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.
joyful08
member
Re: **INTRO THREAD and EDD**
I have been part of the bump since July 2015. I was on the TTGP board from June until January (a brief time away in October. I had a miscarriage at 6 weeks-blighted ovum). In January I found out I was pregnant and joined the October 2016 Moms board. I had a missed miscarriage and lost our baby at 12 weeks. He had stopped growing at 9 weeks 4 days. I had a natural miscarriage. I joined the miscarriage board but never rejoined the TTGP board. I lost my baby March 29th and found out I was pregnant again on May 21st. DH and I are very excited but obviously very nervous. We have no living children. I can't wait to see my baby on an ultrasound to make it feel real! My EDD is Feb. 1st!
I can't wait to meet everyone!
Long-time Bumpie but made a new account after the exodus. It's good to be back!
EDD is 2/6/17 with #2. I have a DS who will be 3 in July.
Big Bro 7/14/13
Little Bro 2/6/17
I'm 37 (38 in July) I have two kids that are 17 & 13 from a previous relationship. I had my tubes tied after my 13 yo. I married my husband 8 years ago. We had a tubal reversal Dec 13. We got pregnant twice both ending in early mc. We decided to give IVF one shot because my tubes were damaged. We collected 18 eggs. 8 fertilized normally. We transfered 2 perfect 5day embryos and have one more that made it to freeze. I got my bfp at 4dp5dt. My due date is 2/2/2017 earlier if both babies are in there. :-) Beta is Friday.
Edit to add that it's twins!! Ultrasound confirmed 6/10.
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
So I have been bumping since last May 2015. I had a MC in Oct, my due date was just last week, so I love being able to celebrate new life during this ruff time for me. I am sooo worried about another MC though, in my family we are fertile but have a lot of MC. I am 31 and my DH is 33. I look forward to getting to know you guys. My due date is Feb/1st/2017.
Married to my Soul Mate since 09/06/09
*edited because TB ate my words
Best of luck to all of us!
Welcome and H&H 9 months to everyone!
TTC #1: 3/2016
Me 39 - DH 44
BFP 5/27/16 EDD 1/30/17
DD born 2/3/17
Hi everyone. My name is Isis. I am a little hesitant to join but I would like to introduce myself. I took a pregnancy test earlier this week and got the exciting news, BFP! I am cautiously excited, DH and I experienced a miscarriage in March of 2015 and another miscarriage in February of this year. We have a beautiful 3 year old daughter, who we really want to make a big sister, so hopefully this is our sticky baby. My due date is February 4th 2017
ETA: Wishing everyone a H&H nine months!
DH: 35 | Me: 29
BFP #1- 07.25.12, EDD: 03.24.13, DD born 03.26.13
Surprised BFP #2- 02.25.15, EDD: 10/29/15 |*m/c 7w4d, D&C 04.02.2015
BFP #3- 01.21.16, EDD: 09.29.26 |*m/c-blighted ovum 2.19.16 8w1d, D&C 03.04.16
BFP #4- 05.24.16, EDD: 02.04.17 |*natural m/c- 07.08.16, 9w1d
BFP #5- 09/25/16, EDD: 06.07.17 GROW, BABY, GROW!
I am a gestational surrogate for a close relative.(cousin who is not able to carry) The transfer was only a week ago but I got a faint positive this morning and again tonight. I go for a beta test this coming Friday but I couldn't wait to test.
EDD February 6, 2017
Edited
So I just got my BFP on Friday at just 9 DPO and I am honestly terrified. I tried two different brands of HPT and they both came back positive, so I called my OB/Gyn's office and she told me to come in for a blood test to confirm. Of course, because it was Friday, and this is a holiday weekend, I have to wait until Tuesday to find out what my HCG levels are, as per the charting I have been doing for BBT estimates that I am only 3 weeks. My last visit from AF was a short one, only two days..and very light. So, I am completely befuddled. My DH is still very unsure about everything and at one point, he told me to "call the clinic" to get more information on RU-486. But then last night, he got teary eyed and said, "We are having a baby". So, needless to say, it has been a very emotional weekend thus far. My EDD is on or about Feb 5, 2017 based on my charting. I should have a better idea next week.
I am 31 years old (32 in August) and DH is 33 (34 in Sept). This is my first CONFIRMED pregnancy and we recently had a scare at the ER that they suspect could have been a very VERY early miscarriage, but they are still not entirely sure. I ended up having to take progesterone to stop the bleeding. SO, again...very nervous..terrified..I am a Paramedic, so you would think I would be better prepared for this, but I'm not.
I'm glad several of us are in the same boat!
Congratulations!! I see you're a fellow Whovian! This is going to be fun for all of us, I'm sure!
What an amazing birthday gift! Happy Belated Birthday!!
Congrats!!!
TTC #1: 3/2016
Me 39 - DH 44
BFP 5/27/16 EDD 1/30/17
DD born 2/3/17
This is our 11th cycle since our loss so I'm excited and nervous.
Happy to be here with you all!!
my edd is Feb 4th I think
***TW loss mentioned***
I'm 29, DH is 30. This is our third BFP (in a row, no less) the other two ended in MC. We're hoping so hard and are cautiously optimistic that this will be our rainbow baby! It's a bit stressful as we're terrified of another loss and I just finished week 1 at a brand new job, but I'm not letting that scare me right now!
Happy to be here for the time being and congrats to all!
I just got my BFP yesterday! I'm 28 and husband is 26. We had been trying 7 months this time around. We were surprised to find out we were pregnant in August, but it ended up being a blighted ovum. This time around, we are both feeling very hopeful and excited! EDD 2/6/17. Congrats to you all! Wishing everyone happy and healthy pregnancies!
**TW - loss mentioned**
I lost my my son at 28 weeks four months ago due to a large abdominal defect called gastroschisis. It was an extremely tragic loss and TTC helped us grieve.
Before losing my son I had a miscarriage at 13 weeks last February and two miscarriages at 6 weeks before that.
I'm so excited to be pregnant again but extremely nervous has well. Praying hard that I'll get to meet this little one.
Tw loss mentioned
After TTC for 10 months we got our bfp in March but lost the baby at 6.5 weeks. After that we were told we had a 1-3% chance of concieving again due to MFI and were set to start IVF in June. This baby totally surprised us and has officially been nicknamed 'Clutch Baby'. We are cautiously optimistic after two blood draws and good doubling time. We are praying this is a sticky baby but haven't told anyone yet!
BFP #1- March 4 (MC March 24)
BFP #2- May 26
DH: 35 | Me: 29
BFP #1- 07.25.12, EDD: 03.24.13, DD born 03.26.13
Surprised BFP #2- 02.25.15, EDD: 10/29/15 |*m/c 7w4d, D&C 04.02.2015
BFP #3- 01.21.16, EDD: 09.29.26 |*m/c-blighted ovum 2.19.16 8w1d, D&C 03.04.16
BFP #4- 05.24.16, EDD: 02.04.17 |*natural m/c- 07.08.16, 9w1d
BFP #5- 09/25/16, EDD: 06.07.17 GROW, BABY, GROW!
EDD is 2/2/17 with #2. I have a DD who will be 2 in December. I am also going to join the January group since I had a c-section last time and may opt for a scheduled.
This is baby #3 for me and DH. Completely shocked that we got pregnant on cycle 1.
TW... This is our rainbow baby after losing one back in Janurary.
EDD is 2/2/17
Super excited to get to know everyone here.
Congratulations to everyone here! I'm excited to get to know you
I've been on TB since I was pg with DS who's 2 in Oct. I literally just got a positive. We haven't been trying and I was lacking on my bc. EDD is 2/5. I'm kinda really freaking out.
I got my BFP on the 23rd! It was my first cycle trying and off of birth control after 8 years! To say we were a little surprised it happened so early would be an understatement!
EDD: February 2, 2017!
Hi everyone!
I just found out we are expecting our third! I am in my mid thirties and have a 5 year old and a 2 year old - one boy and one girl. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you!
EDD is February 7.
This is was my first round of ivf. I had 5 follies 3 fertilized 2 made it to blastos and just one made it past genetic testing.
It's another boy
Hello Ladies!
My EDD is 02/04/2017. I am 25 and DH is 26. We are trying for baby #1, been trying since Sept 2015 and had a MC back in Feb. Here's to hoping this is the one!!
ME: 25, DH: 27
TTC #1 since 09/2015
Miscarriage @ 10 wks 02/28/2016
BFP 05/28/2016!
We weren't trying, but DTD 4 days prior to O.
Hoping for a girl with shettles method timing, but am just happy to be pregnant again.
I was a bumpie with them, but couldn't log into my old account.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone.