Feeding twins -am I getting it all wrong?!

[Tinks30]

I need help. I feel like I am in way too deep.
I have id twin girls who are 13 weeks old (6weeks corrected). They were going 4 hours between feeds and taking between 4-5 oz. for some reason I decided to try them at five hourly maybe thinking I could buy myself some sleep (desperately sleep deprived) but actually it's worked against me. They are really unsettled at night time and instead of going between 5-6 hours at night they are now only going between 3/4 hours.
This is my first time as a mother and a lot of it is guess work and trial and error. I'm worried that I now doing more harm than good. They don't cry for food during the day but as I said its really mucked up our nights. Do you think it's because they are trying to make up for the feed they have missed out on during the day?
Oh and I should say when I started stringing them out for five hours thy have actually started taking less food not more.

i would go back to 4 hourly

theory being the more food you get in during the day, the less they need to eat at night.

Thanks nannyl that was my thinking I'm giving to try and do that today. I feel terrible forcing them to go longer just so I can get more sleep

you could try feeding at
7am / 11am / 3pm / 7pm / 11pm .... and then in time you might get a whole nights sleep

Mine are now 7 months (5 corrected) and we feed 4 hourly, we dropped the 11pm feed at about 5 months and offered an extra ounce in their daytime bottles. They now have 7 ounces 4 x day, plus solids. I would def go back to 4 hourly - gives them more chance of going longer at night.

Mine are now 7 months (5 corrected) and we feed 4 hourly, we dropped the 11pm feed at about 5 months and offered an extra ounce in their daytime bottles. They now have 7 ounces 4 x day, plus solids. I would def go back to 4 hourly - gives them more chance of going longer at night.

My twins are now 19 months. All i did was let them decide, but if 1 woke i would wake the other and feed both at the same time. They were sleeping through from about 2 months ish. They now go to bed at 7.30 and wake at about 8-8.30. I didnt bother with routines and time scales i just fed them when they wanted it but i always fed both at the same time

My twins are 15 weeks. As nannyl suggests we feed every 4 hours (7am/11am/3pm/7pm/11pm) and let them wake at night naturally.

They only ever woke for 1 feed each during the night, which used to be around 2am but they gradually went longer and longer to 3am, 4am, 5am and then from 12 weeks they slept through from 11 till 630/7

Mine are mix fed so difficult to know exact quantities but on their pure formula feeds they take 6 to 8 oz. You don't mention the weights of your twins, but 4 to 5 oz does not sound very much if only feeding 4 or 5 times a day.

You should definitely go back to at least 4-hourly feeds. How often do you go 5 hours without eating or drinking anything at all?

Good lord five hourly? in the day? They must very hungry and thirsty. Feed AT LEAST every three hours in the day and let them wake at night.

Hello - my twins are 10.5 months. I fed on demand but both at the same time. Sometimes simultaneously, sometimes one after the other. This meant 2 horly feeds during the day and very varied at night (they slept through from 3-5 months but were feeding 2 hourly at 7 months).

Try to feed as often as they need it and adapt around that to get enough sleep. Your body does adjust to broken nights if you accept you won't sleep for 8 hours for a while.

I hope you can make it work for all of you and enjoy them! Congratulations.

Thx for all your posts. We have gone back to 4 hourly and the girls are doing much better. They are taking way more than they were.
Their weights are 9lb 7 and 8lb 13. When they were in the scbu the nurses got them going four hourly and they don't show any interest in feeding sooner.
We just have their reflux to deal with. Poor little things are really suffering with the acid side of it because it wakes them up at night.

Twins are mega hard work They are beautiful little girls but sometimes I feel like I am in way over my head. I'm often on my own with them because my partner works shifts.
Anyway I'm doing my best

Exactly what ceeveebee said, or dtd has gone through the night for a couple of weeks now (4 months corrected), Dts isn't there yet but occasionally gets as far as 5.30. He is the more refluxy if the two - little and often works better for reflux too remember.
They will sometimes go 5 hours in the day if we go out in the buggy/car and they fall asleep. The danger though is it all gets very late, esp as dtd will happily wait for ages for her first feed in the morning (wierd girl!). I sometimes do a split feed/cheeky extra one before bath time (5.30 ish) if needs be to cram some more in.

Tinks, I know exactly what you mean, it is very difficult (my DH works long hours and travels overseas) but worth it! It would be very timeconsuming to feed any more frequently than 4 hours, if they are anything like mine it takes up to 1 1/2 hous to feed so not really practical.

I am sure you are doing a fantastic job, those weights are great for their ages so you must be doing everything right! Do you have any additional help from family/paid help, and a support network in place?

Tinks, once you get the feeding organised everything else just seems to fall into place. I know how you feel about being alone (im a lone parent). It gets easier though and now i find the twins easier then when i had dd1. They keep each other company and play really well with each other.

Tinks - the first few weeks with twins are very hard but it does get easier. I'm sorry you're having to do so much on your own though - evenings and nighttimes are easier with two of you. I'm sure you have had this advice already so apologies for butting in but going to a twins club can make a big difference. Also - the multiples chat area is very supportive and full of kind advice. I'm glad you got the feeding sorted out so quickly - well done on coping on your own.

Thanks everyone. The girls are much better now and much more satisfied. The smallest has really found her appetite. We had quite a good night last night too. Went from 6pm until midnight then woke again at 3.30.

aww, glad you are getting them settled. it is very hard work, but it does get easier. Just take it one step at a time and do whatever works!

come and join us on the d'y threads - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/multiple_births/1410757-Dy-ever-wonder-where-the-time-goes