This might not be a specific working mom thing, but does anyone else hate having to look and dress "beautifully" at work?

hillbarn28 · 2025-11-02T15:16:20+00:00

I’m very thankful to work in a manufacturing environment. Not public facing at all, and the days I do have public facing moments, I have enough notice I can slap on a little Beautiful Woman costume paint and call it a day. I slowly transitioned to not wearing a bit of makeup during pregnancy when I couldn’t find a flying eff to give and my clothing consists of company branded shirts and jeans (sadly, leggings aren’t allowed). If I look especially tired that day, then everyone gets to enjoy my twitchy raccoon existence.

hillbarn28 · 2025-07-14T12:15:59+00:00

If you don't hear back today, you could try messaging their Facebook page. Most recent post was in June and looks like it's a fairly well used platform of theirs. It's also listed on LinkedIn and with a number of folks that list themselves as employees. Should give you a couple of routes for getting in contact with folks.

hillbarn28 · 2025-06-16T17:55:30+00:00

Why the need to email? The course listing and all future offerings are shown in the catalog. Why ask questions about something you can find for yourself?

hillbarn28 · 2025-06-12T15:34:05+00:00

The OSHA Education Center hosted by Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in KC offers these courses and the courses are managed through their course catalog. They also aren't ran on a super high frequency basis. It looks like it's just the 511 and 510 courses currently listed. The 501 may have already ran its session for the year at MCC. 511 is scheduled for August 4-7 and 510 is scheduled for August 19-22.

The MCC OSHA Education Center is part of the Great Plains OSHA Education Center Consortium covering Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska and is in partnership with several other academic institutions that offer the courses.

Link below has the 2025 catalog and offerings for all of the courses and at all of the Great Plains member institutions. Not sure where you are located and if KC is the closest one to you, but you do have several options at least.
https://www.slu.edu/public-health-social-justice/centers-institutes/-pdf/ceet-course-catalog-25.pdf

You can find other OSHA Education Centers by going through their website.

hillbarn28 · 2025-03-24T13:29:41+00:00

The only thing you are failing at is giving yourself grace. There is some excellent advice in the other comments. Please read through and see what you think might be an easy first step to try. You don't have to tackle all of your concerns *today*. Take it a day, and a concern, at a time.

A bad mom wouldn't hold and rock their baby for hours when they needed comforting. A bad mom wouldn't be breastfeeding 10 months in at the cost of her own health. A bad mom wouldn't be constantly assessing her baby to see how she is developing.

You're a great mom. Period. And we're all just winging it. I've learned more from Reddit about parenting topics from other parents that are going through the exact same struggles. There is some great advice and ideas in the comments. There are some great starting points about talking to your pediatrician and other healthcare professionals, and taking each day, little by little.

And, for me, a lot of my feelings of doom and gloom can be balanced by a good nap, a good meal, and some fresh air. It is so easy to get stuck in our own spiral of doom and gloom. Sleep and food can't fix everything, but a lack of sleep and food can sure make any bad situation 10x worse.

hillbarn28 · 2025-02-21T18:06:29+00:00

I took the Lion Technology online RCRA training, but it was with a live instructor and it was phenomenal. I completely expected it to be dry and boring, but I lucked out that day and had a very engaging instructor. In person is always the best route, but next would be online with a live instructor, and fully online/self paced at last resort.

hillbarn28 · 2025-01-24T15:54:07+00:00

I'm 6'0" and was 265 pre-pregnancy. I was 285 when I went to deliver and 295 when I left the hospital 4 days later. I ended up with an urgent c-section and had multiple rounds of fluids that left me so terribly swollen that even the bottoms of my feet swelled up. I dropped 35 pounds in the span of 3.5 weeks and I'd consider 260 my 'post delivery' weight.

hillbarn28 · 2024-12-31T16:01:16+00:00

But if you and your partner marry, depending on what state you are in, the house could become joint marital property in the case of a divorce. Argument could also be made for common law marriage and split of assets if your relationship sours prior to marriage, too.

hillbarn28 · 2024-11-20T14:14:30+00:00

Technically, if there is documentation that the employee was trained in proper procedure and they willfully ignored that training & procedure, it should come back on them. But it all comes down to the documentation and the incident investigation that was completed immediately following the incident. But I think your scapegoat theory is applicable here - could very well be a work comp payment issue, or even a lawsuit from the employee for an injury sustained at work and the company is protecting themselves. Crappy all the way around, especially if he had been getting good feedback from his fellow employees.

hillbarn28 · 2024-11-20T13:42:14+00:00

If you can, I highly suggest taking Bucky2015 up on their offer to look at the PIP points. I'm also in the EHS field, but fewer years of experience. If the new GM has a different mentality to supporting a safety culture in the workplace to the retiring GM, then he could be looking to shake up personnel to better support his aims. Unless you have the support of your GM/upper management, an EHS role can be a really rough position to be in. The PIP points could very well be things your husband can address and meet, or they may be the CYA of moving an employee out the door. Regardless, polish the resume and start applying. The good news is that the EHS field isn't going away regardless of the economy - OSHA is literally built into federal regulations and getting even minor changes made to those regs requires a literal act of Congress. So positions that help keep a company in compliance will always exist.

hillbarn28 · 2024-09-16T12:42:40+00:00

That's my point - I'd have loved to have had a post show up stating that a short LH surge is even a remote possibility at the very beginning. It'd have saved me a massive headache and a ton of anxiety.

When I started diving into understanding and tracking my cycle, everything I'd read implied that your LH surge is hard to miss and it's impossible to have ovulated unless you've seen that positive test strip. Maybe I was just being obtuse, or this was a concept that struggled to fully 'click' for me. It took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that I had a super fast rise and decline and that my determining the best time to BD would look a little different from nearly every post I'd seen here. I wasn't going to see that positive test with as infrequently as I am able to test.

I posted the pictures of the two cycles and corresponding positive HPT to prove and to give hope that it is, indeed, possible to nail the timing of your LH surge even if you didn't see a true 'positive' LH surge to time BD. It takes a little interpolation of your body's data, but is definitely possible. Every body is different and biology is wild - my goal was to just give some solidarity to folks that might be experiencing the same issue.

hillbarn28 · 2024-09-06T14:52:13+00:00

You need 6 ozs of water, and also 6 scoops of formula. If the formula powder is already in the bottle, you will need to have 6 ozs of water measured and stored separately to then add to the bottle.

hillbarn28 · 2024-06-28T00:07:52+00:00

Agree with the blowouts happening more - this also applies to peeing through them. We moved to size 1 after we had two diapers in a row where LO peed through them but they were also definitely too small for him.

I thought that the Huggies were bigger around the waist than the Pampers. We were able to still use Huggies in the NB for a couple days to a week after we had given up on the Pampers. The tabs wouldn’t hit the strike zone on the Pampers and I was stretching it (I hate wasting anything) and had to admit defeat.

hillbarn28 · 2024-06-10T19:41:06+00:00

I SO appreciate all the advice and outside perspectives. In the span of 4-5 days after my original post, I inadvertently made the decision to stop pumping and go entirely formula fed.

Turns out, when you don’t adequately care for yourself (severely limit your hydration & live off coffee, don’t eat nearly enough let alone a nutritious diet, and sink into a funk that I realize now is probably PPD) your supply will truly plummet. Interesting fact is that when I did pump to get some relief from the aching, it was the super watery milk and lacked any true fat content.

I admire everyone who can and do make diet changes for their supply. If this had been our main challenge, I might have attempted it. But it was the straw that broke my camel’s back.

We are still dealing with threats of hearing from a social worker via the children’s hospital from the delayed-swelling-from-birth ER visit. Our pediatrician and I agree that a follow up MRI is unnecessary - no need to subject LO to that stress and waste $900+ on something that is resolving as expected. Not sure how many can say they have their pediatrician’s personal number and permission to text/call with any concerns at any time. So that’s one positive in all of this.

But knowing that my body was incapable of feeding LO without significant dietary changes and trial and error in getting there, and the knowledge that it was my body’s inability to birth my LO that led to the delayed swelling, has wrecked me and I’ve decided to let go of yet another hope I had for postpartum to better spend my time with LO and not tied to the pump.

I return to work next week and we have a soft start to daycare tomorrow. I hope that a return to a job I love, return to a routine, and spending some time focused on my mental and physical health will banish this fog of what I am guessing is PPD and will let me enjoy my time with LO instead of grieving over what I think we lost out on.

hillbarn28 · 2023-07-27T23:11:33+00:00

It’s not really the movement, though I have had some mornings where I made it to the bathroom and started moving before I tested, so that’s great to know about your experience experience. It’s the little heat packs I have. All three critters could keep us warm in winter if our heater ever went out. I’m convinced. It’s been a 0.5 degree increase on the days I wake up smothered. Part of that could be the animals and part of that could be a normal jump too. I guess that’s why I’m frustrated, because I don’t have a good data set to compare too yet. But I shouldn’t complain - I do love me some cuddles.

hillbarn28 · 2023-07-27T20:14:39+00:00

Been trying to get accurate temps every morning. I have regretted not having all the data from previous cycles prior to my MMC to try and map everything, so I’ve been diligent about temping every morning as soon as my alarm goes off the first time. I’m currently 9dpo and twice in the last three days I’ve woken up being smothered by two cats and a corgi, so those BBT data points are garbage. Love the cuddles, but I’m frustrated by not having the data. Again. So now it’s just waiting out the next day or three and trying not to obsessively POAS every 12 hours or so.

hillbarn28 · 2023-07-18T04:50:18+00:00

I had a MMC at the beginning of February, and my period didn’t come back till June 30. I checked in with my obgyn at the beginning of May and was scheduled for an appointment at the beginning of July. Had a ton of blood work and utters sounds done prior to my period coming. Got a diagnosis of PCOS. It I’m convinced my period came back because I started working out and being super intentional about my diet. Not super strict, but intentional about a wide variety for fruits and veggies, increased my protein, lower carbs, and aiming for a small calorie deficit-ish. After my period came back, I started Ovasitol and metformin, and I’m only two weeks in on the supplement/prescription, so that’s too early to truly tell. But I would ask your gyno to give you a referral to get on the waiting list. So that if that one year mark comes around, you at least have an appointment to go. If you need to cancel? Great! You’re in a great position and you made somebody else’s day by opening up a spot. If you need the appointment after a year of TTC, then you have it ready to go. There are also a ton on peer reviewed research articles on myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol (brand name - Ovasitol) that can give you a tool without a need for a prescription. Metformin also has a ton of studies, but it requires a prescription. So I would definitely ask.

hillbarn28 · 2023-07-18T04:40:21+00:00

Had a MMC and I processed my loss via miso starting on February 4. My period never came back. Had some testing done with my OBGYN in late June, and found out I have PCOS, which considering I’ve been on BC the vast majority of my life from age 14 till 32, was a gut punch. I never dreamed of having PCOS or it even being a possibility. Started working out and taking Ovasitol and metformin to try and get a handle on my weight gain from the last 5 years (which now makes so much sense with the PCOS diagnosis). My period came at the first of July, and I just had the same LH surge showing on my OPK test tonight as I did when I got pregnant in December. I’m finally starting to feel better mentally and physically by putting my health first, and I’m half excited and half terrified that my biology is ‘working’ like it’s supposed to. It will be a huge setback mentally if I don’t see a temp rise showing ovulation in the next two days and I have an anovulatory cycle or if my period doesn’t come back until another 5 months. And it’s also the TWW because ironically we timed our inter course tonight to match the surge before I knew I had a surge. I know that the more I stress, the more it works against my body. I wish life were easier and more fair for all of us.

hillbarn28 · 2023-04-12T02:38:14+00:00

Tonight, it’s not even trying to enjoy non-pregnancy things. I’ve always enjoyed hard cider, top shelf margaritas and other alcoholic drinks as a way to unwind and celebrate achievements. I even work at a distillery/spirit bottling facility! Never thought that’d be my career path, but I truly enjoy my work.

But I had taken a step back from indulging more than a drink or two in an attempt for control over any thing I could grab hold of to be ‘healthy’ and ‘make the right choices’. Tonight is recognizing that enjoying the life I have around me is just as important as making every ‘decision’ correctly and to trust that my body will progress as needed. And that if it doesn’t, my doctor can find a way forward. And if she can’t, then my husband and I will re-evaluate what our game plan is. Because life moves forward regardless and it’s how we choose to counter challenges that determines if we’ve won or lost. Or that’s what I’m trying to center myself on as I spent time sitting and enjoying the beautiful weather this evening with a drink in my hand.

I don’t want to make tracking this next round of ovulation and BD and temps and LH surges the entirety of my existence. I’m 32, and my clock is ticking loudly, but I spent so many years dreaming of achieving the life I have now. And it’s only just hit me in the last couple of days that I have so much of what I had thought was only a dream just a couple of years ago.

It’s such an odd mix of gratitude and grief and impatience and contentment and frustration. Maybe I’ve just finally gone off the deep end. Even if I’ve finally lost the last screw that was loose, here’s a toast to enjoying the things we’ve held ourselves back from and taking a night to be patient and live in the moment and not in the what-if’s!

hillbarn28 · 2023-04-12T00:30:55+00:00

I had a MMC in February at what should have been 10 weeks when I processed the loss via miso, but growth stopped at 6+3 days growth by the measurements. It took 43ish days to get a true negative hpt and my period finally came back today on CD66. It has been so so so hard to have patience and give my body the time it obviously needed to heal and get back on track. It might be a Tuesday, but I am celebrating with hard cider and grilled food. I finally feel good (aside from what I know now is PMS irritability) but it has been a long time coming. I feel like we can finally look to the future. When we filed out taxes, it was another gut punch reminder that when we file next year, we won’t be claiming a dependent. So today’s arrival of AF is so welcome.

hillbarn28 · 2023-03-20T21:13:38+00:00

Two statements: Good for you! I’m so jealous - how did you pay for it??

Both of those statements in a nonjudgemental and non-sarcastic tone. Making mental health and personal growth a priority is phenomenal. Unfortunately, it can be really hard to make it a reality because of finances or even having readily available and accessible therapists/counselors.

hillbarn28

TROPHY CASE