new twin mom | Imamother

someone613 ↓

Wed, Aug 20 2008, 1:09 pm

I have three week old twins and am trying to figure out how to manage, these are my first so everything is new to me. did everyone put their twins on a schedule from such a young age? I haven't figured out how to feed them both at once, sometimes they eat at the same time, as I have help now so we can each feed one, but sometimes only one is hungry, so they don't always eat together. everyone keeps saying how important a schedule is for sanity.. is this true? what did you guys do?

mummy-bh

Wed, Aug 20 2008, 2:52 pm

I made sure my two were on a schedule as well, which is something I was much more laid back about with my singletons.
But, I can't help wondering if maybe three weeks is still a little early. It depends on a lot of factors: how are you feeding; what was their birthweights; how often do they feed (I'm almost certain mine were still at 2-2.5 hourly at this age)

MAZEL TOV!!!!! Welcome to the twins club!

↑ someone613 ↓

Wed, Aug 20 2008, 6:45 pm

thanks everyone for the replies. so when did you all start with the schedules? I am formula feeding, but still feel bad waking one up when the other eats, either making her eat or having her just not eat if not hungry I can't force it.. and also I feel too bad to put off a feeding at such a young age if they are hungry.. and they don't always get up to eat at the same time. so what did you guys do to make a schedule and at what age? now they eat roughly every three hours, sometimes more sometimes less.

tovarena

Thu, Aug 21 2008, 9:46 am

Mazel Tov!

In terms of scheduling, I think it depends in large part on how much help you have and at what times. For the first 6 weeks, I had my mom 4 days a week during the day. So we never really worried during the day because I could still take a nap and my mom could feed them formula for that feeding (we were nursing and formula feeding).

For nighttimes, by the end of that 6 weeks, DD had started waking only once a night at most. So during those night feeds when she did wake, we WOULD pick up DS to feed him as well. We found we didn't have to wake him exactly. If we would stick the bottle in his mouth while still mostly sleeping, he would just eat without coming fully awake. We could even burp and diaper him without him being fully awake. That definitely helped us get at least a little more sleep since he was still needing to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours.

Also, in terms of feeding them simultaneously - during those times when I did end up home alone, my easiest way that I found was to put them both in their car seats on the floor and then sit in between them to hold the bottles. Or, even if you're not BF'ing at all, you could still get a twin nursing pillow. What I sometimes did was had one nursing and one bottle-feeding but both on the pillow. You'll find the tricks that work best for you (after all, necessity IS the mother of invention), but it can be done. Hang in there!

Eowyn

Sat, Aug 23 2008, 8:47 pm

Mazal tov!

My twinnies are 2 yo now, but man, I remember those days!

I whole heartedly suggest getting them on the same schedule. Feed them at the same time - if one was hungry, the other got fed as well. Eventually, they end up being hungry at the same time.

Hang in there, those first few weeks are really rough, but our turning point came around 3 months (1 month adjusted since they were 8 weeks early). They both started sleeping longer and that was heaven! My son actually stopped waking at night for food, but we kept waking him when his sister woke. When they were just shy of 4 months and I was off for Thanksgiving, we experimented with not waking him and he slept through the night. My daughter started STTN about a month later when we started putting them to bed earlier.

I always tried to cluster feed before putting them down for the night (two feedings, closer together than other times) and found that did help them sleep a bit longer. It didn't work for us (cause I couldn't get them to do it), but I know a lot of twin moms that did a dreamfeed around 10pm - basically feeding them while they are sleeping. Even if they only take a little, it usually tops them off and keeps them asleep longer!

I also suggest serious tummy time and making sure when they sleep that they don't sleep with their head turned to the same side all the time. No one warned me about plagiocephaly and my twins ended up needing bands to correct some serious head flattening (both of which had not been covered by my insurance).

Good luck!

Coffee3

Fri, Sep 26 2008, 10:20 am

my twins are 7 now.. I didnt purposely do a schedule but I think it just ended up working that way partly from how I did it and partly from them - they start to become in synch because of the house schedule..
it is very scary and overwhelming, but an assembly line can become easier when you just have the routine and dont think about it too much.
have fun, now that it's over I miss it. One baby this time is so different.

ShakleeMom

Fri, Sep 26 2008, 10:37 am

Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov.

Try to find out if anybody near you successfully breastfed twins at the same time. Once she shows you how (with the pillow) you will be amazed how easy it is. You get both twins fed at the same time, each one drains their side fully, it’s a pleasure. And you don’t have to do this every three hours, you can do formula by the next feeding, but you’ll need someone to help you with the bottles. That’s why you should try to get someone to come over to you on Shabbos and how you how.

The more on schedule they become, the more you can ask the little girl neighbors to walk them with the carriage up and down the block for an hour.

myfriends715

Fri, Sep 26 2008, 11:12 am

Mazel tov!

my twins are ka"h a yr old.. they wer'ent scheduled till prob around 3-4 months.. but for me I was alone all the time b muyself so I alwzys found it easier to feed 1 aat a time (though I bottle fed) it meant I had no break but at least I rarely had to deal w/ 2 at the same time.. but thats just me some thought I was crazy

pm me if you have any questions

jewgal84

Fri, Sep 26 2008, 1:00 pm

Welcome to twins club!

My twins were my first too!! Due to the fact that they were born early, they were a lil underweight and had to be kept in the NICU to gain.

By the time they were both home, they were on a tight schedule, thanks to hospital. We kept to it black and white and BH have been on a schedule since.

Now that they are older (almost 2!! KAH) theyre still on a strict schedule, moved it around a bit, but they still get their naps and eat together all the time.

If u have any q's feel free to ask via public or PM.

Good Shabbos and Good Luck!!

eshes chayil

Sun, Jul 19 2009, 8:59 pm

my mother sent us a life saver!!! 2 plastic clocks (like the kind they hang on office doors to write what time they will be back). We labeled them with the kids names and every time the child got fed (by myself, my husband, or my nanny), we would "update" the time on the appropriate clock. That way when DD was crying I would run to the pink clock and know if she was due for a meal or not

Tefila

Sun, Jul 19 2009, 9:15 pm

mytwo22 wrote:

Yes I can relate

Annie ↓

Sun, Jul 19 2009, 9:52 pm

I also miss it. My boys are 7 now. I did the nursing them both at the same time thing, but it didn't always work. Mine were also formula fed. When I returned to work, my dh stayed home with the boys for a while. He did the sit on the floor with carseats and holding bottles thing, but here's what saved him (and me later, and many caregivers of multiples) http://www.podee.com/

I think by 6 weeks my boys could use these themselves while sitting up. It allowed me to feed them at the same time (in public), and when I didn't have a second set of hand to hold the baby, it allowed me to at least hold one (I used to alternate who got the podee). It also allowed them to be fed while we were grocery shopping or doing something else where I needed both my hands -- that helped keep to the schedule.

That said, one of the most important things I've learned is that twins are really two different people with different needs. I had one baby who was a great sleeper and ate beautifully, and another who never ate much and never slept much. I wasn't willing to let him cry for an hour to keep him to schedule when he was so little, and his brother who ate a TON at every feeding didn't need to eat more often.

My motto with the boys was to do the best I could, ask for help when I needed it (this was key - often people will help if you ask, but they don't know what to offer w/o being asked), and sleep whenever I could.

This time when they're so teeny and you're so strung out will not last forever, and then you'll forget most of it :-). Take each day at a time and do the best you can. At night, I took one baby, and dh the other. Of course, he got the "better" sleeper . . .

Good luck, and we're all here for you. Definitely get a couple of Podees though, they're worth every penny. (and they avoid bottle propping which isn't considered so safe). You can't ignore your baby whenever they have a bottle, but at least you can still have your hands free . . .