Shouldn't this be its own dedicated health thread? 🤔
Look, I’m definitely no medical expert—I barely passed high school biology! 😁 But I do keep a little "emergency kit" going—you know, just in case life happens! I usually have some Band-Aids, gauze, medical tape (or even just some sturdy Scotch tape for those stubborn bandages!), sterile needles, an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin, and then my go-to pain relief combo: Percocet and Aspirin. Oh, and I always keep some Pedialyte on hand for hydration, some activated charcoal tablets, and plenty of Aquaphor or whatever drugstore healing ointment I can find. Plus, I stock up on Vitamin B and C supplements, and some DayQuil for when the seasonal sniffles hit. And yeah, don't forget hydrogen peroxide for cleaning scrapes and some cotton balls... 😁 And of course, there’s always honey and some homemade fruit brandy for the soul! I've also got a whole collection of teas—sage for gargling when my throat feels scratchy, and lemon balm for those "not-so-fun" PMS days. For the kids, I keep some Medline vitamin syrup and some liquid Percocet ready to go.
Ethan Garcia8 said:placidgardener19, honestly—you’ve totally got a scheme going on there! 😲 😁
😂 😂 😂 I swear, I practically spat on my monitor because I was so incredibly frustrated with how much I just totally tanked!
So, seriously—is it just me, or does it feel like nobody actually knows what they’re doing when it comes to training those obliques? I mean, we all want that sculpted look, but it feels like everyone is just guessing! 🙂 Should I go ahead and ask?
I didn't mean there's no actual birth—that came out wrong! There is definitely a pregnancy involved. Your uterus just expands exponentially, and honestly, if you gain about 15 pounds, maybe 12 of those go straight to the belly. Plus, from what I understand, your muscles basically just... migrate? They stretch way out to the sides. Here’s a photo so you can see exactly what I mean 😁
But, uh, a photo of my current stomach isn't going to help you much here—there's nothing to really show, I can only point at it, really. I honestly have no idea how else to explain it to you! 🤔
So, whenever I do crunches and press my fingers against my belly button, there’s this noticeable dip between my muscles. It’s about one finger wide—roughly 2 cm above and 1 cm below my navel. And right around the belly button itself, it feels like there's this little gap in the muscle about $1.75 big. I hope that actually makes sense!
This has been there ever since I had my baby (about 2 years ago now), and honestly, I wasn't too worried because I figured it would just tighten up once I got back into a workout routine. But recently, I was chatting with a friend of mine who’s pretty deep into the fitness scene, and she dropped two things on me: a) that those muscles are never going to pull back together on their own again b) that I should actually avoid doing crunches altogether because they might make the damage even worse. And I was just... well, I was totally stunned. 😲
To be honest, neither of those points really sits right with me—but hey, what do I know, right? So, I wanted to turn to you guys 🙂
What kind of exercises should I actually be doing instead?
Here’s a little throwback for you all—this was me back when I was 25! 🙂 🥳
Now, just compare that to my photos from a few pages back—it’s pretty much living proof of what happens when you stop hitting the gym. But hey, we'll be back... and I'll be back in shape too! 😁
Men actually have to work a bit harder to lose muscle mass—but since we're in our thirties, they might as well be in their forties. A little extra sitting around will do the trick, don't you worry.
Edit: I wasn't doing heavy lifting back then, but I stayed super active—playing volleyball with my crew, rollerblading around Central Park, going for long walks...
Alright, here I am, ready to subject myself to some old-school embarrassment 😬 First look at the progress These were taken back in the summer, but honestly, I haven't changed much since then. Just 🙂 I’m fully aware my backside is practically halfway to Japan, so there’s really no need for anyone to point that out—I get it! 😉 That being said, if you have any actual, practical advice on what to do or how to do it, please, by all means, lay it on me 🙂
The game plan: work on cardio, tone up my entire body, and specifically target my glutes. The method: running three times a week, followed by squats and core work after each run. Does that sound like a solid plan?
As for food, my diet has been pretty decent for years now—nothing strictly "athlete" level, but I stick to whole grains, eat tons of veggies, fruit, and protein. I barely touch sugar, and I'm pretty disciplined when it comes to chocolate 😁, plus I don't drink coffee often—maybe twice a week tops—and I stick to five smaller meals a day...
mrsav, don't be such a troll! 😁 I mean, seriously—they’ve got zero muscle, but they'll probably still be heading off on some big trip to China in their thirties (copyright by ZMM 😬 ) They just look great in fancy clothes, that's all. Just don't make that your ultimate life goal 🙂
Ti's could totally kickstart that metabolism, build some solid habits, and end up looking absolutely incredible as the years go by 🙂
Honestly, why your mom waited three whole years isn't really the point here... You might have just inherited some genes from a grandmother who was ready to start a family the second a guy gave her a wink! 😁 😉 I mean, the average wait time is usually around six months—most doctors won't even see you if you haven't been trying for at least a year. I’m assuming you’ve already checked in with your OB-GYN and everything is looking good. Anyway.... good luck! 🙂
Well, it really all depends on so many different things... Like how the wound was stitched up in the first place, or just how your skin typically handles scarring... Me, for instance—I ended up taking a bit more "damage" right in the middle, though maybe that was just because I was being way too impatient about getting out of bed too soon! Who knows? Either way, those five centimeters (out of the whole twenty or so) are looking pretty swollen and red right now. But then, on the other end, you can't even tell there was ever a cut at all! It's completely gone.
So, I’ve been using Neosporin this week, and honestly? I can already tell it’s 👍 . They told me I could start as soon as the scar had healed nicely and there were no scabs left. I actually tried starting about three weeks after giving birth—I applied it for maybe ten days before just giving up on it entirely. I didn't really notice much of a difference back then, but looking back, I think I just started way too early! But in just this past week, the edges of the scar have practically vanished, and the raised part in the middle is about 50% flatter already 🙏 . If I stick with it for another two or three weeks, I bet it’ll turn into nothing more than a faint little white line 🙂 .
It definitely looks like it... honestly, it could totally be ovulation, no doubt about it. If you’re under 25, you're looking at an average of about 14 ovulations a year—so, yeah, having two in a single month happens way more often than people think! I actually know a girl who ended up pregnant on just the 9th day of her cycle—purely by chance, too.
So, if you're actually hoping for a baby, start getting excited! But, if you are *not* looking to expand the family right now... well, maybe start panicking a little bit? 🙂 Just hang tight for about 15 days, then grab a test and it'll tell you exactly where you stand.
Bryan Brown, I remember there being some guitar programs hosted at an open university somewhere—my memory is a little fuzzy on the details—and I also vaguely recall some rock academy advertising all over the subway lines 😁
Linda Hernandez15 said:Honestly, every single time you decide to go out and grab a test and end up feeling overwhelmed—just toss that money into a little jar! Then, at the end of it all, you can use it to buy something super cute for the baby. 😉
Hey, that sounds like a solid plan to me! 👍
Sia, please let us know how today went! And seriously, take a deep breath... 😘
Benjamin Nelson8 said:I totally get that waiting game—even though, thank goodness, we didn't have to wait too long (only about three months)—when you want something this badly... I mean, I wanted to be pregnant the very second we decided to start trying, but life just doesn't work like that!
It was exactly the same for me! 😬 I even started getting a little bit worried that maybe something wasn't quite right... 😵 🙈just those nerves, I guess!
When you're prepping for labor, the single most critical decision you'll make is picking the right hospital. I’ve noticed some places are way too quick to jump straight to Pitocin to speed things up—and honestly, if they do that, there's a 90% chance you're looking at an episiotomy, and I mean a nasty one. If you've got a big baby on the way and your skin isn't exactly the most elastic, a tear might just be inevitable, no matter how many soothing massages they try to give you afterward! And let's be real, not all tears are created equal—you could end up with just a couple of small stitches, or you could be looking at fifteen.
I did a ton of deep-dive research on this, and from what I've gathered, laboring in a semi-sitting position—like using those adjustable handles on the hospital bed or even a birthing stool—is actually the way to go. Also, having a baby via forceps can bring its own set of headaches, like pelvic floor issues or even incontinence because of that intense pressure on your muscles.
The second biggest thing is figuring out what actually matters to *you* during delivery and what's just extra noise.
For anyone who isn't even pregnant yet, don't stress yourselves out over birth prep too early—just wait until you actually conceive. 😉 But for my fellow expectant moms out there, I’d suggest starting to look into hospital reviews and maybe checking out Lamaze birth plans around your 24th week. 😘
Samuel Diaz said:And honestly? That’s totally fine! But whenever someone on this forum announces they’re pregnant, I just have to tease my guy by going, "Seeeeeeee?! Look how she ended up pregnant when she wasn't even planning on it!" And poor guy immediately starts defending himself like, "Honey, I swear, it's not my fault she's pregnant!"🤣
🤣 🤣 Maybe she actually is—maybe there's a little bit of guilt there! 😈 😁
But hey, I totally get where you're coming from. You don't need to justify why you aren't looking to have kids right now—it has nothing to do with your age or any outside pressure, it's just that you're either ready or you're simply not. Priorities and desires shift, you know? Back when I was in my early twenties, the whole idea of pregnancy felt like an absolute nightmare to me. Then, just about a year ago, I had a complete 180—I was actually terrified that I *wouldn't* be able to get pregnant!
Now? All I really want is for my little one to be perfectly healthy, with normal little fingers and a bright little brain 😍 ... and for my husband and me to be healthy too... That’s it. Seriously, everything else is just noise.
Jeffrey Cook55 said:well, I survived—and ended up pregnant!😬
🤣 Oh man, I was just about to chime in, but you totally beat me to it!😘
Look, narafski, obviously no method is ever going to be 100% foolproof—that's just life—but there’s a massive difference between being 99% safe (pills), 90% safe (condoms), and... well, let's just say 30% safety (basically playing Russian roulette)!😬 😉
Samuel Diaz said:For one thing, I think it’s pretty silly when a girl comes onto a forum expecting people to tell her whether she's pregnant or not—I mean, sure, we can offer some comfort, but looking for medical answers here? Also, (and please don't take this the wrong way!) I think it's just as silly when someone ends up pregnant at 17, 18, 19—or even 27!—simply because of things they didn't know and didn't bother asking. People around you might judge or mock you for being uninformed, but honestly, it’s much better to ask a "stupid" question than to end up in a situation you never wanted...
I am totally with you on that. That said, if something that IMPORTANT was weighing on my mind, I’d probably put in the work to search through all the threads that "smell" like my specific issue before jumping in to post. I’m not talking about you specifically—your question is actually fresh—but rather those brand-new accounts showing up with the exact same question that’s already been answered at least 30 times in this thread.
But, since you asked me: the chances of getting pregnant if he pulls out in time are low, but definitely not zero. First off, there’s still some sperm present in the pre-cum fluid released during sex (kind of like a natural lubricant 😁 ). I actually know a girl who ended up pregnant that way. Second, if he starts finishing inside (even if most of it ends up outside)—just one single sperm cell is enough to do the trick 😉
If you want maximum security, go with the pill or condoms. But if you really don't care either way—whether you get pregnant or not—then tracking fertile days and relying on the pull-out method is what's happening 😬
Elizabeth, huge congratulations! 🙂 I honestly love this subforum... it’s like one person leaves and three more show up right away 😍 It's just cool—Jeffrey Cook55 actually went through the exact same thing and everything worked out perfectly in the end. If the test says positive, then that's that. You're pregnant, the baby is growing exactly as it should, so just try to relax. If you really want to be super prepared before sharing the news with anyone, maybe hang tight for another ten days or so.
