And the title of "Honorary Mommy" Goes To...

I bestowed the title "Honorary Mommy" to my husband this weekend. And it's not just for show either. You know when a celebrity is invited by their alma mater and they show up and all of a sudden they get an honorary Ph.D.? No, it's not like that.

Jojo, as mentioned on my previous blog, refused to nurse. Every time I put her on the breast, she cried. And oh, how she cried. You would never suspect such a sound coming from such a tiny little girl. Well, 14 hours past since she last nursed, I was getting a bit worried and didn't know what to do. That's when the husband suggested that I pump and give her breastmilk via the bottle. I already thought of pumping to relieve the inevitable engorgement, but it didn't occur to me to try to feed Jojo through a bottle. But once the husband suggested it, I thought, DUH I'm sure she'll take the bottle because the milk comes out faster without much effort.

But then pumping proved to be too much. The girls had to be on the nebulizer every 4 hours (each session lasting 20 minutes), and then I nurse one, and then pump for the other. Then I also had to clean the pump. The twins feeding was no longer sync and there was barely any time to sit.

Then the hubby had another bright idea. He said, that maybe while Jordan was feeding, I should take the bottle away and immediately put her on the breast. And that worked again! No more pumping!!!

So, for coming up with solutions (that usually only moms think about) that make my life easier during these trying days, the husband becomes an honorary Mommy. His ideas attest to his involvement in parenting our children. What a great guy. I mean, he talks about breastfeeding with women at his job! How many husbands do you know who can talk about the ins and outs of breastfeeding and not get embarassed about it. Really.

The next day, Jordan was still fussy when I put her on the breast. And since she took to the breast the previous time, I stopped pumping. I put water on the bottle to get her to suck on it, but she didn't want water. Oh, great. I thought I need to start pumping again just to get her to suck on the bottle so that I could transfer her to breast. GROAN.

I jokingly told the husband that I am taking back the honorary title and he got upset. Hmmm. I really meant the title as the ultimate compliment, and apparently, he did too. For the rest of the day, I had to reassure him that he could keep the title.

So, hubby, this one is for you. You deserve it!