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.
jennrooney28@gmail.com
member
Re: Moms on Call Method Question
I've also never heard of it.
If you're planning on BFing it's really best to feed on demand, not according to a schedule. Though most babies do eventually set their own, predictable schedule.
I imagine regardless of what an infant is fed, there's no not feeding a screaming 3 month old at whatever time it is when they decide they want to eat.
DD2 8.22.13
MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18
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Agree with this.
If this is what "Mom's on call method," is... Then good luck, because it isn't going to work! When my baby is hungry, my baby eats.
DS born 9/3/13; DD born 7/22/15; LO due 5/28/18
FS (age 5) and FD (age 2) to become AS/AD very soon!
A routine will likely evolve to look like a schedule but you don't hold hard and fast to times. For example on Monday you get up at 6 and nurse. Baby wants to eat right before drop off at 7 so you nurse again. Baby gets hungry at 8:30 and gets pumped milk. On Tuesday baby nurses at 6 skips 7 and wants to eat at 8 and so gets a pumped bottle.
I've never heard of the method you asked about so can't comment specifically but if it helps set your routine then it will probably help. If it calls for setting a schedule I'd keep looking.
agreed. I'm a new mom and I'm annoyed by the over thinking that other women do. What happened to keeping it simple?
DS born 9/3/13; DD born 7/22/15; LO due 5/28/18
FS (age 5) and FD (age 2) to become AS/AD very soon!
No, any good caregiver will respond to your newborn's cues. They will not force a newborn onto a schedule for their own convenience. Put your baby's needs first and your caregiver's second.
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You do what is best for you and your child. Don't let people's opinions hinder what you want to try. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work! No big deal! I'm going to try for a schedule with my daughter because I'll be a better teacher and I know I'll be a better mom if I have set amounts of sleep. I have no husband to help he's deployed, so it'll be up to me.
We new moms will find out by trial and error, just like all the vet moms have on here. But there is no harm in TRYING methods that will accommodate our lifestyles.
Did you read the responses? Because this:
"It is a baby you can't plan with them, the sooner you learn this, the better."
is spot on. You really need to get over the idea of accommodating your lifestyle. Learning to accommodate baby will make things so much less stressful for you. Trust.
DD2 8.22.13
MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18
Actually, "failure to thrive" is the harm in trying these methods.
It means you've starved your baby to follow a book. And it really happens, especially with these plans that have religious overtones (so if you fail, you're letting your baby down and God, too).
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the routine at night time helps give them stability to feel more comfortable...and eventually they start eating at the same times, sleeping as well. Growth spurts, being sick, etc are of course going to be different. It helps them soothe.
People are on here, asking for advice and encouragement...and instead you have people bashing her and telling her that things aren't going to work. You don't know her baby or her plan. It makes me sick to even think that a site made for this is has lost it's way and these other women sit and talk about new mothers and our concern.
Over thinking is much better than not giving a crap I would think. They just want what is best for their babies, and obviously reaching out to the wrong people, shown here. What help you were...
I started a routine with my baby, doing the same thing every night. Gradually he slept way better and consistently wakes up at the same times. It isn't an overnight starve your baby concept. My baby is EBF(after a 9 week battle of pumping, latching issues) and he wakes up at exactly 3 am every night and I nurse him, put him back down and he is up at 7 every morning.
I don't work but could see how this would be great for mom and baby if the mother is working.
I didn't have consults come in like you can do with moms on call, I fact I didn't even read the book, but did some quick research and action on it and had advice from moms that had success with it. I have a baby who has been fussy and I have found he is so much more content when taking routine naps. I don't have specific times he nurses every day...I feed him when he is hungry. It just happens that they even out and become consistent when working with the same routine. He has created it on his own with my help.
People need positive reinforcement instead of others breaking them down in a time of need. Stick to your guns and do what feels right!!!
Lo and my other children come first, especially when it comes to food, when choosing breast feeding it's very demanding but it's nothing you did know before doing it right?
To answer your original question I would feed him before you left for day care. Another good thing is that gets rid of one feeding LO would need pumped milk for. It works out for us that way because he then falls asleep on the way to my moms and then goes right to sleep then in the pack in play when we get there until his first usual feeding at around 10:30.
Sorry this is really long but another advantage is that the schedule suggests only napping for 2.5 hours tops. We started waking him after long naps after the dr also suggested it and that is when he started sleeping great at night. I love moms on call. If you are going to use it get the app. I know from friends experience that having a routine/schedule not only helps you but also helps the baby and will be helpful through their young lives.
Perfect.
It works like a charm.
DD2 8.22.13
MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18
You should write a book!
Seriously. With the shit I see some people say they've bought to train their babies, I could probably make millions.