Posts by Steven Harris16

During my pregnancy, I was hit with these waves of pure hysteria and irritability so intense it felt like I was losing my mind...

And don't even get me started on the heartburn I endured during those final three months. It was relentless. I spent my nights retching constantly, unable to catch a single wink of sleep because the burning sensation was enough to drive anyone to madness. I tried every over-the-counter antacid available, but nothing touched it. Because I couldn't keep anything down, I ended up just bloating with water weight. By the end, I had gained about 55 pounds, and my whole family wouldn't stop teasing me, calling me a total water balloon. But once the baby was born and all that excess fluid finally drained away, everyone was left speechless—I ended up only being about 13 pounds heavier than when I started.

But man, do I love food. I absolutely adore it, especially during pregnancy when I actually have a valid excuse to indulge, haha.

My advice? Don't bother saving the hysterics for after the baby arrives; save that energy for later. Honestly, by then, the baby just drains everything out of you through breastfeeding, and the weight starts dropping off naturally anyway. For now, just lean into the cravings and enjoy yourself while you have the perfect excuse.

Jonathan Grant2 said:Honestly, I’m getting so incredibly fed up with all the comments about my looks and my weight.😠
Today, my mom, my sister, and I were out hiking some trails, and my mom turns to me and goes, "Oh, you've finally gotten your waist looking good and slimmed down a bit, don't go ruining it now."😲Like, what the hell?🙄>
Then my sister—who, mind you, has put on 25 pounds during her pregnancy—chimes in with, "Well, you can still lose weight, at least you have five months left."😳So I just gave her this super sarcastic look and said, "What, you want me to go on one of those crazy crash diets?"🙄>
>
I know they love me, and I realize they aren't saying these things just to get under my skin, but seriously, have a little tact. Just think for a second before you open your mouth, for crying out loud.😠>

Oh my god! I have never heard anything like that in my life. My own mother is just sitting there waiting for me to turn into a literal balloon, haha. I mean, she'll probably tell me my waistline will be destroyed by her future grandson or something—I don't even know how to react. And suggesting a diet while pregnant? I won't even go there. Honestly though, you are so gorgeous that I’m actually a little jealous; you're glowing right now and you're going to look stunning even after the baby comes. I've even shown your photos to my husband, haha.

wiredpuma92 said:First off, it drives me insane that my phone rings fifty times a day. At this rate, I’m gonna have six arms by the time I give birth from all this radiation 🙄🙄 And of course, if I happen to be typing or—God forbid—actually doing something productive instead of staring at my screen, I’ll end up with 3,000 missed calls and a bunch of sobbing voices on the other end asking, "Where are youuuu?? Is everything okay???" 😠
Especially during those first month or two before I finally lost my mind... I could have slept all day because I was just so exhausted. 🙂 They were getting on my nerves so much that I actually turned my ringer off a few times. You can't even sleep like a normal person. 🙂
And then there's my mom and his mom... Man. We're going to be in San Diego, mine are from Tulsa, and his family is from some small town in rural America. I don't know anyone in San Diego, and since this is our first kid, I'm expecting some help when we get home from the hospital. But I think I was delusional thinking they'd just come for a week while I'm recovering... and obviously, my mom will show up, since she's totally chill with me. But... 🙂 His mother actually said, through tears, "Ohhh, I'll come to you, wherever you are, even if it's at the end of the world." Yeah, we aren't playing that game. I mean, obviously, I won't ban a woman from seeing her grandchild, but it'll be the same rules as my mom. One week, and then she's out... 🙂
Plus, his mother loves to act like she's the boss, which already has my blood pressure hitting a million. Whatever though, we'll manage somehow, and I usually just don't talk back to her. But I can only imagine what it would be like if she stayed for a month. Like she's back in her own house or something.
And one more thing: the very first thing people do when they see me is comment on my weight or ask to feel my belly. Just to be clear, I'm not tiny, and I'm not fat, 😁
but my stomach and everything else is growing at a normal pace, slowly...
And I've got another 5 or 6 months of this. I'll just buy some earplugs and nod along saying "uh-huh"... 🤣

Ugh, I honestly don't know how you do it. Kudos to you, but I would have dried up my milk supply from pure stress alone. I truly believe every mother knows what's best for her baby, and most things should come naturally; besides, we have this forum for advice. Everything changed once our mothers and mothers-in-law started raising us. For instance, nowadays people breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, yet my mother-in-law was already trying to feed my little one bacon at five months! Meanwhile, my husband could be doing all the prep work, and the baby would still be sleeping through it all. I'm incredibly close with my mom—we see each other a few times a week and talk twice a day—but I absolutely hate it when anyone meddles in my house, even her. I just want to be able to walk around my place half-naked in peace and let my swollen feet breathe. 😂
By the way, during my last few months of pregnancy, my mother-in-law called me five times a day just to check if I was in labor. I was losing my mind! Seriously! And if I didn't pick up my phone, she’d call my husband's phone, or even my mother's! My mom was honestly ready to strangle her!

I see we’re diving into the whole saga of mothers-in-law and overbearing parents. Honestly, toward the end of my last pregnancy, I was genuinely trembling with anxiety, terrified that I wouldn't get a single moment of peace with my newborn. It felt like everyone was already scheduling their "help" visits, while my mother-in-law was basically planning to move her entire extended family into my house just to catch a glimpse of the baby. From that moment on, I had one mantra running through my head: those first forty days belong strictly to the three of us—to bond, to recover, and to build up our immune systems. I didn't need "help," because I’m not an idiot; I know how to handle a baby. Besides, my plan was to simply rest and snuggle with my little one while my husband handled the cooking, the cleaning, and the general household chaos. I told the grandparents they could drop by for maybe an hour on the weekends. As for anyone else? Not until after the first pediatrician appointment, period. They knew I was stubborn, and they knew there was no negotiating with me. I absolutely cherished those quiet moments, just me and the baby, without a mother-in-law, a mother, or a visiting nurse hovering over us. Everything went smoothly—the umbilical cord actually fell off while we were still at the hospital, so I didn't have any issues there. Before I headed back to work, my husband would bring me breakfast in bed, then lunch after I got home, and he'd spend the afternoon just being present with us before handling the dinner and the cleanup in the evening. By the time I was fully recovered, the little guy was already enjoying bath time. My husband set everything up, and we’d bathe him together. Breastfeeding was a breeze, and sleep was even better. We just lived in this beautiful, peaceful bubble. Eventually, we scheduled visitors whenever it suited us, especially since the weather was gorgeous and we felt free to wander around. But now, looking ahead to the next one (fingers crossed for a positive test), I can already see the battles coming. I know I’ll be fighting tooth and nail for privacy, because everyone will try to convince me that I won't be able to manage a newborn and a two-year-old on my own. Even now, with my oldest being fifteen months, people are already trying to tell me how to organize the pantry or where to put the dishes. Just the thought of being in the hospital again and having everyone scrambling and fighting over who gets to watch my toddler... it honestly makes my skin crawl.

Lawrence Carter42 said:Hey ladies... I have a quick question for you all...

Is it actually possible for breast soreness to kick in about a week after conception, linger for seven days, and then just... stop? Has anyone else dealt with something like that?

The thing is, my period is already six days late. My breasts were aching intensely for about a week straight, but I haven't bothered with a pregnancy test yet because I keep telling myself it's just coming any minute. It's just that this specific pain is a bit unsettling... they never usually hurt like this.

Well, looking back at my own experience during early pregnancy, I didn't experience any swelling or tenderness at all initially; it didn't even kick in until much later, and even then, the discomfort would flare up and then subside repeatedly. There really isn't a universal rule for how these things manifest, but to answer your question—yes, it is certainly possible.

Hello everyone
I usually find myself lurking or offering commentary rather than throwing out questions, but I find myself at a bit of a crossroads today and could use some perspective 😁.
To give you the full picture: my husband and I have been planning for our second child, though we weren't aiming for anything until the end of the year. Based on my last period—which was somewhere around July 8th or 11th, if my fading memory serves me right (I suppose I'm getting a bit senile 😂)—I did some math and figured my next cycle should arrive around August 9th or 11th. We haven't been using any protection since then, and I’ve spent the last few weeks just waiting, watching the calendar, but nothing has happened. It's already August 23rd, and there’s still no sign of my period, though I've been feeling quite bloated for days now
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I took a home pregnancy test yesterday afternoon using an Intim Plus, but the result was negative 😕. Now, I’m spiraling a little. I can't help but wonder if my old issues with PCOS—the cysts I dealt with before my first pregnancy—have decided to make a comeback. Or, perhaps more likely, my ovulation was simply delayed, meaning my fertile window shifted later than I anticipated, and I might have tested too early 😕.

I honestly don't know what to make of this. The most logical step would be to check if my husband's schedule has cleared up after his vacation, but I wanted to ask if anyone here has dealt with significantly shifted ovulation or the return of ovarian cysts following childbirth? I'm also wondering about the reliability of testing this early, especially since I'm already past day 40
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Kate Jackson said:😍Thanks, sweetie, you really made my day 😉 As long as they're happy with the new curves, I don't care who's looking... we can always just take them off later anyway 🙂

Exactly!!!! My guy was absolutely obsessed with me right up until the very last second—and honestly, even more so now—he actually tells me I’m looking way too thin for him now =)

I realized I forgot to mention—just eat and enjoy yourself. Honestly, go ahead and indulge in whatever your heart desires; you need to make sure both you and the baby are getting all those essential minerals, vitamins, and even a bit of sugar. Just focus on enjoying this time together, the two of you... let everyone else just go to hell.😂😂

Kate Jackson said:I really hope you took a good look at her before she freezes up—honestly, I always assumed men would be more attracted to women before they get pregnant.
As for what’s getting on my nerves lately, I am absolutely fed up with how every single person I tell about my pregnancy immediately jumps down my throat with comments like, "Oh my gosh, don't gain too much weight, you're already looking heavier since you got pregnant." Right now, I weigh 152 pounds at 5'6"—I'm certainly not some stick figure, but seriously, nobody needs to be making those kinds of remarks to me. 😳

Don't let them get to you! Before my pregnancy, I was about 127 pounds (and 5'7", so I was quite slender), but by the end, I hit at least 180. I made it home at around 145, and for the last couple of months, I’ve been hovering around 130... but that weight vanishes in a heartbeat. Between cooking for guests and chasing after a toddler, you just want to take him out to see the world—you know, like a quick trip to Target, haha, or hitting up the local mall (just to give these girls something to bitch and fight about on the forums, XD). You don't want to be apart from him, so you end up pushing a stroller loaded down with gear through the streets, and somehow, you end up with a perfect figure and curves that are actually better than they were before the pregnancy—and certainly better than those judgmental girls online.

Anyway... I'm crossing my fingers that there's another one on the way so I can eventually head to Target with a double stroller. 😂😂😂😂

neonrider40 said:So I was at the clinic in Chicago today for an OGTT test. At the front desk, the lady tells me to just toss my referral slip into the little bin on the side. No big deal, right? So I do it. Right behind me, three more pregnant women show up, and she gives them all the exact same instruction. The waiting room is absolutely packed—not a single person thinks to move so we can actually sit down. We’re just standing there for like half an hour until this one guy, whose wife is also pregnant, starts getting heated at the counter because nobody is calling us up. He’s like, "Hey, shouldn't we have priority here?" And this woman has the nerve to look him dead in the eye and lie, saying, "Oh, your paperwork is already inside, they'll call you when they're ready." Like, seriously? Total lie. So I stepped up and told her straight out, "Actually, no, our papers are still sitting right here in this box." She just went dead silent. Then, thinking I couldn't hear her because I'd stepped aside, she turns to the other girl working the desk and starts bitching, "God, these pregnant women... they can't wait five minutes, always acting like it's an emergency because they gotta pee or they feel sick..." Unbelievable. Two women just sitting there gossiping about it while the room is so crowded you can barely breathe. Just awful.

Ugh, I wish she could hear me. If she heard my tone while I'm dealing with PMS or during pregnancy, she’d probably have a total meltdown and run straight to the department head. 😂😂

I actually had a run-in once when I was nine months pregnant; a woman on the subway actually scolded me for not giving up my seat to some elderly lady 😲 who wasn't even elderly, let alone someone using a cane or struggling to catch the train...
Thank God that while I was physically able, I always made sure to stand up for those poor seniors who clearly needed it—people who looked like they were carrying more years than I'll likely ever see. But the sheer rudeness and the insults thrown at me because I didn't jump up immediately, despite being heavily pregnant and carrying an extra 50 pounds (most of it just water retention in my legs...), was truly something else...

granitehawk472 said:Hello everyone!
I could use a little bit of guidance here... I suspect there might already be a thread about this somewhere, but frankly, I just don't have the energy to go hunting for it right now... My period was supposed to start this past Monday, which means I'm currently three days late. I'm feeling quite uncertain about whether I should be worried or not. My partner and I were actually away at the beach until yesterday (we've been gone since last Thursday), and I've read online that changes in the weather or climate can sometimes throw things off... so perhaps that's the culprit? 😕 Usually, I experience significant breast and nipple tenderness before my cycle begins, but this time, those symptoms are completely absent... We always practice safe sex, so I'm feeling a bit bewildered by this sudden shift... 🤷 I'm torn on whether I should take a test tomorrow or if I should just wait a while longer... I've also been dealing with some constipation lately, though I suspect that might just be due to the change in environment/weather as well... 😕 Ah... I really don't know... if anyone has any advice or insight, please do let me know... thanks 😛

Honestly, you really shouldn't let this get to you. Stress, anxiety, and even just traveling through different climates can easily push a cycle back; it's all perfectly normal physiological stuff. You mentioned yourself that you're being careful with protection, so my best advice is to just try and decompress—it'll likely show up when it's ready. If it doesn't, then go see a doctor for a checkup. It might just be a small cyst or something similar, and they can prescribe something like Provera to help jumpstart things—I've had to deal with that myself in the past. 🙄 )

Hey ladies,
It’s been about six months since I gave birth, and my period finally decided to make an appearance just over a month ago—it showed up during the night between June 3rd and 4th. We generally use condoms, but honestly, money can be tight sometimes, and there was one instance where things slipped a little because we weren't being perfectly careful. I can't even remember if I was near ovulation or what, but for the last ten days, I’ve been dealing with what feels like all those classic early pregnancy symptoms that plagued me during my first trimester. I'm talking headaches, bleeding gums, abdominal cramps that feel like they're coming a week early, intense cranial pressure, nosebleeds, bloating, nausea, and sore nipples—though I suppose that could just be from breastfeeding. On top of all that, my cycle is running late. It’s currently around 36 or 37 weeks since my last period, and I took one of those single-step tests for $8.75 this afternoon, but it came back negative. We weren't exactly planning on another baby right now—we were looking toward next year—but I still felt that sudden, heavy wave of disappointment hit me. I can't help but wonder if maybe my system is just still totally out of whack.
I was wondering if any other moms here could tell me if it’s normal for your period to be completely unpredictable like this in the first few months postpartum, or if these tests might just be unreliable?
Thanks, best regards.

By the way, William Gonzalez20—I actually ended up pregnant using that whole "fertile vs. infertile days" method (I genuinely thought the 😁 days were the safe ones), and when it was actually fertile, I thought, "get it out of there" 🤣. But given how much my cycles used to overlap due to cysts, I really have no idea how I conceived, unless it was truly by the "just get it out of there" 😂 method. 😂 And now, here is the little guy sleeping right next to me. 😍

ironrider20 said:Just using my brain for a second today to say you should just be happy you're pregnant, because believe me, there are women who have everything perfect financially but can't even get pregnant. You'll get through all the other stupid stuff easily. Personally, I was lucky enough to get pregnant without any issues at 35, and it happened on the first try, too. Do you realize how much of a blessing that is? Especially since, like I said before, I actually have less money now than when I was in college.

We are beyond happy about the baby, 😍 and everything else will eventually fall into place...
Thank you for those kind words 😍
And I am genuinely thrilled that everything worked out so beautifully with your pregnancies—it really is wonderful 😍(though I realize you're all much more mature than I am, so I won't overstep by acting like some obnoxious kid, haha 😁)

Hey ladies—thanks so much for all the advice. Honestly, we’re both over the moon about the pregnancy, especially since I was previously told it would be an uphill battle for me to even conceive... So, here’s the plan: I’m currently finishing up my degree, but since I'm nearing graduation, I'm hoping to have my career settled by the time the little one is old enough for daycare. Until then, well, life happens—my partner will be picking up some extra shifts alongside his studies, and my parents have been kind enough to step in and help us out. My folks aren't the type to meddle too much—at least they try their best not to 😂—and his older brother is actually pretty great, though his mother is constantly trying to get under my skin. But hey, I'll manage... I always do. We’re actually finding out in about a week what the final decision will be regarding the big day, haha. We'll see if everyone is truly on board with having the wedding within the next year or not... because, truthfully, both my partner and I are really leaning towards that idea of combining the christening with the wedding ceremony 😍

Everything you all are suggesting sounds perfectly reasonable, especially this idea of combining the christening with the wedding 😍 I actually went as far as suggesting to my partner that we should just wait until the baby is a bit older, so they can be the one to carry the rings down the aisle 😍 The thing is, everyone in his family is incredibly devout; they honestly can't wrap their heads around the concept of me having a child before we're officially married 😲 I mean, look... it’s not that we aren't planning on getting married, it’s just a matter of timing, right? 😕
We have a big family lunch scheduled in a week with both our sets of parents, and I’m bracing myself because I have a nagging feeling it’s going to end in a massive blowout 😂😂 My family and his are worlds apart—complete opposites when it comes to how they view things. My parents are being very pragmatic about the reality of our situation; they see that neither of us has a steady job right now, and they think he needs to find work and move on from university, because at the end of the day, we need a way to actually survive 😕 Meanwhile, his folks are insisting he stay in school so he can eventually land a high-paying career—even though I know for a fact they don't have the kind of money to support us. And let's be honest, even if my dad were an ExxonMobil executive, I doubt we'd be receiving a monthly allowance every single month for years to come, much less them, who struggle to cover their own basic expenses, haha 😂😂

feralpanther11 said:Look, honey, if they’re footing the entire bill, you really should have seen this coming—it’s practically written in the stars when someone else holds the purse strings.

In my case, neither myself nor my partner had anyone paying for a single thing; we were entirely self-sufficient. Of course, that meant his mother and aunt felt entitled to stick their noses in every single detail—and when things didn't go exactly according to their specific little blueprints, they took it as a personal insult.

At the end of the day, your best bet is to focus on making yourself and your own mother happy—trying to please everyone else is a losing game you can't win.
And since you're pregnant... honestly, I wouldn't subject myself to this kind of unnecessary stress if I were in your shoes. It’s just not worth the toll it takes on you.
Besides, is there any actual reason you need to be rushing through a wedding and dealing with all this chaos while you're expecting?

Because I have to—that's the reality. I wouldn't choose to have a wedding right now if it were up to me, but we don't really have a choice. My partner and I aren't making the calls here because our financial situation is such that we're essentially forced to let them take the lead. We'll let them pay, but we fully intend to pay them back, and we're praying that the gifts from half the guests will cover the remaining costs. The hardest part is knowing that I'm hurting both myself and my baby with all this tension; my partner and I end up bickering over every little thing, which leaves us both feeling miserable afterward. 😢 It breaks my heart that I won't actually get to enjoy my own wedding, instead just swaying around heavily 😢 and counting down the minutes until every single guest finally heads home.😢

analogskipper12 said:Back again on this thread 👍
I was expecting it by Friday—usually, it arrives right on schedule
But through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 😍 there hasn't been a single sign. No PMS, no "pregnancy glow," nothing
It’s Monday now, and still absolutely nothing
My period is late 🤷
I even went out and bought one of those tests—the kind where the box claims you can use it anytime, not just first thing in the morning 😉 but I think I'll wait until tomorrow 🙏just to be safe:
To be honest, I'm actually terrified to take the test 😢
I'm scared of being disappointed all over again. Maybe staying in this limbo is better? I don't know, who knows ☕

edit: I suppose I've been feeling sleepy, if you could call that a "symptom," but honestly, it's probably just this heat

Sending good vibes your way; I really hope you see that positive sign soon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 😍 I remember going through a phase where I felt like it was coming any second, but when it didn't happen immediately, the symptoms just kept piling up. 😍😍 Meanwhile, a colleague of mine had absolutely zero warning signs—nothing at all except for some breast tenderness, and even that didn't show up until she was already a week late. So, I'm holding out hope that your experience might be just as quiet. 😍~~~~~~~ Good luck!!

Ladies, thank you all so much for the kind wishes. 😍😍😍😍😍 I finally got to see my little one today, and my doctor stopped by to offer his congratulations 😍😍😍😍 though, I have to admit, the fact that there’s still no heartbeat on the monitor left me feeling incredibly anxious... The doctor tried to reassure me, saying it’s simply too early to tell and suggesting I come back in two weeks—now I’m just praying to God that we hear that heartbeat next time 😢 because, based on my last period being on April 3rd, I’m already about six weeks along
.

I picked up one of those quick drugstore tests yesterday afternoon—only cost me about five bucks—and it gave me two solid lines within seconds. My last period was back on March 4th, so I’m already quite late. I have an appointment scheduled with my OBGYN tomorrow morning, but after reading through both of these posts and seeing how a positive result could stem from either a pregnancy or ovarian cysts, I am honestly terrified. I know I’ve dealt with cysts in the past, and usually, when they cause a delay, the tests come back negative. But this feels different, and the anxiety is starting to set in.

As for the symptoms... my breasts are tender and swollen😁, and I feel like I’m constantly running to the bathroom because I can't hold it anymore; my bladder is actually starting to ache from the constant pressure😂. Then there’s this persistent heartburn that’s been nagging at me for a few days... it’s at the point where I can practically smell someone eating Snickers bars three rooms away🙄. Certain scents make me nauseous, and I’ve been waking up with a headache for a week now😠. I feel like I could sleep for twenty-four hours straight if I could, and my abdomen feels heavy, just like the tension right before a period starts, which keeps me rushing to the restroom to check if my period has finally arrived. Oh, and my libido has completely vanished, which is driving my husband absolutely crazy😂😂😂😂