twins sleeping help

[LargeGlassofRed]

Can any one recommend sleeping tips for twins? am beyond exhaustion
Dt's are 14 weeks and going from 8 till 12ish then till 2 or 3 then 4 ish 5 ish and ?i get up at 6.30 with others.

Really trying to get them into a routine but failing.
Just read GF twins book as recommended by another mum at twins club but can't see how I can make it work around the other dc's.

Thanks all

Hey LGOR Can't believe the DT's are 14 weeks already can you!

Are they taking good feeds in the night or just a token amount and back to sleep?
Do you think they would dreamfeed and then go longer?
Are they sleeping together/apart? Do you think that makes any difference to them?

How are you getting on the day? As hard as I try I cannot seem to get any regular routine going. Each day is different with different feed/nap times and while they used to be feeding/sleeping at roughly the same times they now seem to be going off on doing their own thing! I'll come back to this later when I have more time!!

Hiya London so nice to hear from you, I was wondering how you were getting on?

Feeds at night the first one is usally a good one around 12 but after that more of a token ones, Haven't tried dream feed going to try that tonight.
They are in their own cots now as Freddie kept grabbing Stanley and waking him up Freddie also seams only to laugh when Stan is crying.
In the last couple of weeks have been trying to structure the day morebut really difficult to get them to do the same thing at once.
The last couple of days though they have had a morning sleep for about 45 mins and a lunchtime sleep in the cot for about an hour.
The trouble is in the afternoon/eve it all goes pair shaped and they are sleeping and eating all over the place.

How are your 2 doing? please don't tell me they are sleeping 12 hours a night

Evening!
I'm afraid to say Theo does indeed sleep 7-7 but Lewis more than makes up for him dont worry!

Aternoon/eve is a nightmare here too....they are always cranky from 4pm ish no matter when they have eaten/slept and always want milk at 5pm ish which of course means they fall asleep (which is ok if just 10 mins) and then mess around with bedtime bottle. I can't seem to make them wait any longer though, by 7 they are screaming!

Lewis then sleeps 7ish - 12ish, feeds and does go straight back to sleep but then wakes at 3/4/5/6am. Doesnt really want feeding is just unsettled. I'm not sure what the answer is. (dreamfeeding L doesnt work, he refuses to feed and wakes at 12 regardless)

They do still sleep in the same cot bed as we haven't got room for 2 and at the moment and they don't have their own roon

I keep thinking things will sort themselves out when they are on solids/have their own room/move out!!!

They are quite good fun at the moment though....I love the fact that they seem to notice each other, they look right at each other and grin! Their personalities are soooo different. Lewis is such a drama queen and wants all the attention. Theo is very chilled and laid back and only cries if something is really wrong.

What do your other DC's think of the boys?

lol lewis sounds like Stan he generally gets all the attention and Freddie is mr laid back.

The noticing each other is so cute isn't it .
My two have really different personalities too,
The other dc's love the boys, its been difficult in the eve's as Stan's had really bad colic thankfully its just about gone now the other dc's hate to hear the crying, bless.

How are you coping with all the attention? I'm still getting used to it, sometimes I feel people staring and wonder why then realise its the boys.

Are Lewis and Theo very alike in looks? mine started off looking quite different but are looking more alike each day.

Hello both,
My b/g twins are nearly 15 weeks old, and are sleeping well. For the last 3 weeks, most nights they have gone from 11/midnight through to 6.30/7am (also sleeping from 7.30 to 11pm). The exceptions tend to be the odd night of waking at around 3/4am, but then going back to sleep nicely after whatever measures we have used.
I couldn't face the Gina Ford book, and have instead been using Baby Secrets by Jo Tantum. The key things seem to be having a really distinctive bedtime routine (ours lasts an hour and a half, but we do do a breast feed followed by a massive formula top up), and making every hour between 7pm and 7am really boring and dark, so they know there's no point being awake. I'd really recommend the book.

The key to success is not to wake up one morning and do the whole thing, but to gradually incorporate more of the routine into your day. I started with the bedtime routine, then managed to get it at roughly the same time every night, then got the nightime feeds sorted, then daytime feeds, and finally daytime naps. It took about 6 weeks to get there, I think, but I needed help during the day to get there.

Afternoons are usually horrible, though. Yesterday was weirdly different - I lost concentration, and gave them a 50-minute breastfeed at about 2pm. They both then slept like angels for an hour and a half, had a little feed at 5pm and were really pleasant until bedtime. I'll be trying it again.

mildredwithtwins the Jo Tantum book is good isnt it, I wish I had read it before they were born! I re-read the spaced soothing bit last night and tried it. Although Lewis didnt completely settle each time it definately helped that I didnt rush to him, leaving it a minute longer each time and he didnt seem to disturb Theo so I shall persevere.

LGOR my boys look VERY different. I have put recent pics on my profile for you to see.

I have perfected a 'dont make eye contact, keep walking, look a bit grumpy' kind of thing to minimise the attention. Luckily we live in a small town so the regular places I go have seen the boys lots and are no longer interested! It is still a bit weird though, I get really paranoid that my hair is stuck up or trousers undone then I realise people are looking at the twins - not me!!

How did the dreamfeeding go?

ooh thanks for the recommendation have ordered the book.
Keep plodding on

Today I had both up awake around 7 feed get dressed ect then they went to sleep on school run about 8.30 till 9am.

Awake then till 11.30 when they both fell asleep in the car so got back and tried to put them down for a sleep, stan went mental though and only settled about 1ish and slept for an hour Freddie slept about 30 mins.

Next went to sleep in car seats about 4 and Stan slept for an hour and Freddie and hour and a half.

Did a big feed at 6.30 and then bath and bed at 7.15pm both went almost straight to sleep then Stan woke up and only managed to get him back off just before 9pm.

Am shattered!

But will keep going, going to try giving a top up bottle at 11pm, didn't do it last night as Freddie woke up before I organized the bottles

London your boys are gorgeous and really different as you say, I'm off to the local twins group tomorrow which is lovely and nice to meet other mums who have been through the same thing.

Funny you should say about the long breast feed that worked for me the other day too, on the whole though the boys only feed for 5 mins and still every 2 to 2 and half hours!

God what a ramble lol

I know that you must be knacked, esp with other kids, but your babies are doing well with the sleeping from talking to lots of other mums? Obv could always be better but try not to put undue pressure on yourself!

Mine started sleeping through the 11pmish feed at 9 weeks and have since gone longer at night, with bedtime currently being at 6.30pm and waking up anytime from 4-6am.

Apparently, this is a bit unusual as they are still only on the milk, but my bfeeding counsellor suggests that as they are solely breastfed they've got very efficient at it, and relevantly must be taking enough at bedtime to see them through a stretch. Good theory I'm sticking with!

For what it's worth my tips would be:

1. Avoid striving for a strict routine, as no adults achieve it so imagine near impossible that a small person could, and it becomes a source of more frustration. I reckon it'll pay off in the long run to not try and manipulate their natural rhythm, rather make sure it falls in with everyone else.

1. Base any 'routine' around feedtimes; I found that they naturally eat, play around a bit and then fall asleep around an hour after each feed. At night they know it's night and settle down fairly promptly, as no time for play, lights low etc.

1. Make sure that they go down still slightly awake and allow them to self-settle. We got them to self-settle from the outset, as reasoned that it would be a nightmare if they couldn't (although at first they were knocked out by the milk so couldn;t always put them down awake).

1. However, I always pick them up if they really go for it, but allow a few minutes (this time increased with age) before going back in. I do think that this reassurance makes a calmer baby.

1. Co-bedding. We did this from the outset and they seem really reassured to have one another close by. This is despite being a little more snug now they are six months! Started for practical reasons - titch spare room - but think we're going to keep doing it as long as poss.

1. We always have a mega chilled run-up to bedtime - no TV. music etc etc. Imagine this is difficult with other kids, but could you take them up to their room.

This is obv just my experience- perhaps something useful there, perhaps not. I was chatting to a friend today and she went to an NHS sleep clinic, via her health centre/HV team, and found it hugely useful. Perhaps worth seeing if you have one close by?

www.theshockofthetwo.blogspot.com

Thanks theshockofthetwo, thats really helpful. your boys look so sweet.
last night the dream feed worked fantastically on Stan he had 6 oz of formula at 11pm and slept till 5.30am than slept till seven. My boom was nearly exploding though!

Freddie only managed 3 oz then woke at 1.30 3, 4.30,6 and up at seven.