Checked my e-mail and, lo and behold, I got a question! My boys are napping (thank God) so I'll take a crack but ... please remember I'm far from an expert. I'm a stay-at-home mom of 23-week-old fraternal twin boys. Although, they are healthy so maybe I'm doing something right! At four months they were 27 inches and 16 pounds!
I read your blog as I am currently 32 weeks pregnant with identical twin boys. I am attempting
to get ready for them and I was wondering if lthere was any sort of baby
gear that you wished you'd known about before they got there? Any
help would be greatly appreciated.
I don't have identicals so you might want to develop a system for telling them apart -- finger nail polish, different colored clothing ... my babies couldn't look more different (envision a pale redhead and an olive skinned brunette). It was hard enough remembering who I fed and who I didn't, I couldn't imagine if they looked the same. My suggestion would be to Google it and find a reputable site, I like Baby Center, and see if you like any suggestions.
Buy a clipboard and look online for a baby feeding chart. At their first checkup the nurse asked how many ounces they eat and how many diapers they go through in a day... I was like, say what!? It makes me feel like their nurse instead of mother but whatta gonna do? I started with one chart but found another I like better. http://www.vertex42.com/exceltemplates/baby-feeding-schedule.html -- I like this one because I can also chart sleeping/napping habits and write comments.
The first item that comes to mind is the Fisher Price Newborn Rock 'N' Play Sleeper. I wish we purchased these sooner because it was awesome -- sadly they outgrew them! It's inclined, which helped with acid reflux and spit-up, and is deep and cushioned, which made them feel cozy. It rocks and vibrates -- almost makes me want one for myself. I don't know how many nights I slept while rocking a baby with my foot. You can comfort your child without going quite as insane as you would have without it -- even my colicky baby liked this contraption!
Babies love routine. Every night we do a bath at 6 p.m. in Fisher Price Whale of A Tub, have a bottle, then they go down for the night with a humidifier running and their sound machine playing white noise. We tried the heartbeat noise but it felt like Edger Allan Poe's "The Telltale Heart." Our sound machine also has a projector with pictures of underwater animals.
We started with Avent bottles -- I think we got some at our baby shower. They were fine but our babies had, and still have, acid reflux and one of them is a mostly-happy spitter and those bottles leaked and sucked. I researched a better bottle and found Dr. Browns. They help keep the air out and have a wide mouthed kind that makes it easier when you put a scoop of formula in while holding a screaming baby with 1% patience. We have 10 bottles and I do a load of dishes every night. Remember, they only need formula/breastmilk and bottles for a year. Just a blip on the radar but the blip feels endless.
My husband's aunt helped for a week when they were small and bought us a Munchkin Deluxe Drying Rack. It's awesome for keeping bottles organized and easily accessible.
Stretchy pants (for them) are awesome for doing quick diaper changes. Whoever invented baby clothes with snaps ... watch your back because I'm coming for you! They are so frustrating.
I had the My Breast Friends Twin Pillow for breastfeeding -- I did it for four weeks (felt like four years). I stopped because my postpartum depression was awful and I needed chemical help. Twice the hormones with twins, twice the drop. Thankfully that only lasted a couple months and I'm chemical free (except wine/bourbon) but I didn't want to risk tainting my milk. If I were still breastfeeding I would solely pump and bottle feed. So much easier. Tandem feeding newborns was insane, especially with one who was, for lack of a better word, aggressive on the boob. For the women who did it, good for you! That's awesome but stop making me feel bad. I couldn't breastfeed longer and that's OK! My children won't have three eyes and I won't go nuts and be found naked, screaming on the freeway.
Also, have a postpartum depression buddy and don't be afraid to ask for help. Sitting around a table with my in-laws (who helped us so much) and husband while talking about my depression was awkward and I felt like a bad mother but it was worth it and they understood.
Velcro swaddle sleepers are awesome. I wish we used them more because I'm not the best swaddler and tiny babies love to be swaddled ... well except for one of my twins. You need to stay organized and have a system down so a Velcro swaddler takes a few steps out of your routine. Much appreciated!
We have two Fisher Price My Little Snuggle Bunny Bouncy Chairs, which are great, especially for feeding at the same time, but now their legs hang off. Recently someone gave us a Deluxe Take-Along-Swing and boy that thing is awesome. It has toys hanging on either side, to hold their attention, and it folds up for easy travel ... like we go anywhere! It has a light/music thingy but they don't seem to like that part because, honestly, it's like a night club ... you know, when we mamas were young and hip enough to party at night outside our house! Now I just want to go to bed. Anyway, it obviously swings and is great.
Cribs ... they slept in their car seats for about month or so before we got Rock 'N' Plays so ... yeah, cribs can wait until the 3-month mark but I recommend convertible toddler beds to save money down the road. We have two Pack 'N' Plays with bassinets and they napped together in there for the first couple months when they actually napped! I now only have one Pack 'N' Play downstairs (I keep the other at my in-laws). I used it to do wimpy-cry-it-out with one of my babies but now he naps in his crib. I figure if I put it away I will need to use it so I keep it up.
I also have a Baby Bjorn and an Ergo Baby but haven't used them much this winter. I have a Contours Options LT Tandem Stroller which is fine ... was having trouble with it today but I need to read the manual to figure out how to adjust the seats.
For most of our baby stuff, if not all, we used Amazon for ratings and customer reviews. Definitely helped our choice.
If you are on Facebook please, oh please, join The Official Group of National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc. I know a lot of moms with singletons but hardly anyone with twins. Having twins is harder than having a singleton and much different, whether people want to admit it or not, so it was so nice to have a group I could chat with 24/7 for advice, suggestions and support. I think my first post was when the boys were two weeks old: "Please tell me it gets better because I am so lost right now."
I could go on but my best advice is get to know your babies and fly by the seat of your pants. The less the better ... babies are simple and want love, food, a clean diaper and consistency. Don't read too much online because you'll go insane. Every baby is different. I have a child who likes a pacifier, hates boppies, puts himself to sleep (more or less), likes to be down on the floor rolling around, and needs a good burp after a big feed. My other child isn't so keen on pacifiers, loves boppies, had to go through wimpy-cry-it-out, wants to be held, and spits up like a volcano even when he hasn't eaten for a couple hours. Have a sense of humor, remember they are trying to figure out how to be a person, and ... well, it's funny because I used to hate when people told me this, but it gets better. I used to want to give my boys back to ... whoever ... and thought I ruined my life but now I couldn't imagine life without them.
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