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.
Re: TW Limbo Land with SCH - T&P please
Me: 26 Hubs: 28
Married: 6/6/15
Baby Girl: 3/22/2017
EP: 2.17.2016
DS: 3.4.2017
Me: 27 - DH: 33
Married: June 2011
TTC #1: January 2016
BFP #1: February 22nd 2016 MC w/ Misoprostol: March 21st 2016 -Blighted Ovum
BFP #2: July 6th 2016 EDD: March 15th 2017
M17 October Siggy Challenge: Animals in Costumes
married to M since 6.13.09
T - 3.3.14
A - 2.24.17
First I had a tear from placenta failure to attach which was scary then I had the SCH. Anything that could go wrong did. (I'll just add this was after 3 mc) The SCH was large, it grew twice which they told me they didn't want it to get larger (I had regular us) but eventually it did go away. But I bled alot for a very long time. From my research back then it usually doesn't go away fully until around 20 weeks for most women. Either thier body absobs it or for most you bleed it out. (I truly pray this is the case for you as it was for me)
I will def say a prayer for you and your lo. Stay positive and def take the rest seriously. I was told not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk too.
I had an undiagnosed SCH with DS (who is now 16 mo) that hemorraged at 11.5weeks. I passed a 6in clot and while the paramedics and my mom were convinced I lost the baby, I just knew I didn't.
FX for a positive outcome. That's the most important thing right now... You need to stay positive!!
First of all, congrats @Sugargirl1019 on the pregnancy
I don't remember if you were still around when I dealt with SCH, but here's a link to my very upsetting experience: https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12675191/not-so-good-news-updated/p1 I'll also say that before the bright red blood, I had had a couple of weeks of brown/pink spotting. Fortunately it all turned out well.
Slightly different but in the same vein, in my first pregnancy in 3rd tri, I slipped and fell on my butt -- which you would think is a safe place to land. Within 3 minutes, I felt like I was peeing myself involuntarily and ran to the restroom to find I was pouring blood. I stuffed my underwear and went back out to cancel the class I was about to teach and call 911 (the university was like 1.5 hours from home, and my car was nowhere near the building). They took me in an ambulance with sirens blazing to the ER where a full team was ready to do an emergency c-section. I had like 7 people pulling my clothes off and hooking me up to machines and another 3 people having me sign paperwork while in varying stages of undress. My only comfort through this was that I could still feel DD move. And once hooked up to the fetal monitor, DD was totally fine. I had a partial placental abruption - similar to SCH - where a small part of the placenta had ripped and was bleeding. I was also having contractions that I couldn't feel but that would exacerbate the bleeding. After three days in the hospital, I was released on procardia, a blood pressure medication that can help prevent pre-term labor. The rest of the pregnancy was fine, and DD popped out (well maybe it was a more terrifying labor than that haha) right on her due date.
I know that SCH can possibly lead to miscarriage, but I also wanted you to be aware of at least a couple of cases in which bright red scary bleeding had a positive ending. My thoughts and prayers are with you and the little one. Please feel free to PM me if you need to talk. <so many hugs>
Baby #1
Baby #2
~04/19/16 EDD 12/26/16~
SaveSaveSaveSave
@LinziLoo09 my baby had already stopped growing and I had my D&C the day after you posted, so I didn’t read Dec at that time. I used A LOT of all caps and curse words yesterday, I'll blame it on baby has rage issues too
Update: I would definitely call it spotting now. Some bright red, but mostly brown blood. Still cramping with lower back aches, still nauseous as hell, fatigue ( I took 3 naps yesterday!!), and still slightly sore boobs. This is quite the special layer of hell to be in with period bleeding AND pregnancy nausea/fatigue.
Also, DH decided to inform me that he thought the tech said I was measuring 6+1 (I was 6+4 at ultrasound) and if so, that's totally within normal range right? I've already made it farther than I did last pregnancy. Come on baby grow! Beat that heart!
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
We're thinking of you over in D16, and we'll keep checking back. SO many positive thoughts and prayers for you, and please do PM me if you want to talk. I am absolutely here for you. I discussed it in my post, but this limbo is so incredibly difficult. <creepy internet hugs>
Baby #1
Baby #2
~04/19/16 EDD 12/26/16~
SaveSaveSaveSave
TTC since 6/13
Diagnosed w/ PCOS 4/9/15 - R/E recommended lifestyle change
BFP 4/10/16 - DS born 12/16/2016
SURPRISE! BFP 3/8/18
thinking of you today!!!
My experience was extremely similar to what you've described. I was on all forms of rest for 4 weeks, then modified bed rest following. It was SO scary, and I have major anxiety about it happening again this time. If you ever need someone to talk to about it, please feel free to PM me. I know exactly how it feels - as do the others who have shared experiences.
DD is 16 months on Monday, BTW. So it all worked out for us.
[url=http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=UBB&utm_campaign=tickers][img]http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt1d2ae4[/img][/url]
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Me: 27 - DH: 33
Married: June 2011
TTC #1: January 2016
BFP #1: February 22nd 2016 MC w/ Misoprostol: March 21st 2016 -Blighted Ovum
BFP #2: July 6th 2016 EDD: March 15th 2017
M17 October Siggy Challenge: Animals in Costumes