WEANING TRIPLETS

Weaning triplets together with the 8 months older sibling, is no easy task for mum!
The old routine is changing and every time you think you have a routine, they change it!

I'm going back to these dears next week and I think a massive cook up to go in the freezer might be called for.

Mum is a true hero to get this far on her own, but now the normal routine has gone out the window and another has to be set introducing them to solids.

Eating is different to sucking a bottle and not all babies have read this manual. Some take to it instantly, while others take their time to get used to it.

The good news is that they all get there in the end, but sometimes the task is harder, even with one!

MANAGING MULTIPLES FEEDING

When feeding multiple babies (which probably have many and various medications), it is not easy to remember who has had how much and at what times etc.

Therefore, a very helpful tool is a large white board.

There are various ways to work this and you may find the way you'd like, but this is how I did it with the triplets parents. (pictured here) :-

Mark out the lines in permanent pen; giving names across the top and 24 hours down the left hand side.
Leaving a space on the right for extra information and summations.

In the appropriate hour box, fill in:- 

1. Feed start time minute
2. How much was taken
3. What medications and amount
4. Wet or dirty nappy

Doing this will make it easy to add up the milk intake for the 24hr period and most importantly make it easy to see at a glance, who is to be fed with what and when.

It is so easy to forget things when there is so much to do and deliver.
This also means that helpers can see without having to bother you!

The summation for the day goes on the right hand side, together with additional information about baths, inoculations, concerns and weight (if you ever have the time to do that).

Without the triplets having a white board, life would have been almost impossible!

The picture is when they are 6 months and are down to approx 4 hourly feeds and sleeping most of the night.

TRIPLETS NATURALLY

I am now helping with a 5 month old, who's mother is expecting triplets when she will be only 10 months! No IVF, just a very fertile mum (who was taking precautions too!)
A huge shock.

Mum looks 6 months pregnant already (actually nearly 15 weeks) and I try to do as much as I can, so she does not over do it.

The last baby arrived 7 weeks early, after a 5 day labour and then a C-section; so as much as possible must be done to reduce a very early labour this time. They are due to be delivered at 32/33 weeks.

Next week I go and see the new scan, which will show the sexes. Best know this time so we can prepare. Let's hope there is a boy in there somewhere!

4 of them, my hands will be full, that's for sure.
Forget my usual flexible routines. This will need to be strict and practical.

Then, how do we get them around?
In what?
Goodness!!!!!!!

DADDY TIME

Well goodness, like-minded people with websites and blogs are coming thick and fast.

Had another Twitter follower again yesterday and another informative site giving advice to breast feeding mums, offering classes and help.

Of course, I give breastfeeding advice too and some of my jobs just focus around that; but I also feel I should give free advice to those who need it.
Last year, I flew to Doha in Qatar for a week to help with a breastfeeding problem. Lovely family and we still keep in touch and I love to see their photos on Facebook.

On the breastfeeding consultants blog, she wrote about fathers being given more paternity leave, so I replied with one of my tips for dads who needed to get to work, saying this:-

"I find many fathers who would love to have more time with their new baby, but working pressures do not allow for it.

What I do in these circumstances, is to try and find a regular time when dad can get home and then teach him to bath his baby before bed.

This has two great achievements:-
One, dad has one to one quality time with his child and his baby gets to know that this is their special time of day; and
Two, this gives mum some time to do something else.

The fathers who do this, arrive home from work with a smile on their faces, looking forward to that special time that awaits them."

The original blog I replied to was:- http://www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog/

MAYBE OFFLINE

Off to look after another baby today until the weekend. So not sure if I'll get this up again until Saturday, depending on access.

SLEEP TIMES

Had a lovely day at my daughter's wedding yesterday and there were 3 little children there.

My 2 year old grandson behaved beautifully and took his nap on the sofa after lunch, with everyone around him!
Another 5 month old had her nap in her pram as well.

This just goes to show that if children have a routine and are comfortable with their surroundings, they will follow their routine almost wherever they are.

ROUTINES. BE FLEXIBLE

Babies have a wonderful sense of humour. Just as you think they have a routine going, they go and change it!

Last night the little boy I was looking after slept through the night, but decided that getting up time was 5.30am.
No matter how I tried to settle him, he would have none of it.

So, at 6.30 he accompanied me as I got dressed and we went downstairs and he had his breakfast at 7.30 as usual.

So, with a little adjustment by myself, he was back in routine again and settled for his morning nap at the usual time.

The lesson being; sometimes it is better to be flexible and not stressed about something out of your control, but work towards easing things back to normal.
After all, as they get bigger the routine will change.

I feel the most important thing is to keep the schedule as normal as possible. Babies (like adults), like to know what comes next, just as we do; and in this case - breakfast, play, nap).

No more Blogging for a few days as I am off to a health farm, before starting with my next little friend, who was born yesterday.