Breast feeding, water and bad sleeping!

[ZuzuandZara]

I think I know the answer to this one but just for some reassurance please...

18 week old twins (6 weeks prem so 12 weeks corrected) have been unsettled at night last couple of nights and keep waking. Normally they sleep from bedtime (7pm) to first wake at midnight - 1 ish then again sleep until 4am ish.

Last night they woke up every 2 hours or so until 1am when they finally settled until 4am.

Was thinking this was maybe because they haven't fed enough in the hot weather and they need more fluids? So was thinking of introducing water but have had a google and general opinion seems to be water is unnecessary. Thoughts please? They are breast fed only.

It's the better sleeper who's being particularly unsettled (crying as I speak - DH is attending!) she normally goes down so well. She is a little snotty at the moment, not sure if she's feeling a little under the weather (calpol?) or if she's just being a pickle at bedtime

Any suggestions please folks, many thanks.

It's a growth spurt and probably the hot weather too.

No water. Just bmilk

Thanks Show. I get that a growth spurt could be the reason they're waking for feeds more frequently at night (although seemingly not wanting more during the day?) but I just fed her, put her down, normally off to the land of nod before her head hits the matress but tonight - screeeaaaammm!! for 20 mins she never does this, although when I took her off DH she calmed down straight away.
Confused!

Yes, there is a growth spurt at 12 weeks, and I know of other prem babies who have had spurts around their adjusted ages. Sometimes it can be a developmental spurt as much as growth - their brains are fizzing as they're working on the next stage of development, so they keep waking up (and needing food).

Last time we had the hot weather my DS was harder to settle at bedtime.

SoH is right - no need for water, just keep bfing as much as they want.

And dongratulations on surviving this far with twins - one baby is hard enough! Even more congratulations on managing to bf them.

Thanks Angel [proud]
The cryer is sleeping soundly and the other one just woke up and had a massive feed! Will go with the flow and carry on feeding the gannets and remember with fondness the days they used to wake only twice a night!

Have you thought about offering them extra feeds during the day? My HV suggested that in this weather, each time I have a drink (which is probably every hour or so), I offer my DD a feed and find she has a quick suck which, presumably, is foremilk and keeps her nicely hydrated - we're certainly getting plenty of wet nappies. I did this during the hot spell a few week ago and again on holiday and stopped offering once the hot spell had passed and she never showed any signs of missing the extra feeds.

I also remember DD having a growth spurt around 12 weeks and just feeding and feeding and feeding for about 3 days and then we were back to normal and I got some sleep.

I hope they go back to being good little sleepers again soon

Thanks Murtette, that's exactly what I tried to do yesterday, but was out and about a lot, had a tot up of feeds at the end of the day and realised I hadn't managed to fit in any extra feeds at all! Having been trying harder today!

Girls slept pretty well last night after all, hope for a good night again tonight.

HV suggested water last week

I asked the health visitor about this during the recent hot weather and she said that if a baby is being breastfed there is no need for water, they will just take a few sucks rather than a long feed if they are thirsty. My 13wk old daughter has started waking every 2 hours at night after sleeping for 8 hours at a stretch so it was interesting to read that they have a growth spurt around this age and this may be the reason.

i'm sure breastmilk changes to account for the hot weather.

massive growth spurt at this age - my DS was doolally!

good effort bfing twins!