Moms of Twins - what was your NEWBORN sleep routine?

mstarr222

Did you get them on the same sleep schedule? Did you wake one up when the other awoke to achieve this? I can't imagine waking a sleeping baby! When did you start the routine? If you didn't have them on the same sleep schedule, do you wish you did something differently? How about you and your SO's sleep schedule? Any other advice?

mstarr222

Sorry I know there is a similar post below but it didn't get anything about what actually does work... Maybe because nothing does lol?!

MommyWannaB10

We did one up, both up for night feedings. It's the only way to go. There was one time I didn't wake the sleeping one up and that was the last time I did it. The sleeping twin was up an hour later to eat and then an hour after that, the other was up. That made for a very rough night and cranky momma. So glad we're past that stage. Good luck to you!

WillyBean

Hi! We did one up both up until they only ate once per night. It actually took me and my husband a few weeks of "should we or shouldn't we?" before we finally let the sleeping one stay asleep. You don't mess with success! lol But, I think we finally finished that around 2 months or so. Sometimes one will sleep all night, sometimes they will both get up. Hope you get some rest!

PinkinProvence

Since mine spent a couple of days in the NICU, they were already on a schedule when they got home - eating every 3 hours, sleeping in between.  

We would start one but would always wake the second during the same time frame (within 15 minutes).  If we staggered any longer, there was absolutely no break in between by the time we fed, burped, fed, burped, changed, soothed back to bed and pumped.

Once it became clear as they got older than one was a better sleeper and would sleep longer stretches, we stopped one up, both up.

mstarr222

Thank you! And you fed them both at the same time with them propped on pillows or you and your husband both woke up and held and fed one baby?

legaleagles

We had a night nanny until my boys were 12 weeks old. She did a version of one up both up - would feed the first one that woke, and then the second one right after (if he hadn't woken already). By then they were typically only waking up 2/night and I was getting up with them doing one up/both up. I would feed them in the rock and plays pulled up to the rocking chair - it worked great. I did one up both up until I night weaned them around 7 months old - it was just easier. One of my twins probably would have STTN earlier if I had stopped, but I didn't know and wasn't going to risk him waking again a little bit later. 

ksgsmu

My twins are 6 weeks old and we are on a three hour feeding schedule during the day and let them sleep up to four hours during the night.. My husband and I both get up unless the night nurse is on duty. (She is with us 3-4 nights a week) She feeds both at the same time by using the rock n play method a previous poster. During the day when I am home alone with them I also use this method. Starting at 8 weeks we will let them sleep as long as they want at night but still wake and feed the twin who doesn't wake because feeding on demand with two isn't an option for us. I only have night help until 12 weeks so I am praying they will at least sleep 5-6 hour stretches by then!

kgs0505

NICU was a godsend in a way because they came home on a 3 hour feeding schedule instead of the 2 hour one my son came home with.  But newborn schedule,we definitely did one up both up.  They pretty much regulated themselves and stuck to that 3 hours.  At first it was hard to feed both at the same time because you are trying to hold bottles and stop and burp, and everyone gets upset.  It kind of works best at first if you can do one, and then the other right after, or start feeding the second one after burping at the midway point of the first one. They are so small at first and controlling everything can be tough.  Gets easier with practice though. 

I squished them both into a single boppy, and used rolled up cloth diapers to help prop bottles if I needed to.  I also found if I had the boppy turned so the babies were facing away from me, I could bottle feed them more comfortably if I was on the floor.  

If you wait til everyone wakes up on their own, all you'll be doing is feeding babies and changing diapers.  The one up both up allows you to sleep a little between feedings.  It has to happen during the day too.  I also suggest taking shifts with your H so you can each get a 4 hour stretch of sleep.  That 4 hours is very important to your ability to function.

Basically the newborn phase is the survival phase.  Do what you need to do, ask for help and accept it.  

mstarr222

Thank you for the specific ideas! Exactly what i was hoping for!

KatieGummow

Mine are one up, both up.  Even at 10 months.  It is hard when you don't do it and the other wakes up a couple hours after the first one, then they are on different eating schedules and it is a little hard to correct during the day.

My boys were SO good at sleep eating when they were newborns, it made "waking" them SO much easier.  I did one at a time for snuggles and they ate fairly quickly.  I didn't speak to them and I kept it as dark as I could.  Sometimes I would put on white noise because I pumped right after.  They were in RnPs in our room until they were 4 months old.  When they were that age I would put them in the Twin Z Pillow and feed them both at the same time.  They are 10 months old now and still do really good at "sleep eating."

Good luck, momma!