Twin Birth Story: Juliane Thompson

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Juliane Thompson

Where do you currently live?  Calgary, Alberta

Twin Birth Story: Caroline

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Caroline

Where do you currently live?  Edmond, OK

Twin Birth Story: Diana

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Diana

Where do you currently live?  El Dorado Hills

Twin Birth Story: Jennifer Ducs

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Jennifer Ducs

Where do you currently live?  Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Twin Birth Story: Jenna

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Jenna

Where do you currently live?  Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Twin Birth Story: Josie

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Josie

Where do you currently live?  Boise, ID

Exercise After Pregnancy

Hi! It’s Karin again! I hope my Diastasis Recti post allowed you to learn about and possibly diagnose a fitness hurdle you may be challenged with. Now let’s talk about ways you can get back into shape after carrying two precious little ones in your belly. First and foremost, let me just say, we’ve all been there. You are not alone. None of us recognize our bodies after babies. Let me just reiterate something from my last post, the most important thing to have is perspective. Appreciate the beauty and strength of a body that was chosen to carry not one, but TWO sweet miracles. Let that sink in. We all carried TWO babies. Certified rockstars for sure. So cut yourself some slack. Know that this process is not a short or an easy one, but there are steps you can take to get in shape. These tips are by no means groundbreaking, they are very fundamental, but they will provide a great foundation to start on your journey.

This is me pre babies and then at 36 of my 37 weeks.

After my pregnancy, I was like each one of you, at a loss. Where do I start? I’m EXHAUSTED! I don’t want to start!

Totally how I felt! So I started back with the basics.

1. TAKE IT SLOW. Doctors recommend waiting 6 weeks after delivery to start an exercise program, 8 if you have had a c-section. Please make sure you speak to and have been cleared by your doctor before starting any exercise program. Once you get started, know that no matter what your pre-pregnancy fitness level is, your stamina post partum will be next to nothing. We are all running on fumes at this point. It would take every ounce of energy and a fierce internal pep talk to get myself out of the house to walk with the girls. And up until 35 of my 37 week pregnancy, I was at the gym 6-7 times a week. Dance classes and cardio kickboxing were my jam. But a few short weeks later, I barely had the stamina to make it through a 20 minute walk. You will have to start slow and work your way back to your normal fitness level. Begin with short increments of time. 15-20 minutes is great. Pick an activity that is forgiving to your body, because it has been through so much already. Walking is a great place to start. Smooth movements like the elliptical are also great. Keep in mind that you want to avoid any activity that requires a lot of jumping or bouncing like running. If you are nursing, you are prone to embarrassing leaks. (That stuff is liquid gold so we don’t want to lose even a drop!) And speaking of embarrassing leaks, you may also notice a change in your ability to hold urine. Coughing, laughing, sneezing, and especially jumping or running will put stress on your bladder that it may not be able to handle post partum. “OMG did I just pee a little bit?!” Yep. You totally did. (I mentioned I was a pharma rep, but did you know that I have the honor of educating doctors on Overactive Bladder all day? Oh yes, I am an incontinence expert. So any questions about that, just ask me!)

2. PROPER NUTRITION IS KEY. I know we are all eating out of convenience most days, but having the best food choices available allows you to set yourself up for success. Keep in mind, if you are nursing, DO NOT restrict your calorie intake. You need to take in the proper amount of calories to feed your babies. That being said, we each have control over what we eat. Choose lean protein sources. Carbohydrates should come in the form of whole grains, not chips or candy. These are empty calories that add up fast. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. It all sounds like a no brainer, but take a second to think about your food choices. How many things do you eat or snack on in a day that could be replaced with a healthier option? This is the easiest, no effort way to start getting that pre baby body back. It’s simple and it takes no time.
3. RESISTANCE TRAINING. Lift weights or use resistance bands. Focus on high reps with a low weight to start building muscle. It may not feel like it, but you will burn more calories when you start a combination of cardio and resistance training.
4. WORK OUT WITH YOUR BABIES. I started getting back into my groove by walking in my neighborhood with the girls. It’s a great way to spend time together and get into shape. There are also different Mommy and Me fitness classes, just make sure you are not doing any fitness regimen that might make your Diastasis Recti worse.

5. UTILIZE VIDEOS. They make great fitness videos that you can do in the privacy of your own home. Pick something fun that will keep you interested and motivated. I recently started T25. What I like about this video in particular is that it comes in three levels, alpha, beta, and gamma, each level harder than the one before. And it’s only 25 minutes!
   
   
   

Babies be like let us in! We cut our nap short just to see you! But Shaun T is telling me I only have 4 minutes and 30 seconds left so focus!

6. TAKE CLASSES AT THE GYM

For some people, the social aspect of the gym is great motivation to get up and go. Find a gym that’s close and that offers what you need. Flexible hours, a variety of classes to choose from, childcare, etc. Look for the things that are the most integral to making you successful! Personally, I have learned I am more likely to go if I have a class to look forward to.

I’m in the middle since it may have been hard to spot me. Kidding. But I did learn this dance in an hour and tried to wurk it like I wasn’t sporting a 26 week twin belly. You get the idea. I love to dance, so I never missed a class. Find something that you love to do and go!

7. FIND A WORKOUT BUDDY

Self explanatory. Good friends and good conversation make even the most daunting tasks fun.

8. DO NOT OVER COMMIT. Set yourself up for success! Do not start out with a goal of working out 6 days a week for at least 45 minutes. Although your intentions are awesome, you have TWINS! Life is crazy and no two days are ever the same. The one thing I think we can all count on is inconsistency. Give yourself an attainable goal. Something like, I’m taking the babies for a 20 minute walk in our neighborhood 3 times this week. Or I will do exercises for my Diastasis Recti for 5 minutes a day while I am on the floor playing with babies. Set goals that you know you can attain, judge how easy or hard it was to reach that goal, adjust, and set a new goal for the next week.

In the end, it’s not about how many times you worked out this week. Its not about the number on the scale and it’s darn sure not about the little number written on the inside of your pants. It’s about being healthy. Making healthy lifestyle choices that ensure you are around for a very, very long time and that you are teaching your children the importance of a healthy diet and getting outside and playing and exercising, not staying inside in front of the TV. It’s also about being confident and comfortable in your own skin. Your children will never notice what size you wear or how much you weigh, but they WILL notice your lack of confidence and any self-deprecating remarks you make about your appearance. But on the other hand, they also WILL notice the confidence that radiates from you, the strength and leadership you show in and for the family, the time you spend with them, and the hugs and kisses and love that you share with them everyday. Focus on staying positive, making healthy choices, and staying active with your family. Everything else will fall into place!

Diastasis Recti

Hi! My name is Karin! I live in San Antonio, Texas with the sweetest 16 month old fraternal twin girls, Raegan and Rylie, a super spunky westie named Stoney, and my incredible husband Collin that loves to take care of his three girls and little man(the puppy)! We will have our 8 year anniversary in March and have been together for 11 years. I work full time as a pharmaceutical rep. Most days are incredibly hectic around our house, but our hearts are so full and we could not be more thankful for these two precious miracles that we prayed for and brought into this world.

                                                                            Photo credit: Daylight Darling Photography 

I have the honor of sharing with you some of the things that I have learned along the way about diastasis recti, a condition a large number of twin moms get that could be keeping you from reaching your fitness goals, without you even knowing you have it! First let me say, that I AM NOT a doctor, physical therapist, or personal trainer. But I have consulted with each specialty and I am happy to share my knowledge with each and every one of you.

So what exactly is Diastasis Recti (DR) and why is it giving me that Mommy pooch? Diastasis means separation and Recti refers to the abdominal muscle, the rectus abdominus. DR causes your belly to pooch out because there has been a separation, or tearing, of the left and right abdominal muscles away from each other due to your big (beautiful) twin belly. DR is incredibly common among pregnant women, and (surprise) even more common among those women who carry multiples. You may notice a pooching or a dome that comes out of your abdominal midline. The separation is very easy to check for and it will vary in width.

OK, so we have checked for DR, you felt a separation, why does it matter?

First of all, you are never going to get a pre-pregnancy flat stomach back without treating your diastasis, and in the majority of cases, you are making the separation worse with your good fitness intentions. I was one of those people that jumped back into a fitness routine without knowing anything about DR. When I noticed that my stomach was still pooching and I was doing everything right in the diet and exercise department, a little bell went off in my head from a conversation I had with a friend who had experienced DR in her singleton pregnancy. I looked up how to test for DR and found that I actually had an almost 3 finger gap!!!

Second, a larger diastasis, those with 2 ½ finger gap and wider, are at risk for other problems as a direct result of the separation including, but not limited to back pain, digestive problems, lumbar instability, and also hernias.

Momma’s ready to bring her sexy back, so let’s go over the basics.

1. KNOW THE CORRECT EXERCISES

The biggest mistake women with DR make is doing the wrong ab exercises to help flatten their belly. If you are doing crunches, sit ups, any type of holds from lying on your back, any pilates/yoga poses that push up and stretch the abdominals, or poses on your hands and knees that don’t fully support the abdominals… STOP RIGHT NOW! YOU ARE MAKING IT WORSE! What you are doing is working the muscles in the wrong direction and keeping them from coming back together. Please note that your best bet is to start these exercises soon after you deliver. They are pretty gentle and very low impact so they should not be difficult to start as you are recovering, but always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

2. USE YOUR ABDOMINALS CORRECTLY IN YOUR EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

Keeping your abdominals engaged throughout the day is a necessity when it comes to correcting your DR. Think of pulling your belly button in towards your spine. Do not try to suck in. That is not engaging the muscles we are trying to work. Think about this while lifting and bending, picking up babies, sneezing, coughing, even going to the restroom. It is so easy to contract and hold and tighten those deep core muscles during the day when you are dong other things. You also need to learn how to get up and down correctly, as mentioned in the video above.

3. WEAR A BELLY BAND OR AN AB SPLIT as much as possible. Will wearing this make you stomach flatter all by itself? No, you will need to engage your core to strengthen those muscles to bring them back together, but the belly band will help you to think about keeping your core tight and engaging those muscles. I have to Belly Bandit and I wore it 24 hours a day for the first several months post babies and at night after that. I would also wear it when I took the girls for walks in our neighborhood.
4. PT or PERSONAL TRAINING

Some physical therapists or personal trainers may be able to design a specific plan for your DR. Please make sure they have knowledge and experience with what DR actually is before starting any type of program. Not all of them will.

5. SURGERY

For those with extreme cases, steps 1-4 may help to close the gap, but never fully get rid of the pooch caused by DR. Please note that surgery for this condition is extremely invasive and requires a good amount of down time and recovery. It is by no means a quick fix.

6. STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE DURING PREGNANCY. You will probably not be able to prevent DR due to your growing belly, but if you keep your core strengthened through regular physical activity and exercise that is approved by your doctor, you can lessen the DR gap that you may develop.

Let’s just remember the most important thing to have is perspective. Appreciate the beauty and strength of a body that was chosen to carry not one, but TWO sweet miracles. There is nothing more beautiful than a strong woman, a wife and mother, who is comfortable in her own skin and I truly hope this post helps you to get started on your journey! Please feel free to contact me with any comments, questions, or just for moral support!

Twin Birth Story: Meagan Griffin

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Meagan Griffin

Where do you currently live?  Montgomery, AL

Transitioning from Pumping to Breastfeeding Twins

Hi everyone, my name is Jamaila!  I wanted to talk about my exclusively pumping-to-breastfeeding success story, because when I was going through the transition process I found there weren’t a lot of mamas doing the same thing quite so late as I did. So my usual ‘find-everything-on-the-internet’ strategy of self-support was rough!

My twins were born at 36+5, blessedly free of pretty much all complications except that they couldn’t seem to latch. We had the help of great LCs and lots of L&D nurses, but my girl, as the smaller twin, just couldn’t do it. She had some suck/swallow delays, and my hubby syringe fed her while I worked on nursing our boy for the first two days. Once she learned how to eat at all, both of them took all the milk I could pump and a bit of formula to help them gain weight while in the hospital.

Thankfully, my milk came in before we even left the hospital, so once we were home we started the laborious process so many of you are familiar with – work on “practicing” nursing, feed expressed milk from bottles, then pump. The entire cycle took over two hours – once we were done, it was time to start over again. Something had to give, and the mutual frustration and tears (me and them) of nursing was what went. We switched to exclusive pumping; I was lucky enough to be able to provide all the milk they needed and more by pumping. Whenever it got rough, I forced myself to point out that since I COULD, I should! But it was hard, hard, hard. I took the advice I’d seen here and gave myself mini-milestone goals: one month. Six weeks. Two months.

By three months, we had a routine that worked as efficiently as it could, but I hated it. I rarely got to just sit and cuddle my babies after I fed them, because I always had to go pump. I started asking about solid foods, just because I was so eager to get away from the pump. By this point, my little girl – the non-latcher! – would occasionally comfort-nurse when she was upset, but we were still so anxious about tracking how much milk they were getting that we were hesitant to try moving away from bottles.

Finally, I was desperate. I decided that I was going to try direct breastfeeding for just one feeding a day – the one feeding that I had to handle alone, after my husband left for work and before my MIL came over to help for the afternoon (bless her!). So one day, I tried it. And, to my shock, they both latched, and ate for about twenty minutes. Afterwards, my breasts felt just as drained as when I pumped, so clearly they were getting enough food! It worked! I was delighted. At first, I pumped after the feeding just to be sure, but when I got almost nothing – barely an ounce – I knew it was working as intended. So for the next week or so, I nursed them for that feeding, and we continued our routine the rest of the time.

Then I added another feeding. I picked one of the afternoon feedings, and left a pumping/bottle feeding in between the two nursing feedings because I was still nervous about drainage. It worked again, and I was so gleeful about it that I went virtually cold turkey after two days and switched all but the very first morning feeding to direct breastfeeding. It WORKED. And the religious pumping schedule I’d established when I was exclusively pumping meant that I had plenty of supply.

So my transition from EPing to EBFing didn’t happen until my babies were four months old – but it happened, and it’s doable! Don’t give up hope!

A final note: it took us until seven months to switch the very first morning feeding from bottle to breast, because I had an overnight oversupply – engorged breasts in the morning, lots of foremilk. Eventually I was able to manage it and we transitioned to nursing in the morning, too. They seem to like it. And it makes the morning routine much simpler – I get to sleep a little extra, and they get to play a little more actively since I’m not attached to the pump trying to wrangle them!

Until about nine months, I continued to pump right before I went to bed for about ten minutes – like a ‘system flush’ – I think that making sure everything was drained once a day regardless of how well they had nursed all day was helpful in preventing clogs and other issues. Eventually, I dropped that last pump, too (all the milk I'd been pumping at night had just gone to the freezer, since breastfeedings filled all their nutritional needs during the day). The first morning after I dropped it, I woke up in a puddle of milk and had to change all the sheets on our bed (if you don't have a waterproof mattress liner, GET ONE). The second morning I was just uncomfortable, but not leaking. By the fourth morning, everything had equalized and I had no more oversupply issues. Thanks, biology! 

I now no longer pump at all, unless I miss a feeding (date night!). My pump no longer lives on my bedside table, and I look forward to continuing our healthy breastfeeding relationship for months to come. I’m glad I EPed as long as I did; in a lot of ways it made the first couple of months easier – we even got to go out on a couple of date nights, because other people could feed the babies! And I’m glad our babies know how to take a bottle! We’re still able to get away once in a while. But I’m so glad that they finally learned how to nurse!

 If you have any questions for Jamaila, CLICK HERE to email her or you can visit her blog: Jamaila Brinkley. 

Twin Mom's Choice Awards

Some of the most frequent emails I receive are from soon-to-be twin moms asking what they must include on their registry  Registering is daunting no matter what, but throw twins into the mix and it becomes downright terrifying.  It's not simply "What should I get?" but also "How many should I get?"  220 twin moms completed a simple survey that asked them all about their favorite baby/toddler items.  The top answers are listed below and I hope this makes life a little easier for future twin moms!

Note: Most twin moms recommend only buying one of each big item for several reasons.  1.  One or both babies may not like the item.  2.  Saves space!  3. Sharing capabilities (one baby is in the swing while the other is in the bouncer, etc.)  If it becomes apparent both babies love a certain item, you can always buy another!

Diapers
Twin Mom Favorite: Pampers Swaddlers (by a landslide)
Runners Up: Huggies Little Snugglers & Target Up and Up Brand
Note: Many twin moms mentioned they used Pampers for the first year and then switched to Target or Luvs once their twins turned one.

Infant Carseat
Twin Mom Favorite: Chicco Keyfit 30
Runners Up: Graco Snugride & Britax B-Safe

Swaddle Blanket
Twin Mom Favorite: Aden & Anais
Runners Up: Summer Infant SwaddleMe & Halo Sleep Sacks

Swing
Twin Mom Favorite: Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle & Swing
Runner Up: 4Moms mamaRoo
Note:  It was often mentioned to get one that plugs into the wall.

Pack n Play
Twin Mom Favorite: Graco
Runners Up: Graco w/ Twin Bassinet, Chicco, and 4moms Breeze
Note: Most twin moms commented on getting something basic without bells/whistles.

Stroller
Twin Mom Favorite: Baby Jogger City Select & Baby Trend Snap N Go
Runner Ups: Bob Revolution Flex Duallie, Baby Jogger City Mini, Contours Options, Joovy Scooter
Note: The City Select has carseat adapters available so a Snap & Go isn't necessary.  A Snap & Go is perfect if you have a Bob, City Mini, etc.)

Bottles
Twin Mom Favorite: Dr. Browns
Runners Up: Avent & Tommee Tippee

Baby Monitor
Twin Mom Favorites: Summer Infant Baby Touch & Motorola MBP
Runner Up: Foscam

Nursing Pillow
Twin Mom Favorite: My Brest Friend Twins Plus Pillow
Runners Up: Boppy & Twin Z

Breast Pump:
Twin Mom Favorite: Medela Pump in Style
Runner Up: Medela Symphony (rent from the hospital)

Bouncer
Twin Mom Favorite: Fisher Price Little Lamb
Runner Up: Fisher Price Rainforest

High Chair
Twin Mom Favorite: Fisher Price Space Saver
Runners Up: OxoTot Sprout, Ikea Antilop, Boon Flair

Sippy Cups
Twin Mom Favorite: Nuby
Runners Up: Tommy Tippee, Playtex, Zoli

Convertible Carseat
Twin Mom Favorite: Britax Marathon & Britax Boulevard
Runners Up: Diono Radian & Chicco Nextfit

The last question on the survey asked for three items a twin mom could not survive without.  Below were the most frequently listed items (not included in the list but worth noting due to popularity: spouse, coffee, and wine). :)

Items a twin mom could not survive without...Aden & Anais Burpy Bibs
Amazon Prime (Amazon Mom)
Baby Brezza Formula Pro
Boon Grass Bottle Rack
Boppy
Burp Clothes
Diaper Genie
Ergo Carrier
Gas Drops
Humidifer
Lansinoh Breast Pads
NoseFrida
Rock n Play
Solly Wrap
Sophie the Giraffe
Sound Machine
Twin Talk (awww)
Wubbanub Pacifiers
Zipper Sleepers

Good luck and happy registering, fellow twin moms!

Twin Birth Story: Brittany Elmore

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out the questionnaire!

Name: Brittany Elmore

Where do you currently live?  Arlington, WA

Breastfeeding & Supplementing

Hello! I am Nicole O’Donnell, a full-time working mom to two 8-month-old twin girls Teagan and Avery, living in Philadelphia, Pa.

This post originally started out as a sort of day in the life post as a pumping, working mama, but evolved into a post on breastfeeding with formula supplementation.

Ah breastfeeding. What a stressful topic for mothers. So much judgment! Luckily, here at Twin Talk we have found a stress-free zone to be able to share our stories of being twin moms and how we survive.

Because really, it's all about survival.

This post is my story of how I decided to breastfeed and supplement with formula for my twin girls.

My husband and I found out we were having twins – surprise – at an 8 week ultrasound. I had a relatively healthy pregnancy until my third trimester when I had blood pressure issues. After my second 24-hour urine test (yes ladies, I carried around my urine for 24 hours not once, but twice!) and third trip to the ER in a month, my doctors induced me at 35 weeks and 5 days.

On April 27, 2014 at 12:46 p.m. Teagan was born at 5lbs 6oz and at 12:50 p.m. Avery was born at 4lbs 7oz.

Luckily, we had no NICU time and they latched like little champs. In fact, during our first skin to skin the girls both started wriggling their little bodies to my breast and the nurse was like “Ummm, ok time to try feeding them!”

Only one problem – my milk didn't come in for five days. The girls’ weights dropped scary low. Avery was down to 3lbs 14oz at one point! On our third day home with the girls, our pediatrician recommended formula until my milk caught up. We did 24 hours of readymade Enfamil formula plus nursing and eventually my milk began to flow.

2-weeks-old, chicken legs for days!

 

Since those beginning days, I have tandem breastfed the girls, supplementing one bottle of formula every night before bed. It worked very well for us. They'd already tried formula and they needed to practice bottles for when I returned to work…so we just kept the formula bottle in the mix.

We use Tommy Tippy bottles. We love them, although have only ever tried Dr. Brown bottles during a bout of colic around eight weeks. The Dr. Brown bottles did nothing in my opinion to calm my stressed out colicky girls, and really just made me mad because of the extra pieces to wash.

We used Emfamil readymade formula for about five months, until Teagan started REFUSING the formula bottle. There were a few weeks when she would not drink the formula, and I would give her an extra nursing session.

Until it dawned on me – duh – to try something different. We switched to Enfamil powdered formula and it has been great, she eats it right up. Honestly, the powdered is so much better, it’s cheaper, it doesn’t smell as bad as the readymade and it even looks like breast milk.

When I returned to work three days a week in July, I was able to pump 20oz a day. That easily covered us for the three days I was away. I started four days a week at the end of October and my production went way down. It was also the same time the girls started solid food, so maybe they were nursing less at each session?

At that point, the girls were 6 months old and they had a pretty good schedule. They nursed before I left for work, had two BM bottles during the day, along with solid foods for breakfast and lunch, nursed when I got home, had solid foods for dinner and a bottle of formula before bed. I was able to pump two times at work, and once at 4 a.m. to get enough milk to cover for when I was away.

Starting in late November, I began work five days a week and I am honestly lucky to get 10 to 15 ounces a day in two to three pumping sessions. Due to an awful sleep regression stage we are currently enjoying, I am unable to pump at 4 a.m., and without that extra pump I am struggling to have enough milk.

I am not ready to stop nursing, and I was desperate to provide two BM bottles for each girl five days a week. After a few weeks of trying additional pumping sessions that didn’t work, pumping at 5 a.m. with a sleeping baby in bed next to me, crying over a morning pump at work that only netted three ounces, drinking 100 ounces of water in a day, eating oatmeal for breakfast and lunch…I decided that the girls will be fine if they get an additional bottle of formula during the day.

Here is the girls’ current eating schedule:

• Wake up 6 a.m.
• Nurse 7 a.m.
• Oatmeal cereal and fruit 8:30 a.m.
• 4-5 oz breast milk 9/9:30 a.m.
• 1 hour Nap 10 a.m.
• Veggies and fruit and/or yogurt 12:30 p.m.
• 4-5 oz formula 1:30 p.m.
• 2 hour Nap
• Maybe 2-3 oz formula or breast milk after wake up to hold over until I get home
• Nurse 5/5:30 p.m.
• Meat and veggies and fruit and/or yogurt 5:30/6 p.m.
• 4 oz formula 7 p.m.
• Nurse to sleep 8 p.m.
• Maybe one nursing session overnight between 3 and 4 a.m.

The solid food is moving things around. They LOOOOOOOVE their solid food, but are eating smaller, more frequent bottles.

Also, I am in desperate need of some sleep regression tips, right now we are just nursing and sometimes sleeping in bed with mommy and daddy. But that’s another post I suppose.

I would say to any twin mom out there who is deciding to supplement: Breastfeeding does not have to be all or nothing. I have thoroughly enjoyed breastfeeding my girls, and the formula we give them is just part of the deal. If I had not decided to supplement, I may not have made it this far. I plan to keep the nursing and pumping up until the girls are 12 months old. My babies are happy and healthy and love to eat…no matter what it is we are giving them!

At the shore with 11-week-olds…we look tired!

 

Twin Talk Survey Results + Twin Mom's Choice Awards

When I created the survey for Twin Talk, I told my husband I hoped for 100 responses.  462 of you responded.  I originally thought there was a glitch on Survey Monkey because seven minutes after I posted the link I'd received 30 responses.  This told me two things:

1.  Sunday nights are pretty low-key for twin moms.

2.  This community CARES about the success of Twin Talk. 

Over the next few days, I received hundreds of comments from the group.  From twin moms who wanted to write a guest post, to those who said a specific post got them through a really tough time, to some who weren't so pleased with certain aspects of the blog.  It was exciting.  It was humbling.  It was terrifying.

Never again will I question the importance of this blog - you guys made it quite clear that hearing from other twin moms on a variety of topics is important, helpful and necessary.   Message received!

I thought you might enjoy seeing the results to some of the questions.... 

 

THANK YOU for taking the time to fill out the survey.  You would think I'd leave you alone now but I have one more favor to ask.  It's awards season and Twin Talk wants to take part! I get a lot of questions about what's the very best (fill in the blank) to register for twins. So it's time for YOU to fill out your ballot and help a fellow twin mama out. Please be as specific as possible with your answers! Brand/name/etc.  Survey will close tonight at midnight - CLICK HERE to complete the Twin Mom's Choice Awards!  Thanks in advance.  :)