Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Night Nursing
We are in a pretty good routine at nights right now and I hope it continues to improve. The twins are sleeping 3 1/2-4 hours at a time. Once one starts to stir, I go into the nursery to attend to them. I change their diaper using the light from the night light, as I don't want to interrupt the soothing sleeping environment. In more cases than not, while nursing whichever baby woke up first, the other wakes up ready to nurse. I think it is like a sixth sense. They seem to know when the other is eating and want in on the action. Thankfully hubby comes to their rescue and soothes them while I finish with the first. We then do a switcheroo and I change the diaper of and nurse the second twin. Hubby burps the first baby then settles them back into their crib before heading back to bed himself. The entire process takes up about 30 minutes of my night with each feeding (around12am and 4am). Then I head back to bed for the next 3 1/2 to 4 hours hoping to fall back into a slumber quickly. I'll admit that I'm jealous of those out there with singleton's sleeping 5 and 6 hours at a time at 6 weeks old, but considering I'm exclusively nursing twins and have them on this tight of a schedule, I shouldn't complain. I know others are a lot worse off and a lot more sleep deprived (even mamas with singletons!). Anyone who follows me on Facebook knows that just a few short weeks ago, I was miserable due to lack of sleep. One night in particular, I didn't sleep at all! The twins were over demanding on that particular night...eating every two hours and on opposite hours so I was literally up nursing, burping, soothing, and changing diapers all night. On another night, my mom came to the rescue, as my hubby got ill and wasn't able to help out with night time feedings for fear of being contagious. I know there are still a lot of long nights ahead of us and will be grateful for whatever sleep I can get!
6 weeks in!
Our twins are six weeks old today! Wow! Time is passin by way too fast! I just returned home from my post-op appt and thought I should update you all on how things are going since it has been a while since my last post. As you can imagine, it has been very busy in the Carlyle household! The twins are "almost" on a schedule. :) I am excited to announce that they are sleeping up to four hours at a time each night so mama can get some rest too. I am nursing them back to back and I believe they sense me in the room (or the mama milk), as I've yet to have to wake whomever is still snoozing when I go in the room. I'll be nursing one, and the other wakes just in time to have their turn. It isn't always in the same order, so maybe they have a secret language that signals to each other? I've heard twins have their own language. I can't wait to see what other schemes they have up their sleeves. Oh the adventures we have ahead of us!
In the past few weeks we've celebrated Cameron's 4th birthday, William and Olivia's one month milestone, and hubby's acceptance of a new job. Easter was spent at home as a family where we spent time counting our blessings. Cameron also enjoyed his last solo egg hunt. My mom and I wrangled the kids for a trip to the mall for pictures too.
Entertaining our four year old while keeping the twins happy has been a balancing act. Hubby spends time with Cameron outside as often as possible each evening playing baseball, soccer, or letting him ride his scooter. We've gone on family walks and we're helping him grow his own garden in the backyard thanks to grandpa's handy-work.
We're gradually getting into a daytime routine and taking advantage of nap time whenever possible. I'm learning to take naps in the middle of the day which has never been easy for me, but most often I'm using this time to tackle household chores. I've decided that doing one major chore a day is less overwhelming than trying to clean the entire house in one day. Laundry gets done one day, another the bathrooms, the floors the next, etc. The dishes get done daily (or at least loaded into the dishwasher) and I wipe down counters as needed. I'm not sure if this is the best approach, but for now, it is working.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Baby Take Over
When you are married to an ex-Army man, everything has a place, and there is a place for everything...until you have a baby...or two! LOL! The twins have taken over our house. Our living room in particular. I look around me now and see two car seats, two bobby pillows, two swings, a bouncer, a rocking recliner, and a pack and play. Then there are the blankets, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, basket of creams, pacifiers, etc. Oh, and did I mention the miscellaneous items left laying around by our four year old?
I have lofty goals of "cleaning" one room/area of the house per day so as to not feel overwhelmed with house work. Well, I'll have you know, that in spite of the daily straightening up and organizing, the house never "looks" clean or organized...I have a sign that I used to have posted in my apartment during my single days. I think it is time to bust it out again. "My house was clean yesterday, Sorry you missed it!" :)
Lucky for me, my hubby has found a tolerance for the baby take over and understands that it won't last forever...at least the swings, etc will only stick around for a year or so. Then it will be time for a garage sale! Maybe we'll make enough to pay for a maid? I'm hopeful!
I have lofty goals of "cleaning" one room/area of the house per day so as to not feel overwhelmed with house work. Well, I'll have you know, that in spite of the daily straightening up and organizing, the house never "looks" clean or organized...I have a sign that I used to have posted in my apartment during my single days. I think it is time to bust it out again. "My house was clean yesterday, Sorry you missed it!" :)
Lucky for me, my hubby has found a tolerance for the baby take over and understands that it won't last forever...at least the swings, etc will only stick around for a year or so. Then it will be time for a garage sale! Maybe we'll make enough to pay for a maid? I'm hopeful!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Shout Out to "Mintly Made!"
I have to give a shout out to my beautiful and talented step-daughter for the birth stat boards she made for each of our blessings. Thank you Kristin for these beautiful chalk board creations! Those of you looking for something like this (ANY occasion) contact her via Facebook through her "Mintly Made" page!
Big Sister, Kristin Jungers with William and Olivia.
Kristin and her hubby, Brody, are blessing us with a grand-daughter this summer! We are TRIPLE blessed with babies this year! Cameron, William, and Olivia will love having a niece as a playmate!
Kristin and her hubby, Brody, are blessing us with a grand-daughter this summer! We are TRIPLE blessed with babies this year! Cameron, William, and Olivia will love having a niece as a playmate!
Sibling rivalry? We hope not!
We began preparing our oldest son, Cameron to be a big brother as soon as our pregnancy was confirmed. I wanted him to have plenty of time to adjust to having a baby in the home and we wanted to make sure he knew what to expect. When we found out we were getting two for the price of one, it became even more important to let him know as best we could how our lives would change.
We didn't want him to feel like he was being replaced in any way. We made every effort to let him know that even though he was getting promoted to big brother status he was just as important to us. We made an extra effort to play with him each evening, spent more time doing things he enjoys, such as reading books, playing board games, and playing ball outside. Constantly talking to him about what a great big brother and helper he would be helped build his confidence and let him know he was an important part of our family with a "big job" to do.
Keeping him involved in decisions was a great way to get him excited. He helped with the nursery and even helped us pick out things such as clothes and decorations for the babies once we knew gender. Cameron got to go to our 16 week ultrasound. He loved being able to "see" his siblings and I wanted him to be with us when we found out gender. He was disappointed that he was getting both, a brother and a sister and even cried when Olivia finally (after about 10 minutes) revealed herself. I was reminded by him for the next 20 weeks that he still wanted two brothers and that he'd take care of William while mommy took care of Olivia. He has since decided that he loves both babies. :)
We did consider "Sibling" classes that are provided by the hospital but opted not to attend in the end. If this is something your family would benefit from, I do recommend it, as I have heard great things about these classes.
We constantly talk to him about how to take care of and help out with the babies. One thing we continue to work on is noise level. Going from an only child household to one that at every minute of the day has at least one sleeping baby is tough for a three year old!
He does get his feelings hurt when mommy and daddy (and grammy or others during the week) can't just stop what we are doing to go play with him. This is why we still take him to day care a few days a week. It gives him a chance to interact with friends and allows us to take care of babies and not feel guilty when we can't equally share our attention with him. I know as the twins get older, it will be easier, but until then, we remind him regularly that we love him, offer lots of hugs and kisses, and give him "chores" to help out (he balks at taking diapers to the trash can but loves retrieving pacifiers). We make an effort to keep as close to a bedtime routine as we can (bath, books, bed). He still attends his swim lessons regularly and daddy takes him to his friends birthday parties and school events. I still make time to cuddle and love on my big boy (his love languages are quality time and touch) as we enjoy his daytime shows or play games on the ipad. Grammy takes him to the park or play place at the mall when she can. Cousin Bekki has play dates with him. Nana plays board games with him. Its a team effort for sure. Ten minutes of undivided attention makes a huge difference in his behavior and outbursts are at a minimum on days where he gets that quality time that he is used to and craves so much.
It has been hard for him to accept that he didn't get instant playmates. He looks forward to them becoming mobile, talking, and chasing after him. Until then, we will continue to adjust to our new blessings as a family unit. We will have hurdles. We will have trying times. Some days will be better than others. As long as all of our kids know how important they are and how much they are loved, we will be okay.
We didn't want him to feel like he was being replaced in any way. We made every effort to let him know that even though he was getting promoted to big brother status he was just as important to us. We made an extra effort to play with him each evening, spent more time doing things he enjoys, such as reading books, playing board games, and playing ball outside. Constantly talking to him about what a great big brother and helper he would be helped build his confidence and let him know he was an important part of our family with a "big job" to do.
Keeping him involved in decisions was a great way to get him excited. He helped with the nursery and even helped us pick out things such as clothes and decorations for the babies once we knew gender. Cameron got to go to our 16 week ultrasound. He loved being able to "see" his siblings and I wanted him to be with us when we found out gender. He was disappointed that he was getting both, a brother and a sister and even cried when Olivia finally (after about 10 minutes) revealed herself. I was reminded by him for the next 20 weeks that he still wanted two brothers and that he'd take care of William while mommy took care of Olivia. He has since decided that he loves both babies. :)
We did consider "Sibling" classes that are provided by the hospital but opted not to attend in the end. If this is something your family would benefit from, I do recommend it, as I have heard great things about these classes.
We constantly talk to him about how to take care of and help out with the babies. One thing we continue to work on is noise level. Going from an only child household to one that at every minute of the day has at least one sleeping baby is tough for a three year old!
He does get his feelings hurt when mommy and daddy (and grammy or others during the week) can't just stop what we are doing to go play with him. This is why we still take him to day care a few days a week. It gives him a chance to interact with friends and allows us to take care of babies and not feel guilty when we can't equally share our attention with him. I know as the twins get older, it will be easier, but until then, we remind him regularly that we love him, offer lots of hugs and kisses, and give him "chores" to help out (he balks at taking diapers to the trash can but loves retrieving pacifiers). We make an effort to keep as close to a bedtime routine as we can (bath, books, bed). He still attends his swim lessons regularly and daddy takes him to his friends birthday parties and school events. I still make time to cuddle and love on my big boy (his love languages are quality time and touch) as we enjoy his daytime shows or play games on the ipad. Grammy takes him to the park or play place at the mall when she can. Cousin Bekki has play dates with him. Nana plays board games with him. Its a team effort for sure. Ten minutes of undivided attention makes a huge difference in his behavior and outbursts are at a minimum on days where he gets that quality time that he is used to and craves so much.
It has been hard for him to accept that he didn't get instant playmates. He looks forward to them becoming mobile, talking, and chasing after him. Until then, we will continue to adjust to our new blessings as a family unit. We will have hurdles. We will have trying times. Some days will be better than others. As long as all of our kids know how important they are and how much they are loved, we will be okay.
Holy COW, is right...milk cow that is! (Nursing Twins)
Nursing in general will take a toll on you. It takes work and a lot of patience. Sore, cracked nipples are no joke! You will feel like you are a milk cow that never catches a break. When you do, it doesn't last long. Here are some tips from my experiences nursing:
Lanolin or Medela nipple cream. Invest in it. Lots of it. Expressing a bit of breast milk after nursing and spreading it on nipples also helps tremendously with sore and cracked nipples.
You will leak. Invest in breast pads. Oh the embarrassment if you don't!
Invest in nursing tops/tanks/bras. This will make things so much easier for you and baby will appreciate you being able to "whip it out" quickly in appropriate attire. :)
Appropriate latch is key. It is so important, as you will be in pain for weeks if they do not latch correctly right away. Ask for a visit from the lactation consultant at the hospital (especially if this is your first time to nurse.) to make sure. Baby's mouth should be wide open and getting a good amount of breast tissue (areola) on the underside of your nipple. You'll know right away if baby isn't latched correctly. If you feel pain, remove baby right away (this may mean gently inserting your pinky finger in baby's mouth to release your nipple) and try again. Hold baby close. Get as comfortable as you can and relax (this can be the hardest part. Don't watch the clock. Don't worry about anything else. Enjoy this bonding time with your love, it doesn't last forever.).
Listen to the sound of your baby swallowing to ensure they are getting what they need. Breast feeding takes time. I had to supplement once with each of our twins at the hospital because they were struggling with latching. Specifically on my left nipple. OUCH! It still hurts 18 days later. Be sure to eat well and drink a lot of water. I have found that drinking ice cold water while nursing helps defer pain when one of the twins is latching onto my left side. Luckily now, the pain is only with the initial latch, but WOWSER, it was like someone was taking a vice grip to my nipple and trying to rip it off!
As baby(ies) start to sleep for longer periods of time, you will begin to feel engorged/full. I find this a perfect time for pumping and storing. If you can pump enough to get relief and still nurse baby when he/she wakes, go for it! I've stored quite an amount of my liquid gold already, which will come in handy when I'm ready to go get a mani/pedi in a couple weeks...or go back to work for a few days to close out the school year.
Don't feel guilty if you have to supplement. Baby needs to eat. Keep trying if nursing is something that you really want to do. After the one supplemental bottle each twin received at the hospital, they latched on without any issues and have only received breast milk since. This isn't always the case with everyone. So many people are so quick to judge and delve out the advice on how to take care of YOUR baby. It is ultimately your decision and YOU as the mommy have the final say. There are so many reasons why some women can't nurse. Don't be quick to judge others. Don't let others make you feel guilty for decisions you make on raising your child. Period.
For those of you rock star moms that are using formula, this one's for you:
(10 things NOT to say to a formula feeding mom)
http://www.mommyish.com/2013/08/07/10-things-not-to-say-to-a-formula-feeding-mom/
Lanolin or Medela nipple cream. Invest in it. Lots of it. Expressing a bit of breast milk after nursing and spreading it on nipples also helps tremendously with sore and cracked nipples.
You will leak. Invest in breast pads. Oh the embarrassment if you don't!
Invest in nursing tops/tanks/bras. This will make things so much easier for you and baby will appreciate you being able to "whip it out" quickly in appropriate attire. :)
Appropriate latch is key. It is so important, as you will be in pain for weeks if they do not latch correctly right away. Ask for a visit from the lactation consultant at the hospital (especially if this is your first time to nurse.) to make sure. Baby's mouth should be wide open and getting a good amount of breast tissue (areola) on the underside of your nipple. You'll know right away if baby isn't latched correctly. If you feel pain, remove baby right away (this may mean gently inserting your pinky finger in baby's mouth to release your nipple) and try again. Hold baby close. Get as comfortable as you can and relax (this can be the hardest part. Don't watch the clock. Don't worry about anything else. Enjoy this bonding time with your love, it doesn't last forever.).
Listen to the sound of your baby swallowing to ensure they are getting what they need. Breast feeding takes time. I had to supplement once with each of our twins at the hospital because they were struggling with latching. Specifically on my left nipple. OUCH! It still hurts 18 days later. Be sure to eat well and drink a lot of water. I have found that drinking ice cold water while nursing helps defer pain when one of the twins is latching onto my left side. Luckily now, the pain is only with the initial latch, but WOWSER, it was like someone was taking a vice grip to my nipple and trying to rip it off!
As baby(ies) start to sleep for longer periods of time, you will begin to feel engorged/full. I find this a perfect time for pumping and storing. If you can pump enough to get relief and still nurse baby when he/she wakes, go for it! I've stored quite an amount of my liquid gold already, which will come in handy when I'm ready to go get a mani/pedi in a couple weeks...or go back to work for a few days to close out the school year.
Don't feel guilty if you have to supplement. Baby needs to eat. Keep trying if nursing is something that you really want to do. After the one supplemental bottle each twin received at the hospital, they latched on without any issues and have only received breast milk since. This isn't always the case with everyone. So many people are so quick to judge and delve out the advice on how to take care of YOUR baby. It is ultimately your decision and YOU as the mommy have the final say. There are so many reasons why some women can't nurse. Don't be quick to judge others. Don't let others make you feel guilty for decisions you make on raising your child. Period.
For those of you rock star moms that are using formula, this one's for you:
(10 things NOT to say to a formula feeding mom)
http://www.mommyish.com/2013/08/07/10-things-not-to-say-to-a-formula-feeding-mom/
Healing at home...
There are several things that I've learned since being home when it comes to healing after a c-section. First of all, in spite of the research I did, every experience is different and there are things not published that would have been very helpful. I'm going to take the liberty of posting the things I've learned in this post.
1. It is exciting to FINALLY be heading home post C-Section. What no one tells you is that the ride home may not be very exciting...every speedbump, turn, and pothole will be felt. The seat belt will rub your c-section incision and you'll have to loosen it to make it bearable. A pillow would have made it a lot easier, as I would have placed it between myself and the belt. My hubby (thankfully) drove slow, took turns at a snails pace (like the people we make fun of for their "grandma" driving regularly), and was aware of every bump and made every effort to "take it easy."
2. Avoid coughing, sneezing, or the hiccups at all costs! You know what, don't even laugh! My three year old was on a roll last week and had me laughing at him and it hurt! Seriously, keep a pillow nearby to press against your incision should the need to do one of these arises. It will relieve some of the blow!
3. This may be TMI, but ladies, you need to know, having your first bowel movement is going to be scary and uncomfortable. I recommend stool softeners. I would avoid any foods that may make you either constipated or gassy, at it could make for a more dramatic experience. It took me about three days to finally relieve myself...I'm not sure if it was because I couldn't go, or if it was all in my head (as if my insides were going to to erupt!).
4. DON'T overdo it! This means NO housework (ladies, this is your chance to get out of everything non-baby related! Take advantage!)! You will regret doing that load of laundry, emptying and reloading the dishwasher, or dusting the living room. You will feel it, and most likely, your blood flow will increase, which can both be scary and annoying, as it is supposed to improve daily not get worse...or in my case (I know...I know...) go away and come back in full force*! When a friend/family member offers to help LET THEM! We set up a meal calendar and had people sign up to drop off meals. My mom, mother in law, aunt, and cousin have been on a rotation to help out during the day while hubby is at work. What blessings each of them have been during this time!
5. DON'T SKIP YOUR PAIN MEDS! I repeat, DON'T SKIP YOUR PAIN MEDS! Especially in those first two weeks or so. You will have days that you feel almost normal and think, "I'll be okay not taking my pills for a few more hours." Ha! I tried that, it doesn't work! You need to stay ahead of your pain. It will take that much longer to get relief if you delay taking your meds "for a few more hours" because you feel better today than you did yesterday. You may be able to lessen the amount, but don't avoid them altogether.
6. Finally, don't expect to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight two weeks after delivery. You will have stretch marks (proud mama marks!) and tenderness around your incision and your ab muscles need time to return to their normal position (if they get there at all). You will not be able to start working out for some time. Months even. So go ahead and accept your fate. You will be rockin' the mom bod for a while, if not for the rest of forever...
*Be prepared with plenty of maxi pads post delivery unless your hubby knows exactly what you mean when you say you need more. If he comes back from the drug store with panty liners instead, try not to laugh too hard...or get too angry. :)
1. It is exciting to FINALLY be heading home post C-Section. What no one tells you is that the ride home may not be very exciting...every speedbump, turn, and pothole will be felt. The seat belt will rub your c-section incision and you'll have to loosen it to make it bearable. A pillow would have made it a lot easier, as I would have placed it between myself and the belt. My hubby (thankfully) drove slow, took turns at a snails pace (like the people we make fun of for their "grandma" driving regularly), and was aware of every bump and made every effort to "take it easy."
2. Avoid coughing, sneezing, or the hiccups at all costs! You know what, don't even laugh! My three year old was on a roll last week and had me laughing at him and it hurt! Seriously, keep a pillow nearby to press against your incision should the need to do one of these arises. It will relieve some of the blow!
3. This may be TMI, but ladies, you need to know, having your first bowel movement is going to be scary and uncomfortable. I recommend stool softeners. I would avoid any foods that may make you either constipated or gassy, at it could make for a more dramatic experience. It took me about three days to finally relieve myself...I'm not sure if it was because I couldn't go, or if it was all in my head (as if my insides were going to to erupt!).
4. DON'T overdo it! This means NO housework (ladies, this is your chance to get out of everything non-baby related! Take advantage!)! You will regret doing that load of laundry, emptying and reloading the dishwasher, or dusting the living room. You will feel it, and most likely, your blood flow will increase, which can both be scary and annoying, as it is supposed to improve daily not get worse...or in my case (I know...I know...) go away and come back in full force*! When a friend/family member offers to help LET THEM! We set up a meal calendar and had people sign up to drop off meals. My mom, mother in law, aunt, and cousin have been on a rotation to help out during the day while hubby is at work. What blessings each of them have been during this time!
5. DON'T SKIP YOUR PAIN MEDS! I repeat, DON'T SKIP YOUR PAIN MEDS! Especially in those first two weeks or so. You will have days that you feel almost normal and think, "I'll be okay not taking my pills for a few more hours." Ha! I tried that, it doesn't work! You need to stay ahead of your pain. It will take that much longer to get relief if you delay taking your meds "for a few more hours" because you feel better today than you did yesterday. You may be able to lessen the amount, but don't avoid them altogether.
6. Finally, don't expect to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight two weeks after delivery. You will have stretch marks (proud mama marks!) and tenderness around your incision and your ab muscles need time to return to their normal position (if they get there at all). You will not be able to start working out for some time. Months even. So go ahead and accept your fate. You will be rockin' the mom bod for a while, if not for the rest of forever...
*Be prepared with plenty of maxi pads post delivery unless your hubby knows exactly what you mean when you say you need more. If he comes back from the drug store with panty liners instead, try not to laugh too hard...or get too angry. :)
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