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: Breastfeeding Support
I'm not ready to start supplementing yet because I've made it so far!
Well this morning I made a lactation smoothie with banana, yogurt, brewers yeast, flax seed, ice & oatmeal. It was literally the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted!! God BFing has taken over my life!
Anyone having issues with going back to work? Anyone have any good recipes that help boost milk production?
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
You've probably already thought of this, but could you add in a pumping session or two on your off days? Or maybe motn or early morning if Savannah's not eating as much overnight?
Ill try pumping more this weekend, I have a 3 day weekend so maybe I'll really be able to bump up my supply if I give it a shot for 3 days.
Thanks!!
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
Also, try changing positions if the above doesn't help. Sometimes laid back nursing or side laying makes Baby more comfortable.
It all went back to normal for us, and much prefers me to a bottle these days. So there is hope!
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
That happened to me when baby was about 6 months old, but she had already started getting impatient at the boob before that. We switched to mostly bottle at that point, and she never went back
Damien started refusing at about 3 months. Nothing I tried helped, it was so disheartening. In the end, I came to terms with it and made the switch to the bottle. While I still feel sad about not breastfeeding as long as I had hoped and a bit guilty, it has been a blessing in disguise. He is a happy and healthy baby and the stress I felt during the ordeal melted away. I very much hope that she ends up taking the breast again with ease!
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
meggyme- He usually doesn't bite me this hard.. and it was hard and silent, there weren't any distractions.
Anyone else? Or do I just have a problem with spending money? Haha
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
Married: 11/2013
M: 6/2016 E: 5/2018
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
I wanted to share since I remember @laurenm2123 you're going to be in Europe soon so check out if your pump has the same problem. Apparently it states this in the manual but I never would have considered it.
I would just massage before each pump and do a lot of hand compressions while you pump to keep your supply up. Stay hydrated and eat oatmeal for breakfast! When you come home you can always power pump, eat lactation cookies and drink the mothers milk tea to boost your supply once you're home.
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
Also, 2 whole days away from Charlotte already and it's so hard! I just keep scrolling through the pics and video on my phone. Thank god for free wifi everywhere here and FaceTime!!
Anyone else?
I just had a really bad pumping session so I think I'm feeling a little defeated today
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
I'm trying to figure out when I can cut back to one pump at work.
Right now, I pump one side first thing in the morning and then nurse her on the other. That pumped bottle is usually 5 ounces. And she gets it at the next feeding.
At work I pump twice, getting 9-10 ounces total (2 bottles for the next day)
I nurse her when we get home between 3:30-4:30 and again before bed. She doesn't wake up in the motn.
So she's getting 6 feedings a day. We're working on solids now which she gets dinner and we starting to add in lunch.
I guess the other thing is I'm at a loss about solids. How much are your little ones eating a day? How often?
She drinks 3 4oz bottles at daycare each day so 12oz. I've been trying to pump 16oz a day so that I have one extra bottle each day to freeze at the end of the week. (I'm going to Paris for 5 days and need to have enough milk to leave DH)
I've had low supply this week so I am going to push myself to pump before bed which would be 4x/day (yuck!)
As for solids- she has either yogurt, oatmeal or fruit purée with puffs for breakfast and a vegetable purée with 1 or 2 teething biscuits for lunch when she's at daycare.
For dinner we do BLW and give her some of whatever we are having, or a fruit/veggie with puffs if we can't make our dinner safe enough for her.
Our routine is not really set in stone, but I try to introduce her to new foods whenever possible and give her as much food as she can feed herself and experiment with at home when we are watching her closely. For example, Tonight she had puréed prunes and an orange cut in tiny pieces for dinner, which isn't exactly well balanced or traditional dinner food. But Last night she had mashed potatoes, cut up chicken and puréed peas with spinach because our dinner was super easy to make appropriate for her.
Sorry this was a legit novel.
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20