Posts by Jesse Evans85

I’m fairly certain you’ll need a referral from an OB-GYN specifically to get those reproductive hormones tested; a general practitioner usually can't sign off on that. That said, it would be a smart move to have your doctor run a full panel including your thyroid levels (though a GP can definitely handle the thyroid referral). Just make sure you coordinate the blood work with your cycle, as the timing is critical for getting accurate hormone readings.

Charles Martinez16 said:I wanted to ask you all: is it actually necessary to take a break between packs of contraceptive pills? I’ve been on Brala for about a year and a half now, and when I consulted my doctor, she told me there’s no need to pause. Honestly, that caught me a bit off guard. Since I primarily take them to manage PCOS, the idea of using them continuously for years on end makes me a little nervous.

Does anyone here have experience with this? Is continuous use generally recommended? Should I perhaps seek out a second opinion?

I’ve been on birth control since I was about eight or nine years old—honestly, I can’t even be certain of the exact timing anymore—and I haven’t taken a single break. I’ve seen several different gynecologists over the years, and they have all given me the exact same advice: don't stop. So, if that's what you're worried about, you can rest easy; we don't do "breaks" from them.

Are you taking Belara to deal with PCOS? Beyond that, do you struggle with acne or issues with unwanted hair growth?

curie0 - And could you perhaps give your gynecologist a call? Personally, I’m assuming it isn't anything serious and that you aren't pregnant; it might just be the change in seasons... Keep me posted on what they say.

neonridge91 said:Hey everyone! So, I’ve been on the pill for ages now, right? But out of nowhere, I just got my period on day 12. And I’m talking totally unexpected here—I haven't missed a single pill, and I definitely haven't been throwing up or anything. Does anyone have a clue why this might be happening? Could there be any connection to pregnancy?

That happened to me once. I was on Yasmin for years. One time, I ended up getting my period right in the middle of a pack. I just kept taking them as usual, but that month I basically had a two-week period because the bleeding wouldn't stop and carried right through the break. After that, I stayed on the pill for another year or so and nothing like that ever happened again. It occurred on the day I was traveling to another city for an event I was incredibly excited about—so I figured stress played a part and didn't give it much thought at the time. Looking back, I might be more concerned, but back then I was just a carefree girl 😁.

When you mentioned being on the pill for "a long time," I was thinking years, not five months. Perhaps your body is still adjusting, combined with whatever travel stress you were under?🤷

I’ve only experienced breakthrough bleeding once in nearly ten years of being on the pill. It happened during that final week before my scheduled break—nothing unusual, really; it just lingered and eventually merged with my actual period, then everything settled back to normal.

Is there anyone else here in their thirties who is still on the pill? I can't shake the impression that it's mostly younger women who tend to use them.

neonridge91 said:Hey everyone! Does anyone actually know how you find out if there are blood clots present? Like, can you spot any signs through a standard CBC (complete blood count) or something else?

You’d need to request a coagulation panel.

ambermarlin40 said:Hey.. I'm still young and there are some things I'm curious about..
I need to head in for a checkup to see if my hormones are acting up. If they are, am I going to be stuck taking birth control pills?
I have a few friends who gained a massive amount of weight while on them—they basically lost their shape entirely..
Is that always what happens? Summer is coming up and I definitely don't want to pack on pounds; if anything, I need to drop about 10 or 15 lbs..
🙂
Also, what does a hormone screening actually look like??

It isn't a guaranteed outcome that you'll gain weight. Personally, I did experience some weight gain and developed quite a bit of cellulite, though that actually cleared up on its own once I stopped taking the pill (though I had been on it for ten years).
I know plenty of women who didn't gain even a single pound, and others where the only noticeable change was an increase in breast size... it’s highly individual, so it's impossible to predict exactly how your body will react.

Regarding hormones—they'll just draw your blood, and that's basically it. They will likely also perform an ultrasound to ensure everything looks fine with your ovaries.

Olivia Miller2 said:My mother-in-law is refusing surgery because she thinks she needs to be here to help us once the baby arrives...
I mean, it’s sweet of her, really, but during those first few weeks, I want my own mom by my side, not her... though I doubt she'll see it that way.
But my husband and I finally sat down and worked out a plan: if she stays at our place for more than five hours on our first day home, he’s going to step in and have a real talk with her about setting some boundaries. Same goes if she pops in for two hours straight two days in a row—we're having that conversation.

Oh, you are far too patient. Personally, I would have given both my mother-in-law and my mom just ten minutes on those first few days to see the baby before saying "goodbye." And that wouldn't even be every day. I think I’d lose my mind.

Alexander Jackson142 said:My mom told me just a few weeks ago that once I have the baby, I need to be resting for at least eight days straight. She said during that time, either my mother or she herself will come over to help me out... and honestly, I think I’m losing it. 🙄 Sure, she’s an amazing cook, but she can easily whip up a meal, drop it off, and head right back home. What I actually need in that moment is for her—or my mom—to be physically here, hovering and fussing over me in the house! My husband can handle the cooking and the cleaning; I already made it clear that nobody is visiting for the first couple of weeks, so I truly don't care if the house looks like a disaster zone...
Look, I don't know how everything will actually play out until the baby arrives, but both of them are already getting on my nerves, and I really don't want to be stuck listening to their lectures on top of everything else. 🙂

It’s also driving me crazy because I just bought this body cream specifically for pregnant women via DM so I could massage it on every morning, and it smells absolutely revolting 🙂

I completely agree with the bolded part. My husband knows how to take care of everything around the house and he'll be home for those first few weeks. Neither of the mothers-in-law are allowed to work, mostly because they'd just end up stressing me out. Besides, if we actually need anything, everyone lives within a five-minute drive of us. But staying over? No way.

Ashley Price57 said:Sveky..
"What on earth is my grandson doing????" — honestly, how should I know?
"Let me just feel..." — and then he goes and puts his hand right on my stomach. 🤔 😬

Ha, ha... looks like we aren't alone in this!😁 My mother-in-law once told me I should kiss E. (who was still in the womb at the time)🤣, and when I pointed out that might be a little tricky, she simply suggested I just rub her belly instead. 😂

Steven Barrett6 said:Ugh, man, I really hope I don't deal with that kind of drama,
but people are just so incredibly dense. Like, do they not get that pregnant women need peace and quiet, not a massive pile of extra stress?

It drives me insane when my mother-in-law asks (as soon as we walk through the door) if Peter (that's what my son is gonna be called) was being good.
I mean, hello?! How could he be anything else?! 🤷 He isn't even here yet, so how does that even make sense? It’s beyond irritating.
Right now, he only exists to me, period!!! He’s in my belly and he’s mine!

Exactly. Just a few days before my due date, I've had everyone under the sun debating whether I'm feeling okay or when I'll be doing what... I'm already overwhelmed enough as it is, and I really don't need all that added pressure.
Plus, I truly don't see why anyone needs to be the first to know that something is happening... those who need to know will find out, and everyone else can wait until the time is right.

Haha, that bit about the mother-in-law is spot on. Mine asks me: "So, what is Jesse Evans85 up to?" (as if I have any clue... what is he doing? I don't know, he's still in my womb!).

Honestly, I’ve finally reached my breaking point. The constant barrage of calls from friends and family—both close and distant—pestering me about my current situation is driving me absolutely insane. I am genuinely considering switching off every single phone in the house just to get some peace. If I miss the deadline because I couldn't escape the noise, I might actually lose my mind.

+ And don't even get me started on my mother-in-law. She acts like she has an answer for everything and insists on inserting herself into every little thing, playing the part of the selfless Good Samaritan. It’s impossible to be direct with her because she hides behind the excuse that she’s "only trying to help."

Gerald Carter said:Oh man, I can't even imagine. That sounds intense... but honestly, I don't get it. Is it just a woman thing? Or maybe men too? One lady actually looked at me and said, "Well, you must have had ten kids already!"

Speaking from experience, women can be even more difficult than men in these situations. Most will just look at you being pregnant and say, "So what? I worked/dug/stood all day until the very last second of my pregnancy too..."

Adam Evans62 said:I am losing my mind because I have hemorrhoids!!!🙂

I’m only 26 weeks 😢 along. What is this going to be like by the end, let alone during labor?

Running to the CVS right now to see what’s actually safe to use while pregnant before this thing flares up and gets even worse.

If it helps at all, I've been dealing with them since the end of middle school. Honestly, nobody can top my record. And (knock on wood) they haven't gotten any worse—it's always just been the same, so it's been going on for many years now...

Sean Long4 said:Some guy totally tried to bully me on the subway yesterday...

A lady stood up to leave, and I was just about to take the seat, when this guy basically shoved me aside and lunged for it... Since I’ve never been one to sugarcoat things, I just looked at him and said, "Well, thank God you're pregnant too... but don't worry, please, stay seated..." He just stared at me, and honestly, that was the end of it...

What an idiot.

😠😠😠 That’s exactly why I hate public transit! It’s always full of morons.

Right now, what's really getting to me is that my husband has to stay late at work every single day, and the weather is so beautiful outside while I'm stuck here crawling around the house.

I’m honestly getting pretty frustrated with myself because I’ve started eating like there’s no tomorrow. It feels like I can’t stop snacking. It’s all just stress—mostly anxiety about giving birth and everything else on my plate right now—so I’ve been turning to food for comfort. Up until this point, I’ve been so disciplined about my diet and managed to keep the weight under control... but if I keep going at this rate, I feel like I’m going to gain a ridiculous amount of weight in just a few weeks.

Rebecca Vaughn7 said:Today, some cleaning lady had the nerve to ask me, "Why do pregnant women's butts grow so fast? It’s so obvious you’ve widened out."

I’m officially nine weeks in. 🤦

And honestly, the worst part? I don't even feel like my butt has grown nearly as much as my stomach has...😢

Oh my God, I just don't get people. Some folks are truly out of line. My rule is usually if I don't have anything kind to say, I just keep my mouth shut. But saying something like that to an expectant mother? It's just uncalled for...
It drives me absolutely crazy when people—usually those I haven't seen in person for a while but talk to on the phone—ask if I've gained weight or if I'm getting fat. They go through all these variations of the same insulting question, yet not one of them ever bothers to ask how the baby and I are doing.

placidwalker6 said:God, honestly, am I really the only person on this planet who would actually try to do some prep work and find out what paperwork is needed to register a newborn before it even happens? 🙄
I mean... a few days ago I went down to the registrar just to ask about the requirements, especially since my partner and I aren't married. I walk up to the counter, explain what I'm looking for, and this woman asks me when the baby was born. I tell her "not yet," and she nearly fell off her chair from the shock. She’s all like, "How can I help you if the baby isn't even here?" So I told her I was just trying to get ahead of things and figure out the registration process. It took everything in me not to lose it while trying to squeeze an answer out of her 🙄 Anyway, moving on... Today I headed over to the Department of Justice to grab a proof of residency certificate for myself, because I figured I'd need it to sign up for Medicare & Medicaid and to apply for that one-time local government grant. Since I was already out, I thought, hey, let's just get this done now so I'm not dealing with a massive headache later once the baby arrives. Honestly, I almost lost my mind right there at the counter—if I hadn't, I probably would have taken someone out 🙄
Me: Hi, I need a proof of residency certificate.
Her: For what purpose?
Me: For registering a newborn with Medicare & Medicaid and for the local grant application.
Her: When was the baby born?
Me: Not yet.
Her: 😲 Well, then I can't issue that to you.
Me: But I need the certificate for *me*, not for the baby.
Her: You'll get that once you register the child.
Me: Again, it's for my own records, and I want to have it ready so I don't have to spend forever waiting in lines once the baby is here.
Her: Does the child have a father?
Me: 😲 Excuse me???? Of course they do! Look, can I just get the certificate or not???? 😠
Her: You can, but it won't be valid for what you want. (She rolled her eyes so hard I genuinely felt the urge to slap her)
Me: What do you mean it won't be valid? Why wouldn't it?
Naturally, I didn't get a straight answer from that idiot 🙄 And she's probably somewhere right now telling anyone who will listen about how some "hysterical pregnant woman" came in asking for paperwork today 🙂 whooooooops !!!!!!!
So, after waiting in line for an hour (thank God I managed to find a seat), I basically told her I wasn't leaving without that paper even if it was the last thing I did 🙂

Sorry for the long rant, but I seriously needed to vent.

You aren't!😁 I was doing the exact same thing. I wanted to make sure I had everything ready before heading down to the local government office—I know how much of a headache those bureaucratic lines can be if you show up unprepared. I called them on the phone, though, so they were actually quite pleasant since they assumed the baby had already arrived.🙂

It honestly drives me crazy when people stare at me like I’m some kind of local celebrity. Sure, the truth is that I look a lot younger than my actual age (I'm 29), but even if I were younger, what’s the big deal? It’s not like they’ve never seen a pregnant woman before... Yet, the second you actually need someone to give up a seat for you, suddenly everyone finds something very important to look at on the floor.
+ I am just so incredibly fed up with people who feel entitled to weigh in on my life without even knowing me. They’ll walk up to me in the middle of a grocery store or out on the street and start unloading all this unsolicited advice just because I’m pregnant—as if having been through it once makes them an expert in the field. They have an endless stream of questions and comments, yet they couldn't care less about whether I'll actually have support after the baby arrives. When will people finally realize that someone else's pregnancy and their baby aren't public property?

Jeremy Thomas5 said:Honestly, this gets under my skin too; I've been through it myself. 🙂

It frustrates me that I’m still constantly exhausted—that fatigue from the first trimester just hasn't lifted. It frustrates me that I have zero motivation for anything.
It frustrates me that my husband is busy working whenever I just want to be held and pampered.

And even though I've said it a hundred times already: it drives me crazy when people touch my stomach! :2up:
...nobody ever used to touch me before, but now they do without asking, and then they act all disappointed because they didn't feel the baby kick. 😠 😠 😠

edit: it also annoys me that I can never seem to catch up on the missed posts here on TZ😠

It's frustrating knowing I have an appointment this afternoon and I'll probably be stuck waiting for hours.
And it bugs me that I might (once again) not find out the baby's gender.

It seems like people start thinking they have a right to touch your stomach. It looks like it's inevitable... everyone goes through it, apparently. Being pregnant makes you feel like you've suddenly become public property. Though, I have to admit, I haven't dealt with that in quite a while—mostly because I've been staying indoors. I have this lingering, paranoid fear of chickenpox that I never quite got over, which is honestly maddening.

Try to take comfort in the waiting... you aren't alone. I almost always end up waiting a looooong time myself, and usually, I'm too anxious about the appointment to bother with a book or music, so I just end up sitting there staring into space.

Ronald Williams9 said:People constantly push past me and ignore my presence in checkout lines. Then, once they actually start scanning their items, they turn around and act like they didn't even hear me when I speak... Give me a break.
And I am beyond irritated by cashiers at the local grocery store who just sit there when I stand in the priority lane—the one clearly marked for pregnant women and people with disabilities. A massive crowd of people has already dumped their stuff on the belt, effectively blocking my path so I can't even get close enough to the register to ask if I can go ahead. The cashier sees me standing there and just stares at the floor to avoid making eye contact... absolute joke.

Precisely! This lack of basic manners is baffling—and it isn't just that they won't let us cut ahead, it's that they actively try to jump in front of us instead. 😠 To be fair, my blood pressure spiked so much that, which is quite unlike me, I actually snapped at the woman. Surprisingly, she ended up apologizing to me, though she spent the rest of her shift grumbling under her breath and checking her watch. I only experienced true kindness once, back at a Chase Bank, when the teller actually called me forward before anyone else and told me that next time I should definitely come earlier, and reminded me that if I ever came in with my child, I’d have priority.

Taylor Perez said:It’s honestly getting under my skin. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, my husband’s sister and her husband have suddenly become staples in our lives. We live in different cities, yet they’re constantly reaching out and making trips to see us. Since she already has three kids of her own, I guess we’re finally "equals" in their eyes now? Personally, I feel like I haven't changed one bit from being a non-pregnant person to this.
By the way, she’s been relentless lately with those intrusive questions like, "So, when are you guys having more?" We just shut those down every single time because, honestly, there's no rush—my husband is turning 34 soon and I'm 31.

And then there's the constant commentary on my bump. Last time we saw them, she couldn't take her eyes off it; she was staring so intensely I actually had to tug my shirt down and say, "Okay, fine, look all you want!"
They’re swinging by today for some business in town, and if I weren't pregnant, I’m pretty sure they wouldn't bother stopping by at all. It’s sweet of them, I suppose, but I feel like a circus freak being put on display.
...So, I’ve decided I’m wearing something oversized today specifically to dodge any talk about the belly.
...And frankly, just because I’m pregnant doesn't mean I want my entire existence to revolve around pregnancy and kids every time we talk. (Is this post even relevant for the non-parents here? haha)

On a side note, regarding gendered comments—they really don't need to exist.
I’ve carried two girls so far and haven't dealt with any mindless remarks yet, but if someone decides to be rude, trust me, I won't be staying quiet.
I am just so over people acting like they have a free pass to comment on my life whenever they feel like it.

Also, a little health vent: it's driving me crazy that I've developed these tiny broken capillaries on the left side of my stomach. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone else dealing with that.

I have them. 🙄 They showed up on my legs ages ago, and now they're appearing on my stomach too. No stretch marks yet—fingers crossed I avoid those—but these little burst capillaries are definitely there.
They aren't quite as obvious as the ones on my legs, but they're noticeable enough.

What's really getting under my skin:

1. Some retiree at the checkout who actually had the nerve to ask if she could cut in front of me in the Target line because she was in such a rush... 🙄I have no idea why everyone in that generation is suddenly in such a frantic hurry.
2. A woman sitting behind me on the bus who stood up to give an old man her seat, making a comment directed at me about how "young people today are so rude" and won't even offer their seats...

I mean, what is wrong with people? My baby bump is already pretty prominent (so much for trying to hide the pregnancy), and apparently, I'm also expected to jump up and give priority to everyone I encounter.😠

3. My mother-in-law—who calls me just to say, "let me hear how you are," but I never even get a chance to answer because I spend the next twenty minutes listening to a monologue about her own problems.