[KT]

I wondered (if you don't mind) if I could pick your brains for a moment about twins and what you guys have tried.

My boys are 7 weeks old (1 week corrected) we've been quite strict about feeding times from Day 1 and although they don't always manage it exactly (and we do adjust if necessary) they seem to go between 3/4 hours and we always wake one up if the other has just fed.

What I'm concerned about is the fact that they only ever eat or cry for food when awake and aren't having any other alert times. I would like to introduce play and proper day time naps - but at the moment I feed them and then they go back to bed until the next feed. They are still only little - James is 6lb 6oz and Matthew 5lb 14oz.
Just wondered what you experienced and whether you had any advice and whether this is normal?
Am I expecting too much? Should I put them to sleep somewhere else during the day so they know the difference between night/day?
So many questions - I'll stop there before I fill a whole page.

Hope you all are well

love
Kerry

 

[bfbc]

Hi KT

My twins were also born at 34 weeks and spent their first 2 weeks in NICU, where they were fed every 4 hours and we just continued with this routine at home. I think although it now feels to you as though they have always been here they are still only 1 week old (corrected). So they are behaving perfectly normally for 1 week old ie eating and sleeping.  It took my two until they were about 8 weeks (corrected) to really want to have short periods of interaction which can then be built into the day.  They are now 8 months old and sleep through from 7.30 - 6.30 and still have regular naps in the morning and afternoon (but not always at the same time !!).  I know it's really easy to worry over everything but be guided by them - they'll soon let you know when they're ready for a change.

Eve xx

 

[Flakey]

Hi KT

Ditto everything that Eve has said. My two girls were born at 35 weeks and spent the first couple of months eating and sleeping. You are already in a routine of sorts if they are feeding every 3-4 hours. They will gradually start to have more awake times and will to a large extent find their own routine. My two wake at 6:30am, nap at about 8:30am, have a longer sleep from about 12:30pm and then go to bed for the night at 7:00pm. We were also really strict on feeds and would always feed them both together.

Make the most of them sleeping so much and get lots of R&R yourself cos once they are awake for longer periods of time it's much more tiring - lovely but tiring!!

Flakey x
(Exhausted mummy today!)

 

[morgan]

Hi Kerry - I found the exact same thing was worrying me with my 2 - I felt like they should be awake and alert for at least some of the time.  It seemed like it was a struggle to keep them awake even to get their nappies changed.  Mine are a little younger than yours but were born at 36 weeks so not quite so little.  But since they hit 4 weeks old (their due date ), they have definitely changed and are now alert and looking about or crying for an hour or so after a feed at least once or twice a day.  So I'm sure yours will change very soon - maybe they have to hit a magic weight before they have any spare energy to use up being awake?

I guess we have to give them a few weeks' grace because they came early and are just little.

Hope you're getting on ok otherwise - it's pretty exhausting, isn't it?  But fantastic too - we are so lucky to have our tiny twins.

love Morgan xxx

 

[jenbob]

Hi Kerry,

I agree with what has already been said. I worried too at first and felt like all they did was eat and sleep and I felt guilty about that. My twins were born two weeks early and were probably about 10 weeks old before I changed from feeding on demand to a structured feeding and napping plan. Our feed times are similar to Flakey's girls routine and I found this works for them.

I think they will let you know when they need stimulating and they get pleasure just from watching you at the moment. remember that changing and feeding is stimualtion for them too at this stage. I got a playmat and put them both under that to start with just for a few minutes a day. You soon realise when they are starting to enjoy it and take things in.

It sounds like you are very 'on the ball' and Im sure things will fall into place for you.
Lots of luck
Jenny xx