I had a really rough day today Both babies were very needy/fussy and refused to nap. DH is now home and I am unwinding with a much needed drink!
I have heard many different opinons on when it gets easier/more managable. When did you feel like you had a handle on your day to day life with twins?
Re: What age did it get easier at?
So far I have felt that the previous stage always seems easier when we are in a new stage. Like the other day I said "How did we think it was so hard a year ago when they slept, ate and laid on the floor all day?" now they are running, climbing, and getting into everything and I am just worn out!
6-8 weeks was hellish for me. It was worse than finals week of my first year of law school and the bar exam combined. The babies were awake more and trying to diverge schedule wise and just not wanting to nap.
Around 10 weeks, it started to get better and by 12 weeks it was a lot better. Things that helped for me were figuring out that the babies like the swing. I stopped trying to fight the nap in the crib, and, if they are up, they go in the swing. Turns out mine didn't hate the swing, they hated being strapped in like a NASCAR driver. Once we discovered the swing, life got better because they will be quietly alert in their swing and eventually doze off.
Also, once the babies start smiling and interacting, even with all the crap, it just seems so much more worth it. You will feel like they appreciate you and what you do for them and they really start to get fun.
Hang in there! It WILL get better.
I think you will always be worn out with 4! I think I should stop complaining now
I admire your strength!
The first three months were SO hard. My girls had reflux and colic and would cry for hours everyday and nothing I did helped. I was also BFing and dealing with problems with that.
It got much easier at about 5 months. Although they were nowhere close to STTN (did that at 12 months), they had a routine and we all seemed to know what to expect a little bit better. Each month from there has gotten easier. There are new challenges with each stage, but it has never been nearly as hard as it was during those first 12 weeks. Hang in there. (((hugs)))
I noticed a huge improvement around 8 months. By that point we had a great schedule and they were both on the same schedule. Their personalities were also starting to come out, and they were starting to get old enough to do fun things.
Now that they are in full-force toddler mode, I think it is hard again. They are into everything, still very needy, still throwing food, wanting to do everything for themselves even though they're not capable of doing a lot of the things they want to do. There are definitely highs and lows with every stage.
One thing I wish, though, is that someone had told me that it never actually gets EASY. When they were born everyone said 3 months was the magic age. Well, 3 months came and went and I still thought it was hard as heck, and it was really disheartening since I had looked forward to that point so much. Then people said 6 months was the magic age. Guess what? I still thought it was hard at 6 months, so I started to feel like I was doing something wrong. Even though it got easiER at 8 months, it is still a ton of work. And like PP, there are days when I turn to DH and say, "How did we ever think the newborn stage was hard? THIS is hard!!"
This is SO very true!