Newborn night feeding questions

finallyreilly

Our twins are one month old now and I need ideas of what you did for your night time feedings that worked.  We are doing all bottle feeding at this point.  Since DH is back at work, I try to do the night feedings on my own during the week, but it hasn't been smooth.  Did you:

1.  Feed your twins simultanously or stagger them?  If at the same time, how did you do it (use boppy or bouncy seat)?

2.  Did you feed them at night on your own or did DH get up also?

3. DId you feed them every 3 or 4 hours and how much did you give them?

4.  Did you change their diaper with every feeding?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

TIA

Temp159135562506975

DH and I both fed the babies at night - we each "took" a baby and it was our job to feed that baby all night...and everything else.  We had them in the bedside cosleepers- one on each side... we'd rotate every 2 nights so we didn't always have the same baby.

From about newborn - 5 weeks we always woke the other baby so they would eat at the same time- but honestly 80% of the time they both woke at the same time... we fed every 3  hours- their bodies got into a rythm really fast.

After about 5w we started to let them sleep as long as they'd sleep... they slowly started going longer and dropping bottles- and at 8w they were STTN.  We followed Baby Wise - and it worked great (with Griffin, too).

every now and then if DH's baby woke first and he fed him, and then my baby was starting to fuss- he'd take my baby and feed him, too- so i could keep sleeping- since he was already up --- he's awesome like that

when i feed my babies at the same time i put one in the boppy next to me and one in the crook of my leg (bent up on the couch sort of) so i have two free hands... but i never had to feed them at the same time at night.

we almost always changed their diapers after each feeding... they usually pooped while eating --- but if they didn't sometimes we wouldn't change and wait until the next bottle - so it wouldn't wake them so much.

Wantastickybaby

M answers are similar to Goldie's...  1.  Feed your twins simultanously or stagger them?  If at the same time, how did you do it (use boppy or bouncy seat)?  For the first month we fed the babies at the same time at night - 3 hour schedule.  We would both wake up and would each feed a baby.  When I feed them alone during the day...I used to use boppys when they were really small.  Now I use the bouncy seats.2.  Did you feed them at night on your own or did DH get up also?  After the babies were older than 4 weeks, DH and I started taking turns.  I would take the first half of the night and he would take the second half - so that we each got about 5 solid hours of sleep.  If both babies were really cranky, we would wake each other for help.3. DId you feed them every 3 or 4 hours and how much did you give them? Every three hours.  I think we started at 3 ounces and are not between 4-5 ounces at three months old.  They are gaining weight really well.4.  Did you change their diaper with every feeding?  We do!  Our girls pee so much that they would soak through their diapers and clothes if we didn't.  It would be nice to skip it, but I don't think we can... Good luck!  Our girls aren't yet sleeping through the night, so don't worry if it takes you a while to figure things out.  They will sleep 5 hours every once in a while, but not on a regular basis just yet... 

RoseWhite

Let's see...

 1.  Simultaneously, always!.  I asked my family to come help and staggered the help so that I ended up with 2 months of help.  The first month my mom stayed with us and would get up with me every time during the night.  We fed them at the same time and initially that was about every 1.5-2 hours.  By about 4 weeks it was every 3 hours and just a few days ago they skipped one bottle.  So I have 2 feedings between 7pm and 7am rather than 3 feedings.

 2.  DH helps me with the first late night feeding (used to be 10pm but it's now about 11:30pm).  I do the 3:30am bottle by myself (used to do 1am and 4am by myself before).  I use two boppy pillows and set them up in the couch...one on each side.  Takes me about 30-40 minutes total.  The key for me is to interrupt one baby to burp him while the other one is still eating, then I switch.   If I wait to burp at the end then I end up with one really unhappy gassy baby!....

 3.  Every 3 hours after a few weeks....definitely not like that from day 1!....I NEVER had to wake up a baby to eat...they never slept long stretches.  They are now eating between 3.5-4oz.

 4.  Not during the night.  I only change them if their PJs feel wet!.  It wakes them up too much if I change them. 

 

 

lisa&andy

1.  Feed your twins simultanously or stagger them?  If at the same time, how did you do it (use boppy or bouncy seat)? At the same time. If I was by myself, I would either feed them in the living room on the couch with them in their boppies or in our bed propped up on a king size pillow next to each. I still feed them like that for their last bottle of the evening when I am alone.

2.  Did you feed them at night on your own or did DH get up also? Most times DH got up and we each took a baby, but the nights when he was flying or had an early flight time, I took both.

3. DId you feed them every 3 or 4 hours and how much did you give them? The first month, DS was in NICU, but DD woke up every 3 hours. Once DS came home, we let them sleep as much as they wanted and when one woke up, we would wake the other to eat. They took 3-4 ounces around 2 months and were began STTN around that same time.

4.  Did you change their diaper with every feeding? Yes, DH would change diapers while I was getting bottles ready so the kids could go back down right after they ate and burped.