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.
sammyk12
member
Re: Miscarriage after hearing heartbeat?
m/c #1 11/7/11 at 10w
m/c#2 1/24/12 at 21w1d
IVF #2 June 2012 cancelled
IVF#3 started stims 7/15/12
~ Miscarry at 8 weeks with D&C in May 2011 (low progesterone).
~ Had a healthy baby girl in June 2012 via C-Section (on prometrium to sustain).
~ Surprise pregnancy at age 40! Baby boy due April 26, 2021 (took prometrium to sustain once pregnancy was confirmed, 3rd C-Section planned).
A friend of mine was "certain" about her dates (I mean, we hopefully remember when we BD
but was told to remember that sperm can live in your body for 5-6 days after intercourse. Which could explain a pregnancy that is not quite as far along.
Hope that helps! Congrats on a great dr. visit.
This exactly. Our loss was after hearing a HB and I was devastated. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees, but the percentages do start getting better.
With my first we had a healthy u/s and healthy hb at 11 weeks and found out we lost our baby around 14 weeks. My last m/c we had a perfect u/s at 7.5 weeks and lost our baby around 10 weeks.
It does happen. That's why they tell you to wait until ~14 weeks to announce if you're worried about having to un-tell. Odds are much lower once you've seen a heathy hb, but it happens. Maybe just tell close family and friends for now. Also, it's totally normal to be measuring a little off so early. A week isn't a big deal as long as LO is growing and the HB looks good. 165 is a nice strong hb.
BFP 1 | EDD 4.1.11 | MMC D&C 10.27.10 | 14 weeks
BFP 2 | EDD 9.29.11 | MC 1.25.11 | 6 weeks
BFP 3 | EDD 3.4.12 | MC 9.5.11 | 10 weeks
BFP 4 | Twins EDD 6.7.12 | MC James 10.31.11 Kellen 1.12.12 | 8 weeks/19 weeks
BFP 5 | EDD 12.24.12 | Rainbow Baby in the Making!
**Formerly known as Nikki04vb**
? PGAL/PAL Welcome ?
BFP #4: 08/07/13 EDD 4/18/14
Thanks for your help. It helps to talk about it. The other thing that dosn't add up, though, is that if I O'ed when my dr says I did, my positive HPT would have then been 7 DPO which is waaaaaay early to get a dark pink +. ::::sigh::::
Our nurse had a really good point about who to tell and when. Consider telling those closest to you now. That way, IF something were to go wrong, those people who are your immediate support group will know what's going on and will be there for you.
I'm in the same boat. I was measuring a week behind at my first ultrasound. Baby had a good h/b of 135 but that means I tested pos. with a digital at 6dpo. I'm pretty sure that just doesn't happen. I have another appt tomorrow and I'm just praying that baby is still growing.
Hmm...good point ladies. Was it a trans/v u/s or over the belly? My guess then would be operator error or equipment error. Have also heard that trans/v are more accurate in dating.
I had my first u/s yesterday at 10 weeks, 4 days and we saw (and heard) the hb and the doc said my risk of miscarriage went down to 5% at that point. While miscarriage can happen after seeing (or hearing) a hb, its not as common. But sadly it does happen
Re: measuring. Just know that it can be off - especially early on. When they measured my baby yesterday from the first angle they got 10 weeks on the dot, but on the second angle they got 10 weeks, 4 days. Just from adjusting the position of the wand to get a better look.
It was Trans V for me. I'm hoping it was just user error. I've read somewhere that a tilted uterus, which I have, can throw off the read. Dunno if that's true or not.
Wow! That makes me feel better!
Make a pregnancy ticker
Mine says the same thing about othe
% and I had no clue what that meant. What is the norm for this measurement? That's strange because our baby was measuring at 1.38cm or 13.8mm, which I have read is normal for just under 8 weeks. Now I'm totally confused!
I was in that percent (see sig), I think the hb was 150 something.
I would just focus on the nice healthy hb though, and if you want to wait until your more comfortable, it's up to you.
TTC #1- unexplained...lost left ovary 4/07 IUI #1 2/10/09-BFN IUI #2 3/5/09-BFN IVF # 1-BFP
TTC#2- FET 4/7/11 BFP, Natural mc 5/5/11 IVF#2 ER 9/13/11, ET 9/16/11, Beta #1 9/27/11 BFP 254 Beta #2 9/30/11 793 -Twins!
On my last pregnancy, I did miscarriage after seeing that I was showing 4 weeks behind what we thought, and there was a heartbeat, but it was barely there. The next week we went back in and it had gone away.
So I think you're doing great with that heartbeat! Good luck?