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.
NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot
member
Re: Clothes: Maternity and Otherwise
Anyways what type of shirts do you typically wear to begin with? If you wear flowy/loose shirts already then that will help a lot! I have been slowly updating my wardrobe with looser top so I think it would be awhile before anybody notice. At least I hope so! Cardigan on snug fitting tanks or tees may help too?
One suggestion for hiding that early bump is the Irma shirt from LulaRoe. I find most of their leggings way too much for me (sorry if that offends anyone!) but that shirt is comfy and flows perfectly!
my guess is I'lol be ordering most of mine online. I've been scoping out ASOS and Zulily online too
I actually already broke out my side panel maternity jeans from Pea in the Pod this one around because the bloat is crazy and I'm tired of ubuttoning after meals. Pea in the Pod is where I got a lot of my casual clothes last time and you can do really well with their clearance.
May '17 labor memes
The Ross near me only has one rack of maternity shirts and pants [merp], but I was able to find some cute dressy tops for work at a pretty affordable price. & WHO DOESN'T LIKE AFFORDABLE?!
Side note: I knew I wasn't the only one that felt uncomfortable already in my regular pants. Yayy.
@MrsOry5 I haven't heard of Pink Blush, but just the name lures me in *heart eyes*
23 y/o;
[05/06/17]
First time mommy
90% of the way there
May17 Siggy Challenge
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May17 Siggy Challenge
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ETA just to say I'm looking into H&M.
I'm a little worried this time around since we will have to weather WINTER. I am definitely not interested in spending money on a maternity peacoat or anything, but I don't want to look ridiculous with my too small outerwear and belly sticking out. : /
Last time I spent some money at Pea in the Pod for work clothes and did not regret it. I was actually sad I couldn't wear the stuff post-pregnancy.
ETA: why are they all just online? How are you supposed to try stuff on? Sheesh.
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
Also, if anyone finds good deals or sales, let the rest of us know. I know Destination Maternity is having a sale right now on leggings.
Where I live, there's not a wide selection of stores for maternity so I'm tryin to keep an eye on clearance and sales for online and will also update.
Edit: typo
Macy's also has a small maternity section. I found that it has decent sales for nursing bras (when you buy multiple). I also picked up a pair of maternity pantyhose for those miserable days that I needed them for work. And a few dresses for work and special occasions.
I shopped Ann Taylor Loft online for work clothes.
Motherhood for casual clothes and PJs. A Pea in the Pod boutique section for a few splurges. I loved their maternity tights and AG skinny jeans.
And my total random, Sears! The quality doesn't match up to some of the others, but I picked up a few knock around tees and my favorite pair of maternity PJs. Confession 2: I never quit wearing them between pregnancies.
This go around, I plan to let my Stitch Fix stylist know I pregnant and give that a whirl.
The one thing that I do remember about my maternity clothes is that I liked the clothing from Pea in the Pod the best. My very best items all came from there, including a winter coat, a warm sweater dress that was pretty formal (wore it to my Halloween shower for #1), a light rain coat, a winter sweater, and a plain long-sleeved shirt. The only problem is that Pea in the Pod is VERY expensive. I got some deal on most (but not all) of those items. The rain coat was massively on sale and for reason...I said it was one of my best but it weirdly had cropped sleeves! What is the point of that--your arms get wet! It was super stylish, though. Pea in the Pod was definitely the most flattering of them all. But you really pay. NOT the best value, but it's nice to have a few items from them, or perhaps get some used from friends/online/consignment, or just on sale.
I had a REALLY hard time finding jeans that looked good. It turned out that the GAP's fit was pretty perfect on me, so I just bought a bunch of those and will wear again this time.
Pink Blush is a new find, though...their clothes are adorable!!
and there are limited "plus size pregnancy clothes" I found that I just went up a size in some things (shirts from Lane Bryant, a coat from Target etc). I think I just ordered dresses from the plus size section from Old Navy online.
I just bought several pieces at Loft and Old Navy sales. Many websites are having a sale for Columbus Day today.
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