O'Brien: Finding a routine with four kids
 |  'I feel great, so much better than I did [after I gave birth to] the two girls. This time it's much easier, my nursing is going much better.' |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Almost four weeks after giving birth, CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien and her daughters are adjusting to having twin boys in the house.
O'Brien, co-anchor of "American Morning," spoke with CNN colleague Jean Weinberg from her Manhattan home about her newborns Charlie and Jackson and their sisters, 3-year-old Sofia and 2-year-old Cecilia, who just returned to school this week.
CNN: How has the past week been with the girls back to school?
O'BRIEN: It was actually very good. It was a very chaotic week, a few meltdowns. But overall I would say it was fine, and next week will be better. I think it's just a lot going on for them, I think school gives them a structure. It's nice to have time with the boys in the morning. For children, whether they're young or old, it's all about a schedule.
CNN: How are Charlie and Jackson doing?
O'BRIEN: They are doing great, and they are growing well. They are spending more time awake, and becoming little people. The babies are really calm, but they have not gone thorough the phases their siblings went through. Sofia was a nightmare; from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., she would scream. So, I feel very lucky this time.
CNN: Any new fun or exciting developments with the twins?
O'BRIEN: They're getting little new personalities. Everything is sort of coming together.
CNN: How are you feeling?
O'BRIEN: I feel great, so much better than I did [after I gave birth to] the two girls. This time it's much easier, my nursing is going much better. My recovery has been great. Sofia was an especially tough recovery. I am sleeping well. I guess I would say that, by three weeks, everything starts coming together.
Some of the logistics are tricky; you just really need another set of hands. It's physically gone well, and that is a basis for everything going well. If Mommy is feeling well, that makes everything better. I have been very lucky, no postpartum depression.
You end up being a hostile person if you don't take time for yourself. Balance comes at the expense of sleep. The more kids I have, the more calm I become. I just get more and more relaxed. You realize you can't control it -- you can't make a newborn stop crying.
You get very Zen. Twins are logistically trickier, and I am glad they weren't my first and second children. Having a baby nurse, or your mom, or your friend come over really helps.
CNN: How long are the twins able to sleep for at night usually?
O'BRIEN: About three and a half hours, which is about the same from when they were born. The one thing about twins, with two crying it's a lot to deal with.
CNN: Are you bored at all, anxious to get back to work?
O'BRIEN: Not bored, but I do I miss work. I couldn't stay home all the time. It's hard to be a working mom, but it's also hard to be a stay-at-home mom. I like when you work, you also get time for yourself, which is great.
In another couple months the girls will have their play dates, and everyone gets back on their schedule including me. But it's been very nice to be home.
I also have a nice schedule [because] I will be home by noon during the week. I will still pick up the girls from school, then try to get to the gym and then be home with the boys. I try to be home with everyone in the afternoon. I haven't quite worked it all out yet. With Sofia I didn't really go to the gym, [but] with more kids I want to take time out, and try to figure out where do you squeeze in going. The more kids you have, [the more] you realize they'll be fine if you go to the gym for an hour.
 O'Brien: "For children, whether they're young or old, it's all about a schedule." | |
I tend to make dinner for the girls. Yesterday I took the girls out to lunch, and I have been trying to carve out time for them. Truth is, where I short myself is sleep, because I like to hang out with the kids, and I like to do that stuff. But it's math -- what's going to give? -- and often what gives is my sleep.
CNN: Have you been back to the doctor with Charlie and Jackson?
O'BRIEN: We go back next week to the doctor. At the last visit, Jackson had gained some weight and Charlie had too. Boys tend to eat better than girls.
CNN: Any stress between your two girls and Charlie and Jackson?
O'BRIEN: The girls are very into their brothers. They exhibit their stress through the drama of the day, but that is getting better. They really love when the babies flail their arms around and they say, 'Mommy, he touched my face that means he really likes me.'
