Twin mommas - How were those 1st few weeks?

Laura Emerick

I plan on nursing the twins.  How did that work for you during those first nights?

Before my daughter was born, I swore I'd never co-sleep.  That quickly went out the window when that was the only way for me to get any sleep.  I was always aware of her.  But I can't see how that would work with twins?

Did you just suffer through it?

Thanks.

raisingarizona2008

My Dh took off the first 3 weeks so he could help. Basically I pumped every 2-3 hours to get my supply up. We shopped right before hand so we had easy stuff to eat(deli meats, corn dogs, ect.). We have 2 travel lite pnps that we placed right next to the bed while my dh was home. We just slept, fed them, fed us, changed them and slept some more. Unfortunately my hospital does this thing where you are only allowed to have your newborn in the nursery for the first 24 hrs and then they are required to be with you. It would have been fine except the nurses kept coming in every 20-30 min to check on us, babies, ect. I actually got more sleep at home then in the hospital. My advise is to not worry about the house the first couple of weeks. If it gets a little dirty either it wont bother anyone.

HTH

Melissa ?

lib1978

the first 2-4 weeks are a blur...just do what you need to do to get by.  We did not cosleep - I kept having nightmares that the babies were suffocating in all the blankets! We had them in a crib in our room - which worked for us.  when they were in the PNP I could hear EVERY noise they made so I did not sleep at all!

GL!

BelleBaby

I started off nursing.  I never got sleep.  I started exclusively pumping so that DH could take a feeding and give me some time to sleep.  It's been much better. 

Our LOs refuse to sleep in their cribs, so right now they're in their bouncy seats or swings at night.  DH and I take shifts.  I sleep from 9pm-1am and then DH sleeps from 1am-6am (he has to go to work so I try to let him sleep longer).  That schedule works great for us because I can usually catch some extra sleep during my shift and at least once during the day. 

Basically, these weeks have been about surviving.  We know we want them in their cribs, but we're not fighting it now.  If we did, we'd never sleep and we'd all be miserable and stressed out.  From what I hear, it gets better around 3 months and you can start trying to work on schedules.  Good luck!

pea-kay

oh man. it's a blur. it's grueling, it's hard, it's exhausting, but it ends. it gets better. i wish i could remember more of those early days, you know?

i neither nursed nor coslept, so i can't help you there. 

take lots of pictures!

Temp159135562506975

our first few weeks with twins + toddler have not been too horrilble.

The twins sleep 3 hour stretches at night- which helps... DH has been home for 4 weeks total, which has helped a LOT... and DS1 sleeps great.  I think if you get decent sleep- everything else is managable.

i did not nurse though - only the first few days in the hospital then was pumping until yesterday- my first pump-free day... it was taking too much time and energy to pump.

we have 2 bedside cosleepers - they are great b/c they are safe, but we can still touch the babies, put their pacis in, see them- all from bed - they are great. I would not co-sleep with infants - that scares the crap out of me.

Rinnie

Rough is the only word I can use.

I will say for me nursing was easier this time around.  I knew what to do and what felt right so it was easier.  I had no nipple pain or pain assocated with BF this time.  Last time it took like 6 weeks before I felt like I knew what I was doing.

I tandem BF and I was planning on doing that from beginning.  So the LC made sure to help me get it going.  My first night time nurse didn't let me tandem because I had a c-section and she wanted me to keep pressure of my belly.

By the time I came home from the hospital I had that down.

The first month we were downstairs.  The boys slept in the PNP and I slept on the couch.  If I slept.  My dd is a light sleeper - me moving back and forth would have woke her up. 

For me there was several days were I got like 2 hours of sleep in a 48 hour period.  I couldn't rest when the babies rested because I had my daughter.

My husband was home for 2 weeks and the first week I let him help - the second week I used him as a spotter since he was going back to work and I was on my own.

I got my boys on a schedule within the first 6 weeks.  Not for them but for my sanity.  So I knew what was happening.  I woke them every 3 hours during the day to eat and let them feed on demand at night.

Once they moved into their room I went into their room to feed them.  They have never slept in our bed.  I made a lot of mistakes with my daughter and I am still paying for them.  I can't have 3 kids in bed with me!

At 13 weeks they started STTN.  I am/was exhausted but you can deal when you get more then 2 hours of sleep.

This board is amazing - because everyone here has been through what you have been through and you can be honest without being judged.

Good luck - your in for a wild ride:)