The under/over/around 1 Twins thread for support, tips on how to survive and enjoy twin parenthood!

[DreamingOfPeace]

BB3: dcda non id girls Sept 2011 (plus ds)
TwelveLeggedWalk: DCDA DD and DS 14.09.11 (PFBs)
Tiggersreturn twin boys (?!) (plus ds age 5)
Wherearemyearplugs twins (plus ds)
Ceeveebee b/g twins 21.11.11, PFBs
minesapintofwine: non-id boys 02/02/2012. dcs 1&2/pfb on good days.
ClaireMarathonFeeder: Boy/girl twins born 08/02/2012, no3&4, dd1 (2001) and dd2 (2004)
rednellie nonID boys 13.03.2012 + DD 03.02.10
Lemele: id boys (plus ds)
Skitoo : DCDA Non ID Boys, 01.04.12 DC 1&2
DreamingofPeace: dcda non id boys, 4.4.12 DC 2&3 (DD Sept 2010)
beyoglu: dcda non id girls 21.4.12
Bigboobsatlast ID twin boys 30.04.12 DC #2&3 (DD Feb 2010)
Scollister mcda girls 3.5.12 plus DD age 4
Twin2makes4 mcda girls plus 2 ds,age 8 & 4

Again, sorry for mistakes, doing this from my phone!

Settle in ladies :)

oh dream sound like you're doing really well to cope through such a crappy time!

welcome sovemus, i've got 15wo bg twins, so pretty similar ages!! they're my first though so it's slightly less hectic....

had managed to get them into a loose routine of feeds and naps at the same time, at least for the first half of the day but for the last few days dtg has decided to just do snack feeds and mini sleeps so it's all gone to pot!

i got them up at the same time today but dtg just refused to feed until an hour later then promptly fell asleep.

what does everyone else do? do you get your dts up at the same time (ie wake one soon after other has woken) or just let them wake whenever? had just been doing the latter til today.

I wake mine together or else it takes an age to feed both and it feels like it is all I do all day. I wake mine around 7:15 in the mornings and feed them together, change nappies etc. By the time that is all done it is time for the morning nap. They nap again around 12pm for 2 hours and then they have a short nap in their bouncy chairs at about 4pm for 30 minutes.

Mine are 14+3 today. When were your born nancy?

Hello Sovemus

welcome to the board, my b/t are 11 months today, and I also have two older dds but they are 11 &8 thankfully as they are a big help. Good luck with your aupair

Dream I feel for you and know how you are feeling (I do get a bit more sleep than you, still doesn't feel like it though!) and you are not crap and this mothering multiples business (if only because that would mean I am too

Nights are the same as you dream and bigboobs rocking, feeding or taking into bed. Which is not too bad as long as is one at the time, but with two, I can't even have them both in bed with me as they both want me and then they disturb each other. Poor dh hardly had any sleep last night as he was working late and he finally went to sleep they both woke, i took dtg to feed her to sleep, which took a while, and in the meantime he was trying to settle dtb who was having none of it, and I had to make him a bottle eventually (dh ahdn't thought about that as normally I just feed him, but by then there wasn't enough milk to help him settle), I manage to get him back to sleep around 7am...then we slept til 8.30 screwing up day1 of my new regime!! (trying to get them into a proper routine)

Gardenpixie have a good holiday in Greece!
also welcome to Onepopper

Have started work rednellie how is it going?

I have just spent an hour trying to get to sleep without feeding and I am all traumatised...it has been horrible

I hadn't planned on it or thought it through (which was a bit silly in hindsight). So I changed their nappies and took them to cots, and obviously crying started immediately , but I tried not to pick up but reassure while sitting between the cots (there is a small gap), tried reading a book, they calmed down for a bit then were off again. They were getting very upset so i picked one up calmed him/her, then put down did the same for the other... lasted about 1 hour!! In the end they were so exhausted they were falling asleep in my arms, but would scream every time I put them back in the cot. eventually they went down and instead oif screaming just whimpered a bit, I shushed and patted, and didn't get up again, but i am not sure if this counts as "selfsettling"?? I am now wondering if it was really useful and whether I should not attempt anything like this again. I am not sure I will have the stregnth or energy to do it at bedtime.

what would you ladies do??

off to get some lunch now, before they wake, get dressed and console myself with chocolate, and re-read the Nocry sleep book as obviuosly i have missed the "no cry" part

thank you all for lsitening, you are keeping me sane I swear

Oh Claire sounds really hard. Well done for doing it! My dtg has spent afternoon screaming and has not napped.

Garden, mine are 14+5 today so really similar! How do you get them to sleep for two hours from 12 til 2? I would love it if mine did that. Can you talk us through your routine? Are they breast of bottle fed?

I am a childminder and I have had a bit of practice with kiddies thank God or I would have put my DTs on eBay by now

I follow Gina Ford and have done since the DTs were 4 weeks old. I know a lot of people don't like her routines but I swear by them. When I was childminding I looked after 4 children...6 months, 22, 23 & 24 months I followed Gina Ford with all of them with regards to their naps, so I know it works well.

I think the key is to stick to a structured routine. I wake them religiously just after 7am everyday and the rest of the naps seem to fit into place. My DTs struggle to stay awake for more than 1.5 hours at a time. When I put them down at 12pm, I wake them at 2pm, I don't let them sleep over. I also keep to the same evening routine...milk, bath (or top & tail), more milk then bed. They go into their cots at about 6:45pm and I give them a dream feed at 11pm. DT1 sleeps through and DT2 is still waking at about 5am for milk.

I think I am lucky with 2 relatively easy babies. My mum had been a Godsend, she had 4 children and came to help out for 8 weeks. I have been on my own with them now for 6 weeks.

They were born at 34 weeks & had EBM for 3 weeks. I was ill after my c section and had 3 set of antibiotics then had 2 trips to A&E for gall stones then my gall bladder removed so had to give up BF. I now FF them.

Hey garden thanks for sharing. God I'd forgotten about all your health probs, what a nightmare it must have been for you, hope you're all better now!
Ah so you're a child minder, must have been great to have some experience before dts. I am totally clueless!!!

So you give them milk before the bath and after?? I find they're often crabby st the bath if they are hungry but avoided feeding then too soon before it as I give them a bottle after. Is it better to give half before and half after?

How did you gry them to sleep together during day? Does it involve leaving them to cry? (I am a softie).

Sorry, I'm going to dash on, give an update and dash off which is terribly rude, but if I don't I'll forget what I was going to say!

Allergy clinic was fine - DT2 was great. He's allergic to milk, soya, peanuts and eggs! But those were all the things they tested for so who knows what else! I'm a bit dubious as he's so well, and I'm drinking soya and its not showing any effect on him. Anyway...we've been referred to a dietician now which is the main thing. He is definitely allergic to dairy though, you should have seen his arm...

Nanny's first day today - all good, she's a bad ass which is probably an excellent foil to my slightly indulgent parenting style. I officially start working next week, so she's back on Friday and I'm off out to waste some time on my own. good god, that feels weird. I found today hard though - trying to sheepishly explain our slightly random/chaotic routine to someone else and how we get out of the house etc to someone else. I just realised how many corners I cut and how slap dash I now am in the pursuit of efficiency.

dream, you're doing brilliantly. Keep at it! (pathetic nanny)

claire - you are doing the right thing! We started not giving DTs feeds before 3/4am and they're now sleeping till 5am. I literally can not believe it. Only took 3 nights. Fucking amazing. (I am ALLOWED to swear about that)

Love to you all

(Ps this positive post will undoubtedly result in no sleep, illness and loss of job and/or nanny, but I don't care)

Yes, I do a split feed. 4oz before the bath and 2oz after the bath. We start at 5:15 and finish at 6:45. They will scream the house down if I try to bath them hungry.

They only shared a cot for 6 weeks and then they went into their own cots in our bedroom. They have always napped and slept in the same room and I haven't really had any problems with them waking each other. They seem to be able to sleep through each others crying. I don't leave them to cry, I just couldn't do that. I never rocked them to sleep or put them into their cots asleep, they always went into their cots sleepy but awake so they are quite good at self settling now. The only time we seem to be having trouble is settling them at 7pm, they are really good at all the other sleeps/naps.

Another thing I learnt from a twin mum is to give them Hungry Baby Milk for the dream feed. I have been doing this since they were 12 weeks old. DT1 slept through from 10 weeks and since the Hungry baby milk, DT2 is now going 11:30pm-5am instead of 4am. I fob her off with only 2oz of milk at 5am so she takes her full feed at 7:15am. DT2 slept through for 2 nights last week and it got me so excited. Since them she has gone back to wanting her 5am feed. I am hoping she will drop it soon!

I am glad I gave up teaching now to become a childminder. It taught me a lot.

Hi red glad to hear you're making progress on the allergy front: I think I could do with a nanny like yours!

Garden - I think I'll try the split feed tomorrow. Sounds like a good idea. I think I'll breast feed just before the bath and give bottle after.
How long do they sleep for their 9 am nap? And what do you do if the wake up before two hours is up on the midday nap? I find mine rarely nap longer than an hour.

Sorry, this had turned into the nancy asking garden questions thread!

I meant to put a full stop and not a colon between my comment about reds allergy clinic and the nanny. I wasn't implying the two are connected!! :)

I put them down at about 9am and wake them at 10:15am. A sleep cycle for a baby is 30-45 mins. A lot of babies wake about 45 minutes after being put down. If mine wake and wont self settle, I go in and rub their tummy gently, this usually sends them off again. DT2 loves to sleep on her stomach, I let her sleep on her stomach, despite the advice being not to. Both have comforters. DT1 a muslin and DT2 a comforter I bought in Tescos. I put both down my shirt during feeds so they smell of me. They like to have these next to them when they sleep. DT2 on rubs her cheek on it, it is adorable to watch! These comforters seem to help them self settle.

well today i managed to get them to have two out of the three naps at the same time! however, for some reason they are both completely knackered and have just fallen asleep having only taken a tiny bit of bedtime feed so i think they're gonna wake up v soon.

well, i know why dtg is knackered - i took her to the osteopath today because she has her head semi blocked in the sideways position (apparently due to the fact she her head was right at the bottom in the womb and she was totally squashed by her fat brother). Anyway, she screamed blue murder throughout but is now turning her head in the other direction so that's great.

ah i can hear her waking up....off i go!

ah well done Nancy, I chickened out today and got them to nap in the pushchair.. [wimp emoticon]

rednellie I want your nanny too!
Hope you are doing better dream

Want to share a special milestone that happened today. My DTs noticed each other for the first time! I put them side by side in their cot and they stared at each other for ages, smiling and cooing away. It was so lovely to watch them!

Ah that's lovely garden!! Mine haven't done that yet!

Claire - mine were napping in pushchair too! But I was just pleased cos at least it was at the same time! I don't dare try the cot (wimp emo for me too)

Wimp 3 here. I've tried the cot, but can't face the stereo screaming, and can't keep settling them with DD too. Plus if they nap in their cot, I'm stuck in, as they sleep at 10ish and 2:30 ish. Poor DD would never get to playgroup or anything if I have to be in for those times. Hmm.

I wish I'd never said nights were bad before. Now DT1 has a shocker of a cough, waking constantly- every 20 min easily and its awful. DT2 also unsettled, ? linked to trying him on dairy, though possible he's just getting the cough and I'm paranoid.

I just wish they'd sleep!!

Your routine sounds amazing garden, but it wouldnt work for me, as I had really miserable colicky babies, who screamed for hours every day for months. No way would they nap calmly in their cots. And we do let them self settle every evening (doesn't help the awful nights at all) but if they're not happy, they scream and no amount of tummy stroking would help!! Argh, babies... How lovely they've noticed each other too- the first huge reward for you for looking after two :)

Mine are being particularly cute atm though- DT2 is much more sensitive to moods, situations etc , he's more of a listener. He will also listen and if you ask him to clap his hands or wave, without a demonstration, he'll do it. DT1 determined to walk everywhere holding your hands. Why oh why won't they crawl?! I've told DT1 he is banned from going straight to walking like his sister did. That should do it, right?

Claire hope tonight goes well for you, was kind of hoping you'd crack yours then I could try the same, following the trail blazer style :) . So, any tips,pass them on as my baddest baby sounds a little like your dtg... I just can't stand baby crying, especially at night, so know cc is not really ever going to be for me.

How are you mines? Any news from you?

Thinking of you too bigboobs, love how the only real difference is an ear with your boys :)

& where's twelve?

Yeah I prefer buggy because even if I'm not going out means I can Rick them off. Sure it's prob contrary to all good parenting techniques but hey ho.
Sorry you're having such a hard time with nights dream, hopefully dt1s cough will get better soon!

Had a mini meltdown on dp this morn before he went to work as am just finding being in France with babies is pretty crap and isolating. They don't have baby groups or anything here, french mums just don't seem to socialize!! Ironically, I am actually doing an activity today - going to a baby massage class - the only activity for babies that I've found in the entire city! Hopefully will be good and I might meet some other mums. Gotta take the bloody mil with me though cos you're not allowed to do two babies. The joy of twins!

Rock them off not Rick! Lol who is Rick?

Just a quick one.... dream.... mine have ongoing coughs thanks to bronchiolitis. Somethings that really really help at night. ... pillow under the head end of the mattress, generous amount of baby vicks (I use boots own snuffle baby stuff) on their feet at bed time then socks on (don't ask... someone recommended it to me and it does work! )and olbas oil dropped on to the bottom of their sleeping bags. This does really help and if gets worse again in the night then I dab some of the snuffle baby stuff under their chins.
Hope ssome of this helps.

New resolve at night time here.... trying ro settle in cots or if have to pick up then quick rwsettle then back down. And dropped 11pm wide awakedream feed and stopped waking one to feed both at the same time... so one feed each a night when they need it. Lots and lots of wake ups still but fairly quickly resettled so feel therr has been some progress. Not great by any stretch of the imagination but having a sort of plan makes me feel a bit better anyway!
How is your sleep training /routine going clare?

boobs that's what we've done and it has, eventually, worked. Past week both have gone down at 6:30pm and stayed down till 4/5ish when I've fed them and got them to sleep a little more. Dt2 sometimes stirs and needs a pat or cuddle. Dt1 we leave well alone! Once he's awake he's awake.

Feeling slightly down about whole allergy thing. Hard to get useful advice and he has a reaction today and I still hadn't got round to buying piriton. Guilt guilt guilt

Nancy I totally get where you're coming from. It must be so hard.

I also second dousing congested children in all manner of vicks type products. DD is addicted and asks for it on her cuddly toys!

Argh, not a temperature below 38 even after Calpol and two babies with croup. Luckily steroids are on board now so fingers crossed. Not sure what's causing dds high temperature.

I must just need to try harder with the resettling at night, but I've picked up, soothed, put down DT1 for up to 2 hours, multiple times. Over 6 nights. Then i cracked before him . And now the croup... He will only sleep up on two pillows by me. I've olbus oiled him, will dig out the karvol rub stuff too bigboobs, thanks.

How did it go Nancy? Surely there must be lots of lonely mums in France then?!

Try harder dream? I think you are being hard on your self. Babies are all different and the pick up put down may not work for mine either. . We will have to wait and see! thanks for the encouragement though red, I hope my boys respond like yours.

Croup is horrible. I am sending you get well vibes. Things WILL get better.

Cute moment todat.... dt2 blowing raspberries on dt 1s cheek!

hello everyone things are not going as ahem... planned. NO nap today, tried for 10 mins then gave up, I am so tired I cannot muster the strength to get monstruous buggy out of the car and take them out.

we do have some (minor) improvements. Dtg slept til from 8pm to 2am last night and dtb from 7.45 to 3am then it all went downhill but the niight endend with both in our bed, dtg attached to my boob and dtb cuddling with dh.

I managed to resettle her twice (!) without feeding this week and she is now taking the bottle, but mostly still relying on breastfeeding to get to sleep. Tiny baby steps. But I couldn't go through the crying at nap time today, it just goes against all my instincts.

To top it all, even though I am cconvinced ending breastfeeding is teh right thing to do, I am still incredibly sad at the idea.

Nancy such a shame we're not closer, I am dying to meet another twin mum, and feel quite lonely since we've moved...

lots of whinging from overtired babies now... need to go

hello all sorry to hear dream and claire having a bad time

i dont really follow a routine as such well not a really strict one does that make me a bad mummy??? the girls get up anytime between 6/7 they have an 8oz bottle then stay awake until we go out to school, they fall asleep in pushchair or car seats and have about an hour, if i come straight home they wake around 10 but if im out they tend to stay asleep, they have their next bottle and porridge anytime from 1030-1130ish?? and then will either have a nap in their chairs or out and about i then will feed them after school which is food,fruit and a 6oz bottle and then bath and bottle between 6&8 and they go to sleep swaddled in their chairs when they are just about asleep i take them up to their cots which is normally around 830/9 and they generally sleep through, if im bathing them i do them first and then my boys and whilst im sorting the boys out i put them in their cots, they are quite grumpy between 6-8 so will sometimes be upset but unfortunately i have to leave them to it unless they are screaming blue murder but i have realised they are relatively happy compared to some

i honestly dont know how id function if they were still getting up all night, hats off to you ladies you have made me realise how extremely lucky i am xx