Feeding Schedule

My twins are 3 months old. We still feed them (formula) every three hours on a set schedule daily - 8 am, 11, 2, 5, and 8pm. We currently give them 6 oz each time, and they usually take it all. It seems like a lot, but I was told you can't overfeed (they either won't take it or they'll spit it up) and that they may actually sleep through the night sooner if they eat more during the day. Well we're still waiting for that. I'm tired of hearing everyone with a singleton tell me their baby slept through the night at 5, 6, 8 weeks etc. when my babies are older and bigger than them (as of three weeks ago they were 13 lbs 6 oz and 12 lbs 10 oz - in the 75th percentile for weight) and eat far more than them. Mine currently go to bed around 9 and sleep till 2 or 3, then one is up sometime around 5 again. They've done this on and off since about 9-10 weeks (before that it was pretty much every 3 hours or less) and there has been no improvement, they've actually seemed to have regressed a little the last week. I can't imagine giving them even more to eat at a time during the day, and wondered if there's really anything that can be done to have them sleep longer or does it really just happen on its own? Also, I'm trying to figure out when I should try switching to a 4 hour schedule. Again, many parents with singleton babies younger than mine seem to eat less often. I've just always been too scared to feed on demand like they do, and am afraid a 4 hour schedule will ruin any progress we've made with the nights so far. Just wondered what others have done around the three month mark, and if they had any success with it.

Thanks for listening, looking forward to your feedback!

 

QUOTE(DeniseT @ Jun 24 2008, 03:47 PM) [snapback]843429[/snapback]
They've done this on and off since about 9-10 weeks (before that it was pretty much every 3 hours or less) and there has been no improvement, they've actually seemed to have regressed a little the last week. I can't imagine giving them even more to eat at a time during the day, and wondered if there's really anything that can be done to have them sleep longer or does it really just happen on its own?


This is something that the babies might go forward and then back a little. They will get better at STTN with age :hug99: .

 

We brought the girls home on a 3 hour feeding schedule too. I still am afraid to feed on demand, so I'm still loosely going by the 3 hour schedule (I don't wake them up from naps to feed though, they will eat when they wake up). I'm actually wondering when we move to a 4 hour schedule too!

About night-time feedings...around 2 & a half months, I stopped waking them for night time feedings. They eventually went from 3 night time feedings, to 2 & now they're down to one. I let them do it on their own, so I don't have any advice on getting them to STTN since I'm going at their pace.

Don't worry about comparisons! Your babies are unique & you are doing what's best for them

 

My babies were born a couple days after yours and we have them on a 3 hour schedule during the day too. They don't eat nearly as much as your guys which makes me feel a little better as I worry that my son is eating too much. I don't know what helps babies STTN but we use a noise machine and always have at night. The room is also very dark, our babies sleep together in a crib and we swaddle them. I am sure that the swaddling helps them to sleep longer but our babies just started sleeping longer and longer at night. We did have them separated for a while and when we put them back together they slept longer.

As pp says, all babies are different and they have to find their own rhythm. I hope yours do soon.

 

QUOTE(Natalie @ Jun 24 2008, 05:44 PM) [snapback]843631[/snapback]
My babies were born a couple days after yours and we have them on a 3 hour schedule during the day too. They don't eat nearly as much as your guys which makes me feel a little better as I worry that my son is eating too much. I don't know what helps babies STTN but we use a noise machine and always have at night. The room is also very dark, our babies sleep together in a crib and we swaddle them. I am sure that the swaddling helps them to sleep longer but our babies just started sleeping longer and longer at night. We did have them separated for a while and when we put them back together they slept longer.

As pp says, all babies are different and they have to find their own rhythm. I hope yours do soon.


Thanks for the advice. How long are yours sleeping at night now? We started putting them in separate cribs around 3 weeks, they just always seemed to wake each other up. I've felt guilty about it and have been tempted to try it again over the past couple months, but now Grant moves like crazy, I think they would hurt each other. I've recently discovered I have to swaddle Allison in one of those kiddopotomus velcro swaddle blankets. She breaks free from anything else. Actually she fights this one too and will usually get an arm out and wake herself up. That's the reason she wakes up at 5 am, not because she's hungry (she usually won't take more than 2 ounces) but she's so mad about being in the blanket. If I take her out she moves and stretches non-stop and doesn't stay sleeping and then is crabby the rest of the day. I'm not sure how I'll ever wean her off the blanket, there's no way she can stay asleep without it. I'll just have to get used to the 5am wakeup calls when she really can't stand being in it anymore.

 

At three months of age we were feeding 3 hourly during the day and on demand at night. They then started to STTN all of a sudden. Hang in there, it will happen soon.

 

We started our guys on a 3 hour schedule (8 bottles/day) when home from the NICU (at 36 weeks gestation), then after a couple of weeks, we stretched out the nightime feeds to 3.5 hours (7 bottles/day), then to 4 hours and then eventually all the feeds to 4 hours (6 bottles/day). When they hit 2 months adjusted, they dropped one nightime feed, so they would be fed at 9 pm, then at 5 am.

Now (at 3.5 months adjusted, 5 months acutal) they have 5 bottles/24 hours: at 5-6:30 am, 9-10 am, 1-2 pm, 5-6 pm, and 8-9 pm. They eat 5-6 oz at each feed and sleep really well at night (at least for 8-9 hours strait).

They're starting to stretch out the nightime feed, so eventually I guess we'll go down to 4 bottles a day.

Good luck!

Alechia

 

Mine are also 3 months They pretty much went to a 4 hour schedule on their own. I think one day I stretched the morning one and they've been fine since. I've still been waking them at 10 pm and 2 am to eat, but am going to cut out that 2nd night feeding. I have the book 12 Hours Sleep by 12 Weeks Old and am following how to cut out the night feeding that way. Mine eat 4-5 ounces a feeding. Sometimes less.

Oh, and I think all those moms of singletons who say they have slept through the night from day 1 are lying I think there may be some, but so many say it! I don't believe it! In fact, in one book I read the author spent the night at the house of a friend who said her baby slept through the night. Her baby was actually up and screaming while somehow the mom and dad slept through it!

 

We've always fed every 3 hours during the day and on demand at night. We always fed both when one woke though. They STTN now, but we still feed every 3 hours during the day (5 bottles each day).

 

Hi Denise,

We are a couple of weeks behind you but our feeding schedule is 3 hourly through the day - last bottle around 7:30pm - and then demand feed through the night - but will always feed both of them when the first one wakes - (I feed one after the other during the night time esp. when one is still sleeping) They feed 7:30pm then sleep til 12:30am - 1am - then wake again at 4 - 4:30am...... and then start feeding again together on the 3 hour schedule from morning time.