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.
thetwinkies&Vivi
member
Re: Make up during scheduled C Sec
I've never seen this rule, interesting.
I'm curious to see the answers.
I've had c-secs at two different hospitals, neither prohibited make up during surgery. I wore my usual - concealer, light foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, and a bit of bronzer.
I don't think it sounds shallow at all. I wanted to like the way I looked in the first pictures of me with the new baby.
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012
I can't remember. I think I was told no makeup, but maybe not.
My c-sections are all in the early morning so I woke up and went to the hospital. And once they put on that shower cap on my head, it doesn't matter if I'm wearing makeup or not - no one looks good in that! LOL!
I do put on some mascara and lipgloss once I get into my room though.......
Hmmm...never heard of that particular rule.
I went into labor at 2am so make-up wasn't on my mind! lol I looked pretty crummy during my first few photos, but nothing a few flicks of a photo editor couldn't take care of.
My dr just told me to wear minimal makeup. But I have never really heard anybody say no makeup during a csection.
I only put on a light concealer powder and that's about it. We were going to a friends' house so I wore minimal anyways
Just do whatever you feel comfortble! You may sweat and cry so I probably wouldn't go too heavy
Interesting that none of y'all have even been told that! My pre-registration papers say no makeup, jewelry, contacts, or nail polish.
Looks like it should be ok if I wear a bit though, phew!
I wore light make up and contacts for my c section.
I work in the medical field and here are my thoughts on why they say that. Heavy makeup (foundation) will give the skin a nice color- they want to know when you are pale or not looking so hot (green in the gills-haha), also, if something went bad and you needed to be intubated, the tape to secure the tube doesn't stick well if you have makeup on.
Contacts are only an issue if you are intubated as well. Just tell them you have them on, I would think most providers would not care. If you had to be intubated, they could remove your contacts if needed.
Just ask your provider that is performing the section. Good luck!
I know they like to avoid heavy perfumes in the OR so I have been told no perfumes, lotions or deodorant. But no one said anything about no make-up.
I have gel nail polish too which doesn't come off easily and they said it was fine.
I've never hear this before. I had a scheduled c-section, I had a little bit of eye make-up on. I also had my nails painted and jewelry (wedding rings, earrings, and a small silver cross necklace) on!
Make-up ended up being a non-issue for me, as I cried it all off when DS was born anyway!
Good luck!
I plan on wearing makeup, and my doctor said the one thing the OR staff and the doctors notice are fingers, toes and your "grooming" down there. She said it in a joking manner, since she had 2 c sections herself and her husband made fun of her for getting her hair/nails done prior to each. So I plan on getting a pedicure and manicure before my c-section.
This. I wore my contacts too. The only thing I had to take off was my jewelry
BFP#1 05/19/10 M/C 6/4/10 d/x threatened m/c 6/6/10 m/c confirmed
BFP#2 10/26/10 M/C 11/01/10
BFP#3 11/28/10 C/P 11/29/10
BFP#4 02/23/11 M/C 3/1/11
BFP#5 08/13/11 EDD 04/27/12 Beta @11DPO 8.79 Beta @13DPO 36 Beta @17DPO 179 Beta @20DPO 679!! 6w3d hb 116 bpm! 8w3d hb 164 bpm! 10w4d hb 177-187 NT scan 12w2d hb 173-everything looks great! 14w4d-everything still looks great! A/S scheduled for 12/12!
Our rainbow baby is here!! Emmalynn Anne born 4/27/12 via unplanned c-section
BFP#6 Surprise! Here comes baby #2! Harper Elizabeth born 12/17/13 via c-section