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: **INTRO THREAD and EDD**
Ive been reading along but decided to actually join. I will be a third time mom! My husband and I had plans to move out of the country but now we will be staying for at least another year (thanks Zika ). I'm due feb 27th but I've never made it to a due date. We have a 6 year old boy and a 4 year old girl, and they are both over the moon!
Congrats to everyone!
I are about 13weeks and due Feb24, 2017. I'm in my early thirties & my partner and I have been trying for just over a year when we found out at the end of June.
It's taken me a while to post on here because I felt nervous right up until our 12 week scan.
I'm actually here because I've abandoned Jan17 in favor of F17 since it's so disorganized over there (and because I saw all the lovely snark and organization over here). I've been lurking F17 for a while now because my EDD is so close to the end of January. Based on LMP I'd be due 1/25 but based on temping and charting I'd be due 1/28.
BFP May 16th 2016
DD born January 30 2017
Surprise BFP/MC April 2017
Hello everyone! Been lurking since June and decided to finally introduce myself!
I'm 28 and my DH is 36. We're expecting our first child on February 27th and couldn't be more excited! We married in April of last year and had been NTNP for 8 months. We found out we were expecting on Father's Day and, honestly, the only reason why I took a test that day is because it was the last game of the NBA Finals and I was planning on drinking a ton of wine that night.
I'm about to be 27, and I'm from GA. I have a 3 year old son.
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
meet our little one! I'll know the gender soon! Congrats to everyone!
I feel like we got off to the wrong foot here so I wanted to properly intorduce myself. I'm 31 & my husbands 34. Pregnant with #3 unexpectedly & due Feb 10! first time around after trying for a year we concieved & now have 19month identical twin boys, had them at 27weeks with a long up & down nicu stay. So a bit scared it'll happen again. But We just found out we'll be having our 3rd boy & we're excited & scared (bout the new guy feeling different when his bros look exactly the same & have such a close bond) all at the same time. Happy healthy pregnancies to all
Ive been on this board since the very beginning (found out at 3 weeks pregnant) but I have been in shock terrified of miscarriage. I'm 26 and its my first pregnancy I have both endo and pcos so part of me didn't think this would stick.
My due date is Feb 5th and I have now started buying and preparing for baby so I guess it has really hit me!
EDD= Feb 12th 2017
unknown sex til sep. 29th
Post?
It would look like this: ** TW MC/loss**
I never thought of myself as particularly maternal, or ever wanting children, but something happened this year that both me and my husband wanted to try, maybe it had something to do with all of our nephews and nieces getting a lot cuter now that they're talking and seeing them every other weekend or maybe it was my clock ticking louder... So, we hopped off the BC train that's been running nonstop for 15 years, and got knocked up a little quicker than we expected in the first month of not taking the pill. Although a little inconvenient in the middle of a big move, we realize how lucky we are and this has truly been such an incredible experience. I'm excited to be a part of this forum and learn from all the experienced mamma's out there!
Hey!! I am with @roq_holiday, I kind of just remembered they had a blog on the site. I signed up for the emails early on, but my old phone was all wonky at work, so I haven't been on the app much- just reading the emails. But, now that I am further in, it's nice to be able to chat with people
Well and my work unblocked the site. Score. I tried the Baby Center one and it's a hot mess- random posts over the place, I hate it. This at least seems organized!
Oh, I am 32 and from Cleveland area. My husband and I are expecting our 1st, a girl, on 02/21/17. Pretty much coasting at this point. Tired, hungry, blah blah blah. Nothing earth shattering or that anyone else isn't going through also!
Hello! Little late to the party here... I lurk on these boards but thought I would introduce myself.
H and I are both 31, got our BFP on 6/11. EDD is 2/20/17. I was really nervous at the beginning, since I had a miscarriage back in February at 6.5 weeks (chromosomal abnormality). That pregnancy was kind of unexpected, as we'd been told I would not be able to conceive naturally. Our fertility doc had removed one of my tubes last October, and she said the other one was not at all functional. We planned to start IVF in February - we were waiting for my cycle to start to begin the process, but it never started... The miscarriage was hard on both me and H, but the doctor said we should try again on our own for 6 months. We started trying in April, pregnant by the end of May! All with one tube the doctors told me wouldn't work.
Our rainbow baby is due almost a year to the day after my miscarriage. So far everything looks good, we have our a/s on the 28th. Still nervous about everything being ok, since I am still feeling a little like this is all too good to be true; for 10 years I believed I'd need IVF, but here we are half way through my very natural pregnancy.
Thanks for adding it!
Alrighty, well, let me start off by introducing myself. I'm a 31 yr old mom to two boys; ages 11 and 4. Married. Live in Montreal, QC but grew up in Toronto, ON. Am currently 20+5 weeks with baby #3. Due February 1st so I will be joining the January group as well.
I am 26 and with my husband 28 we are expecting our first bundle of joy.
EDD is February12 2017.
Anybody else expecting that date?
I'm 25 and fiance is 26, expecting our first on February 12. Just found out it's a little boy!
Reading the support and love from you ladies is just inspiring and crazy comforting, even from as someone who hasn't participated. Hoping I can get out of my introverted ways and get involved!