When can we start one up/ both up? (currently breastfeeding, 1 wk old)

basil2

So our twins are now 1 wk old (born at 37.6 via scheduled c section) and both doing well.  We are still up quite a bit at night though.  One of them (the smaller at birth has a tendency to nurse for a little while/ fall asleep/ wake up 15 minutes later/ nurse again/ fall asleep again/ wake up 15 min later etc).  2 nights ago, they both seemed to be doing relativley well but were off cycle from each other- so I tried to do one up, get the other up last night- but it really didn't work.  One just needed to feed somewhat constantly for several hours, while the other was perfectly fine going a few hours at a time.

For breastfeeding moms- when were you able to get success with waking up the second to feed once the first was up?  (Initially I wanted to do one at a time- it was easier to get their latches right- now I'd really like just a little more sleep.)  Also- any tricks for getting the second to wake up?  Or is it a little too soon and we just need to wait it out another week or 2??

Thanks!

somewhereincali

we never really got it to work, one of my guys did NOT like to be woken up and he would basically wake, scream his head off, not eat, and then fall back asleep and wake later to eat.

I hope it works better for you but despite this I successfully EBF for 2.5 years so it is possible even if they dont want to wake to eat.

ckred27

We started as soon as they got home from the hospital (3 days old) So the first couple weeks they were eating about every 3 hours.

jocie2581

We kept them on the nicu schedule for the first two months - nursing every three hours. I tandem fed them during these feedings.

daisy19782011

From the beginning, but that was the NICU schedule...every 3 hours, and wake to feed. We did that for the 1st 2 months they were home, and we still do one up both up.

katiebenes

we did it from the start until about 5 months when Caleb stopped needing to wake up. we knew because he would eat 1 oz (normal feedings were 6+) and then pass out and that was it. 

Now we let them be. If John wakes up, he gets fed and Caleb stays asleep. rarely Caleb will wake up hungry, but most of the time he's just mad that Daddy put the blanket back on him when clearly blankets belong under his feet

basil2

Thanks everyone- it seems to be working during the day but not at night- will wait another week and try again.