u/Old-Organization-264

So I had my bisalp on 5/19. I’ve known for years that I didn’t want to ever get pregnant. I don’t want to have kids at all. I just finally pulled the trigger, and though I thought I was initially relieved, it feels like there is something else there. I wouldnt call it regret. My feelings about pregnancy & parenthood are still strong, but why am I not completely settled? I just keep thinking, my tubes are really gone. I really did it. But it’s not in a hip-hip-hooray kind of way. It feels…like something.

Maybe it all just feels surreal, and I’m in some type of shock? I guess maybe I had gotten used to the cycle of replacing my birth control implant and then worrying every time I had unprotected sex, lol. Now that routine is obsolete? Idk, yall. Has anyone else experienced anything close to this?

Hopefully this doesn’t miss the mark here, but I think in a perfect world, I may have decided not to be child free. This isn’t a post about sadness or regret. More of a “damn, what a shame” post.

As they are, children are fine. I enjoy being around them. I wouldn’t have minded dedicating a part of my life to them. There are so many possibilities and scenarios that just make it the most undesirable life possible.

There is little to no support for pregnant women. The odds of facing violence, illness or death in pregnancy or childbirth are too high for my comfort, especially as a black woman. Irreversible body changes and postpartum depression are also factors.

I wouldn’t want to be a parent to a child with a significant disability. Lifelong care, mounting medical bills, and a truly stolen life beyond regular parenthood.

I’ll never be willing to be a single mother, whether the father leaves me or ends up dead. You can never plan for it, and it’s a chance I’ll never be willing to take because single motherhood seems awful. God forbid I don’t have a support system.

Childcare is impossible to find, and even when you do, it’ll cost a fortune. And if you can’t find it, or the times don’t align, there goes your job.

Public child education has dropped in quality significantly, to no fault of the teachers.

There’s still no adequate gun control in the U.S., so my child could just not come home one day.

Anyway, I had my tubes removed on the 19th (by choice), and I’m relieved that I’ll never be pregnant. Zero regret there. I would also never adopt or get IVF. I’m positive that I wouldn’t want children. I just think there is some type of grief to be found in knowing that the world will not be repaired in your lifetime to where that life could feel safe and enjoyable enough to even consider. Such a shame.

Hi all. I start my bridge program next month. Will be starting clinicals in the fall, though. This is a 3 semester program, so things will be moving pretty quickly and I want to get ahead of it all. I’m wondering how you’ve gone about networking during clinicals and if/how you were able to secure a spot after graduation?

When I look at applications, it seems like many places want 1-3 years experience (HTX). So I’ve been looking at new grad residencies, but there aren’t a lot so I imagine they’ll be super competitive. I don’t mind applying anyway, just wanting to broaden my search. Have any of you had any success securing jobs within your clinical sites after graduation?

Who would you recommend I try to form relationships with to get my name in the hat? And how would you go about it? I don’t want my behavior to be seen as inappropriate, but don’t want to miss something that could help me secure a job quicker.

TIA.

28F, USA, no kids.

Met my PCM for the first time in January & was like, “I know we just met, but…I need a referral” lol.
Saw my OB in April, scheduled for May. And I just had my bilateral salpingectomy a few hours ago.

Honestly, I was so nervous a few days prior that I almost cancelled. This was my first surgery! But I kept reassuring myself that this is what I wanted.

I feel so relieved. I feel genuinely and finally free knowing I took control of my body. I can’t believe they’re gone! I don’t have to worry about my birth control failing and traveling to different states to find someone who will help me & possibly facing persecution when I return (TX). I had an abortion in 2019 & despite me knowing I didn’t want a child, it was still traumatic & I felt incredibly guilty for years afterwards. Men can’t pressure me anymore because there’s nothing to reverse or reconsider. No pregnancy. No childbirth. No PPD. (No shame to those who sterilized after birth) This is the best life I could imagine for myself. Just me and my cat.

Anyway, I feel pretty great right now. Pain is managed. Laying in bed with a heating pad on my stomach & demolishing a tray of watermelon by my side watching a KDrama.

Hi all!
I just found this subreddit as I was googling incessantly about my total salpingectomy for next week. I am naturally super anxious, but excited to solidify control of my body. Child-free is about to have a whole new feeling to it, lol.

I have no idea of the appropriate flair for this so I apologize. Here’s my question, for those of you living alone with pets, how did you prepare yourself/your home and what did aftercare look like for you? I have a kitten that’s almost a year old. She’s pretty chill, so I don’t have to worry about her getting into stuff. She’s more of a lounger. There is a medication I have to give her which will be about once a day at that point, so I anticipate having to fight her once a day for the first two days after surgery, and then every other day until her meds are complete (tapering her off of a steroid). Will I be totally incapacitated in the day or two afterwards? I feel like I’ll be doing quite a bit of bending with medicating, feeding and cleaning her litter box. Also, she sleeps with me right now. I’m under the covers while she is not, if that makes any difference.

Any thoughts and recommendations are welcomed.

Hi everyone. My nursing program starts next month. During orientation, the program director said they recently switched from textbooks to using ATI exclusively, after feedback from the last few cohorts.

I’m currently an LPN, but I was licensed back in 2022 (not even sure if that’s relevant); I’ve never even used ATI to know anything about it.

Can anyone share their experience with ATI in school? I’m so used to having a textbook and PowerPoints to refer to. How would they even teach without them? Do you feel like it is/did prepare you well with understanding concepts better than a book? For graduates, how do you feel it prepared you for the NCLEX?

I’ve had my cat for about 3 weeks. She is 10 months old. She is at the point where she’s left her safe room & is exploring the apartment more, though still a bit skittish. She has also become more vocal, which I love. The only issue is that I have no idea what she wants, or maybe she’s being greedy (lol).

She’s meowing quite a bit. Not annoying so and not constantly, but enough to where I’m wondering if I’m meeting her needs. This only started in the last 2-3 days when she started exploring more. I did some research and found that it could be one of the 3 things below, but I have to be missing something, right?

I thought she was hungry, so I would fix her a plate, but she shows no immediate interest until around her next feeding time. I feed her 3-4 times a day. The 4th feed only comes if I know I’ll be waking up a bit later the next day. She doesn’t meow to wake me up or anything.

I figured she wanted pets/attention, so I put my hand out & she kinda pushes herself into my hand so I pet her from head to tail & she will repeat that. Honestly, she could do that forever, but I’m not going to pet her forever. She also doesn’t start immediately meowing after I stop. She’ll stare at me, but doesn’t seem too offended & moves on.

So maybe she wanted to play? I can really only tolerate about 10 minutes of play at a time & she also seems to become less engaged around that time, so I stop.

The only other thing I can think of is that I’ve kinda decreased the amount of treats I give her. Early on, I wanted her to trust me and know that I would take care of her, so I would feed her a Churu a little bit throughout the day while she was in hiding. Also, just a few days ago I had begun to try to encourage her to come out of her room with some kitty crack (cannot remember the actual name). I only give her the kitty crack when she comes out of the room (which I still do), but she will meow whether she’s in or out of her room.

I’m just lost. Again, I’m not upset at her meowing, I just don’t know if I’m letting her down or if she’s just a yapper, lol. I have her first vet appointment on the first of next month, but I don’t think anything is wrong with her medically.