Breastfeeding tips for desperate mommas!

I’ve had five kids and breastfeeding has never come easy for me. Over the years I’ve listened to women talk about all the extra milk they make and how they love breastfeeding because it practically sucks their fat away. Hmm… not my experience, but I certainly wish it was. To be honest, my experience is completely opposite. After my fifth, I did a lot of research, talked to a bunch of moms and things went much better. I thought I’d share what I learned for any moms out there needing an extra boost in their milk supply.

Background – so you know where I’m coming from.
Breastfeeding Preslee, my oldest went alright, I still had to supplement about a bottle a day and nursed for 8 months until I dried up.

Ledger came and after a couple months I threw in the towel. It was a nightmare and I kept getting mastitis. Later down the road I learned he couldn’t breathe through his nose and the first question the ENT asked was, “Did he struggle breastfeeding?”

I never produced enough for the twins. I’ve since learned I don’t produce as much pumping, and that my boys were tongue tied. But I kept trying and worked with a lactation consultant until my sweet husband sat me down and told me it just wasn’t working, and that it was okay. I told him I felt so much pressure, probably because the first question people often asked me was, “Are you breastfeeding both?”  Life became much more doable for me once I turned to the bottle.

When it came to Oaklee I did a lot of research beforehand and decided I was going to give it my best effort. (She couldn’t have breathing or tongue issues, right?) I was able to nurse her for 11 months and this time it went 100 times better! I still didn’t overproduce and it took a lot of effort, but it was a much better experience due to the things shared below.

Ways to Increase Your Milk Supply

1. EAT! I don’t tend to lose weight while breastfeeding, (I’ve since learned many others don’t either!) so my natural reaction was to count calories. But this time around, I ate… a lot! I made sure most of it was healthy and I saw results. I could definitely tell a difference in my milk supply if I wasn’t eating enough calories during the day. I had to mentally remind myself I’ll drop the weight in the end.
2. Water, water, water! I bought this tumbler here, (If you don’t have one, it will change your life!) and made sure to get at least 100 oz. in every day. Make sure to drink, drink, drink! It will make a world of difference.
   
3. Oatmeal for Breakfast. I ate oatmeal nearly every day for the first six months. After six months, my body didn’t seem to need as much help. Many times I’d throw in a little ground flax seed as well. (Flaxseed is known to help with breastfeeding)
4. Supplements. I took Fenugreek daily for months. Many people suggested Milkflow instead of fenugreek, but my supply actually went down. After reading the comments I think I may be the minority, but I’d still recommend giving it try. Another great supplement to try is Mother's Milk, it’s a tea and many swear by it.
5. Booby Bites! When I was low I’d make some of these energy bites, (aka booby bites as my friend called them). I swear by these healthy little treats, they tasted great, and I snacked on them regularly. (Recipe below)
6. Smoothie. When I got sick of oatmeal, I’d replace it with this laction smoothie recipe. (Recipe below)
7. Mastitis? I feel ya, it’s the absolute worst! I got it one time with Oaklee, and a friend shared that she immediately takes Lecithin as soon as soon as she felt symptoms. The next time I felt it coming on, I immediately took it and it seriously worked! Why hadn’t anyone shared this stuff with me before? I’d have these babies on hand at all times while nursing. If you’re prone to mastitis, get some!
8. Ouch! As I was leaving the hospital, my nurse heard me talking about how sore I already was from breastfeeding. She ran and grabbed some Black Tea Bags and instructed me to place them in as hot of water as I could stand and then place them over my nipples. I gave it a try and it worked wonders, even better than the Lansinoh cream I was given. It needs to be black tea, and be careful, because they stain a little bit.

It seems like a lot of work, doesn’t it? But I felt it was definitely worth it, especially since Oaklee gave the binky and bottle up after a couple of months. But if it doesn’t work out, I promise that it’s okay. Don’t let the pressure get to you like it did me with my twins. As long as you are doing what’s best for you and your baby, that’s what matters. For me, that included bottle feeding twice.

Do you have any other tips that I missed? If so, please leave a comment below!

Booby Bites
1 cup of old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup of honey
1/2 tablespoon Brewer's Yeast
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1.  Combine and mix the dry ingredients - oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chips, Brewer’s Yeast, and flax seed.
2.  Add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla and mix together.
3.  Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour.
4.  Remove from the refrigerator and roll mixture into small balls.

These are addicting! My boys loved them, too :)

Lactation Smoothie
1 banana
1/3 cup rolled oats
2 TBS honey
1 TBS peanut butter
1 TBS brewer’s yeast
1 TBS flax seed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Toss ingredients in a blender along with some ice. Blend well.

Cannonball and Cruizer

It’s no secret that these two are trouble.

But trouble or not, we still adore them.
Even if they figure out a way to break everything... seriously everything.

 
Cruiz, Cannon
 
Cruiz, Cannon

Cruiz/ Cannon, Cruiz
Dog pile

But something has happened over the past few weeks. They’ve become…easier (Knock on wood). They’ve spent hours playing together - and actually getting along. They are really trying to communicate with each other, and those around them. And they have started listening a little better. (Other than today when Cannon painted Cruiz with desitin.)

With all this good behavior, I decided to attempt a trip to the mall... without a stroller! I only had one store to visit, so I braved it. I know, I know, if I was reading this when I only had Preslee, I’d be thinking, “What’s the big deal?” But let me tell you, with three crazy boys (Who all love to run) and two of them being two, this is a big deal! Cannon and Cruiz only took off in different directions a couple of times, and I only truly panicked once when I couldn’t find Cannon, who was hiding in Sephora. But I was so happy with what was happening that I bought lunch!

 
( Cruiz only ran away while I was grabbing the food once :)
I just wanted to document that for the first time in two years I felt like I had things under control as I sat there in the food court eating a corn dog on a stick. Haha

Oh the joys of motherhood.
Just a few short years ago, I would have never dreamed this would be one of my biggest accomplishments.
But it is, and I love everything that it entails.

Today as we played ring around the rosie for what seemed like the 100th time, I desperately wanted to freeze time. I hope to never forget the way they look at me and exclaim, “Momma!” or how many kisses the two of them plant on my lips in one day.
 

And I hope they never forget how much they are loved.
We love you Cannonball and Cruizer.

Four Little Masterpieces

Just after Preslee passed away, I remember taking down her picture that she finger painted on. It was hanging on the fridge and was a cruel reminder of what was missing. Over the past five years, it has been one of my favorite items we have of hers. (Read about it here)

At age two, I had Ledge finger paint his own masterpiece. He refused to touch the paint, and I was so sleep deprived after just having the twins that I poured in cornmeal instead of cornstarch… but in the end, the cornmeal gave his picture a neat texture. :) I kept his filed away for the past two years.

Last week, we braved finger painting for the first time since Cannon and Cruiz were born. Ledger couldn’t remember doing it, so it was new for all three boys. (All my art projects seemed to stop after having twins!) Ledger dove right in, and the twins weren’t quite sure. In the end, it was definitely worth the work.

(Good thing its edible :)

Tip: I swear, the only way to do finger painting is to cover the table with wax paper, and let the kids go crazy! Once they are finished, dip their paper in their painting on the table. Clean up is just folding up the wax paper, throwing it away, and wiping down anywhere their grubby little fingers have touched. Much easier than painting an entire table.

Once their artwork dried, I made a trip to IKEA and bought four matching frames. I’m in love with the final product! I love anything that includes Preslee, so having all four next to each other is a sweet reminder what lies ahead for us in the future. Hopefully one day we’ll have a playroom to hang these in, but for now, I squeezed them in upstairs.

 

These just might be my favorite pieces of art in our home.

Be still my heart.

Edible Finger Paint
Pour 1 cup of cold water and 1 cup of flour into a pan. Gradually add 3 cups of boiling water to the mix. Stir over heat until it boils. Take off the heat and let it cool. Then divide the mixture into bowls and add food coloring. Store in airtight container.

Cannon and Cruiz Turn 2!

It’s hard to believe that these two little boys are officially two years old!
The first year drug on due to an insane amount of crying, but this past year flew by.

Cannon and Cruiz,

You are wild little things, who keep us on our toes both day and night, but I can’t imagine life without either of you. I love your similarities, but love watching your differences even more. I have so much to say/document but I’ll save it for another post, because I only have about an hour (nap time) to bake a cake :)

Happy Birthday boys, we love you!

If this is blurry, watch it {here}

Is it easier, now that they are older?

 
Today I made a spur of the moment decision, I wanted to paint some chairs. I looked down at my boys, and noticed their uncoordinated outfits and their uncombed hair. But it was going to be a quick trip, so I quickly ushered them into the car and told myself nobody would even notice. We drove 10 minutes away to the paint store and when we pulled into the parking lot, noticed a big sign in the window saying they no longer sold the paint we were looking for. There was address listed below and after plugging it into my GPS, I learned it was 20 minutes away. I sat for a minute, wondering if I wanted to make the drive, and then thought, why not?

So I jumped on the freeway, hit traffic, felt grateful for a GPS, and eventually made it in downtown SLC. I’m not sure what happened during the drive, but when I pulled my boys out of the car, they were completely wired. Cannon and Cruiz immediately took off in different directions and I chased them around the parking lot, praying no cars would pull in. I finally lassoed the two of them, and walked into the store while holding both their hands with Ledger following behind. A lady immediately stepped up and asked what I needed help with, and led me over to the paint sample colors. While I searched for a turquoise paint, my boys went crazy. It was just like our experience at the airport last January {Read Here}. Both twins were running different ways, I was extremely flustered and started cussing the small paint store who didn’t have carts that I could throw them into. (Ha the place was full of working men who obviously need carts)  Ledger could tell how upset I was getting, so he began yelling, “Brudder, come back HERE!” and grabbing the back of their shirts which would cause whichever boy he had to fall backwards onto Ledger’s legs and then they would both topple over. And that would of course start a full our brotherly brawl…

And while Ledger wrestled one, I’d run after the other, walk back to talk to the lady, and try to stop the boy in my arms from wiggling their way out. Cannon’s main goal was to try and pull paint off the shelves as fast as he could. Awesome. Cruiz was just following his brother’s lead.

Suddenly a family that I grew up with in our community came to mind. I remember being a teenager and looking at all of their boys and thinking, “They are soo out of control. Don’t they discipline?” And at that very moment I realized we were THAT family. And those words just blurted right out of my mouth, while I was looking at the lady showing me a paint color.

“We’re totally that family!”

She just smiled, let out a soft chuckle continued talking about paint. She never said anything judgmental, and as I ran after boys she patiently waited for me to return to finish her sentence. She even reminded me to grab my phone when walking up to the front desk.

While the paint was mixing, I threw the boys on a random couch in the front of the store and stood in front of them and said, “Don’t get off.”

   

And as I thought more about that family with all boys from Rexburg, I realized they are now older, and all seem to be turning out okay. So while I stood in front of my boys and threatened them with their lives, I started encouraging myself.  “You’ve got this, you just have to make it through the next 16 years… They don’t need to be the President of the USA, they just have to turn out somewhat normal. Yeah, you’ve got this Ash! ” My glare/scowl eventually turned into a smile because I realized there was hope for my three little hellions, and noticed a guy next to me  staring as I was smiling at my boys who were now wrestling on the couch… undoubtedly thinking, “Doesn’t she discipline? They are so out of control.”

 

To answer the question I’m asked nearly every day, “Is it easier, now that your boys are older?”

Yes and no.

Today… No.

I’m just grateful how nonjudgmental the lady was who surprised me and carried out my box of paint supplies to my car as I literally drug two twin boys who refused to walk… Yeah, we’ve got this.

Twenty Month Old Stinkers

Twins – Most kids at this age aren’t too aware of other kids. They tend to parallel play, but don’t have a lot of interaction with kids their age. But Cannon and Cruiz play all day with each other. That part makes life easier, they don’t tend to get bored and follow me around. I love that they are usually genuinely happy for one another. They are starting to share without me coaxing them to do so. They love giving each other kisses and hugs (along with punches) And when an adult makes the other laugh, the other is incredibly happy for their brother and then will line up thinking it’s his turn. Don’t get me wrong, they fight, quite a bit, but they certainly love each other. Just today I caught them holding hands while in their cribs :)

Schedule
Wake up 7:30 – 8:30 AM,
Play/destroy,
Lunch at 12:00 PM,
Afternoon nap
Wake up 2:30-3:00 PM
Dinner at 5:30 PM (They fall apart at 5:00 without food, I’m slowly moving dinner back)
Bathtime after dinner when dad can help
Bedtime 7:00 PM

These boys are by far the neediest in the morning. There’s just not enough of me to go three ways. So I’ve started throwing them into bed with me, turning on a show and cuddling for a few minutes. Seems to help.

Sleep – Bedtime in our home is 7:00 PM. (Usually sleep until 7:30 – 8:00) We have three boys sleeping in one room and it’s usually a party for about an hour after being put to bed. (It’s annoying, but I secretly love it, being the only girl I never shared a room) Ledger usually falls asleep first, and then the boys tend to switch off. One boy will usually fall asleep quite quickly, and then the other will stay up and let out a scream that means, “Wake up brother!” Last week it was Cannon staying up, and this week it’s Cruiz, they usually tend to switch.  Cannon is a crazy wild sleeper and wakes himself up multiple times a night, due to sleeping horizontally in his bed, and can’t stretch out. He cries until we come flip him the other way. Cruiz on the other hand is a champ, pulls his blanket over his head every single night and sleeps about 13-14 hours straight.

Teeth – Both boys have their four front top and bottom, and molars. It seems like the rest are breaking through together which will finish off their teeth.

Big Boys – They still haven’t been in for their 18 month check up, it’s scheduled at the end of this week. But the last time we checked, they both weighed 25 pounds. They are wearing 2T clothing, and 3T shirts aren’t all that big. They are solid boys, and have the biggest, thickest feet. I have trouble getting their chubby feet into most of their shoes, where Ledger’s feet are so narrow they rarely stay on. We keep telling Ledger he needs to be nice, because two big boys against one skinny little thing might be rough. Good thing Ledge is fast :)

 Discipline—I remember being a kid and getting in trouble with my brothers was always sooo much better than getting in trouble by myself. Having my brothers next to me, taking 1/2 or even 2/3’s of my mother’s wrath always made it seem less scary. Can you relate? Well this is why I’ve decided Cannon and Cruiz are so naughty! Haha We love them, but they love to push us to our limits. Think about it, since day one, they have done everything together and always get in trouble together. So I’ve been doing my best to discipline them by themselves, but lets be honest, disciplining one, and letting the other one wait doesn’t work too well. So recently, while they go to timeout, I’ve been putting one in their crib and the other in my room in their booster. Cannon looks thrilled up above, doesn’t he?

 
Cruiz, Cannon 

Diapers – They’ve been in size 5 diapers for nearly a year now, and will usually fill their diaper within 10 minutes of each other. When I change a messy diaper, the boys hate it. So the other brother (the one not getting his diaper changed) runs to find a toy to give to the other, hands it to them, then slaps their belly and tries to say the word, “Belly button!” which comes out more like “ba ba.”  I love it. After trying all the diapers out there, my favorite brand after the newborn stage is Target, a question I’m asked quite frequently.

Clockwise, Ledger, Cruiz, Cannon
My attempt to have them take their energy out on my kitchenware, rather than each other!

Destructive Human Beings – I’ve been told having twins is like having 5 kids at a time, I didn’t understand until a few months ago. but they are so destructive! They work together to destroy whatever is in sight in a total of about two minutes. It took about one minute for them to find a grocery bag filled with toiletry items. One boy shredded the toothpaste box and squeezed it all over the kitchen, while the other was opening the shampoo as I walked in. They climb book shelves, one grabs the books throws them to the other, and that kid bends them at the spine, then puts his teeth on it and tears the spine right off. (It’s the weirdest thing, and makes me incredibly made :) They’ve broken more items that have been placed “Out of reach” than you can imagine. The moral of the story, nothing is safe in our home.

Ledger and Cruiz.
Ledger is soo nice to both his brothers, we’ve had to tell him it’s okay to give it back to them every once in awhile :)

Personalities

Cannon – Is by far my most independent child and likes to push the limits. He is curious, and has taken on the term “seek and destroy” all by himself. Cannon loves to eat! He loves food, eats almost anything, and loves being in the kitchen while I cook. He struggles being in public by himself without his brothers, he doesn’t like when people focus on him (He lets Cruiz play it up). He’s always on the go, but at least one time each day, he’ll climb on my lap and grab my hands and place them around his little belly. If I move them, he grabs them again, and puts them back where they were. He doesn’t usually sit very long, but those few minutes have easily become my favorite of every day.

Cannon currently says: Mama, Dada, yes, no-no! banana, hi, bye, and vroom-vroom.

Cruiz – Has recently decided he likes TV, though it isn’t usually for very long, it helps!  He went through a stage where didn’t eat very well, unless I fed him, but he’s starting to come out of that. He gets major anxiety in public right now, especially when he is without his brother. (I’m trying to separate them more, to help them become more of an individual). He started out the slower speaker, which was normal due to have tubes put in his ears, but suddenly has taken off.

Cruiz currently says: Mama, Dada, Ledger, Can Can, Grandma, car, night night, kitty, tree, banana.

 

Boys, we sure do love you!
Thank you for keeping us on our toes.