Fussy twins. Help needed please. Awake/Sleep/Routine.

[EsmeandHarrietsmum]

Hi was wondering if anyone could help me? I have twin girls who are absolutely amazing at night can't fault them. They sleep 8pm til 8am (i wake them to feed then) they feed 4 times in 24hours and have a great evening routine. Bath. Bottle. Bed. However during the day (over the last week) they are extremely fussy. Not very playful. Crying lots. Waking up early from naps but not happy. I understand they could be over or under tired but i don't know how to tell as they yawn when i am putting them down for a nap. It's a horrible recent cycle and there's not much play time we can enjoy together at the moment as they just shout and look pissed off unless waybuloo is on repeat which is pretty boring as i'd like to go back to the jumperoo baby gym and activities they were enjoying previously. They are 18 weeks old on Friday. Help please x

more food? Extra feed at 10pm? Could be growth spurt?
Teeth?
Virus?

Take them out more so they get some different scenery?

Want to be cuddled more and less placid, needing more adult input perhaps.

I'm not sure. My twins had a night feed at that stage, although otherwise a very good routine. Certainly I do remember they needed a lot of picking up although they were good to settle for naps etc understood cues. Just in between they demanded a lot more cuddling and talking - it was sort of jealousy kicking in I do remember ds2 who was a less good sleeper in general starting to wake up 30 mins into afternoon nap whilst still sleepy and overtired, and then being very difficult to resettle. I think I just perservered with settling him but gave him extra feed at that point or cuddle etc. Maybe it was a bit of a unsettled time.

Answer might be just to take them out a bit more, and make life a bit more interesting. Often fussiness is less difficult to deal with when you are with other people and other grownups or children!! I think they pick up on our tensions. And being alone with two fussy babies would make anyone tense.

They have 28oz a day which i think seems enough as i've tried offering an extra feed. I take them out most days but really it is to the same places. They seem most settled when they are next to eachother holding hands. It's over/undertiredness i'm struggling with as i just feel i'm getting it so wrong and get my odd day where i feel pretty shit. I wouldn't want them to be bored or unsettled but up until a week or so all was good?? There's a couple of teething signs but when i've touched the gum can't feel anything.

well at that age, mine woke at 8 went back to sleep at 10 for an hour at least, sometimes longer, then slept in afternoon for two hours at least, bed at 7.30 and woke once or twice in the night for 30 mins or less. If that sounds more or less what yours are getting, surely they are not tired?

Mine get up at 8am. Go back to sleep 9:30am til 10:15am then they play for a bit or watch tele go for a walk get fed then 11:30-11:45am go back to sleep 1pm til around 3:30pm. Get fed 4pm play until 5:30pm have a little hour nap and 6:45pm get up watch a bit of their programmes and then it's the bath routine. I feel i am either putting them down too much to sleep. They are over or under tired or are going to bed too late as last night it was 8:30pm bed but didn't go off until 8:45pm?

Hope things are improving...I suppose it just is a very tricky time when babies are quite needy, want lots of attention and not so good contentedly lying on the ground. Might you try jigging feed and offering less more often perhaps, or a feed before sleep in the afternoon and a longer sleep then and an earlier bedtime with no sleep before? Routines do change as they get older, often new routines suddenly replace tried and tested strategies. You are the mum, you are free to change anything in response to what they need, even if something else worked brilliantly before.

And the only thing that really helps is other adults and friendly faces (for you mean) Helpful visiting children are often a hit too, babies love watching older toddlers and children. It may seem impossible to have anyone over, but a mum with baby and older toddler might really amuse your little ones, and visitor would be thrilled to be asked. (well I would have)

Sounds also as if they like music if they enjoy watching telly..what about cutting out telly and replacing with nursery songs on a cd or just singing to them yourself. Babies absolutely love to be sung to, it can avert a lot of whinging.