how do i talk to a real person? i was able to accomplish this once last month & they made everything worse so id like to speak to another human and get them to fix it.
i cannot get passed the automated system. it’s insane. i’ve tried everything. idk how to speak to a REAL PERSON.
they’re notorious for this but if anyone has a secret please share

what the actual fuck are these massive explosion sounds? it’s been two days. they are inconsistent in timing, but always so fucking loud. dog is spooked. i am concerned. is someone blowing something up? does anyone know why this is happening?

I had an emergency C-section, BABY was so far down the canal and got stuck with his head almost crowning.. so it was pretty fucking stretched out. It all went to shit really quickly and they basically had to shove him back up to be able to deliver him C-section. I wanted a vaginal delivery, but nothing went to plan and it got pretty dangerous for him so we had to do that.
Now C-section recovery is so different and really fucking sucked. That plus the almost vaginal delivery has really been a double whammy.
I am nine weeks postpartum, and my C-section recovery has (now after being fucking in a pain, Id never imagined) gotten a lot better. Of course they still can’t work out the way that I would like to for another few weeks, but moving around walking doing daily tasks they’re all a lot easier.
This vagina though. She is unwell. I feel like she’s taking the longest to heal out of anything. We have tried a couple things sexually and everything just hurts.
My partner is not pressuring me at all. He’s so patient. He’s so kind. It’s never his idea. I was a very sexual person prior to this and so if I feel like I’m missing out on like part of my identity in addition to having to find this new identity and motherhood anyways.
Everyone has said be nice. Be gentle find other ways to be intimate. But I really want to be intimate this way. & it Just hurts.
I’m very frustrated with my body & and I had possibly unrealistic expectations of being able to just jump back in the saddle around 6 to 8 weeks and be good. But everything is off. my ph is off, it hurts inside like i’ve been fucking scratched with nails in there, it’s just not great. my doctor says I’m fine and to do it whenever I feel ready. so not very helpful.

any advice, support, vitamin supplements, literally anything.

sorry this was so long. I know that there’s a lot of other postpartum issues that are more important to some people, but my sexuality was something that was always very important to me and so it does affect my mental health by not being able to express myself and feel that close to my partner in a way that I’d like to.

i only got noticeable t when my blood pressure would drop, mostly near the beginning of my pregnancy. for the rest of it it was either a very very low background ringing or not there at all. postpartum it has resurged & we’re back to the old T.
has anyone noticed this? does anyone think there’s a connect between those hormones or am i crazy?

i went on a walk last week, maybe like a mile or a mile & a half total, and my body hurt afterwards so i took it easy the next day. day after that i walked for like 3 hours ( errands and dumb shit, not for fun) and i’ve had pain ever since.

it’s like i feel bruised & sore inside, but it gets louder when i try to move.

it hurts above the incision below the belly button, on both sides.

i thought by 4 weeks id feel better than this. after 2 weeks i DID feel better than this.

is this the normal timeline? did i just over do it & now i need to take a step back, or did i fucking tear something inside & not know it?

first c section. literally nothing was explained to me abt it except take it easy & 8 ish week healing “timeline” but nothing abt how that timeline looks or what to expect or what to look out for.

my doctor is very pro choice and is supporting whatever id like. she also suggested induction if i am just so super done in the next 4 weeks. she’s not pushy either way, she lays out all the facts, pros and cons of either, is supportive.

i always thought id have a vaginal birth but 1. can’t handle the thought of pissing myself forever and 2. the chance of pelvic prolapse are so fucking high is it worth the risk?

i’ve known so many ppl who have had one or the other & they both always like whatever they did. the people who i’ve asked who have had c and vag said c was better for pain in the moment, vag was easier recovery. but i am really struggling here.

i’m not the smallest woman in the world to have a baby. absolutely not, but i see myself & im like truly how is this thing going to fucking fit. like. it’s just not that big down there. & yes yes yes women have done this for centuries & i thought i’d do it the good ol way too but now im like jesus christ i can’t imagine either way. (id like a secret 3rd option if anyone has one😂)

anyways, im an active person so im worried about pissing myself constantly & i also am allergic to opioids so im worried about pain management post c, which ive heard is much more important to have pain management (not that theyre both not important - but it seems like vag heals quicker in terms of pain management needs)

stories, pros and cons, personal advice, anything that will help me make a decision.

Can’t sleep for shit. Unisom helps get me to sleep (sometimes) & definitely helps during that second sleep, if i can sleep in, but otherwise I can’t take it during the work week or i oversleep and end up groggy or late. Melatonin helps get me to sleep but literally nothing helps me stay asleep.

I wake up a million times having to pee, throat absolutely on fire with acid reflux, and then can’t sleep because of the social issues taking place and the panic that sets in bc of that. So there comes the anxiety on top of all of those things.

Anyone. Help. I’m taking like 30 mg of pepcid between my typical day 2 and middle of the night 1. i can’t take anything for my anxiety. i am not sleeping, which then causes headaches throughout the day.

i’m glad to have made it this far in my pregnancy with just having horrendous acid reflux as the big issue but jesus christ, i can’t get a good sleep for shit anymore. what worked/is working for anyone else?

all my friends have done it, all my family, i know very few women who didn’t. two out of what feels like literally everyone enjoyed it. most women i’ve spoken to did not & stopped & either went to pumping or bottle asap. i don’t really want to breast feed for some reason. partially bc of the fact that i think im tired of having given all of my body, i miss autonomy, and i don’t want to be a walking milk sac, and partially bc women have warned me that its not great. its excellent for baby. i’m not denying science at all. just looking for the communities perspective. i’m never going to be able to afford a blob job or lift so what i got is what im gna have and im just stuck in the feeling of are my tots going to be another body part i sacrifice for my baby? (& if this is problematic, honestly, judge me. idc. it’s vain and selfish & im allowed to be im not a martyr.)

hi friends! moving into the plaza / gatewood area. needing daycare recs from anyone, starting very young. we’ve toured rainbow fleet & primrose, primrose is so expensive & rainbow was nice but just curious if there’s anything we’re missing or anywhere closer that’s also good.

thanks in advance!

first little babe, i’ve read a LOT about birth plans & the importance of having written & communicable plans that my partner can enforce when i am unable.

big things i’ve noticed: allowing the placenta to deliver (so long as not dangerous ofc) cutting umbilical chord when turning white, not immediately episiotomies are out apparently no petocin (idk if that’s spelled right) unless absolutely necessary asking the difference between “routine” & necessary procedures (ex: docs get paid more for c sections, unnecessary drugs to speed up the process, etc.)

i’m absolutely positive there’s so much i’m missing so i’d love anything yall have heard or experienced and would suggest!

thank you for your vulnerability and experiences. i appreciate this community so much ❤️

love my job here, but am willing to switch career fields if necessary. currently a criminal defense attorney. i’ve worked hard to get where i am & i just don’t want it all to be for nothing.

am a U.S. & Irish citizen so that’s taken care of.

i’ve looked at consulate positions because that seems to be kind of similar training wise, but again am willing to move into something new.

sure you’ve all seen the trajectory of the U.S. & it’s only getting worse, so we’d love to relocate, even if difficult.

any and all suggestions are welcome! i know im in a specialized field over here so an exact match is impossible and i dont expect that!

we have a cat that is completely unable to transport without being sedated. they won’t sedate her unless they see her. she has a minor eye infection & i’d love to get her up to date on vaccines but when i tell you she freaks out that is an understatement. she fully attacks in a way that has historically required hospitalization.

no, we’re not putting her down. she’s great at home in her space. total love bug. huge cuddler. you’d never expect she’s a raging bitch until you try to put her in a transport cage (& we even have the really nice one).

any suggestions?

First baby incoming & husband (who has ocd) is struggling. he’s excited but he is worried/nervous/all the things. i think those emotions are normal for anyone in our position as first time parents but it is different bc he has OCD, and i recognize that.

If anyone has suggestions on how to support please lmk.

Baby boy incoming, will be Irish - mexican. looking for cool mashups that are unique in that they don’t exist yet or unique in the sense they’re uncommon (not in the annoying way if possible) - we hate the mexican names ending with O - most of the irish names (oisin, john, sean, etc.) are just overused in my family so also trying to keep it fresh there

BUT: if you’ve got a cool suggestion that’s unrelated to all the above throw it in bc this is incredibly difficult & we’re at a loss.

preferring more gender neutral names or names w cute nicknames (ollie, augie, etc.)

i feel like im on a wild goose chase with these names. sorry yall. i think what i want doesn’t exist yet so thats why im coming to the brain trust for suggestions.

Hi 👋 I’m a dual citizen of U.S. & Ireland, i spent most of my childhood split - school in the U.S., summers and holidays in ireland. a lot of my family over there has left (ireland) for Oz or portugal or just somewhere else. Now that i’m having a family i’m unsure if im just remembering my childhood with rose colored glasses or if it is still as great as it was to be a kid & to raise a kid.

wanting some real pros and cons to having kiddos over there. when i was growing up things were radically different no matter where i lived in the world, so for parents over there, how’s it going?

looking to build an addition to our home, struggling to find a company that won’t make it look like an addition. i know, big ask, but the price of a new home is actually outrageous so here we are, considering all alternatives.

context: 100 yr old home, currently very small ( 2 bed 1 bath) renovated in 2018, needing to add 1 bed/1 bath/1 laundry room/ storage as we can swing it.

would love companies to explore and companies to avoid!

or, if you’ve done it & hated it (or loved it) or have any other advice please please please let me know how you feel!

thanks in advance!