I knew this baby would be an entirely different experience than our transition to parenthood with The Gents. We’ve dealt with a lot being parents of twins, but there are some newborn aspects that we didn’t experience the first time around. Because of that, with baby J, I sometimes feel like a new mom.
I had a C-section again, but this time I was actually able to nurse Baby J (aka Pepa) while being sewn up! I know it may seem kind of strange but it was pretty cool, especially since I wasn’t able to nurse The Gents until a week after they were born.
And since we didn’t have a NICU stay this time, Pepa was with me immediately. She was placed on my chest right after her initial vitals were taken and never left my sight expect for her bath. It was so great to immediately bond with her, but I had a tough time during my post-op, vomiting for hours from the drugs to manage my pain.
We soon realized how spoiled we were with the nurses who cared for C&R. I was able to get a lot of rest post op, have caregivers feed them overnight, as well as time for me to heal from the surgery. Although I was with them everyday during those 18 days they stayed in hospital, that time and the nurses made for an easier transition to life with twins. We didn’t even do night duty until the night before they left hospital. The Gents came home on a feeding and sleeping schedule. Now with Baby J it’s my responsibility.
The initial process for nursing her was a little tougher than I thought it would be. It’s amazing that babies have an innate sense for nursing, but they need a little help to make sure there is a good latch. Somehow I forgot the proper latch techniques that I learned with The Gents. Fortunately I corrected my mistakes quickly so I was in less pain and she started eating well. She quickly became a really good eater, and subsequently a good sleeper…until a week or so ago.
She’s growing faster, physically and developmentally, than The Gents. Because they arrived 6 weeks early, the timing of all the textbook milestones didn’t apply to them. In fact I never read about them. I didn’t want to stress myself out because I knew they would lag for the first two years. This has been the biggest learning curve for me with Baby J. Recently has come random cluster feeding and sleep regression. Sometimes it feels like she eats around the clock and barely sleeps, as least when I want to sleep or need to do something around the house or for myself! I know it’s just a phase that will pass and I think we’re coming out of it now, but taking care of Pepa on my own (our nanny helps with The Gents only as they’re a full time job) since J is back in Riyadh has been taxing, especially when she won’t sleep or she’s restless unless I’m holding her. The upside is that cuddles with her are really wonderful and take me back to cuddling C&R.
Maybe it’s because we’re a couple years older now, but J and I have asked each other several times already, “How did we do this with two?!” I’m so glad we were blessed with The Gents first. We’ve certainly gone through so much having twins, but this new baby is humbling. Just because I’m now a mother of three, by no means am I an expert at anything. In fact some moments feel like trial and error. At the end of every day when I finally lay my head down I’m grateful though because I know this new addition is making me even more aware of my need for self-improvement, reminding me to take each day as it comes, and to cherish the cuddles,…but I also say an extra prayer that she only wakes up once overnight. :)
