Latest / Twin Mom Life / Positive C-Section Experience, Bilateral Mastitis and How To Fill Your Own Cup In Motherhood
Transcript
- Jessielee Sittig: Hello and welcome to the Twin Mom Life podcast. I'm your host, Jess. I created this podcast to help build community, connection, and most importantly, friendships among moms of multiples. Being a twin mom can be amazing and magical. That twin bond is unlike anything I've ever witnessed, but it can also be isolating and overwhelming. I'll be chatting with other twin moms, diving deep into the twin experience. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy twin mom life to listen along. I hope this podcast shed some light on a topic that's been on your heart and gave you more confidence as a twin mama. If you know a twin mom, please send this her way. If you like what you heard today, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Check out the show notes to be connected with today's guest and get discount codes for brands I love. See you next Thursday. Until then. I'm super excited to share that I'm doing a self-care giveaway, win a free self-care kit with Grace and Stella eye masks and needed sleep and relaxation support. To enter the giveaway, just follow or subscribe to the podcast, give a five-star rating, and write a written review. comment on the giveaway post on my Instagram, ⁓ at Hi, welcome to the podcast. Alexis Teichmiller: Hi Jess, thanks so much for having me. Jessielee Sittig: Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much Alexis for joining us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Alexis Teichmiller: Yes, well, my name is Alexis Teichmiller and I'm a twin mom of 10 week old boy girl twins and have just loved this season of life. It's been hard. It's been challenging, but also just really loving motherhood so far. They're my first babies as well. So really just jumped right in with, you know, first pregnancy being twins. my career, my day job. Jessielee Sittig: Please see my post about the giveaway for more details. Must be in the US to enter. Enjoy the podcast. giving advice on what works for us so you don't have to learn the hard way. Juggling two babies at the same time is challenging, but I'm confident we can learn from each other and figure out how to raise these babies together. You are made for this. Alexis Teichmiller: I am a brand partnerships manager for a tech company called Circle. And Circle is a community platform for brands and businesses and creators. And I've spent my entire career 10 plus years working in the creator economy. So I've worked with lots of entrepreneurs growing their businesses or brands. also been a podcaster for the last, I'm going to age myself for the last decade. ⁓ my, yeah, I started my first podcast in 2016. Jessielee Sittig: Awesome. Alexis Teichmiller: and I've had lots of different shows, but my current show is called the In-Between podcast that I host with my best friend Astrid. And we talk about life, business, career, and everything in between. And she happens to be pregnant right now as well. And so it was really cool to be pregnant with your best friend. And so the podcast, I'm sure, will kind of shift towards motherhood and career at the same time. And then I'm also a business coach. So I love helping women. when in their businesses feeling more confident with their systems, their marketing and their branding. So that is what I do for a living and then yeah, I'm here because I'm a twin mom. Jessielee Sittig: I love it. That's so awesome. didn't know you had been podcasting for that long. So that's so awesome. Okay. Can you tell us a little? Yeah, absolutely. And before we dive into it, I always ask every mom how they filled their cup today. So what have you done to fill your own cup? Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah, it's been a minute. Well, I have been getting some help with a nanny, part-time nanny, a couple days a week. And so I had my nanny today. She's amazing. And I got out of the house. I went and got my nails done, which was just like, I don't know, there's something about having my nails done. I got like a mauve cat eye. And so that made me feel really, like really fun. I love having my nails done. It makes me feel really girly and feminine. And then I went to the gym after. And so a little bit of... Jessielee Sittig: Eee, we see! Ooh, pretty. ⁓ that's fun. Alexis Teichmiller: girl time by myself and then getting some movement in. So that definitely filled my cup today. Jessielee Sittig: Oh yeah, that's awesome. You're hitting like all the boxes for sure. That's so great. Well, your nails are so cute. Um, okay. So I would say today has been interesting with my chickadees. It's been a little chaotic, but I was looking back on my day and I will say one thing that I did to fill my cup today and then what I'm planning to do this evening. So I did bake banana bread. I have had Alexis Teichmiller: Yes, yes. Thank you. Hmm. Jessielee Sittig: It was, and it's really good. And it was, I've had like bananas sitting in the corner that just needed to be made into bread. So I made that with chocolate chips, of course. So the kids liked it. So that's always a win. And then tonight, I am going to watch a cheesy show. I have not finished Love is Blind. Alexis Teichmiller: Ooh, I am like three episodes into the most current season. Jessielee Sittig: ⁓ yeah, that's okay. So I am towards the end and like the reunion came out recently. So I'm like itching to finish because I feel like the reunion is always so ridiculous to watch. Yes. Yes. Yes. So I am excited to watch a little bit of trashy TV later. Alexis Teichmiller: So good. So messy, you know? Love that. I am a Secret Lives of Mormon Wives watcher. And it's just like the perfect level of like, just like I'm glad that I'm not living that life, but I love watching other people live it. Jessielee Sittig: I think that's what's so nice is like, have like a, the only drama I have is like when my toddler's banana breaks, like we have like very minimal drama in our lives. So seeing someone else's drama that I can just watch from the comfort of my couch, that's kind of nice, you know? Yeah. Me too. That's so funny. I was telling you, I was sick a couple of weeks ago. It's literally been two weeks and I just can't quite laugh. Alexis Teichmiller: It is kind of nice. I love that for us. Jessielee Sittig: Like when I laugh, like no noise comes out. So I was laughing. I don't know if you can hear that octave, but okay, that's good. It's coming back. Thank goodness because I just didn't sound like me. I feel like last week's podcast, everyone's like, ⁓ yeah, she's sick. So this week is yes. Yes. Yeah. I was like nasally and like, yeah, it was all a thing for sure. Alexis Teichmiller: Mm-hmm. I can hear it. I can hear it. You're getting your laugh back. Yeah, I hate when it gets into your vocal cords and you're like, okay, now everybody really knows. Yeah. Jessielee Sittig: So, okay, well, I'm so glad you filled your cup. And I have to say one thing. I am so impressed with how you have been filling your own cup, making sure that you are putting yourself, you know, but not putting yourself first, but making sure that you are taking care of yourself. Alexis Teichmiller: I mean, honestly, yeah, like you're taking care of babies and obviously their needs Trump yours during certain parts of the day, like at 3am. But I really wanted to walk into motherhood recognizing that like this doesn't work unless I take care of myself and I have a I have a long road ahead of me, right? Like I have a whole life to live with these beautiful twins and I want to Jessielee Sittig: Sure. It's absolutely true. Alexis Teichmiller: show them a happy, healthy, secure mom. And that looks like showing up for myself. Jessielee Sittig: Absolutely. And I feel like I'm so impressed that you're doing it so early. You're 10 weeks in and I feel like I'm speaking from personal experience. I feel like I had to crash and burn a little bit before I learned that like this isn't going to work this way. I'm going to need to make sure that I'm doing things for myself, filling my cup ahead of time before I have that burnout and resentment. And the fact that you're already doing that. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah. Jessielee Sittig: 10 weeks in, I just think is super impressive. And you're paving the way for motherhood to be sustainable and fun and enjoyable. I just think that's really impressive being 10 weeks in. I feel like when I was 10 weeks in with twins, was, I don't know, like barely had my head above water. So I'm just super impressed. I just wanted to say that. Alexis Teichmiller: Thank you. There are definitely days like that. I don't want to over romanticize it. There are definitely days like that, but I think I have to shout out my mom friends because I am 32 and so I, you my husband and I actually for many years weren't sure that we wanted to have kids and we can talk about that if you want to. But there were definitely years where I watched my friends. I mean, a lot of my friends are on their third and fourth child already. They had Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: you know, got married earlier in their twenties and just started their families early. And so I really got to watch and listen and support my friends that were going through. losing parts of their identity and really struggling with taking time away from their from their house or, you know, leaving careers to stay home with their children and making these decisions that are really life giving. And then also, like, how do they take care of themselves? And so as I was pregnant and chatting with my mom friends, they were giving me such like soul level advice of like, hey, How about you learn from some of our mistakes or some of the things that we didn't take time for ourselves. like even even me giving myself permission. I am on maternity leave giving myself permission to hire a nanny on mat leave so that I can take care of myself. I had a c-section so I'm you know rebuilding my pelvic floor. I want to rebuild my strength even carrying the twins in their car seats. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: Like, they're heavy. You know this girl, they're heavy. And I'm like, I lost. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. ⁓ yeah. Like a workout. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah, I lost so much strength and like muscle during my pregnancy. And right now I'm like, I need to build strength so that I can get up off the floor with my kids. Like those are the things I'm thinking about and trying to make time for so that I can, you know, come home energized. And I wouldn't have done that if one of my girlfriends, she was like, Hey, my first pregnancy, I was on mat leave about 10, 12 weeks in. I was like, I need help. I need help. And so we found a part-time nanny for a couple days a week, couple hours a day, just to get me out of the house. And she's like, if you can do that for yourself and you have the discretionary income to try to do that, I would really encourage you to do so. And I was like, you mean I can do that? I was like, Okay. And, you know, my husband and I live in Houston and we don't have family here. Our parents live back in Illinois. All of our close friends, you know, are back home. And we do have some amazing friends here in Houston, but they've got lives and careers and, you know, so it's not like they can just pop over on a Monday at one o'clock and give me a break. So there is a part of building a village that you have to sometimes pay for a village when you're on your own. Jessielee Sittig: Sure. I think that is such an important. That is so important that you said that. So I have family here and I'm so thankful I've talked about this on the podcast before. My experience postpartum with my daughter was awful because she was a COVID baby. I had no support. I was alone. was it was an awful postpartum experience with the boys. I had my village. I had my parents close by. My husband's family lives out of state, but. My mother-in-law is a nurse and she took three weeks off and basically lived with us, which was so unbelievably helpful. And people set up meal trains. Like it was all so great. And if I didn't have that village, it would have been very hard. And I love that you said that you allowed yourself to do it. You didn't have that family close by you and you, that's not, that sucks. Like you still need help. You still need support. So. Alexis Teichmiller: ⁓ wow. That's incredible. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Jessielee Sittig: Hiring a nanny is what you need to do to be the best mom that you can be. And I think that's amazing and incredible, and I'm proud of you. Alexis Teichmiller: Thank you. And I'm learning that that looks different for everybody. what, you know, our capacity levels are different as moms. And, you know, like there are several days in a row where I'm with the twins, just me. And I'm like, I got this. And then I have a day where I'm like, Ooh, I need a break. And I can tell that I need a break. And so while my parents came in for a couple of weeks, right, whenever the twins were here and Matthew's parents have come in to help, it's like that day to day stuff that like starts to, yeah, that like, Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. like consistent health. Alexis Teichmiller: stacks on and you're like, I think for my own mental health and well-being, I need just to help in general. Sometimes she's here and I'm helping her. Like we're just with the twins. But just having that extra person to help and to also for me to be able to step away has been really helpful. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I absolutely love that. Well, and I'd love to talk more about your twins. So I feel like how we connected or how I found you was through your video about your positive C-section. And I thought it was just, your experience was incredible. I love the way that you talked about it. So I'd love for you to share that. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah. Yeah, of course. So my twins names are Sterling, that's our little boy, and Monroe, that's our little girl. Thank you. Jessielee Sittig: So cute. Their cutest names ever. Alexis Teichmiller: Thanks, I'm pretty obsessed with them. And Monroe was twin A and she was breach for almost three, four months towards the end there. And so every scan she was breach. And so around 31 weeks, my OB who I'm obsessed with, like there is something too about being big, you know. Jessielee Sittig: Hahaha Hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: being pregnant with twins, there's so many scans, there's so many appointments. And like, I think if I didn't love and trust my OB, having found out I was having twins, I would have like worked to find someone I loved and felt so comfortable with. I think like. Jessielee Sittig: Mm Yeah. Alexis Teichmiller: really trusting your medical care providers and like knowing that they have your best interests and that they're empathetic and that they're listening and that they really care about the experience you want. would just love shout out to Dr. Nouroud and I love her. So at around 30 31 weeks she sat me down and she was like hey so twin A is still breach and we really need to talk about a c-section. Like I know that you've kind of been open to a vaginal delivery cesarean but I think at this stage because of how big they are Jessielee Sittig: Mm. Alexis Teichmiller: I don't know if she's gonna flip. It's possible, but like the probability week over week is kind of dwindling. like, yeah, exactly. Like the room for her to be able to move is, you know, dwindling by the day. So she's like, Jessielee Sittig: It's like, she's getting squished now. Sure. Alexis Teichmiller: how would you feel about scheduling your C-section? And then obviously if your water breaks or you go early, we can address that then, but how would you feel about a scheduled C-section? I said, let's do it. And I said, when's the first day I can do it? When will you take me? I had a really, thankfully, really great twin pregnancy. I... did not really struggle with anything specific aside from obviously a lot of pelvic floor pressure and I was very large and gained a lot of amazing weight to support the lives of my kids. But I didn't necessarily have any issues leading up to that point. And so she was like, let's sit down and schedule it. And she took me at 38 weeks, exactly. I was 38 weeks on day. Jessielee Sittig: So you made it to 38. That's amazing. I made it to 37 and I don't know if I could have done a day, a day more. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah, full term. Yeah, was like, that was the earliest that she would take me was 38 in a day. And so I was like, okay, I'm ready. yeah, they did C-sections at the hospital I gave birth at at noon and four. And I unfortunately got the short straw. And so I got a four o'clock PM C-section and it's like... Jessielee Sittig: No, I'd be like, let's in the am like, let's get these babies out. Alexis Teichmiller: I know I'm like, want to wait. I'll be at the hospital at 3 a.m. Like just take these babies out of me. But like waking up and then I had a really big breakfast and then you have to fast obviously. So I had to fast all day. I had like a 6 a.m. breakfast and then I fasted until 4. And I made a birth playlist that was really important to me. Like I am someone that is really sensitive and gets a lot of energy from vibes and like energy. Jessielee Sittig: Sure. Yeah. I didn't even think about that. Alexis Teichmiller: And I'm like, I need to have my mind right. I'm about to meet my children. This is supposed to be, this is gonna be like such an amazing emotional spiritual experience for me. And I also know that I'm going to be, this is a surgery. It's different than childbirth in a way of like a vaginal delivery. I'm not going to push. I'm not going to go through that kind of labor. And so what can I do to have and feel a level of control in a way? Jessielee Sittig: Mm. Alexis Teichmiller: of making this a sentimental, positive, emotional experience. And so I made myself a birth playlist. And as soon as I got into the OR, I wanted to talk to everybody in the room. That's also my personality. But I'm like, these are people that are bringing my children into the world. If I treat it clinical, you're just here to do a job, then it's going to be clinical. But I'm like, I want to crack jokes with the anesthesiologist. ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: Mm, yeah. Alexis Teichmiller: And the CRNA, anesthesiologist, was hilarious. She really like, we were just yapping the whole time and having my husband there with me, like meeting the PEDS nurses that were in there, talking to my doctor, like really just opening myself up to this is gonna be a great experience. I'm gonna have a great, healthy delivery. My twins are gonna be healthy. Like just really... ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: I love that. Hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: walking myself into it with a lot of positive self-talk, honestly, and like affirmations. And it was beautiful. Like they were born at 432 ⁓ 436 in the afternoon. Monroe was six pounds, seven ounces and Sterling was six pounds, four ounces. ⁓ And they brought them to my chest. ⁓ After them, of course. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. That's great. Alexis Teichmiller: There's a lot of like, obviously with any baby they like take it and check, but it wasn't like direct to my chest. But I was like, I want skin to skin. And they immediately like, you know, after they did all their checks, brought them over to Matthew and I. And then we were just like in this euphoric baby bubble of like, these are our babies. This is crazy. Like this is crazy. And these are also, you know, my first children. So I didn't really have anything to compare it to, but it was just the most. Amazing emotional experience. I look back on those photos and I like still cry because it's just so sweet like you know seeing them, you know be born and and then having my husband there and he was so gentle with me as well. Like I told him I was like I need you to lock in. And I need you to be very aware of like when I start getting quiet. I need you to be like lean in and because we you know we just you know your partner you know each other so well. Jessielee Sittig: Aww. Mm. Alexis Teichmiller: I'm like, I really need you to help me kind of get out of my head because if I start thinking about this too much, I'm gonna get anxious and I don't wanna feel that level of anxiety on such a special day. And it's okay if you do, but I'm like, if I can work myself to this like sense of positivity and optimism, then I want this to be like a good experience. And yeah, he was amazing. And then we went to post-op and... ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: Mm. Hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: Monroe had a little bit of fluid in her lungs, amniotic fluid, and so they did some suction on her and some breathing treatments, neither of the twins needed NICU time. And I spent four days in the hospital and overall had a really great C-section experience. And I'm glad that was my birth story. I think that there is a lot of like rhetoric online around mourning and like grieving a birth that you didn't get to have. Jessielee Sittig: That's great. Hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: And which is so fair, so fair. And I think that because I knew that it was going to be a C-section so early, ⁓ didn't even, I didn't even like go down the vaginal birth romanticizing that experience. And I was like, OK, how can I make the most of what I am going to have? ⁓ that was ⁓ experience. So, yeah. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. I love that. Well, okay, and I have to know what was on your playlist, like at least two songs. Alexis Teichmiller: ⁓ so many, so many. ⁓ OK, hold on. Let me pull this up, actually. ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: Yes, when you're talking about your playlist, I'm like, have to know what is on it. What's your vibe? Alexis Teichmiller: Yes. So I started really sentimental, like getting in the room. Like, don't want to like be listening to rap music, like in the very beginning, but I love rap. So I'm listening to like Leon Bridges, Jose Gonzalez, like a lot of ⁓ classical music, things like that in the very beginning for the first like 30 minutes or so. And then a little Florence in the machine, little chain smokers and Coldplay in there. And then we... Jessielee Sittig: Okay, I like it. Alexis Teichmiller: And at the very end, ⁓ we've got like ⁓ Big X, the plug, who was like one of my favorite rapper. We got some Drake in there. Little Travis Scott, Post Malone, like towards the end, we're like, that's the point where they're like sewing me up. And I kind of needed to take my mind off of that. That was the part I was really like nervous about. And I needed some hype music to get me through that. So, yeah. ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: Yes. Mm-hmm. I love that. I have a blood-clotting and when I'm pregnant, I have to take an injection blood thinner. So with the boys, I had done honestly hundreds of shots. It was no big deal to me. With Kaia, I was like scared every time I had to give myself a shot, I would like hype myself up and I would listen to Drake every morning when I gave myself a shot. ⁓ So I was like, you better say Drake girl. Alexis Teichmiller: Mmm. I love it. love it. got to know like, yes, yes. Like you have to know what music you need for certain moments to like push you to get through something. Jessielee Sittig: Yes, yeah. I love all kinds of music. Like I love country and I love a lot of the artists that you listed off. But like for that moment to get hyped up to do my shot in my belly, I was like, I need Drake for this. So I love that. Alexis Teichmiller: same. Yeah, there is. I love Drake. I've been to a Drake concert. He's fantastic live. Jessielee Sittig: He played at my college when I was younger. We like won something, I don't know, and like the prize was Drake. Everyone was like, yes, that's amazing. Alexis Teichmiller: ⁓ That's a fantastic prize. Jessielee Sittig: So fun. I love that you were talking about that your C-section was sentimental because I feel like a lot of times, you know, it's ⁓ like you mentioned, it is a Maybe it would feel cold or sterile and that you didn't have that experience. I just love that you went in. You went in to it with such positive vibes and then everyone around you could feel that energy and like it sounds fun. I could like picture. I'm like, I want to be there. Alexis Teichmiller: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Jessielee Sittig: Sounds like a party. Alexis Teichmiller: It was honestly, hopefully this isn't like too much information, but the surgical nurse at the end, like as they're sewing me up, she like looked at my doctor and she's like, that's a good cut, doc. Like, that's a really good cut. And I was like, that's a good cut. That is exactly what I want to hear. That means healing is going to be awesome. And so we're like literally talking about this as I'm laying on the table. But it's like you could make that weird. But I think because of the energy in the room, we were all just like, yapping and the kids were crying and we were cuddling and it was just like so fun and special and that's what I wanted it to be and I'm really glad I got to have that. Jessielee Sittig: I love that. And I had a really good relationship with my OB as well. She was just like very real and I felt so confident because she was so confident. And this is like kind of similar to the story that you just said. So again, it's like a little bit TMI, but I tour with my daughter and they were like, maybe you won't with the boys. Like you've already had a vaginal delivery, maybe you won't tear. So with Wyatt, baby A. Alexis Teichmiller: Yes. Jessielee Sittig: I didn't tear and I immediately asked her, did I tear? She's like, nope, you didn't tear girl. And then freaking Waylon, baby B, I tore. So she was like, I'm sorry you tore. But I love that we just like had that rapport and I was like, okay. Alexis Teichmiller: Yes. Yes. I think that's so special. also like we're just girls. We're just women and we can make this weird or we can just like talk to me about this. And I love that you had that transparency with your OB too. It's so important. Jessielee Sittig: Yes. Yeah. Talk about it, yes. Yes, absolutely. It was just like fun and it was something serious. Like tearing isn't fun, but at least, yeah, but at least we could like talk about it and then it kind of made it seem like, I mean, not that it wasn't a big deal, but it just, I liked the conversation that we were able to have made it feel like less medical and serious. Like I was talking to a friend. Yeah. Yes. Alexis Teichmiller: ⁓ of course. So painful. I can imagine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And like normalizing it like, hey, this happens. I'm sorry this happened. Yeah, you tore like, you'll be okay. It is is special to have the that kind of like rapport and relationship with your doctors. That's my standard now too. I'm like, if I if I can't imagine drinking a glass of wine with my medical provider, you're not it for me. Like our my Jessielee Sittig: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I'm not interested. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah, whenever I was pregnant with the twins, I found an amazing chiropractor who was licensed in like the Webster technique, which is a specific chiropractic process for pregnant women. Jessielee Sittig: Mmm. Alexis Teichmiller: And it's like no cracking. It's like a lot of cupping and doing a lot of like tension release around your sacrum because I had really bad sciatica. And it really helped me get through like the last two months of my pregnancy. And so we ⁓ took twins to her at two weeks old. Jessielee Sittig: Hmm. Mmm. Alexis Teichmiller: because I could already tell that they were having tension and they're so compact in the womb. And so she was able to address that tension really early. And so they're able to move their necks. We're not having flat spots. Like they're like able to have a little bit more mobility because of the stretching that she's taught us to do at home and all that. Anyways, I would drink a glass of wine with her. Like the vibes, you know, you get in the office, you're like, what's up, Dr. B? it ⁓ having that kind of relationship is so important. And I think it definitely set the standard for me moving forward with any doctor. I'm like, okay, you're not it for me and that's fine. I'm gonna go find somebody else. Jessielee Sittig: I love that. Well, and it just, this is like, these are life changing things. And you need to feel good about who you're going to So I love all of that. So I'd love to talk about your postpartum. I know we've talked about, you know, like how you're really making an effort to make sure that your cup is filled so that you can be the best mom that you can be. But I know you've had some struggles along the way. So can you talk a little bit more about that? Alexis Teichmiller: Absolutely. Yeah. Definitely. Yeah, for sure. ⁓ so I started out breastfeeding in the hospital ⁓ and both the twins latched. I tried tandem breastfeeding. It was very intense, very overstimulating for me personally. ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: So I could not. I did it one time in the hospital. It took me, my husband holding one baby and a nurse holding the other baby. And in that moment, we both were like, how is this gonna work? Alexis Teichmiller: Yep. Yep. Yeah, like how is this sustainable? Like I'm not going to be able to do this. I was definitely thinking of like, how am I going to logistically get them to latch? Jessielee Sittig: Yes, that was the exact word that came to me. Like the logistics aren't matching up here. I had a three year old at home. I was like, I don't know. I don't know about this. So I feel you on that. And I, I would love to have a mama who does tandem breastfeed because I would love to learn how the heck she did it because I think it's so impressive, but same, like I just couldn't, I couldn't, I couldn't do it. I couldn't, I needed two more hands. Alexis Teichmiller: Agreed. Yeah, I am so impressed. I am so impressed for twin moms that are able to tandem breastfeed. But I think pretty quickly into my journey, I realized how difficult it would be to breastfeed both of them at the same time. And then like you're trying to keep them on the same schedule and breastfeeding when they're really young can take like 15 to 30 minutes. And so like because they're trying to get full. so it's like, OK, now I've spent 30 minutes with this with twin, you know, one. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: and then 30 minutes with 22 and I'm like, okay, there's an hour and now I need to go do some things or take care of myself or shower, brush my teeth. You know, so I'm like, this is just not sustainable for me long term. And so I pretty quickly jumped into pumping probably quicker than like, I think some lactation consultants tell you not to pump until like week three or four. And I'm like, listen, my circumstances are different. And I think that's something that I have really leaned into in my mindset is what works for singletons is amazing and I'm glad that that works. My circumstances are different therefore I need to find a different way, a different path, a different strategy that's going to work for me and my kids. Which is why you have this podcast which is why I love it. It's like there's lots of different ways to do something and Jessielee Sittig: Amen, sister. Alexis Teichmiller: this is what's going to work for us and this is what's going to work for me. So I pretty quickly like week one, one and a half, I jumped into pumping and we also combo fed from the beginning because the twins had lost almost 10 % of their birth weight in the hospital. And so they were like, hey, you're going to have to start supplementing with formula because like they're not getting enough and they are losing weight and we need to like, you know, and I was like, absolutely. I wasn't, I wasn't particularly precious about any sort of plan. Jessielee Sittig: Mm. Mm. Alexis Teichmiller: I wasn't particularly precious about any sort of plan. And I think that is one thing that has helped me be somewhat adaptable through this process is like even when I found out I was pregnant, I was like, okay, vaginal serine, I'm open. ⁓ breastfeeding formula, I'm open. Like because I know that my circumstances are different, it's not that I don't deserve to have a choice or like a preference, right? But sometimes that preference doesn't work. And I think that is one thing that has helped me be somewhat adaptable through this process is like even when I found out I was pregnant, I was like, okay, vaginal serine, I'm open. ⁓ breastfeeding formula, I'm open. Like because I know that my circumstances are different, it's not that I don't deserve to have a choice or like a preference, right? But sometimes that preference doesn't work. with the situation. with the situation. ⁓ We combo fed from the beginning and we actually cut like some breast milk with some formula and in some bottles and that was really great. So I'm like, okay, they're getting an ounce of breast milk and two ounces of formula. Amazing. And so pretty quickly the twins are able to gain and kind of exceed their birth weight around like week two. And so that was fantastic. And then I went exclusively in the pumping route and I was kind of a just enough pumper. Like I would pump just enough to get them through day hours and then we would feed them formula at night because I just one didn't have the milk and also I liked that the formula would stretch them a little bit longer because it's it takes them longer to metabolize so we did formula at night and I was really cranking on my pumping journey I was like okay I'm exclusively pumping mom like this is this is great it's a lot of work I would argue that it Jessielee Sittig: It's a full-time job. Alexis Teichmiller: I would argue that it is literally like full-time part-time job like hours and hours of your day of your week spending pumping. It's also difficult because when you have twins you can't like pick them up with a pump like you can't really do a whole lot physically and I even with wearables you can't really bend over because the milk will spill out. So it's like you're kind of limited on your mobility. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: but I was focused. was like, this is great. If I can make it to three, four, five months again, I was like, I'm open. And then... Around week like seven, I woke up with like a lot of clogged ducts and engorgement in my right breast. And I was like, okay, I'm going to take sunflower lecithin. I'm going to pump. going to do the hot showers. Like I've got this. Like it's probably just some clogged ducts. It's very uncomfortable, but like I can do it. Two days later, it was so inflamed and I was getting the red splotches. I was like, okay, this is mastitis. So I went to my OB. got some medication. Two days into those antibiotics, it had jumped to the other breast. So then it was like, ⁓ actually we have bilateral mastitis. Like it's not just in the right, now we're in the left. And so a lot of pain, a lot of discomfort. If you've ever had mastitis, you know like how painful it is. I would honestly put it like just under recovering from a C-section level of pain. Jessielee Sittig: Ouch. It's awful. Mmm. Alexis Teichmiller: I had some oxy left over from my C-section as like pain medication that they sent me home with. And there were two days where I had to literally take oxycodone just to get through the pain of the breast engorgement. Like I couldn't pump, I couldn't get anything out. So there was no relief. It was just so painful. to my OB, I was like, hey, it's gotten worse. This antibiotic is not, everyone's like, oh, if have mastitis, to 48 hours, you should be feeling great. I was like, no, no, we're like going the other direction. So three days into the antibiotics, I was like, hey, it's been 72 hours. This is getting worse. I'm worried, well you got an abscess, I'm worried like, you know, this could be turning into something really severe. So she put me on another antibiotic called Bactrim, which is kind of the highest level of antibiotic you can be on for mastitis. And then I was like, okay, this is great, had a couple of good days on that antibiotic. And then the engorgement flipped over back to my right breast. Jessielee Sittig: Mmm. Alexis Teichmiller: So then was like desperate. I was like, okay, now we've been dealing with this for eight days. I can't pick up my twins. I can't feed them. Like the load that I was putting on my husband, he was like doing everything because I couldn't have any pressure or anyone touching my chest. So it's like, how do you hold your babies? know? So on like day eight or nine, I ended up having a lactation consultant come to the house and I was like, I am in so much pain. Jessielee Sittig: sure. Alexis Teichmiller: pump, can't get anything out, help me, please, like, help me. And so she was able to get the twins to latch. And they had not, they had not breastfed since like week one, essentially in the hospital on coming home. She put them on a nipple shield, latched immediately, which was amazing. And so she's like, I think at this stage, you are so engorged that if you don't get the milk out, it's going to cause a lot of problems. Jessielee Sittig: ⁓ wow. Wow. Mmm. Alexis Teichmiller: And so I know that you're like, you might want to be done with your breastfeeding journey, but you have to get this milk out. And so she's like, the best suction for mastitis is a baby's mouth. The suction of a pump is just not going to do it. And she was right. Like it really helped get a lot of the engorgement down. And that was on a Monday, Tuesday. ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: Sure. Alexis Teichmiller: Wednesday, Wednesday, I went back to the gym. I was feeling so good. I went to the gym for the first time. I was like, great. You know, we're done with this mastitis. Bullcrap. Like, it's gonna be great. And then on Thursday, I started getting body aches and chills. And I was like, this is like more mastitis symptoms, but no fever, you know? So like what's going on? Yeah, very weird. And then Friday morning, woke up with a full body. Jessielee Sittig: you Alexis Teichmiller: rash like really intense rash very red splotchy welts all over with a fever of 104 and body aches in rash and Jessielee Sittig: Shut up. I knew you had a fever. I did not know it was 104. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah, it was 103.9. Someone to round up. So at the time, I'm so thankful my brother and sister-in-law were visiting. They just happened to have a planned visit. And I feel really bad because that visit did not turn out well. But my sister-in-law is a PA ⁓ she's worked in the ED. She's worked in oncology. She's worked in a lot of different specialties. And she looked at me and she's like, we have to get you the ER. ⁓ Jessielee Sittig: Okay, that's 104. Alexis Teichmiller: I don't mean to freak you out, but I am concerned at this stage you might be septic. Like the fact that you have a rash, the fact that you have this high of a temp, the fact that you've been fighting bilateral mastitis on now two failed antibiotics for the last 10 days, I am like, we need to treat this very seriously. So I was like, okay, you know, so we pack a bag, my sister-in-law go to the ER and... Jessielee Sittig: ⁓ my god. Alexis Teichmiller: And we left my brother and Matthew with the twins. And that was the first time I was away from my babies was to go to the ER. And it was just very. I do think like as a mom, I never really understood when women would talk about this, but you kind of go to a different mental place to just get through stuff. You're like, I just it's not that you can't feel your emotions, but you just have to like, OK, I'm going to the ER. I have to leave them. I love you. I got to go. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: And then when I got to the ER and they're like running all these tests, they did the sepsis protocol on me, which thankfully I was negative for. But then I really broke down. I was like just crying and the nurse knows so much. The nurse was like, are you OK? I'm like, this has just been the worst two weeks of my life. And they admitted me and long story short. Jessielee Sittig: That's a lot. Alexis Teichmiller: we were able to address that I had no longer had mastitis, but I had extreme inflammation in both my breasts. And I talked to an infectious disease doctor and he was like, I'm afraid that this is gonna keep happening to you until you decide to stop breastfeeding. And so at that point, Jessielee Sittig: Hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: I had already made that decision for my own mental and physical health at this point, but he was like, he kind of confirmed it. He was like, this is, this like is starting to look a little chronic based on all of your symptoms. And so I'm just worried that you might continue to deal with this throughout your breastfeeding journey. Jessielee Sittig: Sure. Alexis Teichmiller: So I talked with my OB and I was able to get some medication to actually dry up my milk supply in about four or five days. And I was still dealing with so much engorgement and discomfort that I couldn't, I didn't have the patience nor the pain tolerance anymore to try to wean because weaning can take weeks. And I was like, I Jessielee Sittig: Jeez. Mm-hmm. ⁓ sure. Alexis Teichmiller: or months, like depending on people's, you know, preferences. And I was like, I'm out. Like I need this. I need this dried up. I need to be able to move on with my life. Like this has been such a traumatic experience. And I, it's okay. I, I also was like, now we're moving to formula and Jessielee Sittig: Yeah, I'm so sorry. Alexis Teichmiller: I can feel a sense of freedom about that. You know, look at the time I get back. I get to get back in the gym. And there are things I've tried to reframe to make it a positive thing. And the kids are thriving on formula and they're doing great. So it's like not putting that extra pressure on myself and also releasing any sort of specific expectation I had of like, again, I'm open. So I've got to be adaptable and I've got to just kind Jessielee Sittig: Sure. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: role with it. And after those two weeks of dealing with that, I'm like, okay, and now we're done. And I've met my limit. And Matthew was about to go back to work. How am going to take care of the twins dealing with this inflammation? I'm just, I'm done. And I feel like I had a lot of peace about it. And yeah, that's that's my experience. But I honestly would not wish bilateral mastitis on my worst enemy. Jessielee Sittig: Mm. I can't imagine. So I had mastitis with Kaia and this is like during COVID. So she was born February 20th. So she was like three weeks old when like stuff really went down and we had trouble breastfeeding from the gecko. She had tongue ties that we didn't really know how bad they were. And I remember I woke up one morning and I felt like I got hit by a bus. Like I was so, it was chills. Alexis Teichmiller: ⁓ huh. Mm-hmm. Jessielee Sittig: body aches and I had a fever. don't think it was 104, but maybe 102 or something. And I'm like, haven't, how do I, I literally thought, how do I have COVID? I haven't left the house. Like my husband was working, but I'm like, I don't know how I have COVID. And I think, was this maybe my six week appointment? I went into my OB office for some kind of appointment and just happened to be feeling this way. And they're doing temperature checks. And I told the nurse, I'm like, I'm pretty certain I have a fever. Alexis Teichmiller: Mm-hmm. Mmm. Jessielee Sittig: I'm like, I don't think I have COVID if you guys like I think at this point, they tested everybody. I'm like, I don't know what it is. My breasts are so sore. And an exam and they were like, you're bright red. And I was like, I am. I literally like didn't I don't know why I didn't like evaluate in the mirror myself. I feel like I was so overwhelmed with everything. I'm like, I didn't even like look. Oh my gosh, was like my right breast was like cherry red. And they're like, you have methitis. And I'm like, I don't have COVID. Alexis Teichmiller: Mmm. We're busy. Yeah. Jessielee Sittig: And they're like, no, you definitely have mastitis. And mine went away very quickly with antibiotics, which like how you were mentioning, it should go away. I think within a day on antibiotics, they felt better. And that was just one breast having mastitis. So I cannot imagine the pain that you went through and the discomfort and how scary. Then you're really worried. Like this isn't just a simple mastitis. This is turning into like am I septic? That's terrifying and life threatening. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah, yeah. Jessielee Sittig: So I just, I'm proud of you for pivoting. Like so many things I feel like you've been able to pivot and that I feel like twin moms are better at doing that and maybe quicker. Like with my daughter, even after mastitis, my husband had mentioned doing formula a couple of times and I was so, I don't even know the right word stubborn. Like I'm like, no, I had in my head, I'm gonna breastfeed. It's gonna be this magical experience. Alexis Teichmiller: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Jessielee Sittig: I will say after she had her tongue ties released, it was a significantly better experience. with the boys, I started pumping in the hospital. I literally was like, I want to keep up my supply. And it was interesting. The nurses, the postpartum nurses were like, yeah, you need a pump. Here's a medical grade pump. if they're latching and nothing's coming out, then that's signaling that, ⁓ well, your babies don't need milk. Alexis Teichmiller: Good. Yes. Jessielee Sittig: with anything and you're going to stop, your supply is going to drop. And then the lactation consultants were like, you should not pump, you should breastfeed. And I'm like, I'm trying, I'm trying. It's so hard. And they were, my boys were so little, they were 413 and 414. And one of the nurses was saying like, I'm not sure if their cheek muscles are like actually even strong enough to latch. So my boys never had nicu time, but they were always on the border because of glucose levels. Alexis Teichmiller: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Of course. Yeah. Mmm. interesting. Jessielee Sittig: How do you get your glucose levels up? You drink milk. So it was like, okay, all signs are pointing to if I want to provide breast milk, then I need to pump. So I made that pivot in the hospital and I wouldn't have had that like mental capacity to do that with my daughter. Like that shift happened when I had twins. Alexis Teichmiller: Yep. Yeah, I think there's a lot of pressure on women. Well, one in general, like it's like, you are going to go back to work. Hmm. ⁓ you're going to stay home with the kids. ⁓ you're going to breastfeed. Like there's just so many opinions and thoughts, especially on the Internet. And I love the Internet. Like I love social media. I've spent a lot of my time on there. It's where you and I connected. But I do think that there are there are times when Jessielee Sittig: Yeah. ⁓ Yeah. Alexis Teichmiller: those types of narratives can get into our decision making and what we think we should do. And I think that's something I'm learning back to like my circumstances are different. It's like, I need to be really mindful of who I'm taking advice from or, you know, what might work for this, you know, sleep training for the singleton is completely different than working with, you know, your your twin babies. And so just really being mindful of like What source am I getting this information from and does it really apply to my circumstances? And, you know, can I release myself of those expectations or pressure that I might be feeling internally of like, hey, maybe maybe this is what I want, but maybe it doesn't really match like what needs to happen. And so that's been a journey, but something I think that's helped with my own mental health and kind of postpartum anxiety of just like, OK, we we. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: are rolling with the punches. We are rolling with the punches. We are adaptable. Jessielee Sittig: Yes, we are adaptable, we can pivot. Well, and feel like this goes perfectly, so I always ask every mom, if you could have a heart to heart with a twin mom or give them a piece of advice, what would you tell them? know? Alexis Teichmiller: I would say that. Can you release any pressure or expectations that you have on what the experience is supposed to be? And really crafting, this is your home, these are your babies. And I know I'm only two and a half months in, okay? But it's like, I get to set the tone to my house. I get to set the energy. I get to choose how I wanna approach a decision. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. ⁓ Alexis Teichmiller: instead of feeling like, you know, letting too much noise from the outside in. And then the other piece of advice I would give is try to take some time to yourself as early as you can in your postpartum experience. My mental health was really, really struggling, especially through the mastitis stuff. And through all of that, I was like, I just need to just an hour by myself. Like, I just need to just. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: Reset because this I don't even know who I am like and so even just the last couple of weeks of having some help I feel more like myself and I think if you can give yourself permission to find pockets of your day or Whether that's getting help or having family come over and help you whatever that looks like for you But like to your point filling up your cup so that you can show up differently as a mom I think is important and again, I'm new at this. Okay. I'm new. I got my training wheels on Jessielee Sittig: But I mean, like I said, I'm like, for being a first time mom, a first time twin mom, which could be a whole podcast on its own, like having twins first, because I was like greased up first, I had a singleton, right? So like, I went into twin motherhood with like a little bit of confidence because I had had a baby already. So first time mom, two and a half months in, and I'm just, I know that you have been through quite a bit, like we've talked about, but I'm just impressed at how Alexis Teichmiller: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jessielee Sittig: Like I said, like I'm just impressed at how you are putting yourself. You're putting yourself first so that you can be the best mom that you can be. And I just am impressed by that because like I said earlier, I really had to crash and burn before I started making myself a priority. And I am a significantly better mom when I gone to yoga, when I have had one-on-one time with some girlfriends, when I have had one-on-one time with my husband, I am a better mom and can pour into my kids. And I can, I hate when I start feeling I'm like, ⁓ I'm starting to get like, I don't want to be a mean mom. I don't want to be a mean resentful mom. And when I start to feel that way, I'm like, that's because I'm not filling my own cup and that's my own fault. And I know it's hard to find, like you're talking about a village, you have to have help in order to do that. So I love it. Alexis Teichmiller: Mm-hmm. But I think it's like recognizing, hey, I need help and asking for it. Like, I do think... Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Alexis Teichmiller: You know, being in my early 30s, having lived a lot of life, I'm like used to doing things on my own. There's like this independent part of myself where I'm like, I got this. And then it's like, ⁓ I need I need help. I need I need other people in a way that I haven't before. And like just letting myself do that. And it's been it's been a really beautiful journey. I am so thankful for Sterling and Monroe. They've taught me a lot already. And I I want to honor them. I want to do right. by them. I want to think about the relationship that we don't just have in three months, but when they're eight, when they're 15, when they're 40. Like, and I think that when I'm thinking about that now, it does shift the kind of mom and how I show up. And I think just having that kind of forward thought and perspective has kind of encouraged me to be more present of like, this is it right here. Like, this is what it's all about and I need to lean into that. And yeah, it's been a good journey so far. I mean, hard, but good. Jessielee Sittig: Mm-hmm. Well, yes. Well, I love that. think that's very wise and such a good point. Like what kind of mom do I want to be in five, 10, 15 years? And how can I start implementing that now? So I don't have any regrets and no one's perfect, you know, but how can you, how can, what can you implement now to be the mom that you want to be? I love that. It was so good. It was so fun to talk to you. I absolutely loved it. Alexis Teichmiller: No. Thank you. Jessielee Sittig: I know your twins are only like two and a half months, so we absolutely have to do a follow-up of like a podcast episode number two with Alexis. Alexis Teichmiller: Yes. Yes, please. Yeah, whenever you want me back on, maybe when they're a little bit older, we can talk about lots of other things. ⁓ I am like, OK, they're like stationary right now. Like when they start moving, ⁓ my gosh, I'm maybe I'll feel differently, you know, so I'm happy to come back anytime. Jessielee Sittig: I would love that. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for joining. had so much fun chatting with you. Alexis Teichmiller: Thank you. Thank you for having this podcast. Like I've listened to some of the episodes. It's so good. I love hearing from other women and I love that you're building this community. It's so important. It's important to listen to other people's stories and feel seen in our own. And I love that you're taking the time to do this, you know, as a busy mom. So thank you for having me. Jessielee Sittig: Aw, well thank you. And I just, that was something I was craving when I was pregnant and I didn't have. So I'm like, let's just do it. Alexis Teichmiller: Yeah, I love it, I love it.