I've just recently started using tampons for the first time. On my heaviest flow days, I'm changing my tampon every ~3 hours.
What do people usually do for overnight on their heaviest flow days? So far, I've continued to just use an overnight pad instead of tampon so I'm not worried about leaking with my tampon after 4 or 5 hours.
Hello All!
I'm a 35 year old woman who was raised in the height of purity culture and other high anxiety situations, and additionally have spent my entire adult life working in high stress/crisis work.
Growing up, no one talked to me in depth about my body or guided me through puberty, and I was scared to explore my own body because of PC. I attempted to use a tampon a few times as a teen and even in my early 20s, but always felt like I was physically hitting a wall when trying to insert one and it was painful when I tried to push through that "wall". I never had a pap smear and never had anyone I could safely talk to about these things.
I left the church and, for the most part, the religion, around 2016 (Trump, among several other things, pushed me right out the door).
About a year and a half ago, I started dating a man who was never raised in the church or in purity culture. I knew that if I continued the relationship, I wanted to be able to successfully have sex. I shared with him my struggles- how I was raised, that I had never been sexually intimate, and that I had never successfully been able to insert anything into my vagina. He was nothing short of kind, gentle, supportive, and loving.
In trying to figure out what to do and how to address the situation, I thankfully stumbled upon a new practice in my small rural town that addressed pelvic health specifically. They noted that one of the things they addressed was painful sex. I have been attending pelvic floor physical therapy for almost a year and to say it has been life-changing is an understatement. I am so incredibly grateful for the PT's that have worked with me and I am so proud of myself for how far I have come. They helped me learn and understand my body better, as well as how much stress/tension/anxiety I hold in my vagina. They helped me understand that the fear that had been instilled in me growing up, in addition to my daily stress and anxiety, had essentially left me clenching my vaginal muscles 24/7 - shortening my muscles and leaving my body unsure how to loosen and relax. We worked on different types of breath work, external and internal stretches, and relaxation techniques. I practiced with dilator sets and was amazed to really make the connection between my stress/anxiety level and my pelvic floor - I could use one size dilator one day and be fine, but if two days later I was having an extremely stressful day and tried to use that same dilator, I would not be able to fit it in my vagina because I could not fully relax myself.
When I started PT about a year ago, a single finger sitting at the entrance of my vagina immediately led to panic for me and a sensation of pain. Roughly a month ago my partner and I had successful and pain-free penis-in-vagina sex for the first time, and today I used a tampon successfully and pain-free for the first time!
I just want to share because not only am I incredibly proud of myself and my progress, but I also want to give hope/encouragement to those who are in my position. I certainly wish that I knew about pelvic floor therapy many years before, but I had never heard of it, and no one had ever shared their experiences with me.
And finally, FUCK PURITY CULTURE.
Hello All!
I'm a 35 year old woman who was raised in the height of purity culture and other high anxiety situations, and additionally have spent my entire adult life working in high stress/crisis work.
Growing up, no one talked to me in depth about my body or guided me through puberty, and I was scared to explore my own body because of PC. I attempted to use a tampon a few times as a teen and even in my early 20s, but always felt like I was physically hitting a wall when trying to insert one and it was painful when I tried to push through that "wall". I never had a pap smear and never had anyone I could safely talk to about these things.
I left the church and, for the most part, the religion, around 2016 (Trump, among several other things, pushed me right out the door).
About a year and a half ago, I started dating a man who was never raised in the church or in purity culture. I knew that if I continued the relationship, I wanted to be able to successfully have sex. I shared with him my struggles, how I was raised, that I had never been sexually intimate, and that I had never successfully been able to insert anything into my vagina. He was nothing short of kind, gentle, supportive, and loving.
In trying to figure out what to do and how to address the situation, I thankfully stumbled upon a new practice in my small rural town that addressed pelvic health specifically. They noted that one of the things they addressed was painful sex. I have been attending pelvic floor physical therapy for almost a year and to say it has been life-changing is an understatement. I am so incredibly grateful for the PT's that have worked with me and I am so proud of myself for how far I have come. They helped me learn and understand my body better, as well as how much stress/tension/anxiety I hold in my vagina. They helped me understand that the fear that had been instilled in me growing up, in addition to my daily stress and anxiety, had essentially left me clenching my vaginal muscles 24/7 - shortening my muscles and leaving my body unsure how to loosen and relax. We worked on different types of breath work, external and internal stretches, and relaxation techniques. I practiced with dilator sets and was amazed to really make the connection between my stress/anxiety level and my pelvic floor - I could use one size dilator one day and be fine, but if two days later I was having an extremely stressful day and tried to use that same dilator, I would not be able to fit it in my vagina because I could not fully relax myself.
When I started PT about a year ago, a single finger sitting at the entrance of my vagina immediately led to panic for me and a sensation of pain. Roughly a month ago my partner and I had successful and pain-free penis-in-vagina sex for the first time, and today I used a tampon successfully and pain-free for the first time!
I just want to share because not only am I incredibly proud of myself and my progress, but I also want to give hope/encouragement to those who are in my position. I certainly wish that I knew about pelvic floor therapy many years before, but I had never heard of it, and no one had ever shared their experiences with me.
And finally, FUCK PURITY CULTURE.
Planning a visit in early February 2027 - looking for decent hotel recommendations that are still in a good/central location, but under $200 per night.
Any side jobs or gigs available through the summer? I have a regular M-F 8-5, but looking for the occasional evening or weekend job to help with some summer savings.
Any side jobs or gigs available through the summer? I have a regular M-F 8-5, but looking for the occasional evening or weekend job to help with some summer savings.
Hello all,
I'm looking for some suggestions on healthier options for water flavor packets. I drink plenty of plain water, but sometimes I just need something more! I don't like too much flavor, so would love suggestions where I can choose how much flavor to add.
Hello all, I'm looking for some suggestions on healthier options for water flavor packets. I drink plenty of plain water, but sometimes I just need something more! I don't like too much flavor, so would love suggestions where I can choose how much flavor to add.
To say I've been obsessed with the Mediterranean greens with grains salad over the last 6 months is an understatement!!! This salad was so unique (who else ever uses farro?!) and I've ordered it on average 1-2x a week, every week, since February.
Now I have no idea what to do for dinner on my salad nights! Hope to see it in the rotation again soon!
Does anyone else's sneezes smell bad?
I have lots of environmental allergies. I'm on multiple allergy prescriptions and immunotherapy injections, but I still sneeze 10-20x a day, every day. I've noticed that my sneezes smell bad... I only really started noticing this within the last 1-2 years.
Is this just because it's coming from the depths of my lungs? 😅
Does anyone else notice that their sneezes smell bad?
*As a note, I brush my teeth/tongue 2x daily. I do not drink coffee and very little alcohol. I do not smoke/vape. I do not have abnormally bad breath.
Mopping is one of my biggest struggles. I always feel like I'm just pushing around dirt and hair rather than actually cleaning floors. I have a X-Large dog with long hair, so even when I thoroughly vacuum before mopping, it just doesn't pick up all the dog hair... which means when I mop, I can clearly see that I'm just pushing around wet dog hair.
Because of this, I'm looking for suggestions for vac-mops combos. I've used the Shark Hydrovac before a liked it decently enough. Looking for under $300.
Recommendations for cordless vacuums under $500 USD.
My home is about 1000sqft. I have all hard flood except one 8x10ft area rug that is high pile/shag type.
I also have a 90lb Malamute mix dog that sheds mounds daily and tracks in plenty of dirt from our gravel driveway.
I've been using a Cordless Shark pet pro for a few years. For the most park, I've loved the Shark and it has mostly worked great. In the last 6 months, it's starting to die, lose suction, and gets clogged after almost every use.
I have a window unit in my bedroom, and a portable AC in the living room. The living room typically remains comfortable temperature and humidity with the AC unit. My bedroom always feels a little on the stuffy side, and even with the AC running, gets quite humid. It almost feels as if the AC is adding to the humidity. It is worse when I close the door with the AC running. I like to keep my bedroom extra cool for when I sleep, so sometimes I try to close the door with the AC running to keep the cold air in, but it just ends up feeling warm and sticky.
What is the issue and how can I fix it?
I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong....
A few months ago I traded in my car for a newer one. My old 2015 car was fully insured with Geico. I tried my best to research what I needed to do about insurance beforehand, and from what I saw, I was covered under my old (Geico) insurance policy for the new car for a short time period until I could get the new car set up.
Bought my new car on March 7th. On March 8th, I set up a new policy with Progressive. This new policy began on March 16. My Geico policy was ended on March 15.
March 15 was the soonest my Geico policy could end, which is why my Progressive did not begin until the 16th - so that I was not paying for 2 policies at once.
I then get a notice from the NC DMV that my liability insurance had lapsed on my new vehicle, saying it wasn't insured for the first week I had it, and owe a $50 fine.
What did I do wrong?
Are you supposed to purchase vehicle insurance before you buy a vehicle? How do you do this if you don't know what vehicle you are getting? Or was I supposed to pay for 2 policies at the same time?
I'm just not sure where I went wrong or how to avoid it in the future.
Hi all,
A family member of mine (1 year old) was just diagnosed A1AD. My family has never heard of this disorder before. What should we expect as this little one grows up? What do we look out for/be mindful of? Will she have limitations on what activities she can/cannot do?
TL;DR - Happy in the relationship & want to continue, but don't want to live together.
Hi all,
My boyfriend and I have been dating for a year and a half. This is my first significant relationship. We are both in our mid-30s.
I have lived alone for the last 13 years and have loved every second of it. Truly, I LOVE living alone. I have joked for years that if I end up getting married, I would love to be next-door neighbors.
My boyfriend currently lives about 25 minutes away. He stays with me 3-4 nights per week.
I was clear in the very beginning of our relationship that alone time is very important to me, and he has always respected that.
At our 1 year, we talked about what we want to see over year 2 as progress in our relationship. He posed the question, "when do we start talking about moving in together?" I said that I would like to start having serious conversations about it by the end of year 2.
But, we're halfway through and I just still really love living alone 😂 I love when he is over, I love spending time with him, and I want this relationship to continue. BUT, I also love when he is gone and I have the house to myself for a night or two. To be clear, when he is gone I do miss him... but I also just love having the space to myself. Honestly, sometimes I think I'd rather him only spend 2-3 night per week instead of 3-4.
Advice from others who are or have been in similar situations?
I've been a SW for 13 years. I love social work and I love being a social worker. But, I don't want to be a therapist!!
I've done child welfare for the last decade- CPS, foster care, on-call, supervision, etc., and now I'm totally burnt out on it. I am more than ready to launch into a new realm of social work. I have an MSW and a wealth of knowledge in this field, but have been unbelievably frustrated when looking for jobs because the entire field is geared toward clinical work.
I didn't get a social work degree to be a therapist. I believe LCSW's play a valuable and important role within social work, but it is not the only important social work.
I make $83k salary (with benefits) in CPS... when I look for any job in social work that is not an LCSW, I'm looking at $55k MAX. It is so frustrating!!
Are we just going to continue see this field narrow?
Looking for new bingeworthy podcast recommendations!
Here are a list of some of my favorites:
My significant other has an AVN diagnosis. We've been together almost 2 years and I know very little of this disease.
They had one hip replaced a few years back shortly after finally getting a proper Dx. The other (original) hip is in pain, but not as severe as the first hip was... but still enough pain that it prevents them from being as active as they want to be. They used to be super active in younger years- winter sports, climbing, kayaking, backpacking, biking, etc. Now they don't do any of that because of the pain.
I don't understand why they are wanting to wait until the other hip is in as much pain as the first one before getting it replaced. Why not get it replaced now, even though it's not that bad, if you know what's going to get that bad? Why not get it done so that they can go back to being active? They said doctor is resistant to doing the surgery until it's to the point of severity as the first one? I don't get it.. seems like quality of life would be better with both hips replaced??
My significant other was diagnosed almost a year ago after a severe manic episode. He started medication and treatment, and had another episode in the fall. He had a med adjustment after that second episode and has been doing well and maintaining stability for about six months now. Overall, he's doing really well. His medication is working well for him and he has been taking the steps needed to ensure his stability and well-being. I'm super proud of him! He's working really hard and I am grateful that he is doing well.
On the flipside, I am struggling. Some of the side effects of his medications include decreased libido, requiring more sleep, lack of appetite… These things have had a negative impact on our relationship.
I am struggling to voice my struggles and wants with this, because I don't want him to feel discouraged about his medication and how well he is doing. He is doing what he needs to do to stay safe and healthy, and I I don't know how to voice my frustrations when they seem so small in comparison to what he is going through and how hard he is working.