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: July/August 2021 FET
@tinjp78 I've been keeping you in my thoughts every day. I'm so confident that you are going to get your take home baby, but I'm heartbroken that your path has been beyond difficult. I hope you're able to get in to your new clinic as soon as you're ready. Sending you lots of hugs and hope for healing.
@strajn01 Thank you for thinking of me. ❤️
Afm Bleeding had subsided but having slight cramping form time to time. I’m trying to move as much as I can but I take some rest when I think I’ve done too much. I’m hoping to lose the almost 3kg weight I gained for the past couple of months, DH and I will be going for a walk tonight to exercise.
@tinjp78 How was your walk? I am glad you are looking for another clinic because I think you said the wait time was really long at the previous clinic.
I am looking forward to hearing updates when you go to a new clinic. I hope your experience is better there.
AFM I’m just trucking along. Decided to do the ERA in sept so FET is looking like October 21st. So I’ve decided to make the most of it and live like a college sorority girl for a few weeks. Well a college sorority girl who goes to sleep by 10 and can only handle two drinks. 🤪 went to see a Kevin Costner concert (yeah, I didn’t know he had a band either) and Guns N’ Roses this week, red headband and all. The fun has been a distraction from all the IVF, baby journaling, crazy statistic googling, pinning fertility foods, that usually consumes my life. 🤘 🍻
I did not know that Kevin Costner had a band. It's good to get a break. I know what you mean. I spend a lot of time reading about fertility foods, counting the days till transfer, etc.
@romeoandjuliet146 I am vegetarian too! I am an animal lover and cannot bear to eat them! It has been difficult to get protein in so I have been drinking protein shakes and eating a lot of tofu, veggies and fruits for the babies, but it is hard to keep it down. The all day nausea is unbearable.
@tinjp78 you exercised and rewarded yourself. All about life balance right! You deserve that KFC and you shall have it! 6 pounds is nothing and will come of in no time. Sometimes a drink a bottle of water and gain 6 pounds, lol.
@bababatty- congratulations!!!! when do you go back to your doctor for your next ultrasound? I am nine weeks today and go back 9/27 when I will hopefully be 12 weeks. I hope I get to hear the heartbeats then.
Do any of you know when you can find out the gender? No one has given me a definitive answer. I think someone told me there is a test they can run at 13 weeks to test for down syndrome and you can find out the gender then, but I don't want to do that genetic test. I would rather not know, but I do want to know the gender so I can start buying stuff!
@tinjp78 It sounds like you are keeping busy. I hope your appointment goes good and you come back to update afterwards. I have an appointment this week to check my lining, so not sure when the transfer will be.
I am sick as a dog. I am currently taking vitamin B6 and unisom, but I am throwing up multiple times a day. It starts in the morning and continues into the evening. It is absolutely awful. Any advice? I worry that I may have to contact my doctor soon for Zofran, but I know it is not FDA approved and it worries me, but I can't keep getting sick like this. I can barely do anything.
Sorry, you feel so bad. I hear it gets better once you get to the second trimester. I hope you feel better soon.
@ktb81 So sorry to hear about the constant morning sickness! I don't have any good advice for that level of sickness, but I'd definitely talk to your OB about options beyond zofran since you're worried about that.
@stajn01 congratulations on being second tri already!
FET August 23rd, three very strong positive betas and now waiting for the first ultrasound on September 21st. It’s almost worse than the TWW!!
Hoping someone has some tips on how to stop worrying about every little thing my body does. My mind goes immediately to the negative and I’m trying to stay as positive as posible.
Also, any tips on how to make the PiO shots less painful? I’m in the home stretch (I hope) for them but they seem to be getting worse each time.
@tinjp78 Hope you are doing well and like your new clinic!
I hope all of you ladies are doing well!
First US yesterday at 6w6d and got a heartbeat! Seemed a little low to me but doc said everything looks great. We measured at 117bpm. Doc said he likes to see anything over 100bpm but google says it should really be over 120bpm. I might just be over thinking everything since the doc seemed excited that everything was on track.
10/01 beta 520.3
10/04 beta 1855
First ultrasound in few weeks!
how is everyone else doing?
Hope everyone is doing good too
I'm 10 weeks and everything is going swimmingly. I'm sad we're all in different BMBs, though--if the rest of you are participating in your BMBs?--because I miss seeing you all.