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.
mimser
member
Re: First Time Mom Check-in 01/12
Product Spotlight/Questions (highlight pregnancy/maternity/baby product(s) you love or have questions about): DH and I both want to do cloth diapers....but man am I getting overwhelmed researching this topic 😳 never realized how many different types there are (flats, prefolds, pockets, AIO...) plus brands. Not sure how to determine what “type” of CD is right for us
Any other questions/concerns/worries? See above. I think I should go back and re-read the diaper thread
GTKY: what has been your most favorite & least favorite parts of this pregnancy so far?: My most favorite part is related to my least favorite part—I love seeing my belly grow but hate that my clothes don’t fit me anymore
Product Spotlight/Questions (highlight pregnancy/maternity/baby product(s) you love or have questions about): can't think of anything at the moment
Any other questions/concerns/worries? The COVID situation is really not great right now in our area and I just found out our birthing hospital has a bad outbreak and are asking people to avoid their ER...
GTKY: what has been your most favorite & least favorite parts of this pregnancy so far? Favorite part is the movement, least favorite, aside from PGAL brain say, is the baby shower weird situation.
@nsk489 we also want to do CD. If you're willing to go lurk, November 2020 BMB had a very informative Product spotlight Thread and there were a good number of moms who did CD. I was recommended to get different kinds/brandsof CD because you don't know which kind, brand, will work for your baby. I agree it's super overwhelming. I'm in a local group on FB and didn't realize how much there was to know, washing routine and everything... For the newborn phase I am getting mostly fitted (Green Mountain fitted diapers were highly recommended to me) and flat diapers, as well as a few AIO and pockets. I am planning on mostly pockets for later with some AIO, fitted and flat.
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
November 2020 BMB diapering thread - https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12753337/product-spotlight-diapering#latest
I was thinking about doing prefolds and flats at first, but I worry about learning all the crazy origami folds. AIO seem like the simplest option, but I would be concerned about the dry time with AIO...
@littlelibelula I wish I knew how to sew or knit! You’ll have to let us know how your projects turn out
@mimser I’ve heard good things about Green Mountain too! A girl I grew up with (literally the only person I know IRL who has cloth diapered) said she loves the Blueberry Simplex diapers (I saw them recommended on the Nov 2020 group) and used them with all 3 of her boys. She said she will gift me some of her newborn diapers since they are done with that size so that’s where I’ll start I guess
@mkc3888 did you try different varieties before deciding on pockets? I just heard about stretchy flats! I like that they would have a more “slim” look to them
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
https://instagram.com/pieluszki_drimi?igshid=12kzqoezkk2kr
Product Spotlight/Questions (highlight pregnancy/maternity/baby product(s) you love or have questions about): i totally forgot that my boss gave me a giant bag of her old maternity clothes last year when i was previously PG and i went through them this past weekend. SO much good stuff (she has good taste). my favorite things so far are all Gap maternity. the shirts are so soft and comfy. i have tanks, tees and long sleeves in all diff colors. its awesome.
Any other questions/concerns/worries? feeling much less PGAL-ish the past two weeks. AS last week definitely helped. So now just looking forward to viability!
GTKY: what has been your most favorite & least favorite parts of this pregnancy so far? i love my little baby bump! but i hate that i have new physical limitations. I'm always tired and i cant move the same ways i used to. its frustrating to not be able to do things i used to be able to, but i am trying to embrace it because i know it will only be getting worse
Product Spotlight/Questions (highlight pregnancy/maternity/baby product(s) you love or have questions about):
Probably everything. I'm a big researcher, and am currently in the glider/recliner and bottles&nipples category. I thought I was settled on bottles/nipples but recently read the "Moms On Call" first 6 months guide and they have specific recs...I think a lot of our moms mentioned liking the nipples they recommended in our product spotlight thread so I have to go reread.
Any other questions/concerns/worries? Not near-term. More just wondering how and when labor will kick off, and wondering what else I can do to prepare us for a positive birth experience. Outside of this whole thing, I am periodically stressed about DH being able to find a new job before baby gets here. Relying on my faith to keep calm and not spend too much time laying awake over it.
GTKY: what has been your most favorite & least favorite parts of this pregnancy so far? I think I just started feeling movement? These are the same flutters that I've been feeling since around 16 weeks, but I discounted them then because the annoying OB said it was too early for me to feel movement due to my anterior placenta. I'm pretty sure baby boy is annoyed by that OB too, and trying to make it known that it's really him.