For those of you dealing with nap issues

I wanted to post this to all of you new twin mommas re: naps....hang in there. It will get better. This is the MAIN thing I totally STRESSED over when my LOs were under 6 months old. I just didn't get it...I didn't understand why DD would only nap for 45 minutes at a time, and DS would nap for 1 1/2 hours. I stressed myself out about it so much that it consumed my every thought -- I dove into sleeping books, talked to the friends I met on TS and also my new twin mom friends in my local club. AND my sister!!!! Finally around 6 months I just gave up thinking about it. I realized that books weren't around when our parents had us, and that every baby is different. So what if DD only slept for 45 minutes...I felt as they would mature that things would get better. AND THEY DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm writing this note so that you all have hope...just hang in there. Naps will develop eventually. Just enjoy the LOs now because they grow up so fast. A schedule and routine will develop -- again, the babies need to become more mature so that you can develop a routine. And you need to be flexible because the unexpected comes up all the time. And routines change too.

My LOs do STTN, and I do have those nights (like last night) when one wakes up crying -- I now check on them once. If I know they are ok and just tired and waking up then I pat them on their head and go back to my room and go back to sleep (even if htey are still crying). I know they are ok -- they end up being quiet within 2 minutes of crying or whimpering b/c they realize I'm not coming back in and that they are fine. Most nights they don't wake anymore. You will get there soon enough too.

If naps are consuming your thoughts then let me know -- I'm more than happy to talk to you over TS so that you have someone to vent to. Hang in there....naps will develop and try to let it go and don't get frustrated. Babies need to mature into a schedule/routine.

 

thanks? but i'm not frustrated with their naps. once we started do cio everything got so much better. i simply posted a question about them sleeping too much and if weaning them off their night bottle was ok.

 

QUOTE(dezmitch @ Jun 4 2009, 11:40 AM) [snapback]1341072[/snapback]
My LOs do STTN, and I do have those nights (like last night) when one wakes up crying


Thanks for the encouragement! I'm kinda new at this so what does STTN stand for???

 

QUOTE(monkeymamma @ Jun 4 2009, 03:00 PM) [snapback]1341123[/snapback]
Thanks for the encouragement! I'm kinda new at this so what does STTN stand for???


sleeping through the night.

 

Thanks for the encouragement, I need it right now. I lost my mind last week and Im continuing to lose it..tomorrow isn't looking good either.

 

QUOTE(orangeyaglad @ Jun 4 2009, 02:56 PM) [snapback]1341111[/snapback]
thanks? but i'm not frustrated with their naps. once we started do cio everything got so much better. i simply posted a question about them sleeping too much and if weaning them off their night bottle was ok.

i think she's posting to the group as a whole, not critiquing you personally.

 

Yes, I was posting to the group as a whole. There are many new twin mommas out there that have recently posted about naps and I just wanted to let them know that this was the most frustrating thing for "me" to deal with and to give everyone encouragement that it does change and it will get better!

 

Thanks for the encouragement! My girls will be 15 weeks old on Friday (7 weeks adjusted) and recently naps have become more of a struggle. I see that we are falling into a routine, it may not be the same hour by hour everyday, but we've definately are following the same pattern each day. They have recently started STTN (yea!) so I'm wondering if that has something to do with their naps being off. It seems to take one of my girls (more than the other) longer to settle down. She is having a hard time just giving into the sleep. She tends to fight it off and that's when she becomes very cranky and it becomes very hard to put her down. Some days are better than others, and I'm still trying to come up with ways to get her to settle. However she does go down great at night. Believe me it's not awful, some days are just more difficult than others!

 

Thanks for the encouragement. Naps do stress me out and wear me out!

 

THANK YOU!! Mine are just over 6 months and the whole naps, STTN, scheduling thing is taking over every thought and driving me insane!!! They seem to be on completely different schedules and I've even started putting DD in our room in a pack and play for night and I split them up at naptimes if they go down more than 15 minutes apart. So far this is working to keep them asleep a little longer *sometimes* . STTN - I'm discovering they're not eating near enough formula during the day. Grrr. We have awhile to go but after going through the first 6 months - I agree - when you give up and just go with the flow things just seem to fall into place naturally when they're ready. I'm hoping they're ready soon!!!! Thanks for the post!

 

Thank you so much for the post! It's really encouraging. I think we all find ourselves wishing for them to grow up a little bit so things will be easier, but then they do and you wonder where the time flew!

 

That is awesome .My little ones are 11 weeks and nap terribly and I wondered what I could do to make it better. I am not going to stress about it. I guess I should not have worried- they are happy and healthy.

 

QUOTE(dezmitch @ Jun 4 2009, 10:40 AM) [snapback]1341072[/snapback]
Naps will develop eventually. Just enjoy the LOs now because they grow up so fast. A schedule and routine will develop -- again, the babies need to become more mature so that you can develop a routine. And you need to be flexible because the unexpected comes up all the time. And routines change too.


I loved reading this from you! I remember a few short months ago I feel like I was trying my best to tell you the very same thing!!!!! I hope I was able to help you in your "difficult" time!!!!! :hug:

 

Thanx for the post, i hope something magical happens with my girls quick because the WHOLE sleep thing is a nightmare right now! They were better at 2months old. 1 more month to go.. can i hold you to this getting better lol

 

Thanks for the encouragement! I hope it gets better soon!

 

Thanks for the reply from here too!! We had such a smooth routine with naps and all I read on here was "6 months" their naps fall into place......... "6 months" was when they all fell out of place!! I have been sooooooo stressed out with there naps. Somedays they are good and somedays they are horrendous!! I have realized this if life and they are not robots I can program. The biggest frustration for me is everyday is different, i wish it was a bit more predictable.

Thanks again!!

 

Thank you for posting this- naps has been a big area of concern of me for a long time, my twins are almost 10 mo. They do OK for the morning nap, but we have NEVER mastered the afternoon nap. I have so been there with reading books, reading on line, trying different things, etc. I'm now trying to nap them separately, after almost 10 mo they still wake one another up and when the afternoon nap is bad already, a few extra minutes make a difference. I am so happy to know that the nap-stress is not something that only happens in my house : ) Still hoping they fall into place like others have had, but perhaps it never will for the afternoon.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience with others!!!!