Courtney Twaites
Profession:
Stay at home mom
Child/children's names & ages:
Aidan, Addilyn, Olivia--11 1/2 months (will be 1 on October 1st!)
What your baby (babies) has/have taught you:
My babies have taught me what unconditional love really means. Even on the worst days with my triplets, I couldn't be happier. They are truly a blessing and are proof that miracles happen.
Your favorite children's music or books:
Favorite book: Love you Forever by Robert Munsch and my favorite song is 'Baby Mine' from the Disney movie Dumbo!
What advice/wisdom can you share with other new moms:
Relax. It is so important to remain calm--but it's also so much easier said than done. And the one piece of advice that I lived by when I was finally able to bring my triplets home from the hospital was to breathe, and just go one day at a time. It does get better, and when it does, you will find that you miss the chaos of having a tiny brand new baby (or 3!) because with each new stage, comes new challenges. So live in the now, don't live in the future.
What do you enjoy most about breastfeeding:
In my specific situation, I didn't really have a choice. My triplets were born at 29 weeks and their tummies were too fragile to digest formula, so even though I wasn't going to pump or breastfeed, when I was told that they either received my milk or donor milk, my mommy instincts stepped up and said 'I'm going to do this if it kills me!' I wasn't able to actually put my babies to the breast until they were almost 1 month old (33 weeks) because that's when the suck/swallow/breathe reflex is developed. I spent lots of time doing kangaroo care (skin to skin contact) and lots of time pumping that oh so precious milk. When the time finally came that the neonatologists gave the okay to try oral feeds, I felt like my calling had finally arrived. I exclusively breastfed my trio for 2 weeks. By the end of that 2 weeks, I was straight up exhausted from juggling tandem feeds, single feeds, pumping every 3 hours...I was done. I decided that whether my babies received my milk via breast or bottle, what was important was that they got it. So I kept pumping--until they were 8 1/2 months old! Looking back on that time that I was actually able to breastfeed, and the pictures that I took in the nicu after my bfing each one, I remember being overwhelmed with pride and emotions. My sweet 2lb babies, were so small that I could hold them with 1 hand to feed--and when we were done, we had the BEST snuggles a mother of 3 nicu babies could ever ask for. I wouldn't trade those chaotic 2 weeks for anything because those were 2 weeks I was finally given the chance to bond with my babies.
Do you have a pumping tip?
The one thing that helped me keep my supply up, was to force myself to wake at least once a night. Your body produces prolactin (your milk making hormone) the MOST during the hours of 1am and 5am. So, to encourage more milk production, I woke myself up between 1am and 5am every night to pump just to give my body that boost/reassurance it needed to keep making that liquid gold.
What is the best thing about being a mom:
The best thing about being a mom is the feeling of purpose I wake up to everyday. No matter what life throws at me, I am a mom first and foremost. To know that it is possible to be so enthralled with these little babies, even when the world around me is stressful and sometimes flat out ridiculous, is the best feeling in the world. I would do anything for my babies. The weekend they were born, I was so in love with them it literally hurt. That is a love I never thought I would get to experience.
When you have a chance to "treat" yourself to something, what is it:
A nap. It sounds silly, but with 3 babies comes 3x the messes, laundry and just plain 3x everything to do. On the rare occasion that I don't have anything to do, a nap is my reward.
What are your thoughts on milkmakers and how have you used them:
Around 6 months postpartum, my milk supply dropped (which I found out was common!). I was heart broken because I wanted to provide milk for my babies until they were 1. I tried everything! I drank the awful mother's milk tea, I took fenugreek religiously, started taking prenatals, tried breastfeeding again which was an epic fail but I was hoping the kids' saliva would trigger a huge boost in supply, I did power pumps, I drank a gallon of water...I did everything I could to help my supply. Then one day I came across milkmakers and after reading up on the flaxseed, oatmeal, etc in the cookies--I ordered. My supply jumped back up 20 ounces. No joke. I had FINALLY found something that worked! I ate 2 cookies a day--1 during my first pumping session for 'breakfast' and one at night before bed. Best decision ever to try these cookies. They allowed me to keep my supply up until the babies were 8 1/2 months, when I finally decided I was just exhausted and made the personal decision to stop pumping. If it weren't for milkmakers, I wouldn't even have made it to 6 1/2 months. Thank you milkmakers!!
