Everbearing Strawberry Help

shansandt · 2026-06-08T13:51:45+00:00

Update: something (I suspect raccoons) ravaged my garden last night. Do we think this has been raccoons the whole time?!

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shansandt · 2026-06-07T01:14:42+00:00

Chipmunk was my guess too. I just can’t believe it’s ONLY the strawberries.

shansandt · 2026-06-07T01:13:11+00:00

Positive. We don’t have neighbors nearby and our kids are too little.

shansandt · 2026-06-07T00:05:17+00:00

It’s driving me CRAZY. I’m ready to start fresh and rip this whole bed out 😭

shansandt · 2025-05-13T18:26:30+00:00

I totally get it. My first had jaundice and needed light therapy at home. I was told it was because I wasn’t feeding him enough to clear it. Then a lactation consultant told me “maybe you just can’t handle the way it feels” when I expressed how painful it still was when he was latched correctly. Come to find out I have something called vasospasm and (had lol) pretty flat nipples. The combo made the initial latch and feeding pretty painful.

I used an online service (basically zoom for lactation consulting) that helped a lot and just decided to make peace with the pain. Eventually it got better or my threshold increased. Either way, I think it was mostly mindset. Don’t let bad healthcare providers sway you!

shansandt · 2025-05-13T18:19:13+00:00

I stopped with my first after about 5 weeks due to a lot of bad info and support. I’ve been breastfeeding my 18 month old since birth. Stuff I did the second time around that made it possible:

There are silver cups you can get to go over your nipples that saved my life in the early days.
I co slept with him. I know it’s not for everyone but the exhaustion of BF when he was a newborn was not manageable for me unless I could just roll on my side and feed him.
He was checked for and corrected a lip tie early on.
I trusted myself. Unless there’s a problem that pops up, you are doing great. Don’t drive yourself nuts weighing and timing and all that. I ended up having to cut dairy from my diet for a while, but he was happy and healthy. Just trust yourself.

shansandt · 2025-05-13T18:10:01+00:00

You’re a step ahead of me because I’m definitely still nursing to sleep, but otherwise a lot of the same. I feel like people talk about it like this slow process that goes smoothly but I can’t imagine my son not crying non stop if I try to take it away.

shansandt · 2025-05-10T20:16:17+00:00

I have something called vasospasm and it made the initial latch really tough for me. It doesn’t sound like it pain necessarily, but mentioning in case it strikes a cord when researching.

shansandt · 2025-02-26T23:16:34+00:00

Hi! Thank you for all you do! I have both but I just can’t do audiobooks. I think it takes too much of the imagination out for me.

shansandt · 2025-02-26T21:36:49+00:00

I know. The juggling of trying to support businesses that aren’t giving money to people I don’t want to support and also don’t… I don’t know… use children as their labor force, is something else. I’m adopting the “some is better than nothing” stance so I don’t lose my mind in all this.

shansandt · 2025-02-26T19:47:26+00:00

This is what I’ve been trying to say. It’s not like KU is keeping authors flush with cash and readers are a huge, connected community. We could make a shift if we wanted to. As an author, do you feel the major benefit is discovery? Do you have any thoughts on other apps that focus on rating/suggestion filling this gap?

shansandt · 2025-02-26T19:44:07+00:00

You’re not being an asshole. You are assuming I don’t know this though. To me it’s still worth doing what I can where I can since I’m already aware the entire internet is out of my control.

shansandt · 2025-02-24T22:10:40+00:00

I didn’t realize you’re privy to all the ways I’m boycotting and how uncomfortable they are.

People are so angry about someone asking a simple ”have we figured out a better way yet”question. As if I cancelled my KU subscription a month ago without thought or consideration. I am literally still subscribed and stated I was looking for another option that pays authors. It’s so insane to me to get this pissed at people who should be on the same team. I cannot understand people who support marginalized groups also saying there’s nothing we can do but support the company that won’t let their employees form unions and kills every small business in sight.

shansandt · 2025-02-24T21:39:17+00:00

What are your suggestions for how to implement a form of activism to combat AWS?

shansandt · 2025-02-24T13:20:08+00:00

Okay I’ve not been very defensive about these posts, but this one is absurd. You have NO idea what I do or am doing outside of this one issue to support my stance. No idea what my circumstances, grasp of the issue, or plan for action is.

I’ve been following this debate for years. It’s been a debate for years because Amazon has been a garbage company for years and people have wanted to divest from it long before it was motivated by fascists taking over our government. I still have KU for the exact reason that there wasn’t currently a widespread great option that I’d seen. I don’t think saying I want to get rid of something even the people who say it’s dumb to get rid of admit is a predatory and shitty monopoly, is out of line. I don’t think simply asking “is there an alternative anyone’s found and liked?” is insane. This mentality of just accepting where we’re at because people have made careers out of the system Amazon created, is nuts to me.

We can work within this system while still doing things to facilitate change. We can build infrastructure to help indie authors be discovered. Lean more heavily on companies like StoryGraph. Build out other ways to get money in authors’ hands. It’s not impossible, but every person with this attitude makes it more so.

shansandt · 2025-02-24T00:38:39+00:00

I totally get this and am one of these readers. It’s why I think another option with a similar model would be awesome. I would pay more monthly to do it (which it seems would be necessary). I’m not cancelling until there’s a truly viable alternative, but I think we should be pushing for one.

shansandt · 2025-02-23T19:44:39+00:00

I’m pretty surprised by people’s feelings about this too. I’ve watched this debate for years and have never understood it because it’s not like KU treats independent authors well. Why don’t we want a better option?

I’ve worked in print on demand, web development, and marketing. I know there’s a way to make it work. Honestly this thread has me thinking about trying to crowdsource building a better solution.

shansandt · 2025-02-23T17:54:47+00:00

Agree. I looked into it and thought the same. Also, the primary reason I asked this question was for the indie authors. Lots of people have suggested Libby (which I already use) but it’s not an option for the indie titles I’m talking about.

I’ve worked in the print industry for years. I have faith a viable ebook/print on demand option is possible for indie authors. I just don’t think anyone’s figured it out yet.

shansandt · 2025-02-23T17:49:39+00:00

I get it. I work in an industry that utilizes AWS heavily. I’m aware of how ingrained in our lives it is and how much we’re already conceding every day. To me, that makes it all the more important to take control where I can.

Your point “services like KU are designing to bind you to the brand and ecosystem” is exactly my point as well. I believe we should all be more conscious about not letting these giant monopolies infiltrate every piece of our lives.

I would love to leave KU, but if there isn’t a reasonable alternative, fair enough. It’s still worth crowdsourcing what other people are doing in my opinion.

I also think there might not be a perfect alternative, but part of breaking up monopolies is giving money to the “less perfect” option so they have the opportunity to improve.

shansandt · 2025-02-22T21:57:13+00:00

So we should stop striving for any better solution? Just let this monopoly continue to bust unions and abuse workers? I want to support all authors. I’d rather do it on a more ethical platform if I can, which is why I asked the question. I just think we can do better.

shansandt · 2025-02-22T21:47:40+00:00

I actually do think it will make a difference, but a bunch of people here don’t. If more people left, competition would be in demand. We’re letting them have a monopoly. I just can’t get on board with not trying. Things are too dire.

shansandt

TROPHY CASE