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.
sthampofu
member
Re: hospital preparation
https://www.pregnantchicken.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2012/5/21/hospital-bag-what-to-pack.html
Jamie
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
I packed WAY more than I needed. Here are the things that I felt I truly needed to have, looking back:
-Going home clothes for me (otherwise I just used the hospital gown and the provided mesh undies)
-Going home clothes and swaddle blanket for LO (she spent the rest of the time there in just a diaper and hospital provided swaddle blanket, but on the way home we put her in a onesie and covered her with a blanket in the carseat)
-Toiletries so you can shower (hospital provided basics, but I preferred to have my own stuff)
-Extra clothes and toiletries for DH if he will be staying there with you (the shirt he arrived in got some cord blood on it...that we didn't notice until like 24 hours later. yikes).
-Boppy or other nursing/feeding pillow, assuming you have one (and I strongly suggest getting one)
-If you are planning to breastfeed: nipple cream and gel pads (I'd advise starting to use nipple cream once a day a few weeks before your due date and after every time you nurse even before it starts to hurt - the gel pads were also nice for longer stretches - once you're home you can keep them in the fridge and then apply them for some relief)
-camera if you're not happy with the one on your phone
-ipad or e-reader, mp3 player and speakers if you want music
-chargers for cell phone, camera, e-reader/ipad, etc
-carseat
-pump, if you're going to breastfeed and if the hospital has lactation consultants on staff (they showed me how to use it while I was there, though I didn't actually use it until I got home).
-snacks if you want anything specific...or you can always send DH or your visitors out to grab you stuff while you're there. if you have a water bottle you're attached to, maybe bring that - all I did was chug water the whole time I was in the hospital
I brought magazines that I never opened and SEVERAL sets of clothing for myself and LO that we didn't wear. With the clothing, I would make two general suggestions: first, for you, bring one outfit assuming you'll have a vaginal delivery and one in case you need a C-section. If you have to get an emergency C, you're probably not going to want a waistband - a loose t-shirt dress would probably be best. I wound up wearing sweatpants and a nursing tank top home (I didn't do the whole fancy pictures thing). For LO, bring one outfit in each of a couple of sizes because you don't really know what size you'll need - we brought preemie and newborn because DH was a VERY small full term baby (under 6lbs), but LO wound up average size so newborn worked. Similarly, a friend just had a 10-pounder who went directly to 3-month size. So you may want to be prepared for that.
I also brought the body pillow I had been sleeping with while pregnant but it stayed in the car. I seriously hung out in bed with LO and the Boppy pillow for a vast majority of our time at the hospital though...that Boppy was a great investment for me. She would sleep on me all snuggled up in it when she refused to accept sleeping in the provided bassinet. I was so tired I could have slept on a pile of rocks, so I didn't need any special pillows or blankets for myself. DH probably would have preferred the ones from home to the hospital provided ones for him though.
Chapstick
Hair ties
Cloths for me and little ones
Car seat
Baby book... the nurse's can do the foot prints for u
Warm socks
Hoodie
Some cash for emergency