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.
DD born 7/16/17
klstone25
member
Re: Introduce Yourself Here!
I am a FTM. According to my LMP, my EDD would be 11/10. MH and I are insanely excited and insanely anxious all at once. I moved across the country a year ago and still haven't found my tribe here, so I'm anxious about being far from family and friends. I take a lot of fun classes outside of work including workout, language, and cooking classes.
My first appointment is 4/1, when I'll be 8w+1d (ish?). So happy to have other people to talk to about this!!
Hi ladies! My EDD based off of LMP is November 7th. I am a STM and my DD is 19 months. I work in higher education and have two cats. As for hobbies, I love to cook, bake and am an avid Boston sports fan. I was active on TTGP for a short time this time around and am very excited to get to know all of you!
Together since 2007 | Married June 2013
TTC #1: June 2015
TTC #2: December 2018
BFP: 2/26/19 | EDD: 11/7/19
TTC #3
Mirena out 1/23/24
Im a FTM and my EDD is Nov 4th/5th based on LMP and ovulation date. I’m an only child and MH is the oldest of his siblings so this wi be the first grandchild for both sets of parents. I’m a civil engineer, love to run, huge NY Mets and NY Giants fan, and want to start to get into furniture making (asked for a kreg jig for Xmas this past year haha). Just scheduled my 8 week appointment for 3/25. Looking forward to having some fabulous ladies to take this journey with!
I’m an attorney and newlywed(ish) as DH and I will celebrate our first anniversary in a little over a month. First pregnancy for me and I’m AMA (38) so feeling pretty anxious and excited. Live with DH and our dear mutt, Little Debbie.
A happy and healthy 9 months to everyone!
@klstone25 I’m sure you’re a perfectly lovely person but ever since Boston beat the Cardinals in the Series in 2004(?) my family has burned a Red Sox cap in the fireplace every New Years Day for good luck. 😂😁
Together since 2007 | Married June 2013
TTC #1: June 2015
TTC #2: December 2018
BFP: 2/26/19 | EDD: 11/7/19
TTC #3
Mirena out 1/23/24
DH and I are super excited to get the BFP. We are both on the Law Enforcement side of things and currently in school. Neither one of us have any children. Based on my LMP our EDD is roughly around November 8th. I wish all you ladies a H&H pregnancy. I guess I should work on making my first appointment today or tomorrow.
This is my first go around with a tiny human and as you can see, My Cousin Vinny is a favorite cinematic adventure of mine.
DH and I live in NJ, where he works in finance and I teach 4th grade. We have a cat whose life is about to be changed with this bundle and he has no idea.
I love chocolate, coffee, and cheese. Not all at the same time. I pretty much live in leggings during the winter and maxi dresses in the summer. And I throw out at least
one quote from “The Office” a day.
I look forward to getting to know everyone!
Hi all! Glad to see this board is open now! I’m a STM, my not-so-baby boy is a bit over a year old now, and my EDD is Nov 7 according to LMP. We recently moved to a new state, which is great because it’s nearer to a bunch of my family, but we’re still making friends here and we need to find a new OB/midwife, so I don’t have an appointment yet. I’m going to a midwife group info session tomorrow; they only do home births, and I’m not sure that’s for us, so we’ll see. DH and I are very excited to add another baby to our family!
My last pregnancy I was due the same week as my 8-years older big sister (both for our first baby), which was really special for both of us. It’s not likely to happen this time, so I’ll probably be looking more to the BMB for support and camaraderie.
@klstone25 I’m native to the Boston area, so go Sox! (Admittedly, I only support Boston teams by default, I don’t really care about sports haha.) I like to exercise, I love to read (especially fantasy/scifi) and to spend time with my immediate and extended family. I’ve also dabbled in crafty hobbies, sewing, embroidery and very simple woodworking – nothing on your level, @kopp5988, though my family owned a mom and pop furniture store until recently!
By the way, I forget how to add the ticker at the end. I know you paste something into your signature and turn on/off hyperlinks, but where do you get it from in the first place? Thanks!
**edited because I now read the READ FIRST post and it included a link for the ticker. Oops!**
My EDD is 11/11. I’m married and have a 2yo son and live near St. Louis. I have a history of pregnancy loss so trying to be cautiously optimistic this time. First appointment is 4/1 at 8 weeks.
After the pain of last year, I actually took time off work starting in the fall to allow myself time to heal, lower my stress and focus on getting my mind and body ready for baby. Just getting back into the job search again so fingers crossed on that end as well.
DH and I live in NJ with the sweetest kitty you'll ever meet Ready to give our fur baby a human sibling 😸
I'm currently due Nov. 11th based off LMP.
This is my first child but my 4th attempt after having 3 losses since starting ttc a year ago.
I'm married with 2 corgis!
I hope I get to hang with yall and hope this is my rainbow baby!
@justaplainbagel and @creamcheeseplease, I think you two are destined to be BFFs.
Hilarious. Lol I actually named this from a joke from the Starbucks I used to work at. 😅
I was really just a lurker in my last birth month forum and plan to be more active and share in this pregnancy with you all!
According to LMP my due date is 11/7.
As some others have mentioned, we moved here just over a year ago so I need to find a dr. We are hoping to see a midwife but deliver at a hospital. I have an appt with a nurse at a midwife/OB clinic that has hospital rights. Hopefully we like them!
I was very active in my last bmb, June 17, and I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you!
Together since 2007 | Married June 2013
TTC #1: June 2015
TTC #2: December 2018
BFP: 2/26/19 | EDD: 11/7/19
TTC #3
Mirena out 1/23/24
This will be my 3rd baby with a chemical in January. I have a 5 yr old and 2.5yr old.
I am a SAHM and this will be our last! Looking forward to soaking up this last pregnancy. Due date according to FF is Nov 13th. I haven’t made an appt yet but will probably tmrw!
Nice to meet you all!
Baby #2 is estimated on or around 11/11 (make a wish!) Fingers crossed for happy, healthy pregnancies for us all!
I'm a Staffing Coordinator/Recruiter for a huge online retail company that I won't name for privacy and all that, but you can probably figure it out by the words "huge online retail company." It's high demand and high stress, but pays decently and has great maternity benefits so I'm very lucky! My husband is a police officer and volunteer firefighter.
Oh, and @amyjay23, fellow Hoosier here! I used to live up in the rural area north of Lafayette but am now in the Indy suburbs.
I’m 28 years old and this will be our second! Our daughter just turned a year so they will be 20 months apart. EDD: November 7th
had a CP in December so also cautiously excited but have a good feeling about this one!
Also very on board with the office quotes😆 @mycousinvinnie
Im new here to this app so everything is a little confusing! I’m Kaitlyn! And this baby was definitely a suprise! This will be #5 for us!! Definitely wasn’t prepared and we are nervous about it but also so excited! I am currently still breastfeeding my 18 month old (nights only) and only had one weird cycle before I became pregnant! Based of my LMP my due date is 11/7. A November baby like me! Any moms with lots of kids like me? 😆
Congrats to all you mamas! 💜