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: Not ideal, but wish me luck
I've been waiting for your update, and I'm so sorry you've basically been given the "eviction notice" without getting to 41 weeks. But it does sound like they're trying to give you the best chance possible by having you avoid the non-VBAC supportive providers over the weekend.
I will be sending you major T&Ps for labor to start on it's own before the induction on Thursday. I see you're having another acupuncture session, but can they try another membrane sweep as well?
GL and praying for a safe delivery for both you and baby!
~Sweet Girl *8/18/08* c-section ~ Sweet Boy *12/2/10* VBAC ~ Sweet Boy *8/14/12* VBAC~
VBAC Birth Story 2VBAC Birth Story
BFP #2 7/13/2011 ~ EDD 3/16/2012 ~Aubree Olivia (9lbs 1oz, 21 inches) 3/15/2012 VBAC (39w6d)
BFP #3 5/15/2014 ~ EDD 1/16/2015~Addison Isabelle (9lbs, 0oz, 21 inches) 1/25/2015 2VBAC (41w2d)
BFP #4 7/20/2016 ~ EDD 3/25/2017 ~ Malachi Mathew (10lbs 0oz, 22 inches) 4/4/2017 emergency csection (41w3d)
Thanks, I'm trying to get in to see the midwife for another sweep tomorrow. But, she's at the hospital with another induction tomorrow morning. So, there may not be time. I have to hope her other patient goes quickly.
Okay, well hopefully the midwife can get another sweep in before your induction. Try not to stress too much, and get those natural labor inducing techniques going
BTW, if you haven't seen the gentle labor inductions site I usually post about... it's worth a shot checking it out IMO https://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/natinduc.html
HTH and again GL!
~Sweet Girl *8/18/08* c-section ~ Sweet Boy *12/2/10* VBAC ~ Sweet Boy *8/14/12* VBAC~
VBAC Birth Story 2VBAC Birth Story
Have your midwife do a dilation check and "stretch" you a little bit -- worked for me and my friend!
And that is so crazy that the birth will be scheduled around providers not getting along. What is wrong with these people? Aren't they supposed to be focused on helping women? Sometimes I just don't get it.
Have you read Born in the USA? Expose of the birthing business by (of all things) a male OB very critical of his own profession. He thinks midwives should do most births. The "war" you describe reminds me of that book. I was going to say read it while you are eagerly waiting to go into labor, but that depends on whether you think getting fired up will make you feel better or worse! Maybe better as postpartum reading. But really good book.
Will be checking the board just to hear how it goes for you -- best of luck.
That stinks! I'll be sending good thoughts your way. As you know, I survived my induction there with flying colors and a VBAC baby. I'll be hoping for the same for you.
Why wouldn't R be able to be there over the weekend? I thought she had back-up Midwives now? I didn't see any OB's at all at the hospital when I was there. I hope they stay away from you so you can have a good experience!
It's all gone to pot over there. There are 3 original OBs who have been delivering at Montgomery for years. There are 3 new OBs who came over when Mercy Suburban shutdown their maternity ward. The three newbies sent a letter in April to all midwives delivering at Montgomery saying that they would no longer back them up. As you know, the midwives must have an OB backup. It's now become a big battle, which unfortunately is yet to be resolved.
So, if you're not a VBAC, 'R' can just take you to the Bryn Mawr birthing center and all is well. But, if you need to be induced, or you're a VBAC, it has to be planned for when one of the "good" docs is on call. Unfortunately for me, there's a string of the bad docs on call this weekend leading up to my due date.
It will be really interesting to see how things evolve as Montgomery shuts down and the Medical Center opens up. We may all end up driving out to Reading for our next births.
That's terrible! How can the hospital allow doctors to refuse to help people like that? I am so discouraged. It was such a wonderful hospital to deliver in. I guess we'll see what the medical center has to say about it when they move over there. But doctors like that should not be allowed to practice. And their self serving demands should not overshadow hospital policy. They can go somewhere else. So sorry that is going on.
FWIW, I wasn't a very favorable induction but it was sort of a hail Mary attempt to avoid the RCS that happened to work. I was barely a fingertip dilated and 70% effaced. When they hooked me up to the monitors I was apparently contracting every 10 minutes or so but didn't feel anything. It was a tough 18 hours on pit, but baby came out. If the crappy OB comes in to see you the next day, kindly give him the finger for me for destroying a woman's right to choose her own care.
Good luck!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)