night nanny worth it if bf?

Jem04

i am so tired - one baby is a good sleeper and sleeps abput 2 hours and eats every 3, but the other wants to sleep all day and eat, cry and be held all night.  i am not getting any sleep.

is a night nanny worth hiring for a few nights if i am ebf?  when will they grow out of this stage and how can i make him sleep at night and not all day?

Temp6313048411121614

IMO I don't think it would be worth it.  Do you have any family that might want to come for just a few days to be up more with the babies at night and you could pump a few bottles.  If they're BFing well now, I don't think a few bottles here and there would really mess up the BFing.  GL.  My DS woke to eat, but then wouldn't go back to sleep for about 2-3 hours at night.  After a few weeks he was eating and going right back to sleep, hopefully your LO starts sleeping more soon.  GL.

ccctwins

My realtor has twins and she swears by her night nanny (L&D nurse) she used in the beginning.  She used her every night ($$!).  We are going to price her and consider maybe one or two nights per week once they arrive.  I don't know logistically how it would work...

Jem04

my dh is not supportive of having a night nanny - and my family is out of state... i just hope they grow out of this soon. any advice is appreciated!

carissasmom

At almost a month old I would be working hard at this point to get days and nights worked out.  Keep stuff bright, noisy and playful during day time.  Even nap time.  Don't make it quiet and dark.  Then at night time keep the lights off or low, noises soft or gone, etc.  If that isn't working limit the amount the baby sleeps during the day.  Max the nap at 2 hrs.  Or 1 hr.  Play it by ear.  Let them stay rested, but you're going to have to make them get their quality sleep at night - so mom can get some sleep too!!!

 As for a night nurse I personally wouldn't have done it b/c at 3 weeks to keep up w/ your twins you're going to still have to get up to pump and if you're up you might as well nurse in my opinion.

keg

I didn't EBF (but I did/do partially BF), but we had a night nanny and it was the best thing ever!  She would take care of the girls all night and even though I would get up to pump a time or two, it is much different getting up to pump and going back to sleep then getting up to take care of the kiddos and making sure they go back to sleep and just being "on call" for every little peep they make.  It was amazing the difference between having 1.5 hours of sleep and 3 hours!  You're in atl, right?  If you'd like the contact info for the woman we used, just PM me. 

Skatcat

If I could have afforded it, I would DEFINITELY have got a night nurse. I was lucky though, my mom stayed with us for the first three weeks and so she helped a lot in the capacity, but being able to nurse and then hand them off to someone else so I could get some sleep without worry was invaluable and I would have loved another couple of weeks of that. 

Not only can they help you get some sleep, but night nurses or nannies are also really good and helping get that night/day routine down, faster than you probably could on your own. 

I say DO IT if you can. I mean, its not critical and of course you'll get by, but if you can afford it, why not make it that much easier on yourself?

DenverGrl

I'm sorry your DH isn't open to getting a night nanny. ?I used one and it was the best decision I ever made. ?I EBF and had to get up to pump at least once but like pp said there is a big difference between getting up to pump and going back to sleep than getting up to breast feed, burp, etc. ?

It was nice to be able to sleep and not worry about every little noise they made. ?I knew the nanny would check on them so I was able to sleep better. ?My night nanny also washed bottles and made the bottles for the next day from my EBM. ?And she did some of the girls laundry. ? We could only afford to have her 3 nights a week but those 3 nights were heaven.

rachboj22

i would recommend getting one.  i didn't and i totally regret it.  you need sleep..even if you hire one for a week to help you catch up...especially if you have twins...i was so sleep deprived that i was not functional during the day...i had family help me during the day, but it really helps to get a block of sleep-plus it will help you keep your milk supply up...good luck

clberry6492

i have no advice-- just wanted to say how cute they are!!! good luck!

malex

We are hiring one. She specializes in multiples and all the references I spoke to said she was a lifesaver. It's pricey, but IMO it's worth it to have the sleep. It will make you a happier, better-rested mom during the day. Plus, the nanny we are hiring has a track record of being able to get both twins on the same schedule very quickly. That was very important to me too. But even if you do not hire one, just know that it will get better... that's what every twin mom has said to me! Good luck.