#World Menstrual Health Month

[digitalfilipina]

Stand #PeriodProud on World Menstrual Health Month and beyond with GynePro

GynePro’s ‘Pound and Proud’ event drives awareness on the importance of menstrual health and hygiene For World Menstrual Health Month, number 1 red day feminine wash GynePro continues to encourage women to punch away red day vulnerabilities and stand #PeriodProud through an active, educational, and engaging event recently held in Electric Studio at The Podium, Mandaluyong. The “Pound and Proud”…

[guxciestone]

🌾 ❛ THE MOON AND YOUR DESIRED ROUTINE ༉‧₊˚ ˚୨୧

(through the signs)

🌳✧

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

hey guys. this post is about the moon and the type of routine that you may prefer based on the sign that lands in it. i hope you enjoy the post! ♡🌿

if you have any tarot or astrology post suggestions, i’d be more than willing to consider them. just drop your suggestions in my asks or in my post notes :)

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

— the moon and its meaning ꕥ

The moon is the planet of emotions, your internal world, where you find personal comfort, and where you find inner fulfillment. However, others tend to forget that the moon is a feminine and nocturnal planet that also rules patterns, cycles, and flow states. In a female’s chart, it rules over her menstrual cycle, her emotional flow throughout the month, and her inner states throughout the 28-day cycle; in a male’s chart, it rules over his emotional health and character as well as his inner child in a vulnerable and instinctual sense. Furthermore, in general, the moon could also indicate the routines and “personal flow” that one strives for daily to achieve comfort and satisfaction. Today, I am going to analyze what type of routine you prefer based on the sign your moon is placed in.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in aries˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Aries seek spontaneousness, thrills, leadership, and independence in their daily life and routines. They are particularly comfortable being constantly being on the move, hoping to discover a new venture, or taking on a new challenge. They wake up every morning with the intention of reflecting on what new battle they can fight today. Furthermore, they are one of the signs who are more comfortable with managing sporadic and unorganized schedules because they initiate a new project every other day. It is assured they do not get overwhelmed easily, but they could easily become explosive or impulsive in their actions or feelings when stressed or things do not go according to plan. These individuals could get very impatient as well, striving to get things done in a short amount of time; this could be particularly overwhelming for others and burdening for them in the long run. They often struggle to stay focused on a venture due to their hastiness and tendency to lose interest easily. They should learn how to start projects, manage them, and finish them victoriously; plus, learn how to be patient and take their time, so their ideas can successfully manifest in what they expected from the beginning. Additionally, individuals with Moon in Aries are self-interested. They prefer spending time on activities, hobbies, or endeavors that they could benefit or improve from. Not to mention, they are risk-takers. These individuals seek fulfillment from new experiences and circumstances because it gives excitement and stimulation.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in taurus ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Taurus seek comfort, security, and stability in their daily life and routines. They often are satisfied with an unsurprising and easy-going routine–not too sporadic or unpredictable like Aries Moons. They seek calm and quietness in their life with not much stress. It is particularly easier for these individuals to get overwhelmed–especially over an unexpected task added to their schedule. You will often notice that these people strive for financial stability in their personal goals because they know that it will give them the material comfort they hope to have. Furthermore, they are more inclined to do self-care and relaxation practices as it gives them a sense of self-esteem and levelheadness–they especially need it after a long day at work or school. Additionally, Moon in Taurus individuals prefer to take their life in getting their errands done, and they dislike being rushed. They may struggle with changing their routine or daily activities for any person or circumstance because it is what is appropriate for them. They should learn how to modify their schedule for important events and relationships.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in gemini ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Gemini seek learning, socialization, activity, and communication in their daily life and routine. These people are often striving to mentally challenge themselves and find ways to stimulate themselves all the time. That is why you will often find these individuals with chaotic and packed schedules, or they seem to always be occupied–it is because they are always hoping to learn something new, access their creativity and skill, or challenge their brain. They would like to spend their time playing puzzles, word searches, reading, or debating with certain groups. Furthermore, these folks are extremely social and always wanting to connect with their peers; they might seek to find time in the day to meet up with their friends. Additionally, they have the tendency of wanting to do everything they want to do all at once–and they can often get very disorganized and ungrounded while doing so. It is important for people with Moon in Gemini to learn how to take things slow and collect their thoughts and plans before everything turns into a mess.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in cancer ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Cancer seek comfort, security, emotional counsel, and familial connections in their daily life and routine. These people could adore spending time with their family members or their close loved ones immensely; they are the types to consider their cousins or siblings their true friends and desire to do everything with them. They could more than likely desire to spend time at home, and perhaps may prefer to work from home too. Additionally, with a person who has Moon in Cancer– you could find that mostly everything on their daily to-do list consists of errands they need to do surrounding the house (such as doing laundry, cleaning their room, etc.) They might also like taking care of people. It is integral for cancer moons to have a schedule in which they can feel safe and comfortable doing, especially in a sense where it is not far from home or their close connections. However, these people could easily become homesick or struggle to adhere to changes or circumstances far from their safe spot.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in leo ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Leo seek entertainment, creativity, and recognition in their daily life and routines. These people strongly value and prioritize their inner child and their ability to artistically express themselves. They could be particularly interested in the arts, music, performing, acting, or anything in which they can demonstrate themselves and their character in an inspiring way. These folks hope to find fun and excitement in their life through their hobbies and passions. In other words, these people do not function well in routines in which they do not have creative freedom or the time to indulge in their childish endeavors. Furthermore, Leo moons are generous and kind at heart. They are more than likely to be able to handle children for long periods of time; in fact, they could adore implementing kids into their daily routine. Additionally, they prefer to connect with others and spend time with loved ones in circumstances in which they can lead them by example. However, these individuals could instantly turn bratty or spoiled when things do not go their way. If their day seems to be going terrible, it is easy for them to become explosive or stubborn. Leo moons should learn to be more selfless when it comes to compromising their plans and endeavors within the day sometimes.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in virgo ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Virgo seek discipline, order, and practicality in their daily life and routines. They are the type of people to plan their entire day on a to-do list or structure it from start to finish. Furthermore, they value productivity and making good use of themselves and their time. So, you will usually see them working on a particular project, improving themselves in some way, or investing their time into developing a special skill. These folks prefer a system in their day-to-day activities, or otherwise, they’ll feel out of control with themselves. Although these people are particularly able to change their routines and create an entirely new structure, they prefer to keep things predictable–especially when it comes to dedicating themselves to specific future aspirations and ventures. One thing about them is that they will always work on their craft, one way or another. Additionally, virgo moons can also value cleanliness in their physical environment. It is easy for their mood to change if their environment isn’t aligned with their mindset, so they could prioritize cleaning their area and making sure every item is in the right place. However, they often have tendencies of being a control freak–expecting things to go the exact way they planned or trying to handle anything or anyone that disrupts their plans. This placement is also known for its perfectionism. These individuals need to work on their excessive need for things to be 100% flawless; it could easily lead them to stress and low self-esteem, making them believe that everything they do is wrong and that they need to reach up to their extremely high expectations. In other words, virgo moons need to learn how to calm down and accept that things can be imperfect and that they can make mistakes or “fail”.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in libra ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Libra seek peace, balance, and beauty in their daily life and routines. These people often strive for a clear and collected mind space; they hope to eliminate any conflict, confrontations, or issues in their life. They would often try to stabilize themselves through acts of meditation, self-care, socializing, or cleaning. Furthermore, these people often strive to romanticize their lives; it allows them to enjoy their circumstances better through the acts of art, beauty, reflection, and creativity. They adore investing in makeup, fashion, painting, music, and other pleasurable things. Additionally, they are one of the most social moon signs; they thrive when they interact with their interpersonal relationships. It makes them feel connected and close to the important people in their lives. One thing about Libra Moons is that they often try to go far to avoid conflicts, even if it is something they need to confront or take accountability for. This can often make them appear a bit indifferent or distant in times of disagreements and discordance. However, shoving issues into the backburner will not solve anything–they need to learn to confront conflicts and problems and handle them maturely.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in scorpio ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Scorpio seek privacy, intimacy, depth, and intensity in their daily life and routines. First and foremost, these people often prefer to undergo their errands and plans under the radar–they do not feel particularly comfortable with anyone knowing their next move. That is why you’ll often see that these folks do not post often on social media, or they dislike telling people what their plans are for the day. There could be an undertone of paranoia in why they choose not to do so. They just value their intimate space and refuse to let any outside energies intervene with it. So, they need secrecy more than anything. Furthermore, when it comes to activities, they also would like to do them with people who they hold very close–similar to Moon in Cancer–but they are more reserved and strict about it. When they are in a relationship, you’ll find that they would want to spend most of the time with their partner. It can almost get obsessive. It is important for these people to learn to not become obsessive with their loved ones or partners–to let go and learn independence in their quality time.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in sagittarius ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Sagittarius seek excitement, new experiences, and diversity in their daily life and routines. One thing about these folks is that they are always striving to be on the move–similar to their fire counterparts. They are always on the move for the next huge and exhilarating thing. You’ll find that these individuals desire to travel, go to parties, spend time with friends, or meet new people. However, they are also very intelligent and have a will to learn–so they also hope to gain a new perspective from these experiences and circumstances. These people might dedicate a certain time of the day to learning about a topic, investing in a religion, or studying a course. It is integral for these people to have a routine that gives them a new learning experience or something to have faith about; otherwise, these individuals could become hopeless or pessimistic. However, it is easy for these people to become overindulgent or lazy–not being considerate about the consequences or their future. There needs to be a balance between fun and seriousness.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in capricorn ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Capricorn seek achievement, structure, and influence in daily life and routines. Similar to virgo moons, they value being productive and useful with their time—in their case, they hope that their time could lead them to ultimate success and recognition. These people may like to work many hours or put in much time to their career endeavors. This often leaves them little to no quality time for their loved ones and friends. Furthermore, these folks are very patient and precise in their actions as they are able to build things from the ground up and maintain a vision for a long period of time. That is why they are often good planners and can easily build a business or company if they desired to. However, they need to make sure that they do not overwork themselves, isolate themselves from pleasures and socialization, and develop strong control issues; it could easily lead them down the road to stress, burn out, or depression. Additionally, since they are serious individuals, they may struggle with maintaining a balance outlook on the things they need to do and the things they do for the fun of it. They should learn how to maintain balance with work and pleasure—because one without the other could wreak havoc.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in aquarius ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Aquarius seek community, electrifying experiences, and goals in their daily life and routines. These people are always hoping to spend time with their community–people who are similar to them because they make them feel like they belong, and they adore making people feel like they belong as well. However, people tend to forget to give credit for how hardworking these folks are. They might dedicate most of their time in the day to working towards their hopes and dreams. These individuals desire to live a life in which everything is served to justice, equality, and peace–a place they can live in, a life they can adhere to. Therefore, these people are very dedicated to working towards their aspirations for the sake of themselves and the people they care about. Additionally, they strive for unpredictability in their routine. They want something different everyday in their errands–something erratic and thrilling. However, there could be too much unpredictableness to the point of instability in their actions. It is important to find a balance in that too.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

moon in pisces ˚☽˚｡⋆.

Individuals with Moon in Pisces seek imagination, spirituality, creativity, and the unknown in their daily life and routines. These people prefer to stay in their heads and work out the dreams and fantasies that they have in their mind. Even if they are forced to live in the practical world, it is important that pisces moons always operate from the place of visualizing their creative ideas and manifestations. These are the types to invest most of their time into different mediums of spirituality such as meditation, journaling, the occult, manifestation, or connecting to the unknown or spirit world. Furthermore, they would like to invest their energy into artistic hobbies such as photography, painting, drawing, music, fashion, or modeling. However, it is easy for these individuals to get lost in their subconscious and completely neglect their physical circumstances. There could even be instances in which they use vices to escape from the world (such as alcohol, drugs, or if they are in a relationship, a person) There seems to be this need for balance when it comes to the spiritual and the practical–perhaps even setting boundaries because these people are also very compassionate and kind. There could be times in which they feel the need to change their schedule for the sake of the people they care about even if they are not able to.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Products & Services Worth The Splurge

Fashion:

A great couple of bras in black/nude (your best skin-toned shade)

Comfortable, breathable, and seamless underwear

Outerwear (Coats, jackets, blazers)

The perfect pair of jeans

An LBD that works from day to night

Comfortable, sturdy, sleek, and timeless footwear (a versatile black boot, a black heel, white sneaker, and a black flat/loafer/sandal)

A timeless and versatile crossbody or shoulder bag (a larger one for the daytime/work or school and a smaller one for nighttime/events)

One or two well-made classic jewelry item(s)

A conversation-starting item or accessory

Beauty:

Sunscreen

Any skincare/skin cosmetic products that are game-changers for you

A quality hair brush, comb, and hair towel

Your signature scent

A quality razor/hair removal product

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Reliable hair tools and sturdy nail tools

A quality hair heat protectant/scalp cleansing or conditioning spray

Makeup brushes and beauty tool cleaners

Home:

Lamps/lighting

Couch/desk chair

Everything for your bed: Bed frame, mattress/sheets/pillows, etc.

Knives

Dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe dishes & cups you love

A full-length mirror

Vacuum

Storage solutions/cedar blocks or moth balls

Quality holders for everything: Paper towels, shower storage, hooks, mailbox/key bowls

Name brand paper products/household cleaners

Electric toothbrush & Waterpik

Sound-proof headphones/Airpods

MacBook Air

Health & Wellness:

High-quality lettuce and/or sprouts

Organic frozen fruits and vegetables (if fresh is too pricey)

BPA-free canned goods

Potassium bromate & glyphosate-free grain products

Snacks free of artificial colors

Quality coffee

An at-home massage tool/heating pad

Fur products for skin/hair removal

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Quality running shoes

Anything that goes near your vulva or into the vagina: Sex toys, lube, condoms, toy cleaners, pads/tampons/menstrual cups, cleansing wipes, etc.

A yoga mat, resistance band, and a pair of small ankle weights

Spotify subscription

Books and audiobooks

Services:

Therapy

A top-tier haircut

House cleaning (even if it's only once every couple of months)

Top-tier hair removal/brow maintenance services of your choice

Best doctors, dentists, OB/GYN, and dermatologists you can get

At least one personal training/styling session in your life

Professional/Social:

Ownership of the domain for your full legal/professional name and/or business name

A CPA/bookkeeper/fiduciary financial advisor

Automation workflow/content management system software

A lawyer for contract review/LLC services

Personalized stationery/"Thank You" cards

Memorable client gifting for the holidays/milestone successes

Niche skill-based certifications (Google, AWS, Hubspot, etc.) or courses made by trusted professionals in your field

Subscriptions in world-leading and industry-authority digital publications

[ohtobeleah]

Goodbye, Goodbye // Jake Seresin

-> A Terms of Endearment Blurb

Summary: Jake & Amilia have been trying for a year, when they do fall pregnant it leads to a much bigger discovery and an even bigger heart heartbreak.

Warnings: Pregnancy journey. Pregnancy talk. Miscarriage. Ovarian Cancer. Jake Seresin x OC reader. PLEASE READE THE WARNINGS

Word Count: 4.2k

Author Note: Day Twenty One of Whumptober. Prompt I chose: Near Death Experience. Thank you to @ailesswhumptober for the prompt list.

Whumptober Masterlist | Main Masterlist

The love between Jake Seresin and Amilia Fisher was as fierce as love could be. It was no secret to anyone around them that they had a love that burned so deep and so profound that they would forever and always be each other’s end game. Each other's soul mates. For all that they had been through and worked on, new love grew in the form of healed wounds and new trust. 

They had, for what it was worth—survived The Great War. 

“I can’t keep doing this.” Amilia sighed as she crawled into bed beside her husband with yet another negative pregnancy test. “It’s been twelve months of constant let downs.” She frowned at the stupid plastic first response she knew she shouldn’t buy but kept repurchasing anyway. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I can’t keep doing this to myself Jake.” 

Amilia laid her head on Jake's shoulder as he sat up in their bed. The two of them had been trying for one whole year. One whole year of negative pregnancy tests. One whole year old preconception vitamins. One whole year of sperm health tables. One whole year of tips and tricks Amilia’s Flo app had given her. One whole year of prime positions and menstrual cycle tracking and temperature monitoring and diet changes. 

One whole year of nothing by failed attempts and broken hearts. 

“I know, and hey—I know we’re both on the same page about wanting this.” Jake cooed as he took the negative test from his wife’s hand. “But maybe it just isn’t our time?” 

“So do we keep trying or do we go see a fertility specialist and try to figure out what’s going on?” They had been told to try and convince naturally for twelve consecutive months before reaching out to a specialist. That was the recommendation. But with every month that passed them by, Amilia grew more and more frustrated and concerned that something could be wrong. 

“I think we keep trying, but do that in tandem with talking to a specialist.” Jake cooed. “I love you, I want this yeah?” 

“I want this too—so bad.” Amilia could feel her bottom lip quivering. She wanted to be a mother so badly, she wanted to give Jake the chance to be a dad. He was already the best uncle to Odette and Riley, even if he was halfway across the world three months at a time. “I just don't know if I can't handle another negative test, my body is literally designed to have children and I can't even get a stupid fertilised egg to embed in me.” Jake had to laugh sympathetically as Amilia snuggled into his side with a huff. She was doing her best, he knew that.

“For all we know it could be me who's shooting blanks.” He reminded her. “We’ll talk to someone who can help us alright, but for now, let's just appreciate the time we have together before kiddos and prams and family passes and all the sleepless nights we’ll surely have.” 

“I know you're frustrated.” Amilia mumbled into Jake's side. His tan torso was hot to the touch, her walking talking furnace. “You don't have to be the optimistic one all the time.” 

“Trust me–” Jake admitted in the low light of their bedroom the two shared in Townsville, Australia. ”I am, but I'm not frustrated with you.” Jake felt like he had to make that clear as clear could be. “I think I'm just frustrated that we’re kinda told that if you have sex you get pregnant and die.” It was an over exaggeration of the poor sex education system, but Jake pretty much nailed it. “And now that we’re trying, it just sucks that it hasn't happened the way I always thought it would.” 

“Makes me jealous of Fe for getting pregnant so easily.” Amilia felt awful saying it, but she knew her husband wouldn't spill her horrid thoughts. “Riley was a thought and then she was real in the span of a year and Nicky well, we both know Nicky was a little oopsie baby, our children, if we keep going at this rate will have sixty five year old parents in their teens.” 

“How do people do it.'' Jake sighed as he sunk a little lower into the bed and pulled his wife into his chest. “Oopsie babies, I mean–I just don't get it, how do you not know?” 

“We’re horrible people aren't we?” Amilia chuckled to herself as she curled into her husband. They were ready for the next big phase in life, but something was holding them back from stepping into parenthood. Some divine intervention that was telling them now wasn't their time. But my god did they both want it just as bad as each other. 

“Hmm, maybe.” Jake kissed Amilias shoulder softly as he revelled in the scent of her body wash. “But no one needs to know, and all those people out there getting pregnant the first time round? They’re just overachievers.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Amilias period was four days late. She initially didn't think much of it because she knew when she got stressed it messed with her cycle, but something deep inside her was telling her to take just one more test. Something was telling her that if she took just one more, that it would be the positive she had been praying for. 

“If you’re fucking with me man I’m gonna be pissed.” She wasn’t a religious person, but Amilia believed that there was something bigger than herself out there. So as the little stick sat upside down on the counter of her bathroom vanity—she spoke to whatever the hell that bigger idea was. “I’m serious, I can’t take it.” 

The timer felt obnoxious, but Amilia jumped as the silence in her bathroom was broken by the set standard alarm her phone rang with. Three entire minutes had passed and she was standing on the edge of a cliff she knew that she’d jump off if that  plastic stick was negative. She couldn’t do it anymore, it was torture. 

“Alright, fuck it.” She groaned as she reached out to check the pregnancy test. To Amelia's surprise though it wasn’t what she had originally been expecting. “Oh my god—“ It was positive. Her first positive. “No fucking way.” Two very pink very clear very there lines were looking back at Amilia as she cupped a hand over her mouth and crouched down. Her knees felt weak, she had to remind herself to breathe or else she was going to pass out from the pure joy that was pulsing through her veins. 

“Holy shit, I’m pregnant!” Amilia had thought about all the different ways she could have told her husband that they were expecting, she even had one of those ‘Hi Daddy’ newborn onesie tucked away somewhere deep in their closet for a rainy day. But as her feet hit the pavement of the Townville Naval base, Amilia made a B-line for the administration building to get herself a visitors pass. 

“Your wife’s looking for you.” Gucci told Jake as he caught up with him in one of the hallways. “She’s in G building.” 

“Oz is on base?” Jake replied with caution lacing his words. 

“I just saw her, she asked if I saw you to send you her way.” Jake wasn’t about to stick around and play twenty one questions with his wingman. He let his feet carry him over to G building where he’d been told his wife was looking for him. Jake's locker was in G building, so was the canteen he frequented and the rec room he liked the most—so it was only natural for Amilia to assume that would be the easiest place to start. 

“Oz?” Jake cooed as he rounded a particular corner and saw the back of his wife’s head. “What are you doing here? Are you alright? What’s wrong?” 

Without question or any explanation, Amilia ran towards her husband with a smile so bright and a laugh so full of joy that it nearly knocked Jake to the ground. She jumped into his unexpecting arms that were quick to catch her as her legs wrapped around his wide but muscular frame. 

“Babe!?” 

“I’m pregnant!” Two words, it took just two words for Jake Seresins heart to implode in his chest. “We’re pregnant Jake we fucking did it!” 

“You’re pregnant?” Jake never thought his heart could get any bigger, but he knew in that very moment his heart grew—it imploded and grew back twice the size it originally was to cater for the little life the two of them had created. “Are—are you sure?” 

Amilia Fisher couldn’t be sure until she had a blood test done, but when the ten pregnancy test she took all from different brands came up as fat as fuck positives—she knew they couldn’t be lying. She was pregnant. 

“I’m sure, I’m so sure Jake, we’re gonna be parents!” 

Jake sat his wife back down on the ground but he never let her go. He kissed her with enough passion and love to have her heart fluttering inside her chest and her lungs burning with desire. His hands cupped her flushed with heat cheeks so she couldn’t pull away—and through the entire embrace, Amilia couldn’t stop smiling against her husband's lips. 

“Holy shit we’re pregnant!” Jake let his forehead settle against his wife’s. “Oz, I love you so very much.”

“We’re gonna have a baby Seresin.” Amilia laughed as she ran the pad of her thumb across Jake's cheek. “Us, you and me, with a baby.” 

“Half you half me huh.” Jaked cooed, he was over the moon. Amilia widened her eyes in response before she laughed, they were having the baby they had dreamed of having. 

“Oh god what a combo—“ 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

“You’ll need to make an appointment with an OBGYN for an ultrasound at around six to eight weeks.” With a single blood test, the pregnancy that Jake and Amilia had been waiting for had been officially confirmed. “But congratulations, you are very much pregnant, Mrs Seresin.” 

“You hear that Oz?” Jake cooed as he squeezed Amilias hand in the doctor's office. “Very pregnant.” 

The two were keeping everything on the downlow, Amilia, albeit very excited and full of joy to finally experience her biggest wish—wanted to wait till she was out of the first trimester until her and Jake started telling the people closer to them. However, that didn’t stop Jake from telling you, his closest friend, his sister, his person. 

“Amilias pregnant!?” You shouted down the phone. “Oh my god congratulations! How far along is she?” 

“Uh—we just left the doctors office like five minutes ago, four weeks?” Jake looked over to where his wife sat in the passenger's seat, beaming at your reaction over the loudspeaker. “She’s here with me.” 

“Oz! You’re pregnant oh my god!” You wanted to cry, Jake was going to be an amazing dad and Amilia was going to be the best mum. That kid was already so loved at conception. “I’m so happy for the two of you, I’m gonna have to tell Rooster you know that right?”

“I never thought this day would actually come but yeah, we’re pregnant.” Amilia reached out for her husband's hand before he brought it up to his lips. “And yeah, that’s fine, but don’t tell the cowboy alright I wanna tell Rhett myself.” 

“So he can tell you that you’re an idiot?” You laughed as you sat in the livingroom at midnight, feeding little Nicky. Bradley was on a mission which left you outnumbered three to one. 

“Yeah, but I know he cares.” Amilia and Rhett Abbott were quite close for two people who pretended like they couldn’t stand one another. 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***

The happiness didn’t last for very long. Seven weeks into Amilias first and what would ultimately be last, something went wrong. The kitchen was buzzing with music as she chopped up a quick garden salad to go with dinner, sausages Jake was cooking on the barbecue. She hadn’t changed out of her pyjamas all day, and had barely gotten out of bed. But as six o’clock rolled around on Saturday afternoon, Amilia felt a little more like herself and hoisted herself up. 

“Almost finished with these bad boys.” Jake called out over his shoulder through the window that led back into the kitchen, he could see his wife, the love of his life in the corner of his eye. “How’s that salad looking?” 

“Diced and chopped daddio—“ Amilia teased as she flicked the rest of the cherry tomatoes off the chopping board into the bowl. “I’ve just gotta add the—“ Oh, that didn’t feel good. 

“Add the what babe?” Jake thought he just didn’t hear what Amilia had said, he thought he had just missed the tail end of her sentence, but she’d stopped mid sentence at the feeling of her lower abdomen cramping, like a bad period pain. “Oz?” Jake frowned as he cut the gas and took the sausages off the hot plate. 

“The cheese.” Amilia clenched her jaw as she tried to breathe through the pain, it only got worse with every breath she took. “I just have to add the—Ahh!” It felt like someone had stabbed a hot knife into her and had begun to drag the aerated edge across her body. “Ahh—“

“Amilia!” Jake had all but forgotten the tray of sausages he was carrying in when he saw his wife on the floor in a heap, curling into herself to try and stop the pain. “Hey, what’s wrong, hey—?” 

Breathe, in out, in out. She was fine. 

“Babe I can’t help if you don’t te—“ The blood told Jake all he needed to know before Amilia could even begin to get her words out. “Oh god—no.” 

“Jake—“ Her husband's name was the only thing Amilia could will herself to speak as she saw the blood between her legs, seeping into her pyjama pants. The same pyjama pants she’d been in all day because she just hadn’t felt well. “I’m fine, we’re okay, we’re fine, we’re, aaahh—!” 

Everyone needs just one person in their lives who say things like ‘You got this’ ‘I believe in you’ and ‘You will find courage and energy in yourself that you normally wouldn’t have had before.’

But more importantly, that person needs to also say the things that no one wants to hear. And if things were to go wrong? They would be there in the mud for whatever reason. 

Jake was that person for Amilia Fisher-Seresin. He had the ability to say something’s wrong when she couldn’t bring herself to believe it. 

“Honey, I think we need to get you up to the hospital.” He had the ability to worry, to care and understand that something was horribly wrong and that there shouldn’t be this much blood or this much pain when it came to implantation bleeding and spotting. Amilia was having what Jake could only assume to be a miscarriage and all he could do in that moment was put his own feelings of grief and sorrow aside to help the only woman he’d ever truly loved. “It’s alright, I’ve got you.” 

“No no no no no—“ Amilia cried as she bawled her fists into the cotton of Jake's t-shirt before her tears strained the white fabric. He could smell the iron in the air. “Jake—“ She sobbed. “Our baby, somethings wrong.” 

“Let me take you to the emergency room sweetheart.” Jake had to hold his own tears back, this wasn’t what he pictured would happen when Amilia had told them they were gonna have a baby together. “Please? I have to make sure you’re alright baby, your bleeding and—“ Jake knew he had to say it. “You are what’s important right now, you and your health baby because I can lose that baby, I can deal with that grief but I can’t lose you both alright.” Jake felt his wife’s heart shattering as she screamed into his embrace right there on the kitchen floor. “I can’t lose you both alright so I need you to let me get you some help.” 

Jake thought he was a pretty tough guy, but as his wife cried in his arms bleeding as she lost their baby on the kitchen floor, he knew he wasn’t strong enough to handle this without a support system. He needed you. He needed your strength and resistance and your determination and strength to get through this. He needed you to hold him up because his knees felt weak but he had to get up. He needed to be there for his wife through everything. 

“I’m sorry—“ Amilia sobbed as Jake carried her out to the car koala style. He was going to be covered in blood but that didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered besides getting Amilia the care she needed. “I’m so sorry.” 

“You haven’t done anything wrong sweetheart.” Jake cooed. “Not a damn thing.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***

“We had to give her a sedative in order to examine your wife, Mr. Seresin.” Time was a fickle thing, it was neither here nor there. “She’s asleep, but for what’s it worth she’s incredibly lucky to be alive right now.” Jake could feel his phone ringing in his back pocket—you had been calling non-stop for updates ever since Amilia was taken back for an ultrasound to confirm what everyone already believed to be a miscarriage. 

But he’d never remember just how he ended up standing outside his wife’s hospital room in oncology just four hours after he’d brought her into the emergency room. Jake hadn’t even had a chance to change his shirt. 

“It’s critical—if we don’t get in there and operate soon, it’s hard to tell how much time she’ll actually have.” The Doctor didn’t sound like he was making any sense, Jake couldn’t process anything he was telling him. This didn’t make sense, none of it did. 

“Ovarian cancer?” Jake tried to wrap his head around how his wife, how Amilia, could have ovarian cancer. “I don’t understand.” 

“It’s aggressive, from the scans alone I’d say critical.” Again, nothing Doctor Thomas was saying made any sense to Jake. “Mr. Seresin, has your wife ever experienced any pain during intercourse? Painful cramps outside her normal period or—“ 

“Not that I’m aware of, no.” Jake knew Amilia like the back of his own hand, so the news of her diagnosis on the back of losing their child was far too much for him to handle. “What does she need? Treatment wise?”

“I can't say for certain without exploring her reproductive system more closely but if the ovaries are too far gone, we’re recommending a full hysterectomy.” Jake's brain was trying its best to compute all the little bits of information being given to him as he watched Amilia sleep. She looked as peaceful as she could be. “If the cancer is as aggressive as we believe it to be, if we leave behind any viable tissue it could spread–the miscarriage was a direct result of the tumours constricting her reproductive organs, it's a miracle she was able to convince to begin with.” 

“We’d been trying for a year–” Jake explained softly, his entire world was crashing around him. All that he knew, all that he hoped for in the future was crumbling. “We had an appointment with a fertility specialist the month she fell pregnant, we never ended up going because we ended up pregnant.” 

“I'm very sorry for your loss–” Doctor Thomas sympathised as he placed his hand on Jake's shoulder. The mullet kinda took away from the seriousness of his tone. “But I truly believe the miscarriage your wife suffered saved her life.” It was a take Jake never thought he’d have on such a horrid situation. “It would have killed her, she’s a very lucky woman, the blood she lost wasn't just from the miscarriage but from one of the worst ovarian torsions I’ve ever seen.” 

There was so much blood, far too much blood for Jake to ever forget. He grew up on a farm, his uncle owned an abitur, he knew that humans held a lot of blood but when you physically see that much blood coming from someone you love it's hard to comprehend the magnitude of the destruction until after the fact.  

“Your wife is scheduled for surgery earlier tomorrow morning, it's after visiting hours but given the circumstances i've already organised for a cot to be bright up so you can stay with her.” 

“If you can't save her life without the hysterectomy, I want you to do it.” Jake nodded as he let a few stray tears fall down his cheeks. “Yeah–yeah if it's all or nothing just do it.” He pressed his lips into a fine line to try and stop his bottom lip from quivering. “But if there's even a slither of hope that you don't have to, please–just try and give her a chance, she wants to be a mum so bad.” 

“I understand Mr. Seresin.” Doctor Thomas replied. “This isn't my first rodeo.” 

“Unlucky for you.” Jake tried to chuckle as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It's mine.” 

“Everyone I ever meet for these types of cases is their first, and if I can offer one piece of advice I’d say that there are other ways to be parents, adoption, foster care.” Doctor Thomas knew by the gaze in Jake's eyes that he was mentally checking out of the conversation. “Go be with your wife, i'll be by in the morning for post ops.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***

By the time Amilia was coming to in her groggy and drugged out state, Jake had already had a good cry in the dark. The hospital room was dimly lit, Jake didn't want his wife to wake up to the harsh fluorescent lights. Hell he didn't want her to wake up in general. He wanted her to stay sleeping peacefully forever, blissfully unaware of the horrors that awaited her when she woke. 

“Hey there Oz.” Jake cooed as he brushed Amilias hair from her face. “I've got you baby, I'm here.” It felt like time had stood still since she first screamed out in pain in the kitchen. Jake knew when he got home that ants would be everywhere from the sausages that had fallen from the tray he carried in and the salad you never put away. “Shhh i've got you Amilia, I’m here.” 

“I lost our baby.” Amilia hadn’t even opened her eyes properly and she was already incredibly aware of the heaviness in her chest. The grief she felt inside her soul. “Jake–I lost our baby.” 

“It's not your fault sweetheart.” Jake sat as close as he possibly could to his wife's bedside. “We lost our baby, I know, I know and it hurts, it hurts so much but Amilia, it's not so simple.” Jake had been dreading having this conversation, he didn't know how to tell his wife she was going in for surgery. That she was sick, that she had ovarian cancer and that they may have to perform a full hysterectomy just to save her life. “The doctors figured out why it took us so long to conceive.” 

“It's me, isn't it.” It broke Jake's heart to nod, but that didn't mean he thought his wife was broken. “What's wrong with me?” 

“You uh–” Jake couldn't stop himself from sobbing as he stood to climb into the hospital bed to hold his wife. “You're okay, that's the main thing okay, and you're gonna be fine once the surgery is over and I'm gonna be by your side through everything.” 

“I just lost our baby, I don't think I'll ever be alright again.” 

“You didn't lose our baby sweetheart, you have ovarian cancer–that's what caused the miscarriage, that's what, that's what stopped us from conceiving earlier.” Jake explained as simply and as slowly as possible as he held Amilia close to him and kissed her forehead. “Losing our baby saved your life.” 

“Jake, I don't have cancer.” Amilia scoffed as she shrugged him off. “Why would you even say that right now?” Jake was caught between a rock and a hard place, he didn't know what to do or what to say. “What are you even talking about right now?” That's when it hit, Jake physically saw the moment Amilia was able to process what he had said. “Oh–” Her shoulders slumped as she settled back into him. “Oh no, no no no no I can't, I can't, I don't–” 

“Shhh.” Jake cooed as he wrapped his wife back into his arms. “I'm here, I've got you, you're okay.” For everything the two had been through this was certainly about to be their biggest battle, but Jake Seresin was adamant that he would be there every step of the way. “Our baby saved your life, and I'll never be able to thank them enough.” 

“How bad is it?” Amilia sobbed into Jake's chest. “The cancer? And be honest Jake, please dont lie to me.” 

“It's bad enough.” Jake sobbed as he held Amilia closer than he ever had before. “I'm just grateful you're alive.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***

Whumptober Tags 🏷️ @xoxabs88xox @oldermenaremyreligion @slut-f0r-u @emma-is-cool @armydrcamers @topguncortez @topgun-imagines @kmc1989 @els-marvelvsp @blindedbythelightt

[fereldanwench]

A Personal, and Final, Reflection on A Certain Fandom

Having spent the past week and a half away from the Tumblr side of the C*b*rp*nk community after a resurgence of old wank (not hashing out the details–IYKYK), I heavily weighed the pros and cons of saying anything else. Ultimately, I decided for my own peace of mind and ability to fully move forward, I do want to say a few things (or a lot of things, given how long this is). This blog is my personal archive first and foremost, and I think writing a “final chapter” will help me find closure. I’m also choosing to publish this because, at the risk of sounding presumptuous, I think my mistakes and subsequent revelations might be good learning experiences for others, too. 

Like many of us, just by the nature of when this game was released, I entered this fandom during a very fragile, tumultuous time in my life–Well, sort of, let me back it up a little: I actually initially entered it during a great time in my life. It was July 2021, I had just enjoyed about 6 weeks off from work after quitting a demanding job that had sucked the life out of me for almost 10 years, and I had started a promising new job. I even bought the game with the first paycheck from said new job!

Unfortunately, while I had been told that this position was temp-to-hire, not only was it not a path to a permanent role, but because I completed all the work in my contract over a month sooner than they anticipated (early September vs late October), I was being let go early because they had nothing else for me to work on. I was literally told over the phone, “You did amazing work, you got us caught up through November, but we don’t have anything else for you.”

Cue about 6 months of recruiters ghosting me, exhausting interview processes, demoralizing rejections, and scam upon scam upon scam, all culminating in me returning to the job I had been so happy to leave a year earlier. And while my old coworkers were ecstatic to have me back, I couldn’t help but feel like a complete failure. I took what I thought was a calculated risk, I thought I could do something better for myself, and I couldn’t. It’s something I’m still struggling with today, honestly.

On top of this, I also experienced a debilitating physical health episode in January 2022 which led to me being effectively bedridden for about 3 weeks. [CW: Menstruation, sexual health] I’m not sure of the exact cause–maybe a bad reaction to emergency contraception, maybe unsafe menstrual underwear, but it resulted in menorrhagia so severe I fainted from blood loss. My insurance had literally just ended, another wave of COVID was hitting, and I didn’t want to risk getting infected sitting in an ER for hours only to rack up a few thousand in debt to get a blood transfusion. So rest, iron supplements, and lots of meat and spinach and orange juice was the best I could do.

All of this led to my world becoming very small. I wasn’t working, I could barely do my hobbies or see my local friends, and simple everyday tasks like showering drained me of all my energy. When I was stuck in bed and could barely keep my eyes open for more than a few hours at a time, gossip was a welcome, low-effort distraction from the physical pain and fear that I might either have to put myself in thousands of dollars of medical debt or risk lifelong damage (or worse) from the blood loss.

I also found myself having groups of friends in a way I’ve never experienced before. I’m extremely introverted (even online, though less so than IRL), I have social anxiety, and the handful of times I have been “in” a group I was never really in it. I was always on the outskirts and usually just close to one or two people, max.

Regretfully, this set the stage for me to get caught up in the culture of rumors and speculation that permeates this fandom more than I think it has any other fandom I’ve been a part of.

Academically, I know about things like groupthink and tribalism, and I could see how those influenced the groups developing in the fandom, but I had no direct, personal experience with those phenomena. I think in conjunction with the other struggles I was dealing with, I ended up being incredibly susceptible to an us-versus-them mentality, which led me to feel justified in being unkind to people I knew had been unkind to my friends, even if deep down I knew what I was doing was antithetical to who I strive to be. 

I don’t share any of this for sympathy points or to smear anyone else or to avoid accountability–I still chose to act like an ass on a couple of occasions, and regardless of what I was going through, that was still inappropriate. I’m still responsible for my own behavior no matter what’s going on. 

But I do want to contextualize my fuck-ups for two reasons:

The first reason is ego-driven, full-stop. Not even gonna gloss it over. I can’t defend being an asshole nor do I want to, but I think it’s normal and healthy to look back on your mistakes and go, damn, why the hell was I acting like this? 

Even on my best days, I can be very stubborn and self-important and pedantic and judgemental, and I certainly can’t say that I’ve never inadvertently offended someone–Sometimes a joke might not land as I hoped. Sometimes I get tangled up in my own thoughts, burdened by an excess of nuance and details, and I express things poorly while I try to account for all sides of things. Sometimes I can get a little too opinionated about blorbo stuff. Sometimes there might just be a full communication breakdown or an insurmountable personality clash–But I can also confidently say that I have acted with good intentions in this fandom far, far more than I have with spite or because of petty rivalries.

And when I did get caught up in the drama and gossip and the wank? I was literally at the lowest point I’d been in a very, very long time. 

Again, because I feel like I can’t say this enough, that doesn’t make acting like a dick in a Discord server any more excusable, that doesn’t mean I didn’t hurt anyone, and that doesn’t mean that someone I hurt during that time has to forgive me or stick around for me to grow. Hurting someone because you’re hurting is still not okay. But I’m pretty sure every single one of us has had a bad day (or two or three or 365 or–) and made an isolated bad decision (or two or three or–) because of it–None of us deserve to be wholly defined by those moments or denied a chance to learn from those mistakes and be better.

And I think the most important takeaway for me personally is that I have learned from these mistakes and I have not repeated them. Some of these mistakes even helped me realize that I needed professional support for my mental health, and they played a role in my seeking medication and therapy last year. I still have a lot of work to do, but the silver lining to all of this is that I am in a much better place today than I was 2 years ago (even if this year also fucking sucks for non-fandom reasons and I would still very much like a goddamn break.)

The other reason I wanted to share my journey of navel-gazing and healing a wounded ego ~*self-discovery*~ is I think there’s a very good chance my story might sound familiar to others in the fandom. Maybe someone else can learn from my hardships and mistakes, too. Maybe you too were dealing with chronic fatigue or mental health issues or financial stress or isolation or all of the above and then some, and it led you to fixate on things that were harmful to you, to form unhealthy relationships with equally hurt people, and to act in a way that you know doesn't reflect who you are. The past several years have been so hard on so many of us, and I think we’ve all brought a lot of pain and misery into the community even if we weren’t trying to.

A somewhat shameful realization I had last year was I could recognize that kind of behavior in other people, but I completely missed it in myself. I could see how people were making this fandom their whole world and how it was so damaging to them, but I was doing the exact same thing and I just let it go completely unchecked because I thought I knew better. It was a brutal lesson in the pitfalls of pride. 

--------

So I was initially thinking at this point, I would take the time to address a few specific lies, rumors, and insinuations that have been said about me over the past couple of years. Because while I was a jerk in a couple of situations, most of the things said about me are exaggerations, if not outright fabrications.

And I did start writing a lot of that out, but as I was doing it, I was just overcome with a huge feeling of OH MY GOD I just don’t fucking care anymore. As one of my dear, long-time fandom friends has pointed out, there’s a great line about just this kind of thing from one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite games: “Why should it [bother me]? They don’t know me. I know me.”

I also really don’t want to run the risk of pulling anyone back into the fray (especially if they’re not even in the fandom anymore or if we’ve talked privately about certain issues) by even alluding to shit that happened years ago.

Instead, I would like to offer three of my big takeaways from the experience of being falsely accused of awful things:

You do not know nearly as much as you think you know about people’s fandom relationships. The one semi-specific thing I will mention is that I had been explicitly named a few times as being in cahoots with people I don’t think I ever even spoke to or that I had already drifted away from–Just because you saw two people existing in the same public space doesn’t mean they’re besties, bestie. Also, friends don’t always have to agree with each other, nor should we be expected to participate in a public spectacle of shaming if we do have a disagreement. People are allowed to resolve their differences privately.  

Not all conflicts/disagreements are inherently abusive or toxic. When you are hurting or dealing with unresolved trauma or starting to confront uncomfortable truths about yourself, the slightest disagreement can feel like a personal attack, but that doesn’t mean it is. Sometimes differences might be irreconcilable, but sometimes they might not be if you don’t automatically assume the worst of someone with a different perspective than you. Sometimes we just need to give the other person a little grace and the benefit of the doubt that they’re doing their best. And sometimes we might need to consider that it’s actually our own behavior driving the conflict and not the other person.

Even in situations when someone has clearly been unfairly targeted/victimized, that doesn’t mean they can’t also be a perpetrator of harassment/abuse to someone else. Victim and abuser are not mutually exclusive roles. I would wager a lot of us are familiar with the cyclical nature of abuse, and to quote a line from one of my favorite movies (admittedly a bit of a flippant line in the context of the film, but it still rings true): hurt people hurt people. Accountability for shitty behavior is never conditional, regardless of the pain we’re experiencing. 

--------

I titled this my final reflection, and I want to clarify what that means:

First of all, I’m not leaving this fandom (don’t everyone clap at once ha ha ha). I’ve been in various online fandoms since the early 00s, and while this has been one of the more challenging communities for me to navigate, it’s not enough to make me give up something I love this much. My blorbos are my perpetual muses, and I feel like virtual photography is the creative outlet I’ve been searching for my entire life. I love this game and hobby too much to stop creating and sharing.

I’m also not leaving Tumblr. While I’ve had this specific account since 2016, I’ve been here since 2010–Tumblr is not just this fandom for me. I have many friends (some I’ve known since my original account in 2010!) from other fandoms, and I’m not losing the best place to hang out with other people who are special to me just because one fandom got a little unpleasant. (I mean, look, I weathered the DA fandom here circa 2012-2015–This ain’t my first rodeo.) I also have a lot of hope for the Tumblr Communities feature, and I’m really hoping the VP community we’ve set up can continue to grow and flourish.

But I am no longer addressing any of this wank. If you have a problem with something I’ve done or said to you and you want to address it with me directly (preferably in a private space just so we don’t keep putting this shit on people’s dashboards), I am open to conversation and apologizing where needed.

Otherwise, this is the last time I’m talking about it anywhere. Tumblr, Twitter, Discord, publicly, privately–I’m done. I’m washing my hands of it. I don’t want to hear anything else about what other people have done or who they’re friends with or who they’re following or what they’re saying about me or my friends or any of it. This bullshit has taken up too much of my time and energy, and I have very important smutty shots to take. 

And I am probably going to continue to be less active in the fandom on Tumblr, at least for a while. You probably won’t see me here much until September at the earliest. This time away has been really good for me, and I think I need to continue with limited Tumblring and making the time I am here more structured. Plus, with some of my other fave video game series returning this fall, my blog will probably shift back to a more well-balanced multi-fandom space. 

I’m also going to need to diversify my dash a little bit more, which means I will likely end up unfollowing some mutuals, particularly if we don’t interact often, if you don’t tag, or if I see any mention of fandom drama–It’s nothing personal, but I know breaking mutualship can hurt a little, so if following me after that makes you uncomfortable in any way, please don’t feel like you have to stick around. I totally get it. Similarly, if it would make you uncomfortable for me to continue to interact with your posts after unfollowing (because I probably will if you post in certain tags), please feel free to block me. 

Okay. Christ, that was long. Shut the fuck up already, right? This is why I can't do social media with character limits. ghdfjgjhkfdgkfdg

Seriously, though, that's it. People are welcome to comment on this post if they want, but I really have nothing else to say about any of this so please don’t be offended if I don’t reply. I’m not ignoring you, I’m just… Well, done.

[ohello0]

In honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day, I would like to dedicate a post to ways we can help women around the world facing genocide and gender based violence. Below are a list of organizations and groups to donate to focused on bettering the lives of and providing direct aid to women and girls in areas of conflict. This is an evolving list/resource so I will gladly take suggestions or edit requests from anyone who knows of a verified group helping women and girls that could be added to this list.

Access to Menstrual Products and Repro Healthcare

Sudan, Palestine, DRCongo, Lebanon

Sudan

Periods don’t stop for war: For every $5 Donated a woman or girl in Sudan receives a menstrual hygiene kit for the month

Let's Talk Period: As disposable menstrual hygiene products are too expensive for most women, grassroots groups have popped up to make, distribute, and educate other women and girls on how to make their own reusable pads.

Sudan Charity Navigator: A list of charities including Doctors Without Borders and food assistance groups providing aid to Sudan

Darfur Women Action Group: DWAG advocates for the protection of civilians, promotes women’s leadership, provides elementary education for children in refugee camps, and provides trauma counseling for survivors of sexual violence

Amal for Women: Amal For Women was able to help people in Al-Jazeera state, Darfur and refugees in Egypt. GoFundMe/PayPal doesn’t release the funds raised until the 25th of March. Please consider donating to reach more people the rest of Ramadan and Eid. Other donation links and more info here

Palestine

Pious Projects: "At $20 each, this kit will include - but is not limited to - sanitary pads, a hair brush, tooth brush, toothpaste, cotton swabs, wipes, tissues, and other hygienic items depending on availability. Distributions will take place in various areas accessible to on-ground teams such as camps in Rafah and UN schools."

Anera: there’s a list of things certain amounts of money can get the people of Palestine, $10 can get a family a blanket for winter, $40 can provide hygiene kits that include menstrual products, and $75+ can get people a mattress and more

Arab.Org: Free daily clicks generate ad revenue that goes to UNRWA. This link in particular shows you a full list of specific projects in need of funds you can also give to with a click from poverty to the environment to a fund focused on women.

DRCongo

City of Joy: “The City of Joy is a transformational leadership community for women survivors of violence, located in Bukavu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Conceived, owned, and run by local Congolese, the City of Joy has flourished since it first opened its doors in June 2011, healing women from their past trauma through therapy and life skills programming while providing them with the essential ingredients needed to move forward in life – love and community.”

Panzi Foundation: “Every day, between 5 and 7 new survivors walk through our doors. For 20 years, we’ve not only mended each woman’s injuries, we’ve walked with them to healing—every step of the way.”

Lebanon

Global Giving | Days for Girls Lebanon: Health education and locally made washable menstrual kits to women and girls since 2011

Products for Babies and Children

Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, DRCongo

Palestine

Care For Gaza: The work Care For Gaza does is all-encompassing by necessity. From food to money packages to winter clothes to diapers for babies and disabled or elderly adults, Care For Gaza is an on the ground group providing direct aid to Gazans.

Yemen

Go Fund Me: Food Packs and Eid Gifts for the People of Yemen

Sudan

Human Appeal | Sudan Emergency Appeal: Funds orphanages, food, and baby formula

DRCongo

War Child: Tiered donations can provide children with school books, meals, and toys

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is an evolving list/resource so I will gladly take suggestions or edit requests from anyone who knows of a verified group helping women and girls that could be added to this list.

[ingek73]

As students around the world returned to school this month, The Archewell Foundation supported girls’ education and health by sending school supplies and menstrual products to young scholars in Nigeria with The GEANCO Foundation.

GEANCO provides critical health care and education services in Nigeria. Its David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship provides full tuition, medical care, and social and emotional support to young female victims of terrorism and gender inequality in Nigeria.

Afam Onyema, CEO of GEANCO, joined the Archewell staff to help fill backpacks with supplies and menstrual products. AWF’s support will also provide menstrual health education for 2,500 girls in the region GEANCO serves, supporting the health and well-being of girls pursuing their education.

To learn more about GEANCO and their work in Nigeria:

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alanna Vagianos at HuffPost:

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance suggested there should be a “federal response” to prevent women from traveling out of state for abortion care in a newly resurfaced clip from a 2022 podcast. Vance appeared on Aimee Terese’s “What’s Left” podcast in January 2022 and mused on what should happen if the Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade. Roe was overturned months later. “Let’s say Roe vs. Wade is overruled, Ohio bans abortion, you know, in 2022, let’s say 2024, and then every day George Soros sends a 747 to Columbus to load up disproportionately Black women to get them to go have abortions in California,” Vance, who at the time was running to represent Ohio in the Senate, said on the podcast. “Of course, the left will celebrate this as a victory for diversity … that’s kind of creepy, right?”

“If that happens, do you need some federal response to prevent it from happening because it’s really creepy?” he added. “And, you know, I’m pretty sympathetic to that, actually.” His comments about Black women likely refer to the far-right talking point that abortion supporters use abortion as a means to Black genocide. The Harris campaign resurfaced the podcast clip in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday night. “JD Vance’s obsession with controlling women’s most personal health care decisions, from blocking access to IVF, to tracking women’s menstrual cycles, to passing a national abortion ban to bar women from traveling to access the care they need, isn’t just bad policy — it’s creepy, it’s unacceptable, and voters won’t stand for it,” Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told HuffPost.

Appearing on Aimee Terese’s What’s Left podcast in January 2022 while running for the Senate, J.D. Vance endorse federal restrictions on those seeking an abortion to travel out-of-state in a discussion about post-Roe hypotheticals. A few months later, in June 2022, SCOTUS ruled to overturn Roe and Casey in Dobbs.

Let this be a reminder that Vance should be nowhere near a cheeseburger choke away from the Presidency.

[ukrfeminism]

BBC presenter Naga Munchetty has told a committee of MPs that doctors told her to suck it up after she experienced extreme menstrual health problems.

Ms Munchetty and TV personality Vicky Pattison said GPs had repeatedly called their gynaecological symptoms "normal".

Both turned to private healthcare to have their conditions treated.

The pair were giving evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee as part of an inquiry into women's reproductive health.

Earlier this year, Ms Munchetty revealed she had adenomyosis, which affects the womb, but called the process of being diagnosed "infuriating".

She had suffered debilitating symptoms, including excruciating pain and heavy menstrual bleeding, since her teens, with her husband even calling an ambulance because of the pain, she told the committee.

But the attitude of the GPs had been: "Those are your [treatment] options - and if they don't work for you, then suck it up."

'Crippling anxiety'

Ms Pattison was diagnosed with pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), after hearing about it during conversations on social media.

"For 10 days of the month, I was feeling really fatigued, suffering with insomnia, having crippling anxiety, terrible self-doubt, no passion for the things I normally loved," she said.

She had visited doctors around the country but always been told: "This is PMS [premenstrual syndrome]. This is what women go through. Every other woman in the world is dealing with this," making her feel "even more invalidated".

"Women's health, be it reproductive, sexual, everything, is given less gravity because we are just expected to get on with it, to suffer it, to be brave. It's got to change," Ms Pattison told the MPs.

Ms Munchetty said of seeking treatment privately: "It was the only time I felt I could sit there and take time and force an issue, force understanding, force explanations from my gynaecologist and not feel bad that I was taking up more than 10 minutes of my GP's time because there was a queue of people in the waiting room."

Both Ms Munchetty and Ms Pattison told the MPs that women must be properly listened to in the health service.

'Better understanding'

Ms Pattison said: "GPs, anyone within the NHS, any medical professionals at all, they just need to start to take women seriously when they say something's wrong.

"I know loads of brilliant women and I don't feel like we're the weaker sex at all. I feel like we're brilliant.

"I feel like we're strong and powerful and we put up with a lot more than blokes do most of the time.

"If we have got ourselves up and gone into a doctor's, a hospital, whatever, to say something's wrong, I feel like the least people can do is listen to her and believe that there is something wrong."

And "better knowledge, better understanding" about health issues affecting women specifically was needed.

After talking about adenomyosis publicly, Ms Munchetty said she had been approached by medical professionals who had never heard of the condition.

"There's not enough training, there's not enough focus in the medical profession on women," she said.

[dootznbootz]

Do we have any idea how old Odysseus was when the trojan war started? Like I'm actually curious, Ive always imagined him to be sth around 20 but then I tried to find it online and the the range goes from 20 to mid 40s so like im so confused, do you know anythig??

My dear Anon, the timeline is a mess and I wouldn't bother trying to find the "real ages" as...it's just straight-up impossible. :'D I literally made a meme about it a LONG while back.

For example, The Apple of Discord happened during Thetis' and Peleus' wedding. They decided Paris would chose, he chose Aphrodite, so he got to kidnap Helen.

The War starts....How tf is Achilles old enough to go to war if his parents just got married? I have never seen anything that said they waited until Paris grew up.

Thing is, so many people throughout history have their own versions and if we were to try and make sense of all of them, these heroes would probably be around 200 years old.

If you're worried about this stuff for writing? MAKE IT UP!!! :D There's technically no "real age"

One of my favorite examples:

Left to right: Menelaus, Paris, Diomedes, Odysseus, Nestor, Achilles, Agamemnon.

...WHY DOES MENELAUS AND DIOMEDES HAVE MORE WRINKLES THAN FUCKING NESTOR?!?!

Old man Nestor. Achy breaky back Nestor. "Back in my day" Nestor. Grandpa fucking Nestor!!!

(Paris, Odysseus, Achilles, and Agamemnon look pretty good imo but the others don't feel like their faces match their ages.)

It's because of the fact that there's not a distinct specific age, and therefore artists and muses could make it whatever!

BUT! Considering some things, Penelope, Helen, Menelaus, and Odysseus were all most likely around 20 when they got married.

I'm no expert. I am absolutely not. But from what I've read, Women in Sparta got married when they were around 20 years old. Part of the reason why exercise for women was a thing was because of the idea of "strong mothers have strong sons". Fully grown women are less likely to have health problems if they get pregnant compared to "girl who just got her first menstrual cycle". I don't know if this was the case during the Mycenaean/Minoan eras but it's what we're given.

Men were around the same age BUT with military stuff, they'd be in the barracks most of the time and had to "sneak away" in order to be with their wife for the night.

In many other places, men got married when they're around 30. But with all this happening in SPARTA, I think Tyndarius would probably hope to "keep to his own Spartan rules". I think a lot of young men saw this as an opportunity or even a "Mom, Dad, This is the chance of a lifetime!!! Even if I am technically too young to get married, this is the chance to marry the most beautiful woman in the world!"

The Iliad mentions Odysseus being older than Menelaus however!!! (personally, I have Odysseus older by a few months and him pulling the "I'm the older of the two of us!")

Hermione is said to be 9 years old when Helen is kidnapped. Most likely, making them around 29, give or take. (Personally I changed Hermione's age to 7, making them more around 27) Odysseus at around 28 and Penelope at around 27 about to turn 28 shortly when he has to leave.

[x-suga]

Embracing Self-Love: The Health Benefits of Female Self-Pleasure

In a world where open conversations about sexuality are increasingly encouraged, it's essential to recognize that self-love and self-pleasure play a significant role in a woman's overall well-being. While societal taboos have often shrouded the topic, it's time to shed light on the numerous health benefits of female self-pleasure.

Stress Relief One of the most immediate and noticeable benefits of self-pleasure is stress relief. Engaging in self-pleasure triggers the release of endorphins and oxytocin, commonly known as "feel-good" hormones. These chemicals promote relaxation and reduce stress, helping women unwind after a long day.

Improved Sleep For those struggling with sleep disorders or insomnia, self-pleasure can be a natural remedy. The release of endorphins during orgasm can induce a sense of calm and relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep and enjoy a restful night.

Enhanced Mood Regular self-pleasure can help balance mood swings by regulating hormones. It's an effective way to combat anxiety and depression, fostering a sense of well-being and happiness.

Improved Pelvic Health Engaging in self-pleasure helps strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which can contribute to better bladder control and sexual satisfaction. lt can also reduce the risk of pelvic inflammatory diseases and urinary tract infections.

Increased Libido Exploring one's body through self-pleasure can lead to a better understanding of one's desires and preferences. This increased self-awareness often translates into a higher libido and more fulfilling sexual experiences with a partner.

Better Body lmage Self-pleasure can promote a positive body image by fostering self-acceptance and self-love. It encourages women to embrace their bodies, which can lead to improved self-confidence in all aspects of life.

Hormonal Balance Regular self-pleasure can help regulate hormonal fluctuations, particularly during the menstrual cycle. lt may reduce the severity of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) symptoms and create a smoother transition through the ups and downs of hormonal changes. By engaging in self-pleasure, women can potentially mitigate mood swings, irritability, and discomfort associated with hormonal fluctuations, allowing for a more harmonious and balanced emotional state throughout the month.

[hushpuppy5-blog]

Periods? A Bloody Waste of Time 🩸

I'm entirely convinced at this point that anything that they tell us (women) is normal is actually bad for us. While pregnancy from male insemination can be avoided, periods are a different matter. I am certain that they are not meant to be painful at all, nor are we meant to bleed so heavily. If a period is (as some claim) truly the removal of toxins and other fluids, are we not going to analyze what the heck is intoxicating us to begin with?

I saw this documentary a while ago called "Red Moon: Menstruation, Culture, and the Politics of Gender" were several women were discussing the stigmatization of periods. I don't remember which part it was exactly, but they were mentioning how painful periods were an energy thing. For some women, especially those who have suffered from abuse in their past, something may energetically be going on with each monthly release. I think it even goes beyond that.

This world's version of normal seems to be in praise of degeneracy at every corner of life. Pregnancy is normal, yet many women die from it or leave with life long scars (physically and emotionally). Intercourse (which seems to skirt itself alongside pure violence) is normal, yet many women leave with disease or some form of mental disorder. Periods are normal, but many women suffer monthly from it to the point where they can become immobile for a day or two. It seems that just as man has intoxicated nature, he has intoxicated the women as well. Expertly so. Now women have convinced themselves and others that pain and suffering is normal. I found this document online discussing some doctors who observed the difference between the western women and who they called "primitive" women. The western women were described as having highly acidic bodies, whilst the other group of women had alkaline bodies.

During the study, the women who consumed more animal products were more susceptible to bleeding heavier and for a longer period during their menstrual. With the alkaline women who consumed more plant based foods, the menstruation almost ceased to exist.

Modern doctors will claim that the absence of a period is signs of a terrible condition. They'll even suggest that an eating disorder it at play. It's interesting they'll say that losing your periods is unnatural, but popping a pill full of foreign chemicals to "regulate" it is totally not cause for future concerns. Speaking of eating disorders—from a western perspective—arguably many people already have eating disorders. We eat until our bellies our stretched beyond normal, and we consume foods that are lifeless and will end up rotting in our stomachs. I do believe that an aspect of periods is normal, given their spiritual nature. In ancient times, they hinted at a connection between the cycles of the moon. This was when women could be most in tune with their bodies and souls, perhaps harnessing spirtual powers that may have been dulled any other time. Now, women are lying in bed curdling in pain during that time of the month. Not much can be done productively. Of course, not all women have this problem, but plenty do.

This is just some speculation though. For me personally, omitting meat and other animal products from my diet has changed the way I think. I'm only four months in though, and my decision to do this was spontaneous and came about due to some health concerns for mine. I have had asthma and eczema for most of my life. These are two inflammatory conditions that have left me breathless and peeling off my own skin to a gross degree. Since reducing my consumption of eggs and milk and taking out meat completely, I've been breathing better and I've had little to no rashes. As a shift to something completely plant based, I'm curious as to how it will further effect me physically alongside my future menstrual cycles as well. Again, this is just the case for myself and could effect others differently. I just know that society doesn't care for case by case conditions and wants EVERYBODY to do the exact same thing healthwise, regardless of how it effect them personally. They've been choosing death for us for centuries. Now, when some of us choose life, they want to call it dangerous pseudoscience. Spare me. Women need to get to know their own bodies on a personal level. Many modern doctors aren't healers. They're band-aid solutions. This includes female doctors, since they are getting paid too. We need to be in charge of our own health and start educating ourselves.

Periods were once considered the first curse on women. Perhaps they still are. They certainly aren't desired. This isn't to take the Christian perspective of "woman bad", but there are hidden truths within these ancient books that must be analyzed. In the case of Eve, she suffered two curses from God in Genesis 3:16:

"I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children."

And

"Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

There's no explicit mention of periods here, but pregnancy and periods go hand in hand on the pain spectrum it seems. The second quote is also intriguing. This desire for her husband is linked to pain as well as "inequality". I believe that her desire for Adam makes them far more equal than we realize. She suffers with him in his degeneracy now, although on a different level. It's also notable that her suffering is more severe and constant. Would she have this pain if she loved "God" more than Adam? Or if she loved herself more than Adam?

There are so many questions, many left unanswered. Regardless, there can be a more optimistic lens to this. Like many curses, perhaps this one can be broken.

[generalhealthcareinkarnal]

What are the Causes of Late Periods? A period is a natural part of a woman's life, and its arrival, or lack thereof, can be a source of curiosity or concern. While a late period might send your mind racing to pregnancy tests, there are numerous reasons why your period might be behind schedule. Let's discuss the world of menstrual cycles and explore the top causes of late periods.

Pregnancy: The Obvious One

We can't ignore the most common reason for a missed period �� pregnancy. If you're sexually active and haven't used contraception, a late period could be the first sign of a bun in the oven. However, it's important to note that pregnancy tests might not be conclusive in the very early stages. For accurate results, wait at least a week after a missed period before taking a test. You can also visit or take an online consultation with our specialist doctor Geetanjali Thakur , the best Gynecologist in Karnal.

Hormonal Harmony: When Things Get Out of Sync

Our bodies are like intricate orchestras, and hormones play the lead role in regulating our menstrual cycles. When these hormones get out of sync, it can lead to a late period or even missed periods altogether. Here are some common hormonal culprits:

●     Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that affects ovulation, leading to irregular periods or their absence.

●     Thyroid Issues: An overactive or underactive thyroid can disrupt hormone production, impacting your cycle.

●     Birth Control: Starting, stopping, or switching birth control methods can disrupt your cycle for a few months as your body adjusts to the hormonal changes.

●     Perimenopause: As you approach menopause, your estrogen levels naturally decline, leading to irregular periods or their absence.

Lifestyle Choices: Big Impact on Small Cycles

Our daily habits can significantly impact our menstrual health. Here's how some lifestyle choices can cause a late period:

●     Stress: Chronic stress wreaks havoc on our hormones, including those regulating periods.

●     Weight Fluctuations: Dramatic weight loss or gain can disrupt ovulation and lead to irregular periods.

●     Excessive Exercise: While exercise is great for overall health, excessive workouts can put stress on your body and cause missed periods.

●     Diet: Crash diets or restrictive eating habits can deprive your body of essential nutrients needed for a regular cycle.

Medical Conditions: When Other Factors Come into Play

Certain medical conditions can also affect your menstrual cycle and you should search Gynecologist dr near me and get the best solution, here are a few examples:

●     Chronic illnesses: Conditions like diabetes, celiac disease, and autoimmune diseases can disrupt hormone regulation and lead to irregular periods.

●     Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): This infection of the reproductive organs can cause irregular periods.

●     Uterine fibroids: These benign tumors in the uterus can sometimes cause heavy or irregular periods.

When to See a Doctor

While a late period is sometimes nothing to worry about, there are situations where it's best to consult a Gynecologist near you. Here are some red flags:

●     You miss multiple periods in a row (especially if you're not pregnant or breastfeeding).

●     Your periods are unusually heavy or painful.

●     You experience abnormal vaginal bleeding.

●     You have sudden weight loss or gain.

●     You suspect you might have an underlying medical condition.

Taking Charge of Your Cycle

Understanding your menstrual cycle and its potential disruptions empowers you to make informed choices about your health. Here are some tips for keeping your cycle on track:

●     Maintain a healthy weight.

●     Eat a balanced diet.

●     Manage stress effectively.

●     Exercise regularly, but don't overdo it.

●     Track your periods using a calendar or app.

●     Talk openly with your doctor about any concerns.

Remember, a late period doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong. However, if you're concerned, don't hesitate to consult a Gynecologist near me. They can help you determine the cause and recommend the best course of action.

Additional Considerations

This blog post provides a general overview of common causes for late periods. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have any specific concerns about your menstrual cycle, consult your doctor for personalized guidance.

Concerned about your late period? Don't wait!

Schedule an appointment with the expert gynecologists Karnal. Our team can provide personalized guidance and address any questions you might have. Visit our website to book an appointment today!

[warcrimesimulator]

"menstrual leave will result in workplace discrimination and make employers not want to hire women" then crack down harder on discrimination then. I literally have no fucking sympathy because this is already the reality for women with disabilities and neurodivergent people and chronically ill people. those who have debilitating menstrual pain because they have endo or some other health issue just take a day off sick, and they still get fired because employers don't want people who have to take a day or two off every month (maybe the employer even connects the dots, I mean it's kind of fucking obvious if it happens every month right?). Feminists don't advocate for women with health issues and then want to cry at the thought of being disadvantaged in the same way? Let me play a song for you on the world's smallest violin.

[ititledit]

Radfems, this is your sign to put your hand in your pocket this month and support a women's charity. Some UK and international charities listed below, I'd welcome the addition of others!

UNFPA

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

We promote gender equality and empower women, girls and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures. We work with partners in more than 150 countries to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services. Our goal is ending unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal death, and gender-based violence and harmful practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030

Refuge UK

At Refuge, we support thousands of women and children who turn to us when they’re trying to escape domestic abuse. Help us be there for every woman and child who needs us, by donating today.

PLAN International

Around the world, including here in the UK, girls still don’t have equal rights – and that has to change. That’s why we’re standing with young people as they campaign on the issues that matter most to them, from child marriage and trafficking to street harassment and sexual exploitation at work.

Join the Because I am a Girl campaign

Will you stand with brave girls everywhere?

Girls aren’t weak – they’re braver than you know. Street harassment. Sexual exploitation. Child marriage. They face it all. By joining our Because I am a Girl campaign, you’ll be standing with brave girls everywhere, as they take on the issues that matter to them

Women's Aid

Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.

We have been at the forefront of shaping and coordinating responses to domestic violence and abuse through practice for over 45 years. We empower survivors by keeping their voices at the heart of our work, working with and for women and children by listening to them and responding to their needs.

The AVA Project

Our vision: A world without gender based violence and abuse.

Our mission: Working with survivors to end gender-based violence by championing evidence-based change.

Our guiding principles: Survivors are at the heart of everything we do.

Bloody Good Period

Recognising the trauma and anxiety caused by not having access to essential menstrual products; our vision is of a society in which asylum seekers, refugees and otherwise displaced people and their dependents have unrestricted access to high quality, free period supplies of their choice.

BelEve

BelEve is a girl-focused organisation working to transform the life chances of 8-18 years old girls from disadvantaged backgrounds in London. In 2020/2021 we offered mentoring and enrichment programmes to over 1,000 girls. Every £1 donated to our work will make a world of difference to young lives.

Bright futures

Bright Futures are a registered charity (No. 1157578) working with young women up to the age of 25 to give them a brighter future by helping them to tackle some of life’s biggest challenges including substance misuse, domestic abuse, unemployment, poor health and wellbeing, sexual abuse and exploitation.

Asian Womens Centre

The AWRC was established over 40 years ago and is a pioneer of services for BME women experiencing domestic abuse. We have evolved over this period, but our core values remain the same.

The women we serve inspire us to continue our work for the next 40 years, leaving a legacy for the local community and beyond.

[beardedmrbean]

Not long after the rollout of coronavirus vaccines last year, women around the country began posting on social media about what they believed was a strange side effect: changes to their periods.

Now, new research shows that many of the complaints were valid. A study of nearly 20,000 people around the world shows that getting vaccinated against covid can change the timing of the menstrual cycle. Vaccinated people experienced, on average, about a one-day delay in getting their periods, compared with those who hadn't been vaccinated.

Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.

The data for the study, published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, was taken from a popular period-tracking app called Natural Cycles and included people from around the world, but most were from North America, Britain and Europe. The researchers used "de-identified" data from the app to compare menstrual cycles among 14,936 participants who were vaccinated and 4,686 who were not.

Because app users tracked their menstrual cycles each month, the researchers were able to analyze three menstrual cycles before vaccination and at least one cycle after, and compare them with four menstrual cycles in the unvaccinated group.

The data showed that vaccinated people got their periods 0.71 days late, on average, after the first dose of vaccine. However, people who received two vaccinations within one menstrual cycle experienced greater disruptions. In this group, the average increase in cycle length was four days, and 13 percent experienced a delay of eight days or more, compared with 5 percent in the control group.

Alison Edelman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University, who led the study, said that for most people the effects were temporary, lasting for one cycle before returning to normal. She said there were no indications that the period side effects had any impact on fertility.

"Now we can give people information about possibly what to expect with menstrual cycles," Edelman said. "So I hope that's overall really reassuring to individuals."

Researchers don't know exactly why the vaccines seem to affecting menstrual cycles, but Edelman said that the immune and reproductive systems are linked and that inflammation or a strong immune response could trigger menstrual fluctuation.

Any change in getting your period can be stressful, triggering worries about an unplanned pregnancy or an illness, and people have expressed frustration that public health officials didn't warn them about the possible side effect or do more research before rolling out the vaccines.

One major limitation of the study is the fact that it included only those who were not on birth control, had regular cycles before getting vaccinated and were between the ages of 18 and 45.

The study also didn't answer all of the questions raised by people about vaccines and periods. Ever since the vaccines were rolled out, women on social media have complained of longer, heavier and more-painful periods after getting vaccinated. This study did not look at the heaviness of periods or other side effects such as cramps, but researchers said it did show that, on average, getting vaccinated did not appear to cause longer periods.

Edelman said preliminary findings from a different study suggest that getting a coronavirus vaccine sometimes may cause heavier periods. The data, collected from nearly 10,000 people, is still undergoing peer review, but it showed that getting vaccinated increased slightly the probability of having heavier bleeding.

________________

WaPo is gonna get suspended from twitter for this one.

Seriously though, hope people that got deactivated for saying this kind of thing previously can get their accounts back

However, she acknowledged that her studies have looked only at people with normal menstrual cycles who aren't using hormonal contraceptives, and that individual experiences may vary widely.

Caiityya Pillai, 21, who lives in Berkeley Calif., said that for two months after her March 2021 shot, her normally light period became extremely painful and lasted twice as long.

"The pain wasn't like a normal pain. It was to the point where I was crying and could not get out of bed," she said.

Pillai said that she was overwhelmed with anxiety and thought something else might be wrong, but that after two cycles, her period returned to normal. When she got a second dose in July 2021, her period worsened again, but she said she felt calmer about it because she had seen similar stories being shared online.

Other research has suggested that vaccines have a variety of effects on periods. A survey published last fall collected information about periods and vaccines from 16,000 people - including transgender and postmenopausal people - and found that thousands reported heavier bleeding than usual or breakthrough bleeding.

While these observations aren't necessarily medically alarming, Katharine Lee, an assistant professor at Tulane University who helped conduct the survey, said the information is important to help trans men plan for additional support if menstruating causes gender dysphoria, and also to help people make decisions about stocking up on tampons and pads.

Lorena Grundy, 27, uses an IUD and hadn't had her period for over three years before she got her first Pfizer shot in February 2021. The next day at work, she got her period.

"It wasn't that the vaccine moved my period early or late - it produced one," said Grundy, who lives in Somerville, Mass.

If she had been made aware of the side effect, she said, she would have prepared and brought a pad to work. Her period lasted three or four days - and it came back when she got her second vaccine dose three weeks later. But it didn't happen again when she got a booster shot last November.

"I think it's good to validate that we should listen to women about their own bodies," she said. "I'm still glad I got vaccinated, but I do think maybe this shows that it's a symptom we should be preparing people for so they're not alarmed by it."

Although Edelman's research suggested that period changes are temporary, some people have reported lasting shifts in menstrual cycles long after getting a shot.

Sammi Beechan, 32, of Hammond, Ore., said they used to have a "blessed, beautiful cycle" that came every 28 days "like clockwork" and resulted in mild cramps and only four days of light to medium bleeding.

After a Johnson & Johnson shot in April 2021, nothing changed, but after getting a Moderna booster that October, Beechan noticed that their period started to come every 24 days with more than four days of heavier bleeding, more-painful cramps and extreme mood shifts. Doctors have ruled out endometriosis and other potential health conditions as the cause.

Beechan said that getting vaccinated against covid is worth it but that they wish more information about period side effects had been provided ahead of the vaccine rollout. "I went from having very consistent expectations and now each month I'm like, okay, I guess this is what it is," Beechan said.

Diana Bianchi, the director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded Edelman's research, said getting a significantly late period after vaccination is not necessarily cause for alarm.

"I wouldn't recommend going to a doctor after the first time that it happens, just because all the evidence indicates that the change resolves, it's only temporary," she said. "If it's a persistent change in the menstrual cycle interval, then that might be a reason to see your primary-care physician or OB/GYN."

The National Institutes of Health has funded at least four other research projects around coronavirus vaccines and menstruation - some of which look at adolescents and people with endometriosis - with the hope of providing better information and increasing public trust in the vaccines.

Olivia Rodriguez, 26, said she doesn't plan to get her booster shot because she had such a bad experience after her second Moderna shot in March 2021. Despite just having finished her period, she started another within a few days of getting the shot. It lasted 10 days with heavier bleeding, she said, instead of the normal four or five days she was used to. She also experienced more-painful cramps.

Initially, she panicked, but soon found stories online of other women who had gone through similar situations. It was reassuring, she said, but she still is wary of getting another shot.

Rodriguez, who is a member of the Osage Nation, said medical researchers need to earn the trust of the Indigenous and people of color by providing more information upfront about side effects.

"I never really got an explanation of why or what happened," she said.