March 2017 (2)

[purpleviolet1]

Second thread!

4am is not pooing time!

4am is feeding and pooing time for my 4w bubba

But agree isn't for 5mths

Wow carol that's great!!

I'm up with DS. Had a great night so far but this is the meltdown....

She still woke at 4 for 3oz feed. Had 1oz of her breakfast she still has a slight temp, been up since 6 and she doesn't want her nap

😴😴😴

Seems we have a few unsettled LOs

DD finally asleep. She had her porridge made with an ounce of formula AND 4oz bottle!

Getting her weighed this afternoon. 5 months today 😦 it's flying by!!

I've just read "The Baby Sleep Guide" by Stephanie Modell. It seems quite sensible and balanced. It has general tips and information about various methods, the author clearly favours gradual retreat but it also has info about PUPD and controlled crying. My only slight criticism is that it doesn't really consider cosleeping - there is a case study which includes it (as the parents wanted to continue cosleeping) but most of the book implies that cosleeping is bad. Admittedly it's a refreshing change from the Gentle Sleep Book which seems to advocate bedsharing for years!! but I don't think it's quite as balanced as the website I had found.

Going to try and get hold of a copy of the No Cry Sleep Solution from the library and see how it compares to the other two.

15lb 13oz

The twins are 5 months today and also had their jabs. We were running late because nurse was ill one week, I couldn't find my keys the second week and this is the first slot that gp had for both of them. They've been crying a lot since we got back, finally settled them.

I'm struggling with routine, I have no idea how much to feed them, at the moment,my son seems to eat 5oz every 2.5 hours, is that a lot? My daughter eat slightly less, they wake up about twice during the night sometimes 3 times so I'm permanently tired because I still have to find time to express,I can't wait to wean in a months time.

I have tried introducing a dummy but they are both not interested, so at the moment they don't self soothe. Any tips ple

abacha we are late on our jabs as well, DD had the chicken pox around 8 weeks so had to wait for them to clear up and slit open up at the clinic.

DD has had a rough day, running a temp, irritable, very clingy. Had difficulty settling her for bed as well, she was crying in her sleep.

@Abacha my DS is on formula, he has 5 bottles a day. Four are 7oz bottles (I've increased them from 6oz just this week) and the last one is 5oz. He tends to eat every three hours.

I use the formula box as a guide - there's a chart on the side that helps you work out how much to feed depending on age/weight but DS is small for his age so it's hard to judge. I increased the bottle size this week because he was finishing every bottle and sometimes crying after, like he was still hungry.

It took us a while but DS sorted himself into his own routine. You'll get there, I promise!

Carol that's a great weight! also going to get ds weighed next Thursday. Something has come up tomorrow now.

Namechange that's interesting. Let us know if you get the book and what you make of it. I would bear in mind though that whatever method you use, even if it's a 'no cry method', there is bound to be some crying. I take it you are cosleeping but want a method for ds to self settle?

Abacha - honestly you are doing so well just to get through your day with twins. As far as routine goes maybe just focus on starting the day and ending it at the same time. The hours in between will just form a pattern. Maybe try increasing an oz and feeding every 3 hours instead? Defo check the box as coupester recommended but remember it's just a guide. Nap wise during the day I try and watch ds like a hawk from about 1.5 hours after he has been awake. He can comfortably manage 2.5 hours awake time now , sometimes 3 hours at least once in the day. As soon as he is showing cues of being tied I put him in the cot. If we are out then I just leave him to nod off at his own leisure. The key is to not let them get overtired as that's when it's near impossible to settle them. Do you follow a bedtime routine at all?

Wow abacha you're doing an incredible job.

That's a good weight carol I think dd must be around that. May try and get down to clinic next week. Which bizarrely is in the library.

Got a free cow and gate weaning guide book from Morrisons today. Looks quite good.

purple
Ha yes, I agree! "No cry" is optimistic DS often fights sleep and can cry quite hard when he's dropping off, but if we rock him to sleep (which we've been doing a lot as it was the only way we could get him to nap) then I can live with the crying... it's letting him crying without cuddling him that will be hard, so we are thinking of maybe trying PU/PD.
We are cosleeping but not bedsharing (to be pedantic ), DS is in the Snuzpod on my side of the bed and I'm happy for him to stay until he grows out of it (which won't be long - sniff!) I do feed him in bed at night but put him back in the Snuzpod.
It was interesting in the book I just read that the author referred to baby ending up in parents' bed as a kind of treat to be avoided I am reading all the books with a pinch of salt - I think you have to just take what you find useful/relevant and try not to worry too much about making different choices (easier said than done!) as we are all just doing what works for us and our babies

PS Just realised I only answered half your question, yes I would like DS to be able to fall asleep by himself if we put him down. Until now he has been fed or rocked to sleep which we've been happy to do but it's not sustainable. I'm hoping naps in particular will be easier once we sort it (as he often fights naps a lot) - we shall see!

Unfortunately many sleep associations tend to be difficult to get rid off / involve lots of crying on baby's part (and maybe even the parent!). They seem good at the time but most aren't sustainable. I think for my next baby, if I'm lucky enough to have one, I'll try harder to not give the dummy. The sleep training is going well but my heart does break when he cries, I just have to remind myself that it's for his comfort too. He gets into a deeper sleep without the dummy which makes sense re dummy Reducing sids risk. We were lucky that ds seemed happier to be put down rather than be held to sleep.

Ah that's good. Yes I think if we have another we will make more effort to put the baby down awake from an early age, to see if he or she naturally falls asleep without too much fuss (not talking about sleep training from an early age, just giving baby the chance to fall asleep independently). But hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it!

@abacha. Start the day at same time even if had a bad night

I find 730 works well. Just about to wake dd so only a quick reply

Feed every 3hrs and I find babies this age tend to get sleeps 1.5/2hrs after being awake

730 feed
9-10 sleep
1030 feed
1130/12-1 sleep
130 feed
230/2-4 sleep
430 feed
5ish short nap 20/30mins and wake
6 bath
630/7 feed
7pm ish bed
Df 10/11pm

And then when wake in night 3/4am ish

Dd was on 5 bottles of 6oz 730 1030 230 630/7
And df but now sleep through so does roughly

730 milk 8oz and reminder mixed with porridge
8 porridge
9/10 sleep
11 6oz
12 veggie lunch
1-2/230 sleep
230/3 7oz
4/5 sleep
5 tea veggies
6 bath tho not every night
630 8oz but often drinks 6
7 bed

And was 19lbs last week. My heffalump
😍😍😍

Help! DS has been awake for 4 hours and counting, and has been resisting our best efforts to get him to sleep for the last ~2 hours 😱 😩🔫

We gave him some teething granules in case it was that, but I don't think so - no temperature or red cheeks. I think he was just fighting sleep, he often does it and it's been worse the last couple of days.

Finally got him to sleep after a LONG walk in the pushchair via the shop for Diet Coke and chocolate to keep me going ... it took a lot of walking but he did fall asleep eventually. Total awake time of 5 hours!

Debating whether to nap myself or read some sleep books! I think I need a nap!

Well, no need to make a decision, as DS woke up again (after less than 30mins).

Some days being a parent is really hard and really shit. Today is one of those days.

We're having one if those days name on feeding and sleeping.

Thank you so much for all the tips, I think I need to start by bringing their bath forward, I've been doing it by 8pm daily. I'm pretty much alone with them all day and evening as dh works really long hours. I will bring their bath forward to 7pm from today.

The bath time is a little stressful as I can't bath both at the same time so the one I've just bathed end up crying whilst I try to bath the other. DH will be home early from Sept 8th so it will get easier then. The twins are really clingy today they have a slight temperature from the shots yesterday so today has been extra hard.

Although we had a cute moment as they interacted with each other for the first time today. They were both on the floor and dd started crying ds turned to her and blew a raspberry and she blew one back and giggled. They went back and forth a couple of times, was so mad for letting my phone die.

I can't believe it's been 5 months already.

Another question please, in this weather, how do you dress your babies for sleep. Vest, sleepsuit and blanket? Although dd kicks the blanket off immediately. I have a grobag but it seems too warm for three layers