5 month update a little late

The babies had their 5 month Drs appointment last week. All was well. They didn't need any shots this time, so that always makes the appointments more plesant. They had again gained 1 pound each over the month and are up to 12 lbs (Alex) and 13 lbs (Anna). They are still little peanuts. I worry that they aren't growing quickly enough, but the Dr isn't concerned, so I guess I shouldn't be either.

We discussed things with the Dr and were given permission to stop steralizing bottles, to use powdered formula instead of the concentrate and to start introducing a little rice cereal. What a time saver being able to just wash and put bottles away, no need to boil any more. Also the powdered formula , while also being cheaper, is much more convenient and quick to use. The boiled water is already at room temperature, so it is just a matter of pouring a bottle, adding the powder and giving the bottle a shake and PRESTO, good to go.

I am still pumping a few times a day, so they also get some of that. I have decided to stop pumping gradually over the next few weeks and to pack away the pump in the New Year. Pumping isn't plesant and I am proud to have made myself do it for 6 months. I will not be sad to see the last of the nipple squeezing horned monster though. I will forever be disapointed I didn't get to experience the beauty of real breast feeding with these two, and that my memories of it are of being proded and poked by a series of lactation consultants and nurses in the NICU, and of my babies screaming in frustration.

If I ever do this baby making thing again I know to start on the Domperidone, Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle right away to get my milk supply going (Once I was on these and pumping 8 times a day I had more than enough to feed one baby, just not two) and to yell at any nurse who comes near my baby with a soother or a bottle. I never gave them permission in the NICU to start them on bottles (they both started off being tube fed), but somehow it happened anyway. One nurse said we weren't going to bottle feed them as I wanted to breastfeed, the shift changed, and while I was napping they were given bottles. I will always wonder if they hadn't gotten used to the speed of the bottles if I would have managed to breast feed them. The debate rages on about nipple confusion....