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.
magalina_h
member
Re: Introductions
Looking forward to connecting with other January '22 mom's!
Due date? Based on LMP, Jan 7 (but I've been having short cycles, and my 1st born was 6 weeks early, so I have a strong feeling we'll have a Dec baby.)
I had a funny feeling one Sat morning and decided to test 3 days before my expected period (3w1d) using a WONDFO and surprisingly, it was a faint positive. I took a digital later that day and it was also positive.
I'm celebrating my 10th anniversary this June with my DH, Jake. We have 1 son, Ethan, who just turned 6 in March. I'm a little nervous for such a large age gap, but I'm sure they'll still be close. I teach 4th grade. This year I've been teaching exclusively online for those that requested it. It's a ton of work and I'm so ready to go back to the regular classroom! I like to binge watch shows and bake.
Baby Girl Due: 1-1-22
Looking forward to "meeting" everyone! My BMB from last time (O '18...I've since changed my user name😉) was such a good source of support, and I love that we still have that after we made the move to FB.
I'm with you on feeling crazy about feeling things when you're not even 4 weeks PG. That's definitely how I feel. I've noticed I definitely feel hungry right away in the morning, whereas normally I don't care about eating breakfast. No major morning sickness...yet, just a little bit of queasiness in the morning. I was terribly nauseated the first 12 weeks of my 1st pregnancy.
Baby Girl Due: 1-1-22
Not sure when we're telling family. I imagine my immediate family (parents & siblings) will know soon enough because they've been in our quarantine crew so we see them on the weekends, and it's going to be obvious when I'm not drinking or when I'm not eating any food, or start losing weight lol. Or if DD somehow picks up on me not feeling well and decides to just spout off random things like "mama sick?"
I'm definitely going to miss my summer moscow mules and Trulys. I literally picked up a multipack of them the day before I tested positive, lol.
I had terrible food aversions last pregnancy and basically lived off of pasta and bagels/cream cheese because I couldn't stomach anything else. I can't remember when that started. So far I've been okay!
Baby Girl Due: 1-1-22
Due date? January 5, based on my IVF transfer date of 4/19. Hoping it'll be at the very end of December for insurance reasons, haha.
I've never been much of a coffee drinker (except for the occasional sugary Starbucks ones), thankfully. I hope you can continue to enjoy yours for a bit longer!
Baby Girl Due: 1-1-22
Due date? Jan 6th
How did you find out? We’ve been trying for a while so I was testing early like I always do. Honestly didn’t expect to see it. I’m still in shock. I haven’t even told MH yet. Lines are still super super faint.
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets?Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?) Hi! I’m LJ, and I’m from the mid-west. MH and I have been married for 5 years and we have a son who’s 18 months. I work for a university doing research in nano technology and MH is a lead operator/first responder/firefighter for a large company. We love to be outside, camping, hiking, kayaking. We have a camper and are thinking about buying some land to park it on soon. Then build a cabin in a few years. We also love to travel and explore new places!
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?) It took us nearly 2 years and infertility treatment to conceive our son. This time, we’ve been trying since Nov/Dec last year. We did a few cycles of Letrozole and TI, then I decided I needed to take a break, mostly for my mental health. And I knew we were ready to move on to the RE to do another IUI. So this month we were on a break. Not really tracking like I usually do, but not preventing either. Yesterday we both went for some required blood work we needed done before we could start the IUI cycle and I decided to pick up my meds for the IUI too. I got home and that afternoon I turned a test! I’m so incredibly nervous because the test is such a squinter, but the line is there. I of course tested again today and the line is MAYBE a little darker. Not much though so I’m still holding my breath. I didn’t do anything special to announce my first pregnancy, so I decided I wanted to for this one. I ordered a cute brother bear shirt that I’ll put my son in and we’ll see how long it takes MH to notice lol. Should be here on Thursday!
So excited to meet you all! I was part of the Sept ’19 group and made some incredible bonds with those ladies. Can’t wait to do the same with you all!
Married: 8/2015
TTC #1: 4/2017
Testing: HSG, U/S, BW, and DH's SA all normal
DX: Unexplained
8/2018: Clomid + TI = BFN
9/2018: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2018: Clomid + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
12/2018: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone \\ Cancelled due to cyst
1/2019: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD Sept 30th, 2019
10/7/2019: Healthy baby boy!
TTC #2: 12/2020
2/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
3/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
4/2021: Surprise! Natural BFP! \\ EDD Jan 6th, 2022 \\ Chemical, betas not rising
8/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
9/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
10/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD July 29th, 2022
Due date? January 2
I live in NJ with my husband and our new puppy. I enjoy working out at the gym, cooking, decorating my house and organizing. Unfortunately we experienced two miscarriages last year, but this will hopefully be the double rainbow baby we've been longing for.
Physically just tired and still have breast soreness. I was also extra hungry with early cravings last week. This seems to happen every time. And then naturally just feeling super nervous and will be for a while I think, but trying to stay as optimistic as possible. Going for an early scan at 6 weeks given my history and then another at 8.5 weeks. Congratulations all!
@lisa3379 Hey girl! So happy to see you here! Congrats! I know I kinda just dropped off of TTGP. I just really needed to for my mental health. I’m trying to kick my caffeine habit until at least the first trimester is over. Today has been a struggle with my decaf lol.
Married: 8/2015
TTC #1: 4/2017
Testing: HSG, U/S, BW, and DH's SA all normal
DX: Unexplained
8/2018: Clomid + TI = BFN
9/2018: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2018: Clomid + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
12/2018: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone \\ Cancelled due to cyst
1/2019: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD Sept 30th, 2019
10/7/2019: Healthy baby boy!
TTC #2: 12/2020
2/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
3/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
4/2021: Surprise! Natural BFP! \\ EDD Jan 6th, 2022 \\ Chemical, betas not rising
8/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
9/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
10/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD July 29th, 2022
Due date? According to my tracker. January 7th, 2022
@LJMoon6. So nice to see you again! Congrats!!!
@Lisa3379 lol I had a hunch when you said you had a, "good feeling," about tomorrow, you might be up to some thing.... Congratulations!!!!
Thank you! This does spice it up a tad!
I hope eveyone is feeling good this afternoon!
How did you find out?
I have been SUPER hungry and decided to take a test... BFP 4 days before my missed period.
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets?Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?)
I'm a manager for a coffee shop, and I am in a long distance relationship with my man. He streams for a living.
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?)
Nauseous and nervous 😭
Married: 8/2015
TTC #1: 4/2017
Testing: HSG, U/S, BW, and DH's SA all normal
DX: Unexplained
8/2018: Clomid + TI = BFN
9/2018: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2018: Clomid + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
12/2018: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone \\ Cancelled due to cyst
1/2019: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD Sept 30th, 2019
10/7/2019: Healthy baby boy!
TTC #2: 12/2020
2/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
3/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
4/2021: Surprise! Natural BFP! \\ EDD Jan 6th, 2022 \\ Chemical, betas not rising
8/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
9/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
10/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD July 29th, 2022
Baby Girl Due: 1-1-22
@LJMoon6 I am so sorry 😢
TTC History
TTC#2
Mar 2024 | consult to get established with a new reproductive immunologist (Alan Beer Center)
Apr/May 2024 | required testing & waiting for a protocol
May 2024 | protocol given / decided to go back to my old reproductive immunologist, Dr. Jubiz
Jun / Jul 2024 | more testing, incl. SIS, ultrasound, and endometrial biopsy
Jul 2024 | Dx chronic endometritis; 14 days of 100mg of doxy given
Sep 2024 | Repeat endometrial biopsy; still + for chronic endometritis. 2 more antibiotics + an antiviral
Oct 2024 | Hysteroscopy turned polypectomy; endometriosis consult w/ specialist who confirmed high likelihood of endo based on symptoms and ultrasound; lots of blood tests ordered
Mar 2025 | Endo excision surgery. Stage 3 endo found! Recoveing
Apr 2025 | Planning transfer w/ RE & green light protocol w/ RI; target transfer July or August 2025
May 2025 | Surprise BFP! EDD 1/11/2026
TTC #1
TTC #1 02/2020 - 07/2022
2009 | Dx PCOS; likely a misdiagnosis
07/14/20 | Dx Hashimoto's Thyroditis
07/21/20 | 1st RE appointment
07/2120 - 08/20/20 | so much testing; no signs of PCOS
08/20/20 | Dx Unexplained; AMA
09/08/20 | IUI #1 Clomid + Trigger + Prometrium | BFN
09/30/20 | Urology consult; more testing required
10/2020 | Clomid + OPK + TI + Prometrium | BFN
10/26/2020 | Starting 2nd IUI cycle, with Letrazole and with a new RE / different clinic
11/03/2020 | New Dx "poor egg quality"; IUI cancelled in favor of Trigger + TI + Prometrium | BFN
11/26/2020 | Combo IUI (Clomid + Menopur) + Trigger + Prometrium | BFN
12/20/2020 | Combo IUI (Clomid + Gonal-F) + Trigger | IUI Cancelled due to thin lining; TI only | BFN
01/14/2021 | Combo IUI (Letrazole + Menopur) + Trigger | BFN
02/06/2021 | Switched to a new RE (TEW) ; trying naturally until we complete additional testing
03/14/2021 | Hybrid Double IUI, with Zymot (Letrazole, Gonal-F) + Trigger + Endometrin | Ovulated 4 mature eggs but still a BFN ☹️
04/07/2021 | Natural cycle while we regroup | BFN
04/09/2021 | Employer announces fertility benefits starting 05/01/2021! | Search for a new doctor who accepts insurance
05/10/2021 | New RE consult & plan for IVF
05/13/2021 | Mid-luteal IVF cycle #1 interrupted; had to get cancer genetic screening done to make sure I didn't have the same SDHA gene mutation as MH.
06/10/2021 | Aygestin priming IVF cycle #1; opted to Cx after 9 days of stims since only 5-6/12 follicles responded
07/26/2021 | Attempt #2 at IVF cycle #1 (mid-luteal start): 8 retrieved, 8 MII, 6 fert (1 PN3), 3 Day 5 & 6 blasts: 3AA, 3AA, 6AB; 3 euploid
08/09/2021 | Rest cycle / unmedicated TTC | Shockingly, a BFP! EDD: 5/25/202 | CP at 4w4d
09/23/2021 | IVF cycle #2 (mid-luteal start): 14 retrieved, 13 MII, 11 fert, 5 Day 5 & 6 blasts: 2 x 3AA, 2 x 3AB, 3BB; 2 euploid
11/12/2021 | IVF cycle #3 (mid-luteal start): cancelled due to ovaries being on vacation
12/20/2021 | Rest cycle / unmedicated TTC + Pregmune Immunology Testing; BFN
01/22/2022 | Rest cycle / unmedicated TTC + understanding uncovered immunological issues; BFN
02/18/2022 | Mock transfer cycle! ERA, ReceptivaDx, EMMA/ALICE; start Prednisone to address NK activity
03/16/2022 | Final, "Hail Mary" super-ovulation + TI cycle before FET; BFP! EDD: 12/21/2022 | MMC 05/08/2022
05/20/2022 | D&C; recovering...
06/21/2022 | Trying naturally until October 2022
07/21/2022 | BFP! EDD 04/02/2023; 👦🏼 born on 4/5/2023
Due Date: According to LMP Jan 7.
How did you find out: I wasnt for sure how my periods were gonna be since I so recently had a baby. Ive only had one since delivery. I was always regular outside of pregnancy. So when I was two days late I thought I'll take one to ease my mind. Really was not expecting ot to be positive.
Tell us about yourself: i am 32 and married.we live in Tennessee. Together we have 6 beautiful children. 3 boys and 3 girls. And 2 dogs. I am a PCT at the hospital. I work the inpatient rehab unit. My husband is currently on unemployment.
I had an apppintmemt in two weeks to have my nexplanon placed. Apparently God has other plans. I have my 1st apppintmemt scheduled for June 2nd.
I'm so excited to be here. My husband and I have been trying for about 2.5 years and got our BFP last Thursday!
Due date? According to LMP, January 8th!
How did you find out? We've been trying, so I was testing at 10DPO. Ended up getting my BFP at 12DPO and am now at 18DPO!
Tell us about yourself - This is our first human baby, but we have two dog-ters at home! My husband is an ER tech at a local hospital and in nursing school. I work in the health office at a high school and am the dance coach here. We're high school sweethearts and have been together for 10.5 years!
How are you feeling? I'm EXHAUSTED! Have definite waves of nausea and just overall exhausted, but so beyond excited. My first appointment is May 27th and honestly it can't come soon enough!
Due date? I am thinking January 14 but my period has been wonky leading up to this!
Baby Girl Due: 1-1-22
Due date? If I’m correct, January 8th!
How did you find out? A pregnancy trot
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets?Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner? I’m married with 2 kids ( a boy 7 and a girl about to be 6) and little Pug mutt. I’m a pre-k teacher and I love going out to dinner, hiking, and playing video games with my kids!
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?) STRESSED. I’m about to be 35 and I know that’s not old but I didn’t want to be starting over and having kids late... but I did want one more. I feel like this is my last chance so I’m just terrified of miscarrying and haven’t enjoyed it this time around! And I can’t get an appointment till I’m 8 weeks and even then it’s over the phone 😫😫 so that’s just stressing me out too! Trying to be excited and positive!
Found out the good old fashioned way...peeing on a stick (more like 5 of them...) Took one test and it was SUPER faint, so I just kept taking one every other day. Now its a dark line!
Feeling pretty lucky since we had only been trying 2 months, and I'm 36. This will be our first and likely only. So far feeing pretty good. Have been exercising and eating all the healthy things. Morning sickness hasn't quiet kicked in yet, but I think its lurking right around the corner. The exhaustion though, that I have. Very grateful to be working from home and able to take a power nap here and there. We're on the fence of when to tell our families, but also want to wait to mention it to anyone until NIPT comes back.