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.
stlmomma27
member
Re: Eating after...
They were starving your sister! LOL!
I have had all 3 c-sections in the morning. I'm allowed a LIQUID diet until around evening time. Then I can order something light.
My OB just tells me to listen to my body and order accordingly.
I had a c/s at 10:25 am, was in recovery till 11:45 ish, then had half a grilled cheese around 2 pm and a full grilled cheese around 3:30 pm.
I never threw up or even felt sick. Just eat slowly, drink water, and listen to your tummy.
Nope, nothing.
There is no real reason to go that long without eating. Unless something really gets messed up you should be started on a clear liquid diet (apple juice, jello, broth, etc) with an "advance as tolerated" order to follow. That means as long as the clear liquids don't make you sick you will advance to full liquids (pudding, milk, soups) and then should be on a normal diet after that.
And yes you have to have NOTHING by mouth (including ice chips, sips of water, etc) after midnight for a scheduled c-section. National standard is at least 6 hours of nothing to eat or drink for surgery unless emergent-most anesthesia professionals prefer 8 hours to be on the safe side because anything you put in your stomach could potentially come up and into your lungs while having surgery which can lead to pneumonia.
With my first c-section I was on a liquid diet the first 24hrs. With this c-section I actually had an on call doc and she is the ONLY doctor they have that allows you NO food restrictions after a c-section. She just says "take it slow" and don't make yourself sick but eat anything you want. It was nice!
I had a c/s at 3:30 am and was told I had to eat pudding as my first post-c meal. I have no idea what time in the morning it was but I had pudding and then was allowed to order breakfast. I ate breakfast fine but then totally threw up everything. I had some sips of water and ice later on and threw that up too. I was told to have something with carbs as "lunch" after i got some drugs and kept that down just fine. I had a normal dinner with no problems.
I was told no ice chips, no water, no food (nothing in the mouth) after midnight before my scheduled c/s. My water broke several days before my sch c/s and they wanted to wait 6 hours after I had last eaten. I was progressing very fast so they took me back earlier.
bfp#4 3/19/2014 edd 12/1/2014 please let this be the one!
beta @ 5w0d = 12,026! u/s 4/22/14 @ 8w1d it's twins!
I was told not to eat or drink anything after midnight. My c-section was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. DS was delivered at 9:10 a.m.
While I was in recovery, I was only given ice chips. That could have been because I vomited soon after I got the spinal block. I was in recovery for about 2 hours. Once I was in my regular room, I was told that I could order whatever I wanted from the cafeteria. The nurse did suggest that I take it easy in the beginning and try crackers or soup. (I pretty much had to because I was still vomiting.) By late afternoon, we got the vomiting under control, so I had a normal meal that evening.
Yep. My doctor doesn't put any food restrictions on his patients (with un-complicated c/s). He just said to take it easy. I went ahead and had broth for the first meal, but quickly ate more.
Also, no water after when they tell you not to eat or drink. They allowed me ice chips in the hospital because I was so thirsty since my c/s wasn't until noon.
DS was delivered at 12:09am, i had chicken broth for "breakfast" at 8am and lunch at 12:30pm. my hospital said 12 hours post surgery you can eat.
funny story though... the morning nurse told me i could go ahead and order lunch and eat it. the meal lady came and brought me lunch, asked if i had passed gas and said no. she set the tray just out of arm's reach and told me that i couldn't eat until she talked to the nurse. she left the room, i put that bed up and reached for the tray, grabbed whatever i could off of it and started stuffing my face. i was STARVING after not having had anything to eat for 28 hours. she came back in to me with a mouth full of food and told me the nurse said i could eat
Your poor SIL, I wonder if there was another issue with her that they didn't allow her to eat?? I had my DD at 9am and I had a late lunch of chicken broth, jello and juice around 2:00. Then I had a grilled cheese for dinner at 6:30 and ate a huge breakfast the next morning.
I would recommend eating some fiber and/or having prune juice with your meals. The first time you poop will likely be very painful and for a lot of us is the worst part of having a c/s.
My csection was at 3pm and I wasn't allowed to eat or drink after midnight the night before.
After my csection, I was still so thirsty I drank a bunch of water too fast and got sick. However, a couple hours later they brought me a "liquid" diet for dinner. I only had the juice and jello at that point. The next morning I got a regular breakfast.
~after 34 cycles we finally got our 2nd little bundle of joy~
My IF blog
Ditto! C around 9 pm, breakfast the next morning. Plus the recovery floor nurse gave me a small glass of water (that was the best water I ever had in my life, lol) and a granola bar around 2 a.m. No problems.
This.