41: The Twins Are ONE! Reflections On 1 Year of Motherhood 🎂

In this episode, I’m reflecting on my first year of twin motherhood - what surprised me, what stretched me, and how my perspectives have changed along the way.

I thought having twins would be about logistics and efficiency. Instead, it’s been a year of surrender, humility, and learning my limits in a way I never have before.

I’m sharing honest, nuanced thoughts on some of the most talked-about (and sometimes controversial) topics in motherhood - from birth and sleep to feeding, vaccines, and child spacing - along with the deeper lessons underneath all of it.

Episode Highlights:

1. Pregnancy Anxiety & Birth Trauma - my pregnancy anxiety and fear & our birth “pivot” from unmedicated to medicated birth in the OR - learning to surrender the outcome to the Lord

2. Sleep & Attachment - why we started co-sleeping

   1. Resources Mentioned: The Safe Sleep 7 ; Safe Infant Sleep - Dr. James McKenna , CoSleepy with Tiffany Belanger

3. Breastfeeding - we have made it through 1 whole year! Our goal is to continue to 2 years of age per the WHO’s recommendation.

   1. My best tips

      1. Get early skin-to-skin and latch babies immediately following birth if possible

      2. Meet with an IBCLC early on in your breastfeeding journey.

      3. Take a breastfeeding class - I like the Thompson Method

      4. Plenty of calories/fat, protein, water and electrolytes for mom’s milk supply. I still eat low carb while breastfeeding, take prenatal vitamins and fish oil.

      5. What I would do differently: introduce a bottle early on as a "skill” my baby can develop. Our preferred bottle is the Pigeon bottle

      6. Our backup formula: Serenity Kids Toddler Formula 

4. Starting Solids & Baby Led Weaning - Why we didn’t push solids before they were ready

   1. Solid Starts (we just used the website; no subscription;) Choking Rescue Device from LifeVac

5. Vaccines & Medical Decision Making

   1. VaxFacts & the Vaccine Friendly Plan

6. Asking For & Accepting Help

7. But Being Brave & Going Alone, Too! :)

8. Child Spacing & Recovery From Postpartum Depletion

   1. Pregnancy depletes nutrients including Iron, Iodine, Choline, DHA, B vitamins, Zinc. Lactation continues that drain, sleep deprivation compounds it, and so does stress. Ideal child spacing in hunter gatherer societies was about 3 years apart, and our aim

9. I Can’t Be Everything At The Same Time

   1. “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

      ― Jim Elliot