4 month sleep regression and low birthweight - I just have to feed, don't I?

[TeenyTwins]

I have 4 month old twins who seem to be going through the 4 month old sleep regression. The smaller twin is, understandably, the one who always wakes first, but she had been sleeping from 7pm to 2/3am and having one or two night feeds. They both settle well after a night feed, but I don't feed them to sleep - they've always gone down awake(ish). I am mix feeding, and they have a bottle of formula at 6.30pm

In the last two weeks, the smaller twin has been waking earlier and more often - now she wakes at 10.30pm and has 3 or 4 night feeds. She won't settle without being fed, but is still going down awake.

It's a killer as I'm doing 5 or 6 feeds a night between the two of them. But my smaller twin is tiny - only 10lbs, so I guess I have no option but to feed her when she wakes?

I'm happy to feed in the night if she's really hungry, and hopefully it might help her weight catchup, but going from one night feed to 4 feeds makes me wonder if it's really hunger?

Hi. there could be a number of reasons for this. with my twins, my smaller one did not sleep as well as her sister. She often ended up in bed with me. I wouldn't have survived with out that so I totally feel for you. You don't mention the twin's feeding during the day. It may be worth checking your latch with both twins and try to improve the feeds during the day. The better the feeds during the day, the plan is that they have better reserves for the day. I hope that makes sense, but at this age, you are all changing and worth going back to basics. This would go for the night time feed also, but this is harder when exhausted.

TAMBA now has a twin breastfeeding support line. you might get other ideas from there. I hope this helps.

I remember my twins having growth spurts and feeding lots, they never did it at the times the books said they would, but they were prem so developmentally not on track.

It is tiring,really bloody tiring, it won't last forever though, I just used to camp out on the sofa with films and nice food, doze off when I could, and feed them when they were hungry. I think my brain may have rose tinted just how tired I was though. for you, hope you get some sleep soon.

I have no experience of twins but my baby at that age started waking more in the night and I found if I fed him more often during the day he slept better - can imagine that might be tricky with twins though - you have my great admiration!