From Me to You: Tips For New Moms!

Are you a soon to be first time mom and freaking out? Heck, are you a second..or third..or fourth time mom and freaking out?   Well here are some tips to help you relax & put your mind at ease.

• If breast feeding. It will hurt. It will be stressful. DON'T give up! I wanted to quit multiple times with Madison but I stuck it out & we made it past a year! 

• White noise is your friend.  A sound machine, window fan, or the tv on static will help your baby sleep soundly. With two loud toddlers running around I have learned to use white noise more than ever to help the twins nap and sleep.

• You don't need to hold your baby all day long. It is okay to put them down. Not only will you be able to get stuff done but baby won't learn to rely on you holding him/her all. the. time.

• Start a night time routine in the hospital. We did this with the twins and they have been with out a doubt the best infant sleepers between all of our kiddos.

• Feed baby every two hours during the day. It will help establish a routine & you'll be sure they are getting enough food.

• Babies cry for a reason.  Diaper needs to be changed, they're hungry, they just want to be held, they're over stimulated, they're over tired, they have gas, they're constipated, they're teething...explore with your baby before letting them CIO.

• Don't panic. If you have checked your baby for all of the above in the last bullet and he/she is still crying and you're finding yourself frustrated; put baby in the crib & walk away for a little. Pull yourself together, count to 10, deep breathes, & go get your child. 

• Swaddle. Either learn to use swaddle blankets or purchase velcro swaddlers (like we did). I swaddle the twins during naps & at night for bed. Helping them feel tight & confined relaxes babies. 

• Newborns love black, white, & red objects! Print off a picture from the computer in black & white or purchase some infant play blocks. 

• Sleep when baby sleeps (if you have no other children). Get your rest when baby does! The dishes, laundry, & cleaning can wait.

• Rest when baby sleeps (if you have other children). It's hard to sleep when baby sleeps & watch your other children at the same time. So go ahead and sit on the sofa, put on your favorite tv show, and relax. You can still keep an eye on the other child(ren) while resting. 

Two Month Check-Up

MacKenzie

Height: 21 1/2in

Weight: 8lbs 4oz

Favorite Activity: Looking at mommy

Clothing Size: 0-3months

Diaper Size: Newborn

Sleep: 5hr stretch, Wake to eat, sleep for another 5hrs.

Riley

Height: 21 1/2in

Weight: 7lbs 1oz

Favorite Activity: Talking & Smiling to mommy

Clothing Size: Newborn

Diaper Size: Newborn

Sleep: same as MacKenzie 

Dr. Bista said both girls are perfect! Riley is my little munchkin compared to MacKenzie, love them! She prescribed stuff for the girls to help with their spitting up, after every feeding they both spew like yellow stone all over. They aren't fussy about it, it's not forced, & they have more then enough dirty diapers so  I am going to start logging the food I eat to see if anything is making this happen before giving them any meds. I already cut out broccoli & beans so they don't get gas, I also cut down on spicy foods too.

One Month Old!

Riley and MacKenzie are going to be a month old next week already. Where in world does the time go? Seriously. I feel like it's been just a week since they've been born. 

They are still in newborn clothing but are gaining great weight. 

I can see it in their faces already.

 They are eating constantly and I think are going through a growth spurt right now. 

Did I mention that they are waking once a night to eat?! Sometimes they'll wake and as soon as I lay them in bed with me to eat they pass out before I can even try.
They're staying awake for longer periods of time.

We have them on a good schedule that they are starting to get use to thankfully! 

The following are some photos of the girls recently:

Riley

MacKenzie

MacKenzie and Riley

Riley

MacKenzie and Riley

Riley

2 Week Check-Up

The girls went for their two week check-up today in Towanda with Dr. Bista. This is the first time meeting her & I must say she is a super nice lady. haha. I can also say that I will never again go by myself! Luke & Madison were with my parents so it was just me & the girls but it was still so stressful. Two naked, crying at the top of their lungs babies because they were hungry & wanted to sleep. 

The following are their current stats:

Riley Lynn

19.25" long

6lbs 1oz

No Vaccination

Breastfeeding like a champ

VitD Prescription

MacKenzie Rose

19.25" long

6lbs 3oz

No Vaccinations

Breastfeeding like a champ

VitD Prescription

The prescription is in liquid form to be inserted via mouth. Since they are being breastfed & were born early they need the extra vitamins. 

Both have been great sleepers at night. They will wake once (sometimes together, sometimes different) but once they wake to eat they tend to stay awake longer then we would like.  haha.  

They are in between preemie & newborn clothing.  Preemie onesies are too small but newborn jumpsuits are too big. 

They are also starting to have longer wake times during the day which means I get to see those pretty eyes. 

So far we are still taking it one day at a time. The house isn't as clean as it use to be & the dishes may pile up every few days but I get done what needs to be done. Happy kids, Happy husband, Happy mommy. 

Breastfeeding X2

The thought of breastfeeding twins is extremely intimidating. Not only do you have to worry about two babies latching on correctly but you also have to make sure your milk supply is good for two babies. With those two thoughts in your mind you then think about what positions you will feed the twins in & tandem feeding vs. single feeding. I've been through two weeks of bfing twins and the following are tips & tricks I learned so far.

• Get Support:  While at the hospital use the available resources, your nurses & lactation consultant.  They will be able to assist you with getting the babies to latch & get an understanding at which position works best for you and babies.

• Positive Thinking: It will be hard and you will (most likely) feel like quitting. DON'T! Stick with it, you can do it! Just tell yourself that and remind yourself that the babies are getting the best food available, your breast milk!

• Start at your own pace:  Tandem feeding will be the most convenient way to breastfeed your twins but you don't need to start like that! I started feeding my girls individually. It gave me the opportunity to see if the girls had a good latch & to help fix any problems that may have occurred. Once I felt the girls were comfortable with feeding & I felt confident I attempted to tandem feed. I currently do it once a day & will slowly work it into the rest of our feedings.

• One Wakes? Wake the other too: At night if one of the babies wakes up to eat wake the other up to eat as well. It will save you some sleep between feedings. 

• Relax: The more relaxed you are the easier it will be. Being stressed and getting all worked up will cause a stall in milk production. Babies can also sense your emotions which is why it is harder to settle a crying baby when you're crying too. Deep breaths and positive thoughts help with the let down of milk and calm the baby. 

• Accessorize: The my breast friend twin breastfeeding pillow, breast cream such as Lansinoh, nipple shields, and mother's milk tea are all things that will help you successfully breastfeed twins. I have yet to use the breast feeding pillow because I have yet to buy it but I do use the regular boppy pillow like this. I plan to purchase the twin pillow soon. 

• Drink Lots of Water: If you feel thirsty then you are already becoming dehydrated. Keep a bottle of water near every feeding spot you have. When it runs empty refill and restock!  

Week One!

A week has already gone by since the girls were born and a lot of stuff has been happening! 

I ended up with a spinal head ache and went to the ER to get a blood patch done. It worked to calm the main head ache but I will still on occasion get a head ache during the day, caffeine usually helps. 

The girls have been to the hospital in town three times since we have been home. All three visits were to get blood taken from one of their feet to test their bilirubin levels. MacKenzie's was high the first two times but thankfully they are both out of the "no-no zone" now. 

MacKenzie getting her foot pricked (slept right through it!)

The girls also had a check up with Dr. Wood on Wednesday (the day after we got home). MacKenzie weighed 5lbs 10oz and Riley weighed 5lbs 11oz, nothing to worry about since they both were giving me problems with eating. They are pro's at it now though! MacKenzie took a little longer to understand the breastfeeding thing but she has it down pat now. Riley has been a great from the start but will give me problems at night.

Sleep has been great as well. I figured out a routine that will allow us 4-5hrs of sleep before the girls wake up to eat & then another 2-3hrs of sleep before they are up for the day. I give them a bath at least an hour before we plan to go to bed, pj's, cuddles, feedings right before we go up to bed, & then swaddle!

Some of Peter's family from down state came up to visit so all six of us went to say hello and have dinner! The kids got to hang out and play with their cousins for a bit which was so nice. 

Luke on the far left and Madison on the far right

MacKenzie and Riley with two of their cousins

Mother's Day I spent with family. The below was my present from the kids & I love it!

So overall the first week has been very eventful and has kept us occupied! The girls have been happy & healthy, Luke and Madison have been great with them, and I'm adjusting well(:

Tips To Produce More Breast Milk

For a lot of ladies being able to produce more breast milk is mainly mind over matter. If you have faith, are confidant, and relaxed you will be able to produce more. Unlike those mom's I just mentioned others just aren't able to produce and need a little help (nothing wrong with that!).

Tips To Produce More Breast Milk

1. Nurse, Nurse, Nurse!

Infants won't overeat when they breastfeed. It's a supply & demand process. If baby is hungry or shows signs of hunger feed him/her! An infants suck is stronger then a pumps suck, they will have a better chance pulling more milk then a pump.

2. Pump

Pumping before or after a nursing session will help produce more milk as well. Just be careful not to trick your body into over supply. 

3. Relax

Make sure the environment you are in is relaxing. Infants can detect stress & will become stressed themselves. If you have other children it may be difficult but try to give them a toy to play with or something to distract them. 

4. Lactation Cookies

A recipe such as these are yummy! Eating these cookies give you the nutrition you need to support your supply. It's recommended to eat one or two cookies a day.

5. Tea

Milkmaid Tea like this is a great way to increase supply. I find that a lot of the milkmaid tea's have horrible flavor but this brand is delicious. 

7. Diet

Adding 500 calories to your diet is recommended for breastfeeding mothers. Eating healthy won't only help your supply but it will make you feel better as well! 

8. Herbs

Fenugreek is always a GREAT way to increase supply, 2 tablets three times a day. Beware though, it does transfer into your milk and often gives infants gas. So if you start taking this and baby becomes restless and gassy this may be why.

Added by the readers:

9. Water
Keeping hydrated is a great way to keep milk production up. Drink, drink, drink!

10. Skin to Skin Contact