What to expect when you’re the first of your friends to have kids
Throughout my pregnancy I’d sit with my friends, often at a bar, sipping orange juice and Seven-Up and suspiciously eyeing my other female friends who weren’t drinking. I watched drinking patterns to see whether or not I could “score” a maternity leave buddy for at least part of my year as a stay-at-home mom. Although I have many close friends who often act as designated driver, no one was pregnant while I was. I have a handful of mom friends who are at home right now, but they all live outside of the city and on average are a fifty-three minute drive away.
How and why endometriosis caused me to voluntarily become a single mother at 22
I know that I am the one who needs to get up with her every time, without exception. I have no one to be angry and resentful towards because they don’t live up to whatever expectations I have put in place for them. I’ll never worry about a custody battle or if her dad will let her get a tattoo after I say no. Doing everything yourself is immeasurably easier when you know that is the case from the start. Sure, there are great men out there and resentment is not always the case — I just prefer the ease of not worrying about maintaining a relationship along with my other responsibilities. A personal choice, for sure, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Why I got my tubes tied before I turned 30
When I first broached the subject of permanent, non-hormonal birth control with my gynecologist, I wasn’t even considering a tubal ligation. I had originally been trying to decide between the copper IUD and Essure. IUDs (intrauterine devices) are not permanent, but they do last a while. Essure (spring devices that are implanted in your fallopian tubes) is a fairly new procedure that can be performed in your gyno’s office but is permanent. I was leaning toward Essure because it was permanent and would only cost an office co-pay until this happened: “If I were you, I would just get my tubes tied.”
I’m ready to start trying to have a baby and my husband isn’t: how can I move the conversation forward?
My husband and I have been married for seven years. We’re both gainfully employed and in our mid-thirties… and I think that 2014 should be the year we make the decision to start trying for our first child. But here’s the thing: while I’m ready to start trying to bake a kid, my husband isn’t, and I’m at a loss as to how I should tell him that I feel like it’s time for us do this thing.
How to track your cycles and chart your fertility without going super insane
So we all agree: Charting is a super, insanely useful way to get really amazingly in touch with your body and your cycles. But if you’re not careful, charting can drive you super insane. When you put a lot of time into something if it doesn’t immediately pay off, it can be emotionally and intellectually devastating. Based on what I learned during my 44 months of charting (…I KNOW), here’s a little guidance on how to chart without going super insane.
Pregnant belly, puppy, and lots of ink (plus, a dad-beard that wins the internet today)
Tattoo artists Rebecca and Brandon are happily expecting their first human child (they already have a dog) within the next few weeks, and recently asked photographer Ashlee Newman to document their pregnancy. The two chose a goooorgeous wooded river, and brought their fur baby along for the session.
The night I gained a life and almost died
I almost died on a quiet New Jersey highway when my son was just that little speck of two-week-old cells taking hold inside. It wasn’t the exaggerated, “Oh, girl, I died when I saw him at the bar,” or an “Isn’t that sweet little jacket just to die for.” It was almost very, very real. It was the almost-died where tiny lights flash in your eyes, the air smells different, your ears echo the sound of tires and the breath of the person sitting next to you over the sound of the blood sitting still in your veins.
What happens when your personal photos go viral and you get attacked online?
We’ve talked about what happens when your wedding goes viral and people hate it. But what happens when your personal photos go viral and people seemingly hate YOU. Offbeat Empire reader Barbara Reggio left this insightful comment on our Offbeat Bride post…