Mom of Multiples (MoM) Check-In - March/April

Re: Mom of Multiples (MoM) Check-In - March/April

• Options

  direwolfmini member

  March 2017

  As for the direwolfmini family, we're doing ok.
  
  Go to Gear:
  Baby Brezza Firmula Pro (baby bottle keurig)
  Twin Z pillow
  cloth diapers as burp cloths (so absorbant!!)
  Rock n Plays (seriously, I could have skipped every other Baby device...)
  
  Sweet deals: If you are formula feeding (or supplementing) you can get free formula from Enfamil or similac. Your Pedi should have a form to fill out. I just got two cases of Enfamil in the mail. I haven't tried to get similac, bc I don't want to mix formulas but I know they have a similar program.
  
  Cute baby outfits: So, it turns out that my babies are vastly different sizes/builds. Luke has been in 3 month clothes for several weeks and Is about 2 lbs bigger than Ben! Ben is just growing out of newborn clothes now. I had to return so many matching outfits to get split sizes. Luke is also too big for the newborn insert in his car seat, so that has been removed.
  
  Etc: I'm doing ok. I came to terms with the fact that I will never have the supply to breastfeed the twins exclusively. I have about 1/2 a supply to sustain one baby, so that was a bit of a devastating blow. I decided to keep pumping. I have IGT (not enough glandular tissue to produce milk) and have a slow refill rate. Basically, I have a smaller capacity AND refill very slowly. It takes about 6 hours for me to
  completely refill to capacity. Rather than killing myself to pump 8-10 x a day I'm pumping 5-7 x a day and I feel good about that (and getting the same number of ounces, go figure) 
  
  I started the whole 30 diet this week. Another thing I learned is that with my low supply I don't need to eat like I'm exclusively breastfeeding... I gained 5 lbs in my first weeks home from the hospital... I've already lost a couple of lbs and am feeling good! 
  
  I hope to hear from the rest of you!!
  

  Report0 Reply
• Options

  AandDM2014 member

  April 2017

  So, how are YOU doing? How are the babies? How is your SO handling the madness?
  I'm doing pretty darn well every thing considered! I'm able to shower as often as I want, we have help every day if we want it, and I haven't really had to cook a proper meal since they all came home. I think DH is handling it quite well. There was one night early on when I just sort of refused to wake for their feeding, so I had to do it all myself, and then pump for 30 minutes. Yeah, I was pretty pissed, but it only happened once. Mostly though he has been great, even surprising me a bit by doing things like bottle washing and prep without me even asking!
  
  Are there any must-have baby items you swear by?
  The babies love to be put in the Moby wrap when they're being fuss buckets. We also really like the velcro swaddlers and bought preemie ones because the size small were too big, even though we'll likely only use them for a few weeks.
  
  We've been using flour sack towels as our burp cloths and they've been great. They're white so bleachable if need be, but they're nice and big so we can make sure we get all the spills. Plus they're super cheap at WalMart.
  
  Oh, and using our pull out couch in the family room to put the babies on during the day has been so nice! Since they aren't rolling yet we don't have to worry much about them falling off, and they are within easy reach and at a height where it's easy to keep an eye on them.
  
  Have you gotten any sweet deals or freebies for multiple births?
  Not yet. We see the pedi next week and I will ask him about formula then.
  
  Any cute multiple baby outfits you love? 
  We haven't really bought any matching ones. I don't plan to dress them alike since to me they're just siblings who happened to grow in me at the same time.
  
  Frustrations? Accomplishments? Need advice? 
  I'm still not in love with pumping, but I make more than half of what they currently need each day, so I've got a nice freezer stash going. It's maybe 50 ounces, but considering I didn't think I'd make any milk I'd say that's a big win! We just met with an LC on Thursday and she had some great advice (and some not great advice like don't let them cry too much but don't use a pacifier) and gave me nipple shields which let all three babies latch! They aren't yet good at getting milk out (C got 15mLs, E got 20mLs and I got 40mLs when they all eat 60 per feeding) but hopefully with some practice they'll get better and we can maybe drop some pumps. On Wednesday Edith moved up from preemie diapers to newborn ones!
  
  All three seem to think that the middle of the night is a great time to be fussy. I think they've learned that it means they'll get put in bed with mom and dad for the rest of the night. So yes, we co-sleep basically every morning with all three of them.
  
  We're going against the recommended feeding schedule and letting them decide when they eat. If it means they go 4-5 hours in the middle of the night without a feed, that means WE get extra sleep, and that makes everyone happier. We do feed about every 3 hours during the day, so I don't feel at all bad about not doing that at night.
  
  I hope all you ladies are doing good!
  
  @direwolfmini I'm sorry to hear about the disappointment of not being able to eb. I totally get that, especially after seeing the LC and knowing how poorly they actually do with breastfeeding. I'm glad that you've come to terms with it though! I also don't worry much about pumping every 2 or even 3 hours. I almost always skip a pump in the middle of the night and don't regret the extra sleep, especially since I get how much I would have if I pumped twice when I pump just once.

  About us:
  Me - 28, Lean PCOS
  DH - 31
  Married June 2010, TTC since March 2014
  Blog: ourbinarystar.com
  
  FET cycle #3 Transfer July 28th 2016, Triplets born healthy on February 26th 2017 at 33w1d!
  
  

  Report1 Reply