7 month twins, night waking and early morning waking.

[babybarr]

This thread is good for your specific help hun.  The other thread is general chit chat for us all!

BW doesn't agree with cry it out and we can help you find other techniques to help.  The first thing I personally would do is drop her solids pretty much altogether - that may not be agreed with but even at this age formula should be the main source and if she's not taking much then I'd drop the solids for now.  Also I wouldn't offer her water either just milk until we see it creeping up again.

[Uglybethy]

I can see that you're at the end of your tether with this so I'm sending you massive hugs to get through the day today.

Is A gaining weight and growing ok? I'm assuming she is as you mentioned in a previous post that dr is not worried. Because as long as she is that you don't need to worry too much about fluctuations in formula intake. Having said that I think that in order to sleep through the night around 28 oz of formula is usually needed. All babies are different but that is what I aimed for with my two. If I knew they'd had that during the day then I felt happy to persevere with other sleep finding techniques during the night.

You did really well at 2.30 this morning with A. You tried to resettle her for an hour before coming to the conclusion that she was hungry... And tbh I would have thought the same thing if it was one of my two, but for her to only take one oz show us that it is not hunger. I can see that you imagine that letting her cry it out might be an option for you but given that you've come this far and not let them cry let's us know that this probably won't happen! And that's a good thing as you don't want her trust in you to be broken.

The first thing I'm wondering about is whether that 2.30 am wake is pain from teething. Have you tried and pain relief for her when she goes to bed?

The second thing is whether that 2.30am wake up is habit, in which case you can try a technique called wake to sleep, which is where you go in to baby before she usually wakes (1.30 or 2.00) and gently nudge her so that she stirs and goes back to sleep. You do this for three or four nights in a row to break the habit. But make sure she is having enough day time formula first. And I would all eliminate the pain factor first too.

There's no need to post about this in the other thread, that's just for general twin mummies chit chat! You are right, it is appropriate for this thread to stay here

[annamomof3]

Ok ! I will hop in on the other thread soon when i have more time to read! I don't want to let her cry it out I never did I just think that would be my last resort option. Last visit peditrician said shes growing nicely - I will call to schedule another appointment she should be due soon anyway. I even called my pediatrician she said not to worry about formula fluctuation since she's eating. However I too thought to discontinue solids altogether just to see if this would help. Maybe offer a spoonful and that's it ? Or altogether stop? Will stopping hinder any swallowing- her desire to chew  - hold / pick up learning curve? I know how important formula is especially when i quit Breast feeding after 2.5 months. I also have tried these homepathic tablets that dissolve under babies tongue / mouth upon contact but I can tell you she's a tough cookie NOTHING helps - she still up for that 230-3am wake up. She is def a creature of a habit that bad mommy created !

[Uglybethy]

You are not a bad mummy!!!!!!!! Fact!
Are you willing to get anything stronger for pain eg infant acetanphetamine or infant ibuprofen?
I agree with you that you also need to offer opportunity for your little ones to explore taste and texture with food and you can still do that but maybe to optimize her formula intake you could offer her regular formula feeds and also a top up feed just before giving her some finger foods to try for breakfast lunch and dinner?? Remember food before one is just for fun so it's not about how much she's getting more so how many different tastes and textures she can be exposed to....

[annamomof3]

Thanks Bethy! I think I am going to allow her a few baby spoon full no more though....they both slept for a whopping two hours for their first  nap  - the noon to 2pm didnt work well nothing but fussy babies and cat naps.....they are both wondering why they didnt get a bottle - i am hopeful for a big feed from both at 2pm then they better nap!!!

[4isstillnighttime]

Anna, I haven't got time to go through properly at the moment but you are definitely doing a great job! Any twins is tough!! I'll look properly and see if I can help later but for now I agree with the others and think you should cut down on solids. Is she good with finger food? When mine started wanting loads of night feeds I started baby led weaning which meant they are less but it was all much more fun. Then they had more milk and everything got a bit better  . And now they feed themselves so I can sit back with a coffee!!

[Uglybethy]

I also did Blw and so glad I did! Maybe worth looking into??
Keep going, like lily said you're doing a fantastic job!

[annamomof3]

Hello ladies, another evening with a 330 by my little girl. this time since i cut her mush drastically , she at a full five ouncer at 3 am. I started with one then tried to soothe she didnt stop. I figured she needed it. However I am extra curious about BLW I never started thisearly with my first. A, can sit, pick up and put things into her mouth without a problem, she is also starting to crawl while her brother is sleeping and eating mush beautifully but he can't crawl, sit up or put things to his mouth as well as she can. What foods do you suggest to start with? Choking is a concern but I know that can happen at anytime really. Maybe this is the key - maybe shes ready! I will post her forumla intake today  - already shes drinking more - cross your fingers!

[Uglybethy]

Hi Anna
Yes she must have been hungry! They key now is to take that five ounces and try and add it to her day time intake....
Any time from six months or when they can sit unaided is good for blw. I started with avocado but it's less about what you start with and more about whether the shape of the food you're providing is developmentally appropriate. So at this age everything needs to be finger-like in shape so that they can pick it up and move it up to their mouth. And cook things soft enough so that they can take chunks off them. Avocado and banana are naturally soft enough but sweet potatoes and carrots and broccoli need to be cooked enough. But sticks of cucumber are great for teething pain! It's quite cooling. You can also do loaded spoons of yoghurt or oatmeal  (or anything sticky enough to stick to a spoon) and just put the spoon on their tray... It's fun watching them figure out that one end has something really good on it!
There's a blw support thread here on the bw boards or there's tones of info on line and on YouTube, as well as the blw books.
Let us know how your daytime goes today. Keeping everything crossed for you.

[annamomof3]

Hi Bethy, Hi all,
Hope everyone is doing well and healthy! I have had a stretch of great nights and tough ones. Arianna is still waking at night same time but lately has been going back down after I pacify her rub her belly. LJ is a good ol' eater and sleeper. Both are still on a 4 hour easy but more so Arianna - any deviations or changes to the day don't hinder LJ's nights - they hinder hers so I stricter with her. I am doing more BLW and have chalked up all of this crazy night stuf to teething. She is in pain! I know becuase I tried baby Orajel and tylenol and it seem to aid temporarily. Not for long though.....Her intake has increased but she barely eats food (mush) or finger foods....shes a peanut. Today they both woke at 530a took a bottle and literllally passed out until 830am (however I was away most of yesterday so I believe they had a tougher day with daddy) I let them sleep in. I am confused though about whether LJ is onto a new easy perhaps a 5 now he has dropped a bottle and eats a lot more and sleeps through. What do you think? Also I have moved LJ into share a room with his older brother. Worked! When she wakes she sreams but no one wakes just me!  If babies slept in should I have offered formula bottle at 830a or foods? Suggestions please! THK U!

[Uglybethy]

Hi Anna
Wow it sounds like things have improved a lot. Well done you! Well done babies!
I'm sorry it's taken me a while to reply... We have had a few full on days (and nights) with viruses here.
What did you do in the end with formula after you'd let them go back to sleep? It would be usual to give them a top up formula feed again on waking, to maintain the EAS but I guess what ever works for you.
And regarding little boy and five hour easy, if it were me I would wait until little girls was ready too before a transition, or I'd push little girl to transition with little boy, but that is because I needed my two to be synchronised.

[annamomof3]

Hello! Hope everyone is heathy and babies are well! My DD is still waking - instead of 2-3am its now 445am for a feed. I can't figure her out for the life of me - I have tried everything and I am starting to fade into the "my daughter has been waking every night since shes born" but I know this will end one day! I hope.... Any advice you can offer to push and early waker back onto a normal schedule is much appreciated. BOth twins are relatively waking earlier each and every day. However I moved the boys in to share a room so its been better but I know when she starts, it wakes him still if I am not quick enough.

[Uglybethy]

Wow so she's dropped the 2/3am feed... Well done baby girl! I remember that so well, but then they wake around 4.30/5.00 and can't get back to sleep because they are too hungry but need to go back to sleep because is too early to get up! It doesn't last for long. You could either try just giving a few ounces when she wakes and then a full feed when she wakes to start the day, or a full feed at when She wakes and then a top up when you wake to start the day... To maintain the EAS pattern.
That early wake up is usually gone in a few weeks though so hang in there.