Toddler and 3 week old newborn twins and sleep deprivation!

[Tasha100]

Hello
Haven't been on mumsnet for ages! Trying to get used to having newborn twins (non-identical boy and girl). Had a horrific emergency c-section due to a problem with ds heartbeat. Still recovering physically from that. Feel really guilty that I am not able to give my toddler the time he is used to but he is being very good. Twins were sleeping really well for the first 2 weeks but this past week has been horrific with hardly any sleep each night. It's making me very tearful, I haven't been out much (which I am not used to), I am very snappy at my dh and toddler, struggle to get dressed and can't seen the light of the end of the tunnel. It's only been a week of bad sleep so what will I been like a few more weeks down the line. In my rational moments I know it won't last for ever but most of the time I am irrational. Anyone else trying to juggle a 2 and a half year old plus newborn twins? Anyone else surviving on lack of sleep?

Try to get dts feeding at the same time, or one straight after the other, and be ready to go to bed yourself for the last evening feed, so you can go straight to sleep hopefully for 3-4 hours, it does get better

Had a better night last night. Always try to feed at the same time but one of them is quite a bit bigger than the other so can last a bit longer between feeds. The smaller one struggles for longer than 3 hours and as he is still quite tiny I don't like to leave it longer than that. Whereas the bigger twin can last longer at night which I want to encourage so it's a big dilemma.

How long before yours slept through the night. My toddler was about 8 weeks but he was bigger than the twins and was never an overly hungry baby so I don't anticipate the twins managing this.

Hi, my twins slept through the night from 11 weeks, which is pretty good as they were 7 weeks early, however it did'nt last, since putting them into proper beds they still wake once a night now, but only for a drink so its not a big problem, they are 5 now.

hi there my twins are 7 months and my little girl is 3 . I sympathyse with everything your saying but it does get easier . stop being so hard on yourself, not many other people have so much to cope with. my 2 are still up in the night but im used to it now and they are much easier to manage, im also lucky to get lots of help from my mum. Accept as much help as you can. as for your toddler, i still have days where i feel guilty about my little girl not getting as much attention as she was used to but she loves her sisters and i make sure she gets lots of hugs and i tell her i love her, although there are days where im tired and if im honest take it out on her but she know shes loved and soon forgets me being snappy .
I felt just like you did and its still hard but not at all as hard as it was, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks for the messages - have had internet issues so haven't been on mumsnet for the last few days.

It's getting better and I'm getting more used to the night waking although it's less frequent. Vez28 - good to hear that you've been the same (as I should imagine all mums do)with your toddler. It's hard not to snap at a toddler who is trying your patience when you are very tired. My little boy is very good with the twins and gets lots of attention from everyone (my parents are very involved) so he knows he is well loved by everyone.

In the moments of tiredness I just remind myself that I am very lucky to have 3 lovely children.