Jeffrey Cook55 said:When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?
Tomorrow morning 🙂 You definitely want to go with that very first bathroom trip of the day—your urine will have the highest concentration of those hormones then! Even though the box might claim you can test at any time, honestly, doing it first thing in the morning is just much more reliable. Better safe than sorry, right? As for which one to pick... you can check out this thread for some ideas:
My OB-GYN actually told me that during those first three or four months after you stop taking birth control, your ovaries basically go into overdrive—so you’ve got some really great odds!
But honestly, like all the girls say—just go ahead and take a test. And please, try to just relax and breathe... if it isn't a positive this time around, it'll happen next time! 😉
Honestly, I’ve had that "I think I'm pregnant" gut feeling at least twice now—though only one of those times actually turned out to be true! If we hadn't finally succeeded on our third attempt, I probably would have kept chasing that feeling for a while longer. 😬 It’s funny how much autosuggestion plays into it, too—especially when you're actively trying to conceive and just counting down the days until it finally happens. Then again, if you consider that about 40% of pregnancies end before the sixth week—basically before most women even realize they're pregnant—I might have actually been right more often than I realized! 🙂 Anyway, vividwolf17—my best advice is to just bury yourself in work or a new hobby. Find something to keep your mind busy so you aren't constantly obsessing over whether this month or next month is "the one." One of them definitely will be! Sending you all the good vibes. 🙂
Raymond Bennett27, I don't really get why you wouldn't just head over to an OB-GYN for an ultrasound and get some peace of mind, but hey, you've got your reasons. Usually, the chance of having a period while being pregnant is incredibly slim for a typical woman with a regular cycle... but based on what you described, you definitely don't fit the "typical" mold. If I were in your shoes, I'd go as soon as my period stops. And look, if you feel awkward about it, you don't even have to mention the pregnancy thing! Just tell them, "Hey, I'm here for a checkup, I've been having some weird discomfort in my ovary, like right here on the side." They'll run the ultrasound and boom—problem solved. 😉
Here’s the link to that old Lucent Technologies thread:
Personally, I’ve never really struggled with food—I mean, I eat what I want and call it a day—so I used to be a bit judgmental toward girls who constantly vent about diet struggles. But, after reading through those posts from Lucent Technologies, I totally realized that it isn't nearly as simple as "just eat better" 😢 It's actually a much deeper issue, but honestly? It's something that can be worked through 🙂
Anyway, whether you're dealing with an actual eating disorder or just feeling a little disconnected from your relationship with food, I really think everyone should give this a read 👍
Don't let it get to you, shadowbison—just ignore that idiot... (Seriously, where is the moderator? For crying out loud 😠 )
I'm telling you, Curuvija-Opacic is the way to go 👍 You can get treated there and book everything right on the spot. The cost? It’s about 300-$133 for the exam (that includes checking your eye pressure and looking at the retina), $233 plus whatever the treatment costs. And mind you, I’m actually a pretty complicated case myself! My prescription is already hitting double digits 😢
When you really stop to think about average life expectancy, a year or two doesn't actually seem like that huge of a chunk, right? I mean, look at real life—people survive on basically nothing but chocolate and junk food, and they still manage to cruise right into their fifties...
Sure, your stomach might give you some grief, but gastritis isn't exactly a death sentence. If you’re staying hydrated and keeping up with your workouts, your digestion usually holds up pretty well for a long time. Honestly, back in the day, people were much more likely to be taken out by insulin issues, diabetes, or heart disease and clogged arteries.
Actually, I haven't the slightest clue 😎 But I am absolutely loving this discussion... 🙂
Ronald Collins2 said:If I’m reading you right from your earlier posts, are you currently pregnant or just planning to be? If you don't mind, please swing by this thread once you've had your amniocentesis—I'd love to hear what the whole process is actually like and how long you end up waiting for the results.
Well, you nailed it! 😉 I am definitely planning for a baby—fingers crossed for health and good luck 🙂—hopefully sometime this year...
For sure, I'll let you know 🙂 Though maybe not in this specific thread (since it's kind of a "who's alive, who's dead" kind of place!), but you'll definitely find my post somewhere... 🙂
If I can offer any advice—and I say this with zero authority—don't stress too much just yet. Just live a healthy lifestyle, maybe check in with your OB-GYN to clear up any little things like yeast infections or other pesky stuff that could mess with fertility, keep up with your vitamins... and all that good stuff. 🙂
And hey, if you aren't just worried about Down syndrome but are concerned about other genetic issues too, you should probably head over to the genetics department at a place like Mayo Clinic or something similar. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't even need a formal referral for an initial chat. But, of course, that's really only if there's a serious history of certain illnesses in your family.
Look, I'm totally not a medical professional, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but Down syndrome isn't hereditary. It's true that the risks increase as the mother gets older, but that's about it!
Ronald Collins2 said:Is it actually common to ask a primary care doctor for a referral to a geneticist just to chat about potential risk factors, or does that sound totally out of left field? Basically, I’m getting ready to book an appointment with my GP to request a referral, but I really don't want to look ridiculous!
I mean, you might be getting a little ahead of yourself here... If you aren't planning on having a baby within the next year or so, there's really no need to jump the gun right now.
Are you in a relationship? See, if you do end up seeing a geneticist, they usually want both partners to come along—most of these things are passed down because both people happen to be carrying a "hidden" faulty gene.
And if you're asking about Darwin syndrome, you don't need to worry about that... it isn't hereditary.
I've been doing quite a bit of digging—for a few different reasons, actually—so here is the lowdown on what I know:
From what I understand, an amniocentesis carries about a 1:500 risk of miscarriage. Then there’s that other technique, the "cryo-" something, which can be done as early as week 12, but the risk of miscarriage jumps up to 1:250—which is basically double. Plus, there's a higher chance of potential injury to the fetus. The upside is that you get it done sooner and you have results in just a week, so if you end up making the difficult decision to terminate, the emotional trauma might feel slightly less overwhelming. There is also something called the triple test, which is a blood test—it isn't super reliable, but it acts as a decent indicator, not just for Darwin syndrome, but for things like spina bifida too.
Having someone in your family history shouldn't mean much more than the average risk... Darwin syndrome isn't hereditary. That said, amniocentesis can screen for all sorts of other genetic conditions, so Darwin isn't the only thing they look for.
Like everyone else has already told you, the choice is entirely yours—it's up to you whether you want to know, and whether you would choose termination.
Disclaimer: what follows is purely my own personal take and applies only to me.🙂 I'm definitely not saying anyone else should or must act this way. Personally, I’m going to go through with the amnio, and if the baby has a genetic disorder, I will terminate. Honestly, I think I could live with the aftermath of a miscarriage much easier than I could live with raising a child with Darwin syndrome. A close friend of mine had a brother with Down syndrome... I truly admire that family for their incredible patience and love. I honestly don't know if I could handle it—and if I ever have the option to know ahead of time (not to mention things like meningitis or car accidents... all those unpredictable things that leave a child with disabilities), I'm choosing to know.
Chloe Morris12 said:Yeah, I honestly thought that sounded like overkill. No, I don't personally know anyone who takes it once a month, but I have heard that female athletes do it pretty often. One time my coach even suggested I try it before a tournament—but I didn't! If coaches are recommending it, and if athletes are actually doing it, could it really be *that* harmful?
Beep? I think there’s a little bit of a mix-up here—just a tiny one!
So, you have continuous birth control. Meaning: you finish one pack and immediately start the next. No period, no nothing. Doctors generally say it's safe, though they mention it might affect a woman's mood or mental state, so they sometimes recommend taking a two or three-month break every six months just to reset.
Then, you have the emergency contraceptive—the Plan B kind—for when you have unprotected sex, or a condom breaks, or he promises he'll pull out but doesn't, or your diaphragm fails... whatever the situation is. Those are super heavy hormones, and you definitely, DO NOT want to be taking those every single month. 😲
So, which one were you thinking of?
EDIT: If female athletes really are relying on Plan B as their regular method, then honestly, it's no wonder everyone's hormone levels are all over the place. ☕ I don't even want to imagine what that does to their long-term fertility...
Ugh, I’m actually speaking for someone else here... A close friend of mine went through this—twice, actually. If I remember right, it started on one side and then popped up on the other, though I could be slightly off on the details. They tried treating it with antibiotics at first, but honestly? It didn't do a thing. So, they eventually had to just go in and surgically remove it. Twice!
The thing is, here in the US, hospital beds for these kinds of surgeries are constantly booked solid—it's a total nightmare—so maybe that's why they tried the antibiotic route first to save time. She ended up waiting about three months from the moment they finally decided on surgery until she actually got into the OR. As for why it's happening to you... man, I really wish I knew.
Noah Harris50 said:So you're telling me I have to be up by 5 AM? Yikes.😲
Personally, I’m more of a 7:00 AM riser—I squeeze in a quick run until about 7:30, then fuel up with some protein oats while I cool down. After a super fast shower, I'm out the door by 8:00 and hitting my desk at the office by 8:30.
I don't quite have time to grab a coffee before the grind starts, so I just make that my first order of business once I get to work.🙂 I mean, I don't strictly *need* it—but man, I love my coffee!😍
Oh, and just a heads-up—real running happens in the evenings... this morning stuff is really just to jumpstart the metabolism and get things moving!🙂
Taroth said:A friend of mine is seeing Gruden and says he’s actually great—and surprisingly affordable, too! You should definitely look into him; I don't have his number handy, but I think his office is somewhere over on Petrov street.
Not Gruden, for heaven's sake! 😱 😲 I mean, unless you're just totally checked out and don't care what happens... His wife—who is also a psychiatrist, specialized in kids and adolescents—is actually super competent and easy to talk to.
Maybe try this place instead:
Generally speaking, I usually suggest finding a psychotherapist rather than a psychiatrist—unless we're talking about actual clinical mental illness or if there's a serious suspicion of one.
Honestly, I’m a total night owl by nature—just a complete nocturnal creature at heart! 😬 But, after grinding through a few months of this job, I've finally realized it just isn't working for me... either I need to find something with an afternoon shift, or I seriously need to get my life together.
During the summer and fall, I try to squeeze in a run before heading into work. It probably sounds 😱 pretty chaotic to you guys, but my routine is basically just blindly lunging for my leggings and sweatshirt sitting by the bed, grabbing my glasses (if I’m wearing them), and sprinting out the door. Just three laps around the apartment complex—doesn't even matter how long it takes. Afterward, I feel absolutely wired... like I'm running on pure adrenaline!
As for winter? I haven't quite cracked the code yet. For now, I'm mostly just cursing the weather and powering through it. December is hands down the worst, especially with how dark everything gets. I’ll wake up around 7:30 AM to head to work, and it still feels like the middle of the night outside. 😲 Now that I actually think about it, I’m super sensitive to light. If there's any kind of light source nearby, there is zero chance I'm falling asleep. I'm stubborn enough to insist on keeping the room pitch black, so our big compromise is just leaving the blinds halfway down. 😬
On the bright side, once those sunny days start rolling in, I wake up so easily without even needing an alarm (assuming I actually managed to get my seven hours, of course!).
fadedheron18 said:every three years: clinical breast exam (is that just "professional poking" or what? What should I even ask for? I feel like if I go to my family doctor or some specialist at Mayo Clinic, they'll give me such a weird look😕 )
If I were you, I'd say—get an ultrasound and see a breast specialist! Just ask your primary care physician for a referral after you explain everything you told us here.
general cancer screening (wait, what is that? who actually does that?)
I honestly have no clue about that one... There are blood tests for tumor markers, but they won't send you for those unless there's something else suspicious going on first. Plus, they're way too expensive.
uterine checkup??? general gynecological exam (what does that actually include?) ovarian check (ultrasound??)
Yeah, doctors at public clinics can be a little stingy when it comes to ordering ultrasounds😢 But in my opinion, you really ought to get it done alongside your Pap smear. Like, once a year. The general OB-GYN exam usually happens right when you're getting your Pap, so maybe things just seem a bit disorganized.
Basically, the only extra thing I’d suggest is getting a breast exam and an ultrasound.
EDIT: A clinical breast exam and checking the surrounding areas—this is a super important basic diagnostic step. It involves both inspection (looking at the appearance) and palpation (the actual feeling/poking) of the breasts and nearby areas in different body positions. It's usually best to do this during the first phase of your cycle when your breasts aren't as swollen or tender (though that's not a strict rule!).
Christian Lee13 said:I mean, like, honestly... 😱 Honestly, let’s be real for a second—some women can be about as subtle as a John Deere tractor barreling through a quiet cornfield! There, I said it! It’s just one of those things, right? Sometimes you feel like you could drop a massive anvil from a skyscraper and it wouldn't make half as much noise as certain "hints" being dropped during dinner. I'm not naming names—though we all know who I mean—but it’s definitely a thing! Just a little observation from my corner of the world!
Honestly, I don’t know how anyone survives their morning workouts without Strava—it’s basically become my digital lifeblood at this point!—but man, it can be such a double-edged sword, right? On one hand, you’ve got that incredible rush of seeing your stats climb and checking off those miles, which is honestly the only thing that gets me out of bed when it’s freezing outside. It’s like a little game where the prize is just feeling slightly less sluggish than yesterday! But then... oh boy, then there's the social aspect. We've all been there—you finish a brutal run, absolutely gasping for air, feeling like you might actually pass out on the sidewalk, and then you check the feed only to see someone else crushed a personal best while you were struggling to even tie your laces! It’s so easy to fall into that trap of comparing your "slow" days to everyone else's highlight reels. It can get a little competitive, and let’s be real, sometimes it feels like we're all just performing for our followers rather than actually enjoying the movement. Still, I find myself addicted to the data. There’s just something about seeing those little maps and heat zones—it makes the whole effort feel *real*, you know? Like, okay, I actually did the work! Even if I am a total nerd for analyzing my cadence or heart rate zones for way too long over a cup of coffee. It’s a weird, wonderful, slightly obsessive little world, but hey—I wouldn't trade my digital trophies for anything! 😲
Oh man, I am just feeling so incredibly bad for those little ones—honestly, my heart is just breaking for them, northernseal6! It’s just one of those things that stays on your mind, you know? Truly bummed out about it. 😘
So... I’m seeing Dr. Dark Husar privately right now and honestly, I’m super happy with him! Aside from the fact that his nurse is a little bit out there—like, she’s constantly hitting me with a million questions that have absolutely nothing to do with gynecology😠—it makes those five minutes sitting in the waiting room a total mental workout just trying to defend myself... (- Hey, so how much do you guys make? - Enough.😬)
Anyway, what I really need now is a state-run OB-GYN who will *only* write my referrals and won't start some massive fight about it. Basically, I don't want any exams or anything, just someone who follows orders—they give me my paperwork, and we all go our separate ways feeling great. Ideally somewhere around downtown or near the West Side. Does anyone know a good one?
MaxB said:Do they actually check your blood pressure too?
They do. And honestly, it's great 👍 You can even order your lenses right then and there. But hey—keep in mind it's a private clinic, so you'll have to pay.
The optometrist over at Ghetaldus on Broadway (down in the basement level) is also really, really solid. Especially if you don't have anything major going on and just need a routine checkup or a quick prescription update... It’s free, provided you buy your glasses from Ghetaldus. Otherwise, yeah, there's a fee.
So, okay—last month I actually decided to stop taking my birth control pills altogether and switched over to condoms instead (for now, at least, and hopefully for a much more fun 🙂 )
And ugh, everything hurts... seriously, my whole body is just aching! 😲 My ovaries were killing me right during ovulation—and I’m noticing way more discharge too (all this white stuff)—plus there's this weird internal pain, too. I can't quite pin down which organs are acting up, but based on where it hits, I'd guess it's around my liver or kidneys area.
On top of that, my breasts are swollen, a little red, and super tender... Should I try massaging them with something?
Has anyone else gone through this before? I actually went to see my OBGYN (did an ultrasound and everything) right before I made the switch, and the doctor said everything looked perfectly fine...
What should I do? Is there some kind of tea or something that might help my body find its balance again? I just really want this pain to let up. Exercises? Diet changes? Anything at all?
🤔 Honestly, I can leave mine in a plastic bag for three days straight and it’s still totally fine to eat. I try to steer clear of local bakeries like the plague—I mean, unless there's a rare exception, their bread is usually just 🙂
But when it comes to Mavrovič's bread? 👍 And those rolls... 👍 👍 Oh, and don't even get me started on those little savory pastries with the melted cheese in the middle! 🙂 👍 👍 👍