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
This was our make it or break it year for adding to our family, and I'm so excited.
Baby Girl Due: 1-1-22
Due date? December 5th!
I am a mom of 2, DH and I got pregnant with our son (Cohen, 5) after only 9 months of dating. We made it work and have been happily married for almost 3 years. We have a daughter, Sutton, who is 20 months, and her birth month group became my best friends! We live in Pittsburgh, and I am a Digital Marketing Coordinator.
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
I have a husband & 2 sons (ages 3 & 8) Shout out to my boy moms! I am okay if this baby is another boy. My husband wants a girl really bad & I’m like...🙄 I can do without! Lol! We have nieces for that! But seriously, I just want a healthy, happy baby!
I’ve used The Bump for my other 2 pregnancies. Things have changed on this app since 4 years ago but I’m happy to be back🤗
@threes_companypu Welcome! I love your children’s names!
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
Due date? Christmas Eve baby
Due Date: December 7th
How did you find out? We found out the morning of my first missed period and I promptly screamed my husband's name, sending him running to the bathroom. He was was so excited we had a dance party right then and there! Before that point, I had been really tired and my breasts were incredibly tender.
I'm thankful to be apart of this group and can't wait to get to know everyone!
i have been so sick. Have a nurse coming to give iv fluids at home and if that doesn’t work in 4 days I have to stay at hospital for 3 days to get sickness and fluid intake under control.
First I must say, I have definitely been creepin' around here the last couple days and reading some of these posts on the Bump were so helpful at putting my mind at ease. Being my first pregnancy, I question everything with my body.
Due Date: December 29th
How did you find out? I went jogging with my husband and noticed feelings in my upper body that I didn't classify as normal... this was a week after my period. Yes, I had somehow convinced myself of a reason for any possible symptom..
"Man, this changing of seasons is making my acne get really bad!"
"I read that the Pfizer shot can throw off your menstrual cycle...must be reason I am late."
"This cloudy weather and lack of vitamin D is making me so exhausted... I never needed to have naps during the day... looking forward to sunshine!"
Though I was a terrible detective a few weeks ago, I feel like I could pick out someone who is pregnant now...
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets?Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?)
This will be our first child. I am 30+2 (okay is an addition question representing my age) and my husband and I have been together for more than 10 years so though this was our "next step" in life, it still somewhat caught us off guard, though we are looking forward to it.
I enjoy golfing (actually almost any sport but at the moment just been golfing) and walking. I also enjoy reading too, but to be honest, I am one of those people who can only read for short periods of time and then need a break... for a month...
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?)
I had my first appointment at 7 weeks and am now 9+4. Seeing the heartbeat definitely made it real. I am now just waiting "patiently" for my next appointment in 1 week 4 days (not that I am counting...).
As for symptoms, I am starting to feel better which is always a good and bad thing; because too many symptoms - question if that is normal - not many symptoms - question if that is normal. I never had sickness *knock on wood* but a bit of nausea after eating and just been so exhausted.
I am happy to be here. I feel like obviously others in my life have gone through this journey before, but it is nice to be able to talk to people going through the different stages of pregnancy at the same time.
Cheers,
@hetracey hope you are feeling better and didn't need to go to hospital!
@bkjade haha sounds exactly like us... we were "planning" for next year... and I was going to be mom-of-the-year with prenatals and not drinkin while trying to conceive... oops...maybe second child??
Due date: Dec 3rd
How'd you find out?
We'd been trying since August 2020; I have a super irregular period so I was avoiding testing until I was really late. I was super nauseous and fatigued but was still delaying taking a test since I was afraid to see a negative result. Finally took a test after period was 2 weeks late and voila!
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets?Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?)
1st pregnancy but we have two fantastic cats already.
I'm a librarian and my husband is a financial advisor.
We are very low key and major introverts. We prefer spending our free time at home, reading, gaming, and snuggling the aforementioned cats. We also love hiking and camping.
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?)
Now that the 2nd trimester has hit I'm feeling a bit better, but still adjusting to all the physical changes. First midwife visit a couple weeks ago and it was amazing to hear the heartbeat. I can't wait for my next appointment because that first one gave me such positivity about this scary endeavour.
Weird symptom I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing- no nausea, but randomly gagging the last couple weeks... no clue what is triggering it.
Cats are so unique - one of ours is just constantly running around crazy and destroying the house and the other mostly sleeps and demands snuggles.
Can I guess that the white one is the crazy one?
Occasionally I travel to the other locations, but rarely thankfully. I'm able to do most of my work with them remotely.
I miss not having a cat... such lovely pets. They definitely have such personalities and though some "biotchy" ones exist... the ones I had growing up (especially "mine") was sooo cuddly and so caring. As a teenager if I came home upset...he would come up to me and rub his head on mine.. when I went to bed.. I would say "ok bed time" and as I walked downstairs to my room, I would hear the little sound of paws following shortly after. He lived til he was close to 20...so I was so lucky.. got him in Grade 3 and is nice cause my husband also knew him... and I feel like it is with a person or pet...that it is so nice if your partner got to meet them so you can talk about them in a different way than you can if they never met.
Due date? Dec 25 🎄
I'm a pharmacist. My husband and I have a 17 mo. daughter and a 4 yo dog.
Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?)
Before the pandemic and dd, travelling! I like to read, watch movies, stay fit, and watch sports. I'm very excited about the Olympics!
Due date? Dec 17th
We have a dog, cats and chickens
I am a nurse as well! Glad to see some others on here too.
Been married to my best friend for 18 years
Hello insomnia! Anxiously awaiting our 20 week US. I turn 40 a few months before the baby is due so trying not to stress about AMA.
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