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.
Twinklestar7
member
Re: I want to avoid bottles made in China..recs?
Thats what I was afraid of! I guess those are going back.
Do you know which bottles are not made in China that you could recommend? I would check myself, but its not always easy to check these things (ordering online and living in another country.)
Thanks again!
I found this:
Handi-Craft Co. (St. Louis, MO): makers of Dr. Brown's Baby Bottles in glass or polypropylene (and BPA-free), almost all now made in USA!!
so maybe Dr. Brown's is the way you want to go, although it says almost so may be hit or miss.
Did you feel comfortable using the bottle even though it was made in China? (For some reason I thought Born Free were made in Israel- but I guess not!)
Or, does it not matter if it was made in China as long as it is made of glass? (Glass seems like safer than plastic....)
Thank you.
The Born Free glass ones I got were made in China
I haven't used them yet, but I want to try to use glass rather than plastic if baby will take them.
I am seeing stuff online about parts being made in Israel, but when I looked on the box when I saw this post, it says made in China.
I have the same idea- I want to try to use glass at first, too!
I guess it looks like the majority of bottle brands seems to be made in China, and only very few made elsewhere! This is a little bit disappointing, because the bottles I originally wanted to try, such as Tommee Tippee or Born Free, now has to be either thrown out the window, or I have to accept they were made in China.... I think Im going to research all of my options first, though.
Thanks again to everyone that replied to this post.
I just went and checked the Born Free box that I registered for and received at my 1st shower. They are plastic but yes, they were made in Israel it says.
This is the set I am referring to:
https://www.target.com/p/Born-Free-9-oz-Eco-Deco-Bottle-6pk/-/A-13996541
More Green For Less Green
Okay! At first, I want to try to see if the baby will take glass bottles- where did you get the Lifefactory? I looked at the website, it said Lifefactory made before 2009 were made in China, but after 2009 it is made in Europe or USA like you say. So, Im just wondering, if I buy the Lifefactory new on Amazon, are they always the ones made after 2009 and made in USA/Europe? It doesnt say on Amazon... Where did you buy yours? These bottles look great! Thanks!
If she ends up rejecting the glass bottles, I think I will try the Born Free made in Israel, recommended by pp: to pp, thank you for the link to the ones that you have.
I am glad to have more options! Thank you.
I mentioned it in the notes on my registery that we did not want any products made in China.. but like you i was mostly worried about the bottles & soothers - and cloth diapers were also my worry!
Avent bottles are not being made in the U.S. - be careful before you open the box read it because there was some OLD boxes (at burlington coat factory etc.) were still made in China. Everything at Babies R Us were all great and all the soothers!!!
Good Luck!
We actually had the same criteria when we bought bottles for our first child. I highly recommend the bottles we used with her. We plan to reuse them again with our second. They are Evenflo glass bottles. You don't have to worry about weird plastic chemicals getting into your baby's milk, and they are extremely durable and easy to clean/sanitize. They never hold an odor like plastic does either. They are produced in Mexico under Evenflo's guidelines, and the nipple is a soft silicone.
$5 for a 3 pack at Wal-Mart or $11 for a 6 pack at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Classic-Glass-Bottle-8-Ounce/dp/B001F50FFO/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1337554708&sr=1-1
To WP3772: Does Amazon ever sell really OLD boxes of bottles like Burlington Coat Factory did? Living in another country most of my shopping is at Amazon- cant buy yet from local US Babies R Us website- what were your experience with Amazon if you bought from them? This is a concern because while the newer boxes are probably fine, old boxes are the ones still made in China like you said....thanks!! Where were your Avent made in?
To Hey June- Evenflow sounds really reasonable! I will check those out, too.
Thanks, everyone!
Does anyone know where the Munchkin glass bottles were made in? Or the glass bottles by Kinetic? I saw Boobunny glass ones that were a little expensive, their bottles sounded really great and scientific, but after visiting their website FAQs they said made in China! but closely monitored. Even though it is closely monitored, I dont want to risk anything that goes into babies mouths- sometimes Chinese factories bends the rules/dont follow things so strictly, so there is no telling if they are always strictly monitored or not (a friend who once dealt with business trips to China and visited many Chinese factories said that- he was really against anything made in China that went into our mouths) so Im not looking at Boobunny anymore- also for the price Boobunny was asking for, it should be made somewhere like France not China.... was a little disappointed, got excited to hear how it was like the Rolls Royce of baby bottles and they were cute! Oh well. So not getting Boobunny!
So, does anyone know where Munchkin or Kinetic glass bottles were made in?
Thanks again!
Does anyone have a Mimijumi, Nuk, Comotomo or Mams bottles? Can you please tell me where they were made in?
Thank you.