Losing Weight After Twins

Since I have so many questions about this topic, I am going to address it briefly. I know this may come as a surprise to some of you that know me, but I am not one to fret over my looks so much. I have a husband who prefers I not wear make-up, which is just fine with me 99% of the time. I don't weigh myself more than once a month, maybe less. And I don't really keep up with the latest fashions. It's just not me. On the flip side - I could stand to eat healthier and exercise more, or just exercise at this point.

I weighed 126 lbs before I found out I was pregnant (with the twins). I weighed 191 lbs the day before I went into labor. Simple math tells us I gained 65 lbs, which I thought was really fantastic. I fully expected to put on more than that and still be healthy with twins. The day they were born, I weighed 161 lbs (after birth, and yes, I was able to walk down the hall and around the corner to the scale by myself while Scott stayed with the babies). Thirty pounds in one day!

[I DO NOT recommend weighing yourself immediately after birth! I only did it because I had twins and wanted a record. I have not done it with any of my other births.]

The babies are 11 months old now, and I am not sure what I weigh but I know last time I weighed myself I was at 126 on the dot, and my new pants are getting too big. I have not dieted. I have not restricted my food intake. I nursed Dennis and Daniel exclusively for the first six months at which point they started to eat baby foods and home made cereal. I still nurse them several times a day. Beyond some additional water in a cup, they don't drink any other liquids at this point.

So, I know nursing has helped shed pounds. I still have to keep eating plenty of (healthy) calories and drinking tons of water. I am somewhat active, but not more than keeping up with babies and toddlers and running up and down the stairs.

Twin skin? Well, now we're getting a little more personal. It is not as exaggerated as it was shortly after birth when I first blogged about it here. But I suppose it is still there. I am not so worried about it anymore. Neither is my husband, and that's really what mattered most to me!

Oh, by the way, I previously mentioned my only weight-loss goal was to be able to wear my wedding rings again. I have met that goal!

Tuesday's Top Ten Twin Stuff List... Especially for a Small Living Space

I don't think you should buy two of everything right away. I will say that we used two bouncy seats from week one... well, maybe week two, I can't remember.

I really like the bouncy seats we have, but if I had thought about it a little more, I might have chosen a more portable style. Or at least something that folds up and stores out of the way.

1) Take Along Swings - maybe just one to start. You never know whether both babies will like swing time or not, and you may not need to have both in a swing at the same time. I have found that both of mine enjoy swinging, and I enjoy having them both in the swing at the same time.

2) Nursing pillow - I would like to have the inflatable pillow as well for travel. I discussed the nursing pillow in a previous post.

3) Bouncy seats - fold up if you can find them. I had a couple of older bouncy seats with my older children that folded for storage and for portability. These are two wonderful qualities (easy storage and easy portability) to find in any baby equipment for twins.

4) floor gym - collapsible. These are helpful, but not completely necessary. They do take up a lot of space if you don't find the kind that folds on itself and stays closed with snaps or Velcro.

5) Double stroller of some sort. We have a Graco Duoglider, and I love the feature that allows you to snap the carseats in and out. I have also seen the stroller that is just the frame for holding the carseats.

6) Port-a-crib or pack-n-play (somewhere to put them, especially if you have other small children)

7) Good breast pump - high quality and portability (can you plug an adaptor into the car? Believe me, it comes in handy!)

8) Portable changing table/station or several stations throughout the house - I have created a portable changing station on a cart. Maybe I will take pics of it and add them later.

9) A back pack diaper bag - I love mine, but it isn't as big as some others. You may want something a little roomier? Also, think about how easy it will be to clean and whether it will stand up on its own.

10) An incredible setup for nursing - including Hands-free phone/books/computer whatever you need to make nursing work for the long-haul. Read this for more info on Nursing Set-up (and other useful twin information from a real mom of twins).

Our Twins are Two Months Old Today!

Today the babies are two months old, and they had their two-month check up today. We started seeing a new doctor when the twins were born. Apparently, he is a very popular doctor; he's always booked at least six weeks in advance. He has been in practice for quite some time, I hear, and he is considered to have a more "natural" practice.

I expressed how I was a little apprehensive about toting all four littles with me (even with Delainey's help) to the doctor in a previous post. My sister-in-law called me and offered to watch Kynzie & Max which helped bunches. (Thank you!) Long story short: We went to the appointment Wednesday and found out it was really on Thursday, and since he is a really popular doctor, he was already double-booked on Wednesday. So, we had to go back today. My gracious sister-in-law just laughed at my silly situation, (in a sort of feel sorry for you kind of way, I think) and offered to watch the kids again today!

So, anyway, Dennis weighs 12 lbs, 11 oz and Daniel weighs 12 lbs. They both measure 23.25" in length. Everything else is fine. The Dr. said they don't worry about crossed eyes or lazy eyes until around 4 months, they don't really worry about navel hernias until around 4 years of age, and he didn't think Daniel's desire to be crooked all the time should be worrysome just yet.

Since I am exclusively breastfeeding at this point, I have been a little paranoid about making sure they are each receiving enough nourishment. I think today's appointment took that concern down one more level.

We skipped the shots today, so we all left mostly happy. It did seem that the Dr. broke Dennis' heart when he had to turn his little head away from Mommy. So there were some residual tears and cries there.

I tried to take some cute pictures of the babies last night, but it didn't go so well. Here is one of my favorites though... Daniel is smiling and Dennis is done.

So, How DO You Nurse (as in Breastfeed) Twins?

You get one of these nursing pillows - EZ-2-Nurse Twin Nusring Pillow. I don't think I could nurse my twins at the same time without this pillow. And I don't know whether I could keep my sanity if I didn't nurse my twins at the same time, at least most of the time. So, this pillow is a sanity-saver for me.

I think there are other similar twin pillows out there, but this is the one I have and use day and night.

With a singleton at night, the baby is in the bed with me and can nurse, and I don't have to get up. But I couldn't figure out how to do that with two. I have read about women who did and even read a short tutorial but still couldn't figure it out.

Speaking of tutorials, I came by this pillow second-hand (it was generously given to me in exchange for my regular Boppy nursing pillow) and didn't get any of the paperwork that may have come with it. But I did find this online tutorial which was immensely helpful.

There is even an inflatable double nursing pillow that I think would be a good investment to take on the road with me.

I also found an online site that sells a pattern to make your own twin nursing pillow. I can't find the link, but when I do, I will add it here.

Then, there are nursing tops & dresses... but maybe that will be another post.

I also want to add this link for others expecting twins. There is some great advice on having twins in three parts. It is geared toward a big family with more children than I have, but I found it so helpful anyway!

They say nursing (babies) sucks your brains out...

I haven't blogged in so long... But I really do have good reasons! Homeschooling a 13-year old who would rather not right now (can't blame her!), a two-year old boy that loves to learn about his world in a physical way, an almost four-year old little girl who wants to know what happens to everything and why, a house that doesn't clean itself, laundry that multiplies all by itself, shopping lists, groceries, and meal planning and preparation... the list goes on and on. Oh, and did I mention my newborn twin sons, and the sleepless nights that come with them?

I guess they aren't exactly newborns anymore; they just passed their one month "birthday". They are so sweet and adorable and cuddly... until sometime in the middle of the night. I am not entirely sure when it happens, but all of the sudden my angels don't seem to be as cute as I remember from just a few short hours earlier.

I have never experienced sheer exhaustion until the last few weeks. Fortunately, it is not daily. Some nights are much better than other nights. But I can definitely tell when I am running on a large sleep deficit - my brain just doesn't work. I can't think clearly and I have "tired voice" all day. I have started to keep a "While I Am Thinking About It" notebook. I try to write down everything down so I don't forget.

Yesterday was the worst case of forgetfulness yet. We went to the library a few days ago, and the librarian told the kids about a bug party they were having to kick off their summer reading program. The kids could wear bug costumes, there would be face painting, bug crafts, special guests bringing exotic bugs for the kids to see, and a popular storyteller telling, yep, bug stories.

Kynzie loves bugs, or at least most of them most of the time. She loves to play in the garden, and any dirt patch is a garden to her. She likes to find bugs in her gardens. She loves to learn about bugs. We have a great 3-D book about bees and another one about ants. I would like to have more of those for her. But I digress. My point here is that she was sooooo super excited about that party.

And guess what Mommy forgot. It is still that saddest thing. She prayed two or three times that Jesus would talk to the library and ask them to have another bug party. I am so upset that I forgot.

So, we are going to try to recreate the bug party at home, minus the exotic bugs.

In other news, Max turned two! I will try to load some pics of him in a bit. We didn't have a party. I originally planned to have a double party for Max and Kynzie later in June. But I don't think that is going to happen either. There is so much going on and the idea of a clean house is very enticing but a little overwhelming at this point. We are doing pretty good keeping the living room mostly clean. That's about it.

Also, more than a few people at a time at our house wouldn't fit comfortably pre-twins; post-twins we need a whole room for all the baby equipment! I had good intentions, but I just don't think a big party is going to happen this year.