One up, both up question

LnA5909

For the most part, I have been keeping the babies on a 3 hour schedule (12,3,6,9).  If one wakes up at 2 hours or so during the day, I try to hold them off until 2.5 and then feed both.  They had been following this schedule at night also.  The last two nights, my son has been waking every two hours to eat.  He will finish a whole bottle, so I do believe he's hungry.  Maybe a growth spurt?  Do I wake up my daughter every two hours and try to force a full bottle down her as well?  They are eating anywhere between 2.5-4 oz right now, but it's really hard to get the 2.5 down her every 2 hours. 

As far as the waking every 2 hours, do you think I should try to increase his feedings during the day?  Amount or frequency? He finally stopped the every 2 hours around 5 am, then his sister was up at 8 so I fed him, too.   He didn't want to eat much and ended up spitting up all over both of them after I put them back in the crib.

DH1972

We try to keep our girls on the same schedule as much as possible. If one wakes up in the middle of the night to eat we generally try to feed the other one too, as long as it's close to feeding time. On the other hand, if one wakes up earlier, then we try to hold off as long as possible. They usually eat different amounts, but for us keeping to the schedule is a priority. Otherwise they'd be on different schedules, and would probably turn into grazers who only eat a few oz. as a time. I've heard that's tough on parents with singletons let alone those with twins!

Kristi1971

I know my girls just went through a growth spurt a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately for me, not at the exact same time.  While going through it, they wanted to eat every two hours.  Ever since then, they started cluster feeding.  I keep a log now to see what's going on with them visually.  I notice they both are more hungry after 4pm, and will take several feedings each between 4-10pm.  After that, they both or at least one of them will sleep through the night.  It's been interesting. 

I will say I started with a schedule, but eventually it made more sense to let them tell me when they are hungry.  I'm just guessing that if it's hard to get the 2.5 oz down every two hours, then she probably is not hungry that frequently yet.  Give it a couple of days, and then maybe she will go through her growth spurt.  I noticed that my girls did theirs back to back rather than concurrently.  Does that make sense? 

Good luck!!  I remember having those questions in my head also. 

lmydogally

I would start giving your DS more and see if it holds him off longer.  I have one baby that's always eaten more than the other.  These first weeks are really hard.  Just hang in there and it will all come together.

Kristi1971

lmydogally:

I would start giving your DS more and see if it holds him off longer.  I have one baby that's always eaten more than the other.  These first weeks are really hard.  Just hang in there and it will all come together.

Oh true!  One of my girls has always been about a 1/2 oz. ahead of the other in terms of feeding.    I didn't think of that. 

 

snoangel79

I would increase what is in his bottle, so hopefully it will keep him full till next feeding. My son has done this (he's a piglet). I have put more in his bottle (it's almost time to invest in some 8oz at he normally takes 4oz and seems to want more sometimes (luckily I have 5oz ones).

jcath

I am a firm believer in one up both up at night, even if it seems too frequently.  I do think it's okay if they aren't eating the same amount, just making the offer is important.  I wasn't so strict about it during the day, I would feed them as much as an hour apart during the day but try to have the final night feed at the same time.

I would try feeding your son more at night before bed. My girls cluster fed in the evenings when they were newborns and it seemed to help stretch them to 3 hours.