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.
Sunshine7117
member
Re: Tips for Passing One Hour Glucose Test?
If your doctor gave you instructions then follow those instructions. Don't be ridiculous and eat a pound of sugar before hand but for the health of you and LO, don't try to skew the results either.
By pass I just meant not get a false positive like I have heard many do only to go on to have to do the three hour and pass that.
No need for judgement or swearing people! Geez! Aren't we all on the same team here?
There is no way. Just as GD isn't caused by diet, passing the GTT can't be done through diet.
You could get a new pancreas, that might help.
Ooo, where can I get one of those? My little finger hurts from the pricking.
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
Just do what your doctor told you to do. For most doctors, that means that you should eat normally before and after the test. If you have questions about the test, call your doctor.
ETA: You're pretty much going to be drinking concentrated, liquefied sugar. There is literally absolutely nothing that you can do to "make sure you pass". The sugar will have the effect that it has regardless of whether or not you limit carbs, sugars, whatever the day before. Abruptly changing your diet to prepare for this could possibly make the test worse for you, as in you could be hungrier which could result in your vomiting...which would mean that you have to take the test again.
Also, GD can be very serious if improperly diagnosed. If you're going to fail the test, you WANT to fail the test so that your doctor can keep an eye on you and your pregnancy, you can make the necessary dietary changes, and make sure that your LO is as healthy as possible. Trying to get around it somehow isn't just going to hurt you, it's going to hurt your child.
I still failed and had to go back for the 3 hour.
Do not be like my friend who walked in with a cupcake in her mouth. I think she still passed, though.
That's about all.
Make a pregnancy ticker
So yeah, go with what your lab/doc told you to do. Don't try to cheat to pass.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
I don't think there is anything you can do to "pass" a glucose test and you wouldn't want to anyway. You definitely don't want a false reflection of your results. Most women pass this test anyway. I was TERRIFIED of failing this test. Unfortunately, I did not pass and have been managing my levels with diet. There's nothing you can do to manipulate the diagnosis. You either have a high number after consuming the drink or you don't. Good luck and try not to stress about it too much.
Love your SNL skit!
Follow your instructions for prepping for the test, and bring a good book to read while you wait.
Because that's the other thing - no matter how hard you want to cheat, this isn't like having your fasting blood sugar checked - you're forced to drink some sugary swill and they see how your body reacts. Doesn't really matter what you do beforehand!!
I will say, definitely follow any directions your doctor gave you. Mostly, you don't want to have any additional sugar/carbs just prior to the test (within a couple hours) as that could skew the results. I did mine fasting (because it was easier to go first thing in the morning) and still drew a boarderline result - my OB says it's probably a "false positive" but wants me to do the three hour test to be sure. It's a pain, but as others have pointed out, diabetes in general isn't a joke and you want to be thorough.
If your question is "how do I not screw this up/how can I be sure my results are accurate?" then do what your doctor says and if you didn't get any instruction from your OB, call and check. Don't assume your results will be normal (which is I think the assumption that caused how you framed the question?) - I did and, while they're within the normal range for "pregnant", that range still includes "need to do the annoying test".
No one is being rude by telling her to ask her OB if she doesn't understand, they either gave her instructions she should follow or they didn't, that's all there is to it.
FWIW, I drank sweet tea all morning and had a large piece of pecan praline cheesecake right before my test. I passed. You really can't cheat the test.