad will e-mail you in about two days with your price estimate after they’ve checked with your insurance.

They also have financial assistance and payment plans available if you have a high-deductible insurance plan.  

What makes Myriad stand out? As a provider, why do you choose to partner with Myriad?

As providers, we always look at the detection rates, and Myriad has some of the highest detection rates. The noninvasive options are excellent and work for twins, IVF pregnancies, and plus size moms. So you’ve got a lot of variety to really hit any patient. They are even able to determine individual twin fetal sex.

I can order it across the country for my patients that might not be in the DC area with coverage from most insurance providers.

It’s a win-win for providers and patients!

Last but not least, it’s the human touch component.

Myriad offers Patient Educators who are board certified genetic counselors who have taught me so much. My patients can speak with them about their test regardless of the test result, and its included in the cost of the test. This gives families a lot of peace of mind and support.

If you’re plus size and pregnant, be sure to talk to your provider about Myriad Prequel Prenatal Screen and go to myriadwomenshealth.com to learn more.

Sponsored by Myriad Women’s Health

Flynn O’Neill is a family nurse practitioner in Washington, DC. She practices at Bloom OB/GYN and co-founded Stork Childbirth Education. She cares for women of all ages in their Northwest DC office, virtually and in person. O’Neill attended Georgetown University and received her nursing degree at the University of Virginia. She has a four-year-old son, Charlie, and is married to a DC native, Andrew. In her spare time, she can be found cooking, watching Charlie climb, and selling goods on Poshmark. On her days off, Flynn is a practitioner with Maven Clinic, providing telemedicine to patients across the country.

The post Getting A Noninvasive Prenatal Screen As A Plus Size Mom appeared first on Plus Mommy.

]]> https://plusmommy.com/getting-a-noninvasive-prenatal-screen-as-a-plus-size-mom/feed/ 0 https://plusmommy.com/bidet-mom-recommended-kid-approved/ https://plusmommy.com/bidet-mom-recommended-kid-approved/#comments Wed, 02 Oct 2019 00:34:06 +0000 https://plusmommy.com/?p=2918 Oh. My. Goodness! I finally understood the hype, when I didn't have to wipe! A product review of TUSHY - a bidet that's mom recommended and kid-approved.

The post This Bidet Is Mom Recommended And Kid-Approved! appeared first on Plus Mommy.

]]> When it comes to personal hygiene as a plus size mom, I’m going to set all shame aside to share a product with you that I’m now obsessed with (and my family is too). That product is a bidet, and this is a sponsored product review of TUSHY.

When I was pregnant with my son, people recommended I get a bidet.

So my husband picked up a nozzle sprayer bidet and attached it to our toilet. It felt like I was using a gardening hose to wash myself down. I only tried it twice and thought bidets weren’t for me.

What I didn’t realize was how many types of bidets there are, and back in 2010, TUSHY didn’t exist.

Even though I didn’t think bidets were for me, I continued to promote the use of bidets because I know plenty of people who swear by them during pregnancy and daily life.

Related: My 300 lb Birth Story

Flashforward to 2015 when TUSHY came on the market!

I started hearing a buzz and there was no wonder with a tagline like, “TUSHY is a modern bidet for people who poop.” Yet, I still thought bidets aren’t for me.

Then TUSHY reached out and offered to send me a bidet, and I kid you not, I will never poop the same!

I quickly installed TUSHY on my toilet in about fifteen minutes and was thankful there was no garden hose nozzle involved. TUSHY is a sleek bidet attachment that connects directly to your toilet. You just sit, do your dooty, and then turn a nob to spray your booty. That’s it!

Oh. My. Goodness! I finally understood the hype, when I didn’t have to wipe (see what I did there)!

And this might be a bit TMI…but it felt good! It also felt luxurious, but only costs $79.

I’m not the only person in my house who is obsessed! My husband loves our new bidet, and my nine-year-old son said, “This is the best thing ever!”

This mom is thrilled to no longer have to deal with clogged toilets due to my son using far too much toilet paper. I wish I had tried TUSHY far sooner because every mom knows it takes kids FOREVER to learn how to clean themselves fully.

Another bonus is all the money we will save by not using as much toilet paper while also helping the environment!

I want to share, as a plus size person, I wasn’t sure if my overflowing lap would cover the nobs to turn on the sprayer, but it didn’t at all. I was able to reach down and turn it on easily.

Related: he Ultimate Guide To Disneyland For Plus Size Guests

Speaking of being plus size, not everyone can reach to wipe, but no one talks about it. I know what it feels like to struggle to get thoroughly clean because I have a bad back. When my back goes out, it takes great willpower and a few tears to get clean. Thanks to TUSHY, I no longer have to worry about pooping the next time my back goes out.

I can imagine a bidet is extremely helpful for anyone with back and shoulder issues. And let’s be honest, pregnancy is sometimes a time in your life when you can no longer see or fully reach a few different areas of your body.

If you can’t reach, a bidet can improve your hygiene.

My only complaint is that I’ve got a BIG booty, so I got a little wet beyond getting clean. Thankfully TUSHY also offers these bamboo towels to pat dry with, but you can also use your regular towel. The water used to wash your booty is clean water – it’s the same water you shower or brush your teeth with, so it’s not a big deal. 

TUSHY also offers a travel bidet so you can take care of business without needing to wipe wherever you go!

Bidets are super common in the rest of the world, and I understand why! My family is now a bidet family, and yours can be too – hellotushy.com/

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