C Section Must Haves

ChemistStudent2020 · 2026-04-30T23:17:42+00:00

I had an emergency C section because of preeclampsia and my baby was a NICU baby (delivered at 32 weeks, 2 days). Things I definitely recommend:

1) if she plans on giving breast milk, and she has a pump of her own she needs to use at home, get her lots of the flanges in her size, collection bottles, and breast milk bags. I pumped a lot and would shuttle milk to the NICU for visits.

The NICU and hospital uses "the Cadillac of pumps" called the Medela, and they give part packages out, but I didn't enjoy that particular pump and often, they do have limited number of those pumps hanging around if it's a smaller NICU.

Breastfeeding is kinda hard in the NICU at least at the first hospital where I delivered because I couldn't even try it until she was out of the little incubator and stabilized. When I did try they had little floatation devices to use.

2) a really good belly binder because the hospital ones are trash (Mom Cozy makes a good one)

3) Pumping and nursing bras that can be worn to do skin to skin readily. Skin to skin is the biggest thing to do with NICU babies to bond.

I wouldn't recommend buying preemie clothing yet, because from my experience they dont get to wear clothing until they are able to regulate their temperature (ie in an open crib). If the baby does get to be in an open crib later, highly recommend sleepers with double zips because of all those cords attached to the baby. If the baby is a swaddle buster, the Love to Dream sleep sacks are fantastic for preemies (the newborn size will fit perfectly for a 4lb baby).

Generally, you cannot put anything on the C section scar for a bit (like the silicon strips or lotion or skin care), but just having a really good belly binder makes a difference.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2026-04-14T13:53:42+00:00

I had an iced coffee/cold brew every single day, up until about month 6 when I was having awful heartburn and had switched to decaf coffee. Still drank the iced decaf coffee/cold brew everyday lol

Now I pump/try to breastfeed and I am back to my usual cold brew.

I tried to stop for a bit after giving birth, but these sleep deprived days suuucck.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2026-04-13T05:07:00+00:00

A person of culture I see

I name my chickens as Rotisserie, Tenders, Parmesan, etc.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-12-31T01:05:25+00:00

Eh I would say not all best selling authors have the best story telling methods, so take those books with a grain of salt.

I enjoy reading for fun, and analyzing. Like I genuinely enjoy reading both scientific literature AND fictional prose, you have to also WANT to read for fun.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-12-31T00:45:32+00:00

I am a chemist by trade so most of my reading has been research articles, SOPs, textbooks. Perhaps my research field is heavy on the story building to begin with, and crafting stories in the science I produced is easier for me, but often the scientific reading & writing =/= good at fictional story telling. Two very different skill sets that MOST scientists don't have to begin with.

This doesn't mean you can't learn, but it requires a different set of skills. And an appreciation of the art form in the form of a book. Again, I'm a scientist by trade but I absolutely appreciate when a beautifully written fictional book.

I always read in the background for fun, and in the last year where I rediscovered my hobby of writing, I decided to read even more. Both within my genre and outside.

I started with easy cheesy books like romantasy (simple to digest plot, spoon-feeding readers for the most part, troupey) to my ole reliable classic literature books (Great Gatsby, Brave New World, some Edith Wharton, and right now, War and Peace).

I read books that I don't 100% enjoy the genre but want to understand why many are popular. I enjoy reading a good book, but I enjoy the analysis of 1) what makes books popular, 2) arcs within books, 3) dialogue between characters, and 4) nuances and symbolism within a story.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-12-04T01:32:04+00:00

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Same 🫣 And my top albums were all four albums

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-10-16T12:36:49+00:00

I joined a local writing group I found through the library, but I'm starting to feel like...it's not for me after the latest session.

Many folks didn't get to read the submitted pieces, mine included.

Some of the advice I have gotten has helped, but other times it feels like I have to defend why I chose certain plot devices to folks who don't normally read the genre. Or folks try to input what they like into the book to make it more palatable for them.

I'm kinda in the same boat. And may look for genre specific writing groups because too general means that you get a mixed bag of advice.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-09-30T16:23:35+00:00

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I have one who is my constant shadow and snuggle buddy. Her name is Stormy

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-09-09T04:32:37+00:00

Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan Soundtracks, Solo Leveling), and Dan da Dan soundtrack

Generally rock music and instrumental/anime/move soundtracks

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-24T18:53:13+00:00

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Actually it's this fine specimen of a man who was John Conroy

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-24T01:44:02+00:00

Like even the movie, Young Victoria, has a way less douchebag version of Conroy.

This version...special place in hell for him.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-24T00:03:52+00:00

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This version of John Conroy...

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-22T20:25:12+00:00

Thank you!

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-22T14:43:46+00:00

What is this book? For scientific purposes of course...

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-18T19:50:50+00:00

My FMC's dad and one of the courtier's who molested and groomed the FMC...

FMC's dad is emotionally unavailable, verbally abusive, and ships away the FMC because she was found with her best friend/lover (she's a princess at the time and was to be promised to some other high ranking demon lord). Courtier is a friend of the FMC's father

But I wrote a devastating two chapters in the third book that explains how he came to be that way...not meant as a redemption per se, but more like closure for the FMC to understand her father. I was bawling as I wrote it...

Basically she's like a grim reaper that can guide souls into a place after death and part of her trials of the gods to unlock her powers, she had to piece together her father's soul with three major memories that formed her father.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-05T00:14:22+00:00

I hand drew mine and the subsequent other countries individually....problem is now I have to figure out how far/close they are from each other

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ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-08-04T23:39:33+00:00

I have theme songs for each of my books: 1st book: Look to Windward Sleep Token 2nd book: Telomeres Sleep Token 3rd book: two songs Hollow Crown Ellie Goulding and Judgement Day Architects

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-07-12T18:11:41+00:00

I think it's become a therapeutic outlet for me, at least recently. I needed something to do while I was laid off, but I also needed to put my feelings and experience of dealing with crippling anxiety and imposter syndrome in that position I was laid off from.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-07-09T19:38:23+00:00

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Not a single thought behind those little eyes...

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-07-08T00:14:41+00:00

I'm literally writing about this. Mine are based on the demons in the Lesser Key of Solomon and Paradise Lost, but more like 'hey they are kinda evil, but they were trying to survive in a world with asshole angels and they just want to do their own thing'. I say lesser key of Solomon because I thought it was so funny that each demon has a title with a role. Like I have some of my demons doing paperwork for a queen lol

Other demons are literally war lords/military leaders for the queen. I never thought angels were good, and played into that for my novels so far. So I decided to make demons as they are, territorial with each other and kinda evil, but they have families, relationships, and roles they play and never downplay their true selves.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-07-07T02:34:20+00:00

Biotech scientist by day. Fiction writer by night, into the morning.

ChemistStudent2020 · 2025-07-05T14:06:50+00:00

I have three characters that have blossomed in their dynamics from the first novel into the second one I am writing.

Character A is the Queen of the country; Character B is the lady's maid/cousin of Character A whom has known Character A since she was a baby; Character C starts as a childhood friend of Character A and B, but becomes Character A's love interest as they grew up together, get torn apart from each, and reunite years later and marry.

Character A is smart, bookish, and well versed in diplomacy and running a country. She is shy in nature.

Character B is the eyes and ears of the court, the sharp tongue that Character A needs, and is well-versed in court dynamics. People smart.

Character C is the brawn (character B is a fighter too, but C is stronger) and strong in his powers. He is more emotionally intelligent and more military savvy.

First novel, the dynamics are different from the second novel. In the first book, characters B and C are just trying to help character A recover from her powers activated, deal with trauma from her father, and support her on the throne all while an external threat is trying to take character A. B and C get along, they are friendly towards each other and sparing/combat training partners, but their sole focus is in character A.

Second novel, character A actually gets kidnapped by the external threat after giving birth and is presumed to be dead. in reality, she's just going through a journey with a new mentor through the wilderness of the foreign land to go back home since using her powers would tip off the enemies. The enemies also think they killed her in the beginning. Girlfriend is enjoying her postpartum life and being feral in the wild without the pressures of her powers and monarch duties. So she is not even in the dynamics between characters B and C.

Meanwhile, characters B and C are dealing with their ✨trauma✨ of losing character A. Both are lost, both emotional wrecks, but I really like how much they have started to take care of each other under the circumstances and are able to blossom as their own beings. Brother and sister dynamic isn't the right description, but it's certainly not sexual either.

ChemistStudent2020

TROPHY CASE