Better and Better

Last night was the best night yet.

The twins ate around 10ish without latching issues! It makes the feeding go so much smoother. It still hurt like the dickens, but there's nothing I can do about that aspect. Just imagine putting that sensitive part of your body in a little tiny vice and opening and closing on it.

They slept well until 2ish. One twin (H?) woke up first and I put the paci in trying to wait for the second twin. It lasted about 15-20 mins and then I felt bad, so I got them both up.

They latched well again, and slept well until they woke up around 5ish. Once again, I tried the paci for a 15-20 min delay.

I was able to get about 2 hrs of sleep in between feedings, plus an additional hour after that last feeding.

I would be thrilled if this happened every night until they start dropping feedings. This is the best it can be really at this point.

Alone...

The twins slept in their crib last night! I was all alone in my bed for the few short hours that I actually got to sleep.

A few changes that I made that might have been the difference.
~I swaddled them in a kiddopotamus fleece wrap under their usual blanket wrap. I suspected that they were chilly because our house has been colder than usual with company here helping. I also am having trouble keeping their arms in their wrap, and those swaddleme kiddopotamus wraps are tighter.

~I turned on their sound machine to a setting that sounds like 'in the womb' to me.

So last night this was their schedule:
8 pm eat

11: 15 pm eat, but someone had trouble latching so really it was awhile before we all got started. I think we were finished around 12:30 am and back in the crib. It's already a hazy memory for me. Of course, after they are in bed, I pump, take the milk to the fridge, wash the accessories, use the bathroom and get in bed, so that's another 30 minutes.

3:00 am H woke up and I gave him a pacifier. It was really time for them to eat, but I was so tired. He lasted until 4 ish and then we started it all again. We finished it all by 5:30 am. I was back in bed by 6 am.

7:30 am eating again and starting our day...

I know for most this isn't interesting, but for a first time mom, this is gold. I know because I have been first time mom and you want to know EVERYTHING. Also, I want to attempt to keep journaling for the twins. It is their only chance at a baby book.

I will post pix of the babies in their wraps when I get a chance. I'm going to go squeeze in a nap. I'm all alone with all 5 kids for the first time. Everyone is lying down for rest.

First Week...

Okay, so I am really going to try to record as much as I can about our life with twins, but man oh man, am I tired!

I will have to recap you in short form because I honestly do not have the energy or time to be witty at this point. I am already late for the twins next feeding.

Sleeping...
During the day, sleeping is going very well for the twins because I can allow them to settle themselves more, but at night I am in the room with them and I cannot waste any sleep time listening to the grunts and groans and cries so the babies have been sleeping in the bed with me. This is way different than any other babies we've had, so it just goes to show that sleep deprivation will cause all sorts of changes. Swaddling is absolutely key for a solid nap. I think it might be the most important thing to know how to do if you have a newborn.

I am getting anywhere from 2-4 hours of sleep per night. Yep, that's it... I am tired. Very tired. I try to nap during the day when I can, but with older children and having two babies it doesn't always work. By the time we nurse, change diapers, pump extra milk, clean pump, use the bathroom (which still involves way too many steps) and get a drink, and maybe something to eat, it's practically time to wake them again.

Eating...
Overall nursing is going well, with exception that it hurts. It hurts a lot. Whomever said that it doesn't hurt if you do it right is full of caca.
Usually one of the twins will have a hard time latching and will scream and cry for the first ten minutes. It was H up until today and now it's MC. This is a big pain in the tail because then they finish at different times, but I am kind of trapped there. The girls help me out if they around and will take the finished twin and hold him/her.

I have breastmilk in a bottle and when he/she is having trouble latching I will squeeze some in his/her mouth so he/she thinks it's coming from me and will try to latch. I think the latch problem is b/c my let down comes after both are attached and the stubborn one of the day doesn't want to wait for it. So they are off and on, which hurts even worse.

I really believe in nursing, but at this point I dread each feeding. It's not sweet or special. It's painful, and sometimes frustrating. In two weeks it will all be good.

Schedule...
At this point, we follow a loose schedule of waking to eat every 3 hours. MC usually wakes to eat by that time and then I wake H. so they can eat together. After 10/11 each night I don't wake them, but allow them to wake me. It is still about every 3 hours.

Three Day Check-Up

We went to the pediatrician this morning.

Henry weighed in at 6 lbs and Mary Catherine weighed 5 lbs 2 oz.

Henry has lost more weight than MC. I'm not surprised because she eats more at each feeding, or at least nurses more consistently and longer.

Their jaundice still is at okay levels. At the hospital their levels were 7-9, and they aren't concerned until the levels are 19-20. The doctor said we're good to go until the two week check up, unless I am concerned about anything beforehand.

Trusting, aren't they?

We're Home!

We're home. We got home around 1 pm today.

The twins are doing well. They have been tandem nursing the last three times, so that is helpful. Thank goodness for the twin nursing pillow my friend Sharon let me borrow.

I'm still recovering slowly, but surely. Kinsey said I looked sleepy and have looked sleepy since I had them. Hmm...I guess the whole six hours of sleep I've had since Tuesday night isn't working for my appearance.

I will post more pics tomorrow on here and fb.

Recovering...

The twins are doing well. Praise the Lord.

Mary Catherine is more alert and nursing better than Henry. However, considering all Henry went through during his birth, I would be out of it too.

I am so thankful that I did not have a c-section. When I have more energy I will provide the details of the experience for those who care to know.

I would like to ask for you to pray for me. My recovery is extremely slow and considerably more painful than with the other three. I am not sleeping well, and as to be expected, nursing twins is proving to take quite a bit of time.

I am not really into small talk right now, so forgive the neglect of the phone. Once I get some energy I will return phone calls.

I know things will improve every day, especially with prayers.

Hopefully, Jason will figure out how to feed this to my facebook page. We cannot access facebook at Wake Med.

Tomorrow is the Day!

I'll skip the details, but I went to the doctor today and he thought that we should move up the induction to tomorrow.

We will go in at 7 am.

We're trying for a 'normal' induction. It could end up in a c-section, but let's pray that doesn't happen.

We're excited, but knowing that I'm going to go in and experience labor is like being excited about getting hit by a truck in order to win a million dollars. It's going to end well, but the path is painful.

By the end of the day we will have two healthy babies, Lord willing.

Look forward to receiving an email or check facebook. Jason will update you as soon as he can.

Thank you for your prayers.