This post is all about babies so stop reading now.

Let’s make sure that in 5 years we remember how weird this situation was.

Let it be remembered that this week, Paige migrated to a location somewhere between the far right side of my rib cage and hip, and Audrey continued to hang out way up front.

I look visibly lop-sided, as if I have a progressive tumor growing out of the right side of my torso, and there’s NO MORE ROOM FOR THESE BABIES TO GO.

36 inches of belly. Too many inches of hip to share.

We went to our Baby Basics class today (my only “allowed” outing since being slammed on bed rest). I found it immensely more informative than the Multiples class, and way more relate-able. Let’s recap the differences between the two classes:

Expecting Multiples:
-Soothing meditative music being played over a slide show promoting individuality.
-All attendees (minus myself and Kyle) clearly had undergone infertility treatment, and had oodles of money.
-50% of attendees had their own nannies and/or their husbands had obscenely upscale jobs (pilots, neurosurgeons)
-Learned absolutely nothing about caring for twins, or soothing fussy twins.
-Spent entire class being scared in to a completely useless frenzy.
-Was bombarded by anti-formula feeding tirades.

Baby Basics:
-Awesome instructor, less fluff, more real life “this is how it is” information.
-Actually practiced performing baby care tasks, rather than talking about our “feelings”.
-Left feeling like my $35.00 was actually well spent.
-Actually discussed both types of feeding equally and with no bias.

Also, in today’s class, I left with the following information that I did not know:

-Baby powder is no good, if you must, use corn starch instead (but never in the diaper)
-You only have to “sterilize” bottles once (I don’t need a $60.00 microwave bottle sterilizer!)
-No blankets in crib when baby sleeps (and ok, I’m finally convinced, no bumpers).
-Don’t use “Swaddlers”, just stick with flannel receiving blankets.
-Baby needs to wear an undershirt even UNDER gowns or onesies (I had no clue).

Posted by Katelyn in Uncategorized. 6 comments

Comments

{1} jess:

swaddlers are the best. receiving blankets aren’t as secure so baby can get out of them and blankets can end up on their face, not a good thing.

you need to sterilize bottles & pacifiers whenever baby has a cold, or thrush.

don’t use any type of baby powder (in my opinion). boudreaux’s buttpaste is the best. and babies r us sometimes has it buy one get one free.

we swaddled hannah with swaddlers until she was five months old and started looking like tarzan when she woke up in the mornings. we introduced a comforter for her to lay on, a sheet, and a pillow at 13 months old. she sleeps way better. but i do not recommend it any time before a year old.

undershirts? never heard of it. dress your baby as you please :)

you are going to get tons of advice and the only TRUE advice i can give you is to trust your own instincts. you are a mommy now and you have the mommy instinct – that’s the best answer you’ll ever receive is your “gut & heart” feeling.


Mar 19, 2011
9:07 pm

{2} sam:

i feel like a baby retard! baby powder is a no-no for babies? undershirts? no blankies? how do you keep your baby warm when they are napping?

that twin class sounds like crap.. i’d much rather someone tell it like it is. hang in there, mama. you are doing great! :)


Mar 20, 2011
10:38 am

{3} bluejeanamy:

I LOVE SWADDLERS. Seriously! Only used ‘em for the first couple months, but my God are they useful.

Er and don’t worry about undershirts under onesies…I’d definitely make sure (especially at first) that cotton is touching their skin (instead of poly or whatev), but most onesies are cotton!

I’m being totally bossy here, but oh well.

Hang in there with that big ol’ belly — you’re doing a great job cooking your ladies!


Mar 20, 2011
4:47 pm

{4} bluejeanamy:

Oh and by “swaddlers” I mean this brand specifically. LOVE the velcro!

http://www.amazon.com/Kiddopotamus-Co%252e-Organic-Cotton-SwaddleMe/dp/B000TVZEVK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300657657&sr=8-1


Mar 20, 2011
4:48 pm

{5} Katelyn:

Ladies, thank you so much for the input! I expected a few comments with alternating opinions, but I am totally taking them to heart.

After reading your thoughts, Kyle goes, “hmm…everyone is speaking pretty highly of the swaddlers, maybe we should still just try them out”. He went and put some back on our registry.

And the undershirt thing…just seems like a lot of clothing for baby to be wearing, especially since the girls will be newborns during our warmest months.


Mar 20, 2011
5:22 pm

{6} Momfish:

Everly hated being swaddled ;) Get a couple but wait and see. YOUR babies will have their own preferences. Everly also hated the swing, the bouncer, pacifiers, and basically anything else that other parents swore to me would work.

Also – a lot of it is going to just be you & Kyle stumbling through the first 6 weeks, figuring it out on your own. I feel like after you’ve been through that “Basic Training” aka Foggy Hellish Tiring but Amazing time period, you will want to pass your own advice along to other mamas (trust me on this, even if you don’t think it will happen because yes, it is annoying but you can’t help it).

You & Kyle are smart cookies, you’ll do great. The class really will help though, it’ll cut your learning time in half once the little ones are here!


Mar 20, 2011
6:37 pm

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