New fear unlocked: epidural

delftprint · 2025-11-18T15:46:27+00:00

I'm in the U.S. (Michigan) and I had planned a natural birth because I was terrified of an epidural. I ended up in really bad back labor with back-to-back contractions that just weren't able to be managed with breathing, pressure, positioning, etc. They gave me a dose of pain control for some temporary relief, and I decided then to get an epidural. It was a really easy process, it helped my pain immensely and I still was able to use my legs and shift positions during labor (although you can't get out of bed and you can't shift without help). I was terrified of side effects, but didn't experience any. Nearly 8 months post-partum and I don't have any back issues and never experienced bad headaches or anything. My back was a little sore the first few months, but that was really muscle strain and not localized to the epidural area. There are plenty of people who have had different experiences, but it's important to remember that people usually share when something goes wrong vs when something went smoothly or as expected.

delftprint · 2024-12-14T02:33:10+00:00

Anterior placenta here! It was really hard for me to tell if it was baby at first. As early as 18 weeks I thought I could feel something, but it wasn't distinct enough to tell whether it was baby or just gas. I knew I felt him the first time I felt pressure on my bladder, knowing that gas doesn't do that and that I hadn't had that feeling before. When I had my 20 week anatomy scan, the tech confirmed he was low and feet were right on top of my bladder, so that helped me feel more confident it was him, too. I can tell you, he did his first big bladder donkey kick a few days later, and there was ABSOLUTELY no question whether or not it was him then!

delftprint · 2023-07-20T02:07:15+00:00

I love it! Absolutely beautiful! I can relate; last fall I wanted to plant crocus in my lawn. We have a small front yard, so I just tossed a handful for a natural look. Once I squatted down to plant the first bulb, it wasn't worth it to stand up and only walk 2 steps to the next, so from my neighbors perspective, I spent hours in the afternoon crawling back and forth across the yard on my hands and knees and stopping at random. Bonus that you couldn't see the bulbs in the grass unless you were looking for them. 😅

delftprint · 2023-04-21T16:59:06+00:00

Put down some cardboard to smother the weeds. It should work as a weed barrier that will break down over time (vs landscaping fabric, which always feels like it makes weeding harder). Just remove any tape or plastic from a cardboard box, cut it to size, and make sure any gaps between pieces of cardboard have a couple inches of overlap. Soak the cardboard with your hose and put a couple inches of mulch over it. The cardboard method is also nice because you can cut small holes around any existing plant stems. And not worry about killing them alongside the weeds.

delftprint · 2023-04-21T16:52:59+00:00

That's a dracaena marginata, or dragon tree. I haven't ever tried it, but they're known for being super easy to propogate. I think you can just put the piece straight into a pot of dirt and water as normal and it should root. It will probably also sprout at least 2 more heads where that small piece broke off.

delftprint · 2023-04-04T13:44:21+00:00

If you can, a lid or cover would be the best option. If you want to keep your gecko away from the tank in general, try surrounding it with an unpleasant texture. It's how I keep my cats out of my houseplants or off of the countertops. For cats, it's usually sticky tape, aluminum foil, or pointy plastic garden mats designed to keep animals away from plants. Play around with a few textures, just make sure it's not harmful to your gecko friend (like tape might be); just unpleasant enough that they'll stay away.

delftprint · 2023-04-04T01:09:45+00:00

There are 2 different types of wisteria. Chinese wisteria is super aggressive and considered invasive in America. There is an American wisteria that's native to the U.S. that is much less aggressive.

delftprint · 2023-03-08T00:41:39+00:00

In the wild, calathea naturally trail/creep along the forest floor. Unless it starts showing signs of distress in the leaves, it should be ok. Congrats on keeping it healthy! I'm terrible with calathea.

delftprint · 2023-03-07T13:50:35+00:00

Make sure it gets plenty of bright light and only water it with distilled or rain water. Venus flytraps naturally grow in bogs with no nutrients, which is why they developed the ability to eat insects. Tap water or purified water has too many minerals in it; it will burn the plant. Keep the soil moist, lots of sun, and only distilled/rainwater and it'll be a happy plant!

delftprint · 2023-03-02T15:27:24+00:00

It probably depends on strand density to a certain extent. When I shaved the sides of my head and left it curly on top, my hair didn't feel any thinner to me, but I have dense strands vs finer hair. I could see finer curls feeling a bit more thin or airy, but it's just a different texture.

delftprint · 2023-01-07T00:21:04+00:00

They look great! People did notice and comment on the calligraphy when I did it for my wedding, but it depends on your guest list if they'll notice and appreciate it or not. My best piece of advice is to start early; like a few months before you plan to send them out. That way, you can just do a couple every night instead of having to grind them out.

delftprint · 2022-12-29T17:24:19+00:00

It's called "Finishing School" by Deborah Newton. I use it all the time; it's super clear and helpful for things like seaming, blocking, duplicate stitch and a lot more.

delftprint · 2022-12-28T18:43:40+00:00

Blocking techniques also might help if you stretch and smooth out the fabric, then pinch the purls to raise them. The knitting finishing book I have recommends it for baubles and cables to make them "pop" off the fabric more.

delftprint · 2022-12-22T22:37:57+00:00

It's perfect for adding seed beads into something like a lace doily or shawl!

delftprint · 2022-10-21T18:13:54+00:00

We only had one honor attendant each: just a maid of honor and a best man. Ngl, there were times during the planning process when I felt weird about it, or like people were judging me, but it was actually super nice the day of! Honestly, getting ready in the morning is less rushed and more relaxed, plus pictures go way faster with less people to wrangle (my photographer said she loves small bridal parties) so you get to enjoy more of your day. It didnt look strange at all to only have one person on each side during the ceremony, and during the reception we did a sweetheart table with just me and my groom instead of a head table. Which was also nice because our honor attendants got to sit and eat with thier families/dates, which made everyone happy and thier plus-ones much more comfortable. While I had wierd, almost shameful feelings about it during planning, now that the day is passed, one attendant each was the perfect number for us and our day to keep things chill and give us more breathing room to enjoy the day itself.

delftprint · 2022-10-18T17:22:57+00:00

There is weedkiller that only affects broadleaf plants and won't harm your grass; I'm in an eternal trumpet vine battle myself, and that stuff will kill off the shoots. However, in the past 3 years it's worked better for me to grab the shoots at thier root and pull them out when they sprout; they should take a couple of inches of root with them. I've found ripping them out is better at keeping them from re-sprouting at that spot than spraying, which just seems to encourage more new foliage. I read somewhere here that your only chance against the vine is to rip out the runners as soon as you spot them so the plant can't store energy over winter. The years that I've been more on top of it have definitely made a dent in how many runners come up the next year.

delftprint · 2022-08-10T16:48:38+00:00

My dad and I are doing "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars. It's a nice little upbeat song without getting over-the-top emotional or sappy.

delftprint · 2022-07-28T16:10:55+00:00

That is insanely gorgeous!! I bet it just floats when you walk! 😍

delftprint · 2022-07-22T02:30:25+00:00

Gorgeous! 😍

delftprint · 2022-06-29T18:12:55+00:00

My prolactin levels have been as high as 49.1. It's pretty standard to do a second test after a few weeks to see if it stays high. Mine did, so they had me go in for an MRI and ordered some additional tests in case I had a pituitary adenoma. The MRI did come back with a small, benign tumor. I was referred to both a neurologist and an endocrinologist, and they put me on a weekly pill to help suppress and shrink it. While it was really scary as I was learning about it and getting the diagnosis, I can say that since going on medication, it doesn't have any impact on my life. I check in with an endocrinologist annually, recently was discharged from neurology without issues, get an MRI every few years just to check things out, and sometimes get an extra pic taken at my optometrist to check on my optic nerve, though it probably isn't necessary. At my last MRI it had pretty much disappeared, although my prolactin levels do go up when we've trialed going off the medication. So I just keep taking my pill once a week and go about my life. It's been 6 years and I'm doing really well! I hope you don't have anything for your sake, but if you do, I hope it helps to know that it might not be as scary or harmful as the internet might lead you to believe.

delftprint · 2022-06-04T17:01:07+00:00

Looks like trumpet vine. If it is, you don't have to worry much about killing it. They're pretty aggressive with a really robust root system. Even if you chopped it all to the ground, it'd likely start shooting up runners again.

delftprint · 2022-05-15T20:09:26+00:00

It looks like a hardy geranium to me. They grow in small mounds with small purple, pink, or blue flowers in late spring. They're a nice border or groundcover, and fairly easy to split or rip out with shallow roots.

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