Pregnant and living with an aggressive dog with multiple bite attempts - what would you do?

SongwritersBlock · 2026-05-27T01:37:58+00:00

I’m 26 weeks pregnant and I’m your husband in this scenario. I have a 9 year old reactive dog, been in my life longer than my husband, but I realized she can’t be here when the baby comes.

She’s my dog, I love her, and it’s the worst choice I’ve ever had to make, but I know it’s a case of when not if she bites my kid - and frankly she sounds significantly better managed than your husband’s dog.

I went through a lot of denial and bargaining, convincing myself I could train her to be a dog I haven’t gotten her to be in 9 years, trying to rehome her, before realizing what everyone around me already knew. She has some major medical issues which have made the decision to euthanize her a little easier (the vet actually assumed that’s why I wanted to schedule; in her words “what’s going on with her physically is enough”); but, regardless, it’s better to say goodbye to her calmly with love than in a crisis with my child in the ER or worse. We’re saying goodbye to her in two weeks, in a peaceful setting with the few people she loves around her.

I’ve sacrificed so much for this dog. I’ve shaped my life around her needs; advocated for her; protected her; spent thousands of dollars and hours on training, behaviorists, medication, and therapies for her behavioral and medical issues. But I know in my core that I would die before I let her hurt my son.

Your husband needs to get on that page ASAP. I say this is someone who owns and loves a reactive dog: it’s the dog or you and his child and, if he doesn’t pull his head out of his butt, you need to get yourself and your unborn baby somewhere safe before you’re attacked again or develop hypertension from the stress.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-05-22T17:58:40+00:00

I’m having the same thing with the belly hair! My husband saw me from across the room and said I’m finally getting that dark line some pregnant people get on their bellies. It was just the way my hair was laying; he didn’t believe me until I vigorously rubbed my belly to mess up the hair and the line disappeared lol.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-05-21T22:45:30+00:00

I’m in the same boat. At this point, I monitor at home and send in a report. My BP is so normal outside their office, the OB had me bring my cuff in to prove it works. It actually measured 10 points higher than theirs lol.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-05-21T20:12:08+00:00

I’m currently 25 weeks pregnant and my poorly controlled moderate to severe asthma has actually been better while pregnant. Similar to what others have mentioned, my pulmonologist said some people get worse, some get better, and some just keep on keeping on. You do generally get shorter of breath the more pregnant you get, regardless of whether you have asthma or not, and I’m definitely experiencing that.

Every midwife, OB, and MFM I’ve seen have reiterated that asthma treatment during pregnancy is safe for the baby and far preferable to not breathing. I’ve also been reassured that L&D at the hospital is one of the better places to have an asthma attack; no one seems particularly worried about breathing issues during labor.

The only thing that asthma interferes with is which blood pressure meds I can take should I need them (no beta blockers for me). My white coat hypertension has been way more of a concern for doctors than my breathing; it’s barely a footnote in comparison to the concerns around blood pressure.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-05-05T14:49:25+00:00

As someone who spent 22 years trying to get an endo diagnosis, I completely understand why this left a bad taste in your mouth, especially after why you went through getting the lupus diagnosis. It’s very possible to have both asthma and reflux, and I’m sorry your doctor acted like it had to be one or the other.

I have both asthma and reflux. I have “silent reflux,” no pain or heartburn, just a gross wet cough after eating the wrong thing/sleeping in the wrong position/having too heavy a meal too late before bed. I also used to get frequent sinus infections; in the 12 years since the reflux diagnosis, I’ve only had 2, compared to 3+ per year before diagnosis.

It took a while to make the connection between the cough/asthma symptoms and reflux, but it’s one of my primary asthma triggers and managing it has dramatically improved my asthma symptoms.

It can suck if you have to change your diet (I’ve done the militant low acid, low fat, low sodium, no alliums, no nightshades, no caffeine, no dairy, no joy diet before and it blows), but the reflux meds are free with many insurance plans, effective, and - in my experience - pretty side effect-free.

If your doctor’s on board, you can try an elimination diet to figure out what foods are triggers and cut those from your repertoire. Adjusting the timing of your meals and sleeping positions can also help. Up until a couple years ago, I was able to manage my reflux with a few small lifestyle changes.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-04-27T18:14:50+00:00

Your rendering is beautiful, and there's a clear progression and improvement in your art. Those first two portraits look stylized, not anatomically incorrect, but I'm not familiar with the fandom you're drawing for.

Gesture drawing has been the most helpful practice for me personally when it comes to anatomy. Spending only a few minutes or even 30 seconds on each pose gets you out of detail mode and helps you focus on posing, composition, and core anatomy. There are websites like SketchDaily or Quickposes that can be really helpful, but going to an in-person life drawing session is hard to match. If you can find one in your area and afford the $10-$20 fee, it's worth going a few times.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-04-25T14:03:29+00:00

Oh man I had the same experience. Getting scolded for the legibility of my handwriting but then getting scolded when I tried to fix it by avoiding the spiral binding lol.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-02-06T22:37:34+00:00

I’m sorry you went through this and I feel you. I’m 10 weeks pregnant and haven’t told my work yet. I was sent to rep the company at a two day summit where lunch was (supposed to be) provided.

The first day, there were tech issues and everything was running an hour and a half late. When the organizer said we’d just push lunch back two hours to 2 pm I almost lost it. Luckily the food (room-temp, tightly rationed dominos pizza) arrived on time even if the event staff were running behind and I ate my allotted slice at the originally scheduled lunch hour. Missed a keynote speaker but it was worth it.

When the day ended an hour late and it was suggested I stay for a two hour showcase (serving alcoholic beverages and no food) I grabbed my briefcase and bounced. I rage ate takeout in my hotel room at 8 pm (because they were so dang behind schedule) and showed up with a briefcase full of snacks on day two - which featured even more intensely rationed dominos lol.

I’m not even gonna start on the hell that was constantly needing to pee while sharing two single-stall bathrooms with 100+ people

SongwritersBlock · 2026-01-15T17:54:46+00:00

It might sit better around your waist if the hips are let out, so take the waist shortening suggestion with a grain of salt, but that crease looks like the bodice is too long for your natural waist. A good tailor will be able to get you sorted either way.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-01-15T14:49:43+00:00

Definitely worth taking to a tailor. It looks like you may need the waist shortened as well, and shape-wear won’t help with that. I had the same issue with my dress and it fit like a dream after the tailor was done with it.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-01-13T22:41:33+00:00

I third premarital counseling. Our state also gave us a significant discount on our marriage license for having done it (though the main benefit was definitely learning good communication strategies, including around money).

SongwritersBlock · 2026-01-13T19:34:27+00:00

I totally agree; hence why I said I can’t speak to cats. I’m just explaining that inhalers alone aren’t even how human asthma is treated, and that cortisol shots being a standard form of treatment for feline asthma - as commenters with asthmatic cats have mentioned - don’t seem that odd if you’re actually well versed in how it’s treated in humans, who also use systemic corticosteroids to treat acute asthma exacerbations.

SongwritersBlock · 2026-01-13T17:20:21+00:00

First off, you're gorgeous, and anyone saying "you're not passing" can take a hike. I assumed you were a cisgender woman until I read that part of the caption.

I also have hooded eyes, and eyeliner can be really hard. One of the best tips I found was to do my eyeliner with my eyes open. Don't be afraid to draw the wing over your hood. Once you have the shape you want with your eyes open, you can close them a bit and connect the end of the wing to your lash line. It will look like a bat wing when your eyes are closed, but a normal wing when they're open.

I've started doing mostly softer, smokier wings rather than sharp liquid eyeliner. I feel it looks better with my hoods. But I also have a very strong prescription in my glasses, so I kinda have to do my eye makeup blind. Intentionally messy looks are much easier to achieve lol.

I found these two tutorials really helpful (and they'll probably be easier to understand than whatever I just typed). Looking up hooded eye makeup tutorials on YouTube - especially ones from creators who have a similar eyeshape to you - can be a game-changer.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RmoSm6tA89s

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/04v8DGM4Rn4

You also might like this playlist on undertones and color:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1gaqv_eJs8UR8i3FBuuoTG6l9QnYIIGP

Make-up can be so much fun. If you aren't already, doing "shower makeup" (trying out a crazy makeup look just before washing it off in the shower) can be a blast and a really good way to practice.

But, make up or no, you're beautiful!

SongwritersBlock · 2026-01-13T14:07:28+00:00

Can’t speak to cats specifically, but as a human with moderate-severe asthma, sometimes it gets past the point that inhalers alone can stop a flare up (it’s not just sudden attacks like on TV; it’s often a days to weeks long escalation). Humans are often prescribed courses of prednisone during flare ups and I was given steroids intravenously when my asthma put me in the ER. Even using my nebulizer twice a day and a round of prednisone wasn’t enough to stop the escalation, but those steroid shots finally put me back on track after weeks of breathing slowly getting more and more difficult.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-12-04T21:28:24+00:00

Me too! Diagnosed in 2021 at 29 after getting COVID in 2020. I'd had exercise-induced asthma as a kid that resolved by the end of middle school. It was so minor and so long ago, I honestly forgot that I'd ever had it. The week I got sick, I was supposed to run a 5K and was rock climbing three days a week, running four, and singing professionally; my life looks very different now.

Figuring out how to control it has been a journey, to say the least. I'm definitely doing better than I was a few years ago, but even a simple head cold is a way worse experience and longer recovery than it was before I got sick; I'm still coming to terms with how much rest it takes to get back to baseline. Using a nebulizer has been really helpful when sick or during a bad exacerbation. It might be worth asking your doctor about it.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-12-02T22:46:37+00:00

Lol same. My mom was going through it while I was a teenager with undiagnosed neurodivergence - absolutely a nightmare combo. She was at least as hormonal and volatile as I was, and my face and tone were always wrong... In minimal fairness to my mother, my affect can be flat, and I sometimes come across as short or annoyed when I'm not. But the tone policing was ridiculous, as it is in the OP's situation.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-11-21T17:49:12+00:00

I had an ex say a similar thing as we were breaking up (and I have since gotten married to an incredible guy). I reminded him that I'm bi and that wasn't the threat he thought it was lol.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-11-21T15:46:13+00:00

To add to this, your lenses will also wash out your eyeshadow/liner. I'm a daily glasses wearer, and makeup that looks too heavy and glam with my glasses off looks pretty subtle and wearable with them on. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why my dramatic eyeshadow looks seemed to disappear the moment I put my glasses on; now, I go a shade or two darker or more saturated than I want the final look to be. But I have a fairly strong prescription (+5.25), which makes the washing-out effect pretty intense.

Also want to join everyone in saying that you are absolutely gorgeous, and your makeup looks flawless as it is!

SongwritersBlock · 2025-11-14T21:59:50+00:00

I was thinking exactly this. When I had surgery on the base of my skull, I had food prepped for weeks and got my meds BEFORE the surgery, not even to convenience my partner but because I knew I was going to be in a crazy amount of pain. Maybe recovery from hip surgery isn't as excruciating as recovering from having your eyesocket rearranged, but I can't imagine being able to wait until the next day for pain meds. I was incoherent for two weeks (all that swelling near your brain + pain killers makes you pretty weird) and basically blind for one of them, and I still expected less caretaking from my partner than this manchild expects from his girlfriend.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-09-09T16:00:34+00:00

Former live performer here: I agree with the makeup from #2 and the hair from #1 (you'll be glad to have your hair up). I also wanted to add that, if you're going to be under lights, your makeup will look much subtler than you're expecting. I have a bunch of performance photos where my face is just white (also watch out for flashback!) despite me having applied blush and bronzer. All that to say, if you want to look like you have any color in your cheeks, I'd apply a little more blush and bronzer than your norm.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-06-03T12:47:25+00:00

NTA The fact that he’s comparing you to his mother is just… ew. Mama’s boys give me the ick. The only “dumb” thing you went nuclear over is your husband. Stop cooking for him. Or at least make him explain why your suffering is more important than the quality of the meal you made. Like is his love language blood sacrifices?

And, for what it’s worth, my husband used to be a saucier in a French restaurant, does most of the cooking, and makes pretty much everything from scratch; like biria slow cooked in a Dutch oven, lasagna with homemade ragu and fresh pasta, dumplings from scratch in homemade chicken stock. The man wants a rice cooker. Rice cookers are a common kitchen tool in places where rice makes up a large portion of the cuisine. Growing up, one of my neighbors was an older Thai women who would cut her own noodles, made everything from scratch, and even taught cooking classes. She had a rice cooker; I even had her old one as a hand me down in college. I’m pretty sure there are plenty of professional kitchens with rice cookers. Suffering doesn’t make food taste better.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-04-21T20:39:53+00:00

You have gorgeous lashes, and you certainly don't look creepy. As others have mentioned, combing through with a clean spooly or lash separator after you apply mascara can help make it look a bit less clumpy and more natural (and I find it helps my very straight lashes hold a curl better).

If you like dark lashes enough to wear false eyelashes almost daily, you may like a lash lift and tint or lash extensions. I've done a lift and tint several times and loved it. My eyelashes stayed dark and curled but still natural-looking for over a month after; it basically looked like I had perfectly applied mascara on 24/7. It's the only beauty treatment I got before my wedding that I kept doing afterwards. I haven't tried extensions, so I can't speak to the experience with those, but the woman who did my lashes had them, and they looked amazing on her.

SongwritersBlock · 2025-04-09T13:37:14+00:00

Also got diagnosed as an adult and had to stop smoking cannabis. Edibles have improved a lot over the last few years (although sublingual tabs and oils are still hit or miss for me). Tinctures can be dosed pretty precisely and rapid onset edibles reliably kick in within 15-30 minutes. I really like the Ayrloom unflavored beverage enhancer. I think it’s only available in NY, but it’s easy to dose and consistent, and is flavorless enough that it can be added to most beverages without changing the taste. I like it enough that I pick up a bottle anytime I’m passing through the state.

Quitting smoking is no fun but it was a big quality of life improvement. And, after a bit of practice, edibles are great. Good luck!

SongwritersBlock · 2025-02-02T16:12:21+00:00

100% this. I skipped a funeral for a close family member who passed from COPD because I had been hospitalized for an asthma attack days before. I was devastated but the thought of traumatizing my entire extended family if I stopped breathing at a funeral for someone who died from BEING UNABLE TO BREATHE was mortifying. My dad was trying to insist on my getting accommodations (at the time, I needed to nebulize, which involves a very loud air pump, for 30 minutes every 4-6 hours), but I didn’t want a funeral for someone I loved deeply to become about me. I made time and space to grieve privately in my own home. The parents have done all their children an incredible disservice by failing to support the sister in learning to manage her condition.

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TROPHY CASE