1. The stroller is a Kolcraft Contours tandem stroller, with two infant seat attachments. Those seats are their car seats, only strapped to the stroller frame. It's not quite as intense as it looks, but it is RIDICULOUSLY heavy, even without the regular kid-sized seats attached. I can barely lift it by myself, and it takes up almost our entire trunk. BUT, it handles like a dream, so that's good, right? Eventually, we'll switch to an umbrella-type, but for now, it's great to be able to strap the car seats on and go.
2. I know, I know. You really only come here for the pictures...
Me, plus boys (Henr.y left, Jac.k right...) at a local state park. We drove the half-hour or so up there, got out, took 3-4 photos, and got back in the car. The heat is UN-FLIPPIN'-REAL right now. Yes, I'm from Tejas, where the heat is always un-flippin'-real, but after the absurd winter we had, the hundred-degree baloney is not okay. Seriously. Blech. I unshaded the boys for about 20 seconds, and freaked the whole time that I was boiling their little brains!
3. Most notable thing about the above photo???
PANTS. With BUTTONS. In my PRE-PREGNANCY size.
Granted, they were my "fat, bloaty, I-haven't-run-for-a-week" cut of pre-pregnancy-sized jeans, but still. The twin-mom-diet-plus-nursing is really great for losing weight. It's terrible for overall fitness levels, but all told, I gained 61.5 lbs during the pregnancy, and as of two weeks post-partum, I has lost 50 of it. Obviously, the remaining 11.5 lbs are most unflatteringly distributed, and all that running muscle is LONG gone, but yeah. I kinda want to go back to that bitchy first OB I had and give her the finger for trying to make me worry about weight gain. Clearly, I gained exactly what I needed to in order to have healthy, full-term twins. And while I'm not out of the woods yet, I am not anywhere near as far as I feared I might be after that kind of weight gain.
4. Lastly, for those of you that had a caesarian birth, how long before you were "allowed" to return to normal activity levels? I hear anywhere from two to six weeks. My OB doesn't do follow-up with his patients until the six week mark, but honestly, I am SUPER eager to get back to the treadmill, if not for fitness, then for sanity. And yeah, I'd love to have sex again, too. But, I'm still kind of worried that it's too early. Also, how long should one expect to be all gross and oozy in the nether-region? I'm getting really sick of the random bursts of goo, and it's starting to feel like it's been a little too long. All the information that they gave me when I left the hospital says things like "normal for 7 to 10 days" and it's been over three weeks. Oh, and while my feet are no longer swollen, my hands are horribly swollen, and the carpal-tunnel/weird thumb thing hasn't gone away and has actually gotten 1000x worse, like I can't lift a baby without my wrists screaming in pain. Anyone know anything about this? Or anyone have experience with thrush? How long should I expect my nipples to feel all stabby-pain-on-fire-kill-me-now after I start treatment? Or is this a problem with the boys' latch, because it doesn't hurt anywhere near as bad when I pump. Sigh. Any advice for me?
Yeah.
Anyhow, things continue to be pretty much okay. We're still figuring things out as we go along, and there are still things to work out, but just when I feel like I can't take anymore, the boys take pity on me and give me a three hour stretch of sleep, and I suddenly feel like maybe (just maybe) I might be able to wake up and do this again, for at least one more day. Sigh. I find myself feeling both jealousy and pity for people with singletons. It is seriously SO hard (though I wonder if trip or quad moms laugh when they hear twin moms say that...). It's not just twice as hard. It's 3, 4 or 5 times as hard, because you just don't have the energy or ability to meet the needs of both babies, and that is torture to a new mother, to barely be able to satisfy one baby, and to have to sit and listen while the other screams and screams and screams and to know that you just can't do anything about it. Feh. But yeah. Getting to see two babies smile in their sleep is delightful, and I'm so glad that I get to experience that part of it.
And now, the fussing begins again...
23 comments:
WHOA!! That's so amazing that you're already back in pre-preggo clothes. Awesome. And yes, screw that OB #1 - in her face :-)
Little boys look adorable!
You look great! And the boys are of course adorable! I'm with you on the heat. I'd gladly take the 115+ from Tucson over this humidity.
Still plus ~10 pounds myself at 8 months out. Like you said all distributed differently. But I count looking at the treadmill as exercise so I may not be the best judge. Vaginal birth and I was cleared at the standard 6-week mark, but I would think light jogging would be ok. Afterall you are pushing that beast of a stroller around. Last time I had sex was the day the boys were conceived (you do the math) so again no help there. But I am still oozy (spotting, copious CM, and urine (yay!)) all the time. Panty liners are my friend.
As for the wrists, you probably have "mother's thumb". Carpal tunnel like symptoms that come from holding a baby(ies). My OT said nothing but time and wrist exercises to build up strength. If you have regular CT, then you're predisposed to this. Mine improved at 6-8 weeks when they had better head control.
You are doing great for 3 weeks. It does get easier. And the rewards continue.
You're doing awesome!
I had a C/S and had the "oozing" for a good 14-20 days. Towards the "end" it started to turn a lighter pink and then just stopped finally. Not fun, and certainly more than singleton moms experience, I think.
I was fine with normal activity after about 3 weeks although my OB also technically recommended 6 wks too. Just don't do anything strenous that could stretch the scar area - mostly lifting anything heavier than the babies.
Looking GREAT! And H and J are cuties.
You're doing so great, girl!!! Congrats on being only 11.5 pounds from pre-preggers weight. It took me over a year to get to that point.
I think I bled for close to a month, if I remember correctly, and while my doctor advised 6 weeks, I think it would be okay if you did some light walking. You're very good at listening to your body, so just start slow and for short periods of time and if you feel like you are pushing too hard, or if your bleeding increases or you feel any discomfort, you probably need to take it back a notch.
You look absolutely amazing, Kate! After having four singletons, I can say that what you're doing is more than I've ever done. Can't give you any advice regarding the C birth, but get some caprylic acid for the thrush. I've been through that, and it sucks! So happy you're doing well!!! --Heather
I've never had thrush, but I did have latching issues with both my kids. One of the best ways to tell the latch is incorrect is if your nipple is flattened at all after nursing--meaning baby is doing something to put pressure on the nipple (possibly sucking his lip under, or not putting his tongue out far enough). If you haven't already found it, http://www.kellymom.com is a great website for nursing moms--it looks kinda crappy but has a wealth of information and answers about common problems like latching and thrush.
Good for you for getting out. I felt so trapped in the house sometimes with my summer baby - too hot to go out. You and the boys look great, in spite of the heat!
I think I bled for at least 3 weeks... but don't hold me to that because it was all a blur:). My MD really didn't want me exercising after the C-section for 6 weeks, but lots of walks were fine. Sex was the same.
I can empathize with how hard it is to have to let one child cry because you have to deal with the other. It is hard. Very hard. But it does get better. I promise:)
You look great, Kate. I gained about 60 lb with the girls and most of it fell off within the first month. The last 10 lb did take most of the first year.
I remember being told not to resume exercise until 6 weeks after my Cesarean. I should have been more careful about heavy lifting, because my incision opened after I picked up a case of beer. D. had to repack the incision every day for a month, and the scar is still puckered. So please be careful.
I do wish my obgyn had given me advice on abdominal exercises to do, to help repair my muscles.
Oh gorgeous picture - happy mom and beautiful babies!
I have no advice to give obviously, being childless, and living in the childless single-adult playground that is San Francisco - but I do remember from the friends I've had that had C-births that it took up to three months sometimes before things returned to normal. Even with v-births, things take awhile. Due to our overly big human brains, carrying children (in your case the plural use is especially relevant) is a massive stress on a woman's body, and even though I'm sure you want to return asap to normal pre-pregnancy things, I'd say not to rush if possible or find some way to ease back into it.
The extra weight will probably stay on for a while - most nursing moms I know tend to keep 10 lbs or so until the babies stop nursing, probably nature's backup plan in case of a lack of ability to find food. But seriously, you look beautiful - I've never seen you look as happy as you do in that picture.
Much love to you and the babies and H.
Thanks for sharing the link on the stroller...very cool. I'd say, if it handles well, it's okay that it's heavy!
LOVE the picture. You look awesome and SO happy.
Woo-hoo on the pre-preggo jeans! You give me such hope that the 50 pounds I'm carrying around will come off!
This heat and humidity is AWFUL! It's truly unbearable...I've been living inside to survive.
I think I finally stopped bleeding after my section somewhere between 5 & 6 weeks...of course, that was 6 years ago, so don't hold me to it. Sex & exercise were allowed after my 6 week checkup. I think you'd be fine to walk slowly at this point.
This post is just so full of WIN. So happy for you.
i had a c/s and bled for 6 weeks or so. i never did the twin diet (maybe i should now??) but the weight came off quickly. stuff is still not fitting quite right, though.
i waited the full 6 or 8 weeks to start working out (read: walking) again. think of the place the placentas was as a wound on the inside of your body. you have two wounds that have to heal: the interior wall of the uterus and the incision.
just don't overdo it :)
babies are totally cute, as always!
WOWIE! I thought you looked great, but fitting into regular clothes is incredible! Way to go!
As for the goo, I 'leaked' for a good 8 weeks post-partum and my midwife thought that was fine. However she was pretty surprised that we waited until our 6 week appt for other activities, assuring me it was fine earlier (although not c-section specific advice). I have certainly had friends take 2 weeks as a reasonable waiting period.
I'm so glad that you're taking the boys to see the sites already!
Who told you the bleedy/oozy would stop in 7-10 days? Try SIX WEEKS!!! (Okay, maybe five weeks, but it wasn't all the way over for more than a week before my 6-week checkup.)
As for physical activity, start slow, but START. I definitely wouldn't run yet, but getting on the treadmill for a gentle uphill walk would probably feel really good. By the time my ob gave me the all-clear I was already doing most of the things I had been doing pre-pregnancy. But do be careful--you can mess up your internal healing and set yourself back.
Good luck with the sex. We've done it once and it hurt like a bitch. That's right, after my no-muss, no-fuss cesarian, my girl parts are still all messed up from the pregnancy, or maybe from the nursing. Just very very very tight. Definitely wait until the 6 weeks are up--your uterus has to heal before you introduce foreign objects (ha ha, a pun in your case!) into your vagina. And by all that is holy make sure you have tons of lubricant! Nursing dries you out.
But here's what I really wanted to tell you, especially as you're going to do the SAHM thing. Taking care of twins is incredibly lonely. Because of time time involved in feeding and burping and changing both of them, you only have about an hour between naps to get out of the house and do anything. So here's my advice:
1. Invest in a kick-ass walking stroller. Maybe your snap n go is better than mine, but mine is a long, train-like device that really isn't great for walking around the neighborhood. The most expensive item we got (it was given to us but we would have bought it ourselves) is the City Mini Double Jogging Stroller. It's AMAZING. Incredibly light for it's double size (which is really important for pushing babies up hills--they get heavy really fast), unbelievable one-handed driving, folds up well, fits through most doorways (most side-by-side's don't), and it reclines all the way back so you can start using it now, instead of waiting until they're older. Try to take the babies out for a walk EVERY DAY. They will be so much better for you if they get outside, and you really need to see something besides the inside walls of your house.
2. Keep the babies cool outside. My friend uses two gel packs--the kind you freeze--wrapped in some cloth, on either side of her baby. I use two flat-fold diapers (the really thin ones) and bring a bottle of ice water. When the babies fuss, I soak the cloths, wring them out, and put them on their heads. They seem to like it.
3. Find other mommys with babies near you. You NEED company, preferably 3-5 times a week. I'm not kidding. And the advantage of other moms is that they really won't mind talking babies all day, and they'll understand if the schedule gets screwed. I made a really good friend in prenatal yoga, and we call each other almost every day to see if we can meet up for a walk. Some days it works out, some days it doesn't. Some days she just comes all the way down to me. I'm also hosting a little play group tomorrow--three other COOL moms from our kind of lame mommy group. If you have people come to you, you can survive the twin thing without going mad.
I've been thinking about you so much, Kate. I hope you're enjoying yourself between the screaming-monster sessions and the other crap. I've been too busy to read your blog (and not sure you've had much time to write), but I know there's a lot that can get you down. What I find exciting, though, is that no matter how hard this is my life is MOVING again. No more stagnation. Now I've got more change than I can even cope with. So I try to sit back and enjoy the ride. (And just accept that I'll never really sleep again.)
Sorry about that, sweetie. Google went all nutty on me.
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