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.
ruemcclanahan
member
Re: FB Group- Discussion Thread
I think some of the other months have had 3 or 4 people "in charge" and to be added you had to be recognized by at least one or maybe more than one.
DD 10/4/02
DS due 9/28/16
Specifically I think they should be looking at the quality of recent posts. To me, it doesn't matter if they've just joined within the last month if they're regularly contributing quality responses, providing support to others, and/or sharing. Whereas someone who only posts on HDBD and a ticker change here or there throughout the pregnancy will probably be just as inactive on a private group.
DD 10/4/02
DS due 9/28/16
Not sure if we should do a separate poll and nomination for our admins or? Does anyone really care or have a specific preference as to who the admins are? I don't, personally, as long as I'm not prohibited from joining haha.
Maybe I'm a little strict, but I feel privacy is huge as far as moving to FB. Some of us are more private than others so I think we should settle on a happy medium. I strongly agree with keeping the group to regulars. Now, I don't mean only those that post every day, but definitely people that have been around for a bit, recognizable sn, have a decent amount of posts outside of ticker change and HDBD and are frequent participants. Personally, I'm very private and keep my FB info private to the public. I, and I know I'm not the only one, recognize a lot of screen names on here, even those of people that have said they're afraid of being left out, so I don't think they have anything to worry about.
It wont let me!
I thought about that after I posted it, my bad!!!
DS1 -- 9/30/2016
I get that not everyone is as "socially prude" as I am so I know I'll have to bend some but I do feel like I "know" and can trust the regulars here.
I totally get wanting to protect people's identities and our babies/families but there can sometimes be a bit of a fine line between wanting to make sure someone checks out and a "cool kids only" table situation.
DS1 -- 9/30/2016
Sorry for the derail. Back to the topic at hand.
DS1 -- 9/30/2016
And honestly, hardly anything I have to say on here has any value at all but these fine ladies all seem to humor me anyway.
I don't use FB much, but I do have an account. I won't be abandoning The Bump to post only on FB (assuming I'm invited, but I like to think that I post enough to be recognized and included), but I would definitely be involved.
I don't really have anyone in my life with young babies (aside from one friend with an 18 month old), so I'm sure I'd appreciate having a place to talk and vent whenever I can find the time with two newborns.
I am slightly put off by the fact that things are so much less organized on FB (no dedicated threads, etc.), so I'm afraid of missing things, especially if there are a lot of posts, but that won't stop me from joining.
● IUI #2: BFP - early M/C :'(
● IUI #3: BFN
● IUI #4: BFN
● IVF/FET #1 (2 transferred): BFP! TWINS!
● FET #2 (1 transferred): BFP! BOY #3!
● Natural #1: BFP - M/C @ 8 weeks :'(
● Natural #2: BFP - M/C @ 5w5d :'(