nw&nf&ew horrible nights

[deepsea]

Hi all...

l have 1year old identical twin girl babies. I have more than one problem and don't know how to start explain...
One of my baby girl have NW problem, NW time is not constant but it is not random either. For last 3 nights she woke up at 3am, l was ready to apply w2s last night but she WU at 1:50am. She doesn't go back to sleep if she doesn't BF. when she have NW, I have to take her out of their room to keep other one asleep.
Both of them wakes up around 5am and want to be fed. If they give me at least 20min duration l am able to put them back to sleep after BF but if they WU simultaneously l am desperate. They don’t accept my husband’s support, start to cry and lose their sleepy behavior.
They still DFs. I don’t think they are hungry just after 2-3 hours later than DF or around 5am. I work full time and these problems started after l started to work again when they were 8 months.

This is their routine but it is almost changing every day since their WU time changed. Generally, their first A time is around 3H, 2nd A time around 4h and their day sleep is around 2h15d .. their total day is aroun 12-13h.

6:30 WU
9:30 S
10:30 WU
14:30 S
15:45 WU
19:00 BT
23:00 DF (sometimes one of them wu early and take milk immediately)

I still BFing but they don’t like to drink milk during day time. They take 175ml at BT and 175ml at DF. That was the reason l started to BF them when they have NWs but now they are 12months old and I believe they are taking enough food (they both have good appetite) during day time to keep them full during night.

It has been 4 months l have been working and l can’t remember any night they STTN. Please take a look our routine and some advices.

Thanx in advance..

[becj86]

Are they independent sleepers?

Are you able to feed them at WU in the morning (if they sleep til 6:30?) and BT? Were they STTN before you went back to work? Just wondering if they're waking to spend some time with you - any difference on weekends

Also thinking the first nap may need to be pushed later and capped to maybe discourage the EW, moving to something like this:
6:30 - WU
10 - nap
10:30 - wake
1 - nap
3 ish - wake (let them sleep til they wake rather than capping unless nap goes over 2hr)
7 - BT

Hugs xx

[deepsea]

Yes i am able to feed them in the morning but they don't want to be fed if they totally awake. They never sleep untill 6:30, they surely wake up 5ish.  But most of the time they go back to sleep after BF.

Last week we had a little journey with my DH and let girl stay at home with grandmothers. That night they STTN, probably they want to spend more time with me but i don't know how to act on this. I leave home at 7:30am and come back arond 5:30pm. There is no any other way for me yet.

About the schedule you suggest, only 2:30 A time for second turn and expect them to sleep 2 hours. Which is a dream for my girls. After 4h A time, they sleep only 70-75mins, are you sure this routine will work for them??

Thanx, hugs

[Truly Blessed]

Hello Hun, (hugs) and welcome. Can you please answer this...

Are they independent sleepers?

It's really quite relevant to how you move forward. What we're asking is if you are able to put the girls down awake and if they can get themselves off to sleep ie: self settling.

About the schedule you suggest, only 2:30 A time for second turn and expect them to sleep 2 hours. Which is a dream for my girls. After 4h A time, they sleep only 70-75mins

Those 70/75 min naps may be over tired naps due to the A time being too long. Also Becky is suggesting a 30 min nap instead of an hour which makes a big difference to the length of A time before the 2nd nap. It is basically one of the 'typical' routine's for LO's of the girls age, but of course it does vary and we/you need to figure out what is best for your girls  The short am/long pm routine works for many LO's because the short morning nap is less likely to result in 2nd nap refusal, and make it possible to keep the day shot enough, which I would suggest keeping at 13 hour maximum.

At 1 year old LO's rarely still need NF's so I am sure you're right when you say they don't need a feed 3 hours after the last one. My thinking is that the NW and EW are routine related. IIWM I would drop all feeds at night now, because they really do become a 'prop' which is hard to break  .

Bye for now 

x.

[becj86]

probably they want to spend more time with me but i don't know how to act on this. I leave home at 7:30am and come back arond 5:30pm. There is no any other way for me yet.

In the same situation (but with only one child), I chose to just feed and cuddle and DS has started STTN on his own when his routine is right, his mummy-cup is full and he's not OT... It has taken a long time though and he is still up at least once a night on probably 3-4 nights per week. Can you get as ready as possible the night before and get up, do the basics and spend a bit of quality time with the girls before you leave for work? I know its hard - DS is struggling with DH's new job (leave home 5:30am and gets home 6:30pm) but we're able to ensure DH does the cuddles while I finish off the dinner, DH does the bath, pyjamas, etc. as much of the BT routine as his is anatomically capable of and that helps tide DS over to the weekend when he gets more solid daddy-time.

[deepsea]

this forum has a magic.. whenever l post a problem it is solved or got easier before even answers reached to me:)

for 2 nights they both are STTN. the problematic DD1 slept at 7pm and woke up at 6:30am yesterday night. l didn't hear her voice even once..
my other girl was the easy one but now it takes 45 mins to put her down to sleep and she is humming many times during night but there is no NW att all. She WU at 6:00am but she slept again at 6:30 and wu 7:00am again..

l don't know they are giving me a break or after birthday (it was 01nov12) their behavior has changed but l am more than happy for 2 nights:)

they are not independent sleepers. after bath&pyjama&milk l put them to crib and sing a song while patting their back.. if it doesn't work (usually one of them sleeps) l take out of room and cuddle her for a while and try again.. they both are using dummy and l don't know how to wean it baceuse l can't imagine my life without it:)

how can l minimize my role on their BT routine? any advice?

thanx in advance

[becj86]

I wouldn't try to get rid of the dummy at this age - better to do it early on or when LO is ready... Its not a prop if they can replug themselves, that's when it becomes a comfort item

Yay for the sleep

There are lots of things happening developmentally around this age, a leap just before the birthday and another one in a couple of weeks.

I'm thinking gradual withdrawal would be the way to go to minimise your involvement in their going to sleep: Walk In/Walk Out vs. The Gradual Withdrawal Method (HOW TO CHOOSE)

[Truly Blessed]

Hurrah! Good girls thinking of such a lovely Birthday Present for Mammy...SLEEP!  Let us know what you think when you've digested the link information.x.