My Reality with baby twins
These last 6 weeks have been a whirlwind.
I’d love to tell you that everything has been going great and that we are all settled in our new routine, but that’s just not the case. Now please hear me, there are great moments and most of the time our routine is pretty set but there are also moments that I’d rather not remember….
Like when I tried nursing the girls one last time bc I just wasn’t sure I was ready to give it up and they ended up screaming until their next feeding…
Or at 2am when both girls wake up screaming with poop blow-outs and nothing can calm them down so I end up just crying with them or getting mad at them…
How about during the day when I’m feeding the girls their food so the boys decide this will be when they will act out since they know I’m busy and I end up yelling at them out of frustration instead of disciplining in love…
And at the end of the day when the boys are down for the night and the girls are snoozing & I see that my house looks like a tornado has gone through it and I still have to finish washing bottles, putting laundry in the dryer & need to shower all before they need fed again…
That’s just the basics of what is really my reality.
It’s been 6 weeks and I have yet to sleep longer than a 4hr stretch (and that’s back when they were only 2wks old!) I typically only get about a 2hr stretch – and that’s if I’m lucky! I’m pretty sure it’s starting to wear on me because I was in the worst mood ever yesterday for no reason. If you know me, you know I’m a pretty “uppity” person, if I’m going to be in a bad mood there is always a reason for it. Not yesterday. I woke up just mad. I warned the hubby and thankfully he is a God-sent and did everything he could to make sure I started to feel better. Good man I have that’s for sure.
I know I sound like a Debbie-Downer but you guys, this is real life. All that stuff I post on facebook on how I’ve been super productive and things are going great – well, I post it because it helps me see that even though I have rough nights with the girls and am super busy during the day – those little happy moments are what make it worth it. Those happy times get me through the rough ones.
How do you get through the rough moments in life?
Keep up with Michelle at The Momma Bird!
As a mum of four boys, (9, 6, 4 and 4) i just wanted to tell you that yes it’s hard, yes it’s tiring, but you silk get more sleep eventually.
It sounds like you have a great partner and with his support you will get through the hard times. Don’t beat yourself up about not carrying on with breastfeeding, it’s crazy hard work and you’ve done it. 6 Weeks is a growth spurt time and the only way to cope with it is to feed feed feed, which is difficult when you have other kids too. If you feel you can’t do it then, know that you did your best and the best has changed.
Best of luck with everything, Emma I
Will… Not silk
I close my eyes and tell myself “This too shall pass” and listen to the song Your going to miss this.
My girls are now 6 yrs old and I can now look back and say I miss those days (partially because I don’t remember them due to lack of sleep) My biggest piece of advice is the 1st 6 months are the worst but it gets better, and pretty soon you’re wondering what happened to your babies and don’t know what to do with yourself because of the “Me do it” and then they start school and you look around and wonder where the tornado went and find that you actually miss it. Good luck and welcome to the world of twins.
I don’t miss it. But it did pass…seemingly slowly but it did pass. I appreciate the “real” posts, as it confirms that there is no mystery perfection that exists and that I failed to meet.
I have 19 month old twin boys and a 5 month old baby boy. There are times when it can be no fun at all and some days are just down right hard. I always try to remind myself that motherhood is a journey full of hills and valleys. Sometimes those valleys last a little longer than others, but I know that if I have a bad day a good day must be right around the corner. I also have to find the little joy throughout the day and hold on to that. Nowadays moms are expected to do it all with a smile on their face and honestly that is just not possible. Take it day by day, know it will get better and cherish the little moments of joy. Also know you are not alone, we have all been there. I have disciplined out of frustration versus love, I have found myself frustrated with two little ones who may not truly understand what they have done, or wondered what I am doing wrong and why I can’t make my babies stop crying. It’s hard, but it sounds like you are doing an amazing job! It does get better, but hold on to the small pieces of joy until you get there! You are doing great Mamma!
My kids are older (3 1/2 b/g twins and 7 yr old daughter) so I’m no longer cleaning bottles and changing several diapers a day. That stuff will pass soon. But the other stuff, how hard it is keeping on top of things, continues until these little ones grow and leave the nest. You are at such a difficult moment – giving up breastfeeding and enduring the screams of hunger (not to mention the hormonal things going on) coupled with sleep deprivation is the hardest thing I’ve ever overcome. I have plenty of days even still that I want to scream my head off out of sheer frustration at how hard parenting can be sometimes. The twin factor is huge – don’t let anyone convince you otherwise, especially if you have other kids on top of that. The thing that has helped me most is being able to talk or write about everything. My husband knows when I’m struggling b/c I stop communicating. So he knows when to sit me down and say, ok, what’s going on. Even if the answer is “I don’t know, I’m just having a hard day!” at least he gets something out of me and I can start to bounce back. Keep talking and keep writing when you have a chance. If you’ve got a true partner of a husband, use that to keep you sane. BTW, your kids look adorable. Hang in there and know that you’re not alone!
This is an amazing post!!! I thought I was the only one that felt this way…for me I have times I just cry or lock myself in the bathroom for a few minutes…I also pray like crazy document the craziness as it really is when I can, thank heavens for good husband and pray like crazy!!!
My girls are 13 months old, so I some what remember what you are going through. Mothering infant twins might be one of the hardest jobs out there, I’m sure most of us agree. (exception only being mothers of higher multiples lol)
Where abouts in the country do you live? I know with the mothers of multiples clubs in my area, they have new mom helper parties, where a group of women show up at a new twin mom’s house (scheduled I’m sure), and just bring meals, help out, hold babies, entertain older kids, just anything they can do to help the mom out to get some rest. have you considered one of those? If you live in the Seattle area, I’d be willing to come help. Ping my email above!