Baby Wise

Has anyone read and used the methods outlined in Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo? I've been letting the boys dictate their feeding times so they've been staggered...they are pretty much on a 2.5-3 hour feed cycle on their own, but sometimes they "stray". I'm about to go nuts with that unpredictability, so I'm going to be more diligent about feeding them tandem and then having activity time so I can have more predictability and less anxiety about the day. I read the book during pregnancy, but I reread the chapter on multiples this morning and was wondering what everyone who has read it thinks about it. Also, during your activity time with the babies, what do you do....how long do they stay with a "toy" (swing, bouncy seat, activity mat, etc.)? Lots of questions. ....I appreciate any advice/thoughts. Oh, my boys are 8 weeks but were 34 weekers.
Allison

 

We are using Babywise as a guide, too. So far, we're trying to figure out their schedule - so I'd say we're in the stabalization phase (our girls are 7 weeks old; born at 36 weeks). It is tough, as you definitely want to feed the babies when they are hungry as the book says, not just according to the clock or scheduled time... and when they are smaller babies and preemies that takes longer than the usual 6-8 weeks the book outlines.

We are currently on a 3-4 hour schedule, depending on growth spurts, etc. During the day, if both babies are wailing I feed them at the same time in bouncy seats; but otherwise I find it easier to stagger them by about 20 min and feed each one while holding her. I guide their schedule (wake them to eat if they sleep too long; encourage them to nap if they wake too early) but sometimes they are just hungry and so they eat and it does throw off the schedule a bit. You just have to adjust it back with the next few naps/feedings. They usually tolerate about an hour and a half of waketime total, so that leaves 20 min for play time in swing, with me, etc. At this age, I wouldn't worry too much about their waketime activity as they can't really do much - just spend time with them. Most of the time, they go to sleep just fine when we put them down awake after watching for their sleepy cues - and they coo or "talk" themselves to sleep without crying.

I think the book is great; many friends have used its guidelines and have had wonderful results - and I think it will work with preemie twins, too - it just may take a bit longer than the book outlines. Good luck - and let me know if you come up with any great tips or tricks on lengthening nighttime sleep!

 

I too read the book. My Lo's are 4.5 months. The problem i was having with Baby wise is the fact they just can't stay up long enough or nap long enough to get to the next "cycle". I started really trying to get them on a routine about 3 months. It really didnt start working until 4 mo. They are just too young to get them in a strict schedule. I would HIGHLY recommend the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth. I read this after babywise because I just didnt feel it all worked for me (because they can't get to the next cycle with babywise). This book outlines sleep schedules from birth through adolescense. This book has worked WONDERS for mine. They are on a nap schedule and early bedtime. It has become much more "predictable" around here and given me much needed "me-time". I do still implement the eat/play/sleep from baby wise, but I also use his suggestions on sleep schedules.

I would suggest getting that book, and don't expect to much from them....they are still really young. The first couple months were pure "survival mode" for me LOL.

GL!!

 

I will second the suggestion for Healthy Sleep Habit, Happy Child. It makes more sense to me and worked great.

The problem I had with Babywise first, is that the American Academy of Pediatrics has questioned the theory in the book. Also, I just don't think babies that young are ready for a schedule. They need to eat on demand and today may be a little different from yesterday because of growth spurts or what have you. Especially with your two being preemies, I would be very leery of using Babywise.

This is a brief article from AAP News.

I know there are a lot of moms who have used this as a tool and found it helpful, I would just suggest that you do your own research and look at a few other books as tools.

 

I will second reading the AAP article. I did research on that book too. Something just didnt seem completely right with it. There are some helpful tools in it, I just wouldnt follow it 100%.

 

I read it but don't follow it 100% - not even close. But it was helpful. We have more of a routine than a schedule. I follow their cues, and it has become very predictable. Not all days are the same however, and sometimes feedings and naps are all over the place. But generally, I know what to expect. They eat every 3 hours (always have), then we play and then nap. At 8 weeks my girls were only in the swing for longer periods of time, other toys were not too interesting yet. But about 10 weeks I started to put them on the mat for a little longer. Each 'station' would last 5-20 minutes depending on the day. Now they can last much longer.

 

We did Baby Wise with our older daughter. Well tailored it to our family. Sometimes you can't follow it to a T but the concepts with it are great. We are basically doing the same thing this time around with the twins. Good luck!

 

I read both Babywise (well, about 2/3 of it; still haven't finished it) and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and have been loosely following guidelines from both books along with a sleep handout from our pediatrician. We let the boys dictate their own feeding times in the beginning too with some guidance (e.g. waking to eat if they slept too long during the day, which our ped. recommended) and did try to follow the BabyWise principle of getting them in the habit of taking a full feeding at every meal rather than "snacking." Both seemed to work well overall. but now instead of finishing Babywise, I'm starting to read Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child and loving it. it's worked well for so many people I know. I skipped straight to the section on multiples and am loving this book already!

 

Yup Healthy sleep habits happy child a much better book -- I read both. The only thing I found that I remembered and used out of the Babywise was the information on the 45- minute intruder. Plus HSHHC covers up to teenage years so much more useful long term.

Heather

 

My boys were frequent eaters. I found HSSHC to be much better than Baby Wise, especially in relation to twins and keeping them on a similar schedule. I followed many guidelines from HSHHC with a few tips from The Baby Whisperer thrown in. At that young age, "activity time" was very simple - examples might be: a few minutes under the mobile, some time under the baby gym thing, a bit of tummy time (which they hated!), a bit of play on a blanket on the floor, OR a bath - and then it was back to bed. Too much awake time and/or overstimulation can cause big-time crankiness! Young babies like yours need quite a lot of sleep and I think 60-90 minutes of awake time for feedings, diapers, and "activities" is enough. Good luck!

 

We didn't follow babywise to a T, just followed the general idea of eat, play, sleep. Meaning we tried to keep our kids up after they ate (except at nightime) and put them down awake. I agree you have to follow the cues from your kids when they are really little in terms of feeding, but found the general ideas in babywise very helpful.