Friday, October 24, 2008

Bottle Propping


Molly Kurt


Meghan Cole

What a horrible mom --- to bottle prop.

I agree if you have just one.

BUT since I have been losing sleep and not seeing any time to get caught up over the next decade Chris and I decided to try this ................. Well we only bought one.
We decided to try it on everyone to see if it would work. So if the babies are awake they can eat efficiently and very fast with just one person awake. We went from a 2 hour schedule time frame to 1 hour schedule and we are currently getting to 45 minutes. I love the milk maid and would recommend it to multiple moms. It does have it's downfalls, but if you alternate babies and use it just during the middle of the night to help your marriage survive without biting each others heads off then it is well worth the decreased holding/bonding time. I do have one question - who really does bond with their children at 3-5a.m anyway when they see them all day and night to love on them???? I figured it was well worth the much needed sleep instead. So if anyone needs to bottle prop .... here are a few pointers ..................
make sure the baby is wide awake, make sure the bottle is positioned in their mouths correctly and that they can still stop sucking if need to, have a firm boppy, and most of all do not leave them by themselves.....

7 comments:

Arnold Quads said...

as a mother of 18 month old quads I remember the days of trying to bottle feed my babies. I didn't have any help during the day and I had to prop bottles up in their mouths unfortunately more than I wanted to. I used our boppy's and blankets. I think the milk maid is a great idea. I wish I would have known about it. and I do agree, night feedings are hard. Anything that can speed up feeding time at night is well worth it!

maureen

Mary Anne Whiteley said...

You know, I just had one at a time and my first got switched to formula. I had a broken tail bone and this would have been a TREMENDOUS help to me because it was so hard to sit up holding her for that long. It took a couple months to heal from that one. Who could call you a "bad" mom for trying to find an easier way to feed 4 babies at once with only 2 hands?

The Carlsons said...

when you have quads, no there's nothing wrong with propping. you figure out efficiencies and what works for you. it's what you've got to do in caring for four babies!

we never tried the milk maids but have heard of other POMs (parents of multiples) using them. we just used some freebie blankets wadded up. it worked. i do have to warn you, though, now our girls are outgrowing the propping. i don't know if it's just us (or i should say, our girls) or if it happens with every quad mom. our girls are very wiggly and awake and all over the place. i'm trying to figure out what to do. sippy cups? at ~8mo? hm... again, quad moms will do what we need to do ;)

-fellow quad mom of GGGG and a 4yo boy

Misty said...

I used these and recommend them to ALL multiple moms! We wouldn't have made it otherwise. I was home alone all day with them and it was the only way I could manage. I'm so glad they work for you!

barnesquads said...

I'm glad you like the milk maid I didn't and thought it was a waste of money because every time a baby moved just a little the milk maid and bottle went out and over the boppy. Yes, though the propping is a requirement with quads, you are far from a horrible mother for doing it, we just did it by scrunching up and creating a well with recieving blankets. They look good! Now, when people call and say ,"when is a good time to call? or is this a bad time?" You are armed with the quadmom knowledge that there is no such thing as a good or bad time, come on your always in the middle of doing something to keep the home running.
Keep up the good work!!!
Jamie

jag said...

Hi! I have 6 week old GBBB quads. Thanks for the bottle prop tip. I'll be scooping those up soon!

:) Jenna

Moni Graf said...

I wish I would've known about those marriage savers when our 4 were newborn! Somehow we survived feeding them one by one. I don't miss that part of quad-raising.

I've gotta ask you.....do you prefer to handwash all those bottles, or do you just not have a dishwasher? Now THAT is something I know I couldn't live without!

The babies are lookin' great (and big brothers, too)! This phase will be over before you know it. Ours turn 1 next month - EEK!

Love from KS,
Moni

p.s. I hope you don't mind I added your site to our blogroll.