So sorry your experience was like that. Mine was awful, too. I also had the all-day nausea, but my ob actually tried to make me take meds bc she wanted me to eat decently, I refused. Then came headaches, from potassium deficiency maybe, then severe heartburn from start of 2nd trimester, gastroscopy without anaesthesia (pure torture), then I was ready to take meds. Then I rescued a baby hedgehog and went depressed for the whole Christmas month trying to save the poor sick thing, reading about horrible hedgie afflicions. Succeeded, and then the rib pains started, so bad I couldn't get good rest. At last and best, got back ache such that I could hardly walk at all. Whole time I was completely alone without any help. Had gender disappointment, too, over him not being the girl I so longed for, but it was surprisingly mild and I never resented the baby, I felt so sorry for it as it was also affected by all the shit we had to go through. Culminated in a hospital nightmare after birth where I was treated really badly and totally healthy baby was put in NICU for one week with NO reasons other than sucking money out of insurance. This alienated me from the baby and of course, I got postpartum depression in the end. At that time I sometimes felt hate for the baby for short moments, but from sheer exhaustion, again being without any help. It is gone now as I knew it would. Thank you so much for sharing, knowing there are others with crappy pregnancies totally helps feeling less lonely. Btw I wanted to be pregnant again as soon as baby was out 😅 but I know I'm not ready for another hell ride yet 🎢🤢

I actually look forward for the discarded food i cooked for my toddler

Oh yes I understand this I have 3 children and feel as though there is never a time that everything is done.

Why don't you cook the same meal for both of you more often?

I put off downloading the kindle app on my phone for so long and I don't know why. Definitely recommend it

I had a natural delivery and was up and about hours later poor women who have a c section are not up and about so fast deffo not the easy option at all it's major surgery

How is it possible to be bored when one has a phone? Books, music, games, KZfaq, Netflix, texting, Wikipedia....the list goes on!

I used a menstrual cup easily before I had my son... But afterwards day 1 and 2 is so heavy! It's like a blood bath 😂 it's so heavy and disturbing that I stopped using my menstrual cup...it's just too messy for me, especially with a toddler wanting to see everything.... However I just started the pill last week and I'm hoping they will be much lighter.... Or just normal is fine 😂 My son is 2 today and I've had periods again since he was almost 4 months of because I didn't breastfeed.. So yeah... It hasn't been fun since end November 2022.. I've never owned reusable pads and I hate disposable ones.. But I've been using them since.. I can't wait to potentially use my menstrual cup again... I had endometriosis years ago.. I had 2 Mirenas to hopefully keep it away (after the lesions were removed)... After having 2 consecutively for 8 years, I had almost no pain during my period which was awesome and my endometriosis has since not returned.. I had the second Mirena removed in 2019, only got pregnant in 2021, and it's been 2 years now since having my son.. So hope it stays away. I've always had ovulation pain, but that's fine.. That's nothing compared to bad pain.. I'm also just weird.. I've never been like other people, but why do you want to be like everyone else 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

I have started buying books on Kindle (ugh Amazon I know) and downloading the app on my phone that way I have books on my phone when I need them!

I finished the documentary this evening, I have another question (especially following your comments about your donor), who verifies the donors description of themselves? If they say blonde hair blue eyes, is that checked? How about education or career? Or furthermore personality traits e.g kind, adventurous, creative… can they just make up who they want to be?

I do this all the time… Or I realise I need a wee 🙈 so I can’t concentrate on the book, if I have on the off chance remembered it 🙈

Why have a kid, when you seem to not even like it 😂

Better load up on ebooks in your Kindle app!

Your baby is so lovely

Throw a book and snack for you in the diaper bag.

You need a car essentials bag for you. Maybe have a snack a drink a book, or my favourite was a colouring book and pens I found it relaxing.

I am not exaggerating when I say that 75% of people in my workplace and friendship ground have now pursued and received a diagnosis within ASD. I definitely think there is a social contagion. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist but when most people have a diagnosis of something relating to psychology/mental health.. there is something up.

You could maybe leave a book in the car for convenience?

Lovely video! Just fyi as might be helpful in future engagement with autistic people, the autism spectrum doesn't go from "not very autistic" to "very autistic", it's more like a colour wheel and each autistic person has different amounts of different autistic traits. Every autistic person is just as autistic as every other autistic person, and humans overall are either autistic or allistic (not autistic) sincerely, an autistic person! <3

Some people are just completely innappropriate online and to me offline as well. By the way I love your content, I don’t subscribe cause my income varies a bit each month, but I like your Ko-fi link, gives me the opportunity to thank you for your advice every once in a while!

I found my periods got more painful and heavier after having babies 💚

You’re a very intelligent, well spoken, organised and motivated person. Maybe they see those better qualities in you that are sometimes related to autism. As someone recently diagnosed ASD I think I have a lot of difficulties and things that negatively affect me and impact on the progression of my life. I watch you and wish I could be as dedicated of a person as you but I find daily life difficult, so I really admire you, it may just be that you’re super passionate too, which I can totally relate to! You’re amazing ❤

For skin/eczema keep an eye on topical steroid withdrawal information. Doctors don't have a lot of awareness on it but the research on it is increasing. It can apply to other types of steroid medication as well

Good on you for addressing this. I hope people can respect your boundaries now and keep their opinions to themselves. I've had a similar experience regarding my son by a fellow mum friend from school. Her son was ASD, and she could see similar 'quirks' with my son and pushed that I need to get him assessed. He was 10 at the time, I have also always seen the quirks and having worked with children with more severe autism, I could see that even if my son were on the spectrum it would only be slight. I've always kept an eye on it and as he's gotten older the things that I first noticed he's grown out of. I don't believe in going for a diagnosis if it does not impact him and he is not struggling and doing well in all areas of his life and learning. It's just not necessary, and there was a huge difference between our two sons. Needless to say, I am no longer friends with this mum and the friendship only lasted 8mths (but that's a whole other story 😆)

As someone that has been following and watching Bryony since the beginning and someone that rarely comments, I'd just like to come to her defense. I have NEVER once thought she was autistic. I just thought her parents raised a very smart girl that thought for herself, found a passion & followed through. And I'd have to guess that more Americans are asking if she is autistic, did u ever stop to think that she's just very proper British? Bryony is bright, smart, kind. Well spoken & I have adored her for many years!!!!! Keep up the good work hun!! Your perfect just how you are!!!!! ))))HUGS((((from long time viewer, rare commenter!!!!!! 😊

I think the points you make about the focus on period products, your young age when you started, and people asking about ASD make sense. I wonder if it's also related to a gendered expectation for women, especially young women, to be very smiley and peppy; whereas you own your confidence without that. I have always loved this about you. I hope that makes sense 😄 Really happy for you that the period pain hasn't been as bad post baby! I've heard from several friends that it got worse 🫣

Very well articulated ❤

We really liked the Waldorf school the only reason we left was the administration! I loved they DO NOT talk politics or religion in the classroom.

Im autistic myself and when i read more about it the more I relate . If you were autistic it would definitely have an impact on your life. Thanks for being so open and honest. Love these types of conversations . You are so well spoken.

When it comes to the autism issue, I'm curious which countries more of the people who think you're autistic, tend to be from. I don't know if you get a lot of other American viewers besides me, but I suspect you probably do. When I've researched autistic spectrum disorders online, I've noticed such a HUGE cultural difference in the way British people and Americans talk about autism and view it. It seems like British people have such a more enlightened view of autism than Americans do. To your average American, I'd be surprised if they'd suspect that a KZfaqr, who owns a successful business, might have autism. We, (not me personally, but other Americans) tend to think that autism means a mentally handicapped person or someone with mental issues who can't live on their own without a ton of help. But the British seem to view autism as something that could just make you a little weird, but otherwise fine. They're way more aware of the higher functioning end of the spectrum, (and the fact that there even IS a spectrum at all,) than we are in the States. And I don't even think they realize it, either. I've often wondered if there may even be people in the U.K, or other European countries, who would get diagnosed with high functioning ASD, there, but would never get diagnosed if they lived in the U.S, or would get diagnosed with another mental illness instead, if they lived here. I think the diagnostic standards are different because we use the DSM 5 and you use something else. (I think it's the ISDM?) I wonder if the standards are that different between countries and if so, if there are people on the very high functioning end of the ASD spectrum in the U.K, who are able to get services and support, that Americans in the same position, might not even know exist, let alone be able to access. The awareness of ASD is just lacking so much in the States. I've always wanted to see someone make a documentary or a TV news special about this issue. The perfect person to do it would be an American celebrity who suspects that they're on the spectrum and feels the need to travel to the U.K to see top specialist there, and then they spend the rest of their career promoting awareness, something similar to how Michael J Fox does for Parkinson's disease. This country needs that to happen, to get our cultural understanding of autism to be where it needs to.

I had horrible period cramps for the entire time like 7-8 days heavy before I had a baby. After I had a baby I hardly had cramps and a light period. I was like yay🎉

My periods were ALOT lighter and less pain after having a baby until recently they have slowly each month gotten more painful. 28 months PP.

Neurodivergent here…I understand your annoyance of being asked about being ASD in a rude or accusatory way. I wonder though, if some of those asking in that way could also be neurodivergent, as sometimes I have misjudged my language or approach to others. It’s not always appropriate and something I had to learn

Autism/ADHD is having it's time where people think it's trendy, which is actually harmful to those of us with those conditions. They're supportive of the label until we act in a particularly ND way and then it's "ew no that's so weird what are you doing" 🙄 On another note, watching your old videos waaaaaaay back in the day got me into reusable menstrual products, and that was an absolute life changer. Thanks for making all those videos on cups and pads! I've never once regretted switching, and my body and bank balance have been much happier

Sorry that people have been rude to you - I hope it doesn’t put you off making videos because you’re one of the most refreshing people on KZfaq - I watched your video about school choices and I’ve been a subscriber for years. The world needs more people who think like you.

I think people often read women being confident and professional in tone as autistic.

As someone training to become a therapist I have a sort of unique perspective on this. I don't have any sort of official diagnosis of either Autism or ADHD but quite a few of my friends (who mostly are nerodivergent) have 'peer-reviewed' me as such as I like to put it. I suspect that if I did try to seek out a diagnosis I could find one, but I don't plan to because I don't need the extra support or the education in coping skills that it would grant me. I also have been exposed quite a bit already to how incomplete our current understanding and diagnostic criteria of mental disorders( I know this isn't the correct word but I'm blanking on what the accurate one would be). Basically a long ramble to say that people get to decide what labels best fit for themselves, and that it's wild that Internet personalities have to justify their own identity to the Internet

It's really interesting what you've said about being asked if you're on the ASD. Many people forget the D in ASD. (disorder) Several close friends and family think I have OCD due to my behaviour, where as I just see them as quirks. (For example, eating my food in a certain order, having the volume on a speaker at a certain number, laying out written work a certain way to make it look like how I want it to look like.) I am not bothered by these quirks and they don't govern my life either. I am currently in the process of being assessed for ASD. I have completed several questionnaires they've sent me to fill out, but I find it very difficult to do. The latest questionnaires I've had to do are a yes or no only answer with no neutral option. (For example, one question was do you prefer being in the dark? I'm not bothered by darkness, but I don't mind lights either. I would use light and torches when needed but I've never thought about if I prefer darkness over light. Another strange question was do you hate being upside down such as when doing a somersault. Never done a somersault so I generally don't know.) Maybe I'm thinking too literally about the questions which is why psychiatrists have thought I may be on the spectrum. I am 28 years old and have suffered from poor mental health for ten years now. It was only when I was in a mental health hospital where they mentioned ASD being a possibility. If I do have autism, I don't think it's that severe. I prefer the term neurodiverse but can't explain why. Some things I see online I can relate to, others I can't. I don't want to insult others who have the diagnosis and struggle daily with tasks and life due to the way their mind works. I don't understand myself or the many complexities of the mind and brain so will let the experts do their research and give me solid advice.

It's great that autism was mentioned and you got a referral. Shows that there's training and awareness there. Well done to your healthcare professionals - hopefully means they're helping lots of people who do fit the diagnosis :)

This was such a great video! Thank you for sharing your experience. I have been starting my journey to be a solo mom by choice and I really appreciate your insights on these types of topics. I also have super supportive family and parents who live right down the street which is hugely reassuring when I think about times I may be sick while caring for my child. I like your yellow, amber, red strategy!

I find it weird that peeps out there feel the right to tell others how they are or not anything. Love your explanation of investigating about autism and not finding yourself there, but do about asexuality. Not all "weird" is neurodiversity, and not every neurodiverse is autistic😅

I get the clicking with it thing. Sometimes I hear descriptions of autism and I'm like 'That's just good sense' and my brain goes 'Remember you're autistic buddy!' and I go 'Oh yeah!' lol

I feel like autism and ADHD especially is becoming a bit like depression or OCD. What i mean by this is that if someone is sad, they're depressed and if they prefer things clean or not wonky and want a bit more symmetry then they have OCD. You can't just have quirks or purely just be a smidge different to the deep rooted societal 'norms' any more, you have to suddenly be labelled and put into a neurodiverse box. It's all projection and from the big trend in diagnosis' and claiming the label for yourself with only one or two traits and no formal diagnosis. I have ADHD and OCD diagnosed at 18 and then just last year with the OCD and i don't like to tell people because of this huge trend and societal need to shove everyone into a neurodiverse corner. I'm fully here for better understanding and diagnosis but this bandwagoning and claiming a single quirk of one person to be a defining factor for such a big label truly irks me! Just let people be how they are, not everyone needs to be labelled, not everyone with traits are neurodiverse and not all neurodiverse people feel the need to get the diagnosis. Frankly, it's no one else's business, this isn't spotting a lump on a neck and being worried. I'm rambling now and have definitely said the same thing multiple times, 5 different ways in 13 different languages but hopefully you catch my drift! Let people be who they are and leave their business as their business and theirs alone. Appreciate your views on this so much!! Hope you have a great weekend!

I can definitely see you having become an obstetrician or other doctor without the interruption to schooling and health challenges. Let’s all hope for better treatments for female predominant diseases in future.

been a non-exclusive reusable user for 2 decades and followed for chronic illness content I’m a spoonie who didn’t know I had POTS and various undiagnosed conditions since teens I had pregnancy remission from the worst of my symptoms, the most social life I’d ever experienced as mum of a baby and toddler- and more of a recluse now their at school All the body stuff, periods, fertility, illness, isolation, pregnancy and postpartum issues. I think you were a forerunner of certain issues that have gained so much more visibility People don’t realise that being homeschooled or a bit of a “shut-in” can lead to social differences even if it’s not who you are.

I have ADHD and dyslexia, so I am definitely neurodivergent but I don’t think I have ASD. I’ve considered it in the past and my sister thinks I might have it, but I’ve done the same as you when researching autism in girls. I started off thinking it could be something I have but the more I researched the less I related to it. The opposite was true when I was looking into ADHD; the further I went with my research the more certain I was that I should get assessed, especially with how much I was struggling at university. I think there’s a lot of danger in labelling everyone who’s a little “different” as neurodivergent more many reasons, but one of them is that we’re creating stereotype that neurotypical people are just so plain and boring and normal! When in actual fact neurotypical people can be as weird and interesting as neurodivergent people. One thing I will say about you though Bryony, is that you can claim the term neurodivergent for yourself if you want to, because dyslexia is a form of neurodivergence! I really hope people stop asking you this, it must get so annoying

I guess the reason (or one of them) they ask if you are autistic is that you are asexual. Asexuality has been linked to autism, but I don't know the exact percentage. Off course it is totally valid to be one and not the other. Anyway "autistic" is not an insult and people shouldn't use it to insult neither you nor autistic people.

I think I know why some people have probably thought you’re autistic… I also thought you could be BUT I never asked (I just wouldn’t do that). What made me think it was mannerisms and ‘ticks’ (need another word because it’s not exactly what I’m meaning) that you do that I’ve only seen in diagnosed autistic family and friends. But I’ve not met the world over, right? So there’s no doubt people with the same mannerisms/ticks around the world that are not autistic, it’s just my own experience of those around me influencing my first thoughts. Again, I stress, I was NOT one of those who asked if you were autistic, and was always aware I see a very limited view of you online.

Dissolvable painkiller (I use anadin extra) is faster acting, so you could give it a go if/when ibuprofen isn’t working.

I'm Audhd myself and I'm sad to hear people are trying to judge you in anyway, especially saying being autistic as a negative thing! Absolutely none of their business! Being dyslexic is part of the neurodivergent community which will mean you have focuses and skills that are seen in the ND community but it doesn't mean you have anything else. I hope people watch this video and respect your boundaries and just enjoy your content as its meant to be enjoyed as I do (and someone who's followed you from the beginning of your KZfaq journey). Just keep being you ❤