Random blushing in pregnancy (in my case at Lesbians!?! WTF is my body doing!)

[Thandeka]

Erm I am having a massive issue with blushing at the min. I work in sexual health- blushing is NOT an issue for me normally. I had an excruciately embarrasing episode of blushing a few weeks ago when a colleague I had just started working with came out to me and my response was hideous blushing incident (one of those where you know you are going red and then that stresses you further so you go even redder as a stress response to initial blush!). But I wrote it off as a random thing. But it has just happened again. A young person I have done a lot of work with just introduced me to her girlfriend for the first time and again absolutely hideous episode of blushing. Lesbians I know already I am not blushing around it just seems to be any new lesbian causes a hideous blush. This is actually the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me and not that good considering a lot of my work is with challenging homophobia and working with the gay community where I am likely to encounter novel lesbians.
So anyone else suffering from hideous blushing at the mo or is it just me and is anyone else's trigger as weird as mine!

Heck I wonder if I would cyber blush at this thread if Lenin came onto comment? Although having communicated with her on threads before she probably isnt a novel lesbian that seems to trigger my blush.

I have to dash and do a training course now (on homophobia of all things!) so I may not be able to check back on this thread til tommorrow afternoon so apologies!

[Heated]

an unusual problem

[LissyGlitter]

lol, sorry, no help! maybe looking at pictures of lesbians would desensitise you?

[ErikaMaye]

Sorry but that cracked me right up

In all seriousness though - yes up until about 20 weeks I found something (which I won't share for fear of being flamed, yes it was THAT BAD) hideously blush-inducing. It has thankfully gone, but I feel your pain.

[suwoo]

I am blushing in sympathy for you

Will respond to your email soon, promise.

[ajamore]

I don't think I blushed at lesbians (not knowingly anyway) but I did find that I blushed EVERY time I told someone I was pregnant. I can only assume that it was deeply-embedded catholic shame that I was, in effect, admitting that I had actually had sex

[hairyclaireyfairy]

sorry, not been blushing but I have been sticking my size 8's in a lot then need a big spade to dig myself out, i'd say that would not be helpful in your job

[InSync]

PSML That's the funniest pregnancy symptom I've ever heard.

Could you get some of that greenish foundation that hides red / blushing skin?

[LissyGlitter]

PMSL at the concept of "novel lesbians" :D

Sorry, must be really bad for you, but the idea of a sexual health person suddenly blushing at the idea of people having sex is brilliant!

[LadyoftheBathtub]

Sorry but it is funny. But not fun for you.

Maybe the thing to do is to announce to everyone as soon as you meet them "I'm so sorry but I'm pregnant and am having terrible hot flushes, do excuse me if that happens". Then if a new lesbian situation emerges they won't put it down to that.

[Thandeka]

hi all,
back from my training now and interestingly the session on homophobia had me puce but the sex ed one didnt at all. But also I think thats because the session on homophobia was an hour after the blushing incident plus I had had to leg it to the training after work and I hadn't met the group before or built any kind of rapport with them whereas by today's sex ed training I was back to my relaxed normal sex eddy self!

I like the "hot flushes" idea is a great excuse, and ErikaMay am desperate to know what caused your blushes! It hadn't even occured to me that a pregnant sex educator is quite an amusing thought as everyone knows I am not a virgin now (despite my protestations to the contary! ) suppose it will be quite entertaining when I have my interview with durex next week- wonder if they won't hire me because I will send the wrong message! haha!

Am 24 weeks and blushing started at around 18 weeks I wonder if this is something I am going to have to put up with until birth or even worse for the rest of my life! Heck - if so I wonder if I could claim incapacity benefit. "Severe blushing rendered me incapable of doing my job in sexual health" hahah!

I know it is so random - is somewhat scaring me- because seriously I have talked about pornography, masturbation and anal sex to classes of teenagers (when the topics come up as questions, there isnt a specific lesson plan on these subjects as such- just to reassure!) and not a smidge of colour to my cheeks so WTF is it happening now!? Bah!

[MandaHugNKill]

Maybe your baby is homophobic...? Reading some good anti-homophobic literature/booklets aloud regularly now that your baby can hear may be the way forward.

Eh, I would think this is just something you need to cope with whilst pregnant - we've got a huge increase in blood volume that leads to our skin reacting in all sorts of ways that aren't 'usual' for us. The 'pregnancy glow' is just increased bloodflow to the skin. Not to mention we have waves of hormones flooding the system that have us reacting in ways we wouldn't usually to any given situation (from 'I'm gonna tear your head off' to '').

I think it was good advice to start conversations with a 'I'm having lots of hot flushes due to pregnancy' disclaimer.

ps my sister is lesbian so I'll be sure to never introduce you

[FlamingoBingo]

Ladyofthebathtub - I thought you were going to suggest saying "I'm sorry, but if you are a lesbian, please be prepared that I may blush when you tell me"

[LuckyC]

Thandeka (sorry but I also at your post) I am blushing too! Not at anything in specific - just every now and then when I am focus of attention. NEVER happened to me before.

[spookywoollenhat]

is it too late for me to introduce myself? spookywoollenhat, novel lesbian, at your service

[spookywoollenhat]

i was thinking more in the (cat's bum mouth) unusual sense of novel, lenin .

and i think thandeka really should come by and blush at me, since i ventured back into pregnancy for her and that wasn't in my plan.

pregnancy the section, i mean.

[flyingcloud]

Hi Thandeka - how is your pregnancy going apart from the blushing? Hope you're well.

[Thandeka]

extra special at spookywoollenhat and just general at making the round up!

Haha.

Told colleagues at an LGB rights organisation about my new ishoo and they have decided immersion therapy is the answer- they plan on locking me in a room with a load of novel lesbians and seeing what happens! My face would probably implode!

As it happens I do happen to be a big L-word fan so I think I am going to spend this afternoon with the box set of season 1 as a milder form of aversion therapy- because in a week I have to spend the morning with the initial novel lesbian who caused the First Blush and to make it worse I have to introduce her to someone from Stonewall who isn't a novel lesbian to me but am worried there may be a "Omigod there are two lesbians in front of me" effect. Which will be completely ridiculous (given normally two lesbians in front of me doesn't cause a problem! Thandeka hastens to add she doesn't mean from dodgy videos!) Although I supposed technically I suppose she is no longer a novel lesbian so maybe I will be fine!?

Oh and this week my blushing also extended to hot male caretakers, so maybe it is "just a phase"



I love the idea my baby is possibly homophobic- am going to start knitting rainbow hats and buying more copies of "and tango makes three" and "King and King" just to make sure she isn't- but I suppose another explanation could be my baby is going to be a lesbian and is just informing her mother by the medium of blood flow to the face - what her type is!

[rebstully]

crikey dude, you really are providing many people with humour these days I didn't realise how wide your net was cast!

x

[PennyScotia]

I have some sympathy for you Thandeka - I'm blushing more easily too. The other day I tried to lie my way into a parking space at work (something I would normally never do), went scarlet and had to own up and go find a space outwith the grounds. At least this baby's keeping me honest