for those who bottle feed - do they eat together or separate?

So I go back and forth on this...Mostly they take turns, so one person can always feed them - but when they get older and bottle propping feels more ok to me (or car seat feeding, etc) I'm considering feeding them at the same time to give myself and extra 30 minutes of freedom.

What do others do? I feel like we need to make a decision on this before they get on a real schedule (right now the schedule is sorta loose).

Thanks in advance.

Miriam

 

So I go back and forth on this...Mostly they take turns, so one person can always feed them - but when they get older and bottle propping feels more ok to me (or car seat feeding, etc) I'm considering feeding them at the same time to give myself and extra 30 minutes of freedom.

What do others do? I feel like we need to make a decision on this before they get on a real schedule (right now the schedule is sorta loose).

Thanks in advance.

Miriam

 

Together is sooo much easier. If I do have help though I take it so I can have one on one time with each baby. Usually I use bouncers on either side of me.

 

As long as they are on schedule, they eat together with a propper, and one of us sitting there with them. We have Bottle Bundles from littlewonders.com.

 

With my girls I fed them both at the same time. They would both sit in their bouncers and I would hold both bottles in. If someone was there to help we would each hold one.

 

My girls were preemies and they had problems with apnea and bradys (heart rate drops) so the only way we could feed them and they not brady is laying down. We had to lay them across our lap, almost completely laying flat to feed them so we could never feed them together. I tried many times in their bouncers and it never worked. Now at 11 months old, they still eat this way. They wont take a bottle any other way and they refuse to hold their own (even though they can)

 

I used bottle proppers at first so that I could hold them both at the same time. Mine ate on the same schedule since birth. After about 2.5 months old they started turning their heads too much for the bottle proppers to stay on so we switched to the Podee Hands-Free Bottle.

 

I have never propped a bottle, but I have fed them at the same time in their bouncers/ carseats. I held a bottle in each hand. I would use the bouncers to spoon feed them at the sametime as well. Now they sit in their chairs and hold their bottles themselves.

 

My girls are still in the SCN but since DH is going back over seas I asked the nurses to feed one before the other. So Layla eats a quarter too and Kyla eats at the o'clock! I think its easier that way. They are both on bottles now and have no more tubes!! I dont think I could feed them at the same time. but we will see when they come home. they eat pretty quick tho!

 

I feed both babies at the same time. Usually I put one in the boppy and one in my lap. I am able to feed both of them that way. We also use the hands free Podees. It took a little while to get use to the Podees but now that they have gotten older they are able to use them. I know your babies are still too small but I also feed the twins in the high chairs together. HTH

 

I feed mine 30 min apart. But I am considering feeding them together. I just think it would save so much more time. Especially at 2 in the morning!!

 

I feed my boys at the same time with the help of breastfeeding pillows and receiving blankets. I sit on the couch with one on either side of me. This way I have free hands if I need to burp one or the other.

 

AT that age I was breast feeding and did it together. Now they get fed one at a time. I just love holding them and really value that snuggle time. I am not home with them all day though. Mia is just now learning to hold her own bottle. I have been experimenting a little with her feeding herself, but like I said, I love the snuggle time.

By the way, just to let you know, by kiddos didn't get on a predictable schedule until 7 months. We had a good bedtime routine going, but during the day, it was a little all over the place because I really paid close attention to their sleepy signs.

Melissa

 

I did it together!! Saves mucho time!!! I used my EZ2Nurse pillow with their heads together at the top (this is easier when they are a tiny bit older) and could talk to both and feed both right in front of me. If I had anyone around, they fed one and I fed the other at the same time!! You will figure out how to do both and I think should when you can! It does save time and that's precious potential napping time and other things!

 

I have been feeding my girls separately. I find it easier and I like giving them the individual attention. However, I'm considering starting to try to feed them together, especially in the night. I tried it one day in the bouncies and it was a disaster so I'm hesitant to do it again. However, somebody today had just mentioned the Podee bottles to me so I may try that. One DD is slower than the other so maybe I could cuddle one while the other is still eating and then cuddle her afterward?? We'll see how it goes.

GL.

 

When they were younger I fed them together. I used Boppies untill they got to big. Now it depends on the day sometimes its together but most times its seperate. When I do it together I lay them on the floor and pop the bottles in, but they like to destract (sp sorry) each other and it turns into a game. Liberty has now learned how to hold the bottle so it makes life a little bit easier.

 

I tried both ways, but if I tried feeding at different times, they didn't always cooperate with that, so I found it easier just to start both at the same time rather than end up with one crying while I fed the other. At first it seemed to take just as long to feed both at the same time, but as they became better at eating (faster), I realized how much more time I had!

 

For the most part, we've fed them at the same time since they were born. But they just seemed to get hungry at the same time; we didn't really do it on purpose.

At that age, I was still breastfeeding & bottle feeding. They got a bottle after BF, so usually what I would do was keep them on pillows on either side of me and bottle feed them at the same time. Anytime someone else is around, I always take advantage of it & give them a baby & a bottle. I just feel better when they're being held & that gives me a little extra time with one of them.

I also would use the bouncy seats....just sit in the middle of them & usually watch tv or something while they ate.

Now that they're bigger & sitting on their own I almost always feed them in their high chairs now if I'm by myself. Zoe even holds her own bottle now.

 

I have done it both ways. For the first 3 months I fed them individually. I just wasn't comfortable propping. Since then I have used the boppy to prop one beside me while holding the other. I can transistion them pretty quickly for burping. Bouncy seats and bottle props have never worked for me. A towel or two rolled up under the bottle worked better. I am back to individually feeding them now since I have increased the nipple size and they are eating faster. I don't want them to choke on the fast flow. You'll just have to play with different things and see what works for you and your babies. Mine don't seem to get upset or frustrated by a change in our routine (holding vs. propping). Good luck.

 

I've always feed them individually - but right after the other. They had reflux, so if I tried to feed them any other way then we did in the NICU they threw up everywhere - it definately takes up more time, but I also like having one-on-one time with each baby...

 

I have always fed them together from the start. Even when Jonah was in the NICU I found out what schedule he was on and adjusted Jenna in the room so that once I had both they were on the same schedule. When they were little I had help - my mom and she would feed one while I fed the other. I tried to remember to alternate babies. Then when I was alone more often (starting at about a month old) I fed them on regular pillows in front of me. I sat at the top of the bed and leaned back and they were in front of me. Then as they got bigger I would hold one and have one sitting next to me, leaning on me. Now, at 7 mos. I hold them both in the rocking chair and feed them at the same time. It is getting a little difficult. He tries to knock her bottle out of her mouth, but it still works. I like to feed them at the same time.

 

Thanks so much for all the responses...I'm going to look at transitiong to feeding them at the same time.

Am I correct that folks are feeding the babies flat on their backs in some cases? Is this ok? Are there any issues?

Miriam

 

I have two bouncer chairs and I sit in the middle and hold their bottles. By placing them in their chairs, it props them up more then just laying them on their back. I found that it was easier for them to eat especially in the begining if they were in more of an upright position. Also, that is what the NICU told us to do for them and it became a habit (the part of sitting them upright to feed) If there are two of us or if they don't wake up at the same time then they feed seperately. HTH!

 

During the day they are fed seperately as I am the only one home, they are usually about 15 mins apart in their bottles. When Dh comes home, they are both fed at the same time. Dh feeds one while I feed the other

 

I have always fed them at the same time. I like to hold one while feeding and put the other one in the boppy right next to me with her bottle propped with a stuffed animal. The other boppy is on the other side of me so I can put the girl I'm holding down easily for burps, etc. On the next feeding I will hold the other one. Sometimes I have to feed them both from the boppies and hold the both bottles if they are too squirmy. I like the boppies a lot, I think their heads are elevated enough so there is no issue with their ears (I've heard that you shouldn't feed a baby that is laying flat due to the way their ears develop, something about it causing problems and possible ear infections/tubes in the future). I tried using bouncies and their car carriers at first but found that it just about broke my back to hold the bottles like that. When DH gets home we both feed them so they get as much individual attention as possible.

 

I feed them at the same time, gives me a little bit of a break.