How rigid are you....

I had my first day of 8hr work yesterday and the boys were home with DH, a couple of times I called to check and someone would be crying. I asked why DH says its not time to sleep yet or not time to eat yet.....He had the boys on this strict 3hr rotation schedule 2hr awake, 1 hr sleep, with no snacking in between feeds. I usually just let the boys lead me and get some stuff done during the day but DH got a lot done(including a nap) d/t his little schedule. I did find somethings he did helpful, he always fed the boys together and previously I just fed who was hungry (sometimes spending hrs on the couch/floor b/t the two of them) and if one woke from a nap, he would wake the other one too.
Anyway I was wondering how were on a strict schedule, what it is and what age you started it.

 

Sounds perfect! That's about how I like it! Schedules keep me sane. i was and still am VERY regimented in our daily routine. Without a routine, it's chaotic around here and I hate chaos.

I think he's doing a GREAT job!!!!

 

Because I was trying to breastfeed but also supplementing I fed on demand for the first 3 months. It was really hard and I was pretty much stuck on the couch with a baby on either side of me in a boppy pillow. They started wanting to be fed every 2 hours, sometimes less, and eating less in each feeding, so I decided that it was time for a schedule and going back to work also meant less booby time.

We started the schedule just after 3 months and started at feeding every 3 hours by bottle and only breastfeeding at night and early morning. In about a month or so we extended the feedings to every 4 hours, working gradually to distance the feedings.

We are pretty strict about feeding on time, unless they are napping. We let them nap as needed, which works best for us rather than scheduling naps. When we tried scheduled naps it always ended up in a fight with one of them. I can pretty much predict who needs a nap and when, though. I do wake them up from a nap if it goes more than 1/2 hour past a feeding time.

I love the schedule! It really helps me to plan my day and week. I know when it's possible to get out of the house and run errands or go for a fun outing. I don't have time for naps, though, as my boys tend not to nap much at the same time.

 

I love routine! It keeps things much organized & not to mention.. SANE! I started a routine probably as early as 6 month if not earlier. They are STILL on the same routine at 14 months & it's just much easier being able to predict your day & as to what you can do at what time, etc. They nap, eat breakfast, lunch, & dinner, & go to bed same time, every day. It keeps them less cranky plus establishing a routine now will be very helpful in the future. Bottom line, experiment! Work your schedule around what best fits the twins (as well as their older sibling) & YOU! You will find yourself so much more relaxed!

 

I am a major schedule Momma!!! My life revolves around their routine lol!!! I got into a nice groove around 4 months.

 

I was never strict with schedules. I always let them lead the way. It actually worked out perfect for us and my girls put themselves on the same exact schedule. It saved me a lot of grief stressing about it, and we were all happy.

 

Very scheduled here! Had to be due to everyone else's schedules! :wacko:

 

With my boys we were routine, routine, routine. Home for naps and bed, unless vacationing. Eating was the same way and it seems like it may have assisted in them staying regular as they ALWAYS pottied at the same time. It definitely helped me keep my sanity. My singleton on the other hand, schedule is out the window but it is soooo much easier!

 

QUOTE(Kyrstyn @ Apr 29 2009, 04:50 PM) [snapback]1294070[/snapback]
I was never strict with schedules. I always let them lead the way. It actually worked out perfect for us and my girls put themselves on the same exact schedule. It saved me a lot of grief stressing about it, and we were all happy.


Pardon the term but I’m known as the Schedule Nazi. However, I have to agree with this post and say it did cause me many days of grief when things would go “wrong” which tends to happen when you’re dealing with two different personalities and of course babies. I would say overall it has been a lifesaver but don’t let it drive you crazy if you are off by a half an hour or an hour. It all works out in the end and you can always start over the next day!

 

QUOTE(TaurusTwins @ Apr 29 2009, 10:17 PM) [snapback]1294406[/snapback]
I would say overall it has been a lifesaver but don’t let it drive you crazy if you are off by a half an hour or an hour. It all works out in the end and you can always start over the next day!

I agree with the above. We used our schedule as a guideline but also wanted to be flexible (and had to be) for disruptions, parties, get togethers, etc during the day. I have found that our two were usually pretty good when things had to be changed for a day.

 

i'm pretty strict about nap times but my feeding times are very flexible as they're based on when the girls wake from their naps. if, however, there's something unusual going on during the day (like a doctor's appointment) i try to remind myself that it won't kill them (or me) to be off schedule for a day. to be honest, i think it's harder for me then them when we have an off day.

i also try not to force the issue too much though too - i mean, if bedtime's not for another 45 minutes but they're clearly not going to make it, i follow their lead & put them to bed early. this tends to be the rare exception though.

 

I am STILL trying and failing to get any kind of set schedule in place! I thought i had one and then it changed lol

We came back from nicu on a 4 hrly feed routine, you could set your clock by them but it has just been upped by the girls to 2 1/2 or 3 hrly feeds.
There morning nap used to be a predictable 2/3hr nap and it is now a predictable 45m-1hr nap.
I try and play, feed and get them put down after about 1 1/2 hr of awake time or all hell breaks loose!
Naps are all over the place at the minute and bedtime is usually 6pm give or take an hr.. if we have had an early or late start to the day.

I hope something more concrete falls into place soon, i'm all for law and order! Although that will probably never happen if i don't start being brave enough to wake them in a morning to set it up lol I do from naps to keep there feeds a half hr between them.

Can i borrow your hubby? My girls need some of what your boys are gettting lol

 

QUOTE(ivfbound078 @ Apr 29 2009, 03:47 PM) [snapback]1293988[/snapback]
Sounds perfect! That's about how I like it! Schedules keep me sane. i was and still am VERY regimented in our daily routine. Without a routine, it's chaotic around here and I hate chaos.

I think he's doing a GREAT job!!!!



Do I HAVE to tell him that..lol...

I am trying to do more regimented in schedule, feeding them together didn't work too well yesterday as Owen would only take 2oz at a time but want to eat every 1-2hrs. I don't know how to fix that - to make him eat more. And Rhys-my laid back baby- could sleep for 1-2hrs every nap, Owen is done after 45mins, so I always ended up waking Rhys up and it doesn't seem right. The boys are only 3 mos so hopefully by the time they are 6mos old we will have something more concrete.

QUOTE
Can i borrow your hubby? My girls need some of what your boys are gettting lol

Yes, but only if you send a much richer man who can provide me with nannies, cooks, housekeepers, personal trainers etc

 

The nanny has the babies on a fairly consistent routine which flies out the window every Saturday and Sunday when we are home with them. They don't nap and hardly ever eat on schedule. Monday through Friday though, they are on a pretty set routine around naps, feeding and playtime. I struggle with it because I feel guilty that I work 10 hour days everyday so I'm glad someone's helping us stick to it. It's good for them anyway.

 

we stick to a schedule for eating, but we're flexible with sleeping. i base the meal schedule on when they wake up. so if they wake up at 6:30, we do solids at 8:30-ish (still figuring out solids) and a bottle at 10:30, 2:30 and 6:30. that last bottle might happen closer to 6 if they seem like they're ready to eat and it looks like they're moving quickly towards bedtime.

we generally let them wake up whenever they want to wake up, although if it's before 6:00 we try to encourage them to sleep more. sometimes on the weekends they sleep until 7 or 7:30 and i'm fine with that. we figure out how to balance out the schedule so they get all of their ounces when they're hungry for the rest of the day.

we do naps by watching their signals because no one is exactly the same amount of tired every single day. we don't expect them to nap at the same time every day or for the same duration. we can ballpark it pretty easily based on how much awake time as passed since the last sleep cycle but we're nowhere near strict about it.

 

At 3 months we had a routine, not a schedule exactly. They ate every 3 hours and could only stay awake no longer than 1.5 hours, if that. I let them nap when they needed it. Naps never lasted very long, so there were a lot of them. I have always fed them at the same time from the day they were born and even when I nursed in the beginning. That was important to me, so I could have some down time too. If one woke to eat, I woke the other one. They almost always slept at the same time too. Good for your husband to want to put them on a schedule. Most men wouldn't that I know.

 

The only schedule I have is "keep them on the same schedule". Meaning if one is hungry after 2 hrs, they both get fed, even if the non-hungry one only eats a couple ounces. I never regimented my singletons, let them lead the way, and I pretty much do the same for the twins, with the exception of they have to do it at the same time! Works for us!