When did your 33 weeker babies start to sleep in longer stretches?

[Seaswimmings]

Hi all
My twins are now 13 weeks actual (6 weeks corrected). After birth they spent 3 weeks in SCBU/NICU where they were put on a 3 hourly feeding schedule. It's still only been a handful of times they've ever managed to go longer than 2hrs from finishing a feed to crying out for the next one, and often in the night its more like an hour.
They are combi-fed and I breastfeed in the day but generally the milk they have at night is formula so that me and my partner each take it in turns to sleep/be in shift.
We always try to settle before offering milk but they will be rooting around wildly in their Moses baskets mostly.
Additionally from about 4-6am they cry out, scream, squirm, fart and seem to be in a lot of belly pain. I tend to give them stomach massages, gripe water, burp, milk in this time.
For the last few weeks we've done a bedtime routine (bottle/breast, nappy change, sleep sacks , white noise) between 7.30-9pm (depending on when they've woken up for a feed).

Im losing hope it's ever going to get better, and in a way I wonder if it's better to just accept it's going to be shit a while longer. Other people's babies seem to be able to go for a lot longer than our pair!

When did your 33/34 weekers sleep improve?
Thanks

If it helps my dd was a 29 weeker. She’s now 18 weeks, 8 weeks corrected, and started last week sleeping about 4 during the night. She has a feed about 11pm to midnight then sleeps through until around 4am then sleeps until 8am. Sometimes if she’s had a hyped up day such as visiting family she’s completely thrown out and doesn’t get sleep until 3am but we’re trying to get in a routine and it’s working well. She’s formula fed as I couldn’t produce breastmilk unfortunately.

Hope that helps. I suppose with you having multiples they may not help with waking each other up!

Do the babies have stomach discomfort in the mornings whether bottle or breastfed?

My 34 weeker had two night feeds for a loooong time. I can't remember when she dropped to one. I do recall she first slept through the night at 19 months. Buy matchsticks for your eyelids and accept you are likely to be a zombie for a while yet.

DD was born at 42 weeks, but was over 2 years old before she left for more than 90-120 minutes at a time. Unfortunately some babies are just like that.

DS1 not prem, but id have been delighted with 2 hour stretches.
He was 18 months before I got one 4 hour stretch a night out of him.

It may not be their age or NICU schedule, it may just be their temperament.

Yes Ds was born on due date. Breastfed, and usually fed every 90mins-2hrs until he was at least 9+ months. After that maybe one 3-4 hr stretch but then still woke every 2hrs. I stopped all night feeds by 12 months and he still woke frequently until 2 years.
Hes now 3 years. He has slept though maybe 5 times ever in his life.

I think 3hrs is a huge gap personally for babies under 6-9months. Some might go 3-4hrs once overnight but daytime I wouldn’t expect it. More like every 2 hrs daytime, then maybe 11pm-3pm eventually. For prem babies probably longer. They have tiny tummies and need regular feeds.

If your bottle feeding over night, can you tag team so each of you gets a 4hr sleep? One feeds 10pm-2am whilst other sleeps on sofa or spare room, then other swaps and does 2-6am shift.

Is the formula upsetting their tummies?
Worth trying a different brand?
Sounds like you are doing well!

My 32 weeker first slept through decent stretches at about 5 months then very quickly by 6 months he settled into a 7pm-6am routine with one quick night feed somewhere in the middle. This also coincided with a growth spurt where he went from "oh isn't he tiny!!" To normal baby sized.