Two Month Check-Up

We went to the twins' check up today. I was kind of disappointed that I had my appointment with the same doctor as last week's visit. I really thought it was going to be a different doctor. I am trying to find one that isn't pompous and patronizing.

Their overall visit went well. The main concerns at this point are Henry's weight gain, his acid reflux and his skull growth. Mary Catherine checks out well with no issues. The doctor wants me to try to have Henry drink 4 oz at each feeding, which means I will have to continue to measure them each feeding, so the scale rental will continue. Henry easily gets 3 oz, but usually is done after that and is happy until the next feeding, but we'll keep nursing and try to get him to get 4 oz.

He wants me to give the zantac one more week and then 'touch base' whatever that means. It probably means, "Can I have your $25 so I can tell you there's nothing we can do?"

He said he wants to keep an eye on Henry's weight gain and that I am to come in if it drops to less than 1/2 ounce per day. I assured him that I was more concerned about Henry's weight gain than he was so didn't have to remind me. He wanted me to come in next week for a weight check but I told him that I wasn't going to do that because I have a scale (which I had already mentioned at least twice) and I weighed him enough at home.

The main crux of the appointment was our discussion on yeast. He was the same doctor I saw last week that would not give the babies anything because he didn't see anything. Well, this week when I came back I told him that I am still suffering with the yeast issue myself and that I had read and spoken with many women who had dealt with this and they say over and over that both the mother and child need to be treated, even if there are no symptoms. I mean, how can I have yeast for the last six weeks in my milk ducts and they not be affected??

I ever so calmly said to him, "If it felt like shards of glass were coming out of one of your body parts and someone sucked on that body part for 40 mins eight times a day I bet you would be singing a different tune about prescribing something when you don't see anything. "

So, he would not give them what I wanted him to give them, but he gave me the prescription that works 40% of the time. Good Gravy. He said that maybe I don't have yeast, maybe it's something else. I said, "What could it be?" He said, "I don't know, I'm not an adult doctor."

Umm...that is lame. There is such a disconnect between pediatricians and ob-gyns. We are talking about an issue that is critical in nursing and he seems clueless. Shouldn't a pediatrician know a thing or two about nursing?

It's as if his attitude, (and the other dr.) is breastfeeding is best until there is any hiccup at all and then we are completely ignorant so here is some formula because we aren't adult doctors.

On a more positive note, the twins are developing perfectly. They are right on track mentally and socially for a two month old. The dr. said that they were technically full term for twins at 37 weeks. However, out of the other side of his mouth, he said we had to make allowances for their growth because they were so small. He said they would catch up eventually. I don't know what that means. Jason is a twin and he (and Karl) was the smallest kid in his class until ninth grade. Let's hope they catch up before then...

Henry's stats:

8 lbs 15 oz (3%)

23 1/8 in. (50%)

Mary Catherine

8 lbs 5 1/2 oz (10%)

21 3/4 in. (25%)

Dr. Appt

I went to the dr today because I wanted to make sure that they twins did not have thrush/yeast since I am having such a horrible time getting rid of it in me. It makes nursing incredibly painful. I have been on 5 rounds of diflucan with no results. I'm now on the 6th round and we're making it a double.

So, the dr. saw no evidence. I wanted to treat them anyways, but he did not take too kindly to my idea. So conservative.

However, the dr. did give me a prescription for zantac for Henry's reflux. Hopefully we will see an improvement in the spit up and fussiness. At least I got one problem solved and that makes me feel a little bit better since I had to pay $50 for their co-pay. I feel like I get jipped because they are two patients, but they don't take any extra time with them, just extra money.

We also have to go have an x-ray. The dr. wants to make sure that Henry's head is closing or not closing at the right speed. He is concerned that it is closing to quickly in the back of his skull. I pray all is okay.

Hungry Babies

This is what it looks like every time before I feed them.

Eight Weeks

Our babies are eight weeks!

Henry weighs 8 lbs 8 oz

Mary Catherine weighs 7 lbs 13 oz

In seven days they have gained 7 oz which is exactly what they are supposed to do. Even gaining a 1/2 oz per day is fine, but they are doing better than that with gaining one ounce a day.

I think Henry would be further ahead, but his spitting up is so terrible. We go to the dr. next week and I will address this with them. I pray we don't have to jump through a bunch of hoops. I am not normally a pro-medication person when I can just stick it out, but it is frustrating when I'm counting every gram and he's spitting up like a geyser.

They are both starting to smile more and more. Of course, they make me out to be a liar every time because they are smiling at me, but when I call Jason over, they go straight faced. They are such good babies. They melt my heart when they look up at me, especially now because they are really looking at me and tracking me around the room.

Counting It All Joy

Things are going well for the most part. The twins have been nursing exclusively for over a week now. My supply is going well. I only pump twice a day; after the last night feeding and then in the middle of the night when they get a bottle. I pump after the last night feeding because I am not going to nurse anytime soon after and it gives me extra milk to store.

I am having another issue right now that is quite painful. Actually the most painful thing I have experienced in my life. A couple of days after I stopped pumping I got a clogged milk duct. I think it's because I was somewhat engorged. I had been pumping 6-8 times a day and then I went to pumping twice a day.

The clogged milk duct was very painful. I put a hot tea bag on it, took a shower and put the hot sprayer on it and I tried pumping, but nothing worked. Finally, the next feeding Henry was able to break it free. However, as either a result of the clogged duct, or the yeast issue that I have had for the last month, I have a milk blister. Ouch.

When Henry nurses it's like having my body part in a vice and the vice is ripped from my body and thrown against the wall, over and over, while it's still attached.

As if the milk blister wasn't painful enough, I also have bleeding and cracking going on.

Seriously?

I am dreading nursing right now. It builds anxiety in me because I know the pain will be so bad. I am taking around the clock Motrin and have been for days and days. Yesterday it was so bad that I actually took some medicine I had leftover from my delivery. I only took one then, but I have already taken two doses because of this situation. This morning I actually took 1/2 of the dose because yesterday when I took it I fell asleep in like five minutes and barely made it to church.

The Lord will be glorified through this situation. It is only by His grace that I continue to move forward with nursing. I pray for healing and success with this situation. I don't know how long I will be able to provide enough milk for the babies, but as long as I have milk they will nurse.

On a side note, the twins will be 8 weeks on Wednesday! If I can find my battery charger I will take some pictures.

Weight

I weighed the twins tonight in a dry diaper before I bathed them.

Mary Catherine~ 7 lbs 6 oz

Henry~ 8 lbs 1 oz

We have had good feedings all day long today! Yay! It takes about 45 mins to nurse them, but I am not complaining. We have to switch back and forth a few times to make sure that Henry gets enough. This last feeding at 7 pm, MC got almost her whole feeding done in less than 15 mins. I just keep her going so that she's not crying.

I need to ask the LC, but maybe someone else knows so I will ask it here too. Mary Catherine's poop is sometimes green and grainy instead of mustard yellow and grainy. I've read that sometimes that means that she's getting too much foremilk and not enough hind milk. I know that she is getting hind milk because of how much she's drinking, but maybe I'm wrong.

I pray it continues to go well tonight at 10 pm and for the next 10 months! Hee-Hee.

Praise!

I just had to write that this last feeding at 10 am went perfectly.

Both babies got over 3 oz. I ended up having to switch Henry over to Mary Catherine's side at the end because that side makes more, but that's okay. I switched her over to his side just to keep her busy even though she didn't need any more.

I don't realize how much stress this causes me every three hours until something like this happens and I feel so relieved. So much of my day is consumed with their feedings and weight gain. I wouldn't trade it, but it is stressful. I cannot imagine having to deal with a more serious issue with them. I really feel for families that have that in their lives.