Fussy Babies...what to do?

Totally a new parent question.... my boys are 3.5 weeks old and starting to get a lot fussier. For the first few weeks all they did was eat and sleep, but now are awake more (trying to get into the EASY routine eventually). They just don't seem content when they're awake and have started crying a lot more. We do everything we can... burp for gas, check their diaper, swaddle to keep them from arms flailing etc., but sometimes they just won't settle. I think they're too young to let them just cry more than a few minutes. I'm sure everyone deals with this, but it gets to be a lot with two... any advice??

Also, perhaps I should start another thread for this, but how long should babies their age be awake for. Sometimes they'll stay awake through a whole cycle before the next feeding. They generally sleep well at night, but we have zero daytime nap routine so far. Will this just come in time or anything I should be doing to help instill this?

 

I remember that time and I must admit...I'm glad its over. I remember calling my DP crying because there didn't seem to be anything that I could do but watch them cry. It was pretty overwhelming at times that is for sure. Have you got bouncy seats? I found that my twins liked their car seats and would stay content in them if I rocked them with my foot. The swings helped calm one baby while I calmed the other and they would trade off. I would go for car rides quite often to get myself out of the house and get a tea and the twins would relax. Thankfully, it doesn't last long!! Each day will get better and they will start to amuse themselves for longer periods of times.

In regards to sleeping...I can't remember how long they were awake for at that time, but I remember my guys not wanting to sleep all that often (which made things quite interesting - hence the car rides). Olivia and Gavin didn't have a set rountine until 4 months old when we started the awake for 2 hours = a nap. For a guideline in my house, babes have naps at 9am and then again at 1pm give or take based on how long they napped for. The one thing that I made sure of right from the get go, was that naps were ALWAYS in their cribs.

 

Right when you say "this newborn stage is not so bad..." then they "wake up" haha! The crying stage seems to start at 3 weeks old and improves around 12 ish weeks or so. It's hard when there are 2 crying. I just deal with it best I can. I make sure they are fed, clean, comfortable, burped, rocked and sometimes they still cry. It's frustrating and sometimes you just have to lay them down and leave tHe room- take a 10 minute break and regroup and try something else. The say colic follows the rules of 3s = starts at 3 weeks lasts 3 months and they cry at least 3 hours/day. Maybe your little ones have a little colic.

 

I would recommend the "Happiest Baby on the Block", it comes in both the Book and DVD form (I went for the DVD form, because what mom of newborn twins has time to read??) It is Magic! I swear it works, and it is what saved my sanity in those early days. Good Luck!

 

I 100%, emphatically second PP comments about Happiest Baby on the Block - get the DVD...you will be so glad to have some techniques. That being said, I remember clearly when they stopped sleeping all the time and cried a whole lot. Take a deep breath, the next few weeks are going to fly even though you will feel like you are standing still. I would wear them in my Moby Wrap, take walks, etc. But, luckily mine loved the swings and they were a huge huge help. From 3 weeks to about 8 weeks there was no talk of nap routine between us...they really dictated everything. From about 12 or 13 weeks they started finding a pattern and taking a really long morning nap in their swings from about 9-12. That lasted until almost 5.5 months and I was so thankful. But they were not in sync for quite a while. I feel like these early weeks were the time that I hunkered down, didn't care about cooking, the house, etc, and just focused on those babies. There was no time to do anything but sooth and feed, sooth and feed. I remember having DH set up a TV in our bedroom (that was connected to the nursery) for some kind of escape or distraction from going a little crazy. I hope I am not scaring you, but hopefully you are getting as much rest as you can. I remember sleep deprivation being at its very worst during the first 3 months. But, I can say that like everything in the first year, just when I thought I could not stand it anymore, it changed or ended and a new behavior started. Amazing. If you find you need to take a 5 minute break, put them in a safe spot and go take a breather. They will be okay - I remember a poster on twinstuff giving this advice and I used a 5-minute break a couple of key times when I thought I wouldn't make it...lol. Also, if you have any help you could line up to really help, give you a break, or give you some company, start making those calls. Good luck and check in and let us know how it is going. :hug: