Can you give me a big hug and tell me it will get easier?

[NoMoreWineForMeThen]

I'm so tired. Bottom lip quiveringly tired.

DD is 2 and DTs are 24 wks.

I don't want to write a huge post listing all the reasons I'm struggling (besides, I'm sure most of you will have or are going through the same so will know anyway) but in brief: BF DTs; no routine; no sleep - ever; house a tip: feel trapped and isolated. Also feeling so guilty, no quality time with toddler and she is acting up for attention, not interacting properly with DTs, just zombie like most of the time. I'm really struggling.

I feel like everything would seem a little easier if I could just get some sleep.

Strong with just a dash of milk and 1/2 sugar please.....

[NoMoreWineForMeThen]

Actually, I was going to ask if anyone could recommend any books for twins. Gina Ford has two mentions so perhaps worth getting a copy?

[Oneminute]

It will get a bit easier soon, I promise. My little boy was two when my triplets were born. I think it is so hard when the babies are reliant on milk feeds and you have done so well to feed them yourself. I mix fed mine and to be honest I had to have a routine otherwise I would have gone mad. I do think it gets easier when the babies begin to be weaned. It brings its own challenges but I think the day tends to have a bit more shape.

I think rednellie has given good advice on naps. I did a similar thing. I put them down when I thought they should sleep. (I remembered my son's pattern of napping).At first it was just like you describe, I was up and downstairs all the time but they do eventually get into a pattern. My older son would never sleep if just put into a cot so I used to take him out for a long walk in the buggy. Eventaully I found out he would sleep whether I went for a walk or not as long as he was in the buggy! That might be an idea for now if yours don't like the buggy.

I also agree with the advice of internet shopping, doing a wash everyday and NO ironing. At first I was so knackered I couldn't even get a list together on the Sainsburys site but when I finally managed to do it, it was worth it. I do batch cook but sometimes I am either too busy or too tired to do that so I have a few meals that hardly take any time at all to prepare. If you pm me I will send you a couple of recipes that are quick but vaguely nutritious (they are quite limited, I am not much of a cook!).

Finally, try not to worry too much about your two year old. She has a mum who loves her and she will get so much joy out of being with your twins. This is just a little phase, things will get better. Soon she will enjoy "helping" you with spoons etc!

Sorry this is so long. I just feel for you. I could have written your post a year ago. Do get some help if you can... this is one of the toughest bits.

[Oneminute]

I think the Gina Ford book can be quite useful in giving you an idea of when the babies might have a nap. I didn't have the twin one but just looked at the times in the ordinary book. I remember my older son seemed to naturally settle into the pattern she suggests, even though I wasn't trying to Gina Ford him at all!

[Oneminute]

First post should say 'if they don't like their cots'! I will shut up now!

[rednellie]

nomore when I get back on my laptop I'll send you a pm with an excellent book we used. T.bh it didn't tell us anything we didn't already know about good sleep habits but it helped so much just having it written down. Like it was said earlier, you get so tired you stop being able to make rational decisions.

Sorry about mentioning the night out, really tactless of me! I went through a phase of wanting to headbutt anyone who said their child slept through...

[mummypigof3]

Re the gina ford- I am not gina fording my twins by any stretch of the imagination. Just any "sensible" book with an idea of something you can use as a guide for meals/naps/milk times.
I also had a really though time at 6 months with the DTs. 4 months on and I feel
Much more in control and happier. Here's to that continuing
For all of us

[toomuchpink]

I used separate cots. I made sure when one woke in the morning I woke the other soon after, so they started the day at the same time. As soon as it got to the stage where they were pretty grumpy I put them down. If one seemed less ready for bed I allowed them to stay up for 10 more minutes, but no more.
Once in the cots I left them for 10 minutes, if they were still crying I went in cuddled, tucked them back up and came away and gave it another 10 minutes. I know there was one day when I was starting the routine when DT2's entire "morning nap" consisted of me going in every 10 minutes and leaving her again. It was stressful, but massively worth it because they have napped at the same time pretty much ever since. I did it a week when my husband was on holiday so I had some moral support. When I went in to soothe them I did it really kindly and gently so I knew I was being nice to them and not horrible to them, even though they didn't want to be left. I was absolutely determined about it though. It did not take long for them to get used to the sleeping pattern. Certainly less than a fortnight. I think it was pretty much sorted within a week.

[whizmum]

I had a cleaner for the end of my pregnancy (couldn't move and kept falling asleep..........) and for the first six months.

I had a hellish first child, so the twins were easier, except there were two of them..... I woke them up and fed them at the times they usually woke up (kept a list of feeds to start with), keeping them to the routine they chose. I fed them a lot over the evening whilst DP put toddler to bed, in the hope of them sleeping longer. Slept through before DS who woke each night until age 5!

From the moment they woke up and it could be considered morning , I planned the day around getting them to bed at 8pm. My mother used to f8ck this up by taking them for long walks in the pram "look, they've slept all this time!" I was tired but just got up and started the day as this worked better. Once when they were about 18mths, I dropped the last yogurt on the floor [sad, crying with exhaustion smiley!]

They are 18 and have gone to uni. It is definitely easier now! They have always been the best thing that ever happened to me (I was not going to have children.............)

[LongStory]

So there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 14 years, 2 months and 8 days to go...

[PrincessScrumpy]

twins are now 15mo and hanging off me so will keep short - 1st year focus on ensuring all are fed, watered, warm and cleanish -= that's the essentials, everything else is a bonus. I felt very guilty about dd1 but now she plays with dtds it's fab! (and a bit easier)

go to baby groups and don't be scared to delegate! people want to helpbut often need your permission! It gets a lot more fun! xx

[PrincessScrumpy]

oh yes, I have a cleaner, she was weekly but now once a fortnight. Can't really afford it but for the sake of my sanity dh is happy for me to keep her - I never was a great house wife as I've always worked but childcare for 3 is impossible!

[twosquared]

Hope its easier now NoMoreWine. If it helps, I never shhh patted or jiggled mine. Harsh as it sounds I let them cry (unless sick or in pain). If one woke up I also woke up the other. That got them synced fairly quickly. My twins are now five and six (afraid two sets). They all seem to have survived their harsh early mothering. Even better they now all sleep in the same room and can all sleep through one child screaming / vomiting / staging a little late night party.
I promise there will be MoreWine and the best thing is as they get older they need less entertainment as they always have a little buddy to play with.
Good luck!

[defineme]

I had twins and a 2 yr old and bf. They were in a routine immediately because ds1 was too. So I had to take him to preschool for 915 so that was their 1st nap of the day in the pram on the way(2nd bf of day just before we set off-often twins were still in night sleepsuits under snowsuits).

2nd nap was in pram on way home from collecting ds1 and would leave them in secure back garden(change in temp would wake up if in house) with back door open and watch then through window whilst had lunch with ds1-he napped until he was 4 so he'd have an hour then too. If no preschool would generally go out anyway-didn't internet shop cos I needed to get out of the house-just lots of small shops whilst buying far too many trains for ds1 to make up for ruining his life!

Naps in house were more difficult-joint feed then if not asleep on breast I'd pat/shush/shuggy/swaddle/whatever I could think of.

they were in same single pram in snowsuits when we went out for about 4 months(ds1 sat on the end of the pram on a cushion!), then I had a double buggy with ds2 (lightest) in a sling or ds1 walking.

I went to bed at 8pm with twins and after 3 months dh did any feed before midnight with formula-so I had 4 hours if I wore ear plugs.

Dh did his own ironing and I didn't iron anything else. I did minimal housework, but kept tidy so it was easier to clean when I did have a minute.

It was head down and get on with it for a couple of years, but we have lots of photos to remind us of the good times we had amidst the grind. It will pass before you know it and I now believe twins are the best thing that could possibly have happened to us.