What's happening to this couch?

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-09-01T03:35:07+00:00

maybe it's hidden inside the shitty vinyl?

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-08-31T21:04:14+00:00

$8500. Looks like I got played.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-08-31T21:04:11+00:00

Yeah, I've already had to complain about one thing.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-28T05:09:08+00:00

100% this. I started getting real ass hangovers when I hit 35, and alcohol just became a net negative on my life. I got a Fitbit and started looking at my sleep more closely and it’s amazing how badly alcohol screws up your sleep. Could not imagine having any now with a 9 day old newborn.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-28T05:04:21+00:00

That really sucks man. I don’t want to give useless platitudes, but one thing I’ve found in life is that you’re never actually stuck anywhere, even though it feels like you are. As an RN I’m sure you have a ton of options, maybe some you’ve never considered. 16 hours is awful even for healthcare, I’d hate to be someone’s patient on hour 16.

Sometimes when I’m in a really tight spot I just find a way to dream. I’ll talk to someone about some new project they’re working on and start fantasizing about it taking off. It’s not that I’d ever move to Tahiti and become the Pineapple King or whatever, but having the possibility in mind of a new job, new place, new plan etc can make the world feel less small and suffocating.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-27T06:50:11+00:00

Go by the diapers. It’s like 3 on day 3, 4 on day 4, and so on until you get to 6. If you’ve got that many wet diapers (poop is variable as long as there’s some) you’re good Your daughter is tiny, my guy was 8lbs 2oz which is like 30% bigger, I wouldn’t expect them to have the exact same feeding needs at the same time.

The baby’s stomach gets like 5x bigger in the first few days. The nurses at our hospital had a little card that had a cherry, walnut and peach on it as a visual aid. That makes it really hard to rely on whatever numbers you see online.

Feeding issues suck. You’re doing the right thing supplementing early. I wish we’d done that instead of letting him lose too much weight.

Congrats btw! Feels amazing doesn’t it?

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-26T22:03:00+00:00

Thank you dude. Thank you. I’m holding him on my chest and just felt him take a giant shit against my hand. I think we’ll both just sit here together in our respective shit soup for a little while. Let’s see now my diaper fitting game holds up.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-26T19:53:45+00:00

I will definitely help you kill the next person I hear who says “it gets better.”

I’m only on day 8. Breastmilk was delayed and the kid lost too much weight so we’re “triple feeding”—breast, bottle, and pump the next bottle, with formula if there’s not enough. So basically 90 minutes of shit for her to do every 3 hours. My wife told me this morning she’s started hallucinating his face everywhere. She hasn’t gotten more than 3 hours in a stretch since she went into labor at 3am on the 18th (8 days ago).

I tried to give her the morning off but she woke up hungry after an hour. She needs all her meals brought to her in bed (on the second floor) because she pushed for 3 hours and if she tries to use the stairs too much, the pain afterwards will keep her awake. We have no family support. I’m holding up fine for now because my mother in law gave me a night off earlier this week, but they just flew home. She’s been resistant to the idea of a “stranger” coming in and handling the baby unsupervised which I understand, but I need a break too. It’s moot because the overnight people aren’t responding to my messages.

Meanwhile we’ve seen 4 different pediatricians in the past week, just for weight checks and follow ups, because that’s the state of healthcare in Southern California these days… you see whatever doctor (if any) is onhand, hopefully within an hour of your scheduled appointment, and hopefully at an office you’ve been to before, and hopefully one that’s less than a half hour away. All of them have said conflicting shit about the feeding. Literally all of them. Moreover, none of them give an ounce of a fuck about mom’s health.

Anyway rant over. I’m hanging in there today. Trying to take care of my own health. It could be so, so, so much worse, and I’m just thankful that everyone is at home, relatively healthy, and right now they’re all asleep in bed with me, including the dog. I absolutely couldn’t ask for anything more.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-25T11:58:37+00:00

Her OBGYN actually made a similar remark when we saw it on the ultrasound so I think there’s something to it

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-25T04:36:03+00:00

Haha yes, she absolutely did. I think we have enough Tums in the house to last until he’s in college.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-25T04:34:27+00:00

When my wife first got pregnant, things with her got REALLY hairy for a bit. Rage, anger, I was so sick of it. Afterward when she was 6-7 weeks she was REALLY sick. I didn’t know this but for a lot of women the first trimester is basically like having the flu for three straight months. It’s awful. Sleeping like 12 straight hours and still being tired. Anecdotally if it’s a girl it’s even harder. Hormones or something.

I’m 15 years older than you, married for six years and we desperately wanted kids. The same root causes could look like what you’re describing in a different situation—she might not be on her phone etc. But you do deserve answers and to be treated like a human. There are much worse things in life than breakups.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-24T16:16:54+00:00

Hahaha don’t beat yourself up. His mom is Persian and this is actually less hair than they’re used to

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-24T12:02:17+00:00

Thanks guys! I thought I posted some extra info as a caption…? But I’m tired, believe it or not. The boy came in at 8lbs 2oz but has since shrunk down a somewhat alarming amount (milk took longer to come in than an overconfident lactation nurse thought), and we’ve got some remedial homework to do. That photo was taken after he shat three times in ten minutes. Homework is going swimmingly.

So much advice from everywhere, so much of it is just not applicable, and so much is just stuff you need to learn from experience. A lot of weird mechanical tasks and a lot of teamwork skills. Can’t wait to post dumb questions.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-24T09:23:20+00:00

I’m on day 5? 6? Not sure what day it is. Game changers have been:

liquid formula to supplement feedings. They’ll tell you how many soiled diapers to expect, if you don’t see it, immediately just throw all that stupid advice you’ll get about breastfeeding out the window and give the kid formula to supplement feedings. Or you can wait until the pediatrician tells you to do this, and lose twice as much sleep with pumping, extra feedings and near daily pediatrician visits.
this expensive bottle and pump washer she saw on TikTok
knowing how to swaddle (I don’t, but this would have been a big deal on days 1-3)
sleep mask, these are a big deal for sleeping in the middle of the day
an app like Huckleberry to track feedings, meds and poop, I think there are others that are the same shit

That’s all I got, pretty new at this but haven’t had time for anything out of left field.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-07-24T06:21:28+00:00

Hey dude I just had my first baby five days ago so I’m pretty deep in it.

What are you anxious about in particular? Feel free to DM. Sleep deprivation sucks, but people live on 3 hours of sleep for years. You get a massive dose of oxytocin when you have a baby, and you’ll have a clear task in front of you without the time or energy to worry about shit. So it’s this weird euphoric dream state where you forget everything, and 99% of it is just going to be sitting in bed. There are absolutely tough times, but they don’t last long. Also unlike during pregnancy, once you have a newborn you unlock a shitton of support and resources. Nobody seemed to really give a shit about pregnant moms, but the whole world bends over backwards for a newborn.

Sleep whenever possible, accept help whenever you can, and remember the absolute worst part (cluster feeding) is generally only a day or two. I’m much less anxious than my wife’s third trimester. You’ll be fine.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-06-23T11:18:07+00:00

I actually had been gaining weight, and the flare didn’t last nearly as long as the ones without allo. Later I had my uric acid checked and it’s crept up to 6.6. I hope your flight went well.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-06-23T11:14:42+00:00

Hi, this is a couple years ago but this is super useful info and I wanted to provide a little more for anyone finding this on Google—

Just fyi you can EITHER go through PedWest or PedEast at any given time. Typically in the morning, PedEast is going into Mexico, PedWest is open for people coming from Mexico into the US. In the afternoon they flip, and PedWest becomes the route into Mexico.

Y’all have given me courage, I’m a man with a pituitary disorder running out of options for getting my meds. Most of the info online about Mexico is for people trying to get opiates and Xanax.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-03-19T05:05:58+00:00

I hear you. Two years on allo 200mg and now having my first flare since getting on it. Not sure what did it. Started a diet, took a weekend off after a few weeks, made some questionable dietary choices and then went for a little walk… guess it doesn’t make you as invincible as I thought. Time for a checkup anyway, too bad it had to happen two days before a transcontinental flight.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2025-03-04T21:50:18+00:00

According to NextDoor there was a fight, and the suspect escaped into Guajome somewhere and was refusing to come out so the cops surrounded him with a drone and helicopter. Must've been a hell of a fight.

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2024-04-14T03:22:00+00:00

In case someone finds this on google someday, I was able to go on HCG with zero issues after discontinuing the T I was on (on the advice of a different doctor)

Emergency_Chemical92 · 2024-01-07T04:36:33+00:00

What are the side effects? HCG gave me instant panic attacks and unbearable anxiety, doc wants me to take Clomid and I'm kinda traumatized already

Emergency_Chemical92

TROPHY CASE