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: INTRODUCTIONS/EDD
Due date changed to July 24th? Or your birthday is the 23rd? Would be cool if we had the same due date
My husband is june, I am July and my son is september. I am going to let this little cook as long as possible, so maybe an august baby, then it would be four months of birthdays! But since it is CS, I may just chose to share my Bday, but I am not good at sharing
I'm jumping in a little late but...
I'm due 7/1 with my 3rd, and first baby boy. I'm anticipating a June baby since my other two were a week + early but will hang out here. I'm excited to get to meet you all.
My other girls are both under 3 and I'm a little nervous about having 3 so close in age.
I'm a FTM, no prior pregnancies. Due 7/26 so I'm 13w3d today. We weren't totally planning/hoping for a summer baby but we will happily take what we've been given! Good NIPT results, good NT, finally letting myself get a little hyped about this whole thing!
William Alexander born 18 September, 2015
Harper Grace born 9 June, 2017
Colton Miles born 9 June, 2017
Bowen James due 19 June, 2019
*Edited to say I have emailed thebump to request my username be changed to "jaynemargaret" . After loss of one twin my current username does not apply
A heads up re: username - you can actually change it yourself by going to your preferences on theknot.com! Don't ask why you have to go there, but it always seems to work!
Dating: 12/21/2001
Married: 09/08/2012
BFP: 11/16/2016 EDD: 07/27/2017
Baby Fish born: 08/01/2017
I got my BFP Nov 15th The day before I moved to Florida. My EDD is July 23rd. This is my third pregnancy. I had my first miscarriage May of 2015 and my second miscarriage March of 2016. In May of 2016 I was told I had low progestrone and that in order to have a healthy child I would need to take progestrone pills which my insurance did not cover. So I only took a one month supply and stopped bc my husband quit his job and I couldn't afford them any more. At the beginning of October I had left my husband due to many many reasons. The BF has been a true blessing. I never in my life thought I'd ever carry a child inside my body. I have also recently returned to my home town to be with the babies father. We are both extremely excited and scared.
**TW**
I also came to the bump by way of looking for PGAL support. I started over on that board and it really helped, but it's a slower board and I'm now looking for more practical WTF am I going to actually do with this baby discussion.
Me: 26 Him: 27
Dating: 5/2011 Married: 6/2014
Mirena out/TTC: 02/2016
BFP #1: 12/01/2016
EDD: 07/24/2017
First time mama here, due 7/26
I'm a first time mom and still trying to figure out what all these acronyms mean.
EDD is July 29th, got my BFP on Thanksgiving Day. We have a lot to be thankful for this year!
Dating: 12/27/2004
Married: 7/27/2013
TTC: 9/2016
BFP: 11/24/2016
EDD: 7/29/2017
DH and I are team green, though I'm not-so-secretly hoping that we have a girl born on July 7th, as that would be the 5th on my mom's side of the family (including me!)
Just wanted to say hi in case I chime in on any of the discussions here!
1 infant loss
8/17: Our daughter was born
8/18: Our daughter kicked open heart surgery ass
2/19: We lost our son to Prader-Willi/Paradoxical Vocal Cord/ Noonans at 6wks old
4/26/2020: EDD for baby #3!!!
Sorry I am super late at joining. I got my bfp back in November and am 18 weeks now. This is our 3rd and final baby. He is due July 31st.
A little background. My husband and I have been married almost 7 years and we have a daughter that will be 4 in June and a son that will be 2 in October. So we'll have two under two for a few months... A little scary but im sure it will be great.
Me: 26 Him: 27
Dating: 5/2011 Married: 6/2014
Mirena out/TTC: 02/2016
BFP #1: 12/01/2016
EDD: 07/24/2017
I did not plan my son, and got my BFP with him on Christmas, and was crying so hard that my husband thought someone died. It had been 6 years, so we just didn't even hope at that point. I did not plan this one either though I feel so blessed to get so lucky. (My husband claims super sperm) We had some early testing come back positive for spina bifida and trisomy 18. We had the anatomy scan at 17 weeks, and both looked fine. Brain looks great and spine looks beautiful, however we will be going back on this week for an echocardiogram. The doc said that what he saw would not cause a problem, just an anomally, but wanted to look closer just to be sure. He also did some genetic testing on me, and we are hoping no amniocentisis. My husband is amazing, and he feels that we have nothing to worry about, and that is their job to cast a wide net in order to catch those sweet babies that do have something wrong. God I love that man.
We bought our first house in 2011, got married in 2012, and we're able to sell our first home last year and buy a beautiful property a few months ago outright, with no mortgage. It is two bedroom, one bathroom, and what will be our sons bedroom is filled with unpacked bins, so he still sleeps in our room, which is perfectly fine with me. But I am not really looking forward to sorting through all that stuff, I am also a procrastinator. The master room isn't big by any means, but DH thought it was a good idea to get a Cal king bed lol. So, we will have to get creative with space, and DH also has construction experience, so looking forward to adding on.
I tend to be an introvert by nature, and so I did not want to introduce myself to you ladies, and then have the added heartbreak of having to say goodbye. However, now I am feeling more confident having seen that her brain and spine look great, and with my husbands support. I broke down yesterday, and I couldn't even handle my teething son, because I was just hurting so bad with worry. So thankful he was her to talk me off a ledge. I didn't realize how much I already love this baby girl.
I don't know where I belong, board wise, but I am leaning toward August. My original due date was July 28th, then they moved it to the 26th, now they say the 29th.... all I know is that the first is the most accurate, so I am sticking with that. I was two weeks late with my little guy, so I feel this one will be an august baby too. Anyways, thought I'd introduce myself here too, so I feel like less of a dirty lurker
Since I was more of a lurker, I figured I would start fresh, and also thought maybe not having my name in my screen name might be smart because of all the crazies