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Multiples
So nervous!
My sister just had her baby this past Sunday, and she is having such a tough time with everything. She's freaking out and crying all of the time worrying that she's a horrible mother, and I keep trying to reassure her and tell her that it's only been a few days and that there is a ton of adjusting for her to do and new things for her to learn, all while surviving on just a couple of hours of sleep a night. I tell her that she's doing great, and once she starts pumping and her H can do some nighttime feedings things will get easier.
That being said, now I'm freaking out! It's been so hard for she and the baby to figure out breastfeeding and it's still not going great. He sleeps during the day and is up a lot at night. Friends of hers just pop by unannounced all the time (which I've already told H will not happen - people need to call first and see if it's okay to come by). They're having such a hard time figuring things out, and that's just with ONE baby. How the heck are we going to do this with two? What if they both have problems latching? My sister is feeding the baby and starting on one breast and moving to the other in the same feeding - if I have two I figured each gets one, will that be enough for them? I'm very happy that we're having twins, but it's just so scary. Being a first time parent is so difficult anyway, and now we'll be doing it with two babies.
I just needed to vent, and I'm sure (or at least, I hope) that all of you had these same thoughts and it's normal.
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Re: So nervous!
Yes, it's completely normal to freak out a bit. Two babies is a lot of work! But I wouldn't freak yourself out too much. Just because your sister is having a difficult time adjusting does not mean you will as well. Also, those first couple weeks PP can be a roller-coaster because of hormones doing all sorts of crazy things, so your sister may level out soon.
I BF my girls as well and at times I do need to supplement with formula because the milk in one boob is not enough. It's okay if you need to do that. You will figure it out and you'll be fine!
I totally agree with the hormone roller coaster. After my son was born we struggled for a few days to get BFing down and I was a wreck during those days. But all of a sudden out of the blue we were on a good routine and having NO problems. It was a breeze from there. You'll do what you have to do to make sure your babies are fed, even if that means supplementing - you certainly aren't a bad parent for doing that!
Try to enjoy your pregnancy....I'm hoping you feel good at this point. Embrace that, because the last few weeks aren't any fun.
Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own. (Matthew 6:34)
Thanks! I told my sister the same thing - if she needs to use formula once in a while or ends up not getting breastfeeding down, at least she tried. I told her to set small goals (get through today, then this week, etc) that seem more manageable. But it just seems so overwhelming!
I'm feeling pretty good now, except for being pretty tired. I'm planning on spending as much time as I can with them to help cook, clean, watch the baby so they can nap, whatever I can while I'm feeling good. Hopefully that will help them out, and help me learn some tricks for when mine are here.
*hugs to you and your sister* I remember the hormone roller coaster. It was rough!
The first few weeks were nothing but figuring things out and survival. Don't worry momma, you will be great!
I am EBFing my twin boys. We do tandem feeding with the Ez2 nurse pillow which saves a HUGE amount of time. When we are out I feed them one at a time to keep them happy and just make sure to get in a really good nursing when we get home. While it was difficult at first, we have all found our groove.
The first month I was just nursing each baby on one side, and then starting them on opposite breasts the next feeding (so one breast doesn't get more stimulation than the other and I end up with lopsided boobs...just what I need :-). The boys didn't seem like they were getting enough though. They would eat well, then be hungry in two hours which was less than ideal. I did some "research" on Youtube and found a MoM who suggested nursing the babes for 10-15 minutes and then burping/switching breasts for the rest of the feeding. This advice was gold! The twins finally started going 3-3 1/2 hours between feedings, and giving me 5 and 6 hour stretches of sleep at night. Hope this helps. You CAN do it!