Sleeping and Napping arrangement

Hi all,

My boys are 3 mos and are good sleepers. They sleep in their bouncy seats in the co-sleeper beside our bed at night and sleep in their swings for naps. I told some of my mommy friends this and they think I'm in for major problems later. I'm alone with the boys all day and they nap so well in their swings, I don't really want to start messing with things. They also sleep well at night and have only been waking once a night to eat for more than a month now. I don't want to mess with that either. They also sleep swaddled, which my friends didn't think was age appropriate. I thought things were going well but now I'm not sure? None of them have twins so I thought I'd ask here.

 

Well....I think those friends should mind their own business...but that's just me.

Bedtime: My boys slept in their carseats, pnp, crib, WHEREVER THEY WOULD SLEEP, for the first four months. It was at that time, I told *myself* I would move them to their crib. And we did. And there was no turning back. The transition was as smooth as ever. No issues.

Naptime: Swings. For six month straight. Up to three times/day. Heavenly. I finally moved them at six months when again, I told *myself* I needed to move them. No issues whatsoever.

Swaddling: Bedtime they were swaddled until four months old. Naptime-six months old. So they were six months old, swaddled up, and napping in their swings.

And you know what?!!? We all survived! The transitions were easy as ever. There are no lingering effects of it or anything. They don't have a clue of what they did way back when! :laughing:

1.) They don't have twins.
2.) If it's working for *YOU*, then let it be.

Sounds like things are going great otherwise!

 

Don't listen or take advices from singleton moms period. They have no idea about how to raise twins.

Whatever you are doing are just fine. You are still on survival mode. When things get better then think about changing things. You are doing great!

 

Ask yourself--Is this a problem?
Do you feel like it's a problem, or do you feel like it's working.
No one else--mom of singleton or multiples, can define your problems for you.

 

I agree with what all PP's said. If it is working for you now, then keep doing it. They won't end up sleeping in a swing forever. It sounds like you have three good places that they sleep well so they are well rounded and able to sleep in different positions with different movements. Everyone is happier when everyone is sleeping well so why mess with it?

 

My main advice - stop listening to your friends! Seriously, if you feel like there is a problem and went to your friends for advice, then it's good to get a variety of opinions. I get the sense though that you aren't having problems and neither are your babies. Keep doing what works for you. What kind of major problems do they really think you are in for?

We swaddled until the boys were about 5 months old. We only stopped because one of my sons kept getting loose and the blanket was never on him all night. I didn't like the idea of it ending up over his face. We tried him without and he was fine. My other son needed swaddling a little while longer and we eventually switched to sleep sacks for him. He hasn't been swaddled at all for a couple of months now. They almost always napped in our living area in bouncy chairs, a pack n play bassinet, on a boppy lounger, or in the swing until they were 6 months old. We started working with them to nap in the crib at that point. Now they take most naps in the crib unless one baby is too fussy or continually waking the other, then we will sometimes let one baby sleep in the swing.

Our boys also slept in a co-sleeper next to our bed until they were 4 months old, then we moved them to a crib in their own room. There was no problem at all with the transition. They didn't even seem to notice.

 

My twins are 10 months and I hadn't thought about all these issues that used to stress me so much until now. We swaddled until about 5 months when they were breaking free and we were constantly having to go in and re swaddle. Now they sleep in sleep sacks which again is another concern since it is getting warmer. One did swings for naps and one did the crib. Both did pretty well at night in the cribs. I still separate them for naps. They constantly giggle and play during the day and being in the same room during daylight hours just doesn't work.
Just do what ever works for you to get a break. They won't sleep in a swing when they are 2! Good luck, I remember 3 months to be a very trying time.

 

Ditto to all the PP! I felt like we were in 'survival mode' for so long that I didn't care where they slept. I would say that I didn't get serious about having them nap in their cribs until they were 5-6 months even though they already slept in their cribs at night. Prior to the transition, they napped in swings, bouncy seats, the floor :hush: ......wherever.

We also swaddled until 5 months. One of my babies would actually roll over and sort of sleep on his belly in the swaddle. I'd go with what you are doing now if it is still working for you (and them).

 

My ped gave me some advice once when my oldest was a baby.... Take every piece of advice smile say thank you and toss it out a window(the advice not the giver lol)

We worry and stress over things that really don't amount to a hill of beans because someone at some point has said, get rid of bottles by 12 months, get rid of binkies by 8 months, nap time should only take place in the crib, they need to eat around the clock an exact amount at an exact time up to age X then they need to eat breakfast foods for breakfast, lunch foods for lunch and dinner foods for dinner. WHO CARES! You do what works for you.

Now I am not saying let them eat little debbies while sitting on the roof because it makes them calm, we are all smart women and have common sense. But do they want carrots and roast for breakfast OK! Didn't you eat cold pizza for breakfast before? Do they want eggs and toast for lunch, ok. The only food thing I don't mess with is supper because I don't want to start a habbit of being a short order cook they eat what the family eats for supper but breakfast and lunch can be a free for all.

So if swings and swaddling works for you DO IT!

I had a doctor (wanted to slap her) tell me when my oldest was in the hospital with rotovirus when she was 13 months old, that I should not rock her anymore because I was setting up a bad habbit. It really took everything I had not to tell her to you know what herself but that was mostly fear and lack of sleep talking but I thought who cares if the habbit I am setting is snuggle time. That works for us. They are babies for a blink of an eye. I also remember thinking when I was pregnant with the twins it would just be like having 2 babies big deal ITS SO MUCH MORE! Singleton mom's don't understnad and they don't mean any harm they just don't get that its not like doing what you do with a singleton times 2. Its different.

 

Agree. Mine napped well - 3 hours every morning 9-noon for 3 months in swings. And then the crib transition was a piece of cake. We could have been lucky...the stars were aligned. When they were babies I always just followed their cues and I did what seemed to please them. We transitioned to cribs when it seemed they couldn't be comfortable in the swings anymore. I say trust your gut. You are doing great!

 

Forget what anyone else says!

Our slept in their swings and bouncy seats until about 4 months, and we had very little trouble transitioning them to their cribs after that. They slept swaddled until 3.5m (Sarah) and 5m (Amy), and again, no problem giving it up.

We also fed Amy in the middle of the night until she was 14 months, and I can't say I loved getting up every night (well, every other night -- we alternated), but she did eventually stop being hungry at night. (Sarah started sleeping 12 hours at about 4 months -- which just demonstrates that it had nothing to do with our parenting choices, it was just individual temperament.)

They both continue to be GREAT sleepers and are the envy of all our friends who were up multiple times a night with their kids well into toddlerhood.

 

I think the answers are in your post. They are good sleepers. They nap well. They sleep well at night (waking only once at night is great for 3 month olds, you are lucky). You are happy with the arrangement and, obviously, so are they. Why change something that is working so well?
I'm sure, or at least I really hope, that your friends were only trying to be helpful (maybe they are a little jealous that your boys sleep so well) but I think if you are happy with how things are you shouldn't listen to anyone's 'advice'.

 

Agree with everyone. If it is working, keep up the good work.