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.
ifoundmyromeo
member
Re: Not being able to pee after delivery! Anyone else?
So this was one of the worst parts for me about my C section recovery! My C-section was at 9 AM, and my doctor wanted me up and moving around by 6 PM that day. The nurses removed my cath and IV so I could do some laps around the hospital. This was fine. They informed me I had to pee on my own by midnight or they'd have to put a new cath in. I wasn't worried at all, figured peeing would be easy.
At 8 PM I tried peeing, could not do it. I felt like I had to pee, but literally could not pee. Most frustrating thing ever. The nurses tried peppermint oil (allegedly that helps). Still nothing. At midnight they tried to put a new cath in, but everything was swollen and it was SO PAINFUL. Literally most painful procedure I've ever had. I cried and begged them not to do it because of the pain, so they gave me until 2 AM to pee .
Finally the only thing that helped was a warm peri bottle. No clue why that helped, but was able to pee at 1:30 AM.
Sorry for the long response, but this was a major issue for me and I wish I had more warning that this was a C section side effect!
I had a catheter after my vaginal delivery because I had a bad tear and had to get spinal anesthesia for the repair. The catheter came out the next morning and I peed without any problem.
After my c/s, the catheter was removed the next morning. I had a lot of difficulty peeing for the first few days--it took me a really long time and a lot of concentration each time I had to go. Then it was a couple more weeks where I couldn't really sense the need to go, but was able to empty my bladder if I did go to the bathroom. After a few weeks, I was back to normal.
ETA: a warm peri bottle helped me go when I had difficulty.
This was one of the worst parts of recovery for me too. They took mine out and I could not go on my own, and it was like the nurse didn't believe me. Finally they straight cathed me and got 1000ml. I thought I was going to explode. It happened again later that day so they finally put one back in until the next day. When I saw the dr the next day, he's like they should have just left it in to begin with because bladder lost muscle tone because of spinal. So I'm making sure this is one of my first conversations in recovery. I do not want to go thru that again.
Yes! My 2nd CS was two weeks ago. I was pee shy, I just couldn't get a stream to start and stay. I would go a few drops and then have to force out a few more drops then a few more. I drank tons of water and used the peri bottle of warm water while trying. I eventually voided enough that the nurse decided they didn't have to re-cath me. Thankfully.