Posts by placidjackal97

Forzafiume said:Honestly, I’m losing my mind—I just checked the online voting and Washington, D.C. gave 12 points to the Mexican entry. What a disaster.

Personally, I thought the Mexican performer was easily in my top three.🙂

The winner was actually my favorite, too. My dad loved Poland because they had such a totally misunderstood, quirky song—he always goes for those weird ones.😁

You’re right—I definitely jumped the gun there 😳 😉

northernfalcon30 said:One day you’ll look back on these days with such nostalgia... you might actually wish you could relive them...🙂 😉
But honestly? There’s no kind of chaos quite like this—the post-baby whirlwind we've all navigated.
Life has this way of shaking everything you thought you knew about yourself right down to the foundation—but it only happens so you can come out stronger on the other side.
It doesn't mean your foundation was weak or that you weren't in control before... it's just a blessing you have to lean into if you want to grow. It's just another step up the ladder—you know what I mean...

Good luck!🙂 Give the boss a kiss for me!🙂

Exactly.👍

copperridge912, a cappuccino is way milder—I think that works better.🙂 Personally, I think the real struggle starts when you're knocking back several cups of that heavy, jet-black coffee.

placidjackal97, you’ve gotta live a normal life—with a sense of balance for everything. There aren't really things you *have* to give up, except maybe alcohol (and probably a few other bits).

Thanks for the positivity, northernfalcon30 🙂

I'm currently trying to cut back on booze, coffee, and cigarettes—though the caffeine withdrawal is hitting me hardest (it wasn't an issue during pregnancy, but now, combined with the lack of sleep 🙄 ),

Oh, and I'm also trying to ditch the stress and the irritability. I've realized the baby basically drinks all that up through my milk; they feel every bit of my mental state

So now, if the house isn't spotless or dinner isn't ready and I'm not feeling 100%... honestly, who cares? 😁 ...As long as the baby and I are happy and healthy 🙂, we can deal with the rest later
...
The first few days were brutal—the guilt and the depression were just... well, you know how it is 🙂

Jason Wells4 said:I go look at your photo and just end up smiling—you should probably head out too.😁 👍

Well, I guess seeing your own face in the mirror is enough to cheer anyone up.🙄

Do you have any actual positive vibes you can share with the rest of us?

mellowbadger8 said:I haven't seen any sign of that around here—it really would have been funny if they had.

If we did this in the States, we'd probably have some sort of preliminary night with ten contestants—not everyone makes the finals. That funny act from Canada got cut, which is a shame; there could've been a lot more laughs. 😁

The performers from Mexico were alright for me—just that catchy, soulful vibe... easy listening. I’ll probably just catch the show on a streaming service, but a friend is coming over last minute, so we'll grab some snacks and just enjoy the ride. 😉

Yeah, I heard that too. I actually checked with my doctor—she thinks the whole theory is pretty baseless.

I’m not saying it’s a total certainty, but her take is that it’s perfectly fine for a mom to get some light exercise in—like, maybe an hour three times a week—while breastfeeding without any issues.

Honestly, I’m actually hoping a little movement might give me some energy back; it definitely wouldn't hurt.😉

thanks 😉

bigblue my cellulite isn't exactly going anywhere on its own 😉 but this belly fat—I don't even recognize it as mine anymore... 🙄

When did you start working out?

Melissa Cruz2 said:Girls, I am not judging you! Honestly, wouldn't eating fresh cheese and strawberries for dinner be way better?

I'm thinking about 🙂

but maybe just a weekend juice cleanse—using the stuff I squeeze myself at home. It’s not even about the weight, really; people just say it’s good to flush out all the junk from all that processed food we eat.

Even doctors here suggest doing those "cleanses" for a few days—just sticking to fruit juices and herbal teas to reset the system and all that. For a healthy person, doing this a couple of times a year isn't exactly an attack on your health.

darkviper5 said:Here's a resource for all my ladies in the German-speaking community

how to properly perform a breast self-exam

👍 🙏

darkviper5, this link is awesome—thanks. It covers everything visually, so I’m actually going to follow these steps tonight. Plus, it's perfect for anyone who doesn't speak German since you can just follow the video—super helpful.

Honestly, I felt just as soft and sluggish after having my baby. I didn't actually gain a ton during pregnancy—maybe 20 pounds total—but half of that vanished during labor, and the rest just burned off through those endless sleepless nights. Now, at six weeks postpartum, I’m actually weighing less than I did before I got pregnant 😁

It’s just such a weird way for the weight to shift 🙄

I look in the mirror and don't even recognize myself. I'm basically living on moisturizer at this point. I try to stay consistent with working out, but then I see these moms on Instagram who look better a year later than they ever did before kids!

Look, when you're in the thick of delivery, just give yourself some grace 😉

And please, don't be so hard on yourself 🙂

I know it eats at you—it can really spiral into depression—so if things get heavy, reach out here. Keep moving, sure, but set goals that actually make sense for your life

I told myself it took nine months for my body to change, so it'll probably take at least that long—if not longer—to feel like myself again.

Be kind to yourself 😉

When it comes to tanning bed hygiene, places around here usually just leave a little card out saying "sanitized" if they’ve actually done the work.

I always ended up wiping everything down myself—both before and after I used them.

Well, I’d say it’s got a solid flavor—kind of reminds me of sautéed cabbage. Makes me want to toss in some shredded carrots or maybe a spicy sausage to kick it up a notch.

😁 👍

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend tanning. I live in a country where I see people overdone and sun-damaged all the time—it definitely colors my perspective.

I used to hit the tanning beds myself, but man, I realized later just how much it dried out my skin 😲 especially on my face.

That said, a few sessions probably won't ruin you—the real issue is if you make it a year-round habit. And since I'm pretty pale (definitely a fair-skinned type), if you go, skip the high-intensity beds and stick to something more subtle.

Make sure to cover up sensitive areas with a towel or something similar; if you're new to this, those spots can really take a hit.

And drink tons of water after you're done.😉

copperridge912 said:What’s it like over there? I really don't want to deal with the costs here—checkups are way too expensive, and even if you just see a doctor for the first time in a year, you're looking at a $300 bill.😠
I haven't actually had to see a doctor yet... and honestly, I'm hoping it stays that way.🙂

Around here, it's more like a $10 quarterly fee—and you don't even pay that if you go through your primary physician to get a referral for a specialist. I opted for supplemental insurance, which basically covers my co-pays and most of the usual out-of-pocket stuff.

copperridge912 said:I'm actually wondering what things are like back home... how long is the wait for a mammogram in a city like Chicago? I'd imagine it takes at least a few months..
Checking on Germany or Switzerland would be easy enough😁

Actually, it just clicked why you're asking😉 ....just go ahead and ask🙂 👋

And hey, if you ever find yourself traveling through Germany, I'll take you to see my 😉

copperridge912 said:So, it’s probably best to stick with a private gynecologist for checkups... but what about mammograms? I feel like the wait times for those appointments are endless.
How often do you guys actually go for mammograms—do you even bother?

copperridge912, not necessarily. Where you are now, you can just use a decent public clinic. Honestly, in my few years living in Germany, I haven't even needed a private doctor once—mostly because here, the patients are the ones with private insurance, rather than the doctors being private practitioners. But it ends up being the same thing.

I have a "public" hospital—my wife's soulmate 👍 ...she’s sorted out every single one of my fears and questions. 🙂

She even ordered a breast exam without me asking; to her, that's just common sense.

Megan Long96 nailed that description 👍

I used to just clear my whole schedule—back when we actually had free time 😁—and drive over to the next town to hit up that massive spa resort. It’s huge, like 20,000 square feet of open concept where you just drift from one area to the next—everything from cold plunges to those relaxing hot stone treatments, Roman baths, and ice baths (if you're feeling brave enough to jump in)... after a day like that, you honestly feel like a brand new person 🙂