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: Bottle & Formula Feeding Tips/Tricks/Questions
married to M since 6.13.09
T - 3.3.14
A - 2.24.17
However just now he gave me trouble and had to bust out gripe water.
married to M since 6.13.09
T - 3.3.14
A - 2.24.17
How do you deal with growth spurts when on formula? I'm still BF here and there, but he's not getting much from me. He seems like he wants to eat more than the pediatrician recommended, and they did say that as long as he doesn't puke it up, he's not getting too much. He seems still hungry after a feed so last night we gave him an extra oz. Especially after he will sleep 5 hrs, the next feeding he seems like he needs to eat more. I need to ask the pedi for clearer info at our next check up, but how are you guys going about increasing how much they eat as they grow and dealing with hungry times? Do you make up a small bottle when they seem like they are rooting around and hungry an hour after feeding? Or try to just feed more at feeding times? He's gaining perfectly so I'm not worried but don't want to overfeed him and upset his stomach either. He's over 10lbs at this point.
Me - 28, Lean PCOS
DH - 31
Married June 2010, TTC since March 2014
Blog: ourbinarystar.com
FET cycle #3 Transfer July 28th 2016, Triplets born healthy on February 26th 2017 at 33w1d!
I asked my pedi if I need to be careful with what they eat (bigger twin always had a bigger appetite, well beyond recommended amount of ounces) and she said if they're not spitting up it's ok.
I think both are going through a growth spurt now, so I have been offering their normal amounts, burping, offering the breast, and if they're still hungry I'll mix up an additional ounce (usually they won't take the whole additional ounce). This last feeding the smaller twin was fussy while taking his normal 4 ounces and he only took 3.5 ounces. He then proceeded to scream through his normal nap time, so I offered him another 2 ounces which he downed and then passed out.
This has been a lot of trial and error (mostly error haha).
edited to correct a tag.
@direwolfmini kudos to you mama for continuing to pump, and you've got two mouths to feed! I had to let the pumping go- just couldn't keep up the routine and wasn't getting any increase. I still get a small amount by letting him breast feed when he shows interest. You're doing so great!!!
Me - 28, Lean PCOS
DH - 31
Married June 2010, TTC since March 2014
Blog: ourbinarystar.com
FET cycle #3 Transfer July 28th 2016, Triplets born healthy on February 26th 2017 at 33w1d!
DH: 33
Furbaby: Walther, 4 year old Rottweiler/Coonhound mix
EDD: 3/7/17<img
I had heard your supply can increase even up to 6 weeks after your 40week due date. I thought that seemed illogical, but I actually did see an increase over the last two weeks. They're 10 weeks actual 4 weeks adjusted right now. Maybe I can get another couple of oz per day? Regardless, we have a routine that works. They generally eat 6x a day and I pump after every feed unless I can tell that they drained my breasts completely when nursing.
I definitely get less pumping after they nurse, but they seem to eat the same amount of ounces from their bottles: so frustrating!!! We did one weighted feed at 1 month old and the little guy transfers almost nothing without a nipple shield (2ml...) big guy transferred 40 ml. With the shield I know that the little guy transfers but I don't know how much.
TBH the last weeks have been a bit of a blur bc they're clearly in a growth spurt and have been eating nonstop. Big guy had 40oz yesterday!!!
The last time I went to a LC appointment we did weighted feeds where total they got 75mLs out and she actually told me that I didn't have to pump if they all fed... like that isn't nearly how much I get from pumping, so yeah I'm going to pump if they're only getting that much.
Woah, I'm sorry to see that your little one transfers so little. My big one refuses to latch without a shield but I kinda don't mind as it protects my nipple from them a little bit. Is he transferring that amount on a fresh breast? Maybe he'll get better with more practice? My crazy LC thinks I have nothing else to do but breastfeed babies... yeah no! Weighted feeds have let me know that we need to supplement after each one, but even when they get 25mLs they'll still take their entire bottle. So weird.
Me - 28, Lean PCOS
DH - 31
Married June 2010, TTC since March 2014
Blog: ourbinarystar.com
FET cycle #3 Transfer July 28th 2016, Triplets born healthy on February 26th 2017 at 33w1d!