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: Opinions wanted
This. I completely agree with you. DH and I were actually prepared to go past 41w (gasp) as long as everything looked ok. We didn't get the chance though, due to pre-e and HELLP (I was induced at 40w5d)
I can only speak from my experience. I chose to have a 100% natural birth and luckily everything went smoothly. I was completely prepared to go past my due date (however Sky came at 39 weeks.)
If I didn't have GD (like you said, medical aside) I would have waited it out. Since I did have GD and likely will with the rest of my pregnancies, I will likely be induced. Luckily, my body decided he was ready to come because my water broke 10 days before my due date and a week before they scheduled my induction! In my case they were worried about weight.
You can tell me if I am wrong, but I thought studies show that inductions lead to more C-Sections? I really wanted to avoid a C-Section if possible.
DS - 5/2010
DD - 6-2013
TTC #3 - Cycle #9
THIS! Those woman are complete assshats; it is completely normal for first time moms to go a week past their due date, if not longer. You did absolutely nothing wrong; your comment was half joking anyway, and they all need to get their hormones in check, lol!
Liam came at 38 weeks 5 days so I can't really relate but I would have waited up to a week to a week and a half after my due date before being induced. I would have been a bit apprehensive waiting longer than that just because then you have to start thinking about the possibility of the placenta beginning to break down which can be harmful. But, I'm pretty much for letting 'em bake for as long as possible! Those women are just silly. It's not dangerous to go a few days over your due date. It's not like it's an expiration date, haha.
[color=#FF0000]Mom to 5 girls 23,22,18,9,7 and one sweet Wonderboy almost 4[/color]
The Chaos of Six!
I was induced at 40 weeks (as a result of GD) and it sucked. My OB said if I didn't have GD she would have let me wait another 5-7 days, which I think I needed. My body wasn't anywhere ready and labor took forever. I would have waited if I had the chance!
I think that it's so much easier and faster if your body goes into labor naturally. To be induced just for the sake of reaching 40 weeks is stupid. If your OB isn't worried and everything looks good, why force labor? Those women at your shower overreacted big time.
Yah, I agee with you completely. Sorry you felt attacked.
I was induced (long story - went into labor and was regularly contracting but not strong contractions). My doctor didn't want to send me home because they were worried about DD being too big for me.
She ended up only being 6 lbs but my doctor was watching my pelvis area and was worried it was not accomidating the baby well (my last few visits). Thank God he didn't send me home because they did end up having to use the vaccuum after I pushed for nearly two hours. My doctor said my pelvis just didn't relax and widen like it normally does in women.
I feel like some situations warrant being induced, but if it is not medically necessary... I totally don't agree with it being out of convenience. No way.
Thanks for the affirmations! I just felt so wrong (and ganged up on), but I am glad you guys agree with me!
Oh, and just FYI, I did have an induction scheduled on Sunday night, but labor started late Friday/ early Saturday on its own (thankfully!) I was dreading Sunday!
I don't think people realize that 40w0d is not the magic number. That is why it's an estimate due date. I was induced with Kendall the day after my due date because she was a giant baby (10 lbs). I totally understand wanting to be done and have the baby by end, but after going through an induction I always tell people to try to be patient. If your body isn't ready, it's not ready.
26 hours later - c/section. (granted, that was also due to my giant baby that was face up)
My mother was 12 days late with each of her 4 children.
And we are all healthy, and just fine
Personally I wouldn't want to induce without medical reason before 41 weeks, and I know my doctors don't allow patients to go past 42 weeks because of the risks involved, but I understand that some women and even doctors feel strongly about not going past the due date. I have a girlfriend who was induced on her due date with both of her kids based on her doctor's recommendation.
That said, I opted for an induction when I was 10 days overdue with DD1, and I was scheduled for a second induction with DD2 but ended up going into labor on my own at 41 weeks exactly, two days before I would have been induced. Both of my due dates were about as accurate as possible, based on ovulation and confirmed by ultrasound, yet both times they just came and went.
Like you joked with your friend, my March baby ended up an April baby!
Most of the time a due date is just an estimate anyway, so going past the due date could just mean that the baby needs more time to develop. Why rush it? I just don't see why everyone is so set on being induced and thinking that going overdue is such a harmful thing. If mama and baby are remaining healthy and stable, what is wrong with that? Don't let what those ladies said bother you.
Agreed. I refused to be induced until my BP skyrocketed and I knew I had to do what was safest for my LO.
My water broke, and nearly 24 hours later, there was absolutely no progress. I waited it out as long as I could before having to be, technically, induced.
It was hell, and I'd never want to be induced on my due date just for the sake of not giving the baby their own time frame. I was uncomfortable at 9 months pregnant, sure. But there was absolutely no medical reason (prior to the water breaking and nothing happening) to have him out.
I think the ladies at the shower are surging with hormones.
I also want to add that unless you've gone overdue, you really don't know it feels. You have this end date in your head, and to see it come and go, even though you know it's only an estimate, can be incredibly disheartening. My first pregnancy, I was fine up until I hit 41 weeks, but to hear I had no progress then was such a letdown for me. The second time, I really thought I wouldn't go overdue again, so when I passed 40 weeks and realized there was a chance I'd still be pregnant or in the hospital on Easter a week later (and I was), it hit me hard.
I think it's easy to say you'd never induce if you haven't been through that.
I was overdue and I wouldn't induce unless medically necessary.
Like a lot of other posters, I had GD, and was very strict about my diet and doing wonderfully and fully prepared to go up to 2 weeks past my due date to get the natural birth I really wanted.
Instead, I had to be induced due to the fact that I had almost no fluid, and it was a horrible experience and I would never ever suggest someone elect to be induced earlier than 2 weeks late. Due dates can be off, and you are pretty heavily monitored at that point anyway.
ETA - I was induced the day before my due date and wound up in an emergency C-section with DD being born hours before her due date, so I know what its like to be pregnant 40 weeks and feel like it will never end.
kategw, I understand that not everyone who has gone overdue takes it as hard as I did, but I still stand by my statement that it's easy to say you'd never induce if you've never been overdue.
Just curious, how far overdue were you? And how long would you and/or your doctor have waited if you hadn't gone on your own?
DD#1 is 3! And LO#2 is on his/her way! Due Feb 26th, 2014.
BFP#1: EDD 5/7/2010 born on 5/20/2010. A little girl named Emily.
BFP#2: m/c 10/29/2012 EDD was 6/21/2012 Baby Hope was 6 weeks 3 days.
BFP#3: Twin B stopped growing at 8 weeks and 5 days. Found on 8/10/2014. EDD was 2/26/2014. Twin A is still doing great and due date is 2/26/14.
Don't get me wrong, it sucks at the end, we all know that. I went into labor a week after my due date. Barring any medical reasons, my doctor won't induce until 10 days after the due date. They considered inducing me earlier than that because they thought she was "too big for me" and estimated her at upwards of 9 lbs. She wasn't. She was 7lb 5oz and I had an easy L&D. I was prepared to wait up to 2 weeks past my due date so long as me and baby were healthy.
I think its one of those "I'm pregnant, I've read books, I know everything" mentalities that hit hard on the 3rd tri board. There were so many happenings that people have so easily changed their mind about when the time actually changed. So many of them said "I would never use pain medication" and in their birth stories say "It was much harder than I thought it was" It doesn't make either choice right or wrong, but they just have their mind set on something because that's what they want right now. We've all been there.
I was 9 days overdue, went into labor and avoided induction.
I would wait as long as 2 weeks this time, since I am doing a home birth and that is what my MW allows.
My doctor wouldn't induce until after 42 weeks. Or I think they would schedule the induction after the 41 week appt. and wouldn't go past 42 weeks.
They would, however, strip membranes if you wanted, etc.
The women at that shower were loony!!!