Bedtime Routine with DD and Twins

shanaynerz

Since I'm apparently such a planner, I've been thinking more and more about how things will be when the babies arrive. For those of you with an older singleton, how did you manage bedtime? 

I figure, if I bottle feed, I'd feed one twin upstairs, DH would hang out with DD and the other twins, then I'd get the second twin and feed him/her. I just don't know how to put three kids down! I've heard that the bedtime routine with twins is very different than with a singleton, too, like pretty much just get them in bed I guess! Any advice would be appreciated. Honestly, I'm probably overthinking all of this anyways.

carrotcake06

For the first few months, there is no routine bc feeding on demand is so unpredictable. However, we have always tandem fed (both when I BF them and when they get BM bottles), so one took the babies and the other one took the big one. In the early months of no schedule, I would tandem BF and H would help me drop them in their room after whatever feed was closest to the big one's bedtime.

Once they settled on a routine and a bedtime, it changed a bit. As of now, it's possible to do dinner/bath/bed for all 3 solo but it's not easy.

Usually we start baths at 700-715 w the babies. We still bathe them individually. After they're clean, I tandem them around 745. This used to take 45min and they would fall asleep but now takes less than 5min and they stay awake. I drop them in cribs awake, turn on a seahorse and walk out. Two down.

If I have help, H will do the rest. If I'm alone, I will bathe the big one immediately after the babies and set him up in bed w some books or an iPad (as a special treat) while I nurse babies. Then I put him to bed - two books and then I lay with him. If H is around, he'll do bath, books and bed and I'll go downstairs and clean the kitchen, make lunches, etc for the next day.

I think I wrote you a novel. Sorry.

MDMom2512

Thank you OP for asking this question, it is something that I am currently struggling with! 

@Carrotcake06, I really appreciate your details! We have a 28 month old DS and our twin girls are about 8 weeks old. The girls are starting to develop more of a nighttime rhythm (thank God!) and now we are struggling with how to successfully do a nighttime routine with all 3.  What is the "seahorse" that you refer to? I have a feeling that our routine will be very similar to yours. We have a very elaborate routine with our son now and there is no way that we could replicate that with the girls as well. I'm sure once they get older we can do some things together. 

bumpuser924057

I would not say that this is ideal at all, but DH handles bedtime for DS1, and I do the twins.  I give them a supplemental formula bottle before bed, so I prep those, get each twin changed into PJs, then give one a bottle while the other one either plays happily with something at my feet or screams like the world is ending.  Put that baby in their crib, then go back to the living room and feed the other one their bottle while the first baby screams their head off in the crib, then plop baby #2 in their crib so they can scream while I nurse baby #1 for a few minutes until they're ready to sleep, then do the same for #2.