Posts by wanderingrider94

Stuff that’s driving me nuts:
-My mom and her endless stream of questions and unsolicited advice about everything—especially baby gear. It's always "what about this?" or "why aren't you getting these strollers instead?" or "you're buying stuff too early" (I'm already 25 weeks in!), plus the whole "when are you finally getting rid of those cats?" bit...
-My own mood swings and how easily I just snap at everyone and everything. Honestly, I'm trying to chill out, but I feel this heat rising inside me and suddenly everything feels like a huge deal, even when it's total nonsense.
-The way my husband just breezes through everything with that "it'll be fine, we've got time" attitude.
-Random people feeling entitled to stick their noses into our business all of a sudden. We used to stay in our own lane, but it's like pregnancy just tears down all boundaries, whereas if you ask me, it should make people back off even more.

Stuff that caught me off guard:
-How fast I crash. I have the drive to get things done, but my energy levels just hit zero. It's seriously harder than it used to be.
-Leg cramps that kick in the second I miss my magnesium for the day.
-Crying over absolutely nothing, whether it's something great or something crappy. I'm usually a tough person—most people would say I'm pretty stoic—but now? Not so much.
-The sheer amount of love and protection I feel for this tiny little being growing inside me. Feeling those kicks is incredible; that early bond is just indescribable.😍

I’m actually low-key shocked that my skin—which was already dry and crusty as hell from keratosis pilaris—can somehow get even worse. 😢 Everything is itching constantly, and I’m stuck slathering on lotion every single day just to cope. The KP bumps and those little spots are getting super inflamed, and honestly, I'm breaking out in these annoying pink patches everywhere. I’ve been exfoliating every other day, but it’s doing basically nothing. My face is acting like I’m back in middle school with all these pimples and blackheads... Like, where is that legendary pregnancy glow everyone talks about? Where are the amazing hair and nails...? 🤦

So, I work at a school, right? And we’ve got this one auntie working in the kitchen who, every single time she sees me, starts doing this ridiculous baby talk. Like, seriously—"goo goo ga ga, here comes the baby, eat up for the baby, is mommy listening?" It’s straight-up creepy. She’s literally talking to my stomach and making these weird, distorted voices. Honestly, I haven't even heard anyone talk to their own newborn like that. It’s wild.

Luckily, my family is actually sane. They treat me with respect—they won't let me carry heavy grocery bags and my husband is constantly on top of everything around the house so I don't have to stress. Everything else feels totally normal. Plus, my girlfriends who already have kids or are pregnant themselves aren't out here pushing insane, unsolicited advice on me. I’m so grateful for that.

Hang in there, ladies. Just toughen up your skin and don't let anyone try to tell you how to live your life!

I’m totally with everyone else on this... What drives me absolutely insane is when people start touching my stomach—which I just started noticing lately—and then they have the nerve to use that condescending, baby-talk voice like, "How are you doing? Are you eating enough? Does the wittle baby want this or that?" It makes me want to lose it!

And don't even get me started on pet owners. If I had two cats and a dog, people would act like they're a massive threat and tell me I need to get rid of them immediately. So what's the deal with humans? Sure, cleaning up hair might be a bit more work, but I'm already used to it. Honestly, I bet I vacuum more often than those same people who didn't even own a goldfish.

Hey everyone!

Reading through this thread, I felt like I had to jump in and share my experience dealing with "strawberry skin"—aka Keratosis pilaris. I’ve had it forever, but instead of clearing up in my 20s like most people, it actually got way worse for me.

Look, we all know there’s no permanent cure; you can only manage how it looks. Physically, it doesn't bother me that much, but I am seriously sick of people constantly asking, "What is that?" or "Is that some kind of disease?" Especially now in the spring when short sleeves come out and it’s super obvious on me. The Sun definitely helps during the summer, and even now, if I catch at least 20 minutes of sunlight, it calms down a bit. I haven't messed with tanning beds—I'm not a fan at all—but apparently, some people swear by them.

I’m going to lay out my struggles, what I tried, and what actually worked. I remember frantically searching for stuff like this back in my teen years, so hopefully, my experience helps someone else out. Obviously, what works for me might not work for you, but hey, give it a shot.

Where I deal with it: my whole arms (though it's lighter on the forearms), my butt, lower back, legs (it gets especially nasty after shaving), and my ribs/stomach area.

The trial and error phase: I tried basically everything. Expensive high-end brands (La Roche-Posay, CeraVe...), random medical creams I can't even remember the names of, organic stuff, basic drugstore staples (like Nivea or Dove), various oils (olive, lavender, almond), and every scrub under the sun.

Here is what actually helped and what I'm using right now:

EXFOLIATING: Even though people say don't do it, I think scrubbing away dead skin makes it so the shower oils and creams actually sink in better...
*L'occitane almond soap is killer. It lasts a long time, $8.75, I use it maybe once or twice a week; my skin gets pretty red after scrubbing because, let's be honest, I'm pretty rough on my skin, but it settles down after a shower and some lotion.

FOR SHOWERING:
*L'occitane almond oil (expensive, 250ml for $43, refills are 500ml for $64, lasts ages, smells amazing, and I can feel my skin getting softer immediately);
*ULOLA 100% natural soaps—Goat milk + almond oil + honey, or Orange + cinnamon. They're each $6.75 at Cosmos, they're gentle, smell great, light, and most importantly, they're natural.

BODY LOTION:
*L'occitane almond concentrated body milk (pricey, 200ml for $105, currently broke so I don't have it, but it's awesome and lasts a while; personally, the glass jar is annoying, I prefer tubes);
*Garnier Body Urea 5%: This stuff is perfection. No scent, deeply hydrates, and the price for 400ml is a steal at $13 in Walmart. It's my current holy grail.

MY TAKE:
After this long, exhausting battle with my skin, I realized that natural stuff is just better. Not because it's trendy, but because these products actually did the job where expensive pharma creams specifically "made for this" failed me. I've been using these specific products for over a year now, and the redness and bumps have seriously diminished. My skin isn't rough anymore, the inflamed spots are gone, and it feels soft. Just keep in mind, my case was pretty severe—it was almost everywhere.

Whatever you do, stay consistent! It took at least two or three weeks for me to see any real change with any product, sometimes longer. Also, drink your water—aim for at least 1.5L a day—and eat your fruits and veggies. I don't do supplements or any weird drops; for me, the winning combo was just healthy eating plus these natural skincare products.

My only fear is that my skin might get used to the products, but so far, so good. I was thinking about trying the L'occitane shea butter line since their hand cream is incredible, but I don't really need to right now.

Hope this helps someone! GOOD LUCK!

I’ve been on Duphaston for 7 days now. My period started about 5 days ago, though it actually kicked in the day before yesterday just like my usual cycle.

The weird part is that everything feels totally off.🙂 It doesn't look like my regular period at all—it’s darker and there are way more clots, which is honestly stressing me out. Plus, it feels more like mucus than actual blood. Sorry if that's too much TMI... 😢 And I have zero clue when this is going to wrap up. Usually, I get a heavy flow for 3 or 4 days and then it tapers off in a day or two. Is this thing gonna drag on as long as I'm taking these pills?

What am I looking at for next month? Should I expect my next period to show up in the usual 29-32 day window? And when do I actually start counting Day 1 of my cycle—is it when this light spotting started or when this "normal" one hit?😕

I’m heading to the beach next Wednesday and I'm really hoping I can actually swim without worrying about this...

Matthew Lee6 said:Hey girls, help me out here... I was in my fertile window and my boyfriend finished inside me, then my period showed up five days early. What should I do?

Yeah, you should be worried. That’s literally prime time for getting pregnant, and honestly, acting like that is just irresponsible.🙂 What you're seeing might not even be your period—it could be implantation bleeding from when the embryo settles into the uterus. Either take a pregnancy test right now or go see a doctor. And seriously, be careful in the future. I still remember what my mom told me when I first started getting active: Go ahead and do it, but be ready for anything at any moment, because no form of protection is 100% foolproof.

I wouldn't say I'm stressed... I mean, I just finished my finals, and yesterday was officially the last one ever in my life 👋 plus I’ve got my thesis defense in two weeks, but everything went smoothly. Honestly, I'm stoked about how it turned out, but I'm not feeling the pressure. I've dealt with way heavier stuff than this before, so it's no biggie...

I'm heading to the doctor today and praying they actually see me 🙂, otherwise, I'm totally lost. I did some reading about pills that can kickstart your period if it doesn't show up, but there's no way I'm messing with that without a prescription.

What else could be causing my period to skip (besides pregnancy)?

I’m definitely not pregnant, and stress isn't even an issue. My cycles have been clockwork for 12 years straight, but my last one was May 16th.😲 So yeah, I'm currently on day 42 of my cycle.
I’m planning to hit up the gynecologist tomorrow, but honestly, I don't know if I can make it happen because of my college finals. My doctor is Bokićka over in Chicago, and man, I really need to steel myself and pray for some patience when dealing with her "favorite"🙂 sister, just hoping she'll squeeze me in even though I don't have an appointment. I even thought about seeing her privately, but I'm a broke student, and $167 is way too steep for my budget.

Physically, I feel fine. I had those typical lower abdominal cramps right when my period was supposed to show up, but there was zero spotting or anything. I haven't been sick, pregnancy is off the table, and I'm not even thinking about infections. I stay on top of my Pap smears, and I've been in a committed relationship for 7 years now. No sharp pains, no aches, no fever—nothing that screams "infection" to me.🤷

I'm seriously hoping everything just got thrown out of whack because of how crazy life is lately, and that the doctor will actually see me tomorrow. If not, I'm stuck. It's not exactly healthy to go this long without a period...😢

Hey ladies,

I need some advice.

On October 10th, my period arrived and I started taking Loestrin. The side effects were absolutely brutal—I couldn't even function, lost my appetite, had crazy dizziness, stuff like that. So, after just six days, I quit cold turkey.
On October 17th, my period came back, though obviously lighter this time. During those six days I was on the pill, my boyfriend and I were having unprotected sex, specifically during the last two days while I was still taking them. Once I stopped the pills, we switched back to using protection, obviously.

I went to see my OB-GYN recently, and she told me I actually ovulated this month (had my checkup on November 4th).

It’s November 20th now and my period still hasn't shown up. That makes it day 35 of my cycle... I haven't had any typical PMS vibes, but I don't feel pregnant either.

Should I just take a test just to be safe, or did those damn six little pills totally wreck my system? I'm getting these occasional little twinges in my lower abdomen, but nothing major or anything that feels like actual cramps.

Thanks!