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: Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)
11/18/16 missed m/c 9w1
08/03/17 no hb 8w
So whatever the Nt scan is now called is what I'll be doing. I'll be 12 weeks exactly at that appointment.
I'm 34 and desperately hoping it's covered. Mobile bumping so having a hard time tagging and remembering who said it's a racket but YES! $200 if we pay out of pocket or $8000 billed to our insurance!! How???
Edited by TB types the most random crap
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
Ok a couple questions about NIPT
1. Does it tell you any information besides sex and if you flag for a condition? Like any cool information? Otherwise I am leaning toward just doing SneakPeek which is at 9 weeks for sex.
2. Is AMA 35+? And it sounds like it's normally 100% covered AMA and normally not covered if not AMA - is that right?
DD #1: 2012; MMC: 2014; DD #2: 2015; It's a boy! 3/31/2018
AMA is 35+ but depending on the circumstance it might be covered if you're not. I got it was DS (not AMA) because my NT scan came back with a higher likelihood of trisomy 21. NIPT is a more sensitive test so it was recommended to me and covered by my insurance because of the previous result.
Pregnant with #2:
IF my NT scan shows anything then the fancy test is covered. We're team green though so as long as the regular testing comes back clear I don't care about extra testing. We were screened for a number of things when doing IF treatments so neither of us are carriers for anything.
Finding out the sex is the last reason I opted for NIPT. TW I went ahead with it due to PGAL 3x in a row and not knowing what caused those. If you're just doing it to find out the sex, wait until your anatomy scan.
Zane William 9/17/03
Vance Xenophon 5/17/06
Mars Florencio 11/15/16 - 3/6/17
Nova Marsela 3/14/18
DD #1: 2012; MMC: 2014; DD #2: 2015; It's a boy! 3/31/2018
ETA: these are things you would also find out at the anatomy scan, so if early testing isn't something you want to do that's ok too.
@mintea Like @heatherdubrow said, some of the trisomies are not compatible with life. Some it isn't exactly a matter of carrying to term as they likely won't make it to term so it's being prepared for that. Others, they will likely make it to birth but will pass within days or months. For me, I'd rather be prepared for that ahead of time. As far as something like Down's (Trisomy 21), there can be certain health issues like heart defects that they can watch for and be prepared for at birth, if necessary.
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
now I'm nervous though. I read there's so many false positives and I KNOW me I'll have a nervous breakdown not knowing.
Dx: PCOS
Married: June 2013
TTC#1: January 2015
BFP #1 8/24/15 | MC 9/3/15 at 6w2d
BFP #2: 12/12/15 | DD born 8/29/16
TTC#2: June 2017
BFP #3: 7/15/17 | DS born 3/20/18
Its a frustrating world when your doctor practically makes appointments with specialists for you without checking insurance. She was sending me to a place for my nuchal translucency that wasn't covered. If I'd just gone without checking I'd be footing the entire bill. I have to travel an hour away for my nuchal now because no where will cover it.
Meanwhile a girl I know quit her job to get free benefits because she found out she's pregnant. She just had her baby and will go home without a single bill because she quit her job. I will pay 500$ each day I'm hospitalized and each day my infant is hospitalized plus the cost of the anesthesia. And then I'll pay 20% of the physicians fees which will definitely be in the thousands. Because the 700$ I pay a month isn't enough?
unfair world.
Getting a cake tonight from the bakery. Husband, son and I will find out and I can't wait!
That's awesome that you got results at 11w! I wish I complained last week so I would get in sooner. I'm going through a wonderful fertility clinic and always wonder how they manage to stay on top of things when there are so many patients to track. Tough job and I commend them...but I also need to keep abreast of my needs and dates...and follow up sooner as I've learned from this experience. C'est la vie. One step at a time.
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
NT scan has to be done between 11 and 13 weeks So if you aren't seeing your OB until 14 weeks I'd start harassing them to get your NT scheduled in the proper time.
Edit- just saw you're at a fertility clinic? They should be arranging your NT scan then shouldn't they?
DD #1: 2012; MMC: 2014; DD #2: 2015; It's a boy! 3/31/2018