Girly Stuff

[Jebus]

And the stains a suit like that could develop are probably best dealt with by professionals in any case.

[Luet]

This is crafty and girly but I thought I'd put it here so as not to squick out the boys who don't want to know about such things. I just made some crocheted menstrual cup pouches out of bamboo yarn for my etsy store. Some people don't like the bags that come with cups...so there is a bit of a market for them.

[steph]

I've been taking the mini-pill for BC since I was breastfeeding, but this month I've switched to regular BC. It's making me morning sick, which for me, is 24/7. (No, I'm not pregnant. I double checked.) This happened when I started BC before I got married, but not when I went on it in between kids. I'm miserable!! And it's not even for the purpose of producing a cute baby! Grrr!

[Luet]

I have tried 8 different types of bcps over the years to help with endometriosis and had bad side effects with all of them. If the nausea doesn't go away and you want to try another type, I have found this article incredibly helpful. It compares all the different bcps and gives recommendations on what to switch to based on what side effects you are having. That being said, you usually have to give it 2-3 cycles for things to even out unless the side effects are so bad that you can't live with them that long. I have the same article in pdf form that includes the newer ones (Yaz, Yasmin) if you want me to email it to you.

[Gravity Defier]

When I was on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen years and years ago, I had three periods in about 5 weeks and felt like death. I gave up on BCPs after that and mostly don't look forward to the day when it's necessary I go back on some sort of BC.

[Gravity Defier]

Oh, look, I killed the thread.

I think I'm the worst girl ever. I actually manage to be surprised every time I get my period, even though I know when it's coming. I have kept track in an excel spreadsheet for years and it never fails that I follow the same pattern of breaking out, craving sweets, going completely insane, and wanting sex (more than normal) right before (and during)...but it comes and I am sincerely surprised by it.

Also, I'm highly annoyed at people lately because a few have felt the need to tell me I'd be more attractive if I 'played up [my] cuteness.' By which they mean wear different/tighter/more revealing clothes and makeup. Sorry, you people have the wrong girl.

[locke]

this seems the most appropriate thread. on another forum, there is a rousing discussion of whether or not the location of the clitoris should be taught in sex ed. the argument goes that the anatomy of the penis is taught in sex ed, but not of the female genitalia. As the only organ in the human body with no function other than pleasure I think that our children should be taught about it.

I wasn't even taught about menstruation in my public school, I missed the health class in my high schools that would have enlightened me. my first high school offered it in sophmore year, my main high school offered it my freshman year and since I didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of freshman, they looked at my pretty much perfect grades and waived the health requirement for me. I had, by that time, figured out what a period was on my own when I fourteen or fifteen. after figuring it out, I realized, "all those pad commercials where they show how much liquid they can hold, that's... BLOOD?! not pee? those aren't for old people with bladder issues? oh my. " heh

anyway, the following link I got from the thread on the other forum. it is very educational and somewhat medical, and not pornographic, but it is defniitely NSFW of those who object to images of human anatomy.

http://www.the-clitoris.com/f_html/anat_indx.htm

Alea mentioning her excel chart made me think in particular of the "cycle of the cervix" section of that site. it is fascinating the amount of things I still didn't know.

[Young Val]

UGH.

My period came three days early! I am at work! My Diva Cup is at home! I was just sterilizing it last night expecting that I'd get my period on SATURDAY and wanted to be ready. (Obviously I wash the cup thoroughly between uses, but I only boil it in hot water every month or so). Now I am cup-less and luckily at work I kept a stash of tampons in case this exact thing ever happened, but they are the SCENTED kind which I HATE but was forced to buy when the store offered no other options.


uggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggh.

want my bed and my boy and my heating pad now please.

[Luet]

Ugh, that sucks! And you didn't have, stashed somewhere, one of the beautiful, work-of-art, cloth pads that your wonderful friend Amanda makes?! I now have two...one with russian dolls and one with mermaids and octopi. Just for cup backup, though I rarely ever need them. But they are sooo pretty![/url]

[Young Val]

Haha, no, actually, I don't! I have several of her wipes (which I LOVE) and one of her pouches, and one of her calendars, but no pads. I never liked pads that much even when I was using disposable products, and while I fully believe all the positive talk about cloth pads, I just don't think it's the right method for me.

I HAVE been meaning to get a few of her liners, though, just for cup backup.

[starlooker]

Okay, I am officially DONE with LadyCup (LilacCup, technically, this time).

I used it last cycle, no problems, I used it the first two days of this one, no problems, take it out in the bathroom at work today and, guess what? Huge effing tear all down the side, just like last time. I don't think I've done anything to it that should have caused that. I thought I had backup stuff in my purse, but I didn't. I liked it better than the Diva just due to its feel/aesthetic, but no more.

ARG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn czechoslavakian made menstrual goods!

[Luet]

That sucks. I do know that they had some bad batches, that the eventually figured out were bad and they offered up on their site as "trial cups" (good for at least one use) for like $5. They have now fixed the problem and I haven't heard of any of the new colored cups tearing. I would contact the company (one more time) and ask for a new one. They don't seem to have any problem sending out replacements. I would tell them that you have had TWO tear and that you must have gotten two of the bad batch. You spent money on this product and deserve to get one that isn't going to tear. Especially if you like it more!

I have had my clear and orange lady cups for 8 and 4 months, respectively, and neither has torn. It was definitely a defect in the batches and I promise you will be able to get a good one this time.

[starlooker]

I don't know. I'm considering it. I'm still very, very hacked off and do not want to go through this whole thing again with them. Two in a row for a product whose whole basis is that you don't have to keep buying menstrual products is a little ridiculous. I'd pretty much rather just have my money back, actually, although I don't know if they'd do that. Still, though. I'll think about it.

[neo-dragon]

*Clears throat nervously* (Ahem)

Hello ladies. I know that it's not my place to come in here and preach to you all, but I nonetheless feel compelled to share some thoughts. Some months ago I posted the following in the guy stuff thread:

The other night (early morning, actually) I was flicking channels and I saw the stupidest infomercial ever. It featured these 4 very attractive women sitting around and talking about their love lives. Low and behold, it turns out that all of these women have ended relationships solely because they were disappointed by their man's small member. One young lady shares her story about this great guy she fell in love with in college. Apparently he was a tall, well-built male specimen, but as she said, "when he took off his pants it became clear that big feet really do just mean big shoes!" Then all four women roll their eyes and giggle, and it's implied that this was the deal breaker that caused her to dump this guy that she was "in love with".

All the while I'm watching this and thinking, insecure men are supposed to want to buy some overpriced vitamins to impress these women?

Suffice it to say, I don't think that any man should be concerned about enhancing his penis size in order to impress some vapid superficial air heads.

But it's really a two way street. This afternoon I once again found myself mindlessly flicking channels and was naturally inclined to pause when I noticed a pair of naked breasts. It turns out that I had stumbled across a program about two young ladies (sisters, in fact) who had decided to undergo breast augmentation surgery. The first thing that struck me about these women is that they were both beautiful! Pretty faces, and bodies that in my humble opinion were perfect just as they were, and all the more so for being natural. I wanted to shout at them. "Why? Why, can't you just be happy the way you are? There's nothing wrong with you."

The program did of course get into their reasons. One sister developed breasts early and consequently enjoyed plenty of attention from boys when she was young. Unfortunately (from her perspective) her breasts may have had a head start but they quit the race early, and the other girls eventually caught up and surpassed her. I don't remember what the other sister's reasons were, but I imagine they add up to the same thing, only in her case her natural size was already a C-cup.

Anyway, I continued to watch and suppress the urge to just change the channel in frustration as the sisters spouted stupid and often contradictory rationales about how it's the girls who show the most cleavage that get all the attention, but nonetheless, they wanted to enhance their breasts for themselves and if it happens to mean that they get more attention from men that's just something they'll have to deal with. At this point there was a brief discussion with one sister's boyfriend. You'd expect the guy to say something about how he loves her the way she is although he's willing to support her is she's sure that this is what she wants. No. He instead says something about how it's every guy's dream to be dating a pretty blonde with big breasts, and now he's living the dream! I'm sorry ladies. I apologize on behalf of the male gender. We think that guys that say these things are douches too.

The point that I'm slowly getting to and that I felt like screaming at my tv is that something as superficial as a boob job is not just to improve your own self esteem. Actually, to be more precise, it is, but that's only if your self esteem is hopelessly tied to what you think others think of you, or in particular your body. I'll buy the argument that it has nothing to do with attracting male attention and maybe even female jealousy when one of these women finds herself as the sole survivor of some sort of apocalyptic catastrophe and still wishes that her breasts were bigger when she's the only person around to see them.

I'm not going to say that "enhancing" certain physical features might not make you more physically attractive to men, but I can pretty much guarantee that the men who are drawn to your breasts are the same ones who will make you miserable in the future. The qualities that will compel someone to love you rather than just be attracted to you cannot be enhanced, enlarged, or injected with a scalpel or syringe.

This rant was by no means targeted at anyone in particular, and I doubt that anyone here needed to hear it. Still, I just wanted to get that off my chest.

[Luet]

It's Jason, right? I agree with and applaud your sentiments. Thank you for sharing them.

[neo-dragon]

My pleasure.

[Gravity Defier]

The qualities that will compel someone to love you rather than just be attracted to you cannot be enhanced, enlarged, or injected with a scalpel or syringe.

If only that were the message being pounded into young and not so young females by ads (print, billboards, commercials), movies, magazines, tv shows, music videos, etc. Then more girls might realize beauty is not such a limited, narrow thing after all.

That really was nice to hear, Jason. I'm nowhere near the physical ideal you'll find in the media I mention above so it is good to know my winning personality still counts for something with the men of the world.

[powerfulcheese04]

My period started today.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuck.

I'm so pissed.

[elfprince13]

The qualities that will compel someone to love you rather than just be attracted to you cannot be enhanced, enlarged, or injected with a scalpel or syringe.

If only that were the message being pounded into young and not so young females by ads (print, billboards, commercials), movies, magazines, tv shows, music videos, etc. Then more girls might realize beauty is not such a limited, narrow thing after all.

That really was nice to hear, Jason. I'm nowhere near the physical ideal you'll find in the media I mention above so it is good to know my winning personality still counts for something with the men of the world.

On a related note, meant to agree with both of you on this one, I'm sick and tired of hearing girls under the age 15 even talking about "being sexy" and dressing like skanks to show off their (as yet nonexistent bodies), and I'm tired of girls in general who whine about how ugly or unattractive they are, and the only thing that makes me more upset than the ones who are just doing it to get attention are the ones who actually believe they're ugly. Not looking like a model doesn't mean you're ugly. In every picture I've seen of you Alea (which to be honest is what, 4 of them?), you've looked really pretty. You (plural you, as in you girls) don't have to change your body just to get guys to find you attractive, and if you do decide to change your body that really shouldn't be your motivation.

[Gravity Defier]

I'm tired of girls in general who whine about how ugly or unattractive they are, and the only thing that makes me more upset than the ones who are just doing it to get attention are the ones who actually believe they're ugly.

It's my experience that the grand majority of girls who 'whine' about it are the ones who believe it, not the ones who are fishing for compliments. I don't think whine, from their perspective, is a fair description of what is happening either. If a girl believes it, I think it will be hard for her to admit or at least have a conversation about precisely because it's hard to tell someone who is trying to convince you otherwise it's kind but -in their eyes- wrong to call them anything other than what they believe themselves to be. If they do talk about it openly, I think it's more a case of 'I need you to understand what I'm feeling and not try to solve this for me.' But that's just from my experience - friends, too, not just my own issues.

Not looking like a model doesn't mean you're ugly.

Exactly. But that is not the message a lot of girls get from all the things I mentioned up yonder and your statement being 100% true does not change that.

In every picture I've seen of you Alea (which to be honest is what, 4 of them?), you've looked really pretty.

Thanks, but I was not looking for that sort of response. It was just a stupid thing to say, based on frustrations that have leaked out into conversations over the past month.

[elfprince13]

It's my experience that the grand majority of girls who 'whine' about it are the ones who believe it, not the ones who are fishing for compliments. I don't think whine, from their perspective, is a fair description of what is happening either. If a girl believes it, I think it will be hard for her to admit or at least have a conversation about precisely because it's hard to tell someone who is trying to convince you otherwise it's kind but -in their eyes- wrong to call them anything other than what they believe themselves to be. If they do talk about it openly, I think it's more a case of 'I need you to understand what I'm feeling and not try to solve this for me.' But that's just from my experience - friends, too, not just my own issues.

Labelling it as whining was perhaps, unfair, but on at least a weekly basis, I hear comments of that sort, from people from whom it is so unexpected that I have to ask them, "is that really how you're feeling?" because I'm honestly taken aback that they could think that.

Thanks, but I was not looking for that sort of response.

Then please, just accept it as the complement it was meant as, and also as an affirmation that I agree with you completely on this subject, and was merely adding my own experiences+venting to the discussion.

[Gravity Defier]

Running this past week and a half has been really, really painful. My chest was über-sensitive and sore and there was nothing my sports bras could do to alleviate that pain. For a time, I was running with my arms crossed - no easy feat- to try to add some support.

This would be one of those times I curse my not being either extremely flat chested or male.

I wasn't running but what I was doing was somewhat of a high-impact exercise at times, so the part about being in pain applies. I even doubled up on bras, because I was sensitive throughout the day, to try to add even more support (is that at all like being an idiot and doubling up on condoms thinking that will make sex safer?) but that didn't do a thing.

I hate PMS and I'm going to make a wild guess that those who have to deal with me probably hate it, too. Especially the part where I'm even more batshit crazy and irritable than normal.

Also, I was reading a link I found in this thread looking for that quote and now I want sex. Oh, I should also mention it was funny.

[Petra456]

I hate PMS and I'm going to make a wild guess that those who have to deal with me probably hate it, too. Especially the part where I'm even more batshit crazy and irritable than normal.

Ugh, I think I have PMS right now (i've never really been this bad before, so i'm not sure). I've been so grumpy/down all day and crampy. I have a horribly busy week coming up and it happens to land on the week i'm supposed to have my period. *grumpy*

[Dr. Mobius]

I'm even more batshit crazy and irritable than normal.

Wait, is that even possible?

[Confessions]

So here's another use for the Confessions username. Wanting to say something, but not wanting it permanently cached with a username easily identifiable with a real name. Short speak, casual nosey student shield.

Anyway.

I've had a diva cup for almost two years now. It was awful. They do not in the literature tell you how excruciating the suction can be as you try to remove it. Then you finally get it out and face the horror of trying to get it back in. It was not a practical option, but I didn't toss it, hoping one day I'd figure it out. (Thanks, pweb ladies, for continuing to rave about it. It gave me hope.)

Happily, I have now figured out how to break the suction. It's still awkward to get out and in, but generally not painful. And it takes rather more effort than just "pinching it at the base" like they tell you.

Which leads me to the most important part of this post. Planning. It's all about planning. I tend to keep a few disposable products around just in case. I forgot them, the other day. And went to work. And needed to empty the cup. No matter how well or often you scrub your hands, if you have been chopping up chilies for three and a half hours solid, you will still have residue on your fingers for hours afterwards. For the love of kittens, remember the safe disposable products.

[Petra456]

Posting this here too.

I really love how most guys smell. Guys have the best smelling shampoo, cologne, and deodorant. There's nothing better then cuddling up and falling asleep to those smells.

[elfprince13]

No matter how well or often you scrub your hands, if you have been chopping up chilies for three and a half hours solid, you will still have residue on your fingers for hours afterwards. For the love of kittens, remember the safe disposable products.

My mother once made the mistake of wiping her nose with her hand (with a tissue over it) after cookie with jabanero peppers....

Posting this here too.

I really love how most guys smell. Guys have the best smelling shampoo, cologne, and deodorant. There's nothing better then cuddling up and falling asleep to those smells.

I have a slightly cynical feeling they were designed that way for a reason.....I love Old Spice deodorant though.

[neo-dragon]

Posting this here too.

I really love how most guys smell. Guys have the best smelling shampoo, cologne, and deodorant. There's nothing better then cuddling up and falling asleep to those smells.

I have a slightly cynical feeling they were designed that way for a reason.....I love Old Spice deodorant though.

There's no doubt about it. It's really quite fascinating how we're biologically hardwired to respond to certain sensory stimuli. Pheromones are a huge part of attraction, and these products are designed to enhance certain masculine (or in the case of female products, feminine) scents. And it doesn't stop there, it applies to sounds too. Supposedly women's voices sound more attractive when they are most fertile. Love and attraction are nothing but biochemistry.

[elfprince13]

Passion and attraction are nothing but biochemistry.

Fixed that for you. Unfortunately english is somewhat limited in this respect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love

[neo-dragon]

I stand by my original wording. Love, all forms of it, are as much products of chemical reactions in your brain as anything else that you feel. It may not set in as suddenly as mere attraction, but they're not unrelated.

[elfprince13]

Love, all forms of it, are as much products of chemical reactions in your brain as anything else that you feel.

Or of being a spiritual being.

[Gravity Defier]

Love, all forms of it, are as much products of chemical reactions in your brain as anything else that you feel.

How could a person use that wording to say they're in love? Hmm.

"I'm having a chemical reaction to you"?


I would be highly amused if some guy told me something like that, assuming I knew what he was getting at.

[neo-dragon]

I'm as religious as the next guy but I don't really think that there's anything mystical about how we humans work. We're just complex organic machines, even if God drew the blueprints.

Love, all forms of it, are as much products of chemical reactions in your brain as anything else that you feel.

How could a person use that wording to say they're in love? Hmm.

"I'm having a chemical reaction to you"?


I would be highly amused if some guy told me something like that, assuming I knew what he was getting at.

We're not talking poetry here, we're talking science. I should have known I was getting too technical for the girls thread.

[Petra456]

"I'm having a chemical reaction to you"?


I would be highly amused if some guy told me something like that, assuming I knew what he was getting at.

I would find that really cute.

[Gravity Defier]

We're not talking poetry here, we're talking science. I should have known I was getting too technical for the girls thread.

But that would be, as Fred called it, cute.

Now in, boy, and don't even think of coming out until you are ready to apologize for that second bit.