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: Signs of Labor, Anyone?
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
BFP 3.8.16 EDD 11.20.16
1) Have Dr strip membranes Monday at 2-3 cm and basically say you'll probably bring a baby to your next appointment... Nope, nothing happened. (This basically put me into labour with my 2nd daughter)
2) Wake up yesterday morning (12:40 am) with timeable contractions only to go to the hospital (an hour drive) to have the contractions shut down totally at about noon.
By the way, 3-4 cm now and by this time with both my daughters I was in LABOUR! It's tough but kid is still happy on the inside and that's good, in many respects.
Daughter #2 - Oct 2014
Daughter #3 - Nov 2016
Baby #4 - Sept 2018
Noticed an unusual amount of BH contractions this evening so I started timing them 2 hours ago and they were 7 mins apart for a min each, and then 6, in the next hour. I called L&D who said to take a Tylenol and a bath and see if they go away. Now they are 4 mins apart... the nurse is calling me at 10pm for an update, I have a feeling an NST is in my near future! But how can they go from 7 to 4 mins apart in 2ish hours??
I am almost certain this is a false alarm, an anomaly of some sort. I'm also leaking colostrum though which is weird, usually it only happens when my boobs get crushed.
TTC #2 since Mar 2017
DX: MF June 2019, varicocele embolization Jan 2020, good improvement (14 mil, low motility)
IUI#1 Aug 2020 - BFN
IVF #1 Dec 2020 (ICSI) - ER, freeze-all - 15 retrieved, 15 mature, 15 fertilized. 4 embryos frozen, all day 5 blasts!
FET #1 Feb 2021 - BFN
FET #2 Apr 2021 - BFP 5DP5DT!! Beta #1 13DP5DT (17DPO) = HcG 1,238. Beta #2 17DP5DT (21DPO) = HcG 8,269
BFP 3.8.16 EDD 11.20.16
UPDATE:
So they asked me to come in because by 10pm they were closer together, even after the Tylenol/bath. NST showed consistent contractions 4 mins apart and 1 min long, but my cervix is still long, high and closed. They didn't seem to know what to make of that, the nurse thought the doc would want to admit me to keep an eye on things, but she sent me home and told me to come back the next day if they were still happening.
Needless to say it took forever to fall asleep but of course I couldn't stay asleep, kept waking up with contractions over the last couple of hours (they push on my bladder hah) so i decided to get up and log a few.
They said if if they aren't painful, they aren't doing anything to my cervix, therefore I'm not in labour. BUT then they also said to go in if they keep up for another day. So I'm fairly confused.
I have timed 4 contractions now and they are about the same as they were at the hospital, 4 mins apart and 1 min long.
ETA: and by 4, I meant 2-3 mins apart...
Since she's frank breech (and still is, I can still feel her head in it's usual spot) they would have to do a CS. I was scheduled for the 22nd, today is my first day of maternity leave off work, not going to lie, was really looking forward to a couple of weeks of downtime before she got here!
Im still heavily doubting i will be having a baby anytime soon without painful contractions or any other indicators... but who knows! I'll be paying close attention today, that's for sure. Oh and I'll be packing my hospital bag (oops).
TTC #2 since Mar 2017
DX: MF June 2019, varicocele embolization Jan 2020, good improvement (14 mil, low motility)
IUI#1 Aug 2020 - BFN
IVF #1 Dec 2020 (ICSI) - ER, freeze-all - 15 retrieved, 15 mature, 15 fertilized. 4 embryos frozen, all day 5 blasts!
FET #1 Feb 2021 - BFN
FET #2 Apr 2021 - BFP 5DP5DT!! Beta #1 13DP5DT (17DPO) = HcG 1,238. Beta #2 17DP5DT (21DPO) = HcG 8,269
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
MMC 01/26/12
MC 12/25/12, D&C 01/05/13
BFP 03/05/13, EDD 11/12/13. HB 175 @ 9w2d. Its a Girl!
DX with EA/TEF Type C & Tracheomalaysia
MC @ 13wks 01/15/15
BFP 1/11/18, EDD 9/21/18
TTC #2 since Mar 2017
DX: MF June 2019, varicocele embolization Jan 2020, good improvement (14 mil, low motility)
IUI#1 Aug 2020 - BFN
IVF #1 Dec 2020 (ICSI) - ER, freeze-all - 15 retrieved, 15 mature, 15 fertilized. 4 embryos frozen, all day 5 blasts!
FET #1 Feb 2021 - BFN
FET #2 Apr 2021 - BFP 5DP5DT!! Beta #1 13DP5DT (17DPO) = HcG 1,238. Beta #2 17DP5DT (21DPO) = HcG 8,269
I've been woken up two different nights now by painful contractions. But they never last very long, so I'm settled in for another long run this time.
BFP 3.8.16 EDD 11.20.16
BFP 3.8.16 EDD 11.20.16
MMC 01/26/12
MC 12/25/12, D&C 01/05/13
BFP 03/05/13, EDD 11/12/13. HB 175 @ 9w2d. Its a Girl!
DX with EA/TEF Type C & Tracheomalaysia
MC @ 13wks 01/15/15
BFP 1/11/18, EDD 9/21/18
Married 5/14/13
TTC #1 since 5/14
TTC #1 w/ treatments since 5/15
BFN 7/15
BFP 8/15-MMC 9/15
BFP 10/15- Diagnosed BO 12/15
BFP 2/16-EDD 11/18/2016
Married 5/14/13
TTC #1 since 5/14
TTC #1 w/ treatments since 5/15
BFN 7/15
BFP 8/15-MMC 9/15
BFP 10/15- Diagnosed BO 12/15
BFP 2/16-EDD 11/18/2016
@bad10wolf good luck and wishing you a safe and speedy delivery/recovery!
TTC #2 since Mar 2017
DX: MF June 2019, varicocele embolization Jan 2020, good improvement (14 mil, low motility)
IUI#1 Aug 2020 - BFN
IVF #1 Dec 2020 (ICSI) - ER, freeze-all - 15 retrieved, 15 mature, 15 fertilized. 4 embryos frozen, all day 5 blasts!
FET #1 Feb 2021 - BFN
FET #2 Apr 2021 - BFP 5DP5DT!! Beta #1 13DP5DT (17DPO) = HcG 1,238. Beta #2 17DP5DT (21DPO) = HcG 8,269
MMC 01/26/12
MC 12/25/12, D&C 01/05/13
BFP 03/05/13, EDD 11/12/13. HB 175 @ 9w2d. Its a Girl!
DX with EA/TEF Type C & Tracheomalaysia
MC @ 13wks 01/15/15
BFP 1/11/18, EDD 9/21/18
After 31 cycles, baby boy K (IUI) born 11/03/11
BFP (Femara) - 08/09/13 m/c around 6 weeks. xoxox Baby April
Rainbow baby girl E (Femara) born 11/16/16
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
TTC#2 April 2019*edit spelling
How are you doing, @MTmountianrocks?
BFP 3.8.16 EDD 11.20.16
38+2. I doubled my progression to 3 cm from 2 weeks ago. 70% effaced. Lost some of my mucus plug this morning. No contractions yet. I hope I go into labor by Monday so I don't have to go back to work!
- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
TTC#2 April 2019