POM Check-In 7.15

[mrsmcsmith09]

Thanks for the check in @feegan. How's J doing with his walking? Is he running yet?

How old/combo (gg/bb/bg/etc) are your multiples? B & L are 6/5 months

How's it going, any upcoming Dr Appts or milestones you'd like to discuss? We are down to 0-1 wake ups/night and the 1 is rare and usually because of an overly wet diaper! L has 2 teeth and is crawling. B is rolling EVERYWHERE and is starting to show some interest in crawling since L started really figuring it out.

Do you have any questions or concerns that you'd like advice on? What diaper do you use for overnights? I can't figure this out. We use Tar.get and Kirk.land size 2 during the day. I was using Pam.pers size 3 at night but 12 hours, no leaks is a joke for my kids apparently. Size 2 Hug.gies seems to work for L but I can't find the right overnight option for B. She's a mover at night but we usually find her on her tummy.

QOTW: If you could live in a book, tv show or movie, what would it be? If it was short term I would say Harry Potter, the earlier ones not once it got all dark and scary.

[housecarder]

- How old/combo (gg/bb/bg/etc) are your multiples? The girls are a month old today! Time is flying!

- How's it going, any upcoming Dr Appts or milestones you'd like to discuss? They have their one month appointment Monday. Hoping they've gained some good weight.

We switched to sensitive formula and Finn is much happier (still more needy than Evie but much much better).

- Do you have any questions or concerns that you'd like advice on?
How do you feed both at the same time? We try to stagger their feedings so one person can do both (like Finn at 7 and then Evie at 7:30) in the hopes that at 10 Finn will be hungry first and then Evie, but it never seems to work out that way and I always end up with them both screaming. It's not an issue now with H home by soon it will just be me and I'm trying to figure out the best way to double feed. For now I prop a bottle with one beside me and one in my lap.

- QOTW: If you could live in a book, tv show or movie, what would it be? Harry Potter post Hogwarts victory, so no Voldemort or death eaters.

[mrsmcsmith09]

housecarder I used the boppy and propped them each up, then with a bottle in each hand. Works okay as long as your older kids don't need you during feeding time. I also bought these bottle propping bibs and sat them in their swings with a blanket underneath. The bibs are on etsy and I think schmella (?) has the link. These were a total game changer. Not only could we feed them easily but it was the only way L would finish a bottle.

[schmella]

housecarder & mrsmcsmith09, I believe beachy has the magical bibs. I did the 2 Boppies on either side for awhile but I really had a lot of success using the MBF pillow to bottle feed. I posted pics, I can try to find them if you want. It's hard before 3m, you'd need a lot of blanket rolls to help support their necks but it was a game changer for me

[housecarder]

Jul 15, 2016 17:40:33 GMT -5 schmella said:

housecarder & mrsmcsmith09, I believe beachy has the magical bibs. I did the 2 Boppies on either side for awhile but I really had a lot of success using the MBF pillow to bottle feed. I posted pics, I can try to find them if you want. It's hard before 3m, you'd need a lot of blanket rolls to help support their necks but it was a game changer for me

Yeah I saw the Bugaboo Bliss bibs and wondered if they were worth it. Right now if I have to prop a bottle the RNP is where I do it mostly but I think I will get the bibs for when H goes back to work and then for the once a month H will have them all alone by himself when I work a weekend.

[housecarder]

@feegan I have no clue! Time flies! I think I'll pull their boppies out of nursery. I also ordered the bibs to help if I needed free hands.

[schmella]

Bottle feeding MBF. Bonus I could keep them at the right angle for 20 minutes after feeding for their reflux

[nomnom]

housecarder I used two rockers with stiff backs (FP plastic ones with a lizard on the back) so their heads wouldn't get pushed forward. I sat between them on a cushion on the floor and leaned against a wall or crib.

[housecarder]

@feegan not twins but DD started pulling up and running at 8 months (never crawled more than the army crawl) and was pretty stable by 10 months, while DS didn't even attempt to step until 12 months. They were both delivered at 39 weeks so I think it's normal in siblings to be a bit different.
As for the cradle cap I just started gently scrubbing it off in the tub with a soft bristled brush. That way I didn't have such bad flakes.

[schmella]

@feegan, have you tried Mustela cradle cap shampoo? Also Tea tree oil is supposed to work wonders

[twobananas]

1 month bg

Going well, the last two nights they've only gotten up twice, which is amazing, but the trade off is they nurse for a really long time before bed. That's okay though, I'll take the sleep! Now that they are a month, I'm feeling like time is just going to fly by. They are getting big fast! Had a really low couple of days but feeling great today so hopefully this good mood lasts I think it's because it's the weekend and my husband is home to help!

For those of you with older kids at what age did you stop keeping them both on the same eating/sleeping schedule?

Gotta go with Harry Potter, that world is just so cool. Assuming I was a witch and not a muggle

[beachy]

Jul 15, 2016 18:21:49 GMT -5 housecarder said:

Jul 15, 2016 17:40:33 GMT -5 schmella said:

housecarder & mrsmcsmith09, I believe beachy has the magical bibs. I did the 2 Boppies on either side for awhile but I really had a lot of success using the MBF pillow to bottle feed. I posted pics, I can try to find them if you want. It's hard before 3m, you'd need a lot of blanket rolls to help support their necks but it was a game changer for me

Yeah I saw the Bugaboo Bliss bibs and wondered if they were worth it. Right now if I have to prop a bottle the RNP is where I do it mostly but I think I will get the bibs for when H goes back to work and then for the once a month H will have them all alone by himself when I work a weekend.

They are worth every penny! I promise!

[mrsmcsmith09]

@feegan I would totally join you in the Wizard of Oz! We change them in the MOTN if they wake up so it's a 50/50. I think I need to get a pack of size 3 huggies and see what happens.

[anakah]

@feegan, DS was consistently 3-4 weeks ahead of DD for physical milestones except sitting. He struggled a lot to master a skill and then DD would follow with effortless execution. We joked that DD watched DS do all the work figuring out the mechanics and took notes so she wouldn't have to work so hard herself. as far as variations in siblings go, ds2 (#3) followed a similar schedule to ds1. All 3 walked around 10-11 months and it's been chaos since.

[lindy04aggie]

- How old/combo (gg/bb/bg/etc) are your multiples? 4.5 month B/G

- How's it going, any upcoming Dr Appts or milestones you'd like to discuss? It's going well! The kiddos sat in high chairs for the first time this weekend. Also, green beans are a hit! We're going to try peas tonight.

- Do you have any questions or concerns that you'd like advice on? I'm sure I do... but I'm totally blanking at the moment. At least I know where to find y'all when I remember.

- QOTW: If you could live in a book, tv show or movie, what would it be? OMG... I'm such a nerd. I'd pick Firefly. Or maybe Eureka.

ETA: @feegan - I was at the pedi this weekend and he said there is nothing you can do for cradle cap.  You just have to wait it out.  He said if it appears to be making the kiddo uncomfortable you can put mineral oil on it.

[housecarder]

lindy04aggie Firefly is a great choice but I'm still not ok with what happened to Wash. So if I lived in that world we'd have to pretend Serenity didn't happen.

[lindy04aggie]

Jul 18, 2016 19:33:18 GMT -5 housecarder said:

lindy04aggie Firefly is a great choice but I'm still not ok with what happened to Wash. So if I lived in that world we'd have to pretend Serenity didn't happen.

Agreed.

P.S.  Dibs on Mal.  

[schmella]

Jul 19, 2016 8:09:23 GMT -5 lindy04aggie said:

Jul 18, 2016 19:33:18 GMT -5 housecarder said:

lindy04aggie Firefly is a great choice but I'm still not ok with what happened to Wash. So if I lived in that world we'd have to pretend Serenity didn't happen.

Agreed.

P.S.  Dibs on Mal.  

I tried really hard to sell MH on a boys name with the NN Mal.

[kate61487]

housecarder I use the mbf per schmella's advice, slight variation bc I sit cross-legged on the floor



I also frequently sit in the corner of our L shaped couch with a boppy on either side, I usually cradle one with the bottle propped on my chest and hold the bottle for the other, but having the second boppy to switch for burping is good.

I also have a twin z. Early on I would put them down on it side-lying. I would hold the bottles so I could pace them or stick a burp rag under to just prop it. This is still DH's preferred method, though they lay normally (on their backs) now.


So basically: try some things. You'll find what works for you.

AFM, my 7.5mo boys (almost 5mo adjusted) are good . S cut his first tooth last night! He also mastered back to belly rolling last night (he'd done it before sporadically but has done it 20+ times in the last 18 hours). As such he slept on his belly for the first time last night. L is right behind him, constantly putting himself on his side. They won't be immobile for too much longer!

Question: we're working on sitting. S is much more stable than L, but still topples over occasionally. For now I can only have one sit at a time bc I have to be ready to catch (and L really needs constant bumpers), how did you make the leap to letting them sit more independently? Did you just use the boppy buffer or are we going to be working with one at a time until they can sit themselves back up?

QOTW: early Harry Potter would be good.

[snd1231]

Super late as always to check in but the triplets are 9 months old/5 months adjusted. We are still dealing with awful teething. Refusing to eat or nap.

Things are rough. I'm tired. I really need a day without the kids. I love them but I'm just worn out completely. We have lots of dr appts. Nolan still can't get off his continuous oxygen so we are going to a special pulmonologist, Nataleigh isn't eating so we go back to our neo team to reasses in a month. If it's not better a gtube is being considered. Also see our ped on Monday.

Help me with naps and baby food. I'm so lost as to why my kiddos won't nap anymore. They all sleep through the night but only take short cat naps during the day. Baby food- should I feed baby food in place of a bottle of as a snack. How much less formula is normal ?? I'm so lost as a ftm.

Qotw: I want to live in Greys anatomy. My favorite show ever.

[kate61487]

snd1231 you are a rockstar, I can't even imagine a 3rd LO.

For solids: I think at this age it's supposed to just be for fun after a full meal of milk/formula. I don't think milk volume decreases until around 1yr

Naps are rough here too. Every once in a while I hit a sweet spot and get a 3hr nap, but usually they're only 30-45 min. Usually the unicorn naps hit the perfect tiredness + a full belly + the nighttime routine of swaddled, white noise, dark nursery, etc. But even all those together is no guarantee. Is the nap routine similar to bedtime? Are they waking each other at all?

T&ps that their health issues improve

[schmella]

snd1231, we hit the 4m sleep regression at 5m. They go from newborn sleep patterns to more adult patterns and have to learn how to put themselves back to sleep every cycle (around 30-45min). It sucks. Hugs.

We started solids once a day- if their first bottle was at 7am and their second was at 10am, we would try solids between 8 and 9am. So they were hungry but not starving. Our pedi wanted them taking in between 20 and 32oz in formula per day (less than 20 leads to dehydration, more than 32 the nutritional value becomes questionable). Our formula volume went down immediately, but the reason we started solids was because W was refusing bottles.

[snd1231]

Jul 19, 2016 19:50:32 GMT -5 schmella said:

snd1231, we hit the 4m sleep regression at 5m. They go from newborn sleep patterns to more adult patterns and have to learn how to put themselves back to sleep every cycle (around 30-45min). It sucks. Hugs.

We started solids once a day- if their first bottle was at 7am and their second was at 10am, we would try solids between 8 and 9am. So they were hungry but not starving. Our pedi wanted them taking in between 20 and 32oz in formula per day (less than 20 leads to dehydration, more than 32 the nutritional value becomes questionable). Our formula volume went down immediately, but the reason we started solids was because W was refusing bottles.

Our baby that is refusing bottles also hates spoons. I'm about ready to pull my hair out. Every feed time is a struggle. Our babies are all eating different amounts. Nolan (16 lbs) takes about 30 oz and devoures baby food. Gracie eats 24 oz and really loves baby food. Nataleigh eats maybe 20 oz and refuses all spoons.

[schmella]

snd1231
Ugh. I'm so sorry, you have so much on your plate. I feel like I spend all day feeding and/or putting someone to bed. I can only imagine with 3.

I have no idea where you are feeding wise w Nat, but I'll just share our picky-eater journey. W started refusing bottles around 3m. I looked forward to dream feeds because it was the only time she didn't fight every ounce. Pedi wanted to start solids at 4m but I didn't think it was a good idea. Turns out she was concerned about W's pickiness and wanted to expose her to different textures and a spoon ASAP. We went to normal formula, which she took better than the high cal. Pedi said some kids just know they don't need the extra cals.
We started cereal at 5m which she refused. Texture was/is a big deal. She likes super thin, smooth Stuff OR hunks of food. How dare you try to give her purées w chunks. We had some success early on with avocado In a mesh feeder. Nowadays she spits out EVERYTHING the first time. Or even the 3rd.
She LOVES to eat directly from a pouch or to feed herself things with her hands but a spoon is still iffy. have you tried teething wafers or puffs? If she likes them, you could try dipping them into purées too. For W it turned out to be a big control thing.

[twobananas]

Jul 19, 2016 20:53:51 GMT -5 snd1231 said:

Jul 19, 2016 19:50:32 GMT -5 schmella said:

snd1231, we hit the 4m sleep regression at 5m. They go from newborn sleep patterns to more adult patterns and have to learn how to put themselves back to sleep every cycle (around 30-45min). It sucks. Hugs.

We started solids once a day- if their first bottle was at 7am and their second was at 10am, we would try solids between 8 and 9am. So they were hungry but not starving. Our pedi wanted them taking in between 20 and 32oz in formula per day (less than 20 leads to dehydration, more than 32 the nutritional value becomes questionable). Our formula volume went down immediately, but the reason we started solids was because W was refusing bottles.

Our baby that is refusing bottles also hates spoons. I'm about ready to pull my hair out. Every feed time is a struggle. Our babies are all eating different amounts. Nolan (16 lbs) takes about 30 oz and devoures baby food. Gracie eats 24 oz and really loves baby food. Nataleigh eats maybe 20 oz and refuses all spoons.

Have you tried baby led weaning (or some version of it)? With my two singletons we would just give them a plate of puréed food and let them go at it with their hands. Or something they could gum (they loved the Mums crackers). Not sure what you are feeding them but if it's the pre-made baby food items, you could try normal food like cottage cheese, yogurt, smashed peas, etc. my daughter was never a fan of sweet food which threw us off for a bit, she much preferred veggies. My son preferred all carbs and fruits.

[twobananas]

And I agree, you are a rock star. It's hard to imagine now, but things will get easier.. Just gotta get there!

[snd1231]

Oh schmella you have totally made my day. I'm not the only one who is dealing with this. All my friends complain about their kids always eating blah blah and here I am dreading every moment as it brings us closer to feed time. Nat started refusing bottles around a month ago. She was on thickened formula. So after lots of issues we took away the thickener and started regular formula with a slower nipple things have gotten a tiny bit better. But dream feeds are amazing I agree. Any other time I seriously just want to cry or scream. Our neonatologist and dietitians don't feel she is physically or cognitively ready for any type of baby food as she is seriously developmentally behind. But with that said she does great once food is in her mouth just not getting it in her mouth. She is on extra calorie formula so maybe I will try not adding the extra. That's a good thought. I have not tried any teething wafers or puffs since she still can't even really sit with assistance. She is really struggling meeting all her milestones. We work with a physical therapist, developmental therapist, occupational therapist as well as a speech therapist that helps with the feeds. She is now rolling over but that's about it. I might try tho. I'm ready to try anything.

twobananas I have looked into blw but don't feel that Nataleigh is ready for it. She can't sit up even with assistance and just started rolling over. She does like the food once it's in her mouth but getting it there is the issue. I have been feeding pre made baby food and yogurt. So far she hates it all from the spoon but I haven't tried letting her feed herself. I'm willing to try everything

Thank you ladies so much for the kind words and encouragement. It really means a lot to me.

[schmella]

snd1231, have you tried your finger? Tiny pieces of soft foods on your finger? I do that pretty frequently, TBH.

ETA: I definitely dread feeding times for different reasons at different times. You are certainly not alone.

[schmella]

kate61487, do they tend to fall forwards or backwards? Full disclosure, A faceplanted and came up with a bloody nose way too early in life. So just be careful if they tend to fall forwards.

We used a boppy and a combination of my legs plus extra pillows/cushions until they were a little more reliable. Or sat them up with their back against the couch with the boppy wrapped around their fronts.

[kate61487]

Jul 19, 2016 23:31:36 GMT -5 schmella said:

kate61487, do they tend to fall forwards or backwards? Full disclosure, A faceplanted and came up with a bloody nose way too early in life. So just be careful if they tend to fall forwards.

We used a boppy and a combination of my legs plus extra pillows/cushions until they were a little more reliable. Or sat them up with their back against the couch with the boppy wrapped around their fronts.

S is mostly side to side, though the other day I tried letting him sit on his own so I could grab a burp rag and it was the cutest thing he looked up at me and smiled really big and then proceeded to fall backwards immediately. Ninja-mom reflexes caught his head just before it hit the (padded) ground.

L has tight hamstrings and hates sitting so he goes backward all the time, but I can support him if I can get S on his own. The couch/boppy combo is brilliant, thanks!