O'Brien: Two girls plus twins keep things busy
 |  O'Brien on her first weeks with twins and two young girls: "It's definitely a little chaotic, but very fun." |
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| | ON CNN TV |  Get insights on giving birth to and raising twins, triplets and other multiples by watching American Morning's "Crowded House" series. The segments air on Thursdays, beginning September 23, between 7 and 10 a.m. on CNN. |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two weeks after capping an exhausting pregnancy by giving birth to fraternal twin boys, Soledad O'Brien has had plenty of fun, if not tons of free time, in her first few days with her now much larger family.
O'Brien, co-anchor of "American Morning," talked with CNN colleague Jean Weinberg from her Manhattan home about the challenges posed by newborns Charlie and Jackson -- not to mention sisters Sofia, 3, and Cecilia, 2, who have also required ample attention and care before they start school next week.
CNN: How is it going so far?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The first week was a little chaotic. Emotions were running high, and my two girls were really ramped up. Getting the girls to eat and getting them to bed on time was very difficult.
But the second week, everything calmed down. Next week, the girls go back to school. Sofia will go from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Cecilia from 9 a.m. to noon. I think that will give me some more time to spend alone with the two boys, which will be good.
CNN: What has been the toughest part?
O'BRIEN: Logistics. We went to the doctor ... and, when you weigh one baby, you have to hold the other, and so on. Thankfully I was with the baby nurse, because it would be very hard to do it with just one person.
Logistics with one were really hard. But getting two out the door, dressed and ready -- two into car seats, then out of car seats -- is even more difficult. But that's the only real big difference so far.
My two girls have also been sick. Cecilia got a fever last week, and I had to bring her to the doctor. Sofia was sick when I had the twins, so we also had to manage that.
CNN: What has been your favorite part?
O'BRIEN: The two little boys are just so cute. ... It's definitely a little chaotic, but very fun.
CNN: How do you feel? Is the recovery from this pregnancy harder this time, compared to your past two pregnancies?
O'BRIEN: I feel really great. I am back to being in good shape. I lost a lot of weight, and I feel very energetic. The sleep really helps -- if you have a baby nurse, it makes recovery much easier. Although the pregnancy was tough at times, the birth was relatively easy.
The recovery was much better this time. There isn't a lot of information out there about what to expect the two weeks after giving birth. [Having given birth twice before], it's better because I knew what to expect. After you give birth, it's like being hit by a Mack truck.
CNN: Have the twins been back to the doctor yet? How often do they have to go?
O'BRIEN: We went to pediatrician [Monday] for their first official health checkup. It was a standard two-week test, and we go back again in two weeks for another checkup. After that, they go in two months, so about nine times in a year.
The boys have gotten a little bigger. Charlie has gained five ounces. Jackson went back to the same weight as he was when he was born -- usually babies lose some weight the first week after they're born, so it's normal.
CNN: What about feeding them?
O'BRIEN: Charlie is not a great nurser [i.e., easy to breast feed], whereas Jackson is a very good one.
 O'Brien says having a baby nurse, left, allows her to get sleep and helps with the logistical issues related to having twins. | |
You feed one at a time. So we feed Jackson every three hours, and Charlie every three and a half hours. The goal is to stretch it out so they can sleep through the night -- they are starting to get there.
The baby nurse has been feeding the babies at night, so I get a decent amount of rest. I am very fortunate in that sense.
CNN: Is there a ton more housework to do?
O'BRIEN: We ended up buying a lot more than we expected. There are lots of clothes, and we have to do about three or four loads of laundry a day. It's just more, but it's nice to have the twins [after having my other two] children. You already know the drill. It's tricky, but it's not stressful.
CNN: What's your perspective on parenting?
O'BRIEN: One thing parenting teaches you is that you can't get hysterical about anything. If ranting and raving was helpful, I might do it, but it's not productive. Being a parent has made me much more calm.
CNN: When will you go back to work? Do you miss it?
O'BRIEN: I will go back to work on October 18th. I love work, although I have enjoyed having the time off to hang out with the girls. However, I'd like to get back to work. I think everyone needs to go back to a routine.
