Raising Twins: Newborn and Postpartum Essentials

Since I've rejoined the land of adults, it never fails that someone says, "I don't know how you do it". Somehow Chloe and William get brought up whenever I'm out and about, and people are very curious about all things twins-related. So, here's how we have survived so far:

Rock 'n' Plays
I have a love-hate relationship with these things. They were probably our biggest saviors during the first month. Chloe and William each slept in one in our room to allow easy access to at night. I also think the rockers helped transition them into the world because they had the closed-in sort of feeling. But, back is best for sleep so I constantly was worried about making sure that Chloe and Will were breathing and that their airways were open. I also read reviews that these things cause flat spots so I made sure to get the ones with the pillow sort of thing. Because of this, we transitioned Chloe and Will to their room at about five weeks and they sleep side by side in one of their cribs. (We have this one and this one; the vibration doesn't really make a difference but is nice to have if one is extra fussy.)

Velcro Swaddlers
Another savior. I wish we had these for Dominic! Brian is an awful swaddler with blankets so these were a must. We can get Chloe and Will wrapped up nice and tight, and we don't have to worry about them coming unwrapped (key for co-sleeping!). No matter how tight we get them, the little stinks always manage to break their hands free.

Boppy Lounger and Original Pillows
I think I mentioned my feeding system before. I sit on my bed with Will next to me in the lounger (because he's not quite big enough yet for the original) and Chloe in front of me in the other Boppy. My arms get the best work out from holding two bottles up! When it comes time to burp them, I make sure I have a few burp cloths and their pacifiers handy, so while I burp one, the other gets a paci. Thankfully (or maybe not thankfully for when they are older) they both like their pacifiers.

Hands-free Pumping Bra
This is the only way my feeding system works!

Nose Frida
We all had colds shortly after we came home from the hospital, and we're *hopefully* finishing up round two. This thing clears their noses out so much better than the bulbs, and it is easier to clean. And it lasts! We are still using the one we bought three years ago.

Caldrea Sweet Pea Stain Remover and Oxiclean
This combo gets out pretty much any baby stain, and has even removed stains from some of Dom's old baby clothes. Plus it smells so good! I put a generous amount of the remover on the stain, let it sit for five to ten minutes, and then wash it with the matching detergent and a scoop of Oxiclean.

Carseat Covers
These were a gift from my brother and his wife, and they work much better than just a blanket over the carseat (like we did for Dominic). We weren't going to purchase them because we didn't want to spend money on something we'd use for such a short amount of time, but I would have totally regretted not having them. They safely keep Chloe and William warm and protected from the cold and wind.

Belly Bandit
I didn't buy one after having Dominic because I believed that the BB was a total gimmick touted by the Kardashians. But I decided to buy one this time around because all the twins books and blogs I read said that the support provided by the BB was essential after having twins. I bought the bamboo one, and wore it off and on during the first four weeks; mostly off, because I found it uncomfortable on my incision site. Then I found a recommendation to pull it down further on my hips and that made a huge difference. Since then, I've been wearing one nonstop and I actually think it worked to help shrink my belly! Plus, the support it provides is a must with all the moving around I have to do with two babies. I started with the large bamboo one and had to buy another one after a few weeks because my stomach went down so quickly. I wear a belly band under it because the BBs aren't easy to wash.

I'm sure we could have survived without these things, but they definitely have made life easier!

Free Stuff!!!

When I was pregnant and awake at dumb hours of the night, I would troll Pinterest for all things twins related. I often came across pins mentioning all the free stuff twin (or triplet, quadruplet, etc) parents can get just by sending a letter or email to baby companies. Who doesn't love free stuff? If you know me, or you know what my mother is like, you know I love free stuff and samples. I'm fairly certain that my friends and I ruined Zoo Brew by sampling drinking all the free booze. When my mom and I run Race for the Cure, our most favorite part is the free stuff from all the sponsors. We seriously would get there right when it opened, gather all our free things, run the race, and then gather more free things. We have problems. And don't even get me started on coupons! The Limited, with all their 50% off coupons, is the devil.

Anyway, what I didn't realize was that many of these pins were a few years old, and the information linked to those pins was outdated. Regardless, I contacted the companies last month in search of samples and coupons, stating that we had twins and that I could send proof of this if needed. My messages included my email address, physical address, and phone number. All the companies had an email address to send a note to or a form on their website to complete.  Most of the companies have discontinued their multiple birth program, so I think any new parent can request some samples and coupons. Do it!

Here's a list of who I contacted and what I received:

TOMY (aka Learning Curve Brands and The First Years)
My absolute favorite!  They still have their Multiple Birth Program, and requested proof of twins (I sent our discharge papers). They sent us two packs of Take & Toss sippy cups and two of the most adorable moose teethers. I'm a huge fan of the sippy cups because you can use them with and without the lid and for being so inexpensive, Dom's set has lasted a long time and hasn't gotten all yucky like his other sippys. Side note - the address I had to send the copies to is in Dyersville. I almost mentioned the Field of Dreams but figured they get that a lot. :)

Hain Celestial (aka Earth's Best)
They sent four coupons, two each of $.55 of infant or toddler food and $1.50 off diapers.

Abbott Nutrition (aka Similac)
They sent one sample can of formula (whichever kind you prefer, as long as they have it available) and three $2 off coupons. They also recommended that I contact our pediatrician to receive more samples and coupons. In addition, if you sign up for the StrongMoms program you receive a box with two sample cans, premixed formula, and $5 off coupons. I did this with Dominic so I had to register a different email address to get another sample box for the twins.

Medela
Absolutely nothing. Boo. The rep who contacted me suggested that I like them on facebook, and that they sometimes have samples and coupons available there. I was really hoping for a least a coupon or two to use toward pumping supplies.

Caldrea
They sent a sample of the Sweet Pea stain remover that we use, as well as five samples of hand soap. The samples are small, but I think I got three hand washes out of each sample.

Seven Generations
Nothing.

Pampers / Luvs
I contacted both, and since they are owned by the same company you can only request coupons from one of them. I requested Pampers. I had to send a copy of our discharge papers in order to receive the coupons. They sent the following coupons:
- $1 off wipes
- Two $2 off diapers
- $5 off diapers
- Free pack of diapers (up to $13.99)

Playtex
Their program was discontinued but they sent four coupons, two $1 off and two $7.99 off any Playtex infant product or Diaper Genie pail or refill.

Boudreaux's Buttpaste
Their program was also discontinued, and they did not send coupons. Like Medela, they suggested I follow them on facebook for offers.

The Honest Company
They didn't send anything, but said they would give me 25% off my first purchase through their website. They send coupons via email if you sign up to receive them. 

Triple Paste
They sent two samples and two $1 off coupons of their diaper cream. We've never used this brand before but it's always nice to have samples to keep in the diaper bag.

Gerber
Their program was discontinued, and they suggested that I sign up on their website to receive samples and coupons.

Lansinoh
Like Gerber and Medela, they don't have a program and you must register on their website to receive coupons.

I contacted the following companies, and haven't heard anything:
- Little Me,
- Baby Blanket Suncare,
- Ella's Kitchen, and
- Huggies.

I didn't contact Enfamil since we don't use their formula. The posts I read stated that they send a ton of formula so definitely contact them if you use it!

And because I can't write a post without pictures of William and Chloe, here you go:

Sleepy babies

Strong boy holding his head up

Refusing to drink formula. She very much prefers breastmilk!

Chloe and William: Two Months

Streeettttchhh

Not going to lie, this month started off rough. They both were cranky, fussy babies and all three of us cried a lot the first week of this month. But, I'm proud to report that things are much better, either that or I'm just coping much better.

Rare moment of peace at the beginning of the month

Weight and height:  We have official numbers after yesterday's two-month appointment. Chloe is 22 1/4 inches long (45th percentile) and 11 pounds 1.5 ounces (48th percentile), with a head circumference of 15.2 inches (65th percentile). William is 21 3/4 inches long (8th percentile) and 9 pounds 11 ounces (4th percentile), with a head circumference of 15 inches (22nd percentile). Yay, Will is on the charts!

Sleeping patterns:  They take three naps during the day, with the middle one usually lasting at least two hours. We put them to bed around 7-8ish, and then we just wait until they wake up. Most nights they sleep about three hours before waking, with the longest stretch being about four to four and a half hours. We're still waking the other when one wakes up, so who knows - maybe if we let them sleep through they might sleep longer, but Brian and I don't want to risk waking every hour to care for a baby. In the mornings, they usually wake between 7 and 8, and then we start our schedule of eat, play, sleep.

We transitioned them to their room shortly after they hit one month, and the transition has gone well. They sleep together side by side in one of their cribs. Will is such a cuddly guy, so I often find him snuggled up to Chloe. Soon they'll begin rolling over so I think we'll have to consider putting them in their own cribs.

His head was closer to his pacifier when I laid them down

Eating habits: Will still tends to eat more than Chloe, though where he stores it, I don't know! I'm still pumping and getting just enough for both of them. They each get a bottle of formula every other day or so, with the exception of growth spurts. They both seem to be in one right now, so I seem to fall behind more at the moment.

My next goal is to continue pumping to twelve weeks. I'd like to continue until they are six months old, but I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to fit in three pumping sessions during the work day when it takes about a hour each time I pump from start to finish. I think most days I will be able to work my meetings and case time around pump sessions, but I have to provide a lot of trainings or attend trainings/all-day meetings when I come back. I'm part of an exclusive pumpers support group on Facebook (lifesavers!) and a lot of the moms say that they dropped a pump session after twelve weeks. I've thought about doing that but I'm so afraid that my supply will drop if I don't keep at my eight pumps per day. It seems like a lot of the moms who drop pumps only have one baby to feed and have a freezer stash; I have two babies and no stash. Thankfully, daycare provides formula, so if my supply does drop some when I return to work, they can have formula at daycare and breast milk at home.

Regardless, I'm proud that I've made it this far with the two of them! It's three weeks more than what I did with Dominic, and we haven't had to buy any formula yet. Knock on wood - things are going so well this time that I don't see a reason why I can't make it through my next two goals (12 weeks and 6 months) other than the work issue. I want to keep going so that they'll receive antibodies from any daycare colds we get and so I can keep burning the ridiculous amount of calories that I've been burning. Making one ounce of breast milk burns 20 calories, so I burn between 1000 and 1200 per day just by sitting on my butt.

The only bad thing in all of this is that I think Chloe might have a lactose insensitivity. A few weeks ago when things were awful, I ate cereal with milk for breakfast, had a glass of milk with dinner, ate a cheese stick before bed, and ate lots of cheesy freezer meals (for seriously every meal but breakfast). Later during that bad week I was too tired to have real meals so I was living on granola bars and Belvitas for about a week. I had also purchased almond milk to use in smoothies, and because I didn't want to risk that going bad, I started putting that in my cereal. So I unintentionally cut out a lot of dairy and Chloe seemed to feel better. Then this last week has been rough with her again - lots of crying for seemingly no reason, less poopy diapers, more gas. Guess what I ate a lot of this week?  Cheesy pizza. Cheesy lasagna. So I don't think I'm going to cut out dairy entirely, but no more milk, no more cheese sticks, and no more cheese on my sandwiches. I think I'll allow myself a cheesy meal here and there, but I plan on being more mindful about how much cheese I eat in consecutive days. ----- Okay, so I wrote this, ate a turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch (the cheese because it's going to go bad soon, I'm the only one who eats that kind, I can't let it go to waste, and I wasn't 100% convinced that dairy is truly Chloe's issue), and pumped. Brian just fed the babies what I pumped earlier and guess who was extra fussy? Dammit. So definitely no cheese/dairy and now I'm 100% convinced. 

Will hanging out while Chloe screamed

Chloe's milk beard

New discoveries they've made:  They both have started to put their hands in mouths to suck on their fingers, so they are starting to explore. They're also starting to grab onto things, like my hair. I think it was right around this age for Dominic that I chopped all my hair off.

While all their new behaviors and discoveries are mostly exciting to watch develop, there is one that is abso-freaking-lutely annoying:  Will's cry. Will started his life with the sweetest little newborn baby cry. Chloe did not. She's always had that LISTEN TO ME cry, which resulted in us trying to console her first since she was the loudest / most annoying. At some point in the last few weeks, Will started having this shrieky, high-pitched scream. I'm not entirely certain how it started out, but guess who is attended to first?  We unknowingly shaped his sweet cry to the most annoying sound in the world. Thankfully he's a pretty laid back baby!

Accomplishments:  I feel like this is a huge accomplishment for Will:  he's on the growth charts and starting to close the gap between his weight and Chloe's weight. Go buddy! 

They are better at holding their heads up and have started to push down with their feet to stand when we hold them up. Will has rolled once, during tummy time from tummy to back, but I think it was a fluke roll.

Places they went:  I took them to Target, both of them, by myself last week. We actually made it all the way through the list and no one stopped me to chat. That was because I only brought in one car seat - Will was in the wrap carrier and Chloe was in her car seat. With the cold weather cover on her seat, no one saw her in there and just assumed I had only Will with me. Only one crazy lady stopped me - and that was Grandma Cindy! I was looking for my favorite breakfast burritos and noticed out of the corner of my eye that some lady was creeping super close and staring at us. So I looked over like WTH and there's my mom! She was there on her lunch hour picking up Brin's birthday gift, and I got busted for "being right next door and not calling". Sorry, Mom!

Other than that, they went to the doctor yesterday (shots, yuck) and Mitch and Julie's a couple of times. I also took them to visit Brian's old boss at the apartment complex because I was a dumb ass and had my Sephora birthday order shipped to our old apartment (we haven't lived there for five years!).

Special friends they've made: This month included a lot more visitors. Chloe met her future BFF, Isla, during one of the visits and Megan captured this gem:

Future divas. Or I guess current divas.

Both William and Chloe watch Dominic whenever he's near. If they are crying Dom can often get them to stop by getting close and talking to them (mostly saying, "ohh, no cry" or "awww, baby"). He can also get them to smile, though they are both stingy with their smiles. Their stinginess sort of stinks because Dominic smiled at nearly everything. I want cute baby smiles! I guess I just need to remember that they were two and a half weeks early and Dom was a week late. That's almost a month difference of brain development which is a lot of time in baby development. (If you're curious, here's Dom's two-month post:  http://thecraun-icles.blogspot.com/2012/07/two-months.html.)

Look at her sly smile

Dom loves to be by his babies

To answer your question:  No, Dominic never wears pants.

Noises and babbles: Will coos quite a bit. One time they were laying by each other and it seemed like that they were talking to each other. It was quick but super cute!

Post discussion. I think they were deciding when to cry at the same time the next day...

Firsts:
Shots
Ugh, it's so awful to witness these! But it eases my mind to know that they have some guard against these initial illnesses. They've been more drowsy and slightly fussy/feverish since they received their two-month vaccinations yesterday morning, but no other side effects.

St. Patrick's Day
They looked so cute in their green!

Dom was too busy watching Spongebob to take a St. Paddy's Day pic

Other adventures this month:

That's all his doing. I only captured it.

Will looks just like Dom in this one.

Chloe's heart-shaped bald spot.

Will and Dom passed out

Chloe, Daddy, and Dom having a slumber party

They're always interested in what the other one is doing during play time.

The only ways I could calm her during the beginning of their second month - a high-contrast blanket to look at and a lullaby-playing owl to listen to

Turns out Coco was the one stealing the bottle nipples and pump membranes. Bia.

I'm excited for all the upcoming firsts during the next month. All except their first days at daycare because that means two things:  1) daycare colds and 2) I have to go back to work. Boo.