Sleep/Feeding with small twins - I need sleep!

CaliCarly77 · February 2014

My twins were born at 37+2 but were both small, about 5 lbs each. They are 5 weeks now and about 6 1/2 and 7 lbs. They are still feeding every 3 hours, even at night. Anyone with similar sized babies have any insight as to when this cycle will end? I am kind of at my whits end and need them to sleep a little longer!!! Mom is TIRED.

carrotcake06 · February 2014

The newborn stage is really tough. Do you do one up both up? That helped me get some down time even though you always get the lowest common denominator of sleep. I also "go to bed" earlier - say 8pm and then sleep when they sleep until like 8-10am when I'd be "up for the day". Having help, even if you're BFing, is also key. MH would get up and change babies, being them to me to nurse, I'd nurse and then wake him up to help me put them back. He'd stay up with them if they didn't go back to sleep right away.

As for when it will end - it depends and it's not like once they begin to give you longer stretches it'll stay that way. I noticed improvement - stretching to 4-5hrs around 3mo and 10lbs. They slept great for a while and now they're back to waking 2-3x a night. Hell, my almost 4yo has never STTN consistently and is still up at least once 4-5x a week. It does get better but you also learn to function on abbreviated sleep.

Hang in there. The newborn phase is really, really hard. Ask for help if you need it and lean on your H. It does get better.

solarflare · February 2014

I am very sorry to say but this is standard and it's exhausting. Definitely do one up both up and nap whenever you can. I think this lasted to at least 3 months or even a little later. It's shocking and exhausting - but it does get better!

If possible can you sleep for a 4 hour stretch by getting a friend to come over for a few hours or trading off with your significant other? I just pumped right when I got up from the longer nap. We did this every now and then and it really helped.

Brummy14 · February 2014

Definitely, DEFINITELY do one up, both up at this stage. DH and I took turns being "on call," as well. While we both got up at the same time, the mental break of just not having to listen for a baby resulted in MUCH better rest, if only for a couple hours at a stretch.

Hang in there. This stage is no joke. You will get more sleep. I promise!

ballygirl · February 2014

My girls are 4 months and we still have nights like that. They were about the same size as yours at birth. I haven't done one up both up because I just cannot bear to wake one when they are sleeping. It takes me sooooo long to get them down sometimes, if they are sleeping I just let them go. My girls started to get better around the 3 month point, and one or the other would occasionally go 7 or 8 hours (not both usually). I was down to usually just 1 feeding for each of them in the middle of the night and was able to get at least 2 decent chunks of sleep (3 or more hours each) per night and was feeling pretty good.

Recently though, we've been getting bad again. I don't know if its the 4 month sleep regression or what but they are having trouble napping all of a sudden and they just won't stay asleep at night. Last night, between the two of them, I was up 6 times between 10 pm and 5 am because they just kept waking up. DH is not a huge help at night unfortunately, so I end up doing most of the night shift. So, it hasn't gotten much better for me at 4 months and I'm not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel yet. I'm hoping this latest trend is a temporary phase. I will say though that my body has seemed to adjust to the lack of sleep a little bit. The first couple months were a bit of a nightmare, but now I seem to function much better on very little sleep.

Nikkdam · February 2014

I'm still in this sleep nightmare at 5.5 months! Improved at about 3.5 months but only for a couple of weeks. Ugh!

raraavis28 · February 2014

PPs have some great advice. Unfortunately, you are in the trenches right now, and what you're going through is completely normal. Try not to wonder when it will "let up"....b/c it could be awhile still (mine got a little better around 3 months, but then hit a big sleep regression at 4-5 months....so I really didn't start to get good sleep until about 6.5 months....and it can be even longer for some ladies), but do what you can to survive. Do OUBU, have DH help out at night (are you pumping? I used to give formula or pumped bm bottles at night so DH and I could alternate feedings), and sleep when they sleep....this includes during the day. You can be a minimalist on housework, cooking, etc. for awhile; sanity is more important.

Hang in there. This stage is SO tough, but you will survive!

Pittpanther · February 2014

Mine were about the same weights as yours when they were born at 35 5. They are now 9 weeks and weigh 10 and 12lbs and are still waking every three hours. Once in a while we will get a 4 hour stretch but it's never consistent. I will say baths and swaddling seems to really help. If we didn't swaddle they would be up every hour. We actually don't do one up both up all the time because we want to allow the one who is going to sleep longer to get used to a longer stretch but if the sleeping twin is showing any signs of waking we will fully wake that one up. I'm lucky that my dh is very very helpful so that helps a lot too. Hopefully we can both look forward to better sleep sometime in the future!

TheDairyQueenx3 · February 2014

Very normal mine are 13 weeks and are up every 3-4 hours. Some days I have wanted to give in and let my husband get up with them and give a bottle but since we nurse on demand I just can't bring myself to do it. It will pass

most babies don't STTN until a year or more. But this stage goes by so fast before you know it they will be 3 years old terrorizing the house! Hang in there!

CNYBride05 · February 2014

My girls were born at 36,5 and were 5,5 and 5,8. They are 14,9 and 14,14 now at 6.5 mos and still up every 2-4hrs at nite... Definitely do 1 up, both up (or, if you are BFing and not tandem, 1 up, next 1 up) and go to bed early to get a couple hrs in there. My girls go to bed between 6 and 7. I should too, but instead I stay up til they wake at 930 or 10, feed them both and go to bed myself.

sterling1987 · February 2014

Ahh I guess I lucked out! My girls were similar weights as yours and getting up every 3 hours during night to feed. Around 8 weeks they dropped their midnight feed and then by 10 or 11 weeks they started sleeping 7 hr stretches at night, only waking for one feeding between 4 or 5 ish, then wake up around 8am to start the day. My girls are 3 months now and have kept this routine up but I am preparing myself for the 4 month sleep regression. Good luck!!!

CaliCarly77 · February 2014

Thanks everyone! It is nice to hear that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Its hard to compare with other moms of single babies because ours were full term but small, so its a different situation! MH takes one feeding a night, so I do get to sleep between the 7 to 8 pm dinner and midnight snack. That is only 4 hours though. I do one up both up but as pp said, if one is sleeping, I let her sleep to learn to sttn. Sterling, I am hoping ours are like yours!!

CaliCarly77 · February 2014

Its like they answered my prayers - I've gotten two good nights of sleep in a row now. They still wake up every 3 hours to eat, but no fussing/paci-needing in between so that gives me time for an hour or more nap.

Every time I have hit the wall with them, something changes for the better - i.e. week two when I couldn't take another day of feeding them every 2 hours, they all of a sudden went to every 3 on their own.

Now looking forward to them dropping a night feeding!

daisy19782011 · February 2014

Yes me! Mine were born at 4'7" and 4'9", and came home at about 6 lbs after 3 weeks in the NICU. We were told to wake them up, even at night every 3 hours. At their 2 week check up (so they were 5 weeks), we were told we could stop the night wakings, but had to wake every 3 hours during the day and we are still doing that. So...at about 6 weeks, they were sleeping in 4 hour stretches and by about 10 weeks, they were sleeping 5-6 hour stretches, and that is about the same now at 3 months. They weigh about 10 lbs. and are drinking 4 oz. at most feedings. They will have a couple during the day time, where they only take 3 oz. It seemed like once they were about 8-9 lbs., they started eating more and sleeping better...it is in your future!

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