Testimonial: What does it mean to take care of children when you have CF?

From the start of this adventure, I was told that pregnancy is not the most difficult for our health: it is the “after” that takes away from us.

Knowing this fact, I made a promise to myself long before conceiving: I will continue to take good care of myself. Of course my kids come first, but not at any cost. In our routine, after the morning drink, I have lunch and I do my aerosol nebulizers. Yes, the morning goes by at breakneck speed, I have almost no time to do anything else.

At night, it's intense. Babies have group feedings before going to bed, that is, they drink by the hour. To give me (to me and my breasts!) A short break, we include drinks of formula milk in this binge! At first, formula milk was included using a small cup, then, with a small tube that darling attached to her finger, these 2 techniques aimed at not creating confusion between the breast and the bottle for a baby. It is only around 3 weeks that I will offer supplements using a bottle.

For me, I make my other aerosol while breastfeeding or between 2 drinks.

And personal hygiene is important! Very often it's me who gets in the bath when it's time to wash them. It's such a beautiful moment, and I let Chérie run around the bath to get the first baby naked, wash it in water while I'm holding it, and undress the second baby while I'm having fun in the water with the first one. Then we exchange babies. I have fun in the water with the second one, while dad dries and creams the first one, dresses it up and puts it in the bunk. Then he comes back to wash the 2^E baby while I'm holding it. While he's drying it up and dressing it up, I wash myself. Yay, I made the most of my time while having a good time with my sons!

3 weeks after giving birth, I had an appointment at my CF clinic. My FEV1, which had dropped by 20% during my pregnancy, has increased by 18%! It can be said that I am almost back to my normal, and I am giving myself time to improve everything even more.

I no longer take insulin after giving birth. I was convinced that my diabetes would stay. However, I no longer have symptoms. I will have induced hyperglycemia 3 months postpartum, but I am confident.

The only difficulty: before, I had clapping at my CLSC. I have to travel to get this service. It's my way of being consistent with this treatment: I've never been able to incorporate standalone physiotherapy treatments into my routine, but when I have an appointment, I go. Sometimes, darling, I don't get it right, but we don't have a suitable bed, so it's not at all ergonomic for him. However, now that I have 2 babies to breastfeed, it is quite difficult to leave the house at a specific time. So I am suspending this treatment until I get used to my new reality as a dairy cow!

I feel this pause in my lungs, I cough a lot and mucus builds up there. Chéri claps at me when we have time, but did I tell you that Chéri didn't take any parental leave?

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