POSTS WITH TAG: twins & more

Baby Say What!?

Mom Who Left Twins in Car That Rolled Away Deserves More Understanding

Posted by Michele Zipp
on May 24, 2012 at 10:00 AM

rain puddleMotherhood is hard work. I don't care who you are -- parenthood (yep, looking at the dads, too) is tough stuff and we all make mistakes. Okay, so some of those mistakes are really, really bad ones and are more than just mistakes. I'm not going to point fingers, but you know what I'm talking about. But some mistakes are the result of a lack of sleep and a seemingly desperate situation. That's what I think happened with Natalie Akselrod, a mom of 6-month-old twins who was arrested after she left her sleeping babies in the minivan strapped in their car seats so she could run into the drugstore to drop off a prescription.

Her minivan, however, was left in neutral and when she went into the store, it rolled out of its spot and nearly crashed into another car.

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Baby Inspiring

New Moms Need to Encourage Moms-to-Be

Posted by Jenny Benjamin
on Feb 28, 2012 at 6:57 AM

pregnant belly LOVEWhen I was pregnant with my twins, it felt like I was constantly getting approached by well-meaning strangers, eager to share their advice for my impending motherhood. For the most part, it was all snuggly baby stories and "cherish every moment" kind of talk, but there were definitely those who went all doom-and-gloom on me, who just felt compelled to let me know that I was in for it, that the next three (or eighteen!) years were going to be hell, that having twins is a nightmare.

"Uhhhh, thanks?" I would say, although in my head I kept reminding myself that, like most things in life, the challenges of new motherhood might come down to perception. I decided to stay positive because what else were my choices? And I made a pact with myself that, when I was a new Mom, I would be sure to be encouraging to expectant parents rather than burst their bubble. So far, so good ...

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Baby Awww!

Can You Already See Who Your Baby is Going To Be?

Posted by Jenny Benjamin
on Jan 30, 2012 at 9:14 PM

twins in cribNow that my babies are 6 months old, I'm starting to see their little personalities coming through more and more. Before, I would take every angry cry or easy giggle as some hint of their future selves, but only now is it really starting to feel legit.

That being said, how much can you really tell about your child at this early age? I mean, one day, I've decided that "Herman" is lazy and loud like Mommy because he's not so into rolling, but loves just babbling away. Then, the next day, he's rolling left and right and flipping over and my whole "lazy" theory flies out the window. Point being, young babies change and grow and learn so quickly, can you really assign personality traits already?

Yes, I think so. 

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Baby Heartbreaking

Twin Mom Shares Heartfelt Story of Hope and Loss

Posted by Michele Zipp
on Jan 30, 2012 at 9:45 AM

preemiePeyton Rose as a newbornMy friend Tricia is an amazing mom. She is a mom who had twins and had to face things some people never have to face in their lifetime. And through it all, she continues to be selfless and strong. I admire her so much. She is as much of a fighter as her daughter Peyton, who along with older (by one minute) brother Andrew, are reminders of how precious life is, and how love and faith can get us through even the toughest of times.

Tricia and her husband Stephen were trying to start a family. She had a miscarriage in 2007, and of course that adds an element of fear when trying again. Late in 2010, Tricia learned she was pregnant again ... with twins. But her cervix was thinning and opening at 18 weeks. This is her story of hope, loss, and love.

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Baby

How to Survive Breastfeeding Twins

Posted by Michele Zipp
on Jan 23, 2012 at 12:46 PM

twin babiesWhen I tell strangers I have twins, sometimes their eyes get real wide and they give a look like oh my gosh how are you even still standing after going through that? How do you live? Twin mamas will back me up there. And if those people find out you are breastfeeding, then you become Mother Milk Goddess or totally insane. I'm a good balance of both, and accept praise and support whenever I can get it because it helps supply. Positive reinforcement = more ounces produced. At least that's what I believe. The less stress, the better.

Breastfeeding twins isn't always easy. But I know of no other way to breastfeed as I only have twins. So how do you survive breastfeeding twins? Like this ....

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Baby

Dumb Things People Say to Moms of Twins

Posted by Jenny Benjamin
on Jan 20, 2012 at 7:57 PM

babies in strollerWhen you're out in public with twin babies, you often feel a little bit like a celebrity -- people stopping you every five seconds to get a look in the stroller, to comment on their cuteness, and ask a bunch of questions. My little guys seem to love the attention, responding to the baby talk with perfectly-timed, flirty grins, like born politicians. As I've said before, I actually don't mind it because, hello, who doesn't enjoy people loving on your kids?

Buuuut, sometimes people just say the dumbest things. I noticed when I was pregnant that my giant orb often turned strangers into mushbrains, and as I'm learning, it apparently happens around babies too...especially twins! Obviously, they're just trying to make conversation, and I get that, but still. Most comments are totally benign, many make me think, "Whaaaat?" and one in particular really pisses me off. Some examples...

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Baby

9 Ways Mommy & Me Class Makes Me Feel Like I'm in High School

Posted by Jenny Benjamin
on Nov 14, 2011 at 4:24 PM

group of babiesLike many first-time parents, I was quick to sign up for a Mommy and Me class soon after my babies were born. But, I guess I didn't think I was busy enough juggling two babies and my part-time writing gigs, so I went ahead and signed myself up for a twins group as well ... like a Mommy and Me and Me ... or a Mommy and Us. Oh, I don't know. Point being, I'm now taking two, yes, two different classes, loading up on information about everything from bonding to sleep to baby development

But, there's another reason I joined these classes -- to make me some Mommy friends. There, I said it. Yep, I never thought I'd be the girl who wanted to talk about tummy time and sleep cues this much, but I'm digging it and now on the prowl for some new Moms to talk baby tushy with. The thing is, making new friends in my mid-30s kind of feels like my teen years all over again, complete with the self-consciousness and "uch, why did I say that?" second-guessing that I thought I had grown out of.

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Baby

Baby's Flat Head Is a Sign of My First Mommy Fail

Posted by Jenny Benjamin
on Nov 5, 2011 at 12:00 PM

baby in helmetBefore my babies were born, I took an infant care class where they warned us not to leave our babies in their car seats or bouncers too much or they could wind up with flat spots on the backs of their heads (plagiocephaly, in medical speak). They explained that it could distort their facial features and even slow down their physical development, and in severe cases, a baby might need to wear a helmet for several months. Of course, at the time, I thought, "I'd never let that happen! No, sir, my babies are going to be doing tummy time, all the time."

Flash forward several months, and there I am at the physical therapist's office, discussing my twin baby's flat head and the other baby's stiff neck.  And as she's explaining to me that they need more tummy time and shouldn't be spending so much time in their car seats, all I can think about is how I've already failed as a Mommy.

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Baby

Twins' Halloween Costume Topped All Others (VIDEO)

Posted by Julie Ryan Evans
on Nov 3, 2011 at 11:22 PM

Top Gun TwinsThough Halloween is over, most of us are still stumbling around in the sugar-induced spirit of the season. You may or may not remember many of the costumes you saw in the blurry night of trick-or-treating, but here's one you couldn't forget. 

These 8-month-old twins are dressed as Goose and Maverick from one of the all-time best movies ever made -- Top Gun. Their wagon is their plane, and the accompanying music just puts it over the top. They're the cutest little wingmen you'll ever see. Take a look for yourself.

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Baby

Raising Twin Babies Takes Mad Skills

Posted by Jenny Benjamin
on Oct 29, 2011 at 2:55 PM

twins in stripesWhenever I talk to new Moms about raising my identical twin boys, they often say things like, "Wow, I don't know how you do it!" Since these are my first babies though, I can honestly say that I just don't know any better. I mean, is it harder to have two relatively easy babies or one super-colicky baby? Because when I hear about babies who scream in agony for hours straight, I tend to think, "Wow, I don't know how she does it!"

One thing I can tell you though is that having twins isn't just about juggling two newborns. The joys and challenges of life with twin babies goes beyond double duty feedings and diaper changes. It's not simply that everything you might do with one baby, I just do twice. No, caring for twins is a lot more complicated than that -- emotionally and physically. It's pretty freaking incredible and pretty freaking exhausting, too. When it comes to raising twins, here are a few things you might not have thought about ....

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