EASY Twin Routine

[Kriskell]

My Twin girls are 10wks.  I think we are doing really well on easy during the day.  I have to wake them almost every 3hrs for feeds and I'm not sure if I should or just let them sleep? (I do wake the sleeping girl regardless just to keep them sleeping and feeding at about the same time)
However, after their 2-3am feed one of them usually wakes up sometimes before the 2hour mark and I don't know what to do.  I don't think its wind pains (they don't usually suffer from it during the day) Should i feed them...... They don't have dummy's and at their other sleeps during the day, they go off to sleep independently 99% of the time.  I will try and sooth with shh/pat but it usually goes on with no sleep so then I just feed.  I'm just really confused.......

[kateh2o]

I don't really have any advice, but I just wanted to say that it sounds like you are doing great! I have 5 month old b/g twins and know how much work it is! We follow easy as best as we can, but I think having two can make it a little more difficult at times! Congrats and enjoy those babies. Although challenging, twins are an amazing blessing!

[amayzie]

Hi Hon- it's up to you if you wake them or not at the 3 hour mark. When my guy was that age i would not let him sleep longer than 3 hours in a row, but at times that would then mean that it was over the 3 hour mark for food. unless you are worried about their weight then just go with it.

hmm- the night waking is a trick... if it were me i would try not to feed under the 2 hour mark at night as they should really be able to go the same length between feeds at night- if not longer- than they can during the day. No history of reflux?

[Kriskell]

Thank you kate.  It is hard with twins there's no doubt about it!!! Easy has been sooooo good for us with the girls because you kind of don't have to guess.  With my DS if ever he cried i just unclipped my bra and hungry or not he got boob!!!!! I was feeding him ALL THE TIME! Great for his weight gain and for my weight loss.
I thought the same about going being about to go longer during the night as well.... Neither of them have reflux thank goodness!!!!!!! 

[amayzie]

I'm not sure about what you want to do with the managemnt of the twins at night- but if it were me and one wokeup prior to the 2 hour mark i would resettle using shh-pat, or even rocking them and holding them. Basically anything other than feeding. If it's more than 2 hours i'd probably just feed the one that's woken, but possibly leave the other? maybe? Have you considered doing a dream feed? This may work well with the twins- then you know they'll both have eaten at about 10:30?

[Kriskell]

We tried dream feeding for a few weeks and it didn't extend sleep time during the night at all.  In fact, it made things worse for a week or so. So we do the last feed around 9-9.30 and they usually sleep until 2-3. 

[amayzie]

THe DF doesn't work for everyone. You could try it again now that they are older- or just go with what you are doing, but just try to hold off the one waking. Sometimes they just wake for a few nights for some reason- you may not know what- and then get over it and go back to normal patterns. You just need to balance your need to keep the twins on the same schedule at night and the ability one twin may have to sleep for longer periods. So- you can either wake them both up to feed- OR let the one that's still asleep go rather than waking them up and possibly causing a habit in them. I'm not saying either way is better- it may e more important for you to have them feeding at the same time- nothing wrong with that at all- it's just that i would be reluctant to wake up the one that's sleepig more if it's only a short lived blip...

Does that make sense!

[Kriskell]

Yeah I know exactly what you mean... Thank  you for your advice. I'm thinking of maybe not waking the sleeping girl like you said for a few days and see what happens. This weekend we're going to move them into they're own room maybe that might help a little.  At least I wont be able to hear them trying to settle themselves. 

[amayzie]

Sounds like a good plan! See how they go after the move. Good luck mummy on the big move!