Poor kid. There you are changing a diaper, feeding a baby, etc., when the inevitable happens. The other twin starts to cry. Whether for some unknown reason, or they have fallen over and bumped their heads, the wailing begins. Do you rush over right away like the mother of just one child? Do you set your toddler down and rush over like a mother with older children? Or, do you just yell across the room, "I'm Sorry!" as you finish the task at hand. If you are the mother of twin is is likely the last option. Unless you are an octopus with extendable arms this may become one of your most used phrases.
But, I believe that the use of this phrase has created somewhat patient little babes (I know, I know - I am not yet at the terrible twos). After months of yelling "I'm Sorry" across the room and feeling just awful, the other twin will now come over and just rest their head on my leg or knee until I am done.
I'm telling you, this twin raising thing definitly has some perks.
oops...got to run... my twins are screaming their heads off upstairs refusing to nap. Oh well. I can't win them all.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Diapering Twins on the Cheap
The doctor tells you those two little kidney beans on the screen are twins. Whoa! How exciting! Two babies to love, to snuggle, and kiss, and feed… and clothe……and…oh God…diaper. Two babies to diaper at the same time. “Doctor, are you sure?”
I think one of the scariest thoughts about having twins is the amount of diapers you will need. As you peruse the diaper aisles and read your baby books, you slowly come to the realization that you will be spending THOUSANDS of dollars on diapers alone. Yes, thousands and thousands.
What I haven’t yet told you is that not only am I a stay at home mother, but I am married to a math teacher. Yes, that’s right. Math teacher = underpaid, hardworking, wonderful man. Oh, where was I… Right. Thousands of dollars.
My boys are now 11 months old and I have spent maybe 300 dollars total on disposable diapers. Huh? Now here’s the crazy part. If my youngest twin didn’t have such sensitive skin – that figure could be less than $100.
The answer is cloth diapering. The secret to cheap diapering is to buy used cloth diapers on Craigslist, and then reselling them when you are done. I have to admit that cloth diapering is not for everyone. If you are freaked out by poop, then you have no hope. Me, I sing songs about poop all the time, so it is no big deal. (Bumgenius makes a fabulous hose that attaches to your toilet to blast all that poo right down the drain.)
Here is a breakdown of how I did it. Feel free to comment if you need more details.
0-4 months
I bought 40 Kissaluvs contours and 6 x-small Thirsties covers from a fellow twin mother for $200. I resold them as two sets for $100 each.
4-11 months
I bought 40 Crickett’s newborn sized diapers and 6 small Thirsties off Craigslist for $300. (I am currently washing them to resell for the same price).
11 months +
I just bought (gulp) $600 worth of Bumgenius diapers (60 diapers) from two ladies on Craigslist. I think I bought too many, but I plan to sell all the pink ones I got right away. The rest I will sell when I am done.
Ta da! In the end I will have paid NOTHING (or close to it). The reason I have spent $300 in disposables is because I use them at night. Otherwise my little man gets a rash. Oh, and he requires expensive, hypoallergenic, disposable diapers. He would make it cost me something!
I think one of the scariest thoughts about having twins is the amount of diapers you will need. As you peruse the diaper aisles and read your baby books, you slowly come to the realization that you will be spending THOUSANDS of dollars on diapers alone. Yes, thousands and thousands.
What I haven’t yet told you is that not only am I a stay at home mother, but I am married to a math teacher. Yes, that’s right. Math teacher = underpaid, hardworking, wonderful man. Oh, where was I… Right. Thousands of dollars.
My boys are now 11 months old and I have spent maybe 300 dollars total on disposable diapers. Huh? Now here’s the crazy part. If my youngest twin didn’t have such sensitive skin – that figure could be less than $100.
The answer is cloth diapering. The secret to cheap diapering is to buy used cloth diapers on Craigslist, and then reselling them when you are done. I have to admit that cloth diapering is not for everyone. If you are freaked out by poop, then you have no hope. Me, I sing songs about poop all the time, so it is no big deal. (Bumgenius makes a fabulous hose that attaches to your toilet to blast all that poo right down the drain.)
Here is a breakdown of how I did it. Feel free to comment if you need more details.
0-4 months
I bought 40 Kissaluvs contours and 6 x-small Thirsties covers from a fellow twin mother for $200. I resold them as two sets for $100 each.
4-11 months
I bought 40 Crickett’s newborn sized diapers and 6 small Thirsties off Craigslist for $300. (I am currently washing them to resell for the same price).
11 months +
I just bought (gulp) $600 worth of Bumgenius diapers (60 diapers) from two ladies on Craigslist. I think I bought too many, but I plan to sell all the pink ones I got right away. The rest I will sell when I am done.
Ta da! In the end I will have paid NOTHING (or close to it). The reason I have spent $300 in disposables is because I use them at night. Otherwise my little man gets a rash. Oh, and he requires expensive, hypoallergenic, disposable diapers. He would make it cost me something!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
You put your right breast in, you put you right breast out….
Figuring out how to breastfeed two babies simultaneously feels like trying to get two limp wet noodles to act like…I don’t know…non-wet-noodles? Let’s just say that the rules for breastfeeding one baby are pretty much out. Before the boys came I read all about how to co-feed two babies. Looked easy enough…. But, none of the books mentioned how to do the positions with two babies that lack the ability to hold up their heads. It took an EZ-2-Nurse pillow and a lot of blankets to get them into place.
There is a photo of me in the hospital with two babies nursing in the football position. I have the most naive smile on my face. That hospital bed must have been magic, because it was never that easy again.
I am not trying to depress you. But, I do think that learning to breastfeed twins was by far THE hardest and most emotionally trying time for me. Did it ever get easier? Yes. I did need help getting them in position for the first six weeks. But, once their heads were stronger I could manage it on my own.
Here are my stages of feeding:
1. Football hold on the EZ-2-Nurse pillow (that lasted a few days).
2. One baby in the football hold, the second in the traditional cradle hold. The baby in the cradle hold had its feet down the hole between my stomach and the nursing pillow. (This lasted until 6-8 weeks).
3. Double cradle hold (11 months and counting!)
Double cradle hold:
At first I had to figure out how to position the babies by myself. I would lay each baby on the couch on either side of me. Then, I would put the EZ-2-Nurse pillow in my lap. I would place each baby onto the pillow, slide their legs into the hole between the pillow and my stomach and Voila(!) - double cradle hold with elbows supported by my pillow. As time progressed, I was able to push the pillow away, and then stop using the pillow all together. My boys refuse to nurse together anymore during the day. But, at night, it is just the three of us.
Did I mention they hold hands?
(Thanks to my sister for her amazing photo of me: http://sammisofties.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html)
There is a photo of me in the hospital with two babies nursing in the football position. I have the most naive smile on my face. That hospital bed must have been magic, because it was never that easy again.
I am not trying to depress you. But, I do think that learning to breastfeed twins was by far THE hardest and most emotionally trying time for me. Did it ever get easier? Yes. I did need help getting them in position for the first six weeks. But, once their heads were stronger I could manage it on my own.
Here are my stages of feeding:
1. Football hold on the EZ-2-Nurse pillow (that lasted a few days).
2. One baby in the football hold, the second in the traditional cradle hold. The baby in the cradle hold had its feet down the hole between my stomach and the nursing pillow. (This lasted until 6-8 weeks).
3. Double cradle hold (11 months and counting!)
Double cradle hold:
At first I had to figure out how to position the babies by myself. I would lay each baby on the couch on either side of me. Then, I would put the EZ-2-Nurse pillow in my lap. I would place each baby onto the pillow, slide their legs into the hole between the pillow and my stomach and Voila(!) - double cradle hold with elbows supported by my pillow. As time progressed, I was able to push the pillow away, and then stop using the pillow all together. My boys refuse to nurse together anymore during the day. But, at night, it is just the three of us.
(Thanks to my sister for her amazing photo of me: http://sammisofties.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Twins Sharing One Crib
OK. So, I bought two cribs. One sits next to my bed. The other.... well, let's just say it has a nice layer of dust on it. It sits in their equally dusty nursery that my parents worked so hard to finish before the boys were born. Sorry Mom and Dad.
My boys are almost 11 months now, and they still fit well in one crib. I have heard some mothers of twins say they only kept their twins together for three or four months until the twins started rolling into each other. My boys started waking each other up about that time too. My solution was to lay them at opposite ends of the crib- feet to feet. It worked for me, but all babies are different.
Funny thing is they have suddenly started squirming back together the last two weeks. Last night I went to bed to see them lying side by side with their butts in the air. So cute. What made it even cuter was that they were also holding hands. Now, that is something only a mother of twins gets to enjoy.
My boys are almost 11 months now, and they still fit well in one crib. I have heard some mothers of twins say they only kept their twins together for three or four months until the twins started rolling into each other. My boys started waking each other up about that time too. My solution was to lay them at opposite ends of the crib- feet to feet. It worked for me, but all babies are different.
Funny thing is they have suddenly started squirming back together the last two weeks. Last night I went to bed to see them lying side by side with their butts in the air. So cute. What made it even cuter was that they were also holding hands. Now, that is something only a mother of twins gets to enjoy.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Your Cup Runneth Over....My Pump Runs Dry
I am now sitting at my computer ten months after my babies were born. In my freezer lay 5 little plastic baggies with 1.5 ounces of breast milk in each one. 7.5 ounces. That was all I ever managed to get. And that does not include all the empty bags that ended up in the trash after nothing came out.
Unless you have super boobs, do not expect a bountiful supply of excess milk in your freezer when you have twins. Your twins will suck you dry.
Yesterday we went to the doctor, and my boys' weights had fallen. We were advised to supplement. It is like going full circle. We supplemented the first few weeks they were here, and now we are back at it again.
We decided to start with their last feed of the day. Lately it has taken so long that I am kind of glad to give it up. The result? One happy daddy who now gets a chance to feed a tired, snuggly baby. And, one happy mommy whose babies didn't spend a half hour each trying to get the last few drops out.
Now I just need to get that bottle drying rack back from my sister in law.....
Unless you have super boobs, do not expect a bountiful supply of excess milk in your freezer when you have twins. Your twins will suck you dry.
Yesterday we went to the doctor, and my boys' weights had fallen. We were advised to supplement. It is like going full circle. We supplemented the first few weeks they were here, and now we are back at it again.
We decided to start with their last feed of the day. Lately it has taken so long that I am kind of glad to give it up. The result? One happy daddy who now gets a chance to feed a tired, snuggly baby. And, one happy mommy whose babies didn't spend a half hour each trying to get the last few drops out.
Now I just need to get that bottle drying rack back from my sister in law.....
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Cosleeping Times Two!
My 9 month old twins sleep next to me in their crib (and occasionally in our bed). They originally slept in a large cosleeper until they outgrew it. I can’t imagine any other arrangement when it comes to dealing with two babies at night.
The benefits of cosleeping with twins:
1. You never have to get out of bed at night. You simply pull them out of their cosleeper/crib, feed, return them to bed, and roll over to go back to sleep.
2. You will hear them in their early stages of waking up rather then screaming through the monitor. That said your babies are less "awake" when you feed them, and thus return to sleep easier.
3. They can easily be pulled into bed when sick. Depending on your stance about sleeping with a child in your bed, I can say that a sick baby sleeps much better snuggled up to you than alone. I am not sure if it is just me, but my babies (who sleep on their stomachs in their crib) always sleep on their backs when in bed with me. Thus, when they have colds, their noses drain much better. If they are in their crib, they constantly wake up from being unable to breath.
4. You can enlist your husband's help when needed. Enough said. Until about 6 months old, my husband was responsible for night-time diaper changes. Now that they only get one change, we share the job. (What a keeper he is!)
5. Breastfeeding is much easier. This also relates to #2 - only it is much easier for you to return to sleep.
Non-Cosleep process:
You get up, throw on a robe, walk into a cold room, get two babies out of cribs (which logistically is quite hard once they are mobile), breastfeed, burp, return them to bed, go back to your room, and crawl back into a now cold bed.
Cosleeping:
You sit up in your cozy bed. You pull one baby into bed and lay them next to you. You place the other one in your lap. You or your husband places the second baby into position. You breastfeed both babies at the same time while leaning back against a soft pile of pillows already in place. You burp the babies, and then lay one next to you in bed. You then return the first baby to the cosleeper, followed by the second. Finally, you roll over into your warm, yummy bed and fall fast asleep.
6. It is easier to let them cry. Lately my babies have tried to establish 2 am as "play time." This required that I let them cry it out a little for the first time. It was actually easier than I thought, because I could see their sillouettes in the dark and I knew they were OK.
I am a little biased towards cosleeping. Can you tell?
(Thank you to my new twin mom penpal Sarah for inspiring me to write this.)
The benefits of cosleeping with twins:
1. You never have to get out of bed at night. You simply pull them out of their cosleeper/crib, feed, return them to bed, and roll over to go back to sleep.
2. You will hear them in their early stages of waking up rather then screaming through the monitor. That said your babies are less "awake" when you feed them, and thus return to sleep easier.
3. They can easily be pulled into bed when sick. Depending on your stance about sleeping with a child in your bed, I can say that a sick baby sleeps much better snuggled up to you than alone. I am not sure if it is just me, but my babies (who sleep on their stomachs in their crib) always sleep on their backs when in bed with me. Thus, when they have colds, their noses drain much better. If they are in their crib, they constantly wake up from being unable to breath.
4. You can enlist your husband's help when needed. Enough said. Until about 6 months old, my husband was responsible for night-time diaper changes. Now that they only get one change, we share the job. (What a keeper he is!)
5. Breastfeeding is much easier. This also relates to #2 - only it is much easier for you to return to sleep.
Non-Cosleep process:
You get up, throw on a robe, walk into a cold room, get two babies out of cribs (which logistically is quite hard once they are mobile), breastfeed, burp, return them to bed, go back to your room, and crawl back into a now cold bed.
Cosleeping:
You sit up in your cozy bed. You pull one baby into bed and lay them next to you. You place the other one in your lap. You or your husband places the second baby into position. You breastfeed both babies at the same time while leaning back against a soft pile of pillows already in place. You burp the babies, and then lay one next to you in bed. You then return the first baby to the cosleeper, followed by the second. Finally, you roll over into your warm, yummy bed and fall fast asleep.
6. It is easier to let them cry. Lately my babies have tried to establish 2 am as "play time." This required that I let them cry it out a little for the first time. It was actually easier than I thought, because I could see their sillouettes in the dark and I knew they were OK.
I am a little biased towards cosleeping. Can you tell?
(Thank you to my new twin mom penpal Sarah for inspiring me to write this.)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Drop Zone
The drop zone started when I no longer had family help during the day (6 weeks). When I was done breastfeeding, I needed somewhere to lay one down and then the other while still providing an incline. My babes had major spit up issues at the time and had to be upright for at least half an hour after eating. Since I fed them on the couch, the drop zone was built at one end.
I took a pillow to cerate the incline needed, and laid it against the arm rest. Then I folded a quilt into a 3'x3' square and laid it over top. I took a small quilt and rolled it up. I laid that roll under the quilt square at the edge of the couch to keep the babies from falling off. Viola! Instant happy babies!
The drop soon became the place they napped and were read stories to. Over time I removed the back cushion to make it bigger, and built up the bumper as they started to roll. Once they were able to get up on their hands and knees, the drop zone was no more.
While the drop zone is a lifesaver, I feel the need to tell you in really small print , "Do not leave babies unattended. There is a risk of fall, etc....."
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