Ideas to help me cope with 6 mo twins at night!

[BosomsByTheSea]

My DTs are 6 months now and I am really struggling with lack of sleep.

DT1 usually goes down OK after bath, story, boob at 7.30 ish, but then wakes at 9.30, 11.30, 1am, and then often hourly until 6am when he is wide awake. I am feeding him each time he wakes - have tried just cuddling him back to sleep but he just gets shoutier and shoutier and I don't want DT2 to wake. I have started taking him into bed in the spare room with me, just to get some sleep, but I don't want this to become a habit as my back is really suffering!

DT2 used to go down OK but now often won't go to sleep till 10 or 11 pm. I have ended up with him in my bed from 8pm onwards the last 2 nights, managing to finally get him down in his own bed at 11ish. He mostly sleeps through till 6.30ish.

I used to feed them together in the night, so if one woke, I fed them both, but I'm not doing this now as both are good weights and the bf cushion is too small for them both! This means I am in trouble if I am feeding one and the other wakes!

I'm struggling from the lack of sleep, also I have arthritis so it's hard to move the DTs around in the night - and I don't feel it's safe to co-sleep with them both.

They're fully breastfed so I've done every night since they were born. Just started BLW.

Any ideas? I've also posted in Multiple Births.

no idea bosoms but f*ing well done - sounds like a mission! and they are both so different too...

i have one ds - almost 6mo - can't imagine 2 of him!!!

i have heard there is a 6mo growth spurt which might be why DT1 is waking so often.

what are their naps like in the day? is DT1 overtired and finding it difficult to stay asleep? (really lame guess .

anyway, keep going, you are doing SO WELL!!!

Thanks Ruby

I was wondering whether it might be a growth spurt / change in diet. I am living in fear of DT2 (who is a couple of weeks behind his brother) catching up and starting the hourly waking too!

They have 2 or 3 naps a day - but there doesn't seem to be a correlation between how good / bad the naps in the day have been and how good the night is!

Thanks for the encouragement. I don't feel like I am doing well - I am snappy with my wonderful DH and struggling to fully 'enjoy' my gorgeous boys in the daytime as I am so tired. Feeling a bit teary and sorry for myself.

2 or 3 naps a day sounds good. i know exactly what you mean when you say it doesn't seem to correlate - same with my ds (ebf too). he had three naps yesterday - one very very short - literally a catnap at 4 before bed at 6ish and last night he did seem to sleep heavier, but i still had to getup a few times this morning (very very early) to turn him over / change his nappy / feed him etc etc etc

my and my dh are not getting on THAT well at th mo either and i do wonder whether it is just months of broken sleep on my part .

anyway, you ARE doing exceptionally well frankly - one is a challenge, but TWO! .

i have heard they wake up alot when they are reaching various milestones - rolling, sitting etc

i have resigned myself to broken sleep for a few more years yet as we want to have more

can anyone help / express a bottle (aaah i mean two!) so that you could get one night of unbroken sleep - sorry, i mean a six hour stretch or so! a whole night - yeah right! me and dh have one lie in each at the weekend and when i wake up from that extra sleep it is much better, not perfect, but at least i don't feel so dog tired!

Hello DT1 sounds like my DD who is 9m, hourly bf overnight lately
i have just ordered the NCSS book but i looked at this website first -
www.mybabysleepguide.com
i thought it informative
respect to you as a twin breastfeeder!

Thanks Tired and Ruby!

I also ordered NCSS this morning!

I do have expressed milk in the freezer for emergencies - maybe I should call in reinforcements one night to get a long unbroken stretch. Just seems a lot to use up - and recently they haven't been keen on a bottle, either...

I guess it isn't forever... [weak smile]