Comments on: Features http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com Moms of Multiples Tell it Like it Is Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:59:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Sarah http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2725 Sarah Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:58:32 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2725 HELP!!! I'm a first time mom who is wondering how to transition my 4 1/2 month old boys from four naps to two or even three naps a day. They become fussy and inconsolable within 1 1/2-2 hours after their first four feedings of the day. Once they are put down, they take great 1 1/2-2 hour naps, with the exception of after their 3:30 feeding. They usually only nap 45 minutes and then are up until their 7 pm feeding. It seems this last nap could be eliminated but they become overtired and extremely cranky whenever we've tried to do this. If I sit and occupy their EVERY moment from 3:30-7, I've managed to keep them up and prevent them from continuously crying but this is obviously not a rational decision! They are great sleepers at night, going down from 10-6, but I have heard that eventually they will even sleep from 8-6ish. Does this come with fewer naps in the day? I'm just a little confused on how to make this transition without messing up our whole schedule or to know if they are even ready to make this transition. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you can give me! HELP!!! I’m a first time mom who is wondering how to transition my 4 1/2 month old boys from four naps to two or even three naps a day. They become fussy and inconsolable within 1 1/2-2 hours after their first four feedings of the day. Once they are put down, they take great 1 1/2-2 hour naps, with the exception of after their 3:30 feeding. They usually only nap 45 minutes and then are up until their 7 pm feeding. It seems this last nap could be eliminated but they become overtired and extremely cranky whenever we’ve tried to do this. If I sit and occupy their EVERY moment from 3:30-7, I’ve managed to keep them up and prevent them from continuously crying but this is obviously not a rational decision! They are great sleepers at night, going down from 10-6, but I have heard that eventually they will even sleep from 8-6ish. Does this come with fewer naps in the day? I’m just a little confused on how to make this transition without messing up our whole schedule or to know if they are even ready to make this transition. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you can give me!

]]> By: TwinMommy http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2503 TwinMommy Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:08:39 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2503 Can you please take a poll on how many MOMs work outside the house AND how they handle it? I've been back at work for 3 weeks now and I flip flop about how I feel about it almost every day! Today I want to be a sahm but yesterday I was happy that I am successful at my job. Help! Can you please take a poll on how many MOMs work outside the house AND how they handle it? I’ve been back at work for 3 weeks now and I flip flop about how I feel about it almost every day! Today I want to be a sahm but yesterday I was happy that I am successful at my job.
Help!

]]> By: mommamiriam http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2430 mommamiriam Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:12:20 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2430 I am hoping that the collective mother of twins wisdom on this site will help me decide if I should persist with trying to exclusively (or mostly) breastfeed my twin boys or accept that I can't and look for other options. I don’t want to face the heartbreak of giving up something so important to me without seeing if there is anything else I could be doing differently. But I don't want to keep believing I will be able to do something that may not be possible and is hard on my family and my babies. I am in my 10th week of trying to exclusively breastfeed my preemie twin boys, and I am wondering if I will ever be able to make enough milk for them. My babies were born at 5 lbs each at 34.5 weeks and spent 7 days in the NICU getting tube fed and bottles (with some breastmilk that I pumped in the hospital.) After working with a local LC, one baby has been bare breastfeeding (without nipple shields) for about 6 weeks and one for 3 weeks, but they are just getting stronger at nursing now. I have been breastfeeding (initially with nipple shields for only a few minutes at a time), supplementing with bottles, and pumping after almost every feeding since we all got home from the hospital. But with bottle supplements (a mix of formula and breastmilk) and help from family visitors, it has been a challenge to even get 8 feedings in a day. Even now with 8 semi-scheduled feedings a day, we sometimes go longer than 3 hours more than once at night and sometimes during the day. Over the past two weeks, I tried to reduce the bottle supplements during the day with the advice of a local LC, and the babies cried more and needed more soothing. But I thought it was just a matter of time before their nursing demand would bring in more milk. However, when I went to the pediatrician last week, she said they were “falling off the growth chart,” and I needed to supplement them more not less. They were close to 8 lbs at 10 weeks. The baby who had been nursing longer had grown 9 oz in two weeks and the other had only grown 5 oz. I am now breastfeeding them 8 times a day and supplementing with 60 ml bottles afterwards 6 times a day. The LC has recommended skipping bottles twice a day, bringing more fussing, which I can hardly imagine continuing much longer. I am afraid that this much supplementation (still a mix of breast milk and formula) will make it even harder for me to exclusively or even mostly breastfeed them. I have worked really hard to get the babies to nurse, but I have only had them on only breastmilk for a week here an there. But the LC and pediatrician have said that having babies who were bigger and stronger would help bring in more milk. I have pumped 6-8 times a day with a Symphony pump, but that has not brought in enough milk for two babies without the help of strong nursers. I am taking 10 ml domperidone 4x a day and herbal teas, which haven’t made a dramatic difference in supply so far. I want to have realistic expectations about breastfeeding my babies, but I also don’t want to give up too soon. Does anyone know if you can still develop a full supply this late in the game? If so, what could I do differently while still feeding my babies enough? Thanks for any shared advice or experience, Momma Miriam I am hoping that the collective mother of twins wisdom on this site will help me decide if I should persist with trying to exclusively (or mostly) breastfeed my twin boys or accept that I can’t and look for other options. I don’t want to face the heartbreak of giving up something so important to me without seeing if there is anything else I could be doing differently. But I don’t want to keep believing I will be able to do something that may not be possible and is hard on my family and my babies.

I am in my 10th week of trying to exclusively breastfeed my preemie twin boys, and I am wondering if I will ever be able to make enough milk for them. My babies were born at 5 lbs each at 34.5 weeks and spent 7 days in the NICU getting tube fed and bottles (with some breastmilk that I pumped in the hospital.) After working with a local LC, one baby has been bare breastfeeding (without nipple shields) for about 6 weeks and one for 3 weeks, but they are just getting stronger at nursing now.

I have been breastfeeding (initially with nipple shields for only a few minutes at a time), supplementing with bottles, and pumping after almost every feeding since we all got home from the hospital. But with bottle supplements (a mix of formula and breastmilk) and help from family visitors, it has been a challenge to even get 8 feedings in a day. Even now with 8 semi-scheduled feedings a day, we sometimes go longer than 3 hours more than once at night and sometimes during the day.

Over the past two weeks, I tried to reduce the bottle supplements during the day with the advice of a local LC, and the babies cried more and needed more soothing. But I thought it was just a matter of time before their nursing demand would bring in more milk. However, when I went to the pediatrician last week, she said they were “falling off the growth chart,” and I needed to supplement them more not less. They were close to 8 lbs at 10 weeks. The baby who had been nursing longer had grown 9 oz in two weeks and the other had only grown 5 oz.

I am now breastfeeding them 8 times a day and supplementing with 60 ml bottles afterwards 6 times a day. The LC has recommended skipping bottles twice a day, bringing more fussing, which I can hardly imagine continuing much longer. I am afraid that this much supplementation (still a mix of breast milk and formula) will make it even harder for me to exclusively or even mostly breastfeed them.

I have worked really hard to get the babies to nurse, but I have only had them on only breastmilk for a week here an there. But the LC and pediatrician have said that having babies who were bigger and stronger would help bring in more milk. I have pumped 6-8 times a day with a Symphony pump, but that has not brought in enough milk for two babies without the help of strong nursers. I am taking 10 ml domperidone 4x a day and herbal teas, which haven’t made a dramatic difference in supply so far.

I want to have realistic expectations about breastfeeding my babies, but I also don’t want to give up too soon. Does anyone know if you can still develop a full supply this late in the game? If so, what could I do differently while still feeding my babies enough?

Thanks for any shared advice or experience,

Momma Miriam

]]> By: Josy http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2374 Josy Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:37:52 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2374 Hi, I have a nap advice question: my five month old twin girls are sleeping pretty good at night now, waking to b/f only twice in the night but the naps are all over the place! they always seem to wake at the 45 minute mark and only a few times do they go back to sleep. I have let them cry up to an hour after waking up (what the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby suggested) and they hardly ever go back to sleep. So they aren't rested and can barely handle being awake for an hour before they need another nap. Its frustrating b/c I feel really tied down to staying at home and getting all these short naps out of them but it would be so much nicer to take my older kids to the park or somewhere else, if the babies would wake from a good 1 to 2 hour nap and I could plan on leaving for an outing with everybody rested. Any thoughts on how to get a longer nap to happen? Thanks!! Hi,
I have a nap advice question: my five month old twin girls are sleeping pretty good at night now, waking to b/f only twice in the night but the naps are all over the place! they always seem to wake at the 45 minute mark and only a few times do they go back to sleep. I have let them cry up to an hour after waking up (what the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby suggested) and they hardly ever go back to sleep. So they aren’t rested and can barely handle being awake for an hour before they need another nap. Its frustrating b/c I feel really tied down to staying at home and getting all these short naps out of them but it would be so much nicer to take my older kids to the park or somewhere else, if the babies would wake from a good 1 to 2 hour nap and I could plan on leaving for an outing with everybody rested.
Any thoughts on how to get a longer nap to happen?
Thanks!!

]]> By: jannaholm http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2290 jannaholm Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:36:10 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2290 Camping w/ twins? They'll be five months old the end of August and we're going tent camping. Any advice, recommendations, etc... GREATLY appreciated! Thank you! Camping w/ twins?
They’ll be five months old the end of August and we’re going tent camping. Any advice, recommendations, etc… GREATLY appreciated!
Thank you!

]]> By: Nancy http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2264 Nancy Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:35:15 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2264 I have 16month g/b twins. i am looking for help at bedtime and sleeping schedules. Just after their first birthday, we moved. Before that, we had one crib in our room and one in their room. They always slept in the crib(in both rooms). In the new house, we put both cribs in their room, thinking they would go to sleep in their cribs. They are sleeping longer and some nights, they will sleep all night long. More often in the last few weeks, g and/or b will wake up in the middle of the night and my husband or I will just put them in bed with us. In the morning I might have two extra in the bed. I must note that my husband goes to work by 6am. He uaually is up by 4am to prepare and sometimes will bring to our bed a child or both before he leaves. I have been trying to set a schedule for bedtime, but i work full time outside the home and the evenings are not always well planned out. Bedtime could be anywhere between 8pm and 11pm. I don't want them going to bed with a bottle/sippy cup in their crib. We usually start out on my bed w/ a sippy cup of milk and cuddle, read, listen to music until they fall asleep. Then I will move them to their crib. I have been doing research on my own on co-sleeping and other sleep schedules for toddlers, but would like some real world experience/advice. Thank you. I have 16month g/b twins. i am looking for help at bedtime and sleeping schedules. Just after their first birthday, we moved. Before that, we had one crib in our room and one in their room. They always slept in the crib(in both rooms). In the new house, we put both cribs in their room, thinking they would go to sleep in their cribs.
They are sleeping longer and some nights, they will sleep all night long. More often in the last few weeks, g and/or b will wake up in the middle of the night and my husband or I will just put them in bed with us. In the morning I might have two extra in the bed. I must note that my husband goes to work by 6am. He uaually is up by 4am to prepare and sometimes will bring to our bed a child or both before he leaves.
I have been trying to set a schedule for bedtime, but i work full time outside the home and the evenings are not always well planned out. Bedtime could be anywhere between 8pm and 11pm. I don’t want them going to bed with a bottle/sippy cup in their crib. We usually start out on my bed w/ a sippy cup of milk and cuddle, read, listen to music until they fall asleep. Then I will move them to their crib. I have been doing research on my own on co-sleeping and other sleep schedules for toddlers, but would like some real world experience/advice.
Thank you.

]]> By: Brandi http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2253 Brandi Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:20:34 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2253 Question for the experts on feeding & bedtime... I have 4 month old b/b twins who would be content going to bed around 7:30pm. However, they simply haven't had enough to eat for the day by then and still need 1 more feeding. We have been pretty much letting them set their feeding schedule from day 1. They are currently content eating about 5-6oz five times a day (for a total of 25-30oz.) They currently weigh 13 & 15lbs. The problem is that they want to eat about every 4 hours throughout the day. We wake them up at 7am for their first meal then they eat at 11, 3, and 6:30. At which point they have had 4 feedings for a total of 20-24 oz. We would put them to bed after that 6:30 feeding, but they simply haven't eaten enough. They aren't interested in eating more per feeding, nor do they want to eat any more frequently. So what we end up doing is letting them fall asleep in their bouncy seats around 7:30 and catnap on and off until 9:30 or 10 when we feed them again (typically only 4 oz, and sometimes getting them to stay awake through that is super tough). But 20-24 oz for kiddos that weight 13-15lbs just doesn't seem like enough. Bless their little hearts if we put them to bed at 7:30pm they still sleep until we wake them up at 7am the next morning. So should we just give up on this late night feeding and put them to bed? Or should we keep it up until they are eating more during the day? Question for the experts on feeding & bedtime… I have 4 month old b/b twins who would be content going to bed around 7:30pm. However, they simply haven’t had enough to eat for the day by then and still need 1 more feeding.

We have been pretty much letting them set their feeding schedule from day 1. They are currently content eating about 5-6oz five times a day (for a total of 25-30oz.) They currently weigh 13 & 15lbs. The problem is that they want to eat about every 4 hours throughout the day. We wake them up at 7am for their first meal then they eat at 11, 3, and 6:30. At which point they have had 4 feedings for a total of 20-24 oz. We would put them to bed after that 6:30 feeding, but they simply haven’t eaten enough. They aren’t interested in eating more per feeding, nor do they want to eat any more frequently. So what we end up doing is letting them fall asleep in their bouncy seats around 7:30 and catnap on and off until 9:30 or 10 when we feed them again (typically only 4 oz, and sometimes getting them to stay awake through that is super tough). But 20-24 oz for kiddos that weight 13-15lbs just doesn’t seem like enough.

Bless their little hearts if we put them to bed at 7:30pm they still sleep until we wake them up at 7am the next morning. So should we just give up on this late night feeding and put them to bed? Or should we keep it up until they are eating more during the day?

]]> By: Nicole http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2191 Nicole Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:52:10 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2191 Hey! I have g/g 4month olds! They are getting to the point where they are no longer content laying down on a pallet and playing during the day. They want to be moving, but they don't like the confinement of the walker or the jump and go. They prefer being walked around the house. Does anyone have any suggestions? We have been trying to work on fine motor and gross motor skills on the pallet, but they are not as satisfied. Thanks! Hey! I have g/g 4month olds! They are getting to the point where they are no longer content laying down on a pallet and playing during the day. They want to be moving, but they don’t like the confinement of the walker or the jump and go. They prefer being walked around the house. Does anyone have any suggestions? We have been trying to work on fine motor and gross motor skills on the pallet, but they are not as satisfied. Thanks!

]]> By: Maren http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-2168 Maren Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:25:00 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-2168 HELP! How do you breastfeed twins in public? Or do I just stay trapped in my house for a year? My twins eat every 2-2.5 hours during the day, so I've only been out to take a quick walk around the neighborhood or a quick trip to Target. And I bought nursing bras and they are super uncomfortable. Any recommendations for nursing bras that are comfy and not too expensive? HELP!
How do you breastfeed twins in public? Or do I just stay trapped in my house for a year? My twins eat every 2-2.5 hours during the day, so I’ve only been out to take a quick walk around the neighborhood or a quick trip to Target.
And I bought nursing bras and they are super uncomfortable. Any recommendations for nursing bras that are comfy and not too expensive?

]]> By: Nicole http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/features/#comment-1822 Nicole Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:33:16 +0000 http://howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com/?page_id=13#comment-1822 Hello, lovely Mommies! Im wondering about cloth diapers. I'd love to try them, but am overwhelmed by all the different options out there. Have you ever used cloth diapers? Can you recommend top brands to me? Hello, lovely Mommies!
Im wondering about cloth diapers. I’d love to try them, but am overwhelmed by all the different options out there. Have you ever used cloth diapers? Can you recommend top brands to me?

]]>