Confused about early wakings and our routine

[Sarah O]

Hello!

My 3.5 mo (corrected) twins are struggling through the transition from 3 hr to 4 hr routine.  We're making progress but I don't understand...they are waking for a feed sometime between 3:30 and 5:30.  When I go to feed them at 7am to keep them on track, of course they aren't hungry so they'll take an ounce or two.  Should I give them their feed when they're actually hungry instead (ie follow their lead)?  Or will they learn to eat at 7am eventually if I'm persistent.  It's hard though because you can't force a baby to eat!  But if I wait until they're hungry (for instance 8:45 am) then their whole day is ruined.  How do you ever START a new regimen??  Do I NOT feed them at that 3:30 or 5:30 am feed?  I'm not very comfortable with that idea.  I do a dreamfeed at 11pm but it seems they're not quite ready to go straight through to 7am.

Thanks for any and all input!

[dallinsmommy]

I have this same exact problem with my son. I'm so sorry; I don't have advice-I'd like to watch the responses you get as well.

Good luck, and thanks for your question-we're right there with you.

[Deb_in_oz]

hi - at 3.5 mo you can still carry on feeding every 3 hrs which woudl increase their daytime calories and hopefully help with some nightfeeding. 4 hr routine is from 4 months and then only if your twins are ready (my dd2 did not transition until 5 mo and she was not even prem, just not ready prior to that). 

if they feed at 3:30 am i woudl think they woudl be interested in food sometime in the morning - if they wake at 7 you can wait to feed until 7:30 or so if they are not interested (or if you are actually waking them at 7 you can let them sleep til 7:30 and feed at 8 if not hungry yet... etc  It is a flexible routine, not a schedule so go by their cues - just don't feed to sleep)

if they wake for a feed at 5:30 treat as night feed and put straigjht back to bed.  assuming they don't wake at 7 looking for food you can let them sleep in a little (ie between 7-8am depending on what works for you) or offer the food when they are looking for it.  so if they eat at 5:30 and go back to sleep, if they wake at 7-7:30 but are not hungry yet, just let them have a bit of A time until they are hungry and then feed and then some more A time.  even if they take less than usual at that mornign feed, don't worry (you can almost think of it as a top up of the 5:30 feed) they will have their 1st nap and then probably be extra hungry at the 2nd feed. and you get back on track....

[Sarah O]

Thanks Debra - so should I put them back onto a 3 hour routine?  They're the ones who are choosing to eat every four hours, I didn't force it on them.  I was responding to all the signs that they were exhibiting: shorter naps, grumpiness, waking at night when they used to sleep through, etc.

[Paulsmama]

Hi, we went through something similar when DS was the same age.  He put himself (back) on a 4 hour eat routine around 3.5 mos.  It took us about 2.5 weeks before he was sleeping through from his dreamfeed.  Until then, if he woke hungry before 5 I'd give him a full bottle, back to sleep then whatever he would drink at 7.  If he woke between 5-6 he'd get around 2/3 bottle, back to sleep and then whatever he would drink at 7:30.  If he woke at 6, I'd just feed him at 6:30 (or later if he woke later).  Rest of the day was on the regular 3.5-4 hr routine.  Seemed to work for us, and in a few weeks he wasn't waking hungry before 7.  HTH, and good luck whatever you try!

[Sarah O]

Thanks Cynthia.  I did exactly as you suggested this morning and it seemed to go well.  He woke at 5, I resoothered over and over until I was sure it was hunger (around 5:50), fed him about 2/3 bottle and put him back to bed.  At 7am he had the rest of his bottle while his twin sister had her proper full bottle and hopefully now we're back on track.

Thanks!!

Sarah