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.
allclad13
member
Re: Frank breech baby and hip problems
I had a frank breech baby. I was 42 weeks and not a sliver of dilation so they did the ultrasound and found out that was why. A little late in my opinion, but at least I didn't start pushing! hah
Anyway. Heres my experience. DS had been that way for a while, they guess three-four weeks. When he came to us, he had very swollen testicles because his feet were literally wrapped around on his head, crushing them! They were the size of a softball. He also refused to put his legs straight down for three weeks. The doctors watched it closely and it was just a comfort thing. He is 5 weeks now and he straightens them out all the time, unless he's tired or unhappy. The other thing that I wasn't expecting was the shape of his head. Since I was 2 weeks overdue, I had a BIG baby. Almost ten pounds. His head had indentations from my rib cage. He had two deep ridges through the top. It was pretty odd.
Most of this is probably just because my idiot OB didn't check WHY I had no progress with such a whopper of a baby, and I was so late.
I had twins via scheduled c-section. DD was breech. She loved to keep her legs up at all times after she was born, which made dressing and diapering her interesting ;-), but that was the only difference we noticed between her and DS.
Our pediatrician advised us to bring DD for an ultrasound to look at her hips (he didn't think there was a problem, but said it is routine for breech babies). We brought DS, too, just because we were already going. As it turns out, DD is completely fine and DS has a very mild case of hip displasia. DS was transverse/vertex the whole time! So, you never know.
My DD was not breech but has hip dysplasia...I agree with the pp who said take the ultrasound as a precaution. It is most common in first born females so its worth at least checking out due to her position.
Unfortunately for us my DD was not diagnosed until 6 months and we faced months/years of treatment and we still don't have the all-clear. Had we known in the first few weeks of life her treatment would have likely been much less of an ordeal.
TX: IUI #1-4 = BFN + 1 c/p
IUI #5: Clomid 100mg + Bravelle + Trigger + B2B IUIs + 800mg Progesterone = BFP!
Beta #1 (14dpiui): 460 Beta #2 (16dpiui): 998 Beta #3 (23dpiui): 21,832 Beta #4 (29dpiui): 129,771
My son was frank breech from 30 weeks on. We attempted an ECV, but our perinatologist was unable to turn him (his rear was wedged into my pelvis and every time our peri moved it up and out my son would settle back in the same position).
We had to deliver him via c-section at 36w1d. He's been checked multiple times (by his pediatrician and the NICU staff prior to his discharge) and as of now we have yet to find any hip complications. He does love to have his feet up in the air, though, and when he was first born he had what our doctor called "frog legs" (they bent outward). That has reversed itself as more time passes out of the womb and he's able to stretch his legs properly.
Good luck with your c-section!