April/May 2008 MOMS (all others are welcomed too)

[Vlada]

So my Mom left today, it is soooo sad, i cried all day
I got so used to her being here, it just feels wierd now without her...

[robinsonpr]

Aw that's sad Vlada. I lost my Mum to cancer when I was a teenager and I miss her so much now I have the twins. My DH's Mum comes over twice a day to help with the day feeds which is a great help but I so wish my Mum was here to help and see my little ones I'm sure she is watching over us all though...

Things seem to be settling down a bit more. They have started sleeping a bit longer like yours did Woodcliff. I put them to bed at 6.30pm and this morning didn't hear a peep out of them until 4am! It wasn't nice getting up at 4am though. I think what I'm going to try now is putting them to bed at 6.30 as usual and then waking them up for a top-up feed at 10pm. Maybe then they can go until 6am...gotta be worth a try. Anyone else doing this type of thing?

I've started them on baby rice now to start getting them used to "real" food with a spoon. I'm making it up very runny with their formula milk, so it's not much different from milk. Quite amusing watching them feed...most of it ends up all over their face! Jack has taken to holding the spoon himself (not with any food on it...he just seems to want to poke himself in the eye with it!)

Not going to any baby groups yet as I've not found any in my area which are convenient in terms of getting there and fitting in with their feed times. I'm going to look into taking them to baby signing classes though, they sound great - you sing nursery rhymes and teach them some baby sign language. Have also taken them swimming to the local pool a couple of times and from September they start lessons at a private pool where they have you take the baby underwater! Sounds scary but I'm sure they know what they're doing (I HOPE!)

Love to you all,

Hayley xx

[Vlada]

Hayley,
I am very sorry about your Mom, i am sure she is watching over you and your babies.
I am amazed that your little ones can sleep frotheir m 6 30 pm to 4 am, that is great!!!! may be it is because you are giving them rice cereal, so tummies fell fuller?
Tesa still wakes up twice to eat, she goes to bed around 7 30 pm and then wakes up around midnight and 4 30 am to eat, i wish she would last from midnight to 6 or 7, but she is not there yet.
How old are your boys now? May be mine is not there yet because of her age.... she is 13 weeks now hmmm...
Vlada

[robinsonpr]

Hi Vlada,

They aren't having much rice...just a few spoons really to try to get them used to food, and most of it ends up on their face!

They are 13 weeks and 3 days today!

Is Tesa breastfeeding or bottle? I read that breastfed babies can wake up more in the night...

Hayley xx

[Vlada]

She was bresfed at night before but now my milk supply has gone down a lot, so i gave her formula at night and during the day she gets to beasfeed just a couple of times, the rest of the time it is formula as well. I tried to comfort her last night around 4 30 am instead of feeding but she started screaming, so i had to feed her again.
I guess she is just not ready yet to sleep through the night...

[Cocoa]

VLADA! YOUR EMAIL DOESN'T WORK... I RECEIVED A DELIVERY ERROR... PM IT TO ME AGAIN...

COCOA

[rebeccaj]

hello everyone,

sorry I don't post much these days - still on my own with the girls 24/7 (with DH) and so have zero time to myself these days.

struggling a bit with a schedule and would love to know how you twin mummies do it....I'm still breast feeding and my day looks something like this..... aoife will wake for her first feed around 3am, milly will wake around 5am and then aoife again around 5:30/6am.... will do the next feed (usually together) around 9am... then every 3 hours...BUT I don't get them to sleep for the night until around 10pm... I read that most people are getting their little ones to bed around 8pm - what I am doing wrong? in between feeds, it's play and then nap but naps generally are short (around 30 minutes) which I know isn't enough. How can I make them sleep longer?

also how are you entertaining your little ones? mine live in the play gym but i'm sure they get bored. we go for walks and I spend a lot of time singing and chatting but i need more ideas!! I'm sure they get bored of me!

would love to hear your idea's

Love to all

Rebecca x

[Vlada]

Rebecca,
I had a very hard time putting Tesa to bed at 8 pm, now she is going to bed around 7 30 pm, plus minus 15 min. I just kept putting her to bed around 8 pm and she would scream and won't fall asleep sometimes until 11 pm or even midnight, but i was consistent and slowly she understood and got better and better each time. Also, i wouldn't let her take a nap past 5 pm. I know it is much harder with twins, so may be my experience is not very helpful. It took me about 2 months to get her to fall asleep at that time.
Vlada

[woodcliff]

Rebecca, I hope this post goes through...site hasn't let me post in ages...lost too many messages...so quit posting.

I have my last feeding around 8:30 - 9:30...last night, it was at 8:15, but my babies still went to sleep around 9:30.
Slept till 7:15 (he woke up once and I put a binky in his mouth. my daughter woke at 5:20 and I changed her and took her into my bed until 7:15).

I was doing 6 feedings 3 hours apart, but when they wake at 7:15, it makes me drop a feeding, so the past 3 days they've had 5 feedings...
They sleep a LOT during the day...at least for 1 hour after they play after each feeding.
I think you just need to tinker with the times you feed them, push it back or forward by 15 minutes or 30 here or there to see what works best for the babies...that's what I've done and they have been sleeping through the night for quite awhile now...yours are on their way!

As to toys/entertainment, I have a Fab-o Tiny Love mobile that my babies can watch forEVER...it goes round and round (battery operated, and I just ordered a second one with a remote control)...and is fantastic. Around 50$$. worth every penny.
I also have 'toys' for them, ie: mirrors (I strap it to the gymini so they lie on the floor and stare at themselves, plus the mirror has tabs to push for 'voices' and sounds)...also have a Rain Forest Bouncer with some wild thingie on it...they love it.
Next up: Exersaucer and Jumperoo for 4 months...can't wait!
I put them on a blanket and play with their toys.
Problem is they HATE tummy time. I mean hate.
And clipping fingernails? Oh my god. Mean mommy.
I'm amazed you are doing this alone...I have the babies alone 2 days a week and I LOVE it but then nap when the sitter shows up on Monday...I mean, nap for 4 hours one day a week. Kids knock me flat!
Vlada, hope you're not missing your mommy too much
xxoo
to all
Vlada

[rebeccaj]

WC, thanks for the tips - I've just bought some swings and it's improved the daytime napping (can't believe we didn't get them 3 months ago!!). I'll play with the schedule and try and get one which works. One bad thing about BFing is that I don't know how much milk they are getting at each feed and so it could be that they are just hungry. One good thing about BF'ing is nail clipping as I can do it while feeding! I've heard other mummies doing it when their babies sleep.

One tip from me on the tummy time as mine hate it too - I bought a tummy time surf board from BRU - it's just a mat in the shape of a surf board with a cushion for their chests and a water feature for them to stare at and it works!! in the last week their neck control has got a ton better and they will stay on it for up to 15 minutes whereas I had a 2 minute window max on the floor! It was about $20 and well worth it. good luck.

I'm struggling a it with walks as mine will only go in the buggy for about 15 minutes before crying; I always take a bjorn with me and always end up carrying one but when the other continues to cry it's heart breaking.... never a dull moment!!

Hayley, we just put the girls in their own cots last night. They are starting to roll over and so couldn't risk having them together anymore. They are still in the same room though which means that I need to be quick at night as the crying has started to have a domino effect.

Vlada, hope you're doing ok without your mum, when will you get to see her again?

sending lots of energy to everyone (i know I could do with some!0

Rebecca

[Babyb]

Hi everyone! I know it has been FOREVER since I've posted. These last 13 weeks have been incredibly rough -- as I'm sure you all know. My boys are growing like weeds. They are still on a strict 3 hour schedule though so my sleep time is minimal (on occasion, they might go 4 hrs after the midnight feed). I'm still pumping like crazy -- feel like I do little else.

In the last month or so, my boys have been going crazy -- especially around 5pm-7:30 pm. My doula calls it the witching hours. The two of them start crying and screaming uncontrollably (one feeds off the other). It sounds as if they are being tortured! I feel so horrible. There is NOTHING we can do to calm them. At one point I thought they may have colic, but my doula doesn't believe so. In any event, I'm just plain exhausted -- no time for anything.

I go back to work in another 4 wks. I still haven't found a suitable nanny to take care of the boys, which scares me. I love my doula, but can't afford to keep her on much longer.

As for playtime, we read books, watch baby einstein, sit under the gym (I'm not sure they appreciate the gym yet) and stimulate a bit with some toys (also not a big hit yet). They boys just started to smile and one of them is starting to coo (so cute). One of my boys LOVES TUMMY TIME. In fact, he wants it all day long! The other, well, he isn't a huge fan, but seems to get into it once in a while.

Not much else to report. Just wanted to check in, say hi, wish everyone well and see how everyone else was progressing with their babes. Can you guys believe we are 3 months or so POST DELIVERY? Where has the time gone?

[kipatte]

Just a quick post. Stephanie went 12 hours on Monday without feeding, same on tues and wednesday, then only 9 hours last night. I hope it lasts!

We went to the embassey on Monday to get her registered. We left at 6 am and got home at 6 pm. It was a long day. No dual citizenship in the U.K which is a little dissapointing.

How old before the swing? I like that idea.

love to all

Kipatte

[woodcliff]

KIpatte: wow! 12 hours...
congratulations
My babies are good little sleepers (considering they are 2 and seem to keep the same schedule at night and nap time in the day!)...
I am reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Whoa.
Glad I did not read it before they slept through the night...it's intense, but makes a lot of sense (re: Being strict on nap and sleeping schedules, which babies can't even beGIN to do until a certain time!)

Rebecca, thx...just ordered the tummy time mat. Hope it works ... mine HATE IT
Just put the little ones in their cribs, they're been sleeping in the boppy bouncies...they have transitioned really well to the cribs...so happy.

ok...gotta run love to all...oh, baby B: run the water in the bathroom, take a towel or blanket and cover their eyes (drowning out the 'stimuli' of the world) and give them a binky... might work...
my son did that off and on until he was old enough not to...they won't do it after a certain # of weeks (can't remember when)...it is kinda' collicky behavior, OR over tired behavior...pick up that book I mentioned, it talks a LOT about such stuff.
BabyB. I'm so happy you are so happy with your boys...so happy for you and your husband.
xxoo
xxoo

[Vlada]

Hello everyone,
So, is everyone back to prepregnancy weight? I still have 7 to 8 pounds to go , I've been working out almost every day and it is pretty hard for me to lose all of my 45 pounds
I really miss my mommy , but hopefully my mom and dad will be able to come and visit soon.
Tesa is still not sleeping through the night, but she is slowly getting on her regular nap schedule during the day.
Babyb, hang in there, it will get easier soon
Vlada

[woodcliff]

Vlada, so sorry your mom is gone! I bet you miss her terribly...
Tessa will get there! Sounds like her 'night frights' (crying jags) are gone...or mostly so. LOVE this book I'm reading, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child...it explains how the first 6 weeks are filled with crying jags for some babies (my son was one, now all he does is smile and giggle).

Rebecca, I wish you luck finding a good nanny. Make sure when you interview them they have the same 'philosophy' you do re: comforting your babies...I'm still sad at times re: the crazy Mary Poppins who didn't like to hold newborns...so glad she's history. But she left a mark, regardless, on my memories ...

Also make sure she has TWIN experience...do you have a multiples forum where you live? Probably do...the one near me has plenty of listings of great nannies with twin expertise.

BUT beware: I note that many people rave about "My fabulous nanny who I no longer need, is looking for FT work"
Sometimes, it's cuz kids enter daycare or school...but too often, people are trying to unload a nanny...check references for sure...
also, I found people with live ins want to REALLY unload their nannies. We had a bizarre interview with a woman who looked like a model whose 'visa' info just did not add up, nor did her work experience...the woman whose couch she was crashed on, and who she worked for, claimed she was 'fantastic' ... I think she was trying to unload her!

I have a dilemma: A great babysitter...but I don't know when I'll need her! My babies are now getting into the long napping times. I am at home, getting 'stuff' done when the sitter is here...so I don't want her here if all they do is sleep.
Not sure what to do.
G'luck to all of us!