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!
DS2: Jan. 2016
DS3: Dec. 2017
Baby #4 on the way!
DD1 EDD 9/29/2015, Born 9/24/2015
DS1 EDD 1/3/2018, Born 12/26/2017
BFP #3 3/21/2019, EDD 11/29/2019, MMC/D&C 5/7/2019
BFP #4 6/28/2019, EDD 3/12/2020
**TW in Spoiler**
BFP 6/30/16, MC 8/21/16
BFP 05/04/17, 5/10/17 Emergency LAP due to ectopic. Right tube removed.
BFP 07/12/17, ECDD 03/25/18 - Silver Orion Born 3/23/18
BFP 09/30/19, EDD 06/11/20
Im getting there! I'm taking my youngest to visit my ILs in Düsseldorf for a month in July. How about you guys?
Sticky baby vibes and best wishes to you! Herzlichen Glückwunsch!
Congratulations to everyone! I got my BFP last Saturday, I'll be 5 weeks tomorrow. Estimated due date 1/3. I will be going in next week for my first ultrasound with my RE. My husband and I have been TTC for almost 4 years and *loss mentioned* have had 2 previous losses (one at 7 weeks and one at 11 weeks). So I am hoping this one will be our miracle rainbow baby. Looking forward to all the support from this board!!
I'm Nikki. I got my BFP last Thursday. EDD is 1/6/18. I took a test because we were leaving for Miami in the morning and I wanted to indulge in some cocktails over the weekend. A positive test came as a shock this time because even though we were trying, my thyroid labs from the week before didn't look great and I thought it would be impossible to get pregnant this month. Nervous about this pregnancy because I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thryoiditis after the birth of DS. He is turning 2 next week!
Congratulations mamas!
I am so excited to be here again. If all goes well, this will be my final pregnancy. Hope everyone is well.
Since I am AMA at 36, we tried pretty quickly after our first. Just like last time, it took 4 months to conceive. EDD is 1/1/18. If this little one comes early like his brother (36+5) we will end up with a pre Christmas baby. BFP on 5/3 after waiting 7 days. Had some spring for the past week, so I have been having my HCG checked. I go again tomorrow for another check. We are cautiously optimistic at this point.
My EDD is 1/14 for now. I'm only 3 weeks and 4 days.
Congratulations to all!!!
Me: 36 DH:35
Married: 7/10/2016
TTC#1 - May 2016
BFP 9/6/2016 - Missed MC 10/20/2016
BFP 5/5/2017 - CP
IVF #1 - June 2017 - Transferred 1 fresh 4 AA embryo. 7/9 Beta #1 - 161
I'm STM mom. MH and I have three kids ages 9, 7 (next week)/ and 3. We are expecting our 4th child. I had a m/c last year about this time and it has been 11 months and we are pg again. I am hoping that this time I get to stay.
Keeping my fingers crossed for a happy and healthy 9 months and sending all of my congrats to everyone on the board. Currently EDD: 1/16/2018.
We have been ttc our first since February, and expected it to take a while. I was on the pill for 8 years and both my mom and aunt both had to go through IVF to conceive their first. Well surprise! Our edd is January 12th, which is my dad's birthday and mine is the 10th! We are both so excited and scared!
We are high school sweethearts and have been together for almost 6 years. We are about to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary may 10th! I finished up my university degree two years ago ago and hubby is about to start school for engineering.
I am currently working as a competitive cheerleading coach, which is my passion and something I dreamed of doing since I was probably 7 or 8!
Hubby comes from a big family with 8 siblings where I have just one. One of my sister in laws just had her 3rd and another sister in law is about to have her 6th! Lots of cousins for our bean to grow up with
Looking forward to experiencing this journey with you all, any advice from STMs is greatly appreciated as we are not telling family yet!
i just took my hpt today and resulted in bfp. Checked on EDD and I too am 1/3/18 or 1/5/18 based on ovulation. I had a chemical pregnancy last cycle so I'm trying to stay positive. I've had no other symptoms besides heartburn here and there. This was the reason I tested. Hopefully, this pregnancy goes well. Nice to see support!
TTC our first together since Aug 2015
MC 4/2016 and 8/2016
IUI #1-3 with Clomid - BFNs
IUI #4-6 with Follistim - BFNs
IVF March, (6R, 5M, 4F, 2 sent for PGS, 1 normal girl)
FET May 1st, Beta #1-73, Beta #2-150, Beta #3-708
I have a DD from N15 and the bump says I'm due 1/11, just got a BFP on 5/5!! So very early, so fingers crossed!! We have the same wedding anniversary @jperk3!! DH proposed in Feb 15 after six years of dating and we unexpectedly conceived that night, lol. So we eloped to Vegas and made it official 6/15/15, tiny baby bump and all!!! Hope to be strapped in for a loooong ride with you all!! (Also very abusive to that exclamation point, truly cannot stop)
Hi. I'm a 35 year old nerd/housewife/grieving mother/former librarian. I love gardening, science and sci-fi, costume dramas, knitting, interior design, and inviting people over for fancy cocktails. My favorite guilty pleasure is the British royal family. I refuse to feel guilty about anything else that gives me pleasure. Let's see, what else?
I'm incredibly excited about the Twin Peaks reboot coming out later this month.
I currently have oilslick rainbow dyed hair.
I know a lot about genetics and high risk pregnancy, so I can answer questions from any first time moms about that stuff.
My first birth month board was lots of fun, and they were incredibly supportive when that pregnancy went haywire. I'm still in touch with them, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you all. LET'S MAKE NEW HUMANS!
Congratulations on everyones BFPs!! My name is Michelle, 32 y.o FTM and seriously cannot believe that I am here. I kinda "gave up" this month and got a massage right before my fertile window (guess it worked). Got my BFP on 4/22 - seriously the faintest line I had ever seen, but it was there! I was hoping to tell my husband in some cute way, but I yelled at him to come and make sure I was not crazy. Based on my ovulation date and LMP, my due date is between 12/31 to 1/2.
My doc ran progesterone labs and discovered that my progesterone was low, so immediately put me on suppositories a few days ago. Will be having first ultrasound on Monday, 5/8. Nervously excited, especially since we already told family and some friends.
Me: 34 | DH: 32
Married: May 2015
DS: 12/17
BFP#2: 12/26, EDD#2: 9/5
I got my bfp on 5/3 and due on 1/4/18. This will be my second child. I have a DD who is 6 and also born in January!
I'm Ashley. I'm 30 and a student -- I'm getting my AAS degree in computer support, due to finish next semester. I also write sci-fi, help manage a local writers' group, love to bake & cook, and work in a local e-commerce department.
Thus far two tests have confirmed that I am indeed knocked up. We'd been trying -- it'll be my second child, and my husband's first. We're probably about 4 weeks along and due mid-January, based on my last cycle. I gotta call around and set up an OB appointment for more information. I'm cautiously optimistic.
I have an eight-year-old from my previous marriage, and he's the best. He doesn't know that he's expecting a sibling yet (we're going to wait a bit before telling him) but we've tested the waters and he doesn't want a sibling at all. I think he'll warm up to it, though.
Looking forward to getting to know y'all!
I am excited to have a community to share with regularly. It's difficult to be in the boat alone in real life and since I haven't told many people...who would I bombard with questions?? (insert smiley here)
I'm Ish. My BFP was May 2nd! I'm 4w1d and a FTM due January 13th. I am hopin for all the stickies I can get!
I'm looking forward to the journey with you all!
BFP #2 7/11/17 | EDD 3/24/18
BFP #1 5/2/17 | EDD 1/12/18 | MC 5/18/17
The pregnancy was different too just in terms of how I felt physically (the progesterone made me sick from 4w onward) to how I thought I'd feel when the surrobabe was born (excited for the IPs and that I could drink
Born via emergency c-section - 8lb, 19.75 in, 100% stubborn BFP Chart
8 cycles of unmedicated trying = BFP!! - EDD 1/10/18
*Waiting for Baby Eags 2.0*;
My name is Lauren, I am 26 years old and this is my first pregnancy. I got my BFP on April 28th and then confirmed on blood test results May 5th. I am having an ultrasound on May 30th and meeting my OB June 7th. My due date is Jan 6th 2018! I am struggling with all the abbreviations- there are so many!!!
Congratulations everyone
DS2: Jan. 2016
DS3: Dec. 2017
Baby #4 on the way!
TTC our first together since Aug 2015
MC 4/2016 and 8/2016
IUI #1-3 with Clomid - BFNs
IUI #4-6 with Follistim - BFNs
IVF March, (6R, 5M, 4F, 2 sent for PGS, 1 normal girl)
FET May 1st, Beta #1-73, Beta #2-150, Beta #3-708