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Subject:
From:
"Jeanine M. Klaus" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 7 May 1997 15:23:40 EDT
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Dear Kathy,
Breastfeeding my twins exclusively for nine months and partially for the next
several years is what steered me into this profession from mental
health/counseling sixteen years ago. And I remember well the gross
disorientation of those first few weeks at home with the newborn twins. I had
the crib tied to my side of the bed with one side removed, so one baby slept
there and the other baby was between my husband and I. We regularly "lost
babies" in the bed - the babies were always there, it was mostly my orientation
to the situation that got "lost". I also had tremendously vivid dreams along
with many "wake-you-up-in-a-panic" nightmares. A wise LLL Leader suggested I try
to nap as much as possible and to persevere for a little longer - sure enough at
about three to four weeks my nightimes seemed to smooth out a bit. I still was
woken up alot, but my body and mind were coping with the interruptions better.

Getting more sleep by sleeping EVERY TIME the babies were asleep together was
what helped me, along with the idea to not tire myself out. My objective the
whole first year was to conserve energy by sleeping as much as I could and doing
as little as possible. Most mothers of twins need to hear this message
repeatedly during that first year.

A funny story about babies loose in the family bed.  One night the four of us
(two one month old babies, my husband and I) were all soundly sleeping when my
husband suddenly shoots bolt upright in the bed wide awake and screaming. As I
rolled over to see what could possibly be the matter (I was tolerant of the
babies'waking me, but not of this grown man in our bed!!), I  saw this small
body dangling from his stomach - my daughter had FIRMLY attached herself to his
skin and was sucking for milk with all her might. It took about two weeks for
the bruise to resolve and my husband has worn his undershirt to bed every night
since.

Warmly,
Jeanine Klaus, MS, IBCLC, LLLL
Oakville, Ontario
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"The point is not to do remarkable things, but to do ordinary things with the
conviction of their immense importance." -Teilhard de Chardin
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