Pregnancy & Hospital Experience

• Don't wait until you're all puffy in the third trimester to put up your feet--start taking it easy early--second trimester at the latest!
• TUMS are good for helping with heartburn, and they have calcium, too.
• Take your prenatal classes sooner rather than later; our babies came early, and we didn't get to finish our course!
• Familiarize yourself with some of the main issues surrounding preemies: breathing, temperature regulation, eating... inform yourself about the NICU. That way, in case your babies are born early, it won't all be such a shock.
• The nurses at the hospital, though well intentioned, all have different experiences and opinions. We got a lot of mixed messages and had to figure out what to believe and what advice to take with a grain of salt.

The First Week at Home Keep a written schedule of sleep, diaper changes, feeding, etc. Frozen meals from friends and family are essential Get live-in help: Mother-in law, neighbours, friends, anyone you can convince to move in for a few weeks!

• Aveeno diaper rash creme
• Avent bottles and microwave sterilizer worked well
• Diaper Champ (bigger than Diaper Genie, and easier to use!)
• Crib Mobiles are great stimulation for babies, but don't really help them sleep!

General Advice

For success with parenting and with the survival of your marriage, teamwork in the relationship is essential!

We didn't really use a baby bathtub; we just took them right into the bath or shower with us.

Take trips to the mall to walk the babies around and get out of the house.

Got a tip to share? Email me!