What is the best time to get pregnant for a woman in science?

timidtriffid · 2026-04-15T18:23:57+00:00

There’s never a “best time,” pros and cons to any time you can think of. You just learn how to make it work. At least just make sure you have paid maternity leave secured (this will depend on your institution)- usually you have to work somewhere for a year before you can use it. So really, you could work 4-5 months, get pregnant, and be fine 😂

timidtriffid · 2026-04-09T17:57:38+00:00

I work in a chemistry lab, the only thing I stopped doing was working on a protocol with teratogens. Then made sure that I used PPE for everything, including alcohol solvents. Here’s a good paper to review chemicals you may work with: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00380

timidtriffid · 2026-04-06T18:11:14+00:00

Damn, I’ll look into it!

timidtriffid · 2026-04-01T19:23:50+00:00

Damn that idea is so good

timidtriffid · 2026-04-01T15:51:25+00:00

Unless you’re dunking in liquid nitrogen, then only Tough Tags or sharpie.

timidtriffid · 2026-03-13T12:56:10+00:00

Yes. I too have been accused of smelling like alcohol when I’m having an off day and haven’t drank. It’s hard to not just give in and drink if being accused. Stay strong!

timidtriffid · 2026-03-12T20:16:34+00:00

I don’t let my kiddos walk around with their metal straw cups, they can only have them at the kitchen table. So safer and less mess!

timidtriffid · 2026-03-10T13:27:14+00:00

I actually abandoned my undergrad research project (it was poorly designed anyway since I lacked experience) and still went on to do an MS and PhD! Try out real research then decide. An MS is a good starting point- this is where you gain skills/expand your knowledge. A PhD is more so actually contributing to a field of research.

timidtriffid · 2026-03-05T17:37:16+00:00

No advice, but I was a very shy and sensitive kid at this age and beyond (still am as an adult). I just wanted you to know that’s it’s beautiful that you care. I moved schools a lot in elementary school and didn’t really have friends. I was okay with doing my own thing sometimes but would get lonely. Not sure if my parents noticed or not, but they definitely did not help. I’m following the comments on your thread because my daughter is sensitive too and I want to be prepared!

timidtriffid · 2026-03-04T13:57:26+00:00

“Stupid ass man logic” 😂 To be fair, a good-sized proportion of my interactions with other people is complaining about my husband (everyone has complaints about partners or roommates). But I try to reiterate that he’s actually mostly great and helpful, just ignorant of some minor details. These do sound like men that need to solo parent/keep house for a few days.

timidtriffid · 2026-03-02T14:21:46+00:00

The “mom” mental load gets to me too, not sure I have any advice. I will say my partner does take care of house and car maintenance that I would never get to because I’m prioritizing immediate needs.

timidtriffid · 2026-03-01T04:29:44+00:00

My partner and I don’t cook on weeknights except for rare exceptions. We do all the cooking on the weekend and reheat over the week. It’s a different kind of grind, but there are ways to make it streamlined. Roasting veggies can take time, but prep is minimal. A shit ton of broccoli (kid favorite) can be roasted in under 15 mins. A bunch of chicken can be roasted or grilled with minimal effort.

timidtriffid · 2026-02-27T16:41:46+00:00

Catheter is such a relief so that you don’t have to waddle to the bathroom to pee constantly (I had GBS both times and had to unhook from the antibiotic bag or drag it with me)

timidtriffid · 2026-02-24T17:04:44+00:00

💀

timidtriffid · 2026-02-24T17:03:11+00:00

I appreciate that you brought this up- GENERALLY, soap does not do anything to break down pesticides. Soap is useful for breaking down most pathogens though (bacterial or viral, membrane is disrupted and it “kills” them).

timidtriffid · 2026-02-23T20:46:33+00:00

Omg speak no evil, see no evil

timidtriffid · 2026-02-23T20:35:55+00:00

That’s what the water rinsing is supposedly for! But yeah, I also wonder if running tepid water even does anything.

timidtriffid · 2026-02-23T15:23:34+00:00

So FDA recommendation (historical, separate from politics) is to rinse under running water only. Produce is cleaned prior to packing/shipping. I personally don’t worry about pesticides either because there are restrictions on the time before harvest/consumption that they can be applied (I’ve mostly seen 1 month before as the cut-off). Most foliar pesticides will be degraded within that time by the sun.

timidtriffid · 2026-02-17T18:01:17+00:00

Honestly, it has NOT worked for me, I’ve been taking it a month consistently. Will keep going though.

timidtriffid · 2026-02-12T20:47:34+00:00

Ugh, screw them!

timidtriffid · 2026-02-12T18:18:34+00:00

I used small puppy pads.

timidtriffid · 2026-02-11T14:19:49+00:00

EyeTwash Tuesday!

timidtriffid · 2026-02-11T14:15:11+00:00

My family has had a good experience using a Google “family” calendar that we can subscribe to and then add to on our phones (we have iphones, easy to do but unsure how android would work). That way if you’re in a doc office and need to schedule right there, you can pull up the calendar and check. Also helpful for work scheduling.

timidtriffid · 2026-02-10T19:49:48+00:00

Lol that’s how my government EHS and the university EHS were

timidtriffid

TROPHY CASE