feeding 6 week old girls

I have 6 week old baby girls. I was told to keep them on the same schedule and I did. It helps so I am not feeding all day long. My problem is during the night - I am trying to stretch out the feeding - one of them is colic (I should say more colic than the other one) so sometimes I get her asleep before a feeding. Now the colicky one is out cold and the other is ready for the feeding so now should I wake the colicky one up after a 5 hour screaming fit?? Than I'm scared if I let her sleep, than she will wake up sooner or later for a feeding and I will never get any sleep - as it is right now I'm working on 2 hours the most a night. I have other feeding questions soon to come
TIA
Jennifer

 

That's tough!

Will she do a "dream feed", where you feed her without really waking her up? I guess that might only work if you were bottle-feeding and she was in a position that you could feed her without moving her (like if she fell asleep in the bouncy seat...)

 

This is my experience....if I didn't wake the other one to feed the same time, I no more than laid my head on the pillow and closed my eyes then the other one was up. i guess my question to you would be is she waking up to feed at her sister's next feeding, or is she waking up only minutes after you feed her sister. Was she a preemie when born? If she is a preemie, she doesn't need to skip meals so you need to try to either fit in a feeding before she drifts off to sleep, or wake her up to feed..IMO. Of course, I am sure easier said then done if you've been dealing with screaming for a long period of time. In this case,as pp said, try dream feeding if you can do that (worth a shot anyway).

 

We had the same issues with kids on different schedules but they didnt have colic. My DH and I decided to each take a baby at night so that we were responsible for "that" baby all night. That way we didnt have to wake one if they were sleeping. I dont know if that is an option or not.

 

My husband and I do shifts at night that way we each get a block of sleep. For me my twins have naturally merged to a tandem schedule during the night. So if one feeds, I settle him or her and literally within 20 minutes the next baby wakes for his or her turn. During the day they have naturally come to a same feeding schedule. I know this time is hard. I remember it too well... I can't believe I am saying that because at 3 months it is still challenging but it does get easier.

I think you just need to find whatever works for you and your girls. I.e. if you try "dream feeding" and it doesn't work then do whatever keeps you sane. Dream feeding didn't really work for us, at this point we're on a strict bath at 6:30-7pm schedule, feed and they sleep from 8pm-12:30-1am most days, one more feed around the 3-4am mark and then at 6-7am up for the day. That works for them and us.

 

6 weeks is so hard! I agree that whenever I didn't feed 1, the other would wake as soon as I laid down- not worth it!

As to the colic, you can try a formula without milk or soy to rule out an intolerance. My baby was labeled colic at about that age and it was really just a milk protein intolerance.

Good luck!