Childbirth Classes: The closest thing to a baby manual

As of this past weekend, most of our pre-birth classes are out of the way. They are fun and very informative, but tire me out!

A few weeks ago we took a class called "Breastfeeding for Multiples". Yes, Jay went :) He was a bit hesitant, but I assured him I needed him and that there would be plenty other men there (going out on a limb, but I figured this was the case since it recommended it in the class info write-up). Thankfully, I was right. There were four couples of twins - complete with Dads! For the most part we reviewed initial days and weeks "how-twos" after the babies arrive. Generally speaking, we'll treat them a bit like singletons until each of them can feed well on their own. Once we've got it down, we'll figure out how to do tandem feeding. Yes, I've already begun to think about the sheer logistics of this and yes I'm sure it will prove to be challenging. Hopefully the babes (and mom) will catch on quick so that I can utilize any help that's still coming by. Either way, I'm sure we'll get there with time and lots of patience.

What I really took away from this class was the concept of how important it is to begin breastfeeding as soon as possible after delivery (if no NICU of course) and that the size of a babies stomach is itty bitty when their first born so what they will require will be equivalent to what their little bodies can actually process. In fact, when they're first born, their little intestines haven't fully learned out to process "true" food (hence why they go through various stages of really weird looking poo - if you look, beware of the icky but informative photos). So, essentially, demand will increase as supply does. Which is a relief since you often hear that women worry that they're babies aren't getting "enough" milk. Our instructor literally said that the first day or two you might feed in 10-15 increments every 2 hours and that would be enough. Above and beyond that time, is time dedicated to pumping. Pumping in combo with breast feeding can be critical, especially for mothers of multiples. This is because supply is often a direct result of demand. The more you empty your breasts, the more you are telling your body how much to make. She said that on average you should empty a minimum of 8 times per day (total of breast feeding and pumping). In the very beginning (when baby isn't demanding a lot), you need to finish emptying your breasts after baby feeds in order to get your supply really going. The other key thing to breastfeeding multiples, she said, was to alternate which breast each baby feeds on and the angle at which they feed. This is because the sucking power will vary among babies and you want to make sure to empty each breast as equally as possible.

Yes, there was a lot of boob talk, but it was interesting to learn! We also watched a video and used a baby doll to each practice feeding positions. I'm looking forward to getting into the class booklet a little more in-depth in the months to come. Oh I hope we have success with this as it will ultimately be best for the babies and will help in so many other ways, including weight loss and moola :)

The most recent class we just finished our Childbirth in a Day class. Rather than string it out over several weeks, especially because we may end up going the c-section route anyway, we elected to take the one-day class. Lots of info and another booklet with videos to review as it draws closer.

Now, all that's left on this front is to buy for and pack our hospital bags in advance, get a pediatrician lined up and take an infant CPR class. Ok, so there's still a lot to do but we're making headway!


What's New with Mommy...

Movements: Last night I felt Tweedle A "kick" for the first time (3x in a row!). It was soooo awesome! I tried to call Jay in to experience it too, but, of course, baby stopped moving.
Slowing Down: On Sunday I decided to catch up on some housework. Nothing major - a little laundry, dishes, cooking, general vacuuming and dusting, etc. I didn't stop and lie down a ton, but I figured I'd be ok since I wasn't doing a ton of walking. Boy was I wrong. By the end of the night my body was hurting and the next day I was a zombie. So, I need to find a way to always do a little each night that way I don't have to "catch up", because frankly I don't want to wear myself down like that again.
Symptoms: I never thought I'd be saying this, but my tailbone hurts like crazy!! Who would have thought that would be something associated with pregnancy, but I guess it does make sense. Especially because I have a strong feeling that I'm carrying Tweedle A pretty low and more to my back, whereas the Baby B seems to be up front and to my left. So far it would seem that the only thing to relieve or prevent this is to not sit upright for long periods of time. That, in combination with the fact that standing or walking for too long also makes my back and belly sore, it sounds like more, true pelvic rest (lying down) is in my future, like it or not.

Related Posts by Categories