Posts by brightbear

Hey ladies...
Just another story about people touching my belly...

Back when I was early on in the pregnancy (around 3 months, when I first posted here), a neighbor actually caught me totally off guard on the street. Out of nowhere, she goes, "So, where's the bump??"
I tried to play it cool and said, "Oh, you can't really see it yet, it's too early," but she didn't care one bit. Before I could even blink, she reached right under my shirt and started poking at my bare skin!!
Honestly, I was just stunned. I couldn't even process what was happening or find the words to react because I just wasn't expecting something so invasive.
She finally finished up by saying, "Oh, there it is! I knew it!"

The whole thing happened right after I had mentioned to a friend how relieved I was that nobody had tried to touch my stomach yet. And then, boom—I get hit with something that blunt. 🙂

Anyway, fast forward to now, being in my third trimester, and I guess I don't mind the belly touches quite as much. It’s already so big and firm that it feels inevitable... if it's close friends or family, I don't really mind...

Richard Fowler13 said:None of you have actually mentioned how many siblings he has.
There were five of us kids, and honestly, we’re doing alright now; we've become our own support system, gathering for Sunday dinners and showing up for one another whenever life gets heavy...

But my mother—who carried the lion's share of the weight when it came to raising us—didn't exactly have a life of her own. She learned how to do everything just for our sake, subordinating every single desire to the needs of the household; she had to cook for seven, handle the laundry, work, and more... she never even had five minutes to herself. Nowadays, she feels somewhat lost because she spent her entire existence learning how to be needed by others, always placing herself at the very bottom of her own priority list.

Now, some people might argue about what we lacked. We didn't have the latest designer gear or endless piles of books, sure... but they made sure we had music lessons, language classes... we had family scattered across the country that we actually got to visit... all of us ended up graduating college and becoming completely independent.

The truth is, we lived in a different era. Materialism wasn't the driving force it is now; apartments and mortgages weren't the insurmountable obstacles they are today, and it was entirely possible to live on a single income and still build a house. Kids didn't need a closet full of Nike sneakers back then because we didn't even know they existed... though, don't get me wrong, if we wanted something, we wanted it; it just wasn't treated like the end of the world if we didn't have it immediately.🙂
As it stands, I'm living in a small apartment, and even with two average salaries, we can barely make it through the month. Don't even get me started on saving for a larger home; we can't afford to travel, maybe a week at the beach if we plan months in advance... I would love nothing more than to have a whole brood of children, but under these current conditions, I'll be lucky if I can manage two.🤷

So, before anyone starts philosophizing about having five children who will supposedly mourn you at your funeral—which, frankly, is a rather selfish motivation for bringing life into this world—just consider that nowadays, you have to invest more than ever into your children, their health, and their education... and that kind of money doesn't just fall from the sky.

Well, you certainly laid it all out there so clearly...👍>

briskpuma23 said:And here's another one who thinks money equals happiness.

???

Money isn't happiness, because those are two entirely different concepts. But if you're asking whether they're connected? Absolutely.
It’s honestly naive to claim money has nothing to do with being happy. Go ahead, ask someone struggling to make ends meet or someone living paycheck to paycheck if they feel "blessed"... (I mean, sure, maybe they have a family, but if they can't even put food on the table, where's the joy in that?)
Money provides the foundation upon which you actually build a happy life. Once you have enough to stop worrying about basic survival, then—and only then—can you actually relax and focus on your family, hanging out with friends, hobbies, or whatever else matters...

I don't know... I actually know someone who is incredibly close to his mom (and his dad, too). He’s married with two kids now, and his mother is always around with them, yet he doesn't seem bothered by it at all. He’s 46.
A friend of mine—just one of those people who views her mother more as a best friend because they grew up as a little two-person team—always listened to her, though. Her mom was pretty strict, you know?

As for having five kids, honestly, I don't think that's a great move if you're trying to climb the corporate ladder. Raising that many children takes an insane amount of energy and sheer willpower, and since kids always come first, it could easily drain a parent—or at least the mom—of any drive left for their career.

On the other hand, if one parent stays home and you can actually afford it, then I think having five kids is beautiful. I know a family like that; it’s incredible how tight-knit they are. It’s just genuinely lovely to listen to them talk about one another...

But then again, a large family with zero money is usually just a recipe for misery. Relationships get strained, and the kids often struggle in school. A BAD idea.

Rachel Brooks63 said:So, you’re basically admitting that this whole thread is a blatant, direct violation of the Drug Act?

Are you guys going to turn yourselves in to the FDA, or am I going to have to call someone else? 😉

😕 I don't see how a discussion could ever violate the Law... honestly. Nobody is actually getting their hands on any pills without a prescription here. This thread exists just so people know the medication is out there in the first place.

Brenda Reed3 said:Are you serious? Just go to a private clinic—pay for a standard Pap smear or something, and ask them for a prescription😁 it might actually work😍...

I highly doubt you can get anything without a script, not even over in Canada😉...

Oh, right—except when you go private, you're also paying for the privilege of knocking on their door😢...

And then there's the chance they won't even give you the prescription after all that acting you had to do🤣...

Honestly, why can't the public clinics just write the damn thing?

Brenda Wells73 said:I’ve been MIA for a few days—dealing with a mountain of stress and trying to stick to this diet, plus I ended up soaked to the bone and freezing out in the rain last Saturday... honestly, I’m just praying that was the reason I got sick.

So, stress and dieting? 😁 Great combo right there... honestly, you really just need to take a breath and stop worrying so much about everything 😉

Brenda Wells73 said:Has anyone else gone through something like this? Please, I'd love to hear from you...

Were you maybe on some kind of diet or just dealing with massive stress during your sixth month???

Linda Cook58 said:was there some kind of?
:

Yeah, I definitely went through that.
When I started back on the pill after my break, things were pretty dark for just the first month... then everything leveled out and went back to normal.
Honestly, you really don't need to worry about it...

Brenda Reed3 said:...and then there's that realization that they’re just lacking something—no matter how slight the imbalance might be—in terms of hormones 😁

Honestly, even a tiny bit of a placebo effect isn't a bad thing. I have another question, though—can any general practitioner write a prescription, and what does one actually look like??

Brenda Reed3 said:...personally, I actually prefer these over the Yasmin I used to drink before...
:

But what's the catch? In what way are they better than Yasmin? I need to know if it's actually worth dealing with Canadians... 😁 😛

Brenda Reed3 said:Yasmin and Yasminelle aren't the same thing😉
:

Come on, give us the details... what kind of differences did you actually feel?🙂

The description sounds pretty interesting...

shadowscout12 said:So, you're asking about the odds of getting pregnant if you're just one day out from having sex... Honestly, there isn't a simple "yes" or "no" answer because biology is such a messy, unpredictable thing, isn't it? It all really boils down to where exactly you are in your cycle... If you happen to be right in the middle of your ovulation window, those chances are definitely on the table. But if you're nowhere near it, the math changes completely. It’s one of those things that feels like you're constantly waiting for a sign from God, just staring at a calendar and hoping for the best... but the timing has to be precise. One day after the act, you can't really know anything for sure yet. You'd have to wait for your period or eventually take a test, though even then, testing too early is just a recipe for anxiety... which we don't need. Everything feels so uncertain sometimes, doesn't it? Just a lot of waiting and wondering... Finally got my period...I mean, sure, I know that’s technically a possibility, but let’s be real here... how likely is it actually going to happen? So, my period is running about a day or two late... just one of those things, I guess. Honestly, it’s hard to tell if it's just stress or something else entirely... everything feels like it's constantly shifting lately... I just took a pregnancy test, and it flashed a negative result almost instantly... like, literally seconds after I used it. Should I still be stressing out about this, or can I finally breathe? Thanks so much for any input you guys have...

So, you finally got your period, but it decided to show up late to the party... how's that going for you?😕

vividcanyon15 said:Right, but is it actually possible to tell which stage of your cycle you're in just by looking at an ultrasound?

Well, yeah, you can see changes in cervical mucus—it’s basically a sign that you're right in the middle of your fertile window or that it just passed...

p.s. why did you ditch the birth control pills?...

Jamie Barnes60 said:Lately, it feels like OB-GYNs are handing out birth control pills like they’re candy, without running any real tests first, which just doesn't sit right with me. I mean, how many women on this forum were freaking out when we talked about needing bloodwork and everything else before starting the pill?

Yeah, usually doctors will just run basic blood panels if they decide you're generally healthy. They make that call based on a quick screening—asking things like, "Do you have trouble breathing?" or checking your family medical history and stuff like that.
That was the exact approach my private doctor took—and he’s actually quite highly regarded! When I pushed him about getting more extensive lung screenings, he basically told me it wasn't necessary because if there were an issue, I’d feel it immediately; the lungs are sensitive and always signal when something is wrong. Plus, he argued that modern side effects are negligible nowadays.
So, I figured, okay, maybe he knows what he's talking about... I wasn't feeling any issues anyway. It seems to me that most laypeople are the ones obsessing over extra testing, while the doctors seem pretty set in their ways regarding what's actually needed. 🤷
Well, I suppose they have their reasons for being so confident. Let's just hope they're right...

bluesailor15 said:Hey everyone!
So, I’ve run into a bit of a situation. My period is already five days late. Back when I was on the pill (Yasmin), everything was clockwork—always showed up on day 28. But this month? Nothing. Not even a hint that it's coming... No spotting, no breast tenderness, nothing. Usually, my body gives me some kind of sign, but this time it's just total silence. My boyfriend and I mostly use condoms, though there were maybe two or three times we didn't, but he didn't finish inside me. Then again, it's finals week and I am stressed out of my mind (though I was just as stressed last month and my period arrived right on schedule). I was thinking about waiting until Friday before picking up a pregnancy test. What do you all think?

Wait, so you mean since you stopped taking Yasmin, your cycle stayed regular until this month? When did you actually stop taking them?
One possibility could be this: if you were on them to manage cysts, those might have receded while you were on the medication, but now that you've stopped, they could be starting to flare up again, which messes with your cycle.
If it wasn't about cysts, then honestly, it might just be the stress from your exams. Just go grab a test so you can stop worrying, because if you're constantly stressing about being pregnant—that itself is enough to keep your period away!

coppergardener said:Malicious? Rude? 😕 I honestly can't wrap my head around why you'd pick those specific words, but trust me, I have zero intention of being malicious, especially when it comes to health issues. 😲
.

Look, sorry if I misread the tone of your comments as being malicious—believe me, there are plenty of people online who actually *are* being spiteful, but there are even more people just plain wrong. I react the way I do because I personally know at least two women who are dealing with massive complications due to ovarian issues. You can imagine what it does to a young woman's psyche to realize she might not be able to have children... 😢
At the end of the day, I deal with cysts myself, though I’ve got them under control now. It’s not PCOS, just cysts, but I caught them early and started treatment immediately.
Do you have any idea how many women don't even bother seeing an OB-GYN until things turn into a total crisis? So, when I saw you telling a girl to be skeptical of her doctor's advice, it kind of caught me off guard. Sorry again, truly. 😉

P.S. Sure, doctors make mistakes sometimes, but at least with an ultrasound, you have something tangible to show a specialist if you want a second opinion later on...

coppergardener said:Don't just go throwing pills around if you really don't need them, and make sure to speak up if they try to push them on you.🙂

What a wonderful piece of advice... and so incredibly well-reasoned, clearly.
So she shouldn't even consider pills if a doctor offers them? I mean, who exactly is going to offer them to her—the clerk at a 7-Eleven? Maybe a gynecologist will suggest them, and if they do, she actually *should* take them if she's dealing with hormonal issues (let's just hope we're talking about puberty acne here)...
Otherwise, what is she supposed to do? Risk infertility while she's still this young? So many women don't treat PCOS when they're teenagers, and by the time they're older, their ovaries are completely shot.
About 15% of couples in the US struggle with infertility. That isn't some tiny statistic. A massive reason for that is because women aren't getting treated in time, and then they decide to start trying for a baby much later in life. Hardly any woman is planning for a kid before she hits 25...
And in the meantime, your ovaries can end up in all sorts of bad shape. Not to mention how acne and oily skin can absolutely wreck your mental health...
Birth control helps manage all the symptoms of PCOS, and then someone comes along and gives malicious advice like that. I honestly don't know what the motive is, but it's just ugly...

Honestly, I think you’re overthinking this whole thing. You keep saying how stressed you are, but let's be real—you’re practically fueling the fire yourself. Given how careful you’ve been, I highly doubt you're pregnant... though it sounds more like you might be dealing with some ovarian issues.
And if your period is that unpredictable while you're in a steady relationship, I really think birth control pills could sort out those hormonal hiccups for you. Have you even considered that??

Bottom line: as soon as your deadlines are out of the way, just go see a gynecologist.

Harold Howard7 said:I didn't express myself very clearly. After my last pill from the Diana pack, I started Triquilar the very next day, which is what my gynecologist advised. So, I haven't had any bleeding yet, and now I'm confused—because I didn't take a break, am I going to "skip" my period this month or what?

That’s really what your doctor told you?? Huh. Well, if that's the case, you might experience some minor spotting in the meantime. But if you just finish the pack as usual, you should still get your regular withdrawal bleeding afterward.
I mean, maybe... it doesn't always happen that you'll bleed while actively taking the pills. It usually only happens when someone skips the placebo week entirely to avoid a period for a trip or something similar. But even then, it isn't a "real" or regular period... just something that happens...