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.
lovebug33
member
Re: How long did you take meds?
I took the percocet 2 pills every 4 hrs as allowed in the hospital. Once I got home, I dropped to 1 pill every 6 hrs, and also took advil (NOT TYLENOL).
Then once my percocet ran out (at about 6 days PP), I took tylenol and advil as prescribed on the bottle. I took that every 4-6 hours as allowed for about 7 more days. DD2 was in the NICU for 11 days, so I was not resting as much as I should've been.
Now, at 3 weeks PP, I take tylenol or advil (usually not both anymore) as needed, which is maybe once every day or two.
As my doctors keep telling me, the pills aren't supposed to take all the pain away.
11 days post-op and I just had them renew my prescription for oxycodone, and I'm still taking ibuprofen and tylenol, as much as I can safely take in a day. They also prescribed me some antibiotics today saying that my pain could be an infection, though she doesn't actually think I have one... But it's severe enough pain that I will wake up in the middle of the night crying.
My nurses were also telling me that it seems the surgeons decided to make my incision a little smaller than normal, they had to be pretty rough to get the little guy out, hence the extra bruising. My ob hopes that by the end of the week I will only need to take pain meds twice a day.
So hopefully yours isn't as bad as mine.
I alternated Vicodin and Ibuprofen until I was one week post-op. Then I just took Ibuprofen as needed (usually at night) for a few more days.
You will not get addicted to the pain medications if you are using them for true pain.
Since you are taking vicoden (has tylenol in it) you can also take ibuprofen (advil) in addition.
I had a ton of pain after my c section. I was on dilaudid (narcotic) 2mg every 3-4 hours for 10 days and was also taking tylenol 500 mg every 4 hours and ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hrs around the clock.
I still used the tylenol and ibuprofen till about day 16 and then as needed.
Hope the pain gets better soon.
I never took any narcotics. Just alternated tylenol and ibuprofen for about 12 weeks.
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui)
#1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo
#2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015
#4!!!!!!! due June 2017
I took everything they gave me, which was probably for 7-10 days. Then I switched to taking Advil regularly for another week or so.
There was a point in the hospital where I got behind on the pain pills, and it sucked. Definitely stay on top of the pain - you won't become a pill popper if you take what's prescribed for the amount of time it's prescribed.
And FWIW, I took Advil regularly for the first 10-14 days after having a VBAC. Giving birth is hard work, period, and your body needs time to recover/heal from it (hence taking meds!).
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
Ditto minus the VBAC. I was prescribed Percoset every 4-6 with 800mg Advil every 8. I tried to be a superhero and not take the pain meds the first week and that was a BIG mistake. I ended up phasing the narcotics out on week 2, then the Advil on week 3 or 4. Week 2 was the worst for me in terms of recovery.
DH-34-MFI-motility+morphology.... Me-32-Hypothyrpid+LPD
7/8/11: Clomid100mg+Ovidrel+IUI#1=BFN
8/2/11: Clomid50mg+Ovidrel+IUI#2=BFFN
8/25/11: Follistim50iu+Ovidrel+IUI#3=BFP!!!!@14dpo
Beta#1 9/8 - 251 Beta#2 9/15 - 1622 Beta#3 9/22 - 12674
1st U/S; heard one beautiful HB of 129 - 9/29/11
OB visit; HB of 166 - 10/13/11
2nd US; HB of 163 - 10/18/11
A/S - 12/9/11 - It's a perfect healthy BOY!!!!
Our miracle baby boy - born 5/24/12