5 month twins multiple night wake ups

[jenhad84]

Hi there, just after some advice or tips for my 5 month twins.

They go 7.30pm bath and feed and next have a feed at 7.30am.

They are fed in the day every 3 hours on demand as I get 5 x 7oz formula a day. They are putting on lots of weight and seem happy with the amount of food, so don't want to go back to night feeding.

Currently they are waking every 1-2 hours for their dummies. As soon as we put them back in they settle and go back to sleep.

However my boy seems happier co sleeping and wants his hand held all night but my girl is fine on her own as log as she has her dummy.

The multiple night wakings are really killing us, it can be up to every hour! They never cry but would and do if we don't put their dummies back in.

At 7.00am we have to then wake them up and they are very happy and not overly hungry for their morning feed.

I'm not sure what to do, I can't seem to let them cry, especially as one would wake the other up! Do you think this will pass or should I be former and not put the dummy back in instantly?

I know some might say do a night feed, but i desperately don't want to take a step back. Plus they both have reflux (DS happy on infant gaviscon) so it's not a quick thing!

They get a morning nap of 45mins, and afternoon nap of 2 hours and 2 later afternoon naps of 30 mins. I always put them to nap at the same time and they go together like clockwork now without any bother, so I don't think it's the day time sleeping?

Argh I just want a chunk of 2 hours sleep or more, then I feel like I might survive the days a bit more!!!!

[dairyfreequeen]

is it a recent thing or a regression? sounds about typical for waking at the end of 1 or 2 sleep cycles and needing help (in the form of dummies) getting back to sleep -my ds does, but it must be really hard with two! Have you tried glow in the dark dummies that they can find themselves? I survive 1-2 hourly wakenings by basically doing shifts- going to bed super early, when dh is 'on' then he gets up early in the morning with ds. Were they prem? 4ish months is prime growth and development spurt time, so they could genuinely be more hungry in the short term. hth!

[StarlingMurmuration]

We cut out the dummies and replaced them with a favourite stuffed toy because DS could help himself to that if he wanted something to suck. Might at work?

[StarlingMurmuration]

He's actually got about five stuffed toys in his cot, all of them with crusty arms, legs, ears and tails from being chewed!

[FATEdestiny]

The dummy-re-inserting phase does pass. I have always been of the belief that when 'dummy wont do' and baby is awake again within a couple of hours then a feed is what is needed.

Nighttime sleep and calorific need is not linear, there will be times when a night feed isn't needed followed by times when a feed is needed and then a return to times when feeds are not needed again. Realising and accepting that it is not a linear progression helps going with the flow, I find.

Where are they sleeping? Could you side-car a cot to either side of your bed so that you and DH need only lean over to re-insert dummy without even opening eyes or sitting up? It's more about coping strategies to get through this phase and make it as easy as possible on yourself.

[ivankahj]

Have you tried a different bedtime routine ? I have three year old twins and they had (and still have) no tv at all during the day, a meal/feed and then bed. So no bath or bedtime story as part of the 'routine'. I always did bath in the morning

[jenhad84]

DD is being brilliant and sleeping a full 12 hours past few days we can't quite believe it! DS on the other hand is getting no better.

Last night he woke about every hour. One or two times I didn't put the dummy back in and he went back to sleep on his own, but the rest of the time would be on the verge of crying so to keep the quiet I had to put it back in.

We are using the glow in the dark dummies much easier for us to find :-)

DS seems to end up in bed with me every night from about 1am now. I know he's not hungry, it's more he's just needing reassurance all night. Plus I'm not sure it's possible to feed him anymore he's flying up the growth charts as it is!

Do you think I should try and keep him in his cot longer before co sleeping? As he might only ever want to co sleep?! And I dont sleep properly when he does! Or is this just a getting through it stage and he will eventually settle into his own cot and sleep better?

It's not really been a regression, it's more something that has gradually got worse over the past maybe 4-6 weeks. Well actually starting around 4 months so maybe it is!

Oh how I wish there was a dummy fairy or magic dummy that would just stay in all night!