The question of the year. Yes, I am going to say it. I hate being a mom sometimes. I have days where I am thinking, "if I have to dangle a rattle in front of my child's face one more time I am going to lose it". The question is that in moments like these where I am at wit's end and hate what I'm doing, does this make me a bad mom? Per conversations with friends, social media contacts, and other therapists, the answer is "no". These feelings are all normal in the process of being a parent. Especially when your child/children are so dependent upon you. The unequal divide of the relationship can ..read more

Here is a practical hospital bag checklist I have created. Most hospitals will provide things like towels, breast pump, supplies for baby, delivery aftercare supplies (you can take enough home to last you a few days and can always send your partner out for more). Also, you should be registered with the hospital you are going to, so no need for extra paperwork or sources of ID. Check with your provider to make sure. 1. Toothpaste 2. Toothbrush 3. Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash 4. Deodorant 5. Brush/Comb 6. Hair Dryer 7. Crappy, old, large underwear 8. Nursing bras 9. Comfy dress 10. Loose/matern ..read more

Here is an outline of the podcast episode on behavior modification and limit setting. If this is helpful to you, please head over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a 5-star review! Behavior Modification and Limit Setting A - Acknowledge the feeling C - Communicate the limit T- Target Alternatives (Landreth and Bratton, 2019) Example: “Johnny I know you feel excited when you jump on the couch, but the couch is not for jumping on. You can choose to jump on the floor or on your trampoline.” Taking it a step further.... “Johnny, which do you choose? If you keep jumping on the couch then you will lose ..read more

Yes. I am guilty of comparing my kids to others and even to each other. Doing this causes a lot of anxiety and I've tried to stop, but it is automatic for me. My boys are 9 months old and are not crawling. My first thought: What's wrong with them? Reality: Nothing is wrong with them. Also, taking into consideration my boys were born 7 weeks early, that makes for the potential that they will be more like a 7 month old. One of my twins doesn't mind tummy time, but the other acts like I am trying to torture him. I can't help but see friends on social media with babies that seem to like tummy tim ..read more

Being a mom of twins is hard. No not hard. Impossible. Think about the ratio. It is as if you are a single parent 100% of the time and if you are by yourself, you are doing twice the work of a single parent. I apologize to parents of singletons, but there is not much of a comparison. The finances, space, food, time, energy, etc is all double. So give yourself a pat on the back and the space to take a breath every now and then. You deserve props for raising twins. I wish I could focus on one baby and give it all my love and attention. Most days I have to base attention on who is most sick, in p ..read more

I am going to go over topics I covered in the most recent podcast I published (#12 - Dealing with Behavior Problems). These are the skills I covered and little notes about them. 1. Reflecting feeling and meaning. Make sure you are in tune with your children in that you are able to watch their behavior and verbalize how you think they are feeling. You can take it a step further as they grow older and reflect why they may be feeling a certain way. The child can accept this is a true statement or will at times correct you if the feeling or meaning is not correct. (this depends on developmental st ..read more

Ok, so this is purely my opinion and what worked best on my babies. I am still completely open to opinions of others and willing to try new things. Let me first start off saying that teething is a nightmare. I'm sure most of you know that, but I was hoping to get those easy kids that just pop out teeth with no issue. So I'm a little pissed. I was told that topical numbing gels where no longer really "safe" or "acceptable". So here is a list of things we have used that have worked. The list of tried and failed is a lot longer. I have attached links of what we used and where we got it from. Disc ..read more

My opinion, maybe it doesn't matter to you, but I know self-care, self-compassion, and breaks can NOT be choices for me raising twins. I've tried and ended up sitting crying in the shower or staring like a zombie at my children on multiple occasions. Yes, as mothers we are going to have low points, but to have them frequently is not ok. Self-care should be a part of the daily routine and just as important as everyone getting fed, sleep, and loved. You deserve it too, because if you don't get it, then you cannot be the best caretaker you can be. Just like the oxygen mask on the airplane analogy ..read more

I was lucky enough to feature Dr. Elliot Berlin on a recent podcast episode to discuss informed choice and pre/postnatal chiropractic care. I wanted to write a recap of our discussion and encourage you to listen on my podcast "Therapist Mom of Twins". Informed choice in pregnancy and birth is made up of the following key points (http//sandralondino.com/services/): Providing information in regards to: 1. The known or potential diagnosis requiring testing or treatment. 2. The nature and process of proposed testing or treatment. 3. Potential benefits of any tests, drugs, or procedures. 4. Potenti ..read more

My newborn experience was different than probably many people. However, I don't believe it looks too much different from a good amount of women who have twins. I want to share how I got through it and how you can too! Stage 1 - NICU Our boys spent 27 and 37 days in the NICU. I only spent about 1-3 hours per day at the NICU. Don't forget, your babies are probably not supposed to even be out of the womb at this point and they still need so much time to rest and grow. The hospital where the boys stayed was about 30 minutes away from our home and it was quite time consuming to go there and back. D ..read more