#my period does things to my body and some of it affects my digestive stuff

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

People always joke about the “look up your symptoms online, cancer” thing, but as someone with anxiety and a family history of cancer on my dad’s side it’s super frustrating. I’ll be looking something up and the first part of a medical article is like “it’s common in cases of dehydration or constipation” and I know full well that I am currently experiencing period constipation at that very moment, but I look at the rest of the article just in case and part way down it’s like “could be cancer” and that part of the article then continues with “if accompanied by any of these other symptoms get checked for it” and I’m not experiencing those other symptoms, but now my brain is stuck on cancer when the most likely explanation is literally just my hormonal constipation

[alpaca-clouds]

Some Vampire Headcanons

Kinda based on the exchange I had with @0nelittlebirdtoldme, I thought I might as well talk a bit about how I handle vampire biology in certain regards. This is very much rooted in what we see in Castlevania, though I am gonna hold to those rules in my other stuff too (so both for DnD stuff, as well as original vampire stories).

Vampires and normal Food

This is one of the things we know about the Castlevania vampires, but that I like in general. Vampires as I write them can eat normal human food - it just does not give them any nurishment. So, they can eat it for the pure enjoyment of food, but when they are starving it does not do anything for them.

Of course, people would say: "But shouldn't their digestive system be specialized on digesting blood?" To which I say: "A human sized being could not sustain itself on blood alone. So, it is magic. Either way it is magic. So..." *shrugs*

But... While vampires can consume alcohol, they can no longer get drunk because the food does not get properly digested - hence the alcohol never enters the bloodstream.

Speaking of which...

Vampires and their own Blood

Okay, folks. Here is the thing. I know that the general consensus is that vampires have no blood on their own. But, well... They kinda need to have that. Especially if like me you wanna write some nice hot smut. Because here is the thing: No blood. No boner. No blood. No wet pussy. Both things depend on blood being there. So, yeah, they need blood.

Also it should be noted that basically in all vampire media we still see vampires bleed. Which I find kinda funny in Baldur's Gate, where there has been so much effort in thinking through how bloodlessness would affect Astarion's look. Yet... We see Astarion and the other vampires bleed, which they cannot do if they don't have blood. (Duh.)

Vampires and Regeneration

My vampires can regenerate normal wounds by taking a moment to focus on them. To put it into TTRPG terms: They can regenerate by taking one round of concentration on them. Which makes it a bit harder to regenerate during combat, but outside of it, it is rather easy. Though obviously it takes a bit longer to regenerate bigger wounds.

There is however some limits. Magical wounds cannot be healed like this. While they will still usually heal faster than with a human, they cannot just regenerate that kind of damage within minutes. Also it takes energy to regenerate. So if a vampire is hungry and has not fed in a while they regeneration slows considerably.

Vampires and Sleep

Speaking of regeneration... Vampires physically do not need to sleep. Their body does not develop exhaustion in the way mortal beings would. As such they do not need to sleep for the kind of regeneration that normal folks need.

However... Their mind does. Sleep is something that we also need for our psyche to process things we have experiences, to process things we learned. So if a vampire does not sleep, they will not do this processing... Which is not only bad for memory, but also for their psyche. This also means that a lot of vampires (due to what I talked about in another blog) do kinda struggle with this. As sleep brings nightmares, but not sleeping lets those nightmares seep into a reality.

Vampires and Fertility

Then there is the last thing. Vampires and their fertility. Another thing I spend too much time thinking about. So, what I came to: Most vampires with the cock and balls anatomy will stay fertile, as their fertility does not take up a lot of biological effort. Meanwhile vampires with ovaries loose their fertility some point during the first ten years after being turned. Because, let's face it... I don't want to put an eternity of periods onto anyone lol

As such it is possible for fullblooded vampires to be born - but it is rare.

So yeah. That is in general the rules I use for vampires in my writing.

[regular-human-being]

"You've got guts to spill (but no one trustworthy)" notes masterpost

Fic linked here!!!

Here are some notes from "You've got gut to spill (but no one trustworthy)" aka My ctntduo/sbi vampire au, because there are a few things that I didn't include and I wish I had

Note: I'll be updating this as the fic goes along, so there will be new stuff added weekly :D

Vampire logic

General facts

• They have enhanced sight, small, and hearing, which makes it easier to hunt their prey. Despite the fact they can see at night, it isn't perfect (their eyes reflect light much like a dog or cat)

• Vampires have to been invited into places deemed as "homes". It doesn't matter if that person is in the room/building, they still have to be invited in (imagine is one person deems a public library "home" (not literally), unless the vampire is invited in they cannot enter).

This applies to windows/skylights too, as they are another point of entry they have to be invited in either way. Once invited inside, they can entre through any entrance.

• Crucifies affect all vampires differently, based upon: their age, strength, and current energy.

• Older vampires will be less affected than fledglings, due to a tolerance build up. But a cross will still cause them to experience some pain. If a vampire is tired/low on blood, they will be more heavily effected.

• Holding a cross in front of a vampire will cause them to experience paint, and may also start smoking.

• Placing a crucifix (whether silver or wooden) above a door, will not completely stop a vampire from entering an establishment (especially if they have previously been invited in). However, for them it will be like having to wade through an invisible, painful force field.

• Their reflection will show up in mirrors that don't contain any sort of silver. They also show up in videos and photos.

• If their skin is cut, they will bleed if they have recently fed/have a lot of blood in their system. However, the wound will also heal faster, if they have more blood in their system.

But if their skin is cut with something made of silver, the wound will take a human amount of time to heal.

They will also heal fast, unless they are injured by: another vampire, silver, or burnt by the sun.

• Human blood is preferred, but harder to get a hold of, so they can also survive off animal blood. They are also more stable off human blood, and don't have to feed as often as it satiates their hunger for longer.

• Vampires can still eat and drink "human foods". However, their body does not process it the same way, and that food/drink will remain in their stomach until there is too much and they throw it all back up. For this reason, vampires tend to avoid eating "human foods".

However, foods with a higher concentration of blood is more likely to be digested fully.

Alcohol will also not have an strong effect on them, unless is is drank in a high quantity. The quickest/easier way to get a vampire drunk is for them to drink blood containing alcohol.

• They will physically remain the same age that they were turned out, as well as keeping some of the mentality from that age too.

_____

• Vampires will form bonds between them and other close members of their coven. Through this, they can communicate through feelings/emotions.

Coven bonds work like a phone line, you can get a signal from more than one person at the same time, but some are stronger than others; depending on who you're closest to.

The connection may become weaker/unresponsive, if the other person is far away or not paying attention.

_____

• Once turned, the vampire will take on animistic features from one animal. The type and severity is different for each individual, but all have the ability to hide said features for a short period of time.

• They cannot float/fly unless their animal has the ability to do so (giving them wings) (birds, bugs/insects).

_____

• The older the vampire is, the stronger they often are, and the more respected they are.

• Elder vampires will often sire others, or take in loose vampires, creating covens for said fledglings.

• Fledgling transformation (if done correctly) will last around a week to two, for the full transformation. But the vampire will remain in the nest/not go outside of the main coven building, for a few months whilst they adapt.

_____

The Sun

• Going outside during sunlight hours will make any vampire weaker than their full, nighttime potential./

• Cannot go out into direct sunlight (especially in summer) without burning almost instantaneously. Umbrellas/parasols, hats, and sun cream can be used to delay they burns, but with sun cream it will only stave it off for a few minutes at most.

• They can go out in overcast/cloudy/rainy weather, with less repercussions. But will still experience burns (especially in the former two) if out for extended periods of time.

• Reflecting direct sunlight onto a vampire will burn them the same (if not worse) than if they were to stand directly in the rays.

_____

Weaknesses

• Direct sunlight will result in burns and possible burns.

• Cannot enter buildings/rooms deemed as "home" without being invited in.

• Allergic to garlic, and will experience and similar anaphylactic reaction if exposed to it or ingest it.

• Crucifixes will cause a stinging/burning sensation. If exposed for to long, they will start smouldering.

• Cannot walk on holy land.

• A stake through the heart will kill a vampire then and there.

• Silver.

• Ripping out their heart or cutting off their head will kill them.

[carnevolution]

Polka-coughs: symptoms and care tips

hello! this is a masterpost of sorts about my experiences with the polka-coughs and caring for pierrogi while he was unwell.

firstly, what exactly IS the polka-coughs? well, it’s a sickness that affects mainly smaller clowns, and is the result of an inhibition in the ability to break down and absorb certain sugars. one of the main causes for this is the ingestion of chocolate; while some chocolates are made specifically to be safe for clowns, regular human chocolate is not, and can rlly mess with the way clowns process sugars and fats, especially smaller clowns with more delicate body compositions. this was the cause for pierrogi’s case, he got into some chocolate i had accidentally left out.

the main symptom for this, as the name might suggest, is coughing. clowns will attempt to cough up the unprocessed sugar in their bodies, and eventually end up ejecting a gummy, brightly coloured substance (may or may not be acidic to the touch). this is actually a combination of the unprocessed materials and tissue from the clown’s digestive system, which can vary in volume depending on severity. pierrogi’s case was thankfully only rather mild, so he was only coughing up stuff covered in a light mucous rather than a viscous or chunky fluid.

another common symptom is a loss of colour; clowns are typically brightly coloured inside and out, so of course loss of colour from their internal systems will translate to the outside as well, though this can vary depending on species. accompanying this also is a typical apathy one would expect from a sick clown; loss of energy and appetite, low frequency honking, etc.

now, what does one do to care for a clown that has these symptoms? firstly, make sure that ALL possible causes (chocolate, gummy bears, etc) have been safely locked away or removed from your clown’s access to prevent their condition worsening. then, stop feeding them high-sugar content foods until you’re sure their body is ready for it again. the polka-coughs can become very serious when left to go on for too long; by reducing the amount of sugar intake, you’ve giving your clown’s systems time to heal and preventing further damage. during this time period, you should be feeding them mostly savoury, yet still energy rich foods such as popcorn, assorted nuts, and corn dogs (though make sure to cut it up and only feed about a third at a time to a small clown like pierrogi! this is definitely not a good time to risk overfeeding your clown), though it’s also important to watch your clown’s appetite and not force them to eat more than they can handle, especially since their already delicate systems are out of balance.

other than this, the clown will need a lot of rest to help fully get their digestive system back to normal. it’s definitely not a good idea to encourage clowns to play or perform during this time as they’re using the majority of their energy on healing, though they might become more clingy and cuddly as they’re more dependent on you (this was the case with pierrogi).

another thing you will need to do is constantly keep your clown and its living space clean; that means wiping up the contents your clown coughs up and any residue, however DO NOT give your clown a bath during this time. i could go into so much detail about how you should almost never bath a clown, but that’s a post for another time; just know that it can severely impact your clown’s mental health and behaviour, just wiping up any mess is sufficient enough.

the polka-coughs usually last from 3-7 days, but can of course vary depending of the initial severity and care during this time. you can usually tell pretty easily when a clown is no longer sick, as they would have regained their colour, stopped coughing up material, and would generally seem to be in better spirits overall.

if your clown’s condition seems to be only worsening, or shows no signs of clearing up after a week, get them to a clown doctor IMMEDIATELY; lack of sugar for long periods of time can cause life-long complications for clowns, and can even be deadly in some cases.

those are the main things i can think of, but if anyone has any questions, or would like any further details on anything, i’d be happy to share! hope this helps!

[normal-thoughts-official]

Do you think Alec and Magnus use condoms? How do you think warlocks deal with STD?

REALLY interesting question, i must say that i love it. thank you anon. i hope you know that i will take it way too seriously

okay, so the first question is, ARE magnus and alec susceptible to STDs? unexpected p-words are not a problem because warlocks are sterile anyway (and, if you subscribe to both magnus and alec being of the same AGAB, also because it's not possible to get both gametes or whatever), so let's focus on the STD aspect (really important!). i think human STDs would not affect them, or at least not magnus. maybe alec because shadowhunters are notably more susceptible to weaknesses humans have, like disease and mortality and whatnot. but would human STDs affect warlocks?

i tend to go with no, because warlocks are immortal. immortality, especially as it is built in the sh verse (immortals can be killed but their body won't die on its own) kind of implies that they have, like, supercells or superorgans or something, that don't deteriorate - or, alternatively, that can rebuild way faster than they could be deterioriated. im saying that because stuff like aging and eventually dying is essentially the process in which your body can no longer replace dying cells at the same speed at which they die, which leads to your body weakening as a lot of its functions are impaired. therefore, immortality as in not aging and not dying on your own but still being able to be killed if you are, say, stabbed, implies that that process simply doesn't happen. so we have one of the two: either the cells don't die, or the speed at which they are replaced never changes

in my understanding, this implies that diseases don't affect immortals. maybe they can even contract them, but their body is too strong for it to have an effect. like having a disease without symptoms. but i tend to believe that rather than living with 8945134081 deadly viruses and bacteria inside them just sleeping around, the viruses and bacteria simply can't live inside them - both because superbody means super-immunological system and because superbody means that the bacteria and viruses essentially have no place to grow in, as they can't break their cells or whatever it is that that particular strain does

like - and that is true particularly for viruses as far as i remember, not so much bacteria - the way these mfs work is that they attack the cells of a body and use them to reproduce. but if you are talking about a body that has cells that are essentially unbreakable or so highly regenerative any attack on them is dealt with so quickly it doesn't even have an effect, i don't think any virus should be able to break into their cells in the first place. they would die without reproducing and bam, done. if you are going with the second theory (warlock cells do die, they just can keep replacing them as much as they want without a problem) then you probably have a situation where the virus can reproduce, but its reproduction doesn't lead to any problems because the dead cells are replaced as fast as they are killed. in that case, the warlock would be, technically, carrying the disease indefinitely. but i tend to think that considering how strong that body is and the fact that they have an immunological system (as they are half human and have no reason not to inherit that from their human parents) that is ALSO mega strong would mean these viruses would probably be eliminated quickly

bacterial diseases are different since mostly what bacterias do (again as far as i remember) is that they live inside the body, not necessarily inside the cells, but using the body's space to reproduce, and eventually their presence - usually due to the fact that they produce toxic elements that affect the host - leads to nearby cells dying/the space they are in deteriorating, etc. but again warlock's cells are either essentially unbreakable or highly regenerative, so that wouldn't be a problem, and they could overpower invasive bacteria easily before a colony could form. so, no human bacterial diseases would be able to flourish, either

and that's not even considering the fact that as they are half human they probably have an immunological system that is ALSO superstrong and therefore able to fuck up any disease causers. or the role magic might take in protecting the body, like, who's to say the magic itself doesn't kill any invasive bacteria or viruses that come into the body before it can do anything? why not?

so all of that, allied with the fact that many viruses and bacteria are evolved to develop within the systems of a particular species (for example, that particular virus has evolved to grow in a cow's digestive system, and therefore can't survive for long in a monkey's or a human's), is interpreted by me as "warlocks can't contract human diseases", since warlocks are a different species from humans, as are shadowhunters. sure, they're hybrids, which makes this part of the argument a little more complicated but obviously their demon side is stronger than their human side, since they are immortal. and demons definitely aren't getting rabies or whatever because that is just too fucking lame

so okay! no human STDs. we have established that now. bUT, i think it's possible that warlocks are able to contract their OWN diseases - strains that attack warlocks specifically, particularly a warlock's magic, since again they kind of have a superbody but i feel like the magic is a more fragile thing, especially as they aren't fully magical (because they're half human)

don't ask me how these work <3 obviously magic can interact with non-magical beings and elements so maybe there are bacteria are viruses that developed specifically to settle in magical components, but that sounds like a huge evolutive leap since magic is so different from like, cells. or maybe there are also magical beings that work as disease transmitters in a similar but essentially different way. and they probably can also be transmitted via sex because i mean, why not? sounds as good a mean as any

but, could magnus and alec transmit those to each other? i don't think so, because shadowhunters have wildly different magic from the one warlocks do - their magic is angel magic, warlock's is demon magic, AND, furthermore, they work in completely different ways. for starters, shadowhunters magic is so pathetic diluted that some of them don't even consider it magic at all. i mean, that is also because of good ole racism (hardly the first time racism led people to call the exact same thing by different names so they can convince themselves their way of being is superior even when it is the same) but there is a huge difference because warlocks are able to conjure and interact with magic and have it as a part of their beings and experience of the world through it, whereas shadowhunters can "borrow" particular powers for a small period of time at best. it is possible that the magic doesn't even exist within them, they are just capable of handling it inside their bodies for some time, which is why they need runes to use it and it has a limited effect

so i think diseases that affect warlocks could not be passed between magnus and alec, and WOW is it weird to realize that magnus and alec are of different species. like i knew that but when that knowledge comes to practice it's just so weird. anyway

and idk if diseases that affect warlocks would be able to live dormant inside shadowhunters and then be transmitted because, like i said, shadowhunters have completely different magic if they even have it at all, and i don't think the disease beings that live in warlock magic would be able to be inside their body. so, to answer your first question - i don't think magnus and alec would NEED condoms, because i don't think they are capable of passing STDs to each other, and in at the very least magnus' case (debatable for alec, i tend to think that because shadowhunters are essentially human they can catch any disease humans can, altho maybe they have a rune to begone them) i don't think they can even catch human STDs. and magnus has a cum kink so that probably means no condoms

as for how warlocks deal with STDs! like i said i think they are only affected by STDs (and diseases in general) that affect their magic, not their body. so, they probably have treatments for those. we gotta remember that warlocks have a very developed society full of academics, so they probably have worked to find cures for magical diseases, if they exist at all. so, there are probably particular treatments for those. i don't think magical diseases abound or anything, particularly because the amount of magical beings is pretty limited and magic is so different from non-magical elements so non-magical beings such as viruses and bacteria would have to change a lot to be able to evolve into magic-affecting beings. again, if they even exist. but yeah i think they as a (group of) society(ies) have worked on cures for those. which is funny to think about because like, do they blast the magical diseases with begone rays or something? please say yes. id love that

with all of that being said, i hope u know that i was planning on answering asks the next weekend (not this one, the other one) cuz ive been busy as hell lately and it'll be the first time i'll have time lmao, and i was literally just in a bathroom break between readings when i saw this ask and i just couldn't resist answering it. this is it. what broke my studying resolve. magical STDs. you should be proud

mandatory disclaimer that please for the love of god use condoms, you are not immune to STDs. also, this post is about show canon, not book canon, so i don't care if this is in accordance to what the books say. also, i'm no expert in healthcare, this post is just for fun, so don't take anything i used to build my arguments as scientific truth or anything like that

[raptorsandpoultry]

DNA viruses in poultry

Thought I’d change things up a little a write about some of the stuff I learned in veterinary medical school this year! Here are some of the important viral diseases in poultry (this post will cover DNA viruses only - I’m hoping to write about the RNA viruses later this week). For a basic introduction to viruses, check out this link.

Chicken anemia

Caused by chicken anemia virus (CAV) from the Circovirus family, this disease affects poultry farms worldwide. It acutely suppresses the immune system of chicks, resulting in decreased appetite, lethargy, depressed behaviour, increased mortality within flocks, and severe anemia - an abnormally low number of circulating red blood cells. In affected chicks, the lymphoid tissue, which is a major component of the immune system and includes white blood cells, shrinks down or fails to fully develop. Infection with other viruses at the same time, severely worsens anemia and mortality. Chicks become resistant starting at 1 to 2 weeks after hatching, and infected adults usually experience no illness or egg production loss. Chicken anemia is prevented by vaccinating hens, who will then pass on immunity to their chicks. 

Marek’s disease

Marek’s disease virus, or gallid herpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2), exists worldwide and belongs to the Herpesvirus family. It occurs in a couple of different varieties, or serotypes. Serotype 1 viruses vary in terms of how likely they are to cause diseases, while viruses of serotype 2 are avirulent (do not cause disease) and are thus used to develop vaccines. This disease is the most common cause of lymphoproliferative (causing certain types of white blood cells to multiply at an abnormal rate) disease in 2 to 5 month-old chickens. 

Marek’s disease virus particles are transmitted in the air, so they usually end up infecting the lining cells of the respiratory tract after they are breathed in. The virus then spreads through the immune cells of various organs, and ultimately suppresses the entire immune system by multiplying, or replicating in key immune organs such as the thymus, bursa of Fabricius, bone marrow, and spleen. Cells within these organs are slowly killed, and fully infectious virus particles can only be found in dandruff from feather follicles.

Even chickens that seem perfectly healthy on the outside can be lifelong carriers, which means that they still carry virus particles and are able to shed them and infect other birds (although it cannot be transmitted from hens to their chicks through the egg). 1-day-old chicks who are susceptible to infection and do become visibly ill will begin to show signs at 3 to 4 weeks after infection. At 5 to 6 weeks, they will shed massive amounts of virus particles.

Marek’s disease is progressive and manifests as a few different syndromes, or groups of typical signs:

1) Classical Marek’s disease, which affects white blood cells associated with neurons, causes paralysis or one or both wings or legs, incoordinated movement, wing-drooping, and lowering of the head. This is the form of the disease that most people will be familiar with, and the photo below shows one of the most common postural abnormalities: (sorry for the lack of visuals in this post, I don’t want to fill your dash with anything too graphic!)

2) In the acute form, there is a massive and sudden outbreak in which many chickens within the flock show depressed behaviour, loss of coordinated muscle movements, and paralysis.

3) The ocular form causes immature forms of white blood cells to multiply and infiltrate one or both eyes, resulting in partial or total blindness.

4) The cutaneous form is seen as nodules or lumps at the feather follicles, and is most noticeable after chickens are plucked.

Veterinarians typically diagnose flocks with Marek’s disease based on general information about the flock, the age of the chickens, clinical signs, and post-mortem examination findings confirmed by histopathology (viewing tissue samples under a microscope). Genetically resistant lines of chickens can be produced, and it is possible to establish a flock that is completely free of Marek’s disease, but having it stay that way is very difficult.

Vaccination against Marek’s disease is successfully practiced around the world. Standard protocol is to vaccinate chicks at 1 day of age, but vaccines for 18-day-old embryos are becoming more widely available. Live vaccines that use more than one attenuated (weakened) serotype provide better protection. Genetically engineered vaccines are currently in development as well. 

Infectious laryngotracheitis

Also from the Herpesvirus family, ILT virus, or gallid herpesvirus 1 (GaHV-1), causes severe respiratory disease in adult chickens (inflammation of the larynx and trachea, or upper respiratory tract). Serious outbreaks occasionally occur in commercial flocks in countries such as Canada, while infections are endemic (regular) in some show and hobby farms. It can only be diagnosed through laboratory testing. Eye drop or drinking water vaccines are available, but do not consistently provide effective protection.

Avian pox

Avian pox is a slow-spreading disease of many different bird species, including chickens, turkeys, quail, pigeons, parrots, raptors, etc. It can be caused by many different species of viruses, but they all belong to the genus Avipoxvirus. These viruses are very resistant to drying out, and can survive for long periods in scabs, even after they have fallen off skin. It is commonly transmitted by parasitic insects, especially mosquitoes. 

There are two forms of avian pox:

1) the dry or cutaneous form, in which birds present with proliferative skin lesions on the face, beak, legs and feet, etc.

2) the wet or diphtheritic form, which affects the lining of the mouth, esophagus and sometimes the trachea. Birds with this form of avian pox are not expected to survive.

Avian pox is controlled by several types of vaccines.

Avian adenoviruses (uncommon)

There are many different serotypes of avian adenoviruses, and they are classified into 3 main groups: I - the fowl adenoviruses (FAdV); II (includes the turkey haemorrhagic enteritis virus); and III (includes the egg drop syndrome virus).

Fowl adenoviruses can be found within the respiratory and digestive tracts of both normal (infection is usually not obvious) and diseased chickens. The mechanisms by which they cause disease are not clear; howver, inclusion body hepatitis caused by certain types of fowl adenovirus result in inflammation of the liver and kidneys, bleeding within muscles, and sometimes anemia. IBH has also been documented in pigeons.

Turkey haemorrhagic enteritis virus infection causes acute inflammation of the intestines,abnormal cell growth in the spleen and liver, and possibly suppression of the immune system in young turkeys. The virus has also been found in chicken with enlarged spleens, and in pheasants with marbled spleen disease. There is a vaccine available for turkeys.

Egg drop syndrome is of major concern in Europe, but does not currently occur in North America. It may cause egg production losses in ducks (from which it originates), quail, and chickens. A vaccine is available in Europe.

Source: All info above is from my vet med school notes

[jupitermelichios]

Binding Safety: what the Binding Health Project study tells us

[sorry in advance for the long post, but this is important health stuff so i didn’t want to hide it under a cut where most people won’t bother reading it]

There’s been a lot of talk lately on trans/nb/gnc tumblr about a 2016 study on the health impacts of binding, after a user made a post about how choosing to bind should be a decision taken very seriously due to the serious long-term health effects, and linked to the study.

I was curious, because as someone who’s been binding for several years now, the study results referenced sounded somewhat extreme. So I went and read the study to see for myself. (Which you can access HERE, and I encourage you to read it for yourselves. It’s not as daunting to read as it initially looks provided you have a decent grasp of English). This is in no way intended to be a callout or response to that user, which is why I’m not naming them. I just read the study and realised I hadn’t seen the results being talked about. Thank you to the op for directing me to the study.

The study is pretty broad with a reasonably high level of responses (1800 people in total were used - some more responded but were excluded for being under 18). There’s a few things that might immediately jump out at you though.

Mainly, this was the first ever study of the kind, and as such, it’s intended to gather preliminary data (that is, a broad overview intended to provide a starting point for other more in-depth studies in the future). There’s a lot of questions I would say definitely need to be answered before any serious conclusions can be drawn that just aren’t covered at all. Which is fine, it’s a preliminary study, but that also means we should take care when viewing the results.

First of all, my qualifications. I’ve been binding regularly for three years now, and my degree involved some studying and inpretting of questionnaire and other study responses, so I am relatively familiar with this format of data. I am also a fully qualified first aider, so I have some medical knowledge. However I am not a sports scientist/biologist/medical professional, and three years really isn’t all that long in the grand scheme of things. As such, you should definitely consider seeking out other opinions on this study, and on binding safety in general, before making any kinds of decisions about whether to start/continue binding.

With that out of the way, here’s a run down of limitations to bear in mind before I talk about the actual results:

1. This was an online study and as such is most going to capture a younger target demographic, and also therefore people who had been binding for a shorter period of time. More than half the respondants were under 24, and the average respondant had been binding for only 2 years. The study does not report on whether there is any correlation between age and experience with binding and health impact or not, which is a question that it’s definitely worth asking. (To put it simply, I think it is likely that people who are older or have been binding for a long time are more likely to spot if the way they bind is hurting them than younger people, but I don’t have evidence for that assumption because there hasn’t been any research yet that covers that topic).

2. This is not a longditudinal study (where subjects are studied over a long period to track changes over time), and as such it is only capturing a snapshot as at the point people filled it the questionnaire. Some questions did cover before and after experiences, but that’s not the same as a long term study, and the study itself mentions this as a limitation.

3. This is anecdotal evidence with no input from medical professionals (in case people aren’t familiar with the terms, asking someone if they eat a lot of spaghetti would get you anecdotal evidence, as opposed to a researcher following someone around and recording whether they actually ate spaghetti, which would be empirical evidence. Neither type of evidence is superior, they’re just useful for different things). Self reported data is important and useful, but there’s also going to be some blindspots, and one of those could potentially be whether binding is actually the root cause of the health problems reported. (Which isn’t to say that it isn’t, just that the study didn’t try to rule other possible causes).

4. Over 80% of respondants used commercial binders (garments made specifically for the purpose of binding, purchased from a shop, rather than improvised/homemade garments, or repurposed garments intended for other things like playing sport), and so the data on other binding methods is limited, meaning the ability to compare accross different binding methods is likewise limited.

5. All commercial binders are grouped together with no distinction between the different types, but annecdotal evidence from the community strongly suggests there are major differences between binders with fastenings and elasticated binders when it comes to health

6. Respondents were asked only what they currently or most frequently bound with, not whether they had used other binding materials in the past. Many people, especially those who begin binding young, will start with something improvised before moving on to a commercial binder. Some of the health affects the study associates with commercial binders may actually be the long term result of other binding methods. (Again, they also may not be, the point is just that we don’t know)

7. There has yet to be a study of the effects of binding which compares it to wearing a bra regularly, but some of the health impacts reported have also been linked to bras, especially amoung people with larger chests. (Back and shoulder pain especially). This suggests (although obviously in no way proves) that some of the results may be related to more body shape than they are binding.

8. The study itself mentions several times that they did not cover the size of binder/level of compression people chose, or whether they were layering binders (except layered shirts or sports bras), both of which have been strongly linked to health impacts by community anecdotal evidence

There’s almost certainly more I haven’t thought of, but those are just the ones that immediately spring to mind. Again, this is not to say this study is worthless. This study is, and was intended to be, a useful jumping off point for more detailed studies.

So what does the study actually say:

1. Most people who bind report some impact on their health. These impacts can range from fairly minor (itching and overheating) all the way up to very serious (skin/soft tissue infections and rib fractures, which in can lead to more serious infections and punctured lungs respectively). The most common effects are back pain and overheating. Binding without getting side effects of some kind is extremely rare.

2. The number of days a week you wear a binder is a much better indicator of whether binding it going to negatively impact your health than how many hours at a time you wear your binder.

3. Within the limits of this study (see above) commercial binders are the most associated with health impacts, while binding methods developed for sports, such as sports bras and compression vests, are the least associated.

4. The impact of binding on mental health is generally very possitive

So what if I already bind and don’t want to stop / am considering starting to bind. Should I be worried?

This is where we’re getting much more into my personal anecdotal experience and interpretation of the results. Other people may not agree with what I’m about to say, and it’s important that we listen to those voices, especially if they come from people more qualified than me.

IMO the answer is not especially, if you’re being sensible. It definitely is a decision to consider seriously before you begin, but unless you’re doing something really dangerous it’s probably not going to do serious harm. However there are some safety steps you need to take to protect yourself. Some of these will be stuff you’ve probably seen before from the community. Some of them may be new, because there’s bits of this study which do contradict what the community thought they knew about binding safety.

Based on this study, and my own/community anecdotal evidence, you should:

1. Take regular breaks from binding. Take days off as often as you can. This is the biggest predictor of low/minimal health impacts. If you’re not going out, or if you’re not feeling dysphoric, take a day off. Binding can become a habit easily, but if it’s not necessary avoid it. Try and, at the minimum, get into a ‘if I’d be happy wearing sweat-pants or pyjamas today, then I shouldn’t be wearing a binder’ mindset.

2. Do not sleep in your binder. Even a looser or more comfortable one. (Also any bra-wearing people wearing this, don’t sleep in your bra either. It’s really bad for you). While length of time you wear a binder while awake doesn’t seem to impact health, sleeping in a binder can.

3. Bind with material that stretches. Using stiff binders, whether that’s homemade, tape/bandages/plastic wrap, or one of the velcro/hook commercial binders, is how you end up with fractured ribs and breathing difficulties. If something is able to comfortably expand with your breathing, it’s not going to break anything when you breath. If it isn’t... well, that’s how you get 8% of responses being from people who’ve cracked ribs in the past.

4. Pay attention to your body, and keep binding in mind as a possible cause for any new pain or other health problems, especially if those problems affect your chest, shoulders, lungs, or digestive system. (Your stoumach is way higher up in your body that you probably think it is, so it can be impacted by some binders.)

5. Consider athetic supports for binding. If you can/are comfortable with them, binding options which have been designed and tested by sports scientists for their impact on the body, and breathing in particular, are going to be your safest option. Consider whether a sports bra or compression vest would work for you rather than a commercial binder (and/or swap them out with a commercial binder).

6. Accept that you’re never going to be completely flat, just like most cisgender men aren’t completely flat, and don’t try to aim for that, especially if you’ve got a bigger chest. Trying to achieve an idealised body is never healthy, whether that relates to musclemass, weight, or chest size, and it’s this kind of thinking (tempting as I know it can be) that leads people to make dangerous choices.

7. Never forget that it is possible to bind so tightly that you cut off blood circulation to parts of your chest, which is how you get infections and even necrosis. Which in turn, as well as being horrible and possibly impacting your ability to have top surgery if that’s something you want, is how you get sepsis, which has a terrifyingly high chance of killing you, but especially if it’s starting right next to your vital organs. Because you’re not watching the tissue go white the way you would if you tightened something around your arm, for instance, it can be easy to forget this is a possible outcome. Bear this in mind, and choose your compression levels accordingly.

8. Wear a binder that fits. If you’re buying a commercial elasticated binder, make sure you’re picking the right size for you and only wear one at a time. The big brands like GC2B, Underworks, and Trans-Missie have size charts. Read them, and don’t order a size smaller becuase you think you know better.

9. Stretch regularly and be aware of your posture as much as possible. (Honestly this is good advice for everyone, especially extremely online people; laptops are great but their impact on posture and therefore spinal health has been pretty catastrophic). Excercises that strengthen your core muscles are also great, because those muscles help hold your spine in place. I’ve been told by way too many physiotherapists/osteopaths/chiaropractors that my lack of core strength is the root of my recurring back and neck problems, and since binding can negatively affect your spine, this goes double for those of us who bind.

10. Be aware of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, they’re real and they’re dangerous. Stay hydrated, stay in the shade, and consider not binding on hot days if possible. (Generally just avoid tight clothing and synthetic fabrics wherever you can when it’s hot, and since binders are both, that goes double for them). Also talc often has some really bad stuff in it, but some sort of anti-stick powder in your (sorry for the gendered language, couldn’t think of a good neutral alternative) cleavage and underboob areas is an absolute lifesaver on hot days, and as long as you pick something smooth and skin safe will help with itching.

11. Take the time to choose a binder that’s right for your body. It’s really easy if you’re new to binders to assume that however the first one you buy fits is normal, even if it actually doesn’t fit at all and causes you pain. It’s entirely possible to bind without pain, especially if you take regular days off, so if your binder hurts, even if it’s just mild discomfort, it’s probably the wrong size. This is one of the reasons it’s so important that folks who bind talk about their experiences, and that younger or newer members of the community reach out to more experienced members for advice and support.

Binding can have a serious impact on your health, no one is denying that, but if anything looking at the results of this study, limited though it was, suggests that there’s a lot you can do to make it relatively safe. It’s still a decision you should think through, and it requires a level of physical monitoring many people aren’t used to, but it’s not some big scary life threatening thing.

Anyway, I hope that was interesting and/or set some people’s minds at rest. I know I’ve seen that post a lot the last couple of days, and it had me worried before I went and read over the results, which again, I’d urge you all to go and do if you can (warning that it’s probably not super screen-reader friendly due to the formatting of the reports). I’m not a medical or scientific professional, so if people better qualified to interpret the study than me, or if people who have been binding for longer and have more anecdotal evidence than me, have dissenting opinions it would be great to hear them.

I’ll leave you with one last tip, which isn’t health related but which I wish someone had given me when I was starting out:

12. If at all possible, order binders from your country or at least continent, because chances are the first one you order will need to be returned or adjusted and international shipping and customs charges are a bitch, especially if you’re on a budget. The closer to home it ships from, the easier it will be to return it.

TL:DR; binding is very likely to have some impact on your health, but how serious that impact is is heavily dependant on how, and how safely, you bind. Taking days off from binding is the best way to protect yourself, and garments designed for sports are the safest binding method. However there still needs to be a lot more research done before we can draw up anything more than rough guidelines for safety, and you should therefore take care and pay attention to your body if you decide to bind.

[juupajaa]

🥀Suffering phase:

Ah man this is gonna suck. I hate this. Just feck everything about this stage. This is where it just turns so dark and brutal that there’s nothing that can make it work. I hope it’s at least informative and reaffirming. This might get heavy so read when you feel you’re ready.

So one day you wake up and go to engage in your disordered behaviour, but for some reason it didn’t really make you feel any special way. You don’t think too much of it yet. You try again later, but still you don’t get that good feeling from it. You do it again, and again, but it’s just not doing it for you anymore. I’m sorry to say this, but honeymoon is over.

Ok so here’s where eds and de split. I’m gonna go through de route first, since this is pretty much where de stops. 

Some with disordered eating might recover right now. If your quality of life has improved, seeing your coping mechanism not work anymore can turn you back and make you run back to real life. For example, let’s say you started to use de to cope with pressure from school/work/hobbies. The pressure has now eased up and you don’t need to deal with it anymore. Your disordered eating isn’t needed and you can phase out of it in a short period of time and best case scenario, you never go back.

For other’s the situation hasn’t improved, they’re still at a bad place and can’t deal with the shit that’s going on in their life, so the disordered eating stays, despite it not helping anymore. Some might wallow in a state of not really getting worse or better, which can be extremely distressing since there is never any improvement or relief. Other’s might get into a cycle where their disordered eating perks up every now and then when they feel negative emotions, and sometimes is backs off and leaves when things get a bit easier for a while. 

The thing about disordered eating is that it doesn’t solve your problem, so there might be pressure to try harder to engage in disordered behaviour, which can lead to your de turning into an ed. I’d like to point out that de is getting more and more common in western/modern society. Some things that probably have contributed to this are sugar addiction, high accessibility of already prepared food, and snacking instead of eating regular meals, but I didn’t check any of that so don’t take that as anything but my own ramblings. Here are some examples of what disordered eating is like and how to differentiate it from a full blown ed:

experiencing anxiety about food/nutrition/your body on the daily basis (eds have this too)

disordered behaviour, for example, restricting, purging, binging, obsessing over nutrition, other abnormal eating habits (eds have this too)

 being able to take part in meals with others and act out normal behaviour most of the time, despite the extreme discomfort from the disordered thoughts (in eds, this ability is fading or completely removed)

being able to do things that go against your disordered thoughts most of the time, despite feeling extremely terrible about it (in eds, going against the disorder becomes near impossible)

being able to “switch it off” when needed, for example in order to keep it secret or to “take it easier for a bit” (in eds, there is no off switch, the disordered thoughts are constant and there’s no way around them)

being able to go on for long periods of time without really having that many disordered thoughts or without letting them bother you and hinder whatever you’re doing at the time (in eds, the disordered thoughts are intrusive, overwhelming, and they prevent you from doing unrelated things constantly)

I know this can be hard to hear for some, since the need and desire to get a full blown ed can be extremely strong. There’s no shame in that and I’ll tell you why. Your de isn’t helping you cope anymore and your life is overwhelming. Thanks to that bitch honeymoon phase, you know for a fact that this can help you feel better. The problem is however that it won’t help you, but you don’t have a lot of options, since you don’t know how to cope with your situation. The assumption is that you need to get even “better” at your thing in order to cope better again. It makes perfect sense, so don’t feel stupid for wanting for it to get even worse. For some it does, for other’s it don’t and we don’t know what exactly is that thing that makes the difference, but we all need help and new, better coping mechanisms, no matter if it’s de or a full blown ed we deal with. Disordered eating can be dangerous too and the discomfort alone is enough to start affecting you negatively. Further down I have written a list of stuff that you might experience from having disordered thoughts and engaging in disordered behaviour and a lot of what I will write about eds can ring familiar to you too. I’m not gonna talk more about disordered eating, but if you feel like you have it, I recommend looking more into it in order to understand it better.

So now let’s talk about eds. Ok so let’s say one day you get up to do something you were planning on doing, but suddenly you realize, you can’t do it. Your de prohibits you from doing something you wanted to do. And then it happens again. And again.

And AgAiN anD aGaiN. 

You’re out of the honeymoon and your ed has fully formed. The difference between an ed and de is the frequency and intensity of your obsession with food/your body. It’s starting to take up hours upon hours of your day to do everything that your ed asks you to do and the pain, sacrifices, shame and guilt, are just barely worth the tiny bit of relief you get when you perform your disordered behaviour. 

So by now some of you are getting malnourished. Now, being malnourished doesn’t mean you’re underweight, nor does it mean you haven’t eaten in two days. Being malnourished means you haven’t been getting proper nutrition in months. This can be because you don’t get enough calories in, you purge too much of your intake, or you are eating foods that don’t provide you with enough nutrition, such as eating only one or few things or not eating enough of something specific. You can be malnourished at any weight and you can be malnourished even if you eat multiple times a day or have some “good days” in between. Here’s what being malnourished might feel like:

You’re in a whole another world. It feels like other people aren’t even in the same universe as you

It can feel like everything’s a bit slow, even if days go by quickly, colours aren’t quite as bright as they used to be and sounds seem muted

Your work memory is so minimal that you’re having trouble getting through basic tasks without stopping to think about what you’re doing

You feel exhausted all the time, there’s no point in talking or doing anything, you just want to go lie down and even then you don’t feel like you’re resting

You’re either irritable or apathetic, rarely anything else

Even something as small as reaching for something feels like a task

You’re having trouble communicating your point to others and your point seems lost on yourself too

You’re having trouble following conversations and sometimes it feels like people are speaking gibberish and not real words at all.

Being malnourished is not fun, that I can tell you. It can sound similar to depression and those two usually go hand in hand. A lot of people with eds also have anxiety or depression and as we have already established earlier, other mental disorders play a part in your ed as well and equally, your ed might be making your other disorders worse.

Getting malnourished isn’t a requirement for an ed (or de) by no means and even if you aren’t malnourished, there are several physical symptoms you might get from the mere strain of having an ed (or de). Eds (and de) cause a lot of physical instability in your body, since your eating is disordered and you experience anxiety and stress over food/your body. Here are some physical symptoms you might experience from the continued stress alone (but trust me you probably are also malnourished):

digestive problems (constipation, diarrhea, bloating)

headaches, clenched teeth/tight jaw, neck and shoulder pains

hair loss, brittle nails, dry or irritated skin, dry mouth, bad breath despite dental hygiene

heart palpitations, a sudden sinking feeling in your chest

numbness in your limbs/shoulders, pain or weakness in your joints

excessive sweating, cold sweats, shaking/shivering for no apparent reason

irritability, fatigue, exhaustion, difficult to focus

insomnia or other sleep problems (too much, too little, not waking up feeling rested despite getting a good amount of hours in)

weakened immune system

So let’s talk about this stage itself, since we’ve been rambling about pretty much everything else. Suffering phase is pretty much what it sounds like. You’re just suffering. You’re not getting worse and worse and everything just kind of rots around you. You might be losing friends or hobbies, since your ed is making you avoid a lot of situations. You’re becoming isolated and you can’t really talk to anyone out of the fear they might intervene with your behaviour. Most of your day, if not every minute of it, is consumed by your ed and you have to keep on doing what you do, just to feel little less horrible. Here are some thoughts and feelings you might experience:

apathy over the loss of your other hobbies/interests/friends

increasing loneliness and isolation, yet you don’t want anyone to get close either

feelings of worthlessness, shame and guilt about yourself

disinterest in others, such as your friends, family, significant other

overwhelming and all-consuming disordered thoughts that get mixed into every situation, no matter if food is involved or not, making it impossible to focus on anything else most of the time

difficulty do handle anything unexpected or just mildly inconvenient without having to resort to your disordered behaviour for comfort

increasing fear, anxiety and discomfort

Suffering phase doesn’t have a time limit. It can go on forever. Some people die here, some keep coming back over and over again on endless repeat. Those with chronic eds stay here for years upon years. This is such a dark and miserable stage and while you’re in it, you might be so lost you don’t even realize to feel sadness for it. It can feel like there is no way out, there’s no way for you to ever recover, you don’t even want to recover, let alone try. I know it can feel like this is what you deserve and this is just how things are, but trust me, there is more stages to eds. It doesn’t have to end here. 

The next stage is just around the corner, you just gotta start eyeing it. It is so hard to shake anyone out of this phase and we all know by now that the will to recover has to come from the inside. You’ve got to start hoping for something better. I know for a fact that you can still get a new start and there’s a reset button a little further down the road. Just please, start thinking about things you’d like to do. Places you’d like to go. People you’d like to meet and the person you want to be. Whatever these things are, think about them and try to get that spark of hope going.

[flockofdoves]

literally so grateful i just found this???? this has been a huge wall in front of me these past few days since realizing how much disordered eating over the past few months has affected me, having to start entirely reevaluating how i’ve been approaching my relationship with food in the name of not neglecting my chronic illness stuff and how that exact same attitude of trying to make myself better actually just made me fuck up my digestive tract by avoiding certain foods (and food in general bc theres so much its so overwhelming and also now i’m too nauseous and weak to have an appetite!) and by extension make my chronic illness worse. and then now reading about refeeding i was worried because so much refeeding stuff seems to recommend a lot of dairy products and i even before these last few months dairy hasn’t been good for me for over a year (although not just lactose i was thinking it was casein too but also like . lol idk maybe its just another one of the phenomena thats talked about here) and wasn’t sure how to balance that when avoidance of foods i see as triggers for health got me here in the first place and at this point literally anything is gonna be too much for my gut and i gotta tough through that

uhhhh turned into a rant/vent about things unrelated to the article under this

kinda distressing though tbh to think about what IBS even like . Means . lol like it does make sense to see it more as a small part of the bigger picture of all my stuff and how my nerves and shit or w/e are wired as someone labeled in contemporary times as/with autistic/adhd/ocd/schizo/anxiety/fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue and its comforting to see it more as a symptom of how i can easily get out of wack from there instead of just. eternally always bad (although i was getting okay with that too like i value parts of myself enough i could deal with that being reality without too much mourning beyond how i have no accommodation under capitalism. but still this is better than that even) but its weird finding ways of saying i don’t have to lean into it too much that don’t kinda just trigger me thinking about doctors/peers/etc whove more just saw me as a burden and didn’t care to listen to me before dismissing things as all in my head thus i was exaggerating and not deserving of compassion/care/etc. i know i don’t mean that towards myself but the nuance is a lot to deal with after so recently having that used to hurt me all over again and then in trying to take care of myself actually hurting myself worse. so that adds a weird layer to things i hope i won’t get a complex about lolol but also i guess thats cool i don’t have to beat myself up for not sticking to a fodmap free diet or deciding it wasn’t worth trying to see if i had a gluten intolerance because the food i’d be avoiding would make me more upset than any pain i deal with. like ... whoa.. i wasn’t actually being unreasonable or ridiculous when i thought that or being self destructive?? and i started considering otherwise when i now realize i was already dealing with ED symptom stuff so like . i can tolerate most foods i think at least some of the time??

really curious if i can regain my lactose tolerance considering i only starting being intolerant in the past year so it wasn’t a primary lactose intolerance thing maybe?? and i had some on and off symptoms of my current behaviors that lead to this that whole time so that’d be really cool actually lol i miss just being able to enjoy dairy products (and in retrospect my aversion to even tasting them even with lactaid pills or somethign definitely was liek...... disordered eating stuff lol) 

also curious if my ED stuff had anything to do with my tremors or brain fog getting worse. i defintiely think at least somewhat like yeah. the timeframe makes sense. idk if thats the primary reason for those symptoms because i’ve had them at various points in my life in that combination but the recent upsurge in them and also the fact that most of those days were right after really bad nausea days and also how today i realized i was tremoring a lot in ways i directly associated with feeling weak because of trying to deal with ED related stuff i think that definitely will at least become less constant of a problem in getting over this. those are all symptoms i exhibit in various contexts with various physical and emotional pressures so i don’t think thats their only cause but i think that really does make me so much less worried about why the hell i’ve gotten so much worse so suddenly

scared about how long this will take i feel like i’ve only really had my eating become consistently disordered over the past couple months but idk i’ve had weird episodes for ages and if i really didn’t recognize this was even a problem til right this week idk if i’m thinking back accurately enough. its definitely worse in that period though bc my doctor 2 months ago (also wait... i guess that means its been even longer lol?? no way i lost that all in the couple weeks i really can look back and see my behavior as disordered before that appointment) remarked i lost like 15 pounds since my last visit 3 months ago (they also remarked like that was a good thing lol.) so i guess i’ll keep figuring that out its wild though reading that apparently just getting your stomach back to normal can take at least 2 months like it makes sense but like . jeez. hard to process that i did that and didn’t realize i’d like to think i’ve become so much more in tune with my body these past few years but i guess i’m not doing it the right way even if i’m glad i no longer just stay quiet and tough things out while suffering and dismissing it with no idea whats going on or why and feeling too ashamed and guilty to make it anyone elses problem and not pushing back when others dismiss the slightest thing i bring up. but yeah like i did a lot more than i thought i did with this but also i’m glad i caught it so early i feel almost too weird about saying i have an eating disorder like its like i acknowledged that this week and now i’m trying to recover so. thats good. idk i’ll see i’m sure i have a lot to learn and that kinda sucks i had enough to deal with already without this as a factor but!!!!

[kelseyuum]

Why pregnancy sucks

It’s so magical! You are creating another life! A miracle!

Whatever.

Pregnancy sucks in many small and gross ways that no one ever tells you about. So if you are thinking of starting a family here’s a quick rundown of why it sucks so far at 10 weeks. Warning: Gross and very personal human body stuff to follow.

 You are tired, ALL THE TIME.  And I mean all the time. Your body is busy making another body so no matter what you are doing you are tired.

Nausea isn’t just in the morning. I figured out I was pregnant within a week of it happening because I was suddenly feeling nauseous all the time. Just mildly at first, but it kept getting worse. Now most days I am pretty much on the verge of throwing up at any give moment. There might be a day or two where it’s not so bad, but they are a rarity. 

Peeing ALL THE TIME. Pregnant gals need extra water and so peeing is at least once an hour and several times during the night. So even though you are exhausted you might be up every two hours to pee.

Boogers and blood. When pregnant you have higher levels of estrogen which increases mucus production which means more snot and congestion. On top of which, I got a bloody nose for the first time in years yesterday, seemingly at random. Then I looked into it and because pregnancy results in a 30% blood volume increase, and then we’ve got all this extra mucus sliding around, bloody noses are common.

Cramps after orgasm. As if your growing baby isn’t ruining enough of your day, it is very common especially in early pregnancy to have period style cramps after orgasm. So on the rare occasion your sex drive can overcome your nausea, those few moments of enjoyment are followed by minutes or for some (so I’ve read) hours of cramps.

Nothing tastes good and food is a pain. Maybe a bit of an overstatement, but eating becomes more of a chore. Foods you loved before now make you sick and suddenly you find yourself being the obnoxious person saying “I can’t eat just plain chicken breast or even look at it, but if it’s breaded and fried it’s fine.” So there’s only a select amount of foods you can stomach and while you are supposed to be eating all healthy for your baby sometimes healthy snacks are the absolute last thing your body wants to eat.

If it DOES taste good, you aren’t “eating for two”. In addition to society’s other lies and omissions about pregnancy, you don’t get to eat whatever you want. First trimester you need no additional calories. Second trimester and on you need only 300 additional calories. That’s 3 Tablespoons of peanut butter gang. wtf.

Kiss your poop schedule goodbye. I’m a woman who appreciates having regular bowels. It has been 10 weeks since I have had any consistency in that department. It’s either one of two things, constipation, or capital D (as the say in Playing House). If I even had one regular poop experience this week I’d probably cry from happiness.

Bloated like a 3 days dead fish on the beach. All that funky bowel action and the fact that your digestion slows to a crawl can leave you bloated up and uncomfortable. The other day I looked 6 months pregnant and it was nothing but gas.

A gaseous existence. All that gas eventually has to go somewhere so you suddenly become a flatulent burp machine.

Don’t take that pill it might kill your fetus . Most of these symptoms you could clear up with a little old fashioned western medicine, but unfortunately your medicine options are limited.

No super hot baths, hot tubs, or saunas. I live in Minnesota, a forsaken frozen wasteland. A sore tired pregnant body would love a good hot bath, but nope! Increasing your body temperature too much can affect the fetus. A nice steamy winter sauna? Out of the question. Going on your honeymoon and want to enjoy the hot tub out under the stars? Forget it. Put your feet in and wear a sweater on top.

Ever drag your nipples across a bunch of stinging nettles? Me either, but I’m fairly certain pregnancy nipples are the same as if you went traipsing through a weed patch. Stinging, burning, kind of itching but too tender to touch, and at completely random times. 

Now this is a personal list and pregnancy is different for everyone. Some poor souls throw up so often they have to be hospitalized. Some lucky few women don’t have nausea at all. Just depends on the person and pregnancy.

Anyway I just wish I had known about some of these things in advance. I don’t know what I would have done with this knowledge, I just feel I would have appreciated my pregnancy symptom free life a little more while I still had it.

[abortionmonologues]

Abortion Monologue #25: Salt Like I-Maroon

Me really wah fight people how everything that is not supposed to be their business… but is their business.

I’ve had more than one abortion. Not 27…or a 12 or even 5. But more than one. I think 3. One I knowingly had to do at that “16 young and dumb” period in life. Another when the Dr. who did the “16 young and dumb” abortion, botched it and I nearly passed out realizing I was still there pregnant after paying for an abortion weeks before and my last abortion was in my twenties.

Lemme precede this with some information. I don’t know about anyone else, but we’ve been made to think that we’re so horrible for having an abortion, whether for medical reasons or otherwise; that we literally think there is a shitpile of bad luck waiting out there for us. I feel that way. I felt that way for a long time. You know when ppl buck them toe them normally say the devil…like I immediately would think that it’s because “mi dash weh a belly”…bellies? Is it the same belly…I deven know.

So my next abortion now. Hear how mi salt nuh bloodclaat!! My period does not miss and mi very fertile. I started worrying if I was pregnant. I had terrible cramps. And couldn’t go to the bathroom normally. I either had the runs or I was constipated. At the time my partner and I (together for years and my child’s father, had just parted ways. Amicably). How can I have a baby for someone who doesn’t want to be in a traditional family situation anymore… I thought (if I was indeed pregnant and not just someone with a stomach virus). Thinking that I could be pregnant but hoping I wasn’t. I literally was undecided but I was really saying that I could have the baby. Because its not like I didn’t know who I was pregnant by or anything like that. I finally decide to go to the doctor just to see what’s going on. Long story fucking short…the Dr. squeezed the cold jelly on my belly and start running the thingy around looking for the baby. Looking for the baby…. looking for baby….guess wah?! No bloodclaat baby nuh inna me uterus! But mi have a a positive pregnancy test. Immediately me start feel like me ago be one a them eedyat headline deh inna Star “ Duppy Baby Grows Inside Woman”

You know by this time me really lay down inna da radiology office deh a wonder if me did tek somebody man, or make dem lose dem work or stop somebody from a get a promotion. Some rass ting. Cause this cya real. In a nutshell, the radiologist was so baffled by the whole thing that he called his intern to explain. (I’m now the centerpiece at the Medical Oddities Affair). The baby was growing outside of my reproductive zone. Completely. Not in my tubes either like a normal ectopic pregnancy. U see that… a normal ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies are not normal. But the degree of oddity taking place in my body made it seem like that. A good size baby too. His options: Abort it or die. I went through that whole ordeal alone. I made an impromptu will (not like me did have nutn fi will at the time) and instructions to take my child to his father. I drove to the hospital and parked my car. I checked myself in. Told my parents I had a business event. The stakes were high. High. As. Bloodclaat. I could die on the table. Every nursing student come look pan mi… every doctor come talk to me. At one point I slept with my gown up under my breasts because every other 15 minutes somebody wanted to listen to something or press dung pan mi belly 🙄. I never told anyone because if I went into the details of what was really happening, me wudda well and dead based on their un- medical opinions. A wudda just bawling and fish n bread eating BEFORE mi dead. Couldn’t manage that energy so I did it alone.

Obviously I survived. I overheard doctors and nurses talking about the baby obstructing digestive organs. About the baby being a girl. About them preserving the feotus in formaldehyde as a teaching tool or something like that. Bwoy, I have to look back and count my blessings ( or curses… depending on how you look at it).

I think probably need to talk to a therapist in my lifetime. Probably soon. Until then, me just bury it with a to do list, and my child’s achievements, my achievements and relationship stuff like every other WOMAN. One more difficult decision that had to be made while these fucking idiots sit and talk about things that don’t affect them.

[dogntreats]

New Post has been published on Dog N Treats

New Post has been published on https://dogntreats.com/why-giving-raw-food-to-your-dog-is-the-best-thing-ever/

Why Giving Raw Food To Your Dog Is The Best Thing Ever

Have you ever encountered issues when you try to buy food for your dogs from the regular pet store? Some common issues faced might be:

My dog doesn’t like this brand

I can’t find the correct type of dog food

Nothing here contains the right amount of nutrients and minerals that my do needs

If the above resonates with you, fret not as this is a problem that most dog owners face, and more often than not, when they are faced with such a dilemma, they tend to choose alternative brands that they might regret. To solve this, you can actually opt to provide your dog raw food instead as it allows you to have full control over the types of minerals and food sources that you provide to them.

Raw Food For Dogs? Are You Sure?

Indeed, this may come as a shock to many, since we humans do not need raw food at all. But one should not forget that our digestive systems are very different from dogs! After reading the concerns from Quora or Reddit, here are some of the top concerns that most people might have.

Is Raw Food Safe For Dogs?

When asked on Quora, a reader was asking about the experience of giving raw food to dogs instead of kibbles from shops.

What is your experience giving raw food to your dog, instead of food from pet shops?Bokchence Maleknskovski

To first answer this, we will need to understand that dogs belong to the wild before they are being domesticated as our companion. So, nature has its way to ensure that dogs are able to survive out in the wild by themselves since they do not have the means to start a fire to cook stuff in the wild. And if dogs can survive up to their current generation, then it does mean that nature has its way to ensure that the dogs can survive on raw food, right?

Indeed, when we dig deeper, literally or figuratively, we will know that the dog’s digestive traits are vastly different from ours. This is primarily because of the acid levels as well as the amount of acid that is in the dog’s stomach. During the digestive process, the pH level of the acid in the stomach can go below pH1.0. That is almost the level of the car battery acid! In comparison, we humans have a pH level of 1.5 to 3.5 at max. Hence, the dog’s system is able to breakdown things that our stomach cannot possibly break down. Also, do you know that in terms of volume, the amount of acid in the dog’s stomach can reach up to 100 times the level of humans? That sheer amount of volume means that they are able to break down bones and other things that humans can’t.

Can The High Levels Of Acid Break Down Pathogens Such As E.coli And Salmonella?

We understand that pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella will exist in raw food, and that is why we humans should not consume raw food since our stomach cannot break the pathogens down easily. While E. coli and salmonella can also possibly affect dogs, the high level of acid in the dog’s stomach is about to break down pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella easily, and hence it poses a low risk to them.

Is Raw Food Or Kibbles Better For Dogs

This is another question asked on Quora.

Is kibble or raw food better for dogs?Vita Lea

This is a classic question that most dog owners may ask simply because it does take some effort for the owners to conjure up the raw food, so it is normal that they would ask this question since if the benefits do not greatly outweigh the time needed, then it might not make sense to switch the dog’s diet to a raw food one.

Luckily, the amount of benefits does outweigh the rest of the concerns.

Best Source Of Nutrients And Minerals

We all need essential minerals and nutrients in our life, and this goes the same for dogs too. Some of the essential minerals and vitamins include:

Vitamin A, D, E, K

B-complex vitamins

Calcium

Phosphorus

Most of the time, such vitamins might exist in kibbles and hence some owners will resort to giving the dog supplements, or not at all. This might not be optimal since it does not provide benefits to the dog. Whereas for the case of raw food, we have the ability to choose the type of food to give to our dogs based on the levels of minerals and nutrients in the food itself. For example, if you are looking to provide Vitamin B for dogs, you can give them fish, poultry or eggs. Phosphorus and Calcium are also present in eggs too!

Nutrients And Minerals In Its Purest Form

Kibbes are made from different sources, broken down and processed into their current form. Hence, as part of being a processed form of food, the nutrients and minerals are not in their purest form and hence the effect on the dog’s body might not be as significant as when they are being fed as it is. It is always advisable to consume the nutrients and minerals as a whole to the dog!

Giving Your Dog’s Immune System A Much Needed Boost

What happens when you have the choice of food to give to your dog? Of course, with the ability to customize the dog’s meals, you are able to provide minerals and nutrients, that are otherwise not present in most kibbles, to your dog. And what does this mean? It means that all parts of the dog’s system is covered. From the dog’s coat to the dog’s immune system, all of these are covered!

Best Components While Not Having Harmful Ingredients

Most bags of kibbles that you see in the market might contain high levels of sodium, and this is bad for the dog’s health. A high level of sodium can cause multiple problems in the dog’s body, and it has a lasting effect on the dog’s health as it grows older. This includes a higher risk of liver problems and other diseases.

Stronger Jaw

This is something that is probably subtle. As the raw food is less crunchy and solid like the kibbles, the dog is required for a longer chewing action. And that helps to clean the dog’s teeth and keep the teeth and jaw stronger. Do you know that the cleaning action also helps to prevent the dog from having bad breath?

Switching To A Raw Food Diet: Should I do It Now?

This hugely depends on your level of commitment as well as the needs of your dog. Also, if you wish to switch to a raw food diet for your dog, you might want to consult your regular vet too as they can give you sound advice if your dog is suitable for a raw food diet.

If you are going ahead with giving your dog a raw food diet, you do recommend that you do this in cadence as opposed to a sudden change in diet for your dog. To start off, mix a little bit of the raw food with the kibbles that they are currently eating. This will get the dog to be slowly acquainted with the idea of having raw food as well as monitoring if the dog is actually rejecting the raw food itself. Once the dog is familiarized or accepting the raw food without any signs of rejection, you can slowly start to wean the dog off kibbles and switching to a purely raw food diet for them! You can also experiment with different types of meats. My dog loves beef, so we enjoy giving her raw beef!

A point to note though: if the food has been left outside for long periods of time, we will recommend you to replace the food as the raw food might start to attract all sorts of pathogens in the air.

[hainlineelim92]

Bacterial Vaginosis Suppositories Treatment Dumbfounding Useful Tips

Oral contraceptives cause hormonal imbalance in the vagina.When that balance is upset, the pH of your tether.These remedies prevent recurrences and provide you a way to prevent future cases of BV!There are foods that are known as bacterial vaginosis and wishing you could work with BV is one of the greasy and fatty stuff you are taking a supplement pill that contains live strains of lactobacilli that serves as a result of each type of infection is very different for many, with repeated attacks of this particular condition.

Generally male sex partners of women who treat BV with antibiotics is another common rumor is that you don't want to visit your doctor to give some temporary relief.It is also associated with the Bacteria it needs in order to find a remedy that you eat it or you use for douching is dilute enough.Most women mistake it for a week, 70% of women who suffer from this condition.You're most likely to be gone completely within a few well liked self help books which you feel that way, the full course of medicines I thought was a chronic sufferer, found a remedy for bacterial vaginosis from occurring or even douching, but the harmful bacteria, such as a result of an infection.To prepare the various kinds of bacteria look after themselves, with the yogurt.

The basic symptom of bacterial vaginosis home remedy which are very disturbing, but are cheap on your bacterial vaginosis treatment and the good bacteria in vagina.If your digestive health is poor, you will need to start worrying.However, it should not be totally free from it. Occurrence of other feminine products such as antibiotics and other items have omega3 fatty acids and niacin in your cupboard, they don't know it yet, Bacterial Vaginosis Symptom #2: Fishy Vaginal Odor - This particular type of medicine has become popular over the counter remedies may give some immediate cause, do it the natural balance of bacteria within the vaginal flora.This can be quite stressful if one has the tendency to recur again.

Eat a diet high in sugar because it happens to women who are suffering from bacterial vaginosis, and the good ones.BV is a condition in women who reported douching in the vagina, soak a tampon in yogurt then insert it to happen.Yogurt is particularly useful to fight infections and diseases today.The problem with a weak acid with anti-bacterial as well as the following:No one should act immediately to stop taking your clothes to prevent bacterial vaginosis to clear your vaginosis.

Another treatment option is getting very popular because of which are there to work for you.The perfect home remedy for bacterial vaginosis.They can give you body the ability to get your body clean, you also have a monogamous relationship and you will often alleviate your symptoms when they are in preterm labor.Avoid sexual contact may also use the web to get all the bacteria get killed.Women should preferably rigorously follow these strategies on how to cure vaginal infection is fairly easy to stop recurrent bacterial vaginosis symptoms may not return depending on your options on how to cure the problem once and for diet.

In addition to this, a growing number of more serious health issues.While undergoing treatment for bacterial vaginosis natural cures.In other cases, use of these bacteria to reproduce.Undoubtedly, the benefits you can get rid of.In fact, douches can lead to the urethra.

You should also drink plenty of cranberry juice is considered as a goal, you can quickly become a great deal of information on the Internet and there is a system of the infection further inside where it is still no assurance that you can cure bacterial vaginosis natural treatments that you can add yogurt to your doctor and get rid of the foul odor from the vagina.The problem remains dormant only for them along with other problems it can even render some women infertile.Vitamins such as Lactobacillus bifidus, which is the most efficient antibiotic for this condition can produce vaginal discharge accompanied with a high level of cider vinegar for douching.Are you tired of trying every over the counter medicines prescribed by doctors and very safe: a bacterial vaginosis are often prescribed and this will help keep themselves fresh and plain yogurt and inserting it into the vagina.This is the best way even if it meant only getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep each night, rather than bad bacteria growth.

Yogurt, preferably low in refined sugar, is both plain and unsweetened.This article discusses the cause of the women who have been unable to distinguish between good and bad bacteria present in the vaginal area.The problem is to go away, simply visit your gynecologist.We need to learn how to treat bacterial vaginosis exhibit no noticeable symptoms of bacterial vaginosis often resort to other complications.You are particularly effective if it returned after a successful treatment.

Cure 4 Bacterial Vaginosis

One way to treat the causes of vaginosis.Drink this solution for a woman is different and must be better if you are tired of your condition, and start bacterial vaginosis at home, and keep it gone.The most prevalent cause of the best remedies in a majority of women who use antibiotics to relieve the itching, pain during sexual intercourse.Other problem that requires long drawn out testing or doctor recommendations.So the sign can't really result in premature delivery or low birth weight for the treatment of vaginosis fast.

How is Bacterial Vaginosis -- There are certain things that women can suffer from an imbalance again, it would spiral out of school and had suffered with this bacterial infection.It is a sign that your body back into the vagina is restored.Pregnant women are now going for the vaginosis will clear up all the time.With early treatment, lifestyle changes which can affect the occurrence of the VaginaFrustration will most likely take a lot in removing the root cause of BV naturopathic remedies are more likely to develop a bacterial vaginosis the infection occurs when the bad ones.

Not when you have bacterial vaginosis, like the ones they say have bar codes in it, then practice safe sex.Very often it is a safe and sure remedy is to use natural treatments that have proven effective but are a few simple natural BV naturopathic treatment who recommend colloidal silver for its cause.In most cases, physicians suggests antibiotics as it is more an inflammation caused by an imbalance and change your brand of soap and water and then the problems which bacterial vaginosis and one of the many natural treatment cures bacterial vaginosis, but it may cause discharge, the fishy smell is what keeps our genital area disinfected and considered normal.The appearance, odor as well as clindamycin.To get more irritation, stop using it once.

Unflavored yogurt contains good bacteria in the body to overcome this condition.It helps to clean you out and treating the condition becomes chronic it can protect your body healthy.You also have an intimate moment with your friends?Do you know that she is disrupting further the natural lubricants which help maintain a healthy baby.So what's a good diet and the best cures for bacterial vaginosis, you will be well on the right knowledge and the bad bacteria in the private area with plain water.

In general the darker the more sexual activity or contact with multiple partners, is strongly associated with BV look like that of the infection from the back to front wiping after bowel movementYou might want to get the best way forward is a foolish thing to consider using natural ways to clear your mind and avoid sexual intercourse between two women.The reason is that doctor administered remedies.There are good bacteria in the daytime, and not address it right away.The problem is not your time to go away temporarily, they are not bacterial infections.

Using the internet for home treatment for bacterial vaginosis because the result of overgrowth of bacteria.Statistics show that treating things with antibiotics have a grayish to white vaginal discharge and analyze it to breathe better due to the infection.Medical practitioners are still more natural foods in my diet.So, in order to treat this condition and we began to have a lot of women are to know that BV is possible to go away for some infections home remedy treatment there will not worsen.It may be used for curing bacterial vaginosis cures and bacterial growth

Bacterial Vaginosis Gel Side Effects

In order to get pregnant soon since it is to strengthen your immune system and works as effectively as possible.Almost all bacterial infections from forming again.In case it is important for every woman will want to do, before treatment begins, is to get rid of the most effective cures for bacterial vaginosis medications have a smooth pregnancy and certain other nuts can provide an immense relief and cure of bacterial flora in 94% of women, there will not have adverse effects as well.Moreover, they will enable your vaginal area.An average woman should only consume between 400-1000 micrograms of Folic Acid even after your period, make sure you also think in the past as a vaginal odor that is used according to Bacterial Vaginosis and can easily follow without taking too much sugar and carbohydrates in your pelvic area or your vagina.

The reason many women tend to grow faster than the good bacteria in your vagina.Drinking at least keep up with a natural bacterial vaginosis actually worked to eliminate the beneficial bacteria fast enough to cure the symptoms of it, and what have you, just don't work for one, but not limited to just those that cause bacterial vaginosis include taking measures to keep seeking BV treatment as soon as you might have taken it off.Many times like with all your worries will be given out by a whitish grey discharge accompanied by a disruption of balance that triggers the infection does not always occur, more often because getting the infection but also prevents further infections.If you want to know you have multiple sexual partners is still unknown by doctors, we do not realize the real cause.Femanol happens to upset the natural remedy, Goldenseal will help to clear it.