We survived the first 100 days!

Published October 3, 2016 by Jennie

So we officially survived the first 100 days with the twins yay! I feel like we should get a medal for that or something. I love them but it has by far been the biggest challenge I have faced. It is so much harder than I ever imagined.

Since they arrived the twins have survived a premature birth, a stint in the NICU (11 days for Lauren and 20 days for Luke), feeding issues, reflux, colic, out of sync schedules, day/night confusion, developmental issues primarily related to prematurity (luckily these are mild and we are making progress), and an additional stay in the hospital for several days at around 2 months old for unexplained fevers.

I have also managed to get through a difficult c-section recovery, a failure to breastfeed (I have never tried so hard and failed at anything in my life), bonding issues, and significant postpartum depression (PPD). I did not expect PPD to be as big as an issue as it has been and treating it has been tough. It has gotten much better but some days are still a struggle.

While the twins are beginning to consolidate feedings, for the most part we have averaged 16 daily feedings and 20 or so daily diaper changes. Luckily we have a tremendous amount of help from friends and family. Colic has gotten much better but for a while we got to listen to them cry and scream for countless hours every day.

I feel like I have a millions I could write about. For now, I will just be thankful that we have gotten to where we are. While we still have challenges, the twins are thriving and that is all I can ask for.

Here is a picture of them in their Halloween gear. I know it is early for Halloween but these outfits are just too cute.

halloween

On a side note, I did get them evaluated and found out he has severe plagiocephaly and she has a moderate case. It is relatively common with premature babies. His case is worse due to his torticollis. Insurance denied treatment because they said it is not medically necessary. I am sure if it was their kids they would change their mind. I have heard of people successfully appealing this and wanted to see if anyone had any tips on how to do that. If we have to pay out of pocket we will but it is super expensive and would be nice to get coverage.

I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for reading- Jennie

23 comments on “We survived the first 100 days!”

  • Oh man hang in there! It gets easier I promise!! Mine are 16 months and it’s a lot more fun! Congratulations for sure on 100 days! Every minute is a celebration!

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    • It is so nice to hear from people who has made it past these difficult parts with twins. It reminds me it is possible. One thing that has made it easier is that the twins are finally starting to interact with me. Their smiles make the long nights and constant challenges worth it.

      Thanks so much for the support!

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  • Oh they are so cute! What a tough few of months you have been adjusting to be a new mama of little twinnies. I admire you so much. Twins would be incredibly full on. You are doing a great job! Go mama!

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    • Thanks! It has been a lot of work but also fun. I do not think we will ever really know what we are doing but we are somewhat getting the hang of things.

      I hope your LO is getting better with her tummy issues!

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  • Congratulations on surviving 100 days, you are doing great! I can not imagine how much hard work it must be. Beautiful photo, they are so cute and I love the little outfits! xo

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    • Ok, my phone got weird on me. I just won a 2 month long insurance battle to get my one of my twin daughter’s helmet approved. It can be done. It’s a pain, but worth it. I noticed a difference in Rowan’s head shape in just 2 weeks! Get copies of all of your paperwork and contact your insurance company to appeal. Don’t wait too long. Our doctor (and, mostly, his nurse) was fantastic about getting the insurance company all of the required paperwork. The doctor also had to do a “peer review” which meant he had to call and talk to insurance company doctors, which I thought was insulting. I will say that Rowan does have some other health issues which made the helmet therapy that much more necessary (absent corpus callosum, part of the brain, and global delays), but as long as you have your medical team on your side, you should be good.

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      • Wow thanks so much for sharing. I am so glad I have this blog because I get the best advice from other people who have been through similar things. I am so frustrated that this is an issue but I am willing to do anything I need to do to get them the treatment they need. We will take you advice and get right on it. I know the longer we wait, the harder it is. They are only 3 months now so hopefully if we start treatment soon it will not take too long. Thanks again!

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      • Glad you are getting good advice! I do know that every provider is different, but we had to wait until at least 6 months for the helmet so that the baby has good head control, etc. You might also look into early intervention services. Every state is different, but Rowan qualifies for therapy in home. Therapy would help with torticollis and maybe even shorten helmet time. Best of luck!!

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  • We have 9 month old twins. Our son had severe plagiocephy and torticollis (still in OT and almost out of his second, and last, band). Insurance first denied our claims, and someone told us about United Healthcare Children’s Foundation. They will pay what insurance does not (I am unsure if it will cover all or half or what). Google that and apply asap they will retrovert 60 days and pay you back if you have already paid. We did not qualify because I had worked the past year. But then, out of nowhere insurance covered 70%! Praise the Lord. Cranial Technologies is the company we have been using for his bands, and they did all of the work to try and convince insurance (along with my doctor’s letters of medical necessity). I hope you are able to get one of these avenues to work. Even if insurance covers part, the foundation can still cover the leftovers.

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    • Thank you so much for sharing! I have never heard of that foundation. I am going to look into this today. We did successfully get him started with therapy through early intervention. It makes me mad that they can see he has issues but when it comes to getting a helmet, insurance says no. Apparently PT/OT is ok but a helmet is not even though they all address the same issue.

      I am so glad you ended up getting coverage. Twins are so expensive so every bit helps!

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  • Congrats on surviving the first 100 days! They are cuties 🙂 You are doing great momma!
    Keep us updated on the insurance battle. I’m dealing with the same thing for my son’s PT for torticollis and have already paid an insane amount out of pocket.

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    • Thanks!

      I feel like I should be used to fighting with insurance at this point. We reached out of pocket maximum so everything until December should be covered at 100 percent. I feel like one reason they do not want to say it is medically necessary is because of this. I will admit they have paid a lot for the twins due to their NICU stay at birth and hospital stay a few weeks ago. Even so, that their their job and that is what insurance is for. I will keep fighting with them until they do what they need to do.

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  • I don’t have twins but I know how hard one is so I can only imagine how much harder two would be! You definitely deserve more then a medal! That stinks about the insurance, I mean I would understand a tiny bit if it was just the shape of his head because they consider that “cosmetic”, although to me it’s not, but his neck movement is important so I can’t believe they would deny it..ugh! They are so cute in their halloween outfits!! I just ordered Bowen’s today it will be his last ‘first’ holiday…so sad 😦 He made it in time for Thanksgiving.

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    • That is exactly my point. It is not like his head is a bit misshapen. Anyone can look at it and see he needs treatment. It is so bad his ears are out of alignment. It is more than cosmetic. Insurance companies drive me crazy sometimes. I am only trying to get the treatment they need and nothing else. He needs to be able to use his neck.

      Thanks for liking the picture. One of my favorite things about having twins is the adorable twin outfits. That is a bit sad that you are soon going to have your ‘last’ first holiday. They grow so fast! Time flies. They will be in college before we know it!

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