triplet feeding help

[babyrose]

Hi all my boys are home and are doing great but we are a little confused how our feeding goes. We were told not to leave them any longer than 5/6hrs and also to feed 4hrs during the day and that would help with night sleeping. They tend to wake 4/4.5 hrs but today we have left them the 5hrs today so why do they seem to wake more at night? My thought is they are turning day into night or is us waking them every 4 hrs to tiring and they just want sleep longer during the day?

[michaeljacknnugg]

I thought that you were only supposed to let babies go 3hrs without a feed, in order to get enough calories into them during the day? I'm not sure why they said 4hrs, there must be a reason. But I wouldn't let them go over that in the daytime.

Maybe the 5hrs war for during the night?

[*Liz*]

They allow Thomas to go 4hrs on SCBU. I think it's 3hrs for breast and 4hrs for bottle.

Does sound like day/night reversal to me. There is so little differentiation on the unit is there?

I would start waking at 4 hrs in the day really. Are they super sleepy??
All Thomas does is wake, nappy, feed, sleep.

[Buntybear]

Yes thought that you tried to as many calories in the day. Maybe they said a bit longer as it may feel like you are feeding all day otherwise! Glad to hear they are doing well xx

[babybarr]

Are you bottle feeding?

I'm assuming they said 4hrs cos that's what they did on the unit. Personally I'd feed them every 3.5hrs and wake them to do so and make sure you get as much milk in them as possible during the day. Literally even with my two it was milk nappy sleep repeat all day. We actually bottle fed them every 3hrs for a while as they woke loads at night.

What help have you got and are you feeding them at the same time?  How much do they weigh now?

Glad your all home though.

[babyrose]

Scbu got them on 4+ feeding with mixed ff and ebm. We did stick to 4 hrs during the day but found they jusy weren't interested.  They are very sleepy maybe that's the problem.
 We are doing both bottle and breast, it makes night time a little easier!  The last two/3 nights they have been sleeping longer and are taking around 120 mil at every feed.

[*Liz*]

DS2 came out on SCBU on 3-4hrly bottles. I struggle with that here because he is so sleepy. It's literally feed, nappy, back to sleep all day long. And he falls asleep feeding a lot as well.

Sounds like they are doing great really. I only get 50-80ml per feed into DS  . But he was pretty ill and didn't feed at all for a week so I assume that has set him back a bit.

[JennŠ]

Mine was every 2-3 hrs in NICU.  Usually got 2-3 oz of preemie formula at a time in.  Got home and she put herself on a 2 oz every 2 hr schedule for the first couple of months.  At that point it was more of a EAES schedule.  Preemie with reflux, found the right formula and med combo and much better. 

[*Kara*]

Mine came home on a 4 hrly as well.  We woke them during the day once at home but not at night - it was only a short time until they started going a bit longer overnight between feeds - maybe by 3 months or so??  So, 2 months adjusted.

Liz - both of mine were at 50-70mls every 4 hrs when they came home at 10 days old.. it increased after a few weeks quite quickly!

[*Liz*]

Thanks ladies - great to be reassured re amounts for these
Teenies  .

[*Kara*]

It was a bit odd for me to get used to as well Liz.  DD1 was a bit of a porker   She was downing a 3oz bottle at a week old and that was every 2.5-3 hrs!

That said, the twins are certainly bigger than DD1 was at the same age, even adjusted!  They are going to be 5 months on the 28th and are already in 6-9m clothing/sleepers and headed quickly to 9-12m!  Both are about 16.5lbs too!

[*Liz*]

These small days really don't last long hey??

DS is still 6lb  . A little bundle of tiny  . I don't really make big babies though.

[*Kara*]

Awww! So wee   Mine were both right around 5lbs when they came home at 10 days old - not sure where those wee babies have gone now!