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: TTTC Weekly Checkin: 05/01/2018
I also have to say having two little miracles in last week’s thread was great.
But I’m sending all my love to @funkykey. Please feel free to post or pm if you need any support.
AFM still waiting for the call from the RE to see what we can change before next cycle to hopefully avoid cancelling again.
But in other news I submitted my thesis yesterday. The end of 15 months of on site classes each week (including exams and papers) and 4 months to write the thesis. Just waiting for feedback on the result if I passed or not.
Otherwise it’s budget time at work so I’ve got plenty to keep me busy for the next month.
QOTW: yes I think we should keep it, though I know how hard it is to think up good questions every single week!
Married 12/2016
TTC #1 since 04/2015
AMA, DOR (AMH 0.65, AFC 2-4) and autoimmune issues (RA, APS), low TSH, adenomyosis
7 retrievals, 3 transfers
Nov17 IVF2 - 1ER, 0F
Jan18 IVF3 - 3ER, 1F, 1ET, BFN
Feb18 - second opinion and additional testing
Apr18 IVF4 - cancelled (E2 too high)
May/Jun18 IVF4 - 4ER, 0M, 1F, 1 frozen day 3 (not best quality)
Jun/Jul18 IVF5 - 5 ER, 3M, 2F, 2 frozen day 3 (not best quality)
Jul/Aug18 IVF6 - 4ER, 3M, 2F, 2 frozen day 3 (good quality)
Aug/Sep18 IVF7 - cancelled (cyst)
Sep/Oct18 IVF7 - 3ER, 3M, 2F, 2 frozen Day 3 (excellent quality)
Oct18 IVF8 - Cancelled (cyst and too low TSH)
Oct18-Jan19 bringing TSH under control
Feb19 ERA and hysteroscopy
Mar19 Investigation for fibroid and adenomyosis
Apr19 adenomyosis confirmed, polyps removed
Jun19 FET after 2 months Lupron, autoimmune protocol, transferred two day 3 frozen embryos
Nov17 IVF2 - Pergoveris 2-14 Nov, Orgalutran 5-14 Nov, Ovitrelle 15 Nov, ER 17 Nov for 3 follies, 1 mature egg, did not fertilize
Jan18 IVF3 - Pergoveris 30 Dec - 8 Jan, Orgalutran 5-8 Jan, Ovitrelle 9 Jan, ER 11 Jan 3 eggs, 2 mature, 1 fertilized, ET 1x 4d 12-cell embryo 15/01, 24/01 BFN
May/Jun18 IVF4 - Rekovelle 25-29 May, Menogon 30May - 2Jun, Zomacton 25 27 29 31 May and 2Jun, Cetrotide 30May - 3Jun, Gonasi 3Jun, ER 5Jun 4 eggs, none mature, two matured overnight, 1 fertilized with ICSI, Frozen day 3 but not good quality
Jun/Jul18 IVF5 - Rekovelle 21-24 June, Menogon 25Jun-3Jul, Puregon 4-5Jul, Zomacton 21 23 25 27 29 Jun, Cetrotide 25Jun-5Jul, Gonasi 6Jul, ER 8Jul 5 eggs, 3 mature, 2 fertilized with ICSI, 2 frozen day 3 but not good quality
Jul/Aug18 IVF6 - Rekovelle 26-29 Jul, Menogon 30Jul-7Aug, Buserelin 26Jul-7Aug, Zomacton 26 28 30 Jul 1 3 Aug, Gonasi 7Aug, ER 9Aug 4 eggs, 3 mature, 2 fertilized (normal IVF), 2 frozen day 3 good quality
Sep/Oct18 IVF7 - Menogon 19-30Sep, Buserelin 19-30Sep, Zomacton 19 21 23 25 27 Sep, Ovitrelle 1 Oct, ER 3 eggs, 3 mature, 2 fertilized with ICSI, 2 frozen day 3 excellent quality
Fav Quote: The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return
AFM, still benched and trying to decide if we should try on our own this month or just play it safe and take a month off due to the MRI on the 14th. The MRI will be on CD 20 and could be around possible implantation time if I O on schedule. They sent me a questionnaire with the question "Are you pregnant?" on it, but they didn't ask for the date of my last period when I made the appointment. Has anyone had an MRI of their pelvis? Would it be cancelled if there was the chance that I were pregnant, even if it were a very small chance? I'd really hate to skip a month entirely, but definitely don't want to have to reschedule the MRI.
Also, when I saw my OB last week it didn't feel like the right time to tell her about my appointment with the RE, so she still doesn't know. I'm a little conflicted about whether to just disappear at this point or to at least go over the results of the MRI with her (since she ordered it) and then give her the news ... at least I have a couple more weeks to think about it.
ETA for QOTW sorry somehow I always forget this. But I agree with PP that we should keep it and I will try to be better about answering it!
Lately there really hasn't been much for me to update on. We were told that IUI was no longer a good option for us and are just waiting for our IVF. We are suppose to hear from the clinic in June to get a better estimate of when our IVF treatment plan might start but we have always known it could be as last as November. The only real change has been my cycles lately are out of whack. I used to have very very clockwork like cycles of 23 or 24 days and last 4-5 days. 2 cycles ago was 31 days. Last cycle I basically just had spotting and it would start and stop for 5 days. Now I am on day 26. So now I am worried that my hormones might be starting to get out of whack (whereas before that was not part of my IF) *sigh*
Congrats on submitting @emmasemm. When do you defend?
@mirabelle33 sorry to hear you are still benched
I like the questions but I wouldn't care if it stopped.
TTC #1 since 01/16; Unexplained IF; Low AMH; Conceived naturally
Married 11/12; Dating 05/05
Me: 36 DH: 37
DX: PCOS/Unexplained Infertility/MTHFR Mutation
TTC since December 2014
Fresh Transfer: Gonal, Menopur, Cetrotide. ~ Chemical Pregnancy
FET #1: 1st Beta- 3,792~ 2nd Beta- 4,227~ BFP ~ Miscarriage at 8 weeks
FET #2: 1st Beta 207~2nd Beta 235~ BFP~ Miscarriage at 6 weeks
FET #3: 1st Beta 18~ 2nd Beta 44~BFP~ Miscarriage 5 weeks
FET #4: 1st Beta 50~ 2nd Beta 97.7~ Miscarriage 6 weeks 5 days
FET#5: 1st Beta 29~ 2nd Beta 109~ 3rd Beta 227~ 4th Beta 661~ Miscarriage 5 weeks 3 days
Miracle Natural BFP Estimated Due Date June 2019~ God is good
2 snow babies
@Worldtravler0522 glad that you were able to have that appointment and try a new approach. you have been through so much, i hope this is the answer. I totally feel you on the "being a parent still feels so far away"... had a friend come to town and announce her pregnancy to me yesterday, and i just had so much jealousy about how they can live the reality of a healthy pregnancy and imagine their future. I want to just be happy for someone but it stings whenever I hear those words come out of someone else's mouth.
I like the QOTW - gives me something to think about other than my cycle and all the crazy sh#t we are going through!!!
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
***Ticker Warning*** (BFP mentioned)
Oh. My. God. ladies. I got a BFP this morning! I wasn't planning on testing because my periods have been so irregular lately (as mentioned in my previous post) but we are going to a birthday party tonight and I had a test so I figured I should test before drinking since AF was 4 days late. And voila - BFP. It was on a no-name brand so I went to the drugstore and bought an expensive digital test. Second BFP. I'm trying not to get too excited since we have had a CP about a year ago but this is only my second BFP since we started trying almost 2.5 years ago. We didn't think it would be possible without IVF. Since our last cycle monitoring at our clinic we have just been trying naturally. I'm freaking out.
****End TW****
TTC #1 since 01/16; Unexplained IF; Low AMH; Conceived naturally
Married 11/12; Dating 05/05
Me: 36 DH: 37
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
@wishing-and-hoping hope you’re doing ok this cycle, remind me did you already do the IUI?
@Worldtravler0522 good to hear from you, and also great that this doctor is willing to look into some different avenues. I totally hear you on being so so so far away from being a parent. And losing touch with friends who no longer invite you as most things are with other people with kids, and they feel weird inviting the childless couple along too...
Even *if* we get normal blasts from these next cycles, as I’ve never done a frozen transfer they want to do an ERA (which I fully support) and then the protocol they want me on is 8 weeks start to end, so 2 months to get to transfer, 2 months for ERA and minimum 3 more months of ERs ahead of us. If I even get to transfer before Xmas it will be a minor miracle. And we all know transfer is still far far away from success.
But this rollercoaster of hope and despair and then a glimmer of hope again is a really rough one to be riding so long. Please do what you can to take care of yourself.
@mirabelle33 it was cancelled due to a combination of high FSH, high estrogen and two follicles already growing like weeds without meds. This time we will do a little estrogen priming and hope that stops them crossing the start line before we’re ready for them. Just waiting to O and then I start with progesterone and estrogen and hopefully will have baseline in 2.5 weeks.
Actually the way the process works here I didn’t have to defend my thesis after submission - we had to go in front of a panel with the outline earlier on instead. I already got my grade even and formal invite to graduation!
Married 12/2016
TTC #1 since 04/2015
AMA, DOR (AMH 0.65, AFC 2-4) and autoimmune issues (RA, APS), low TSH, adenomyosis
7 retrievals, 3 transfers
Nov17 IVF2 - 1ER, 0F
Jan18 IVF3 - 3ER, 1F, 1ET, BFN
Feb18 - second opinion and additional testing
Apr18 IVF4 - cancelled (E2 too high)
May/Jun18 IVF4 - 4ER, 0M, 1F, 1 frozen day 3 (not best quality)
Jun/Jul18 IVF5 - 5 ER, 3M, 2F, 2 frozen day 3 (not best quality)
Jul/Aug18 IVF6 - 4ER, 3M, 2F, 2 frozen day 3 (good quality)
Aug/Sep18 IVF7 - cancelled (cyst)
Sep/Oct18 IVF7 - 3ER, 3M, 2F, 2 frozen Day 3 (excellent quality)
Oct18 IVF8 - Cancelled (cyst and too low TSH)
Oct18-Jan19 bringing TSH under control
Feb19 ERA and hysteroscopy
Mar19 Investigation for fibroid and adenomyosis
Apr19 adenomyosis confirmed, polyps removed
Jun19 FET after 2 months Lupron, autoimmune protocol, transferred two day 3 frozen embryos
Nov17 IVF2 - Pergoveris 2-14 Nov, Orgalutran 5-14 Nov, Ovitrelle 15 Nov, ER 17 Nov for 3 follies, 1 mature egg, did not fertilize
Jan18 IVF3 - Pergoveris 30 Dec - 8 Jan, Orgalutran 5-8 Jan, Ovitrelle 9 Jan, ER 11 Jan 3 eggs, 2 mature, 1 fertilized, ET 1x 4d 12-cell embryo 15/01, 24/01 BFN
May/Jun18 IVF4 - Rekovelle 25-29 May, Menogon 30May - 2Jun, Zomacton 25 27 29 31 May and 2Jun, Cetrotide 30May - 3Jun, Gonasi 3Jun, ER 5Jun 4 eggs, none mature, two matured overnight, 1 fertilized with ICSI, Frozen day 3 but not good quality
Jun/Jul18 IVF5 - Rekovelle 21-24 June, Menogon 25Jun-3Jul, Puregon 4-5Jul, Zomacton 21 23 25 27 29 Jun, Cetrotide 25Jun-5Jul, Gonasi 6Jul, ER 8Jul 5 eggs, 3 mature, 2 fertilized with ICSI, 2 frozen day 3 but not good quality
Jul/Aug18 IVF6 - Rekovelle 26-29 Jul, Menogon 30Jul-7Aug, Buserelin 26Jul-7Aug, Zomacton 26 28 30 Jul 1 3 Aug, Gonasi 7Aug, ER 9Aug 4 eggs, 3 mature, 2 fertilized (normal IVF), 2 frozen day 3 good quality
Sep/Oct18 IVF7 - Menogon 19-30Sep, Buserelin 19-30Sep, Zomacton 19 21 23 25 27 Sep, Ovitrelle 1 Oct, ER 3 eggs, 3 mature, 2 fertilized with ICSI, 2 frozen day 3 excellent quality
Fav Quote: The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return
anyone else getting these pop up ads of TW pregnant bellies and newborn babies?
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD
This board has been so inspiring recently!!
@Worldtravler0522 it's nice to "meet" you. I'm sorry that you're having to wait for your body to cooperate and I hope that it will soon so that you can move forward with your new treatment plan. It sounds like a promising one! I also share your sentiment that being a parent seems so, so far away. You're always welcome to join us here even if you don't have a lot going on.
@wishing-and-hoping sorry you're struggling with these feelings right now. I don't know if there is much I can say to help, but I've definitely been there and it sucks. I have a friend that I think started ttc around the holidays and I'm just waiting for her to drop the P bomb on me ... I'm sending lots of positive thoughts for your IUI this cycle
@emmasemm ah okay. So sorry about that, but glad your doctor has a plan in place to keep it from happening again. I hope the next 2.5 weeks will pass by quickly for you!
Congrats on passing your thesis and getting the official invite to graduation!! What a wonderful thing to have to look forward to.
@emmasemm yes I am literally calling my doctor at 8am on the dot (the minute her office opens) tomorrow morning.
TTC #1 since 01/16; Unexplained IF; Low AMH; Conceived naturally
Married 11/12; Dating 05/05
Me: 36 DH: 37
We have a couple of follow-up appointments this week. After that, I hope to have an IF-clear schedule for a few months, so I might not hang out here so much.
@emmasemm - congratulations on the submission! Keeping FX for this next cycle too!
@kiwielopingbride - GREAT NEWS!! Congratulations!!! Keeping my FX for you!!
@Worldtravler0522 - I am happy to hear from you!! I'm glad you have seen a specialist, and I'm keeping FX for you. Like @wishing-and-hoping I too hear you on the being a parent feels so far away.
I don't feel "abandoned" by my friends per se, but I do struggle because they're all in such a different life phase. I don't want to go to the park with their kids, but I wish we were all going to the park together with our kids. And I wish we didn't have the financial burden of IVF - that can feel a little bit isolating for us too.
QOTW: I like the question of the week. Sometimes it's nice to have something else in the thread - something totally unrelated to IF, as PP have mentioned. I like the little breaks.
TTC 21 cycles
All TI cycles BFN (with letrozole, ovidrel, prometrium)
Hysteroscopy + Polypectomy + D&C on 1/3
IUI #1 February 6, BFP 2/21, CP 2/26
IUI #2 March 14, BFN
IUI #3 April 11, BFN
IUI #4 May 11, BFN
July 2018 IVF, developed lead follicle, converted to TI, BFN
August/September 2018 IVF converted to freeze-all: 7 mature eggs; we fertilized 3 and froze 4. 3/3 fertilized and 1 blast!
October 2018 FET-BFN
November 2018 FET-TBD