Is it time to switch to 3.5 hr EASY??

[Wei]

My twin girls are 12 weeks old and are currently on a 3 hr easy (been on one since about 7 weeks old).  I BF only twice a day and they take formula in the other feeds.  Generally, they should be taking around 4 oz... I've cut out a night feed so that they are down to 1 night feed as I realized it was causing them to take less in the daytime (they would only take 1 or 2 oz...) and this has helped.  Not sure if I need to cut out the other night feed though but they don't seem all that hungry for this other night feed either.. and it is still somewhat of a struggle in their afternoon feeds from 2 pm onwards.  Their routine on an ideal day is somewhat like this

E  8, 11, 2, 5, 7:50 (bedtime bottle)

then activity after feed (takes about 20 min) until sleep times

S 9:30, 11:25, 2:20, catnap in swing around 6:30 pm for about 20 min

I've been wondering if at 12 weeeks it's too early to transition to 3.5 hr easy.  I notice some BW have routines where their LOs sleep a little longer than 2 hours.  I can't do this as I've noticed in the past that if my girls sleep more than 2 hours they had more night wakings.  Their feedings are becoming harder and I'm not sure if it's because of my EASY routine, or if it's the night feed.  On some naps, they are beginning to have some issues transitioning so I thought maybe it was my routine...

Your thoughts?
Thanks,

Wei

[meltown]

This is kind of a different situation then other I think because your LO's have formula.  most babies that have formula move to a 3.5 and 4 hour EASY earlier then other babies.  I am not sure they will have enough in the BFing to go 3.5 hours though.  if they can do it then I say go for it.  you may have to tweek the routine a bit though and do 3 hours after the BFing and 3.5 after the formula.  I would try to adjust throutine first, but if you want ot tryt o cut the night feed first t is worth a try either way.  I think they probably dont need as much because of the formula.

[Wei]

Thanks Melissa.  That's what I was kinda thought.  I'll try cutting out td the Night feed first to see if that'll help.  I started cutting out 1 oz in the 4am nightfeed anyway and there was no difference in night feedings... and they were a little bit hungrier for the first morning feed of the day but not THAT hungry.  So, I'll probably keep cutting out 1 oz every week till we have no oz.

Boy, I find bottle feeding so much more confusing than BF.  I bf'd my DD and didn't really have any problems with AP but with the bottle I wonder sometimes if my night feeding is more AP than real hunger!

Wei

[Wei]

Well, woke up this morning and it looked like the girls could handle 15 more minutes of wake time before first nap so I gave it a shot.

That went okay, but for all the naps either one twin or the other was doing 45 min naps... and not happy about it.  Is this normal occurence when transitioning or am I doing something wrong??  It just seems everything is going haywire!!!  AGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I really dread this part.... things never seem to go well for very long before something changes.  So FRUSTRATING!!!!!

Wei

[meltown]

when they wake up after 45 min it is usually undertired, but if they are waking rying they want more sleeping time.  it is common for babies until 6 months to have 45 min naps developmentally though.  change will always cause a bit of wonkiness for a few days and then it should settle down.  it seems to get worse before better sometimes.  I would stick with the routine for a few more days.  then you can see what the situation is like and go from there.  are tey waking at night still?  when they have a good nap how long is it?

[Wei]

Yeah, I think I'll stick with doing one feed 3.5 hour apart for the time being until naps are settled before attacking the other wake periods.  They are probably overtired but their feed did get better after that one 3.5 hour feed difference.

Nights are terrible still.  However, I took dh's advice last night and decided to not feed them.  It seems that night wakings occur most frequently after their nightfeed.  As I was patting one twin's back last night, the other stirred awake because of her sister crying... and I noticed she started crying because she wasn't able to settle herself, not hunger.  She just looked around for a few secs and then screamed (she's my spirited one).

So I dunno if dh's advice will work but they sure didn't seem ravenous either way for the first morning feed after wake-up.  So, guess they weren't that hungry??

Well, better get going.  The toddler needs some mommy play time!

Wei

[Wei]

EEsh... well, it's been a few more days and for some reason this entire week every single nap I've had to go help them transition.  This is getting worse!  And more frustrating!  There has not been one nap where not one of them hasn't needed me running up the stairs to pat their back.  Actually, in the last 2 days it's been both twins at all naps.

I hope this clears up soon... it's gonna drive me crazy!
My poor DD... I keep buying her new toys to help keep her occupied when I have to run and leave her to take care of the twins in their troubled naps.   Thank goodness for yard sales!

Wei

[meltown]

how old are they now?  what is your day looking like?

[Wei]

They will be 13 weeks tomorrow.

My day is as such

Wake up 8
E 8 am
A 8:22
S 9:40/45

E 11:30
A 11:50
S 1pm

E 2:30
A 2:55
S 4pm

E 5:30 pm
A, Swing catnap 20 min max

Bedtime routine
E 7:50
S 8 ish

There's usually a couple of night wakings and one night feed between each up till 5:00am... and then it gets real messy as they tend to wake lots between night feed and wake up.  Not sure why, been battling this since forever..?!

So today I tried putting them down earlier at 9:30am and still same problem... they wake up in between transition crying and I don't get it!!!  Not sure why they are having such a hard time transitioning or settling these days. 

Wei

[meltown]

there is something that begins to happen at about 3 months and most will grow out of it by 6 months.  if they respond to the shh pat you shouldn't be looking at it lasting that long.  but they begin to wake at the end of nap sleep cycles and some don't go back to sleep at all.  it is strictly a developmental thing.

when they wake at night do you have to go in?

[Wei]

Thanks for the tip... hopefully that is all it is.  I do use shh pat and they eventually go back to sleep so I'll keep doing it.

Yes at nights when they wake up... I usually let them whine for a minute or so in case they settle themselves back before going in.  But most times I do have to go in.

Lately, they have been waking right before I dreamfeed but it's not habitual yet as it seems to be a different twin every night! LOL

Wei

[meltown]

this could be a growth spirt issue right now too.  if it lasts more then a week or so of them waking early for DF and such then it may be something else.

how long do they sleep after you help them get back to sleep at night, before the next waking?   

[Wei]

Well, they usually wake up for a feed around 4-5am and after that they will wake up say anywhere from half an hour, an hour or so... and then sometimes maybe not till 7am.  They don't take very much for that night feed though... maybe 2 oz 3 oz at most.  And then they are not hungry for their first bottle at wake-up.  So I don't think it's a growth spurt.  Keeping in mind, it's not always the same twin waking up and not really at the same time...  they have been doing this since they were a month old I'd say... even when we had 2 or 3 feeds at night.

I always thought it was just because it was getting close to wake-up and they are not as tired.  But, I don't want them to start the day off at those times so I put them back to sleep.

Wei

[meltown]

I say for now, keep at it.  your doing what you should.  I remember you were going to try to go without that night feed have you tried it yet?

[Wei]

Yes I tried going without that nightfeed for acouple nights and it wasn't very good.  They would wake up every 20 min or so and were really hard to put down to settle... so I think they are still hungry for it.  I couldn't up their intake during the day anymore so I think that nightfeed will need to stay.  But, I think once I go over to a 4 hour routine (maybe within the next 2-3 weeks if all goes well) then they will be able to take more at one feed... right now it's a bit of a struggle as their feeds aren't far enough apart yet but the 3.5 hour feed at 11:30am is much better so hopefully if they are able to take more at one feed, they can take that extra 1 or 2 oz and I can do without that nightfeed.

it's odd though but since trying no nightfeeds and reverting back to one, the one twin seems to do alright without a feed till 7am these days.  So, she's probably closer to going without feeds during the night than the other one who still wakes up around 5ish to take one.

And I realized today that one twin is probably more ready to go more awake times than the other at this point but I guess I'll have to wait till the other twin is ready too.  Otherwise, I'll have 2 babies at different routines and it'll leave me with very little time.  I'd rather have them synchronized as then I can get things done when they sleep!  I think I'll try again to get them towards 3.5 hours next weekend sometime.  This weekend, I might as well start unswaddling them since they are terrible nappers anyway.... they've been rolling onto bellies while swaddled and with sleep positioners lately so I best get rid of the swaddle asap.  Plus, it's starting to get into those warm hot summer days so they'll be more comfortable without the swaddle hopefully.

Wei