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Multiples
7 week baby routine and question
For anyone who is wondering what our 7 week old babies routine is...
(All of these are give or take an hour depending on the day)
5am morning bottle, sleep
8am bottle, up a little (about 30mins), sleep
11 am bottle, afternoon nap (usually about 4 hour)
3pm bottle, up until next bottle
6pm bottle (working on 7pm bedtime...just started last night)
9pm bottle, sleep
12-3am bottle and sleep (after bedtime they only get fed when they wake up which is different for every baby during this stent)
Now let me say that our feed times last about 2 hours from the start of one baby to the finish of another. This is because we feed each baby one at a time (unless their is help available and then somehow it still seems to take that long). With reflux issues, bottle propping is not an option for our trio. There are also days where the babies don't sleep that much and the feeds run back to back, but this gives other new moms or expecting moms an idea as to what it is like (at least for us). Also for the past two nights the babies have slept for about 5 hours after their bedtime bottle which is awesome!
We are still working on finding a bedtime routine that works for us.
As far as where the babies sleep/ are for that day.... We are working on them only being in their cribs and the nursery for their afternoon nap (11am) and for bedtime. After their 8am bottle they come into our room/ other parts of the house for the day. That seems to work the best right now. Having them in our room at night is more stressful. They don't sleep as long (I think due to the noise of us being up at that time, lights, etc) and we definitely don't sleep (what little we get) well because we are constantly checking them and hearing all their little grunts.
Another thing we are learning is to let them cry a little. I have been so concerned about letting them cry because for one crying can make reflux worse and two, they get each other worked up. I think this has caused issues with them being able to self sooth. Thus requiring someone to pick them up to calm them... and it is hard to put them down without them starting back up. So I let them cry yesterday while going down for their nap. Now it was not really the whole "cry it out" thing. They were all fed, changed, and laid in bed after about 10 mins of rocking. Also I stayed in there the whole time reading books to them. Caitlin started screaming to be held right after we put her down, which got Criton screaming. After about 15 mins though, Criton seemed to tune her out and feel asleep. Caitlin on the other hand went for about 45 mins until she calmed down. Of course Haley is our quiet one and doesn't really seem to be effected by the other two as much, so she slept through all of it. I hated listening to her cry but we can't keep picking her up and holding her constantly, and they all have to learn to sleep through the other one crying. Otherwise you have what we have been dealing with for the last 7 weeks... Caitlin and Criton crying, demanding to be held and Haley our quiet one, having to get put down to deal with the other two, and making it impossible for just one person to manage all three. Thank god Michael works from home, but that also means he is working round the clock inbetween feeds and crying fits, which doesn't work for anyone. So, as hard as it is, as along as all their needs are met (feed, clean diaper, physically ok) the only time they are going to get held for awhile (until they can self sooth and ignore the others cries) is during feeds and playtime. Does this seem harsh to anyone else (besides me)? Has anyone else gone through this?
(All of these are give or take an hour depending on the day)
5am morning bottle, sleep
8am bottle, up a little (about 30mins), sleep
11 am bottle, afternoon nap (usually about 4 hour)
3pm bottle, up until next bottle
6pm bottle (working on 7pm bedtime...just started last night)
9pm bottle, sleep
12-3am bottle and sleep (after bedtime they only get fed when they wake up which is different for every baby during this stent)
Now let me say that our feed times last about 2 hours from the start of one baby to the finish of another. This is because we feed each baby one at a time (unless their is help available and then somehow it still seems to take that long). With reflux issues, bottle propping is not an option for our trio. There are also days where the babies don't sleep that much and the feeds run back to back, but this gives other new moms or expecting moms an idea as to what it is like (at least for us). Also for the past two nights the babies have slept for about 5 hours after their bedtime bottle which is awesome!
We are still working on finding a bedtime routine that works for us.
As far as where the babies sleep/ are for that day.... We are working on them only being in their cribs and the nursery for their afternoon nap (11am) and for bedtime. After their 8am bottle they come into our room/ other parts of the house for the day. That seems to work the best right now. Having them in our room at night is more stressful. They don't sleep as long (I think due to the noise of us being up at that time, lights, etc) and we definitely don't sleep (what little we get) well because we are constantly checking them and hearing all their little grunts.
Another thing we are learning is to let them cry a little. I have been so concerned about letting them cry because for one crying can make reflux worse and two, they get each other worked up. I think this has caused issues with them being able to self sooth. Thus requiring someone to pick them up to calm them... and it is hard to put them down without them starting back up. So I let them cry yesterday while going down for their nap. Now it was not really the whole "cry it out" thing. They were all fed, changed, and laid in bed after about 10 mins of rocking. Also I stayed in there the whole time reading books to them. Caitlin started screaming to be held right after we put her down, which got Criton screaming. After about 15 mins though, Criton seemed to tune her out and feel asleep. Caitlin on the other hand went for about 45 mins until she calmed down. Of course Haley is our quiet one and doesn't really seem to be effected by the other two as much, so she slept through all of it. I hated listening to her cry but we can't keep picking her up and holding her constantly, and they all have to learn to sleep through the other one crying. Otherwise you have what we have been dealing with for the last 7 weeks... Caitlin and Criton crying, demanding to be held and Haley our quiet one, having to get put down to deal with the other two, and making it impossible for just one person to manage all three. Thank god Michael works from home, but that also means he is working round the clock inbetween feeds and crying fits, which doesn't work for anyone. So, as hard as it is, as along as all their needs are met (feed, clean diaper, physically ok) the only time they are going to get held for awhile (until they can self sooth and ignore the others cries) is during feeds and playtime. Does this seem harsh to anyone else (besides me)? Has anyone else gone through this?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: 7 week baby routine and question
Just wanted to tell you that you are doing such a great job!
I only have twins but for a long time, the only time I ever got to get any quality holding in was when I was feeding or burping. Because if I wasnt feeding or burping one, I was with the other.
I can tell you that it does get better. Mine are going to be 3 months old and feedings take less time and they are up longer so there is more time to snuggle. Another good thing I noticed is that my babies are really content to just lay on a blanket and play and they don't have to be held all the time. I attribute this to the fact that they had to learn to do this early on. (Who knows if thats true but it makes me feel less guilty about being able to hold them alot, lol)
Hang in there. Again, you are doing great!
Thanks for sharing - makes our routine seem a little more "normal" - I worry about letting our twins sleep in different places depending on the time of day, but at this stage it is what works for them and us to keep a little sanity!
thanks for sharing! I'm nervous about how things will go for us...
I am sure you guys will do fine. I won't lie and say it is easy by any means. I feel the first phase of triplets is more about survival then real enjoyment, but even at the 2 month marker we are starting to see more joy then before. They are smiling, Caitlin did her first laugh this morning, and they are becoming more and more interactive which makes the hard times seem less hard. The biggest thing I have learned is go what works for you and your babies. You will hear so much advice from everyone, including on the boards. Some will work and some won't. I have had singletons before (15 years ago) and I feel like a new mom with these guys. A lot of trial and error, which is ok.
Good luck and I'm here if you anything. I have been watching closely to see how you and your little ones are getting along and can't wait to hear your birth announcement.
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