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.
serenaxo84
member
Re: Placenta Previa
@Muscatmommyof4 this gives me hope! I had a c section with my first due to him being breech. luckily my doctor is pretty lax- which kinda evens me out! But I'm glad to hear success stories bc I feel like all you ever read is the bad or extreme! Did you have complete PP? Right now mine is complete - I guess it looks like it starts at my scar and Wraps around the back.
Georgia 3/15/2012 Matilda 6/12/2014 TWINS!! Babies 3&4 EDD 11/22/2016
As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen - Winnie the Pooh
Married 8/22/09
Pregnancy 1- EDD 11/21/10 NMC @ 6 weeks
Pregnancy 2 - Rainbow DS born 1/15/11
Pregnancy 3 - EDD 5/2/14 NMC @ 6 weeks 9/4/13
Pregnancy 4 - EDD 6/11/14 BO @ 9 weeks D&C 11/8/13
AF arrived 12/18/13
BENCH IS BURNED 2/2014
TTA until May/June
WOW!!! I'm pregnant!!! BFP 6/8/14 Rainbow on the way EDD 2/14/15
Winnie the Pooh
BFP 3.8.16 EDD 11.20.16
Scheduled IVF for April 2013--SURPRISE, don't need it! DD Born 9/7/13
Ectopic pregnancy Sep/Oct 2014 ended in surgery, and many trips to the ER
Miracle #3: EDD 11/28/16
Another c section isn't ideal. I was hoping possibly for a VBAC but a healthy baby and mama is the most important thing. Guess time will tell! We go back in 4 weeks- I'll be 23 weeks then and we will see if it moves... Hopefully it will, even just a little! I think they will closely monitor with ultrasound and will deliver at 37 weeks if it doesn't go away.
on the plus side since the placenta is a low anterior and the rest is posterior- I have felt this baby move way more than my first! And way earlier too!
Edit words
Fingers Crossed!
I go back 8/9 for another ultrasound... But they aren't hopeful it will move. The placenta is both anterior and posterior so it needs to move totally in one direction- which isn't likely. So now we are watching to make sure it doesn't adher to my c section scar.
hopeing I don't have another bleed as I will be on bedrest/ possibility that they could deliver the baby early.
This is is such a shitty issue as you have no idea what's going to happen! You might bleed, you might not, it could move, it might not, etc etc. I really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy but so far all its done is stress me out!
Do you mind if I ask- do you have any idea what caused the bleed?
I think my OB freaked me out a little bit when she mentioned that I shouldn't even push very hard if I get constipated. Now I am scared to look down in the toilet (sorry if that's TMI). Now I'm scared to do anything.
She said vaginal rest, nothing more than walking in the way of workouts, don't lift more than 20 pounds, don't do anything where you're pushing down or contracting your abs.
From what I've read, if we're going to get cleared it will happen before 30 weeks. This waiting and not knowing is killing me. And if they do schedule a c section, it's typically between 36-37 weeks because our risk of a dangerous bleed if we were to go into labor is high. Is that the same thing you guys have heard?
https://placentaprevia.wordpress.com/
mine isn't likely to move because it is complete- complete is the least likely to move. Most marginal or partial previas do clear up. I have heard of women with complete having their placenta move to marginal previa. But in my case they said it isn't lucky.
We we are planning to deliver at 37 weeks. I am going to ask my doctor at next weeks appointment when we will schedule the section. If I have any bleeding at this point (26 weeks) they will do the steroid shot. If I have any bleeding after 35 weeks they will likely deliver. It's kind of up in the air. I plan on getting a hospital bag together in a couple weeks. You really don't need much in the hospital and your SO can always go home to grab what you do need in the event of an emergency.
I didn't meet the NICU team while I was in the hospital because if something happened and hemmoraged- the baby would be too small to survival. However- if I am back in the hospital/ have another bleed I will meet with the NICU team as our LOs chances of survival are much higher now and get higher with each week.
In very severe and least likely cases there is the danger of hemmoraging- which is why you would have a c section early.... As you dilate and prepare for labor the placenta can tear away from your uterus causing dangerous bleeding.
While a c section isn't ideal it's not the worst. I was hoping for a VBAC with this pregnancy as he is number 2. But at the end of the day my health for my children and my children's health is best. I didn't find the recovery to be hard and honestly am more scared of having to recover from vaginal tearing/ having bladder issues from a vaginal birth. Breast feeding wasn't an issue and a long as you make a plan with your OB you will get lots of skin to skin right away. DS1 was with me in the recovery room and they took him for testing when I was getting moved to my actual room- so we weren't apart right away and we were not apart for long.
I was also diagnosed with placenta previa at 22 weeks. The only restrictions I have been put on is no sex for now. The doctor said he will recheck the placenta at 30 weeks to see if it moved. The ultrasound technician seemed pretty optimistic on the placenta getting out of the way. I've got my fingers crossed.
@kvruns it really depends on the placement of the placenta. With DS1 I had a low lying placenta that graduated to a full anterior placenta- which means the placenta is on the front of your belly- which means you might not feel as much movement. This time around I have both an anterior placenta and posterior placenta (complete placenta previa). With this pregnancy the placenta is anterior up to my c section scar and the rest is posterior (on the back of my uterus)- so I am able to feel a lot more movement.
If you are a FTM not feeling much movement until 21-22 weeks is totally normal and might have nothing to do with where your placenta is located.
@kvruns having an anterior placenta- on the front- won't affect your pregnancy at all! The most it will do is limit the amount of movement you feel! I felt plenty of movement with DS1 it just wasn't until I was further along.
You could also have a low lying placenta- but the good thing is a low lying placenta is most likely to move and sometimes you can still deliver vaginally with a low lying placenta! Good luck at your appointment!
***Update*** I had an ultrasound on Friday and my placenta was 2.3cm away from the cervix! So I'm cleared to have a regular delivery