Twin Toddler Health Archives | Twiniversity #1 Parenting Twins Site

The Wonderful World of Wrangling Toddlers at Bathtime

Twiniversity — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 10:42:00 +0000

Oh, twin toddlers. They’re lucky that they’re so darn cute, right? Once my daughters learned how to walk, our nighttime routine became slightly (OK, significantly) more complicated. When one of us made the dreaded “bathtime!” announcement, my kids scattered like little fish in the presence of a shark (insert “Mommy Shark” joke here). If one of us was flying solo for the night, bathtime was even more of a battle. Imagine chasing one toddler, scooping her up, then finding her sister hiding behind the couch. You have no choice but to put twin #1 down to dig out twin #2. Twin #1 takes off again, and the cycle continues. Yes, wrangling toddlers at bathtime can be a rigorous challenge. Fortunately, with a little patience and practice, it can turn into a regimen your whole family looks forward to. Progress, Not Perfection There’s no magic formula for getting kids – especially toddlers – to do what you want them to do. It takes some trial and error to figure out what works best for your family. Our household has two full-time working parents, an elementary-aged kid who is involved in sports and after-school activities, and two preschoolers. Chaos might be too kind of a word to describe our weeknights. My daughters are phasing out of the toddler stage, and it’s still a work in progress. Like everything else that has to do with parenting, it’s not realistic to expect changes to happen overnight. Sometimes kids have bad days. Sometimes they’re just plain exhausted. Although our family desperately needs structure when it comes to bathtime and bedtime, sometimes a little flexibility comes in handy when a kiddo has had a rough day. Oh, and spoiler alert: even if you do figure out the best way to wrangle your toddlers at bathtime, it’s not going to be perfect every time. Give yourself some grace. Parenting is HARD. Parenting twins is SUPER HARD! I am not here to pretend like every night is a walk in the park. There are definitely nights when I think to myself “how much longer until they can do this themselves?” There are also many nights when bathtime is a lot of fun, and I just want to bottle up my kids’ innocence and cuteness forever. We’ll focus on the latter for this article, of course. Below, I’ll share some tips for wrangling toddlers at bathtime that have worked well for our family over the past couple of years. Create Your Routine I don’t know about your kids, but my kids aren’t really crazy about change (they get that from their father – love you, honey!). When we deviate from their “normal,” things can go south pretty quickly. Bathtime is no exception. The routine doesn’t have to be so rigid that we do the same exact thing every single night, but one of the things we like to do on weeknights is to wind down before heading upstairs. That means shutting down personal devices, closing down the kitchen, and doing something quiet. We are HUGE fans of Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube – they even have sleep yoga videos. Reading, coloring, and card games are other options that have worked. It all depends on our schedule and how much time we have each night. As an ADHD family, we’re big on setting timers, too. The kids know that when a timer goes off, that means it’s time for a transition. Getting the kids to make their way upstairs might be the most difficult part of the evening. Our trusty timers often come in handy here, because they give the kids expectations and they can prepare themselves in advance. Still, it can be a battle. We often try to make it fun by having races up the stairs and into the bathrooms. The kids usually respond pretty well when they’re given a challenge, so we’ll set the timer for 30 seconds or so and see who can get upstairs and undress in time. Our three-year-olds like to pick out their pajamas before getting in the tub. Note: it helps immensely when I’ve just done a fresh load of laundry and their favorite mermaid nightgowns are clean! Setting the Mood I love baths. LOVE them. I would take one every night if I could. Now, I’m not really the type of person to get a bath to get clean. (I am a proponent of what I call the “bower” – which is taking a quick shower to wash, then soaking in the tub.) There’s nothing better than lighting a candle or two and climbing into a hot bubble bath with a good book and a glass of wine. That ambiance is everything for this tired working mom. When I think about how much I look forward to getting a bath, I think about the different things that could make bathtime just as enjoyable for my kids. These items and ideas could make wrangling your toddlers at bathtime a lot easier. Bubbles Kids love bubbles! Heck, I love bubbles. They’re just FUN. When my son was little, he used to dunk his face in the bubbles and pretend he was Santa Claus. My daughters love to cover themselves in bubbles from head to toe. Really, I think they just make the bathtub more cozy. Slight disclaimer: the nervous mom in me uses bubbles sparingly (maybe once a week), as there have been reports of bubble baths causing UTIs in children. We use an unscented bubble bath, and we haven’t had any issues so far in seven and a half years. Just wanted to make sure I mentioned that, in case that would be a cause of concern for anyone else. Toys Whoever invented the foam letters and numbers that cling to the bathtub walls – you’re my hero. All three of my kids have spent hours playing with those things in the tub. I love them because they’re non-toxic, they dry quickly, and if you store them correctly, they don’t get moldy like other bath toys. Oh, and they’ve helped my kids to learn their letters and numbers. You really can’t get… Continue Reading The Wonderful World of Wrangling Toddlers at Bathtime

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Toe Walking: What is it and When Should You Worry About it

Twiniversity — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:08:00 +0000

Have you noticed your child toe walking? See what a twin mom and pediatric physical therapist has to say about toe walking in children. What is Toe Walking? Toe walking in children can be defined as walking up on tip-toes without the heel hitting the ground; this is an atypical walking pattern. Toe walking is not always concerning. Most children will toe walk intermittently during their first 2 years as they experiment with balance reactions, sensory experiences, and different walking patterns. However, if your child is toe walking more than 50% of the time past 2 years of age, you should talk to your pediatrician and consider seeking the help of a physical and/or occupational therapist. Did you know that Twiniversity has not one, but TWO podcasts that are FREE to download? Check them out today! Why do Children Toe Walk? A study published in the medical Journal of Pediatrics found that five to twelve percent of healthy children toe walk for no apparent reason at all. This is referred to as Idiopathic (meaning there’s no known cause) Toe Walking. You may also hear this being referred to as habitual toe walking. Idiopathic Toe Walking is the most common diagnosis associated with toe walking. It is more common in boys than girls and always involves both feet. There is also commonly a family history of toe walking. Are you concerned about your 12-month-old twins’ meeting their milestones? We have put together a must-read first year with twins page that can answer all your twin questions! A physical therapist, Lisa Persaud, says “Toe walking has become a huge problem in the past 12 years or so. We now have increased rates of autism, prematurity, and inactivity in children, and those three factors are contributing to the increasing rates.” Get the Facts About Toe Walking There are a number of other reasons a child may toe walk including sensory processing disorders, visual impairments, premature birth, muscle tone abnormalities such as cerebral palsy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. A study published in the medical journal Brain and Development found that 19 percent of children with Autism toe walk. It is important to note that these possibilities are the expectation and not the rule. Rather, it is more likely than not that this is just a phase. Be patient, keep an eye on your little one(s), and guide them away from the toe walking when you see it. Before you know it, it will probably be a thing of the past. Are you craving more from Twiniversity? Check out our awesome membership program and see what benefits you’re missing out on! What is Wrong with Toe Walking? Persistent toe walking can result in joint stiffness and muscle tightness, as well as muscle imbalance during a “prime time” of muscle development. It can also result in long term pain and development of abnormal movement patterns. Parents often report their children who toe walk have a hard time keeping up with their peers during the development of high-level gross motor skills – running, jumping, climbing, etc. Toe walking can easily become a habit difficult to break. During the developmental years of ages 2-3, the brain is learning so much about movement patterns, balance reactions, and coordination. The structure of the foot is also very soft and flexible; much of that flexibility is lost by age 6. Toe walking that persists beyond these years can be difficult to change and can result in tendon stiffness. As you can imagine, tendon stiffness will make it even MORE difficult to break the habit of toe walking. Are you planning to breastfeed your twins? Take our online breastfeeding twins class on-demand to get all your twin specific breastfeeding questions answered! When to Seek Professional Help Are you expecting twins? Check out our Twiniversity expecting twins classes live or on-demand today! Stay in the know by subscribing to our email list today! Be the first to hear about our giveaways and our favorite posts of the week! What Can You Do to Discourage Toe Walking in Your Child? Better to be Safe Than Sorry If you are seeing your child toe walking around the house, it should be of some comfort to know a Swedish study of more than 1,400 children says that more than half of all toe walking children stopped toe walking on their own before the age of 5. If you are concerned about your child’s toe walking, consult your pediatrician or contact your local Early Intervention agency. Keep in mind that it is probably nothing to be worried about, but it certainly can’t hurt to have it checked out. And of course, the earlier toe walking can be addressed, the better for your child! References

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What to Expect with Ear Tubes Surgery for Kids

Twiniversity — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 04:00:52 +0000

Learn what to expect with ear tubes surgery for kids, including the diagnosis process, what to expect the day of surgery, post-op, and follow up. When I first found out I was pregnant with twins, there was a flurry of panic about managing the responsibilities that come with caring for two helpless humans. How would we afford daycare for two at the same time? Diapers, formula, medical expenses…and those were just the financial concerns. My biggest fear was (and still causes me anxiety to this day), “What if they’re not healthy kids?” How are we going to manage sick babies because when one gets sick, the other is sure to follow! The problem with babies is they can’t tell you what is wrong. There is no instruction manual, there is no checklist, no YouTube tutorial to watch, nothing that pinpoints the purpose for every cry and whimper. If you’re lucky, your “mother’s intuition” will ping you when something is out of the ordinary. If you’re not lucky, physiology will validate your concerns in the form of an ongoing fever or other presenting symptoms. The other struggle we face as parents is that medicine is NOT an exact science. They call it “practicing medicine” for a reason. We are one year into our twin parenting journey and my concerns have been substantiated for sickly kids. Call it predicting the future or willing your own circumstances (in the worst way possible), but our twin boys have not had a great start in life. They both have struggled with recurring ear infections, chronic coughs, congestion, spiking high fevers (our Twin B, Turner, had a febrile seizure two days prior to Christmas 2018), diaper rash, and more. We’ve endured one inguinal hernia surgery and ear tubes placement for both twins. Despite these inconvenient circumstances, we praise God that we have access to modern medicine and medical intervention, and our family mantra had been, “It could always be worse.” We choose to focus on our joys and happiness rather than our challenges to keep things in a positive perspective. We firmly believe you are as happy as you choose to be. I am not a medical professional, but after having three kids all with ear tubes, I wanted to provide some insights for other parents looking for validation to say, “Enough is enough!” What are ear tubes? Ear tubes are tiny, hollow cylinders, usually made of plastic or metal, that are surgically inserted into the eardrum. An ear tube creates an airway that ventilates the middle ear and prevents the accumulation of fluids behind the eardrum… Ear tubes are often recommended for children who have persistent fluid buildup behind the eardrum, especially if the condition causes hearing loss and affects speech development. Your child’s doctor may also recommend ear tubes if your child gets frequent ear infections. Most ear tubes fall out within six to nine months, and the holes heal shut on their own. Some tubes need to be removed, and some holes may need to be closed surgically. Mayo Clinic Ear tubes are a common medical intervention to help children overcome recurring illnesses. Our boys had 3+ ear infections in 6 months of each other and several powerful (yet unsuccessful) Rocephin injections. Their ear infections always seemed to make them more susceptible to a long-term illness that required nebulizer treatments, doses upon doses of Ibuprofen and Tylenol, and oral antibiotics that would cause unending diaper rash. We consulted our pediatrician and received a referral to an ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat specialist). During the referral appointment, we met with a Physician’s Assistant to the ENT. With ear infections being such a common medical diagnosis, the doctors often rely on PA’s to help diagnose and determine the need for tubes. The PA confirmed our Pediatrician’s suggestion: our boys were very good candidates for surgery. Next, the ENT reviewed their medical charts and agreed that tubes would be a good intervention for their chronic and recurring ear infections. A nurse came in after the initial exam and was able to schedule our surgical date right away. Sadly, Twin B developed a cough between our initial exam and the surgery date – and when the nurse called to confirm they had been healthy and well and confirm our surgical date, I was honest and said he had developed a slight cough and had experienced a fever or two in the past 14 days. She said that she had to check with the anesthesiologist to confirm whether they could keep our surgical date the same. When she called me back, she said the anesthesiologist would not be comfortable doing sedation on lungs that had recently been ill. Our surgery date was pushed out by another 30 days to ensure they were healthy and well for the procedure. I felt like it was a miracle that we lasted the next 30 days without incident and were able to do the procedure on the 2nd date we scheduled. The ear tubes placement surgery has changed even in the last 5 years. Our oldest child had to undergo IV anesthesia for sedation. The twins did not have an IV; they were sedated with gas that faded quite quickly. They were not able to eat or drink anything after midnight. Keeping them consoled while “hangry” was our biggest challenge. The check-in and waiting process took longer than the actual procedure. The procedure took about 15 minutes per child once they were taken to the operating room. We decided to have both twins done on the same day. Their recovery was quick and painless, and I’m glad that we didn’t have to trek to the hospital on two different occasions, especially since we live in a rural area and our children’s hospital is about 1.5 hours away. The evening after the surgery was extremely uneventful. The boys kept their routine as if nothing had even occurred that day. In the following weeks, Twin B’s ears drained for days on end. It was a thick, gooey drainage that… Continue Reading What to Expect with Ear Tubes Surgery for Kids

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How Speech Therapy Has Helped My Twins

Twiniversity — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 05:00:06 +0000

Since the birth of my twin girls, I have always tried to avoid stressing too much over their developmental milestones. One was a late walker, but when she did start walking she caught up to her sister very quickly. Still, when both girls were speaking only 7 real words at their second birthday, I wondered if we should be doing something more to help them along. They understood everything we said to them, but the majority of the words coming out were either made-up “twin-speak” or sounds, like “woof woof” for dog. Our pediatrician told us not to worry, and that they’d catch up in their own time, but I began to notice a growing frustration (and often tears) from the girls when they couldn’t communicate what they wanted. The pediatrician gave us the number for our local Regional Center which handles developmental evaluations and intervention services. Although it was a long process with multiple in-home evaluations, it was finally determined that the girls qualified for speech therapy twice a week based on an expressive language delay. We chose to go to a clinic for therapy after a brief trial with an in-home therapist. It’s important that you find someone that it is the right fit and that the environment works for your kids. The girls have thrived in their play-based therapy center and we could not be happier with the changes that we’ve seen in about 5 months. Overall, these have been the greatest benefits that I’ve seen from speech therapy: Transition from “twin-speak” to real words Even though the girls weren’t saying many real words at 2 years old, they were communicating with each other a lot using made-up words. “Appum bappum” was a phrase we heard frequently over the baby monitor, and we eventually discovered that appum meant pacifier (the jury is still out on bappum). We learned from the therapists that this made up language, while cute, actually contributes to the language delays that many twins experience. As they find ways to communicate with each other, there’s less need to learn the real words, and they reinforce each other’s language usage. Since starting speech therapy, the made-up words have slowly disappeared as the real ones have taken their place. Improved intelligibility and vocabulary When the girls started speech therapy they were 28 months old, and were speaking about 40 words each. Those words would not have been clearly intelligible to someone outside the family. They can now speak hundreds of words and put together 5-word sentences. While it’s true that some of this development may have occurred without any intervention, I know that the therapists are better able to push them to say things and focus on their individual needs at each visit. While there are still times when we have to guess what they are saying, their intelligibility has improved dramatically. During their last bout with an illness, I felt much better knowing that they could clearly tell me what was hurting and if they were feeling better. And of course, nothing can compare to hearing, “I love you, Mommy” for the first time. Reduced frustration/fighting As the girls’ spoken language has improved, the frustration, meltdowns, and fighting have decreased. It was the frustration with not being able to communicate their needs to me that was often leading to tears and tantrums, and the main reason that I had them evaluated. Fighting between the girls over toys had also been a major problem. Although that’s to be expected with twins and I don’t expect it to stop, it has improved since the girls can now negotiate, take turns, and say why they are upset. If there is only one of something, they will now agree to share and for the most part they do. They can also say “sorry”… and it gets said a lot lately. One-on-one time with an adult At our speech therapy clinic, each of my daughters sees their own therapist in a different room at the same time. Having that time to focus without being distracted or influenced by a sibling has been very beneficial for their language development. Their speech sessions are basically the only times during the week that the girls are apart. They share a room at bedtime and they spend the entire day together, for better or worse. This means that it’s also the only time that each girl gets one-on-one attention from an adult. (My husband and I have tried playing with one child each in different rooms, but whoever is in the room with me feels they’re missing out and it doesn’t last long!) I am so glad that the girls have this opportunity to get that attention and I also appreciate that their developmental needs are being met as individuals, and not as a pair. Techniques that we can use at home One of the greatest benefits of speech therapy is that I have learned techniques from the therapists to use at home. I learned to not be so quick to give the girls what they wanted until they tried to say the words. Now, instead of just giving them something they name, I’ve worked on modeling phrases like “I want x.” As we approach age 3, the therapists have asked me to introduce “why” questions. I will ask them a question and give them two options: “Why is the baby yawning? Is the baby hungry, or sleepy?” It’s great to be able to build on the progress they’re making and see their excitement when they can express something in a new way. We have been really happy with the progress that our girls have made and continue to make each week. If you have any concerns at all about your children’s language development, it does not hurt to get them evaluated, and the evaluation is totally free. Depending on where you live, speech therapy services may be free or low cost up to a certain age. Don’t have… Continue Reading How Speech Therapy Has Helped My Twins

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6 Tips for Toothbrushing Success with Young Twins

Twiniversity — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 05:00:29 +0000

Life with young twins is busy, from making sure they are fed and dressed, to cleaning up after the epic messes they can create. In all of the chaos, it can be easy to forget to take care of their teeth. Cavities can begin to develop as soon as your twins’ teeth break through, which is why it is important to start a healthy teeth routine early on. Even though my husband is a dentist, I will admit that we are both guilty of forgetting to brush our girls’ teeth and our twins have not always been willing participants in the process. Over the past couple years, we’ve managed to nail down a (mostly) solid routine and picked up a few tricks, thanks to much trial and error. I’m sure you’ve heard the rule to brush twice a day and floss at least once. This also applies to your twins! As soon as they have teeth breaking through, it’s important to start brushing their teeth with fluoridated toothpaste, as recommended by the American Dental Association. My husband recommends reading labels carefully since many children’s toothpastes do not have fluoride in them. Once your twins have two teeth that are touching, it is also important to floss between those. We use flossers, since they are much easier to hold and get in our girls’ mouth than floss would be (and they also love to “floss” all by themselves when we’re done). 1. Start Early Thankfully babies seem to want to put everything in their mouths; it really creates the perfect opportunity to introduce the idea of tooth brushing. Our girls’ favorite teether was this Baby Banana Toothbrush, which gave us ample opportunity to introduce the idea of brushing with it. The Zoli Gum Massager would also be a perfect introductory “toothbrush” for infant twins. Starting to brush as soon as your twins have a few teeth helps them to slowly get used to longer brushing sessions, as more teeth break through. My husband also brought home some real toothbrushes for our girls before we started using them so that they had an opportunity to explore and become more comfortable with them. What if you didn’t start brushing when they were babies? Remember that it’s never too late to start. Just be patient, persistent, and make it as fun as tooth brushing can be! 2. Keep the Brushes Visible It seemed that, until they both had a ton of teeth, we forgot about brushing more than we remembered. During this time, I tried to keep their toothbrushes where we spent the most structured time in the morning. For a few months, they stayed on our kitchen counter, so that I would see and (hopefully) remember to use them after breakfast, while the girls were still in their highchairs. Now that we’re working on potty training, storing them on our bathroom counter is enough of a reminder (most days). I also kept my tooth brushing habits out in the open (although that was pretty much because my girls refuse to leave my side, even at home). I usually just told them what I was going to do (brush, floss) and then let them play or watch me while I did so. One of my daughters even started mimicking my flossing in the morning, which just cracked me up! The best thing you can do is just be open to the fact that tooth brushing is just part of your daily routine, much like getting dressed, eating, and potty training. 3. Be Flexible I’m often guilty of forgetting the morning tooth brushing session with my twins, especially if we’re running late getting ready. I have even confessed this to my husband on several occasions! When I do this, he just tells me to brush their teeth before their long nap. I know how twin mom life can be, so it’s best to find a time that works for your family to get your twins’ teeth brushed at some point early in the day. If you’re not brushing first thing in the morning, try to do it after a meal or at a time when they won’t be eating or drinking anything right afterward. I know I said to be flexible, but there is one brushing session that my husband emphasizes is nonnegotiable – the bedtime brush. Brushing before your twins go to sleep needs to happen so that any of their snacks or drinks from the day do not sit on their teeth all night long. We have also found that it’s easier to floss during our nighttime routine since both of us are usually home for that time, but if it’s easier to floss early in the day, go for it! 4. Be Prepared for “No!” Regardless of how cooperative they are, a time will come when one or both of your twins will begin to fight or refuse to let you brush their teeth. Our girls have gone through several of these phases (and are currently in another), trying to refuse either one or both of us entirely. I think that this is when it’s necessary to get a little creative, without giving in to them entirely. Although the thought of trying to convince your strong-willed twins may be a little daunting, remember that establishing a consistent tooth brushing routine now will lead to fewer dental issues later. 5. Get Creative Convincing a toddler to cooperate is definitely harder than some might think! I feel like twins are even more difficult since as soon as one of our girls decides to refuse, the other thinks it’s hilarious to do the same thing. When they are in that refusal stage, it’s time for you to think on your feet! We’ve tickled them, made up a brushing song or sung one of their favorites, bribed them with sitting in one of our laps, had them hold their stuffed animals, and my husband has even turned their thrashing into a wrestling… Continue Reading 6 Tips for Toothbrushing Success with Young Twins

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How We Got Through a Toddler Tonsillectomy

Twiniversity — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 05:00:53 +0000

“She’s not sleeping well at night,” I told our doctor. “She’s got bags under her eyes.” Lauren, our 3-year-old twin daughter, hadn’t been sleeping well in over a year. I kept telling myself that it was something she would grow out of, but the bedtime routine was dragging on. I would put her and her sister to bed at 7:30 pm and within an hour Lauren would wake herself up and start crying. She was snoring as loud as a grown man, stopping breathing in her sleep, and never getting into a deep sleep. Earlier that spring we had participated in a sleep study. My husband Ed had taken Lauren to the children’s hospital where she was born. They packed an overnight bag and checked into the laboratory as if they were having a hotel stay. He cuddled up with her on the bed. She was wearing pink flannel Disney Lady and the Tramp pajamas as a nurse placed a sleep cap on her head and wires all around her arms. Ed had snapped a quick picture on his phone and sent it to me. When I looked at my phone, I teared up at the sight of all the wires engulfing my daughter, which reminded me of our NICU stay three years prior. My husband and I sat nervously in the waiting room of the doctor’s office as we waited for the test results. “Lauren has severe sleep apnea.” The doctor minced no words as he looked up from his clipboard. “She’s a tiny little girl with huge tonsils and adenoids.” “Surgery is necessary, Crystal,” My husband said squeezing my hand. I nodded. “Yes, they have got to come out,” I said, a tear running down my cheek. “You are doing the best thing,” the doctor said reassuringly. “This surgery is going to help her tremendously.” I hoped he was right. A tonsillectomy is a simple enough procedure. Our doctor ensured us we had nothing to worry about, that he performed these surgeries all the time. But, of course, anytime there is a surgery and general anesthesia involved for one of my children, I’m going to worry like crazy. We scheduled the surgery for early August before school started. We arrived at the hospital around 8:30 am and filled out some brief paperwork before we were led back to the prep room. As I undressed Lauren and put her into the hospital gown, I had a sudden flashback to when I was wearing a similar hospital gown on a different floor of the same hospital. The doctor came in the room one last time to go over the plan. “We are removing Lauren’s tonsils and adenoids and placing tubes in her ears.” He said as he patted my shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, Mrs. Duffy.” It felt as if we had gone over this plan a hundred times, but somehow hearing it aloud one more time from the soothing voice of the doctor subsided my nerves. I squeezed Lauren tightly and whispered in her ears. “I love you, baby. Mommy will be right here waiting for you.” My voice cracked as I choked back tears. The hardest moment was seeing her wheeled off to surgery. She didn’t cry; she wasn’t scared at all. The only thing she kept asking me about was her sisters. “Where’s Katie and Abby, Mommy?” she asked me. “They are waiting for you in the lobby. You’ll see them soon.” I blew her a kiss as the nurse wheeled her through the double doors and into surgery. Before we knew it, the surgery was over and our doctor came to talk to us in the waiting room to give us an update. “Boy, did she really need this surgery.” Were the first words out of his mouth. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that even though this was stressful and nerve-wracking, we had done the right thing. “I’m not going to lie, the two weeks after recovery are going to suck. But I promise it will get better.” Our doctor said, patting my hand reassuringly. He was not kidding. The first two days were the hardest. As Lauren came off the anesthesia in the recovery room, she was not a happy camper. She was screaming and kicking at every nurse that came near her, which is a common response to general anesthesia. She calmed down once we got her settled into her room for the night. Our doctor had us spend one night in the PICU so she could be monitored closely. By the next morning, she was eating popsicles and pancakes and asking for her sisters. She was discharged the next afternoon and her sisters were waiting at home for her with a get-well present. We let them play for a few hours and then the girls left for grandma and grandpa’s house. I had my parents take our other two daughters for a few days so my husband and I could solely focus on Lauren. It helped her tremendously to have both Mommy and Daddy caring for her. The recovery was rough, but here are some tips on caring for a toddler after a tonsillectomy. 1. Get Ahead of the Pain This was important the first few days. I wrote everything down in a notebook so I wouldn’t forget. I logged each dosage and set alarms on my phone so I wouldn’t be late on the next dosage. I even woke up Lauren if she was sleeping to give her the next pain dosage. She was cranky and clingy, but never complained of anything hurting her. 2. Drink, Drink, Drink Make sure to drink plenty of fluids the first 24-hours to avoid becoming dehydrated. Clear fluids such as water, apple juice, and popsicles worked best for us. Lauren didn’t feel like drinking from a glass so I used straws and held it up to her so it would be easy. 3. Comfort food Friends and family had advised me to… Continue Reading How We Got Through a Toddler Tonsillectomy

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The Doctor is In: 8 Tips to Fight a Stomach Virus

Twiniversity — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:47:31 +0000

(The tips below should NEVER replace the advice of your personal medical professional.) It is that time of year and many children have been sick with a stomach virus. Here are some tips on how to help your children: 1. If your children are throwing up let their stomach settle for 15 to 20 minutes before introducing any food or liquids. Once settled, start with a few sips and wait to make sure they don’t throw up again and then slowly increase the amount. 2. The best replacement is Pedialyte because it has the best balanced electrolytes a child needs when they are vomiting and having diarrhea. However, even the flavored ones many children hate drinking. So, one trick is to make it into popsicles so the taste isn’t so bad. 3. Don’t worry if they are not eating solids because the most important thing is they stay hydrated. So, please make sure they are drinking and urinating. Don’t push the solids. When they are ready to reintroduce solids, stick to the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet for a few days and avoid dairy. 4. If your children are vomiting for more than 24 hours or unable to keep anything down and getting dehydrated your pediatrician can prescribe an anti-nausea medication. However, most children are able to get better without any medications. In any of these cases you should discuss and call your pediatrician. 5. If your children are also experiencing diarrhea then make sure to limit sugary drinks. The sugar can make the diarrhea worse. Pedialyte is the best replacement fluid. If the diarrhea has blood or your children are not getting better or getting dehydrated please call your pediatrician. 6. Many studies have shown that probiotics can help infectious diarrhea. Many of the good bacteria can be taken away from the diarrhea so probiotics can help replenish the good bacteria. Florastor Kids is one brand recommended for children. 7. Make sure to wash everyone’s hands with soap and water frequently. It is important to clean all surfaces and hands in order to decrease the spread of the infection. Don’t forget to disinfect commonly forgotten spots such as light switches, toilet handles, doorknobs, and faucets. 8. Please don’t give anti-diarrhea medications to your children. It will not help the virus to leave the body. Dr. Preeti Parikh is a Board-Certified Pediatrician with a special interest in preventive medicine, advocacy and patient education. She contributes to Multiplicity magazine, The Bump, and the book “What to Do When You Are Having Two”. Outside of work, Preeti enjoys free time with her husband and wonderful twin children. Related Articles

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Introduction to Toddler Tooth Brushing

Twiniversity — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 17:00:41 +0000

So it’s time to introduce your twins to tooth brushing and you’re not quite sure how to go about it? We’ve got a few tips for toddler tooth brushing and guidelines to guide you through the process! Oh happy day! Your twins are teething and you are now overjoyed with adding yet another to-do to your seemingly endless list. Once your children’s teeth start erupting, you should start brushing with them to help establish a routine. Since every child is different, you may find yourself implementing different techniques depending on the day or the child. Do your best to try and make this a fun experience with your kids. They will feed off your energy so if Mommy and Daddy are excited to brush and floss, they will be excited as well. Congratulations! Your independent toddlers no longer want you to brush for them and that’s okay. Let them have a turn brushing as long as you explain you get a turn after. We recommend that you ‘follow-up brush’ your children’s teeth until age 8. Young children do not grasp the idea of spitting while brushing their teeth and will swallow a majority of the toothpaste so be sure to only use a “smear” or “rice sized” amount of paste. The American Dental Association (ADA) changed their guidelines in 2014 and now recommends that parents use fluoridated toothpaste as soon as their first tooth comes in. This will help reduce the risk of early childhood cavities. You should brush with them every morning and every night. Bedtime can be a struggle in any home especially with several small children. Rather than brushing right before bed, a suggestion we make to parents is brushing after dinner or the last snack of the night. This can reduce the night-time hassle of getting everyone ready for bed AND their teeth brushed. Night-time brushing is essential to keeping your toddlers teeth healthy. Everything they ate and drank throughout the day is coated on their teeth and going to bed with a clean mouth will help reduce the risk of cavities. You will also want to avoid putting your children to bed with a bottle. If this is unavoidable the bottle should only be filled with water to prevent baby bottle syndrome. By age two, all twenty of your children’s baby teeth will have erupted. This is a great time to try and start flossing with them. Any teeth that are side by side and touching will need to be flossed. A technique to help you accomplish this mission will be to lay your little one down on a bed or a couch. It will give you the same vantage point dentists and hygienists have while your child is in the dental chair. Another suggestion is have them stand in front of you while facing away from you with their heads tilted towards the ceiling. As with anything the more you guys work at this the easier it will become. The ADA recommends you should schedule your first dental visit when your little ones first get teeth or by age one. What you can expect from your first dental visit at that age is what we refer to as a “baby exam”. The doctor will meet with you and you children, review their health histories and discuss any concerns you may have about their teeth. Most children at the baby exam will cry so prepare yourself. However, crying will at least ensure their mouth is open! By the time children are two and half years old most are ready for their first cleaning. Finding a pediatric dentist that specializes in seeing young children will help reduce the potentially stressful situation for both you and your children. You can go to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentist website to help find a local pediatric dentist in your area. (https://www.aapd.org/finddentist/) THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED

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Washing Hands: Are Your Kids Doing It Right?

Twiniversity — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 18:50:51 +0000

It’s that time of year again! The cold and flu season is just around the bend! But we can protect our family by teaching them one simple thing- Washing their hands. Yes it really is that simple. You can keep most the germs at bay by everyone keeping a good hand washing routine. That means developing good habits about washing hands before or after high “contamination” situations. Does your family wash their hands at all these times? When to wash your hands: *Learn to cough or sneeze into your elbow, it helps prevent the spread of germs best. When you cough into your hand germs can spread nearly 10 feet (not to mention if you don’t wash your hands and touch everything) Germs can also spread about 5 feet with a tissue and contaminate your hand pretty bad. Need to see a visual? Watch this clip of Mythbusters to see their test of sneezing techniques. Mythbusters on Most Effective Sneezing Techniques How to Wash your hands: *Make sure to replace hand towels every day or two depending on how often it’s used, how many people are using it throughout the day and how it’s stored (hanging it up allows it to dry, lying crumpled on the counter allows it to stay wet and breed bacteria. Make sure it hangs on a hook to dry between uses. Replace kitchen and the main bathroom towels daily.) Do your kids have a hard time washing their hands long enough? Many kids are so busy, ready to get back to playing, that they don’t take the proper amount of time to wash their hands. And who can blame them, there is so much to go do! Practice with your child washing their hands for 20 seconds. Teach them to sing twinkle twinkle little star two times or even set a timer like this musical soap pump timer that you can fit onto any bottle of soap. So protect your family from unwanted germs by washing your hands frequently. Good health to you!

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