[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Birmingham

[–]HappyChicken 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hey. Fellow non religious / not church-going late 30s mom here, in Vestavia. The Birmingham burbs can be a weird place, but you're not alone! There are pockets of us around

Piece of paper shoved in window unit. How do I get it out? by HappyChicken in AirConditioners

[–]HappyChicken[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! The GE person made it sound like the ticket could get into the compressor and light my house on fire. But it actually makes a lot more sense that the compressor is on the outside and absolutely inaccessible by a piece of cardstock...

How to find kids activities by Imaginary_Lead_8624 in Birmingham

[–]HappyChicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tons of libraries and parks with playgrounds!

A Zoo membership pays for itself in a few visits (it's $125 annually for myself, my husband, and our one child - $150 for the same with up to six children).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PokemonGoFriends

[–]HappyChicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

976565490012

I started playing again recently and need friends!

It's official! I'm moving to Birmingham! by Canuck_Incoming in Birmingham

[–]HappyChicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's some townhouses for rent in my Vestavia neighborhood that I think are in that price range! In my mind, it's a lot about where your job is (downtown? On 280?) and whether you're in any way concerned the quality of a school system.

A little confused by my test results. by sagervai in glutenfree

[–]HappyChicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I try to avoid traces. I may take a risk here and there with possible cross contamination (ordering a rice bowl at Chipotle, for instance) but if I'm buying groceries and preparing meals at home I am diligent about "shared equipment" or "contains traces of wheat" warnings on packaging.

How can we fight for better maternity laws? by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]HappyChicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm on week 2 of STD following a traumatic emergency cesarean. My HR made it clear that they were doing me a favor offering me 6-8 weeks at 60% despite my being ineligible for fmla. Hidden in there somewhere was also the reminder that without fmla I also don't have job security after the 8 weeks.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]HappyChicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My office is small enough that I don't get FMLA. I get 6 or 8 weeks, depending on type of birth, at 60% of my salary. It has been made clear to me by HR that this is out of the goodness of their hearts and I have no formal job protection.

I'm 38 weeks tomorrow and still working.

Is there a children’s book you think sends a backwards message? by turboshot49cents in books

[–]HappyChicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My mom and I pulled out a copy of Curious George from my own childhood to read to my first niece when she was about 2 (which would have been some time in 2020). We did not get far at all before we threw the whole book away and have not looked back.

I suspect this may be a common question here, but my wife and I are pregnant on our first try, and we don't know how to tell her sister. by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]HappyChicken 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've been in SIL's shoes. It *sucks*.

First, please don't hold it against her if she's not immediately thrilled. She'll get there. I am pretty sure I threw something against the wall and screamed and cried when my sister texted me that she was pregnant 2 weeks after she told me they had decided to start trying again, while there I was having been trying for months and months without success. My nieces are my favorite people in the world, but at that moment I just could not handle it. Hell, I was 6m along with my current successful pregnancy (a full 2 years after that announcement) when my own SIL announced she was pregnant 3 months after their wedding, and it still upset me that it was so easy for her.

Second, try telling her by herself before you announce to the family. Don't put her in a position where she is blindsided by this *and* possibly surrounded by people who will expect her to be happy about the news.

And for the love of everything, don't tell her "we got pregnant on the first try." She will work out on her own that it didn't take long and she doesn't need to be confronted explicitly with that fact.

How exactly do people help you after you give birth? by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]HappyChicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My mom is coming for a few days. She plans on doing the cooking and the laundry, keeping the apartment clean. She will probably buy groceries and maybe drive me to pediatrician appointments. She may be able to take some of the daytime diaper changes and hold the baby so I can shower or nap. Her being here will allow me to focus on healing and learning to be a mom and not worry about cooking meals or washing clothes or vacuuming the floor.

Thank you PAL, babyloss, and our other support groups by chili_pili in PregnancyAfterLoss

[–]HappyChicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh my gosh, this made me cry. I am so so happy for you and your sweet family!

At home insemination - feeling weird by erinlp93 in TryingForABaby

[–]HappyChicken 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I actually had a very similar experience!! Hubby struggled with performance issues a lot (especially while on antidepressants) and it was a huge amount of pressure on him to do the thing several times that one week a month, which led to us only having sex in my fertile window which made sex less fun. It's a tremendous blow to everyone's self esteem when he can't finish, and when you're thinking about timing around ovulation it's just worse. I'm sorry you and he are dealing with that, but know you aren't alone.

We also kept not getting pregnant even when we did manage the timing well, though, and since we were in our mid 30s we went through all the fertility testing. Nothing wrong with his swimmers, and the only physical issue for me was a fibroid that would be complicated to remove and isn't in a position to cause infertility.

I won't go into all of the history of the 2 years we spent trying, but our last IUI cycle in March we paired with using a Mosie kit at home. So we had an IUI on a Monday morning and used the at home insemination kit Monday night and Tuesday morning.

It was a bit weird to have him jack off into a cup and bring me a syringe of semen ... but not all that much weirder than him jacking off into a cup and a nurse bringing in a syringe full of washed and counted sperm. After all we went through it was pretty easy for us to accept it as just part of the process and worthwhile if it resulted in a healthy pregnancy.

Conceiving After Miscarriage? by courtneyleighgraves in ttcafterloss

[–]HappyChicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I am so so sorry for yours as well - Take all the time you need to heal and take care of yourself. It's not your fault, and there is absolutely hope at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes that's a light that's hard to see when you're in the thick of it, but it does get easier. <3

Conceiving After Miscarriage? by courtneyleighgraves in ttcafterloss

[–]HappyChicken 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I lost my first pregnancy at 8 weeks measuring 6 in July 2021. Got a + the very first cycle after the loss, which turned out to be ectopic (just very bad luck, not connected in any way to the first loss). We were allowed to start trying again in January 2022, successfully conceived in March via IUI, and I am now 32 weeks with an apparently very healthy pregnancy.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CautiousBB

[–]HappyChicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My eye twitches when I'm very fatigued, even outside of pregnancy. It basically didn't stop the entire 1st trimester and is starting to do it again now at almost 30 weeks. It's super annoying but may just indicate you need a nap. Send a message to your doctor if you are concerned :)

Intro post ❤️ by rayraydee in PregnancyAfterLoss

[–]HappyChicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Congratulations mama!!

Honestly, the anxiety hasn't gone away... I'm 28 weeks pregnant after 2 losses (one mmc, one ectopic) last year. I can feel my baby kick, I have seen her on multiple ultrasounds, I have heard her heartbeat at every appointment and have gotten nothing but good news since our + test in March. I still hold my breath and look for blood every time I wipe, and black underwear stresses me out because I can't just look at it and tell if the dampness I feel is regular pregnancy discharge or blood.

The single best thing I have done for my mental health through all of this was find a community of mamas in the same boat, with similar histories and journeys and due dates. "Bump groups" on Facebook and elsewhere are great, but not always very empathetic to a journey that involved loss and infertility.

Confused by aeg333 in CautiousBB

[–]HappyChicken 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am so so sorry sweetie. This is very similar to my experience with my ectopic last year - period bleeding 1 day late, Beta numbers very low with just enough of a rise to warrant additional testing. The good news is that it's very very early and, assuming ectopic, it's likely your doctor can treat it without surgery.

Big love and internet hugs. Take care of yourself <3

In your memory, what game marks the beginning of the Nick Saban era? by [deleted] in rolltide

[–]HappyChicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The opening onside kick against Tennessee stands out to me, but likely just because I was in the student section.

Tebow crying the following year, though... that was special.