FIAO 5:11 - Feeding The Twins - New Recipes!

We're six months into our Baby Led Weaning journey (although I'm pretty sure after a year we can just call it eating) and these girls are beasts! They eat pretty much everything I offer them and love trying new foods. I started running out of ideas of things to try a few weeks ago when we had covered pretty much every whole fruit, vegetable and grain out there. Once they started napping better and were able to play by themselves for a bit I started experimenting with new recipes for them. Some of them have been big hits, others not so much and sometimes my cooking skills (or lack thereof) leave something to be desired, but so far it's been fun.

Here are some of the recipes I've tried, where I found them and how they went!

Spinach Banana Mini Muffins

From Tribe Magazine - Spinach + Banana Healthy Breakfast Muffins

I just made these (about 8 hours after I posted this blog) and they are THAT good that I rushed to the computer to update and add this recipe. If you have ripe bananas and spinach you need to go to your kitchen and make them right now. Apparently they freeze well but I'm not sure we'll find out since the girls gobbled up two each and CJ and I both ate two as well. They are bomb.

Ingredients:

• 3 small ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin pans (I did 24 mini and 6 regular size)
2. Add the first seven ingredients to a blender (banana, applesauce, vanilla, spinach, syrup, coconut oil, egg) and blend well
3. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a large mixing bowl
4. Pour blender mixture into dry ingredients and mix slowly until thoroughly moistened
5. It will be very thick like pancake batter. I added 2 tablespoons of yogurt to loosen it up a bit.
6. Spoon into muffin pan until half full
7. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes (mini) and 17 minutes (regular)
8. Enjoy!

Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes

From My Little Gourmet - Mini Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes

These were a huge hit! They love cottage cheese anyway and I love that they get the added protein from it. The banana and vanilla added a nice sweetness so no syrup is needed even for us adults.

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
• 1 banana
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• coconut oil for cooking

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend well
2. Heat a griddle over medium heat, add coconut oil
3. Pour batter into pan in any size cakes you want. I did a few different sizes - big ones for us adults and smaller ones for the littles. I ended up with about 16 mini and 8 large.
4. Enjoy!

Broccoli-Cauliflower-Sweet Potato-Cheddar Tuna Cakes

Adapted from Little Grazers - Broccoli and Cheddar Patties

They LOVED these. They were relatively easy to make but took a while longer than I would have liked because I had to steam all the veggies separately. I altered the original recipe by adding tuna and cauliflower for some extra nutrients and omega-3s. Even better, they freeze so well! The recipe made about 8 large and 10 smaller cakes. I just take them out of the freezer and toss them in the toaster oven for a few minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups of frozen broccoli 
• 1 cup of frozen cauliflower
• 1 cup of strong cheddar 
• 1 can chunk light tuna, drained
• black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• vegetable oil for baking

Directions:

1. Steam the sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower. 
2. While those steam, shred the cheese and drain the tuna
3. Give the veggies a rough chop then mix with cheese and tuna, add pepper and let cool
4. Preheat oven to 400 and grease a baking sheet with oil
5. Add the egg and mix well
6. Form into cakes. I did a few different sizes. I ended up with about 30 overall.
7. Place on greased baking dish and brush tops with oil
8. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through 
9. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Turkey-Apple-Spinach-Carrot Meatballs

Adapted from From Momma Always Knows - Turkey Meatballs With Veggies
and From Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life - Mini Turkey Apple Meatballs

Jules loves these, Viv wasn't so sure but she's getting there, trying a little more every time I offer them. I omitted the egg as we only had two left and they came out fantastic!

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 apple, grated
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 2 tbs. milk
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and grease baking sheet with coconut oil
2. Add all ingredients to large bowl and use your hands to mix will
3.  Form 1 1/4 inch balls. This makes about 36.
4. Bake for about 12 minutes
5. Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Chicken Fingers

From Planning With Kids - Homemade Chicken Nuggets

 

Don't be fooled by the smile!

Ugh. These girls do not like chicken. I go out of my way to get the best I can find - local, free range, organic if possible (read: expensive!) and they just look at me like I'm crazy no matter how I try. The only times they've eaten it is when I've added it to quesadillas or when it's crock pot shredded chicken.I thought for sure this recipe would be a hit but they each took a few bites and tossed them aside. No matter, Mama is a former chicken finger addict so I gobbled them up myself!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup organic whole milk plain yogurt (we always have Stonyfield on hand)
• 2 tbs coconut oil, plus extra for cooking
• 1 cup Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Pound out chicken and cut into thin strips. I made 12 decent sized chicken fingers with 2 breasts.
2. Preheat oven to 375
3. Mix coconut oil into yogurt
4. Dredge chicken in yogurt
5. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs
6. Grease baking sheet with coconut oil and drizzle oil on top of chicken
7. Bake for 30 minutes turning over halfway through 
8. Enjoy!

 

Zucchini Carrot Fritters

From Just a Taste - 5 Ingredient Zucchini Fritters

Not a hit. Not at all. I'm not sure why, they resembled the veggie patties that they loved but they didn't have cheese. They must have sensed this because they didn't even touch them the first three times I offered them. The fourth time I gave them a choice between rice and beans (another thing they don't love) and the fritters and they begrudgingly chose the fritters. Once again, Mom and Dad loved them though!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 carrots
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Coconut oil for frying

Directions:

1. Shred the zucchini into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Shred the carrots into a separate bowl
3. Squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as you can. I just held handfuls over the sink and squeezed.
4. Add the flour, eggs and carrots to the zucchini
5. Coat a frying pan with coconut oil and heat over medium-high
6. Using a spoon or your hands form a ball and drop into pan, pressing lightly to make a patty. I ended up with about 12 large patties but they were hard to flip so next time I'd try for 15-18 smaller ones.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes and carefully flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes until golden brown
8. Transfer to plate lined with paper towels and continue with the rest of the mixture
9. Enjoy!

Banana Avocado Muffins

From Savvy Saving Couple - Better Avocado Banana Muffins


They loved these! I was a little leery as they came out a bit more dense than I would have thought they would be (but I am terrible at baking too) but they were delicious and the girls were able to eat big chunks of them around 10.5 months. They get better every time I make them too. The last time I added chocolate chips to half the batch for me and CJ.

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe banana
• 1 large avocado
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar (I omitted this and added vanilla)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup reduced fat milk (I used almond milk)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a small bowl
3. Mash avocado and banana in a large bowl
4. Add milk, eggs and vanilla and  mix well 
5. Pour in flour mixture and form a batter
6. Pour into greased muffin pan filling half full - this recipe made 12 muffins
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes
8. Enjoy!

Blueberry Spelt Pancakes

from The Whole Grains Council


These things were a pain the butt to make as I've never worked with spelt flour but once I figured out how to let the batter rest and not stir it they plumped up a bit. The second time around I did a lot better and we all love them. Compared to wheat flour, spelt is higher in both fiber and protein and full of nutrients like niacin, iron and zinc.

Ingredients:

•  2 cups (7 ounces) whole spelt flour
• 2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) milk
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)
• blueberries

 Directions:

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl
2. Mix melted butter, milk and vanilla
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well
4. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes to thicken
5. Heat a lightly oiled or non-stick pan over medium heat
6. Pour batter into pan by 1/4 cupfuls. I ended up with about 16 medium sized pancakes.
7. Drop in blueberries 
8. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and flip carefully, cook for one more minute
9. Enjoy!

Black Bean Spinach Quesadillas

This is the one recipe I created myself. If there's one thing I've mastered over years of picky eating it's quesadillas. I actually used to make them to trick myself into eating veggies with added peppers, broccoli, spinach and beans. I knew they would love it and sure enough it quickly became one of their favorites, once I felt confident enough to give them tortillas! I'm not sure why I was so worried about it, for some reason I thought they would struggle with biting and chewing them, but they got it down quick and devour them. I mash up the beans so they can't see them (otherwise they wouldn't eat them) and dice up the spinach and cover them with cheese.

Ingredients:

• 2 Whole Wheat tortillas
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• coconut oil for frying 

Directions:

1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add a dab of coconut oil
2. Shred the cheddar cheese
3. Mash the black beans
4. Chop the spinach
5. Spoon the black beans onto half of a tortilla and spread to cover
6. Top with shredded cheese and chopped spinach
7. Fold tortillas in half and fry for 3-4 minutes a side
8. Cut into triangles and serve with salsa or sour cream

Crockpot Applesauce

From Cooking ala Mel - Slow Cooker Applesauce (No Sugar Added)

I had no idea how easy it was to make applesauce until I tried it! They gobbled it up!  I can't wait for fall to get local apples and make huge batches to freeze!

Ingredients:

• 10 medium apples (I used Fuji)
• 1 cup water
• dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Peel and chop apples into chunks
2. Add to crockpot and mix in water
3. Add a dash of cinnamon
4. Cook on low for 4-5 hours
5. Blend with immersion blender and serve! 

I've never been much of a cook, only in the last few years have I expanded my reach beyond pasta and sandwiches but having two litttle ones to cook for makes it so worth it and I am loving trying out all these recipes I've pinned on Pinterest over the years!


What's your favorite recipe that I should try next?

Xo,
Maigen

FIAO 5.10 - Feeding The Twins - We're Officially Eating Meals!

They say no big changes happen over night and this has never been more true in my life than when it comes to helping my girls grow. After months of introducing foods, waiting for allergic reactions, watching them love something one day and hate it the next or flat out refuse anything for days at a time we are finally eating two to three good, balanced meals a day on top of nursing every 3-4 hours with one feed overnight.

Whoo hoo!!!

We start out our day by nursing at 7 or 8, depending on when they wake up. About 45 minutes later we head to the kitchen for breakfast. I tried eggs but they both ended up with redness after so we're holding off on those for a bit. I was stumped as to what else to give them since they've made it clear they hate bananas and oatmeal until I decided to try some whole milk plain yogurt. They love it! Not only that but Jules' eczema spot on her cheek has nearly disappeared since we started eating it every day. They are also finally taking to more fruits (still no banana or apple though) so every morning we have fruit and yogurt and if we're are cooking a big breakfast they will have some toast (used to be with peanut butter but again, redness, so holding off) and meat (bacon, sausage or ham). When they eat all their yogurt and fruit I will toss them a few puffs or cheerios because, predictably, they love them. Baby food companies - I swear their food is addicting for babies.

We nurse when they wake up and after naps or whenever they want to. We have our second meal of the day around 12:30. This usually consists of a steamed veggie, avocado or cheese with a fruit they will eat and crackers. They're getting better at picking up the avocado pieces but Viv still won't eat much of them. For dinner around 5:30 they will have some of our leftovers from the night before, another veggie and fruit, chicken or turkey and some puffs as their "dessert". When they finish eating I offer either a straw cup or one of their small bottles with no top with 2 oz. of water at each meal. They drink maybe half an oz to an oz then dump and play with the rest.

New foods we introduced the last few weeks (they are 9.5 months/8.5 months adjusted):

grilled cheese (whole wheat bread with aged cheddar cheese and unsalted butter. loved it.)
pasta (bow-tie, quartered) with homemade tomato sauce (loved it)
pickles (nibbled on them while at a family party but they made their faces red and I don't like the sodium even tho they love them)
black olives (another sodium concern but they just tried a sliver of one)
peaches & pears (they didn't like them fresh but they like them from a fruit cup of course)
kale and Chard (small bits just for texture and color exposure. I didn't expect them to eat it)
black beans (no go)
corn (steamed frozen. i hate it and so did they, can't wait for the fresh stuff this summer)
puffs (organic "greens" ones and some weird blueberry purple carrot mix. they love them.)
organic baby crackers (of course)
2 ingredient banana pancakes (they made them break out and they didn't like them anyway)
yogurt bites (homemade and gerber's) (eh. they don't love them and i'd much rather them eat real yogurt)
romaine lettuce (they love it...weird!)
roasted turkey (loved it)
pancakes (loved)
ice cream!

Yeah, it's not the healthiest but its varied and includes what we want them to eat and what we really eat on a regular basis so it's what they're most exposed to.

They are doing absolutely awesome eating, chewing and I trust them so much now I can almost make it through a meal without worrying.  I am so glad we went the BLW route after all. It's messy and sometimes a hassle but it sure beats sitting there spoon feeding them for an hour every day. The only thing they'll take off a spoon is yogurt and even that gets everywhere since they have to feed themselves and will only let me put the spoon in their hands. Feisty little ones we have.

I'm trying to figure out how to leave eggs and nuts out of my baking so I can make them some treats like muffins and patties and will be looking into heartier recipes soon since we've introduced most basic foods finally. I will also be talking to the doctor about an epi-pen just in case they react more severely than a skin irritation to something in the future. Allergies scare the crap out of me but we will deal.

Xo,
Maigen

FIAO 5.9 - Feeding The Twins - How Are We Going to Feed A Family of Four on Next To Nothing?

The girls are eating more and more these days! We get at least one meal every day where they actually consume rather than just play with their food. Their new favorites are yogurt, peas and butternut squash. They finally ate avocado and liked it after literally being offered 22 times and refusing! They are still obsessed with cheerios, don't love their greens and I think Viv has an egg sensitivity but every day they eat more and more. Which puts us in a tough spot as our food budget is already stretched to the max! What's a family to do?

Well, time for the truth. I haven't admitted it before but we are one of the 23 million families in America that are recipients of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program aka Food Stamps). As a family of four on one (not-so-great) income we are incredibly grateful for this program and I don't feel ashamed that we are on it but I will explain why and make sure you understand that we are doing all that we can to better ourselves and our economic status. I am constantly looking for alternate forms of income, CJ is taking a licensing exam to become an insurance adjustor while working 6 days a week and we have cut all unnecessary expenses out of our budget.

We are caught between a rock and a hard place as the cost of daycare would effectively cancel out any income I were to bring in from a full-time, out of the house job.  We might qualify for the child care subsidy if we ever make it to the top of the mile long list in our county. It doesn't make sense but unfortunately we are technically "poor" no matter what we do, short of someone all of a sudden acquiring a master's degree or winning the lottery. We are doing what we can to get ahead but this week I realized I really need to refocus and be more mindful of how we spend the money we receive and giving my girls the best I can in terms of nutrition.

We receive $275 a month from SNAP and I'll be honest that we would not be able to contribute even this much to groceries on our own without help.  It's a scary place to be in and we are so grateful that the help is there when we need it.

However, I went shopping just last Tuesday, spent all of that, and we are almost out of food already! How can that be possible?! Sure, we have stuff in the freezer but our pantry is running low and the produce is nearly gone. We will be fine but the big issue is that I don't really have much to offer the girls but purees, meat and grains. They will only eat it sometimes but I was loving offering avocado, asparagus, peas and green beans fresh. This is not how I want them to learn how to eat and it's not going to be ok for much longer.

While I have always done a bit of meal planning, I need to be more diligent and make smarter choices. I need to buy produce more than once a month. Yes, I hate food shopping so much that I have limited my time doing it to one three hour long trip every month. In the past when we ran out of fresh food we lived off our freezer or pantry. This is no longer practical with two growing children who need fresh fruits and vegetables every day (not gonna lie, I could live without 'em but make myself eat them when we have them).

Usually right before shopping I'll make a list of dinner ideas for the next few weeks and be sure to pick up the necessary ingredients. Although we cook decent, quick meals that often have leftovers we are all definitely eating pretty crappy by the end of the month. As the girls start to eat more and more of what we eat I am also realizing that what was once enough for two adults will not suffice for much longer.

We can contribute around $60 at this time by cutting out take-out once a week. We usually have pizza or sushi on Thursday nights because CJ works until 8:15 and it's easiest when I'm alone all night but I will start making something easy like a crock-pot meal or pre-freeze something. So we're working with a budget of about $340 for food and household items. The aim here is to stay as budget friendly as possible while still providing healthy, wholesome choices for our entire family.

I'm thinking these are noble first goals:

1. make a meal plan that includes all three meals and snacks for us as well as finger foods and recipes specifically for the girls
2. get to the market and wal-mart or target so I can get household goods while getting food too. twice next month, only use half of EBT allowance each time
3. shop around, price compare and use coupons where it matters (paper products, personal care, etc.)

I guess you could say I'm doing my own Food Stamp Challenge but unlike Gwyneth Paltrow this is my real life. I am going to spend a lot of time on this in the coming weeks so hopefully the girls will be kind to me and let me do it.

Wish us luck! And please no negative comments about SNAP, I will just delete them. Ain't nobody got time fo' dat shit. If you have an issue with me needing help to feed my family while we are making a huge life change (remember, we had spontaneous identical twins 9 months ago) please e-mail me and I'll educate you properly.

I'll update next month around this time and let you know how it's going.

Xo,
Maigen

FIAO 5.8: Feeding The Twins - Trying New Foods!

These girls just cannot make up their minds when it comes to food. I took a step back for a couple of weeks and went back to strictly nursing. I've been working on a better nap and daytime schedule and trying to get them to sleep for longer stretches so we nurse before and after every nap. It's slowly getting better and last night they slept from 7 to 7 with only one wake-up each! I feel like a whole new person! After getting down a good 2 hour wake time between naps I started offering food at the halfway point so now our schedule looks like this:

Wake - Nurse - Play - Food - Play (in high chairs) - Nurse - Sleep

They're still only taking 1 hour max naps so they're still taking 3 naps a day but just yesterday they both slept for an hour and a half for their mid-day nap.

Despite the improvements in their schedule this week has been a bit off thanks to Juliette developing an infection. Upon further research (thanks internet and not our doctors) I think the stent may be the culprit. Apparently some nasty bacteria called enterobactrum found its way into her gut and other parents going through similar ordeals swear the plastic from the stent is like a feeding ground for these bacteria. So, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't I guess since not placing the stent may have caused her blockage to return (look for a whole post on this coming soon). The bacteria is manifesting as a UTI and she is now on Bactrim after being on amoxicillan and cephalexin for the majority of her life. Little lady is definitely not herself and has not been into eating very much at all. I still offer everything to her though and Vivienne is eating it all up! We were doing a mix of baby-led weaning and purees but Viv never cared much for the mushy stuff so she's strict blw now. She's a champ! Here's the foods we've tried and how it went:

Avocado (slices, in feeder, pureed) - No for both of them the numerous times we've tried. I think they don't like the texture but even on a spoon they make a face when they eat it.

Apples (sauce, shredded, chunks in feeder) - They liked the sauce but no go any other way. Going to try baking some this week and see if that helps.

Asparagus (steamed sticks) - Both tried it and Viv loved it. Jules made a face and put it down.

Bananas (puree, whole in skin like a pop) - First two times were great, now they won't touch it.

Blueberries (squashed) - Both touched, Viv tried. Trying again today.

Broccoli (whole steamed) - Both loved it at first, now they won't even pick it up!

Carrots (steamed sticks and purees) - Again, both loved at first, but not anymore. Jules loved the puree but breaks out when she has it so no more carrots for her for a bit. Viv sucks on the sticks.

Cheddar cheese (thin strips) - They both tried it but only Viv swallowed it. 

Cucumbers  (chips and sticks) - They both loved sucking on them the first few times.

Scrambled egg yolks - Risky since I had an egg allergy as a child. No matter, neither one would even look at it.

Green beans (steamed sticks, puree)  - No go for either of them. Wouldn't even touch it.

Organic WW Toasted O's Cereal - True mama's girls they love their carbs. Both will work that pincer grasp and pick them up and sometimes Viv will even get them in her mouth. Of course.

Sweet potatoes (pureed and chunks in feeder) - Big hit initially, now they turn their noses. Going to try roasted sticks this week.

Toast (whole wheat sticks with unsalted butter and cream cheese) - Again, carbaholics in the making. They eat toast like no tomorrow. But now I'm noticing Jules breaks out after so I'm wondering if we have a wheat allergy too.

Steel cut oats (pureee) - Viv never liked it, Jules loved it with banana but again breaks out now. Documenting her exposure to grains to see if that's the problem.

Peanut butter skin test - No one broke out after I put peanut butter behind their ears for 6 hours. Going to try again this week for 12 hours before introducing it orally.

Water (straw cups) - They're quickly getting the hang of their straw cups and have drank some water.

I never thought in a million years that I would be dealing with a potential food allergic child. Yes, I was allergic to eggs from about age 1 to 3 and I have a sensitivity to dairy but no one in our huge families has anything more serious than that. I thought for sure we were in the clear. I'm beginning to wonder if being on antibiotics since she was a week (technically negative 4 weeks) old has something to do with Jules inability to handle certain foods (again more on that in her own special hydronephrosis post). So far she has definitely reacted to banana oatmeal (could be either one but she won't try either one now so I don't know for sure), toast and carrots. I hate that I'm dealing with this and I'm afraid for the future. I've cared for highly allergenic children before and it can be so hard preparing dishes safely. Here's hoping she grows out of them! Until then we're looking in to probiotics to help her gut. This week we will try yogurt and see if that helps.

I'm definitely happy to say our journey is going better than it was a few weeks ago. For the most part I'm not worried about them, I eat well enough and they get more than enough milk to sustain their growing bodies but I would like to be sure they are still gaining well (Jules seems to have plateaued at 14 lbs. while Viv is nearing 15) and getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need. I know breastmilk is the perfect food but I don't believe it's meant to be the sole food source past 6-7 months, if for no other reason than saving the twin moms sanity!  Please, don't think I'm selfish... I just... Actually, go ahead, I am slefish. But this Mama needs a break! Nursing two babies 8-16 times in a 24 hour period may slowly be the death of me. So send us some good eating vibes (and maybe focuson the good stuff and not the carbs!) would ya?

Xo,
Maigen

FIAO 5.7 - Feeding The Twins - First Taste of Real Foods!

I will admit it, I was terrified to start my girls on solids. Despite years of feeding kids and all that I have researched on baby-led weaning and making your own purees the fear of choking and them not being ready kept creeping up.

The medical community flip-flopping their stance on when to introduce high-allergen foods also scared me. I thought I had a plan but like most parents these days I received advice from my pediatrician that conflicts with what I've read making the process even more harrowing.

Originally I had decided to introduce avocado at six months adjusted age around the end of February. The nurse at the pediatrician's heartily discouraged this and told me to introduce rice cereal at four months actual (just 3 months adjusted) followed by oatmeal then purees of any fruit or vegetable I wanted.

I started learning all I could about purees and baby led weaning. This convinced me to skip the cereals and try blw at six months.

I let them look at, touch and sniff ingredients while I was cooking. I talked about the food we eat and why. I don't know if it's overkill or whatever but after years of picky eating myself I really want to help them learn to love good food at a young age. I'll go crazy if they wait until their twenties to eat anything but chicken fingers and pizza (like their mother did).
While you can't prevent a "picky" eater I really believe you can help facilitate healthy eating habits through exposure to a wide variety of foods, letting the child have control over what and how much they eat and not forcing them to eat something they don't want.

I ended up waiting until they were 6.5 months actual (5.5 months adjusted) and started with sweet potatoes. I baked them in the oven, mashed them with a fork, added some breastmilk and spoon fed them. I'm not sure how much they managed to actually swallow but they each tried a spoonful a day for three days.
 
Then we tried some applesauce which went over better but the one thing that I find hilarious is the way they keep grabbing the spoons and feeding themselves. Obviously it's their instinct at this point to put anything in their mouth but I'm in awe of their ability to coordinate holding a spoon, opening their mouths, putting the spoon in and then closing their mouth, gumming the food and then swallowing. Viv prefers to eat this way, Jules will let me feed her for a bit but almost always ends up feeding herself as we near the end.

A month later we are have introduced a few whole foods as part of BLW but they have very little interest in them. We tried avocado, homemade carrot sticks, broccoli, snap peas and toast. They want none of it! The first few times they touched them and even picked up the broccoli and carrots but at this point when I put something on their trays they just stare at it and reach for their toys on the table.

I offer purees (homemade sweet potatoes, peas and applesauce plus mashed up avocado) but Viv has put her foot down and made it clear she wants only milk right now. I tried a jar of BeechNut Just Carrots that we got from a friend and of course Jules loved them but they made her eczema flare. The only thing they might eat is homemade banana oatmeal but they won't touch the banana or carrot sticks I offer.  Kids - they're so weird.

 I'm not worried, I know they will eat when they're ready but now I'm hoping I just started too early and didn't screw up our hopes of baby-led weaning by offering purees first. Only time will tell and we're having fun trying!

Do you have any tips on helping babies adjust to eating real food?

Xo,
Maigen

How We Survived The First Three Months With Twins

So you just popped out not just one but two (or more) babies! Congratulations, life is about to get a whole lot more interesting. The first few weeks will be an absolute blur of crying, diapers and feedings and at times you will feel like a dirty, exhausted human milk machine. Press on, dear friend, for you too will survive and thrive as I have. We are six months in and those days are but a distant memory as we have settled into a groove, gotten to know each other better and found a routine that works for us. I'm a little more relaxed now when it comes to scheduling and doing everything "right" but I swear having a routine saved my sanity in the beginning.

We followed the eat, play, sleep schedule from day one. I found it gave me ample "me" time in the beginning and helped set the groundwork for the ideal schedule later on. Newborns sleep constantly though so sometimes activity time was only a few minutes in between sleeps. Somedays it looks more like eat, sleep, play, sleep or eat, sleep, eat. As long as you're doing something interactive when baby is awake you're doing great - even if it's just a snuggle and a song. So, here's what our days looked like those first few weeks:

Daily Schedule for Newborn Twins:

Juliette was often "milk drunk" and it was hard to rouse her after a feeding

9am - Have bottles/boobs ready to go. Wake babies, change and dress for the day. I always dressed them in clothes mainly because I had approximately 1 million Newborn outfits given to them and felt the need to get them all on at least once. Have one twin do tummy time in the crib while you change the other. Turn on lights, open the curtains and put on music to signify this is wake up time. Feed and pump on the couch with boppies/nursing pillow. They may fall asleep while eating for the first few weeks and they will need to be burped during and after but take heart - feeding doesn't take this long forever. Eventually you get into a groove.

945 -  Activity time and twin bonding time - Assuming babies are awake play music, do baby exercises, tummy time, baby yoga or mama yoga with babies. Lay them together and help them find each other. If they want to sleep, let them. Jules always fell asleep eating, Viv not so much. If they wake up early do exercises or sing songs then long as they're not hungry. Get them to nap at the same time if you can but the one-on-one time is actually kind of nice.

1030 - First Nap. Keep an eye on the clock so they don't get overtired. I found an hour and a half was max time including feeding time. Try to put them down drowsy but awake, let them look at their mobile and listen to lullabies. I put babies in the same crib for naps. But really when it comes down to it how ever you have to make it happen, just make sure they sleep. Sleep is more important than anything right now. Whether it's in the rock and plays, swings, momaroos or on you, who cares, as long as they're sleeping. It's ideal if you can walk away to shower or eat but get them sleeping however you can.

12pm - Wake up, change, tummy time for other twin and do personal grooming -  brush hair, apply lotion, nails clipped, check creases and folds for yuck, especially the neck. Give a bath if you want/if there's time but I found it made them too sleepy during feedings. You can do this in the morning but I liked to split checking and dressing to save time before a feeding. Feed and pump

1245 - Storytime, sing songs, snuggle, learning play. I did a version of circle time and some fingerplay songs before we snuggled and read books. Eventually I want this to be quiet time before the afternoon nap so I try not to overstimulate them after "lunch" with too much active play. Now they come in the kitchen with me (here's my post on 10 Ways to Get Things Done with Infant Twins) while I make myself lunch, meal prep for dinner or make purees for them and talk to them.

130 - Second Nap. Same as before. Take this time to do something productive or for yourself. Read some articles on parenting or a book. Write down your pregnancy and birth stories. Start filling in baby books. Pet your cat. Zone out with some trashy soap operas. Take a nap if your babies don't wake up as soon as you get comfortable like mine did.

3pm - Wake and change. Tummy time in crib for other twin while changing. Feed and pump

345 - More active play. Play fun music while babies play on playmat, do tummy time, sensory play, and other activities. End with a story and a snuggle.

430 - Third Nap. Same as before. Start thinking about dinner and making preparations. Eat. Have a cup of coffee if it won't keep you up all night. Do a load of laundry. Relax if you can.

600pm - Wake, change, tummy time in crib. Feed and pump. If SO comes home around this time have them participate and feed one or be ready to take babies as they come off the boob. When both babies are fed SO should play with them while you get a break to shower or eat and then make dinner.  This is SO's special time with babies and the break is super important to the sanity of the stay at home parent.

645 - Babies have quiet play/snuggling/bonding time with SO. Together do bath time (every 3-4 days, sponge bath on off days) and put pajamas on babies and everyone reads stories either on the couch or with twins in bed/cribs.  Rock babies together, sing lullabies and lay them down.

730-845 - While babies sleep you and SO eat dinner together at the kitchen/dining room table. Talk to each other. After  a run down of your day or any concerns, talk about anything not related to babies so you feel like you're still a part of the human race.

Because even identicals can be opposites. Viv liked to ponder life after every feeding.

900pm - Wake both babies, change diapers and feed together with SO. Keep lights very low and TV off. Keep lullaby music/white noise on and if you can feed them in the nursery. If you're like us and live in a shoebox then feed in the living room as quietly as you can. This time put the twins right back to sleep after feeding. Viv almost never fell asleep immediately after a feeding no matter how late so if they have energy to burn we would do stretches with them, offer a massage, sing lullabies, hold and rock to let them know it's back to sleep time. Put them down drowsy but awake or nurse to sleep if you want. Although it's a good idea to set good habits from the start the first few weeks you can get away with this.

9:45pm - One parent puts babies down while the other cleans up then washes and makes half a dozen bottles for the overnight. Trust me, you don't want to be making bottles at 3am. It is so much easier to just put some hot water in a bowl and warm them up. Get boppies, blankets, bibs, cloths and diapers ready for late night feeding and changing wherever you will do it to minimize wakefulness and clumsy accidents. Teamwork is key here in getting some sleep. Unless you're on your own and are awesome!

10:15pm - Downtime/Bedtime/Pumping time/Husbandtime/Whatever.  We watched a show or I blogged while CJ played Xbox. If the babies didn't go down so easily we dealt with them and I would go straight to bed after pumping.

11:00pm - You go to bed if not attached to a baby. Really, the goal is for you to be in bed by 11:30 at the latest and if you have a helpful SO have them do the midnight feeding solo. Then SO goes to bed around 12:45 and you get up for the 3am feeding solo. This way you both get four-five hours of straight sleep. This is even possible to do while nursing unless babies are cluster feeding or need extra comfort through the night and you're not in pain.

12am - SO does a quiet solo feeding or if you're nursing they change babies and bring them to you in bed to eat. Stagger them if you can so you can do a dreamfeed with side-laying nursing. Don't overstimulate yourself or the babies. Everyone goes to sleep after feeding.

3am - You wake, change diapers and feed/pump, going back to sleep right after. Let SO sleep so they get at least 5 hours.

345 - Babies back to bed, you go back to sleep.

6am - SO wakes up, changes diapers, keeping the room dark and quiet. They wake you to feed or if using bottles and they're particulary helpful they let you sleep and do the feeding themselves before getting ready for work. Either way put babies back to sleep right after. If they want to be up try to have some quiet snuggle time. If they're active do some stretches and quiet play. Try to get them back down as soon as you can.

7-9 - SO wakes you up so you can get a cup of coffee and something to eat before babies get up. Then you take it from the top!

Six months in and we're still pretty close to this schedule. 

Some Necessities for Keeping Your Sanity Those First Few Weeks

• Two boppy pillows or a twin nursing pillow

• Boxes/bins of approximately 50 burp cloths and bibs, plus wipes nearby feeding area

• Have pre-made bottles ready to go in the fridge at least 3 feedings ahead of time

• Easy to grab snacks and ready-made meals for quick eating whenever you get the chance

• Room darkening shades or curtains to facilitate good naps in the twins' room

• Coconut oil for sore nipples from feeding or pumping. They will toughen up eventually

• Learn to let the little things go. And by the little things I mean almost everything not pertaining to babies. The laundry, cleaning and housework will get done eventually. 

• Remind yourself every day of two things: 1) It WILL get easier. 2) They could be triplets!

• Take pictures. Lots of pictures. When babies are driving you nuts look at said pictures and remind yourself this is the most important thing you've ever done. And these moments will pass all too quickly so try to snap a pic every day.

Best Daddy Ever.

• Make a pact with your SO that no matter how exhausted or stressed you both are you will not turn on each other. I repeat - DO NOT TURN ON EACH OTHER. Stay a team and you will make it through this. This is so incredibly important to remember. It's like my favorite survivor Jack Shepard once said, "We either live together or die alone." No, you won't die but your life will be a hell of a lot harder if you two are constantly butting heads and bickering. Plus, babies pick up on that tension and play it out with crankiness and no sleep. No one wants that.

There were days when I felt so incredibly blessed and happy. Then there were nights when I felt like there was no way I could possibly do this anymore. But the sun rose and we made it through the night and every day it got a little bit easier.  Eventually these days will be a thing of the distant past so hold on to the moments as they pass, smile and laugh through the tears and know that you can and will do this!

Xo,
Maigen

And then they ate like crap...

We used to eat so well. We were conscious of our food choices and where it came from, choosing organic and local as often as we could. As much as I love junk food, we ate fruits and vegetables all the time, especially when I was pregnant. It took us a while to get there what with breaking my habits as a picky eater from childhood and CJ's seeming inability to eat anything but junk food or steak and potatoes. We were that couple that ate out on the weekends and during the week we always ordered pizza or chinese, ran through the drive-thru or heated up a frozen dinner. Even when we started "cooking" it was with boxes and jars, or frozen rather than fresh ingredients. I think back to what we used to eat and actually cringe.I used to live on chicken fingers and french fries and pizza was my lifeblood. Not gonna lie, pizza is still very important to me, I could eat it all day every day but now I'm wise enough to know that once a week, though probably still too often, is much more healthy for us.

When we moved from Syracuse to Albany and were both unemployed for 2 months we had to start getting creative and conservative with our food and limited funds. We quickly learned how to cook and started trying all sorts of new things. We didn't start a new diet or give up much we just branched out. Our typical spaghetti nights (with jarred sauce and frozen meatballs) to new favorites like chicken parm, ravioli and lasagna with our own pasta sauce, whole wheat pasta and homemade meatballs. Taco nights now include homemade whole wheat tortillas for quesadillas or burritos full of veggies rather than packet-seasoned taco beef and cheese on a corn taco shell. We make our own pizza now with real mozzarella and fresh vegetables. I can bake, fry, grill or roast a chicken (but don't ask me to cut up a whole one yet. that shit is hard). CJ has every cooking other meat or protein to perfection covered so we make a great team. We just started experimenting with flavors, herbs and spices and learning what worked well together. I started reading ingredients for things we used to buy and trying to make it on my own. It was more time consuming and sometimes we didn't eat dinner until 10 at night but we were learning and eating really well. I truly believe how healthy I ate while pregnant helped my body and the girls feel good and strong. Put good things in, get good things out. Or whatever.

And then we had the twins. And we ate like crap.

I knew it would be too hard to cook once they arrived and we just did not have the budget at any point to do those frozen make-ahead meals. Instead, the weekend before we delivered we stocked up on some of our old favorites: frozen Bertolli and TV dinner meals, frozen burritos, frozen breakfasts, ready made sides, cereal bars, hot pockets, pasta sauce and frozen meatballs, canned soups and the like. I got WIC in the beginning so along with a select few good staples we also had an abundance of tuna and cereal. Then there was enough lactose-free cow's milk (that I don't drink) to quench the thirst of an army. We had banned almost all of these things from our kitchen for the last few years and it pained us to bring them back but if we didn't have it I was sure we'd starve.

With me pumping I knew I had to keep my calories up and I couldn't have enough caffeine to keep me going. The way I figured it, crap food was better than no food. We go to BK or McDonald's far more than I ever thought we would and the local pizza place now knows us by name. Whatever though, I'm still feeding three people. The only problem that I didn't foresee was how it would make us feel. Here we are, almost 6 months in and although we started cooking again more frequently last month we still eat our fair share of yuck food. And we feel it. We are sluggish and run down and not just because we have two infants. CJ started drinking coffee. He doesn't even like it but for the first time in his life he liked the energy it gave him. I believe the change was so sudden our bodies are going haywire trying to make up for the loss of nutrients. We went from eating whole, healthy foods to processed garbage full of crap. So we feel like crap. It makes me worry for the girls too, this is not how we want them to live. I always believed that taste could be established from in utero but never thought about how it effects a breastfed baby. But of course it does.

After the initial three months of running on autopilot we'd finally had enough. The girls were sleeping enough at night and we both had some energy during the day again. I went "full" grocery shopping and went way overboard. I bought tons of fresh fruits and vegs and I'm sad to say quite a bit of it went to waste. We found that we still didn't have the time or the inclination to cook like we used to. Not to mention I didn't have the time during the day to get any prep work done and this was once the key to our eating well successfully. I used to shop and then spend the afternoon organizing the kitchen, cleaning and preparing ingredients and getting some ideas for meals. I attempted meal planning in the past but found more often than not we would just wing it. That can't happen anymore. If we "wing it" we don't eat well or it takes hours to prepare which is time we don't have anymore. So it's time for a different approach.

My veggie prep station

I went full grocery shopping Monday when CJ had the day off. Before I went I found master lists for the pantry (from pioneer woman), fridge and freezer. I took inventory of what we had and added what we needed to a list of our favorite meal ideas. When I got home he was happy to entertain the babies while I organized everything and started meal planning. I made a list of all the fresh produce, pantry and frozen items (I still bought some easy meals, frozen fruit, vegs and waffles because I'm not tryin' to be super woman here, just trying to survive) and posted it on the cabinet so nothing gets forgotten. The trick, and I'm hoping it works, is that we can't order or buy more food until all the fresh foods are used. Today I took time with the girls and while they were napping to wash, cut up and portion all the fresh stuff I could. I usually do this with the hearty vegs and greens like carrots, peppers, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, green beans.  Now we can grab easy healthy snacks, throw together a salad for lunch and have ingredients ready to go for dinner. I even let them play with and lick a carrot, green pepper and avocado.

Juliette is intrigued, Viv is not impressed

Then I finished with a list of meals that I can easily prepare during the day or that CJ can make quickly when he gets home from these ingredients. Like before we don't really like to assign meals to certain days so when I get up in the morning I will choose a meal, take out any frozen items to thaw and get together the rest of the ingredients. If we need something he can stop on his way home to get it. Our meal choices are not the most healthy (read: we are not paleo, vegetarian, vegan, grain or dairy or whatever free) but they have to satisfy three requirements. They must: 1) Be relatively easy and quick to prepare 2) Make enough for leftovers for lunches and meals on a different night 3) Fill my insatiable appetite. (Nursing moms need at least an extra 500 calories per day).

Refrigerator after prepping

Here's what's on our dinner list for the next few weeks based on what we have on hand:

(HM = Homemade)
HM Thai peanut sauce with chicken and mixed veggie stirfry/lo mein
Venison chili and HM cornbread (cooking right now!)
Spaghetti with HM meatballs and sauce, garlic bread, salad
Ravioli with HM meatballs and sauce, garlic bread, salad
Lasagna with HM sauce, asparagus
Gouda stuffed meatloaf, broccoli, mashed potatoes
Teriyaki salmon with siracha cream sauce, quinoa, green beans
Avocado and shrimp pasta with cream sauce, salad
HM Bean and cheese burritos, mexican rice, salad
Eggplant crisps with marinara sauce and asparagus
Chicken and veggie quesadillas or tacos with HM tortillas
Crock pot chicken soup with rice or noodles
Squash soup and crackers
Chicken parmigiana, salad
Vegetable soup and crackers
Parmesan crusted chicken, mixed veggies, baked potatoes
Grilled italian sausage with peppers and onions, salad
Ham steak, hasselback potatoes, green beans
Venison tenderloin, quinoa and broccoli
Grilled cheese and HM tomato soup, salad
English muffin pizzas with HM sauce, turkey pepperoni and veggies, salad
Pepper, onion, asparagus, cheddar and sausage or bacon quiche

Breakfast options include: oatmeal, cereal, bagels, english muffins, scrambled eggs, toast, fruit, HM breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, HM granola, HM granola bars, fruit bars, etc.

Lunch/Snack options include: salad, lunch meat sandwiches, tuna fish sandwiches, dinner leftovers, wraps, cheese and crackers with fruit, carrots and celery with ranch dip, etc. I usually eat lunch between 9am and 6pm. Seriously never know when I'll get a break these days.

I listed all of these options and taped them to the refrigerator. I'm really hoping this will cut down on the amount of time I spend searching the kitchen for something to eat as well as the inevitable "what the hell are we going to eat" convo that we always used to have when it was just the two of us. With two more people to (eventually) cook for we really need to start making the transition to family meals. We always ate together when I was growing up so it's very important to me and I just don't see our one year olds waiting until 10pm for their dinner like we're accustomed to doing.

I'm hoping by publishing this I will feel some sort of accountability to sticking to it. It's important to me to feel better and I know it's best for the girls. Wish us luck!

What did you eat after you brought baby home? How's it going now?

Xo,
Maigen

FIAO 5.6 - Feeding The Twins - Breastfeeding; with a twist!

I haven't done much research on it yet but I'm beginning to wonder how many women's journeys with feeding their children are as unique as mine. As I've said before I am very indecisive and tend to see both sides of something relatively easily. Just like everything else in my life this has become more apparent in my choices of nourishing the girls. Ten years ago I was anti-breastfeeding. A year ago I was absolutely sure I would do it. Finding out we were having twins originally strengthened my desire to nurse but as their arrival date drew closer I started to freak out. The idea of being a human milk machine terrified me. I pictured days spent glued the couch nursing on and off, bloody and bruised nipples and very little sleep for the first few months.

Ultimately I made up my mind to try exclusively breastfeeding but if it didn't work I would exclusively pump or formula feed if absolutely necessary. I fully support formula feeding but I wanted my girls to have breast milk either way. I was (mistakenly) under the impression that EPing would be easier, less stressful and less time consuming - because who has any extra time with newborn twins at home?  Unfortunately for us I didn't really get to actually make a choice in the beginning. My girls were formula fed in the NICU, with what little colostrum I was able to get to them, from day one. Because of their prematurity they had to learn the suck-swallow-breath reflex and the NICU wanted their feed amount to be documented, especially if we wanted them off the feeding tubes. So I pumped. Then, due to wanting to wean, I supplemented with formula (about 8 oz/day mixed with bm) for about a month total. And then, like magic, at around 3 months my baby girls decided to latch. So now, I breastfeed. Exclusively.

I have literally done it all with the exception of using donor milk or a wet nurse. I am not going to debate the benefits or downfalls of breastmilk or formula (not today at least although that would make a fascinating Great Debate post later on). Instead I want people to understand and learn from my experience.

Exclusively Pumping (for twins!)

For three and a half months, every three hours, around the clock, I hooked my heavy boobies up to a machine and expressed milk because I wanted my babies to have breastmilk. I don't even know why really. Yes, I know people think it's "better" but again I fully support formula feeding and only believe it is "better" for your wallet and because it is natural, as in not made in a factory. Really I figured if I was making it anyway then I wanted my girls to have it. So I pumped. Starting 6 hours after my c-section I was a mad woman about it. I pumped for 30-40 minutes, despite being told never to exceed 20 by numerous nurses and lactation consultants. I figured "oversupply" would not be a concern for me - I had two babies to feed and needed to build a stash!

I pumped while I visited them and all night long as if they were home. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, coming home that night after leaving them in the hospital and having to pump for them. It was also the night my milk came in so I had over 12 oz. to give them the next day which was the first time I really felt like a mom. I bought all sorts of pumping accessories (see links below!) and created the perfect pumping spot to streamline the process. Once the girls were home I fed them and pumped at the same time. It was perfect. They were eating on a schedule of every 2.5-3 hours (although I would have fed on demand they just carried this on the from the NICU themselves) and I wasn't a human milk cow with babies attached to me for days on end. It was the best of both worlds and it worked for us.

After three months, I was over it. I almost quit at 6 weeks, then managed to force myself to make it to 12 weeks when I promptly dropped from 8 to 5 pumps per day, effectively eliminating my middle of the night pumps and stretching my daytime pumps to every four or five hours. I lost about 10 oz. in the process but I was making 70 oz. per day at that point and they were only eating 50 max so it was fine. At 14 weeks I was absolutely ready to start weaning. We supplemented with formula on and off from the beginning, usually depending on my supply, which varied. I wanted to take in kids soon and definitely could not pump then so we started upping the amount of formula they got, which allowed me to bank a ton of breast milk while slowly lowering my supply to avoid mastitis. Then, at 15.5 weeks Juliette latched for the first time and my journey with exclusively pumping abruptly came to an end.

Pumping and Nursing

I continued to pump for about a week but would try to nurse every chance I could. I learned what positions worked best and got myself comfortable with tandem nursing. CJ was a little worried about missing out on his "bonding" time during the evening feeding, which he often did on his own while I pumped and had some me time. However, something unexpected was happening: the more I nursed, the more I wanted to nurse. Then we started to notice something strange about the girls' behavior after nursing vs. after a bottle. They never seemed full or satisfied after their bottle - even when we upped their oz. to 5 or 6 in one feeding. We knew they weren't still hungry but still they would cry or suck aggressively on their pacifiers. They do not do this after nursing. They decide when they're done but at 4.5 months never nurse for more than 25 minutes and they are always content after - either sleeping or playing. So we decided to drop bottles altogether. I now pump only if someone else is with them and they've had a bottle recently. Sometimes I will pump if I am engorged before bed for comfort but I can now go 9 hours overnight and wake up pain free or nurse at 3am if necessary. I pumped tonight for the first time in 10 days as we were out to dinner (first night out as a couple since they came home!) and they were asleep for the night when we got home.

Exclusviely Breastfeeding

My experience with nursing is far from typical so I won't even attempt to give advice on how nurse a newborn. It took three months for either of my twins to latch, despite many futile attempts in the beginning. I admit I wasn't pushing it after a few weeks, just trying it when I thought of it. But the closer I got to ending my pumping journey the more I wanted to experience it - even just once. And at 13 weeks, Vivienne latched first followed by Juliette at 15 weeks. I was shocked. Not only was it easy but it felt so much more natural and comfortable than the machine that had been tugging at me for so long. I didn't feel that "bond" instantly although I have a new appreciation for the closeness it creates between mom and baby.

The major plus for me does not apply for moms who start out nursing twins - time! My girls were already sleeping for 6-8 hours at night and were eating on a 3.5 hour schedule by the time we started so I only nursed 6-7x/day. Some of my other twin mom friends nursed upwards of 15/day in the beginning - per baby! The girls were already 10 lbs. so learning how to tandem feed was much easier than weeks ago when I was trying to position two five pound china dolls on the My Breast Friend pillow in the NICU.  Their suck was strong due to months of practice and they already knew what to do and how to do it - things they originally had to learn thanks to initially eating formula with a tube and then a bottle. Feedings were peaceful and quick - 20 minutes max compared to 45 with a bottle due to needing to burp more and holding upright after finishing.

And then of course the amount of time I saved making, warming and cleaning bottles. It was so much easier to just pull down my shirt and feed my kids than to do all that. Again, I know our transition to exclusive breasfeeding was unique in that it was easy and for that we are so grateful. I also know for a fact that it was only so because I stuck it out from day one and did the dirty work keeping my supply up - and then we got lucky with two little late latchers. Now we have really found what works for us. For now.

Not all babies will latch. Not all mamas will produce enough (or any, in some cases). Not everyone is comfortable with it and, simply put, not everyone wants to do it. But if you can and want to do it then breastfeeding (with breast or a bottle) is so worth it. I know when it comes down to it feeding twins is hard, no matter how you do it, but having done it all I have learned some things worth sharing.

If you want/need to Exclusively Pump:

If you can't nurse for whatever reason but want your children to have breast milk, are worried about affording formula or want to be able to nurse in the future then get educated and start pumping! Here's some tips to get you started:

• Invest in Pumpin' Pals and a hands-free bra or necklace, like the Simplicity from  LactaMed. Or make your own by cutting holes in a sports bra.
• Get your hands on a hospital grade pump to build your supply. Call your insurance company ASAP and find out what they provide.
• Learn about massage and compression - it makes a huge difference. 
• If your baby is in the NICU look at a picture of him or her while pumping at home.
• Commit to 7-9 pumps per day around the clock for at least 20 minutes for the first 12 weeks. This will establish your supply and then you can drop pumps as desired until you start to see supply drop. 
• Research galactagogues and try them until something works if you need a supply boost - I had great success with Bob's Red Mill Five Grain Cereal as well as drinking a dark beer just before or while pumping.  
• Pick a few shows to watch on Netflix during MOTN (middle of the night) pumps. 
• Rub excess milk into nipples after pumping - it is great for soothing sore nipples and healing any other skin issues.
• Drink a TON of water, eat a TON of food (do NOT worry about reaching your pre pregnancy weight but focus on fattening up that bundle of joy!)
• Continue to try to latch your baby - you never know when they will get the hang of it, but also it is a great stimulant for your nipples and will help you produce more. 
• Join the facebook group Exclusively Pumping Group and the Babycenter board The Exclusive Pumpers. The support is vital to making it through this journey.
• Learn the signs of and how to handle clogged ducts, mastitis, thrush and nipple blebs (those are super fun. not.)
• Do not ever feel bad if you have to supplement with formula or donor milk.
• Most importantly: do not let yourself believe for one minute that you are giving your baby less than a nursing mother does. You ARE breast feeding and if anything your journey will be bumpier and more exhausting than nursing but it is so worth it if it's what you want.

If you want to nurse:

Again, my experience is unique as I did not nurse my newborns but I have learned a few things:

• RELAX. Baby feels your stress and gets stressed and will not latch or stay latched if they are anxious. Remind yourself that even you cannot force your baby to latch. Also, once a baby has latched you cannot force them to stay and drink. You can only provide a calm, safe place for baby to eat. They will decide when and if they will do so.
• Try out every possible nursing position in every place to find the ones that work best for you. I prefer tandem nursing on the couch and side-lying nursing in bed because I can rest too. Neither of which I was comfortable doing without practice and patience.
• Invest in coconut oil for sore nipples (this actually applies to both pumping and nursing).
• It's worth repeating: Drink a TON of water, eat a TON of food (do NOT worry about reaching your pre pregnancy weight but focus on fattening up that bundle of joy!) 
• Ask for help at the first sign of difficulty. Often women have no idea why it's not working and feel so defeated that they give up and regret it later. Whether it's a poor latch due to a tongue tie, low supply or fast letdown there are things you can do to help. Talk to an IBCLC or contact your local La Leche League. WIC also has lactation consultants on hand. The support is out there, you just have to look for it.
• If your baby has been exposed to a bottle first invest in a nipple shield. They can help ease baby into nursing without too much of a battle at the breast.
• Again, do not feel guilty if you have to supplement or switch completely to formula. 

If you want/need to formula feed: 

I've only done it for a little bit so far you but if you do need to supplement or choose to formula feed here's my advice:

• If you're supplementing figure out which way of giving it works best, whether you have one bottle a day or mix it through out the day with bm. No baby eats the same way as others.
• Don't just assume any brand will be fine, even those with similar make-up. Cheap isn't always good. Neither is expensive.
• Do your research on formulas and find what works best for baby and your budget. 
• Ask your doctor for samples. More often then not they are more than happy to give them to you.
• Email and write to baby companies letting them know of your arrival for samples and coupons.
• Do not buy all of one bottle until you know for sure your baby will drink from it and you won't lose your mind cleaning them.
• Learn the signs of reflux and allergies as many babies can have difficulty keeping a bottle down for a number of reasons leading to miserable nights and more than a few ruined clothes.
• Do not ever let anyone make you feel guilty for feeding your baby formula and do not feel the need to justify yourself to anyone. If they judge you they are the ones with the problem, not you. Be educated and confident in your decision. Own it.

The most important thing I have learned in all of this? Do not judge a parent for how they feed their child. Just because you see a baby with a bottle does not mean they aren't breastfed. Just because a baby is formula fed does not mean Mom didn't want to breastfeed or is lazy or doesn't love her baby as much. Nursing is amazing. Pumping is incredible. Formula feeding is awesome. Because at the end of the day as long as you are feeding your baby, you're doing the best thing for your baby.

How did you feed your baby(ies)?

Xo,
M

FIAO 5.5 - Feeding The Twins - And We Have Latched!

It took 3 and 4 months but I have officially breastfed my babies. Vivienne decided randomly one night about a month ago to actually latch when I tried. It was incredible and terrifying all at the same time. I couldn't believe it when, instead of turning away and screaming, she opened her mouth and started suckling. After 2 months of trying I pretty much gave up. I just happened to catch her one night when she wasn't starving but just starting to get hungry. Juliette was not interested at all that night although I tried. Then yesterday afternoon she woke up about half an hour before it was time to eat so I decided to try. Lo and behold she latched like she'd been doing it all along. I couldn't believe it. Same thing this morning when she woke up. I just picked her up and she latched right on. It's truly an incredible feeling to feed my babies from my breast rather than a bottle for the first time at 4 months old.

So, with my newfound confidence in my nursing skills I decided this afternoon that instead of making bottles we were going to try to tandem feed. Viv woke up first and nursed for a minute before Jules woke up. I thought for sure Jules was going to fight it as she usually wakes up starving but nope she got right on. Then I spent nearly 10 minutes trying to get Viv back on. I was just about to give up and make her a bottle when all of a sudden I must have gotten her in just the right position because she settled down and started to eat. It was insane. Jules finished a few minutes later so we only tandem fed for a few minutes but what a moment it was. I can't believe we did it - while I was all by myself too!

I'm trying to figure out where to go from here. The downside is that I was in the process of slowly weaning and transitioning to formula full time. My supply is literally half of what it was just 3 weeks ago (really, why couldn't they have latched THEN?) Like I said before, I didn't want to be pumping with other children here when I decide to babysit. But nursing? I can do that and watch a couple other kids. Especially considering it takes significantly less time, I am not restricted to one spot for an hour and with a cover very little is exposed. CJ isn't sure how he feels about me changing up the game plan but he's so happy that we finally were able to do it. I think a little part of him is worried he will miss out on his bonding time with them if we stop using bottles. He gets home late and most nights it's one more bottle then bedtime and he only has Sundays with them. I told him not to worry, we can figure out a way to do both.

I am also reflecting on my journey from hating even the idea of breastfeeding 10 years ago to being over the moon that I fed my twins today. Such a special day for me, one that 4 months ago I was pretty sure would never happen. I will never forget that feeling I had when they were a week old and I was able to attempt nursing in the NICU. They screamed and scratched at me like I was trying to hurt them. The lactation consultant just kept shoving their heads into me (which I know works sometimes) and it was breaking my heart. They were half naked as we were doing skin to skin and I could feel them getting cold so I was worried about their temps dropping and they just could not get their mouths on. I think now that they were just not ready yet. And when I tried here at home I would often wait until they were really hungry - big mistake.  Once they get past a certain point they want instant gratification and trying to figure out a new nipple plus having to work harder for the milk was not going to cut it for them. Or maybe they just weren't ready until today. The bottom line is we did it.

It's funny that this article about EPing came out this past week. It had me all sorts of irate the other night. Gotta love these little tidbits: 

"There’s an assumption that bottle-feeding breast milk to a child is equivalent to breastfeeding, but that may not be the case."

What the actual F? So I've been doing all this hard work for four months thinking I'm giving my babies the best and you're STILL trying to tell me it's not good enough?! Awesome, 'cuz I didn't feel enough guilt when my eleventy billion attempts to nurse failed until today.

"Breastfeeding is about more than the milk. Babies don’t just breastfeed for nutrition; they nurse for comfort, closeness, soothing, and security."

Do you want to do it or do you want me to? I mean someone has to be the one to break the news to all the Dads, grandparents and caregivers (not to mention formula feeding moms) out there that while I'm sure they meant well they weren't actually soothing or comforting their little bundle of joy - not unless Mom was attached as well that is. What the hell? My girls are perfectly soothed with a snuggle and you bet your ass they feel close and secure to me, as well as my husband and family who haven't been able to breastfeed them either.

“The new challenge is to use language accurately, and tell mothers the truth that feeding their milk to their babies by bottle is less than equivalent to breastfeeding.”

Because that's what we want to hear.  Not only do you suck because you can't nurse your babies but you are practically poisoning them despite feeding them the EXACT SAME THING.

Despite my outrage something started to creep into my cold, confused, EPing brain.  Although I know I am doing the best for my babies, it is such a friggin' pain in the butt. And it's getting harder as they get older. But I want them to have my milk. So I will just keep trying, to the extent that my sanity can allow. What if one day they did latch and instead of getting up and making bottles at 5am I could just roll over and feed them? Because despite EPing being incredibly convenient and super easy (not!), I hear nursing is a little less time consuming. Plus, what if it really isn't as good and all of this is for nothing? (Just kidding, I know that's a crock of shit.) So, thanks to this lovely article, I decided to keep trying. And it worked. This time. Am I fully converted? No. Do I think it will be this easy forever? Nope. Am I glad to be able to say I've tandem nursed my twins? Of course. But it does not change the fact that no matter how my babies ate for the last four months it was ALWAYS the best thing FOR THEM because I WASN'T STARVING THEM.

Seriously people. It really is that simple. At the end of the day it doesn't matter how it gets done as long as you feed your babies you're doing just fine.

#EndRant.

Thoughts? I'd love to share a pic but I'm still a little shy on these here interwebs so maybe next time. 'Til then, just remember: always feed your baby. No matter how you may have to do it! :-P

Xo,

M

FIAO 5.4 - Feeding The Twins - Exclusively Pumping for Newborn Twins: How I Get It Done and Stay Sane!

It's time to admit that I am exclusively pumping for the girls. We're 7 weeks in and they're clearly not interested in nursing for whatever reason. I have joined a few great support communities online that have helped me learn so much. It's tough but we get it done.

It was definitely interesting in the beginning. For those first few days both CJ and I were home and so we just tag teamed them. We had also learned a lot in the NICU, specificially how best to burp and tips on keeping them eating. And then he went back to work and I was on my own. I usually do 3-4 feedings on my own depending on their sleep schedule.  Although we tried desperately to stick to their NICU schedule in which they were half an hour apart, they quickly figured out that no one likes to eat alone so they've been tandem fed ever since. I also tried to pump before or after feeding them like I used to do in the NICU but it gets in the way of precious awake time so now I do it all at the same time. Sounds crazy right?

Here's how we stay sane while exclusively pumping for and feeding twins:

Hands-Free System and Pumpin' Pals: 

The one thing that makes EPing for twins so much easier is a hands-free system such as a bra, or necklace to hold the pumping parts while you hold the bottles and feed baby. I used the Simple Wishes Bra until I got my hands on a Simplicity necklace from Lactamed. This way I can pump while I hold the bottles, burp them and comfort them. I can also massage and compress while pumping which really helps empty. I also discovered the wonders of Pumpin' Pals. These angled breast pump flanges have been life changing in terms of helping me empty faster and with less pain. There is a learning curve and your body needs to adjust to the different feeling of the pump but they have cut my pumping time down to just 35 minutes from over 50 and I still get the same amount, if not more.

Feeding and Pumping Central

I have taken over the corner of the couch and turned it into feeding and pumping central. Everything I need is within reach and so far it's been working really well. The aim is to be able to sit down and not have to move for at least 45 minutes unless it's an emergency (bathroom trips count as emergencies in this case). Here's how to set up your own Feeding and Pumping Central:

Pumping/Feeding Central

• Within arm's reach have a huge box of bibs and burp cloths, your pump, TV and Xbox remotes, computer and a TV table for snacks and water. I repurposed my hospital survival kit box into my pumping essentials box which includes coconut oil, tissues, nursing pads, hand sanitizer, lotion, my hands-free kit, prenatal vitamins, tums, pen and paper and books.      

• Each twin gets a boppy pillow to sit in, a burp cloth, bib and blanket, plus an extra one for me. For burping while tandem feeding we drape them over the side of the boppy or alternate holding them.  I put bottles on the table while they're warming and again while burping.

• I have a bag under the table with diaper supplies in it including wipes, a waterproof mat, diapers, cream and a thermometer. I also have my bag of spare pumping supplies as well as their baby books, all the papers from the hospital, camera and kindle chargers and our camera and camcorder.  Considering I spend over an hour in this spot every 3 hours all day and night it's incredibly helpful to have everything within arm's reach.

Prepare before you do anything! 

I bring the bottles out and put them on the table, place each baby on the floor in front of me, grab some toys for them for when they finish and then put them in the boppies one at a time. I hook up to and turn on the pump, dry off the bottles and start to feed them. Most of the time I can get through  two let-downs before someone needs to be held and at this point they still fit in between the pumping flanges. When they're done I play with the toys with them, talk to or sing to them while I finish pumping then unhook, put them back on the floor and go put my milk away then it's playtime until they go to sleep and we do it all over again in an hour and a half!

...

So that's how it's done! The first few weeks were full of frustrations figuring out how best to pump, trying to organize this spot and making feedings easier on us. I've now mastered the pump got most feedings down to less than 30 minutes combined and I usually pump for 45 minutes. So far I am producing between 40 and 50 oz a day.  I have a freezer stash for the holdover from when I supplemented earlier on, as the girls are currently eating 56 oz. combined. I am trying to up my supply (eating tons of oatmeal, drinking mother's milk tea and having a dark beer a few nights a week).

There is one thing about all of this bugs me though: not being able to hold them when I feed them because they always want to eat at the same time.  That's why pumping during feedings is so important to me.I am able to get in lots of snuggles and playtime before and after each feeding with each girl. I try to spend some time with them on my chest together or skin to skin as often as their moods allow. Sometimes it's just up, eat and back to sleep and sometimes it's scream, eat, scream, but we're definitely getting into a groove where everyone is happy and satisfied each time!

Did you breastfeed, pump or formla feed? How did you get it done with two and keep your sanity?

Xo,
Maigen