how do I stretch twins to 3 hourly feeds and feed at sametime?

[Lissy2]

I have been looking at threads of bottle feeding twins and just wondered where the head on the pillow at the side of each thigh work with one twin lying parallel to the thigh or whether both have their heads on each thigh and right angles to me? So tired I can not understand the method. Plus mine at now 8 weeks (one is 9lbs 9 and the other 7lbs7) and I could really do with going to 4 hour intervals as so tired can barely function and still relying on family help who are also very tired now! does anyone have any advice on how to stretch to 4 hours with twins? Is it unrealistic to try and force it or will it just happen and do things really improve at 12 weeks?!! x

Sorry I meant where does the head of each twin go if feeding both? so tired can not type properly..!

Have you tried feeding in bouncy chairs? - You sit between the 2, your back against sofa, babies facing you. Feels a bit impersonal, but works, as long as babies are big enough/chairs lie back enough?

I think it did get easier for us at 13 weeks - DT's were 4.5wks early). From then, they fed three hourly roughly from 7am, then slept 7.30 pm to around 6.45am. So 6 feeds each day.

Sorry, that sounds quite confused - they fed every 3 hours / 5 times per day (not 6) - between 6.45am and 7.30pm. Slept though overnight. That was at 3 months +.

I found it really hard to bottle feed them together as they were so tiny. Also wanted to hold them and give lots of cuddles! For the first few weeks I really found that the only way to feed them was with help from someone else....

things will improve. I find it easier to bottle feed two how walkie describes. You could do the same thing with pillows.

Is there any other way you can get a break. Go to bed early after the early evening feed and let dp do the late evening feed so you get a good 6 hours uninterrupted? Then you do the night feed so he gets 6 hours also.

I didnt have any luck stretching the feeds, though eventually they fell into more of a routine of feeding at the same time.

Thank you so much for the tips. Will give it a go including doing shifts to try and get more sleep. Nice to know things improve!

if your babies aren't too 'pukey' you could try this - I did it from quite young and it was brill. Lie them down on the floor/sofa/in a baby car seat and put a small teddy on their chests. Then lie the milk bottle on the teddy so the teddy supports the bottle and they drink. It won't be long before they start to hold the bottle themselves and then you can just hand them the milk while they lie on the floor. By 6 months mine were holding their own bottles but by about 4 or 5 months I could just prop the bottles on the teddy and wonder off to do the odd job (my other was 2 at the time so there was always somnething do dash off and sort out). I know it sounds a bit heartless but I was just trying to battle through the first year as best I could. Also My right arm is paralysed so I couldn't hold 2 bottles to feed them in car seats or bouncers. But if I could, I would have. Have faith, they will start to stretch between feeds.

Lucky you Jenny Roper, mine are 10.5 months old now and one still refuses to hold his own bottle - he has slaves to do that for him!

The on the thigh method is really very easy once you get the hang of it. I fed mine like that very successfully until they could sit up.

If you sit on the floor, or the sofa, with your back supported, pop one baby's head lying face upwards on the top of each thigh. When they were tiny I used a cushion under their heads too to help prop them up. Then pop the bottles into each waiting mouth.

To wind I would lift one twin up by the scruff of his babygro and whack him over my shoulder, which was usually enough to get any burps out, then swap and do the other. Alternatively once they were a little older I would simply take a break in the middle of the feed when they weren't so hungry and burp one and then the other sitting up on my knee and then finish the feed and burp again.

Good luck, mine have been eating three times a day since six months or so, so things really do get easier, though it's hard to believe at the time.

I would be wary of propping up a bottle as it can cause choking if they aren't able to hold the bottle and remove it themselves.

Meant to reply to this ages ago so apologies. My dts are 12 weeks now (5 weeks corrected) and I feed them using a v shaped pillow which I put around me as if I was bfing, then I put a twin on each side with their heads next to each other over the pointed part which rests on my lap. I then have a bottle in each hand and feed away, it really is easy once you get the hang of it. Mine feed every three hours but sometimes go longer - usually at night and first thing in the morning after the school run and I almost always feed them together - I wake the sleeping twin when the other is yelling and change them then start to feed. I also find a supply of drinks and snacks and the tv remote is essential for doing the night feeds. HTH and good luck .

Thanks! Not sure I am brave enough to prop the bottle yet so have got out my bfing cushion and will try that.! Will stick with the 3 hours in the day as in the last week they have been stretching naturally a bit more in the night which is a relief! x

bagpuss that is genius to use the bfing pillow for bottle feeding

Have tried Bfing pillow and it worked so thank you! Feed was over in 20 mins and no-one injured or too upset!

Podee bottles are brill. I found them much better than trying to feed 2 at once with conventional bottles. I used to do what I called 'eaking' to encourage them to go longer btw feeds and a dummy is great for this. Just increase slowly in small increments and it should be doable. Hang in there, it does get easier.