FEEDING TWINS AT THE SAME TIME

I have identical twin boys and they were born at 25 weeks (Micro-preemies). One spent 4 months in the hospital and the other spent 5 months. They are currently 7 months old with an adjusted age of about 4 months. The hospital put them on a feeding schedule which was an hour apart. Since they have been home my schedule is as follows... feed at 5a.m. and 6a.m. then they sleep till 9a.m. both wake up and one feeds while the other plays. I then feed the other at 10a.m. and we play for about 1-1/2hrs. they sleep till 1 and 2 and we feed again. Around 3-3:30 they both sleep again until 5 and 6p.m. then they are up until about 8 where the one sleeps an hour feeds and then goes to bed and the other sleeps till about 9:30 then eats at 10 and they both slepp through till the 5 and 6am feeding. So after all that is said I have just a few questions for you more experienced moms and dads!

1) is it Ok they are sleeping so much still during the day? They get so crabby and tired that I think they still need the sleep.
2) Any suggestions on how to feed the boys together? I would really like to get them feeding at the same time to free up some of my day and their's. How do you do it? What do you put them in? How do you burp one and continue to feed the other?

3) This question is totally off the subject, but when did all you who have had preemies start giving your kids cereal and stage one baby food? Just curious!

I am really wanting to do this so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I had my twins at 30w6d, not super premies but still very early.

1-I think you've got a great schedule there. No, I don't think that's too much sleeping. Deep sleep time is good time for growing and developing. Little babies need that time.

2-I nurse both babies so I'm not that much help here. I did see a quad mom sit indian style on the sofa, put two babies in her lap, one again each hip/upper leg and feed them at the same time.

3-For starting solids, you have to use their adjusted age, not their real birthday age. I bet the ped will recommend starting solids at 6 months plus 9 weeks that they were early-that puts them at just about 8 months old.

Becky

 

HI-I am trying to use the "quote" thing so hopefully this turns out okay.

1) is it Ok they are sleeping so much still during the day?

I think it is okay that they are still napping alot. Mine were born at 32 weeks (not micro preemies but preemies) and sleep from one feeding to the other for about the first 2-3 months and then decided to gradually increase their awake time. I would think they are doing just fine in the sleeping department. Usually my kids can only do about 2 hours of wakeful time before they are ready to go back for a nap. They just started sleeping through the night. They really needed that extra bottle at night for a long time.
2) Any suggestions on how to feed the boys together?

I feed in bouncy chairs at the same time. When they were little I used bottle proppers and that way when I had to burp one, the other could still eat and not scream. But I also did it without the proppers and you just burp one while the other is pitching a fit and then repeat with the other.

3) This question is totally off the subject, but when did all you who have had preemies start giving your kids cereal and stage one baby food? Just curious!

My Pedi said that I could start them at four months actual for cereal. I know that all are different but you also have to see if yours are ready. Mine werent really at first. It was just something I did a few times a week until they decided to eat and then it became a daily occurence.

Hope this helps. There are alot of moms with preemies on this board that i am sure can really help you out.

Rachel

 

:sign0016: and congratulations on your babies!

1) is it Ok they are sleeping so much still during the day?
They get so crabby and tired that I think they still need the sleep. I would let them sleep as much as they want until it starts interrupting their night time sleep.

2) Any suggestions on how to feed the boys together? I would really like to get them feeding at the same time to free up some of my day and their's. How do you do it? What do you put them in? How do you burp one and continue to feed the other?
I fed them both at the same time from the very beginning. It is a HUGE timesaver! I put a regular bed pillow on the floor(in my lap when they were younger)and put them on it head to head, and fed them that way. When one needed to burp, I would pick that one up and usually just being upright on my shoulder would get a burp out.

3) This question is totally off the subject, but when did all you who have had preemies start giving your kids cereal and stage one baby food? Just curious!
I would go with your peds recommendation.

 

Congrats on the babies!

1) is it Ok they are sleeping so much still during the day? They get so crabby and tired that I think they still need the sleep.

My girls were born 36 weeks, 2 days and I think THEY still sleep a lot. They are only up about 6 hours total during the day. They sleep 12 hours at night. Babies should get tired around 1-2 hours of wakefulness. My girls are starting to strtch their time from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. They just turned 4 months old.

2) Any suggestions on how to feed the boys together? I would really like to get them feeding at the same time to free up some of my day and their's. How do you do it? What do you put them in? How do you burp one and continue to feed the other?

I start one a little sooner than the other. I have two boppies and I put them in one. I burp the first one done, then the other. SOmetimes, I feed one and prop the other. If I have someone with me, we feed them together.


3) This question is totally off the subject, but when did all you who have had preemies start giving your kids cereal and stage one baby food? Just curious!

I haven't gotten there yet. I am waiting for their check-up for the pedi to give me the green light.

 

Mine were born at 31 weeks. They are 6 1/2 months now. I pretty much demand feed the bottles and sometimes they eat at the same time, sometimes not. I always feed them their baby food at the same time though. It has helped them get on a close schedule.
You actually dont want both crying for a bottle at the same time, it can get hectic. They arent going to be on a perfect schedule. Ive had to arrange mine around them until they get older and more predictable.
I always thought, let babies sleep when they want to and in my experience seems like preemies need it more. I just wish they would do that more regularly now lol.

 

I would put my sons in their bouncers and hold a bottle in each hand and then put it so they were sitting up more and pat the back of it. I don't have pics f me feeding them but heres them in the chairs.

http://monierose.zoomshare.com/album/famil.../type_album.css

When they were younger and smaller I would feed them at the same time and just turn them over to burp them.

http://monierose.zoomshare.com/album/famil.../type_album.css

Evenually they started holding their own bottles.

http://monierose.zoomshare.com/album/famil.../type_album.css

 

:sign0016: to TS! Congratulations on your boys! As for feeding them together, I would definately do that as a timesaver. I have always put the girls in their boppies facing me and propping the bottle with a stuffed animal (takes a little adjusting to figure out the best angle). I hold one and feed while the other is in the boppy with the bottle propped. Even now, as they are bigger and very squirmy, this still works. As for solids, we started at 5.5 months with stage one foods.

Good luck with your changes, let us know how it goes!

 

Thanks everyone. We have made some pretty big changes here and it seems to be working.