*Bear in mind, many of these questions were addressed in the early months of the quad's lives and much has changed since. New FAQ's will be added as time allows!*
-Where did you get those animal bottle holders you used?
Those were great! I loved them and they're available here on Amazon. You can also occasionally check for them at abcdistributing.com where I purchased mine two for $6. A steal.
-Did you make your own baby food?
Yes I did, every single bit of it. With lots of help along the way, too. The husband learned how to chop and steam like a pro! You can read all about it, including the shortcuts to food-making I discovered and some of the quads favorite pureed food combos.
-Do you have help?
Yes! In the beginning, we had grandparents literally taking shifts around the clock. Then we hired a night nanny a few nights a week to help us all get a little rest. With her there, only one of us had to get up at a time to help feed babies since the nanny prepped bottles and handled the rest. Later on, our nanny moved and it was just myself and grandparents with the occasional volunteer/friend. Once we moved back to the Dallas area in April 2013, the husband was busy starting a new job so we brought a nanny back on for just 15 hours/week in the mornings. Grandparents are now very close by and able to help out as needed. It's always busy at our house!
-What kind of vehicle do you have?
While I was still in the hospital pregnant with the quads, we purchased a used suburban (black with tan leather interior, a sunroof and DVD player—just what I wanted!). It was in great shape and perfectly fits four car seats with captains chairs in the middle row and a bench seat in the back.
-How did you balance having both babies at home and babies in the NICU?
This was one of the hardest parts about the whole thing. Before any of the babies came home, I would drive up to the NICU late morning and the husband would come up after work. Then we'd both leave between 7 and 9 pm, come home late, take care of all the pets and eat dinner and finally go to bed. Once babies started coming home, we couldn't take them back into the NICU. So one of us would watch the ones at home while the other would go visit the ones still in the hospital. Toward the end, we were only able to get up there every other day or so but that was only a one-week span before the final kiddo was discharged.
-Do you have four of everything?
Just about. We have two cribs and the babies sleep two to a crib. It works fine since the cribs are so big and should last for a few months, then we'll purchase two more cribs. We have four boppies, four bumbos, two pack and plays, two swings, one cradle swing, one bouncer, 32 bottles, 436 pacifiers (or at least it feels that way!), various tummy time mats, four car seats, two twin stroller frames (the car seats snap to the frame, it's simple and awesome) and various light-up toys, mobiles, etc.
-How do feeding times work?
The babies all get fed every three hours during the daytime, no ifs, ands or buts. At night, we let them sleep until they wake up to eat (which is anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours) and then once the first one is awake and crying they all get woken up and fed. This keeps us from having to feed one, then another one an hour later then two 20 minutes after that—otherwise we'd be feeding around the clock and never have a break. While in the hospital, the NICU got them on a great three-hour feeding schedule and they follow it like clockwork during the day. On the rare occasion we have four people at the house, then all the babies get fed together, which is fantastic. Normally, though, we have two to three people per feeding and the first two babies that are crying or most awake get fed first, burped, then put back down while we feed the others. We have pre-made bottles in the fridge for 24 hours at a time (that's 32 bottles!) and they get warmed in a tupperware of hot water prior to feeding.
-Did you purchase a quad stroller?
No. They either come with four seats in a row making up a very lengthy stroller with stadium-like seating, or two-by-two that basically looks like two twin strollers put together with a huge canopy over the top. We chose to keep things simple and purchased two Baby Trend twin stroller frames. The Baby Trend car seats we have easily and quickly snap to the frames that are a breeze to pop open and closed. Once we've outgrown this arrangement, we'll sell it all and buy bigger car seats and two "regular" twin strollers. *Update: We did eventually purchased the quadruplet Foundations stroller and, while it's bulky, appreciate that we can take four babies out at one time in the neighborhood or places like the zoo!
No. They either come with four seats in a row making up a very lengthy stroller with stadium-like seating, or two-by-two that basically looks like two twin strollers put together with a huge canopy over the top. We chose to keep things simple and purchased two Baby Trend twin stroller frames. The Baby Trend car seats we have easily and quickly snap to the frames that are a breeze to pop open and closed. Once we've outgrown this arrangement, we'll sell it all and buy bigger car seats and two "regular" twin strollers. *Update: We did eventually purchased the quadruplet Foundations stroller and, while it's bulky, appreciate that we can take four babies out at one time in the neighborhood or places like the zoo!
-Can you tell the babies apart?
Yes, I can! The husband gets a little fishy now and then, especially if the girls are dressed in the same outfits or one is wearing an outfit that another girl was wearing two days before that. But I can easily and quickly tell each kiddo apart, to me their faces are all very individual. One girl has a birthmark on her leg if we get desperate, one looks similar to the boy and one is thicker with a bigger head. :) But I still laugh when I remember the day the husband picked up our son and said, "Good girl, Harrison!" Priceless.
-Are you planning on having more kids?
Let me answer plainly: hell no! Initially, when beginning our journey to have kids, we found out that my egg count is extremely low and I'll likely hit menopause very early. I had two miscarriages and had issues staying pregnant and two minor surgeries to help rectify the situation. We were told that once we did get pregnant, we'd have to have however many kids we wanted in quick succession. After one round of IUI (intrauterine insemination) and ultrasounds showing I'd only produced two eggs, we were completely floored to discover that we had quadruplets! Four has now become our perfect—and final!—number.
Not at all. As my previous answer indicates, we didn't do IVF where you retrieve eggs, fertilize them and then put several back in. I could get pregnant but it didn't ever stick very well. So we wanted to improve our odds by doing an IUI but ultrasounds prior to conception showed I'd only produced two mature eggs. The conclusion is that I must have produced two more overnight somehow and that's how we ended up with four individual babies (no identicals).
-Are you pumping breast milk?
I was, but recently stopped. At first, when they were only two and three pounds I was able to provide enough breast milk for everyone because they were eating tiny amounts. But as they increased to one and then two ounces and now three, I only made enough to give one baby a single breast milk feed each day. Pumping every three hours at night while they were all in the NICU was absolutely exhausting and nearly threw me into a depression from lack of sleep. Then as we brought babies home, I quickly realized that taking 30 minutes to sit down and pump and be attached to a machine that made it difficult to jump up and tend to the babies was going to be more trouble than it was worth. I tapered down by pumping fewer times each day to avoid as much discomfort as possible. The babies are now on full formula feeds and growing great!
-Do you chart everything?
Yes. We have a printable chart courtesy of a fellow quad mom who designed it that we use to chart how much each baby eats at each feeding, if they had a wet or dirty diaper, if they received medication of any kind (like reflux meds), if they were particularly fussy or difficult, their current weight (we weigh them once or twice a week) and length when we measure them. It's incredibly helpful to have this information on record so we can quickly identify why someone might not be gaining weight as quickly or if someone might be getting constipated—helpful to know when a massive poop might be coming, ha. It's also great because we can just take the book to the pediatrician with us and have all relative information at hand for their appointments.
Yes. We have a printable chart courtesy of a fellow quad mom who designed it that we use to chart how much each baby eats at each feeding, if they had a wet or dirty diaper, if they received medication of any kind (like reflux meds), if they were particularly fussy or difficult, their current weight (we weigh them once or twice a week) and length when we measure them. It's incredibly helpful to have this information on record so we can quickly identify why someone might not be gaining weight as quickly or if someone might be getting constipated—helpful to know when a massive poop might be coming, ha. It's also great because we can just take the book to the pediatrician with us and have all relative information at hand for their appointments.
-What does a typical day look like for a mother of quads?
Like massive, semi-organized chaos! Daytime starts with a feed at 8 or 9 am followed by naps in their pack and plays in the living room. There's three hours between each feed and feedings take around an hour or so, thus we end up with roughly two hours or less of time to nap, work, clean, do laundry, eat, etc. in between. It goes quick. The next feed is followed by tummy time and I usually cram in some work, a blog post or a quick errand after that while they spend a little time in their swings. We give baths every other day so if they are due up, we do that after the next feed. Depending on how awake or fussy/not fussy the quads are, they get swaddled and put in their cribs for bed anywhere between 9pm and midnight. We're still working out that last part as they grow, eat more, sleep more, etc!
-How can we (as friends/readers etc) best help you?
Having someone come by on the weekends to help with feedings is great because it means one—or occasionally both of us—gets out for an errand or to eat or go to the movies. Because the quads' immune systems aren't up to par yet, we've had to ask anyone that wants to come by and see them to have a current DTap vaccination. It covers diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. The whooping cough is a great preventative for having preemie babies as a simple cold could land them back in the NICU. Soon we'll have to add the flu shot to that requirement as those become available for the season. They now include the H1N1 vaccine, another important precaution. We're not hoping toavoid the babies getting sick, we're just attempting to prolong it as much as possible until they are big and strong enough to handle it.
Otherwise, I love reading everyone's encouraging comments and emails—they always bring a smile to my face and motivate me to continue sharing our quad journey!
-How do you find time to blog?
Ha, I'm not sure. Right now, for instance, I found myself with 20 spare minutes—if you even want to call it that—and decided to sit down and bang out these answers. Basically, I chose not to do laundry, dishes or whatever and tackle a blog post instead! Sometimes they are easy to do, other times I go days without getting to log on. Fortunately, because I'm a writer I guess, it usually doesn't take me to long to create a post.
-How many diapers a day?
Like massive, semi-organized chaos! Daytime starts with a feed at 8 or 9 am followed by naps in their pack and plays in the living room. There's three hours between each feed and feedings take around an hour or so, thus we end up with roughly two hours or less of time to nap, work, clean, do laundry, eat, etc. in between. It goes quick. The next feed is followed by tummy time and I usually cram in some work, a blog post or a quick errand after that while they spend a little time in their swings. We give baths every other day so if they are due up, we do that after the next feed. Depending on how awake or fussy/not fussy the quads are, they get swaddled and put in their cribs for bed anywhere between 9pm and midnight. We're still working out that last part as they grow, eat more, sleep more, etc!
-How can we (as friends/readers etc) best help you?
Having someone come by on the weekends to help with feedings is great because it means one—or occasionally both of us—gets out for an errand or to eat or go to the movies. Because the quads' immune systems aren't up to par yet, we've had to ask anyone that wants to come by and see them to have a current DTap vaccination. It covers diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. The whooping cough is a great preventative for having preemie babies as a simple cold could land them back in the NICU. Soon we'll have to add the flu shot to that requirement as those become available for the season. They now include the H1N1 vaccine, another important precaution. We're not hoping toavoid the babies getting sick, we're just attempting to prolong it as much as possible until they are big and strong enough to handle it.
Otherwise, I love reading everyone's encouraging comments and emails—they always bring a smile to my face and motivate me to continue sharing our quad journey!
-How do you find time to blog?
Ha, I'm not sure. Right now, for instance, I found myself with 20 spare minutes—if you even want to call it that—and decided to sit down and bang out these answers. Basically, I chose not to do laundry, dishes or whatever and tackle a blog post instead! Sometimes they are easy to do, other times I go days without getting to log on. Fortunately, because I'm a writer I guess, it usually doesn't take me to long to create a post.
-How many diapers a day?
The babies get changed before each feeding and each baby is fed 8 times in a 24 hour period. Then there's a few extra diapers thrown in when things get particularly, um, messy. So roughly 40 diapers per day. Which is 280 diapers a week, which is 1,120 diapers per month. And yes our bills in the diaper and formula department are immense.
-What is your favorite color?
Pink! Just kidding. My friends and family give me a hard time because I ended up having three girls and I myself am not the girliest of girls. And I despised pink. But the other day I looked in the pack and play where the girls where napping and they were each dressed in pink onesies covered in pink blankets. It didn't even happen on purpose. It's just like pink manifests when there's that many baby girls in close quarters! Needless to say, I'm getting used to it. :)
-How much are you going to miss your favorite nurses?
A lot!! It was really emotional to leave the NICU for the last time. We had some truly amazing nurses that touched our lives forever. You can certainly create a special bond with someone who is caring for your children at their most critical state. They shared many ups and downs with us throughout the babies' two month stay in the hospital and it was hard to tell them goodbye. We keep in touch with several of them—including some of my nurses I had while I was still pregnant in the hospital for 57 days—and I'm glad they are able to see the quads continue to grow and flourish. They'll forever be a part of our lives and in our hearts.
-When will you go back to work writing articles? Or are you going back?
I actually worked while I was in the hospital pregnant and finally stopped a couple weeks before having the babies. Then a few weeks later I resumed some of my usual assignments (I write for magazines, copy edit newspapers, etc.) and have been working part-time at home ever since. You can actually take a gander at my monthly fashion and shops feature in Houston magazine here. And my professional website is here, if you're dying to know more about what I do. ;)
-What is your favorite color?
Pink! Just kidding. My friends and family give me a hard time because I ended up having three girls and I myself am not the girliest of girls. And I despised pink. But the other day I looked in the pack and play where the girls where napping and they were each dressed in pink onesies covered in pink blankets. It didn't even happen on purpose. It's just like pink manifests when there's that many baby girls in close quarters! Needless to say, I'm getting used to it. :)
-How much are you going to miss your favorite nurses?
A lot!! It was really emotional to leave the NICU for the last time. We had some truly amazing nurses that touched our lives forever. You can certainly create a special bond with someone who is caring for your children at their most critical state. They shared many ups and downs with us throughout the babies' two month stay in the hospital and it was hard to tell them goodbye. We keep in touch with several of them—including some of my nurses I had while I was still pregnant in the hospital for 57 days—and I'm glad they are able to see the quads continue to grow and flourish. They'll forever be a part of our lives and in our hearts.
-When will you go back to work writing articles? Or are you going back?
I actually worked while I was in the hospital pregnant and finally stopped a couple weeks before having the babies. Then a few weeks later I resumed some of my usual assignments (I write for magazines, copy edit newspapers, etc.) and have been working part-time at home ever since. You can actually take a gander at my monthly fashion and shops feature in Houston magazine here. And my professional website is here, if you're dying to know more about what I do. ;)
We chose names that we felt were strong. We knew these kids were going to have to defy all the odds during the entire pregnancy and the first several months of their lives. So I wanted names that were solid and would reflect these babies' determination to survive. I also wanted the names to sound respectable for when they grew into adults, so we tried to avoid names that sounded adorable for a baby, but rather focus on names that sounded good if you were meeting a 20- or 30-something person for the first time.
However, Logan's name was chosen long before we ever even got pregnant. Years and years ago, actually. For some reason, the husband and I both agreed that we loved the name Logan and thought it would be wonderful for if we ever had a daughter. It was a strong name, especially when used for a girl, and sounded like she would be a person that didn't listen to the rules, always got into trouble and lived according to her own agenda! And we loved how it paired with the middle name, Lee. We knew Logan Lee would be an incredible girl—and we were totally right! We named Logan specifically, because she was the tiniest of the quads when I was pregnant and being a pain. Literally. She was often stuck up in my upper right rib cage, making it difficult for me to breathe or to lay on my side. She was the smallest of the bunch when born, weighing just 2lbs 6oz, and she was the first to come off oxygen support (in less than 24 hours) and the first to be held. She does everything her way!
Harrison was a manly name I adored. My husband also thought it sounded good and strong. And Trystan was a name we'd discussed briefly before and we knew it'd be perfect for one of the girls as well. We chose to spell it with a "y" to make it more feminine. And Kailey was the girliest of the girl names, if you will, but my husband loved that one and so we appointed it to Baby B—who turned out to be very fitting with long eyelashes, pretty dark hair and a smile that shines every time you say her name. :)
We literally chose each name as we went, so we had no other optional names on our list! I feel these names truly embody the personalities and characteristics of our children. It's amazing that we named them all before they were born (based on their position in the womb, Baby A, Baby B and so on...) and they turned out to be perfect. They all share the middle name Lee, which appears on both sides of our family and was also a name we loved. It paired well with everyone's names and so we decided it would be a cool yet subtle connection for them to have as quadruplets.
*Do you still chart everything?
Yes, we do. We still chart our daily feedings—time of feed, amount consumed and any spit-ups or feeding aversions, etc.—as well as medications given, what food was spoon fed that day, if prune juice was added to any bottles, what each of their diapers are (wet or dirty) and any other notes of interest, like milestones met (first laugh, sitting up, etc.). It's so helpful in determining when it's time to increase the amount of milk in someone's bottle, since we can flip through the last few pages and see if they've been finishing most of it or if they've been eating less than normal. We include weights, which we take every time we bath the quads (bath days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and this helps track their growth and any areas of concern. It's also good for knowing when someone might be constipated, since it's hard to remember the contents of 20+ diapers in a day!
*With all the formula, bottles, baby food, etc., have you had to do any major rearranging in the kitchen cabinets/fridge? And also with all the clothing, diapers, bedding and such? How much more storage have you added in the nursery?
Storage is probably one of our biggest issues with the house we're in now. It's a small house and it has no "extras" like a dining room or game room or oversized closets. Our next house will most certainly be bought with these things in mind (as well as a strict budget!), but for now I've done lots of rearranging. I purchased a baker's rack that I added to the kitchen to store bottle parts, bottle brushes, burp cloths, bibs, rice cereal, medications and some of the store-bought baby food. This has been great because it meant I didn't have to sacrifice any of my kitchen cabinet space. Quarts of ready-made formula have found a home on the floor next to it. We have several hampers scattered around the living room that hold blankets and toys, a couple fabric bins that store tummy time equipment (those bins live right outside our bedroom door) and a baby laundry hamper that I used to store all the girl's footed sleepers and PJs in the nursery, since we have to have so many. I also have a closet organizer in the nursery closet. It hangs down from the clothing rack and holds boppy covers, pack-and-play sheets, crib sheets and extra stuff like socks and headbands for the girls. Underneath the changing table are bins of hats and socks and the baby scale. I manage to squeeze all the quads' clothes in a single set of dresser drawers in their nursery. They get sorted every time the babies transition to the next size up. We've had to create storage areas out of spaces that didn't formally "exist" and I've gleaned and cleaned many drawers and random storage areas around the house! I'm constantly re-situating things and re-organizing stuff as our needs and focus change as the babies grow, and I'm glad getting rid of stuff we don't use is not an issue for me!