1.17.2012

{Quad Squad} First Video

I know this is my third post in a row on our four growing babies, but we've just had all this material saved up waiting until we let the word out!! And I couldn't not share this video of our ultrasound from yesterday that shows all four of the kiddos—with heads, arms and legs—moving around. Well, mostly Baby A is the only one moving but they've all been wiggling quite a bit prior to turning on the video, of course.


I also have a few questions I'd love to hear from fellow moms and quad moms about, if you have any input for me!

-Has anyone used cloth diapers with multiples? We are thinking this is too much trouble and are planning to begin stocking up on Pampers preemies and Pampers Sensitive diapers.

-I've decided to go with Dr. Brown's bottles. These seem to have the most positive reviews on the web, anyone want to chime in with Bottle 101? I saw a dual bottle warmer and was wondering if we should get two, though I know some folks have used their crock pots for this. Also, do I stock up on 3 mo, 6 mo and beyond bottle nipples now? And do 4 oz bottle serve well for preemies/newborns, and then I use larger bottles for later? I have no idea...

-Soon I plan to select crib bedding. It'll be from either Babies R Us or Target. If anyone's discovered a nice, comfortable soft bedding that they love, please share in the comments section!

-Any floor gyms or exersaucer recommendations from moms of multiples that have proven effective, held up and played well?

Thanks to all the outpouring of support from all the multiples moms who have stopped by to comment on my blog or send me an email over the past several days—it's so encouraging to know you're all out there and that this can be done! :)

8 comments:

  1. Not sure if you've joined a MOMs group or not yet but I'd definitely recommend joining Space City Triplets as well as Katy Parents of Multiples :) you can get some great resources, support & even gently used clothes, toys, etc at great prices! My triplets are 12months & joining my groups (I live in Cypress but was forwarded your blog by a friend of your neighbors) was the best thing I've ever done! There are a few other quad moms in our groups (one just had her GGGB crew a few months ago!) so you aren't alone!

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  2. Oops also wanted to share my 2 cents :)
    - I chose to use Pampers instead of going the cloth route but have a g/f with triplets who SWEARS by them! I didn't bother about stocking up since I order them from Amazon Mom but you'll have a few months to catch up with them in the NICU & can see then if they need the regular or sensitive type (or if there are any allergies...)

    - bottles are a sensitive subject & you'd be surprised at how heated ppl get when suggesting their favorites. I ordered Philips Avent for my crew. Their products ALL fit together from breast pump to bottle to sippy cup... Plus there are very few parts (dr brown have more & with 20+ bottles/day I'm guessing you'll want as few of parts as possible). Although mine came home preferring the cheap ones used in the NICU so we used those for a while too :) my suggestion would be to get a few types & let the babies decide which they prefer - at one point all of mine were using different bottles... Bottle warmers are a waste & take too much time. I had 3 & never used them but instead got a big Tupperware container with hot water & just placed the bottles in for about a min like we did in the NICU.

    - bedding... We went with the Summer breathable bumper set from BRU. It's white/cream colored & has waterproof sheets that wash easily which is great for diaper leaks or spit ups. Even the seams are breathable so it's one less worry on your part (but again this is another topic that gets heated... Go with your gut on this)

    - I had a few different tummy time mats but really only used one & just played on the floor with a large blanket (something that washes easily). Exersaucers I bought used from other MOMS at a VERY discounted rate so I'd wait until the babies can hold their head up & ask around ... No need to spend $400ish when you can get them all for under $100 in great condition!

    I also have a blog (haven't updated it in a while with my wild babies but I have a list of things I considered "MUSTS" to put on your registry if you're having multiples! Catchingupwiththecherrys.blogspot.com

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  3. Oh goodness, how precious! Thanks for sharing. Keep the baby posts coming, I never tire of them!

    I don't have multiples but with my son everyone swore by the Dr. Brown's bottles so I used them in the beginning. Like the previous poster said, there are a TON of parts. I found them very hard to clean & very time consuming. I switched to Playtex Drop Ins later in the game and liked them MUCH MUCH better.

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  4. Playtex drop ins are great used them with my grandson...I breast fed both of mine...my son never would take a bottle....you will learn alot by trial and error...try not to worry too much about having exactly the right thing before they are born...all babies are different...what works for one doesn't always work for another..just follow your heart..
    don't drive yourself crazy about it now...just enjoy them growing inside....there will be plenty of time for getting things done...regarding diapers...I found Walgreens brand are great....they are more absorbent...and stay on better....especially for wiggly ones...they are also on sale alot...

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  5. Amber,
    I'll tell you what we did and what worked for us.

    - We used disposable diapers. A friend suggested cloth and said she thought it wouldn't be much of a hassle for us but in the end (ha! ;) ) disposable was a sanity saver! I personally prefer the Pampers brand ;)

    - We used the BPA-free Dr. Brown bottles in the big 8oz sizes. We didn't even bother using some of the small Dr. Brown ones folks gave us. Our crew up'd their milk/formula intake quickly that the 4oz ones were a waste of $$.

    - Get 4 boppies for bottle feedings! I know "they" say do NOT prop bottles but you are not leaving your kids while they eat. You are there, sitting with them, while they eat their bottles. The bottles just happen to be propped ;) We have a video of how we did it on our blog.

    - Oh, also get the Munchkin dishwasher baskets to wash all of the bottle parts (e.g. vents, tubes, nipples) in - http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2969609&CAWELAID=214072609 We used these to death and just ran our dishwasher on the "sanitize" setting forever. It worked!

    - Yes, you can use a crock pot to warm the bottles! No need to waste $$ buying a specific bottle warmer. Also, if you warm them, make sure you put the vent, tubes and nipples on until AFTER warming. The milk will expand with the heating and push its way out the vents/nipples, then go all into the crock pot. That happened to us once and made a HUGE mess. We learned ;)

    - We just got some pretty crib bedding from PBK ;) No bumpers, just the sheets for us. Plus, that saved time when we had to change 4 cribs of poopy sheets ;P

    - The pediatric specialists in the hospital might tell you to NOT get an exersaucer, as it doesn't help kids develop. They told us tummy time is the best for kids, especially preemies. So, we got 2 huge playmats/gyms from Tiny Love that our girls enjoyed. Like this one - http://www.tinylove.com/Product/English/Gymini_Animal_Concert.html At the time, for us, Tiny Love had a deal for parents of multiples in which it was BOGO deal. It might be worth contacting Tiny Love (and any other manufacturers) to see if they have a multiples discount/deal.

    I believe you have my email address so feel free to email me if you have any other questions. I'll have to dig up my memory but maybe it will be worth something to you ;)

    Praying for you!
    -Maria, mom to a ~8yo boy and ~4yo GGGG

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  6. I have been following your blog for a while now, I have no idea how I found it. I'm in Houston as well. Four babies, wow, what a blessing!! Congrats! I just have one crazy 22 month old boy so I have no advice on multiples. However, I found a gem of a resale shop for kids stuff. It's called Kid to Kid and it's in the Galleria, which is my guess why their stuff is so nice. I have been into a few resale shops where I walked out and purelled my hands. This place is nothing like that. They have TONS of stuff and it's all very clean and hardly used. I would check it out. They have a Facebook page as well where the owner posts new stuff they get in.

    I did use Dr. Browns bottles and loved them, but as others have said there are a lot of parts.

    As far as crib bedding my husband and I were way too paranoid first time parents to have anything but a sheet in the crib. We even bought a Snuza for our little one too...yep we were those parents!

    Our son hated the bassinet and was a loud sleeper, obviously we were too paranoid to co sleep, so he went into his crib very early on. To make it easier we bought the snuggle nest sleep positioner and put him in that in his crib and used it for a few months.

    I'm not as paranoid now, germs are everywhere and he is in daycare. Just today he tried and possibly succeeded eating some mulch at the playground! Life is so different now and better than I could have ever dreamed. everyday is a such a blessing. Enjoy it!

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  7. Bottles no opinion from this old woman but Pampers was my choice. I worked and had not time to deal with the cloth diaper issue and you'll be dealing with 4.

    Loved seeing the video. It's amazing how technology makes it so easy to share.

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  8. I'm not a quad mom but I am a preemie mom - my daughter was born at 31 weeks. I was able to primarily breastfeed, so our bottle usage was initially used to supplement when she came home from the NICU and then later at daycare. When they are first born, their tummies are SO small that you're talking about maybe an ounce at a time. I'd start with the 4 ounce bottles for sure. Our NICU used the Huggies preemie diapers, but they leaked like crazy for us. Pampers were much better. Babies R Us had the best deal on those.

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