Tegan JOnes

Tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Tegan and I am a wife and mum of two beautiful little boys, Archer - 21 months and Huxley - 6 months. My husband and I were married in 2017 after being together for 6 years during which time we got our fur baby Poppy, built our house and tried to see as much of the world as possible before planning to have our two little trouble makers.

What were you doing before babies?

My husband and I loved to travel and tried to tick off as many bucket list destinations as possible! We honeymooned in South Africa and spent a week in Greater Kruger National Park. Our last trip was to South America, primarily so that we could visit Machu Picchu.

How did you come to be a mum?

We had planned to start trying for a family as soon as we returned from our South America trip and it took us around 6 months to conceive. We always wanted two children and to have them close together so when we felt comfortable and confident with looking after Archer, we started trying for Huxley.

What has your feeding journey been like?

I wanted to breastfeed so badly with my firstborn but had prepared myself for the possibility of not being able to. This was because my mum wasn't able to breastfeed me due to supply issues.

I had read every article, book, pamphlet there was available and had spoken in length with my midwife about what could possibly impact my breastfeeding journey including issues with tongue ties or other lip or cheek ties, using nipple shields, dietary supplements and breastfeeding teas to help boost supply. By the time my firstborn, Archer arrived I was prepared for anything, or so I thought.

In the first hours/days in hospital I struggled with Archer's latch. As each shift changed, I had a new midwife who showed me a slightly different technique but not once did anyone mention that Archer had a tongue tie. On my last day in hospital, hours before being discharged one of the midwifes said

"someone has told you he has a tongue tie right? ". I thought "NO, but that's okay, I've prepared myself for this".

Before we left, Archer had his newborn check and I asked the ward midwife to show me his tongue tie and to do an assessment. I was informed that his tongue tie shouldn't pose any issues or effect my breastfeeding journey.

We went home and I continued to try to breastfeed but Archer become more and more agitated and I experienced more and more pain. We ended up booking in with a GP Obstetrician who was also a lactation consultant on the advice of my community midwife who was coming to visit us at home. Unfortunately, we were unable to get an appointment with her before seven weeks postpartum. While we waited for this appointment, I had a fair bit of damage and was in so much pain, I decided to exclusively express and bottle feed. Finally, Archer seemed happy and full but I was exhausted. We had trouble going anywhere because I had to pump every two to three hours and then would spend up to an hour bottle feeding my son. Not only did I feel house bound but I also felt like a dairy cow!

At our consultation with the tongue tie specialist, she explained to us that while the tongue tie might be small in size it was fairly severe due to it being located at the front of the tongue rather than at the back. She further explained that without intervention, returning to breastfeeding would be difficult, even with the use of nipple shields and Archer would could possibly develop speech issues in the future. Based on her recommendation, two weeks later (nine weeks postpartum) we had his tongue tie cut. Luckily, I was able to return to breastfeeding and once Archer had learnt to latch properly, I was pain free.

Having experienced this with Archer, I asked for my second son to be assessed as soon as possible after birth for a tongue tie. He also had one and we had it cut before even leaving hospital. Breast feeding the second time around came so much more naturally to me. My children are very close in age and it had only been around five months since Archer had weaned himself, so in some ways it felt like I had never really stopped.

What has sleep been like in your house?

Archer was always a good sleeper. He did hit most of the sleep regressions but was only disrupted for a few days/nights. Now he sleeps 7:30pm - 7am every night unless he is unwell.

Huxley brought new and different challenges to navigate. This has included sleep..... Currently he is still sleeping in our room in a bassinet. Some nights I will only have to get up to feed him which I am doing once a night. Other nights I can be up every hour consoling him and patting him to sleep. So far we have had a good week and I have been getting around 6 hours.

The hardest bits...

I think the first 10 weeks with Archer has by far been the most difficult period given our feeding issues.

Huxley has had reflux which has also been challenging. Luckily, I have some mum friends who have been able to give me lots of support as well as tips and tricks for dealing with his reflux.

The best bits...

I think for any new mum all the 'firsts' are really exciting!

At the moment Archer is really taking an interest in Huxley and Huxley is at an age where he is more interactive. Watching them bond and try and play together warms my heart.

How do you make time for you?

I try and get some kind of physical activity in every day. If I'm lucky enough to have both boys napping at the same time I will try to do a longer more intense workout, otherwise it might only include a 30 minute walk.

Sunday evenings are my reset day and I get an hour of uninterrupted time after the boys have been put to bed. I usually make it a bit like a spa session, with a face mask and maybe a glass of wine or I might just watch a good tv show.

Relationship wise, my husband and I go on at least one date night and have an at home board game night once a month.

What's next for you and your family?

I recently launched my own business called Cubs & Pups, selling handmade baby accessories. This was mainly inspired by Huxley and his reflux. The endless vomiting led to me sewing bibs and burp clothes and once I started sewing the other creations just seemed to follow. I am very fortunate to have a very supportive husband who is helping me juggle looking after the kids with setting the business up. I would love for this new business venture to mean I can leave my regular job so that I can be home with the boys more. Only time will tell 🙂