Hello, let me introduce myself first..
For the first 30 years of my life, everything was smooth and worry-free. I was my parents’ most beloved child, found my true love in college, and happily married him after graduation.
At work, I was my boss’s most valued employee. Whenever I was in charge of a project, colleagues would inevitably say, “Oh, then I’m totally at ease.” I was constantly named “Employee of the Year,” with generous bonuses every year.
Later, I started my own business. Within just three months, I had broken into the market and started making money. By the fifth month, I was earning twice my previous salary. Growth was steady month after month. Right when the business needed more hands, I serendipitously met an amazing partner, and the company reached a whole new level.
Really, it seemed like at every step, whatever I needed, a pair of hands would always place it right in front of me, just in time.
My Two Girls: Ellie & Mia
Meet Ellie, My Firstborn
In 2020, my husband and I decided to have a child. After trying for over a year, we finally got the news in 2021 that a little one was on the way. In 2022, we welcomed our first child, Ellie. She made me a mother.
She is utterly adorable—big eyes, rosy skin, chubby little hands. Every time I look at her, I can’t help but give her a kiss. She is pure joy, and I love her more each day.
But as a first-time mom, I faced unprecedented difficulties. The postpartum tearing wouldn’t heal, and the pain was excruciating. Clogged milk ducts made my breasts hard as rocks. The severe sleep deprivation… And what was even more crushing was that, with zero parenting experience, I was clueless when faced with her unexplained wailing, night terrors, refusal to nurse, constipation, diarrhea, fevers… I desperately searched online, longing for one accurate, truly useful answer!
It was during this time that I thought, once I make it through this “dark” path, I must leave a light on for other new moms.
And Then Came Mia
Ellie had just turned one when I got pregnant again. In 2024, we welcomed our second daughter, Mia.
Completely different from Ellie, Mia is a great eater and sleeper. Although she had her fussy moments in the first two months, starting almost from month three, she became super easygoing. She feeds on schedule, gradually sleeps through the night, loves her solid foods, and adapted quickly when I had to stop breastfeeding due to mastitis.
This made me realize just how vastly different babies can be! It made me even more determined to write about my experiences.
Why I Had to Start This Blog
The Catalyst: A Life Pivoted
After Mia was born, my business also began to decline sharply. I had no choice but to close it and become a full-time mom. My work no longer involves Excel and Word, but instead revolves around changing diapers, washing bottles, making baby food, and managing household chores…
This has been a monumental challenge for me. All my past achievements seem irrelevant now. Managing two young children has brought me a sense of frustration I’ve never known before.
The Daily Reality
They are always fighting over things. When one is in my arms, the other immediately demands to be held too. When I try to cook, Ellie wants me to read her a book. When I attempt to load the washing machine, Mia has a diaper blowout, and I must drop everything to change her…
By the time I finish all that, I see the cup of hot coffee on the table has gone cold again. And it’s not until evening that I remember, “Oh my goodness, the clothes are still in the hamper, unwashed!”
Of course, being a mom is filled with happiness, but that doesn’t negate how hard it is.
My Promise to You
Because I’ve walked this path myself, I won’t just tell you how joyful motherhood is, like many websites do. I want to share my real, unfiltered experiences so every new mom can find a “companion” here.
I want to tell you: you are not alone. What you’re going through, I’ve been there too. Your breakdowns, your helplessness, your moments of losing control—I’ve had them all. You don’t need to feel guilty. This is just a small, necessary stretch of the journey for every mom.
My Hope for This Space
I really want to share my parenting experiences—not just the warm, glowing moments, but to honestly document the pitfalls I’ve stumbled into, the tears I’ve shed, and the “survival wisdom” I’ve scraped together in utter exhaustion.
The Goal: A Mom’s Toolkit
I hope this blog becomes a “mom’s toolkit,” filled not with vague theories, but with:
- Practical Tips: Like how to quickly figure out why a baby is crying, tried-and-true methods for dealing with clogged ducts, or how to efficiently manage the daily grind with twins (or two under two) solo.
- Pitfall Avoidance Guides: Sharing the baby products I regret buying the most, and those “game-changer” parenting hacks. Letting you know which parenting anxieties you can let go of, and which principles are worth holding onto.
- A Community for Moms: I hope my stories connect me with more moms like you. We can cheer each other on in the comments, share our own tricks, turning the storms we face alone into a journey we walk together.
The Bigger Vision
My previous career taught me to analyze data, solve problems, and optimize processes. Now, I’m applying all those skills to this new “position” of Mom. I want to prove that a mom’s value is absolutely not confined to the home. The mindset, resilience, and creativity we built in our careers can shine just as brightly—perhaps even brighter—in this more complex, long-term “project” of raising humans, and can even be transformed into a force that helps others.
My hope is simple: that every mom who opens this blog can let out a sigh of relief and say, “So it’s not just me.” Then, she can find a bit of practical info, a dose of comforting solidarity, and return to her sweet, chaotic mom-life with a little more confidence and a little less weight on her shoulders.
This road? Let’s walk it together.
Re: areola size
I have wondered this same thing!!! Will they ever shrink back to normal?!
My DH commented on them the other day because he read about it in one of his books and was obviously proud to have learned something and "apply" it - I was so upset that he even NOTICED!!! His comment "It's natural for them to be larger, happens to most pregnant women"... yeah, well - that doesn't make it any more acceptable for me! Good lord, sometimes I wish he would just not comment
UGH.
Poor mom, no one ever wants someone to walk in and say eww to anything! Little kids and teenagers have no filters!
Konstantino
Maximo
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I really hope they go back!
I HATE my salami areolae!!! I used to love my boobs, but now they are just huge and gross.
I breastfed and pumped for 11 months....
Pre-baby they were small a little bigger than a quarter and sort of a light brown and pink color.
While pregnant they got bigger and dark
...(looks down top)...Now they are back to their original size. Not quite as pink as they were pre-baby, but they are a light brown/tan color.
They are a lot more sensitive now. If it's cold, then you can practically see them through a sweatshirt. I'm surprised I haven't poked someone's eye out yet. My nips were never like that before Katie came around.
I do miss my little perky bewbies...now I have 'mom boobs'
Thank you SO MUCH for all of your input!!
I talked to my mom about it too (she's preggy with her 9th, so I thought she might know a thing or two) and she agreed with all of you...super huge and dark when pregnant and breastfeeding, but after you ween they shrink back CLOSE to original.
The general consensus is that videographers pick out ladies with "model" breasts (or in this case, nipples and areola), because we are used to seeing the "normal" breast/nipple ratio and not everyone has encountered the "pregnancy breast." So in the case of the breastfeeding video I watched, it might distract from the point they were trying to make if they featured saucer-ladies like us.
On a cheery side-note, men tend to find our saucer-size nipples more attractive because they are more exotic.
I will say "tend" because sometimes it takes a little life under their belt to break from what society tells them to like. But when they stop relying on porn, studies show that fertility is an awesome turn-on for men, be it those big thighs, hips that prevent us from wearing junior sizes anymore, round bellies instead of flat ones, huge boobs, and those saucer-like areola--men will pick them over their skinny counterparts, as long as the fertile body still looks healthy.
...so maybe we shouldn't fret just yet.
Pregnancy is a tough pill to swallow, and I personally don't like feeling huge and gross. So when I look down at my monsters I don't feel so attractive, and the vote of confidence from some study conducted boosts my self-esteem. I just hope the hubby concurs!
2 beautiful children
proud mommy!
All right so I said men TEND to like those exotic saucer boobs we get.
Unfortunately, that isn't my man. He admitted that he likes my smaller pre-pregnancy boobs better. However, he did say that he loves me more for carrying/birthing his babies.
So ugh. But at least I have something to look forward to when I'm not so pregnant. And I AM glad that he has a preference (and was willing to tell me)...
Hope all you ladies find encouragement with your own boobs.
God Bless You my Little One
Farida, our first child, born on the 19th of July 2014
Farida, at 8 weeks
Holy zombie thread!
FWIW - From what I've been able to compare them too, mine have always been on the larger side anyway. Now they're even larger. I think they're hideous, but it'll benefit breastfeeding.
"Your truth is different from my truth, and we're both right."
TTC since March 2013. BFP 4/13/13, blighted ovum discovered 6/6/13, m/c 6/8/13.
BFP 11/10/13, EDD 7/25/13 - stick little owlet!
DS2 due 12/12/18
DS2 due 12/12/18