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: what was or is your routine at 2 wks. post c-section?
exactly this. i let myself heal and survived the newborn days. that was about as productive as i got. i also became an expert at what was on TV at various times of the day. i had plenty of time once i was recovered to go out and about with LO.
For me it was closer to 2.5-3 weeks before I felt mostly good all the time. Getting off of the narcotic pain meds made a big difference in my energy level. I stayed on the ibuprofen for a while longer.
Ad pp have said, just caring for yourself and baby is a lot of work! Give it another week or two before you get too concerned about doing more.
This I listened to my doctor who told me not to do a thing but care for my DD and rest, relax and take care of myself for four weeks. After that I was told I could slowly increase my activity. I would have hated to do anything that would have potentially harmed my healing process or popped a stitch or anything like that.
This except DH goes to work at 4am so I did not get up and shower before he went to work.
Laying around is unhealthy. However, at two weeks I was super tired - up every two hours around the clock to BF.
At one week, I went out and walked around. My Mom was here visiting and we went to a Christmas festival. I had ds in the Moby and we just walked and checked things out. I took it easy and it was fine.
Can you pop baby in the stroller and just go around your neighborhood? And cut your pain med in half maybe? I only had Advil and by one week out I think I took 400mg once a day, before activity, and it helped.
DS born via unplanned C-section at 40w6d
The first week or two I just did laps around the house and increased by 1 lap each time I tried. Primarily, I nursed DS, tried to nap when he did and watched tv when I couldn't sleep. I think I put something frozen in the oven on a good day, but DH did all of the laundry and "cleaned" if necessary. I went to the store a week out and was in a fair amount of pain for a day or so.
I think I was about 5 weeks before I could get around the grocery store at a normal pace and complete the shopping trip. Before that, DH would go ahead of me and grab things from the back of the store because I was walking so slowly that I couldn't keep up with him.
I found that if I dialled it back a bit from what I thought I could handle, I would do just fine. I was far more ambitious than my body would permit for at least a month. (Heck, 9 months out I still get sore if I overdo things...like 6 or 7 hour walks at the zoo)
I know how you feel. I felt like all I did was sleep, hold LO, and feed LO. Taking it easy is honestly the best thing you can do right now. Your body is still healing from major surgery and you will heal quicker if you take it easy on yourself. If you feel cooped up, open the windows and doors or sit outside. Walking is good for you as well, just push past the pain. Laying around at two weeks PP is hardly unhealthy. It gets better! Don't worry!
All of this. And what another pp said about "survival"... We moved from NY to Louisiana when DS was 3mo so when I got a spurt of energy I would clean or organize something, but that wasn't until closer to the move. For me just sitting out on the porch or going to Target with DH for a short outing was "getting out" for me. We would walk around the block in the evening after dinner and the evening feeding but it was slow and nothing ambitious, lol!