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With the news that Britney Spears’ Conservatory team refused to allow her to have her IUD removed, several people have advised that it is possible to remove your own IUD – you just grab the strings and pull. If this sounds like a tempting option to the rest of us, know that doctors say it is safest to have the procedure in your office whenever possible.

An IUD or intrauterine device, is a T-shaped piece of plastic or metal that sits inside your uterus. It works as a birth control and will keep your uterine baby free for between three and 12 years (depending on which type you get) with 99% effectiveness. Insertion can be painful, but removal is usually quick and painless.

The removal procedure is simple: there are strings on an IUD that are not unlike a tampon string; Although the IUD is in the uterus, the threads hang through the cervix into the vagina. You can feel it by inserting your fingers deep enough into your vagina, and many providers advise you to Check the strings monthly to make sure they’re still in place. When you have an IUD removed, your provider simply pulls the strings, just like removing a tampon. The IUD should come out immediately.

That usually happens. But if not, what then? How Gynecologist Jen Gunter writesYou want to see a professional for IUD removal because the professional knows how hard to draw, what to expect, and what to do when things don’t go according to plan:

Pulling out a simple IUD doesn’t require 4 years of medical studies and then another 4 or 5 years of assistantship. If an IUD has lodged in the uterine wall or cervix, there is no way to tell before you pull. We pull very gently because an IUD should only pop out. If there is resistance, we don’t know whether one of the IUD arms just won’t collapse or whether the IUD is embedded in the uterus or cervix.

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Gunter had her colleague removed and found that she was stuck. “I’m a gynecologist and I couldn’t say that there was something wrong with my IUD removal until it was over,” she said.

While doctors agree that professional removal is better than do-it-yourself, they disagree on how bad an idea is. Gunter says please don’t try to remove your home; others like those cited in this Healthline article, don’t seem to think it’s too dangerous if you are well informed and proceed carefully.

Gynecologist Ashley Brant writes that trying to remove your IUD at home is unlikely to be seriously harmful, but the main risk is that it simply won’t work. The IUD can end half in, half out of your cervix, which is not dangerous but can be extremely uncomfortable. So you’ll have to go to the emergency room to take care of it anyway.

Bedsider recommends If you’d like to have your IUD removed but are having trouble getting an appointment, look for a doctor who can get the job done sooner than your regular gyn. (If cost is an issue, check out clinics like Planned Parenthood, which offer sliding care.)

Professional removal is not only safer, but faster, with the advantage that you can speak to a provider about what to do next – whether you are getting a new IUD, switching to a different birth control option, or planning for pregnancy.

Photo: Claire Lower

Fruit liquors don’t have the best reputation. As with flavored vodkas, most of the options available for purchase taste sweet and fake. But homemade fruit liquor can be a miraculous thing – all you need is fruit, vodka, and simple syrup.

Fruit liqueur is one of the simplest alcoholic drinks that you can “make yourself”. There is no fermentation or distillation and hardly any measuring. You just need to lightly mash some fruit in a couple of cups of vodka (or other liquor) and let it sit for a few days, then strain off the solids and sweeten with simple syrup.

The procedure will vary slightly depending on the fruit. Soft berries release their juice more easily than a firm melon, but most juicy fruits will do the job in two or three days. Crunchy fruits like apples and pears can take up to a week – although I’ve seen some recipes that recommend an entire month – and orange liqueur is best made with peel, not fruit, and it can take several weeks to infuse . The method we’re talking about today is best for juicy summer fruits like berries and melons, and stone fruits like peaches and nectarines.

I used a rough ratio of two cups of fruit (chopped if necessary) to two cups of alcohol and one cup of plain syrup. Vodka works well, especially if you want a fruity liquor, but sometimes I add some brandy to it, especially if I make a berry liquor. You can also mix two different fruits together or add some herbs, citrus peel, peppercorns or cardamom pods for a more complex sip – play around and create your own recipes. (I added a large sprig of tarragon to my hood strawberry liqueur and it was a very good decision.)

To make a liqueur from juicy summer fruits you will need:

• 2 cups of fruit (keep berries whole; cut melon and stone fruit into pieces about 2.5 cm in size)
• 2 cups of alcohol, either whole vodka or 1 1/2 cups of vodka and 1/2 cup of brandy
• A few sprigs of herbs or a few strips of citrus peel (optional)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water

Put the fruit and alcohol in a large glass or other sealable container and lightly mash the fruit with a wooden spoon. Store in a cool place out of direct sunlight for 2-3 days.

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Give your mixture a flavor to see if the fruit comes through. If it’s not quite where you want it, let it go for another day. Once it has enough fruit flavor, make a simple syrup by heating the sugar and water over medium heat and stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let cool down completely.

While the syrup cools, sieve off the solids by running it through a mesh screen to remove the larger pieces of fruit and then through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth to remove the smaller particles.

Once the alcohol is strained and the syrup has cooled, add half a cup of syrup to your fruit-infused ethanol, stir, and taste. If you want it sweeter, add more syrup. Once you hit the sweetness, pour it into a pretty bottle and refrigerate for 24 hours. Sip, stir into cocktails or splash into some sparkling wine. Fruit liqueur keeps in the refrigerator for at least two months.

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One advantage of an Amazon smart speaker is that anyone can ask Alexa to play music, set a timer or perform a range of basic functions – regardless of the Amazon account with which the device was set up.

But what if multiple members of your household have different accounts and you all want to receive notifications or make Prime purchases with the same Echo? Amazon’s household function extends to Alexa-enabled deviceswhich means you can link two adult accounts (and a handful of teen and child accounts) to a single speaker.

Link multiple adult accounts (with separate logins) entitles both users to shop with their own linked payment methods. Your Echo will also send notifications, make and receive calls, and display Amazon photos (for devices with screens) from both accounts.

How to add an account to your Amazon Echo

To create a budget, first go to Amazon Household Page and click the “Add Adult” button. You can also add teenagers and children here. You will be asked to enter the user’s name and email address to send them an invitation to join your household.

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Once they have accepted, you will see their profile on yours Manage your budget page. If you want to switch from one account to another directly on your Alexa-enabled device (e.g. to use a different payment method), say “Alexa, switch account”. To get a reminder of which account is active, say “Alexa, identify account”.

Note that teenagers ages 13-17 with linked household accounts can shop with their own logins with the consent of the adult account managers. Children under the age of 12 cannot. A household can have up to four teenagers and four children.

How to remove an account from your Amazon Echo

To delete an account from your household, go to Manage your budget Page and click Remove under the person’s profile icon. You can also leave a household. If you do this, even by mistake, both people will be prevented from joining another household for 180 days, although Amazon’s customer service team may be able to remove this restriction.

Note that households must be managed on the website – this feature is not available in the Amazon or Alexa apps.

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As part of its major product update last month, Airbnb announced a change to its cancellation policy. The change, which was partly inspired by the industry-wide impact of the pandemic, aims to make cancellations more flexible for both hosts and guests.

Airbnb’s cancellation policy is largely set by the hosts, which can make canceling a reservation difficult. Your ideal getaway can have strict policies, which means you will still be charged some of your reservation fee even if you have to cancel for legitimate reasons. However, the change aims to give hosts and guests alike more leeway with a new one Category added to its cancellation level. Even so, there is no reason to be given a little more cancellation authority to use this accommodating policy to cancel your reservation like an idiot and possibly let a host down.

What are Airbnb’s new cancellation policy?

Airbnb’s usual cancellation policy works on a scale: flexible, moderate, strict and long-term (there is also a “super strict” category for stays longer than 30 and 60 days). Refunds are based on when you cancel, and with some of the stricter policies you can expect to kiss at least some of your money goodbye in the event that you cancel a reservation on short notice. of course, if every party is affected by COVID-19, many of Airbnb’s previous guidelines go out of the window: If someone is sick, they have to prove a positive test result, then the company cancels the booking with a full refund. (Try this out Company policy in detail if you are curious about any eventuality).

The new policy adds a new level to the mix. Airbnb calls it the “hard” cancellation policy, and it’s somewhere between strict and moderate. The hospitality giant explains the policy:

Under this new policy, guests booking well in advance will have greater flexibility to cancel a booking free of charge up to 30 days prior to check-in. In pilot tests of this policy, our data showed that hosts who switched from strict to fixed saw bookings increased by an average of nine percent * overall.

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It’s more forgiving, which the company’s internal data suggests is a good thing that guests find popular. But the update and greater leeway don’t give guests a free ticket to toss all cancellation labels out the window.

Here’s how to cancel your Airbnb without being an asshole

There are things you can do to make your canceled reservation less painful for your host – and if you can, you should. Canceling within a reasonable time frame (or as soon as you know you need to) is always a best practice. But if something happens at the last minute that affects your ability to travel – like an injury, car trouble, or accident – be honest and direct with your host.

If possible, provide evidence of what is holding you back from the trip, as this is the best way to ensure your host’s understanding (and get a refund if customer service needs to be called in). Your message should be written thoughtfully and compassionately to your host, who likely had to make some arrangements and pay the cleaning staff in anticipation of your arrival. Don’t just say, “Hey, we have to cancel; How do I get my money back?”

It is up to you to provide a legitimate reason why you cannot physically be there, and something like “I forgot my niece’s birthday” is not really going to do it. On the downside, however, if your host adamantly refuses to listen to you, it is okay to be ready to fight for a refund. How very well it was published Some hosts are doing their best to make cash at the expense of travelers. Try to avoid this by choosing a host with a good rating and appropriate guidelines.

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A classic way to keep your delicates in good condition while washing (besides a full load on the delicate) is to put them in a Mesh lingerie bag. Some items – such as delicate sweaters – often need to be hand washed or dry cleaned to maintain their softness and shape. So if your sweater needs dry cleaning or whatever it is best to follow these instructions. otherwise, put your Delicatessen in a mesh bag will allow you to clean properly without the normal damage to a machine.

In addition, things with Velcro fasteners or hooks – like bras – often get caught on other clothing in the washing machine and dryer. To Prevent tears, tangles, and misshapen clothing, put these items in a mesh bag before putting them in the washer and dryer.