Calmer (sort of)

Today is also not going to well. Neither girl is particularly interested in their bottles (Ciara has just drunk 30 mls for her 2pm feed, THIRTY millilitres- she normally drinks 130mls!!!). I'm hoping this is just due to the injections yesterday and things improve (rapidly!!). They are both miserable and I can't soothe them. Ciara had a slight temperature last night but it is normal again today.

What I didn't say about yesterday is that the doctor (our paediatrician) would like us to start solids immediately. I had been planning on starting at the end of the month when the girls were 4 months adjusted (and my mom brought me the books on weaning that I had ordered). The doctors view was that unlike the brain, the intestine matures just like a full time baby's and they have been coping with milk for nearly 7 months so it is time to offer them something more. The added benefits he said were that they get more vitamins and minerals in solids (wean off the iron supplement WOO HOO!) and with fruit purees we won't have so much trouble with constipation.

I have spoken with my Hebamme (german version of midwife and child nurse all rolled into one) and she has advised me to start with whole grain porridge, one or two teaspoons in the evening. I'm supposed to try increase the number of teaspoons every day and then after a fortnight try replace the evening milk bottle with tea. Hold thumbs that it all works as easily as she said it should.

About my Hebamme. I really respect and am grateful for this lady- she saw me prenatally and also helped me tremendously during those very difficult first weeks after the girls were born- staying for an hour just talking to me and letting me let everything out. She has also offered to swing by and weigh the girls whenever I want (we only got 6 weeks post discharge follow up care prescribed by the doctors- in Germany all follow up care/therapy has to be prescribed).

I am also doing a baby massage course with her. Up to now most of the handling the girls have had has been either during medical intervention or therapy and I wanted something which the girls could relax and enjoy. The only problem is in the classroom there is too much stimulation for Ciara and she usually freaks out (think complete meltdown-inconsolable!). When we do the massage at home she really enjoys it. We only have one more week and I now just need to find someone I can leave Ciara with so I can participate in the last class. I usually spend at least half the time soothing/comforting Ciara, once I have soothed her down she usually immediately drops off to sleep-her way of dealing with the overstimulation I think. The other moms also find it hard to concentrate with at least one baby joining in and crying in sympathy, which I also think is unfair to them.

Speaking of inconsolable Enya is screaming now so I guess I'd better sign off. Thank goodness we have no more injections for the next 6 months (except maybe our last RSV immunisation at the end of this month).