New Mommy

Hello everyone! I am a new mommy to 7 week old twin girls. It has been a journey to say the least! They were born at 31 weeks and were in NICU for a month. They have been home for about 3 weeks now. I have a few questions.
 
The girls are still waking up every 3 hours at night (mommy and daddy are exhausted) and sometimes they do not make it to 3 hours. In between feedings they are noisy. Not crying just noisy. They are co sleeping in bassinets in our room and still being semi swaddled. Any recommendations for longer sleep patterns?
 
Also, is 4 oz of formula too much for 7 lbs babies?
 
Please recommend day time activities to motivate play time. They sleep about 80% of the day.
 
I look forward to meeting new mommy of twins!

 

All of that sounds pretty normal for newborns, especially preemies. They're technically 38 weeks now; so consider that you're likely to have more of the newborn phase ahead. But man, yeah, those initial weeks with the 3 hour feeding cycle is EXHAUSTING. There's not much you can do to force them along, but there are things that you can do to help you and your partner manage and cope.
 
- Read some sleep books and find a routine you want to get into.
- Make a schedule for feedings where both you and your partner occasionally get a solid sleep.
- ENLIST HELP. Helpful help. Not people coming over to visit and getting away with not doing anything. Tell people to bring meals, hand them baskets of laundry, go take a nap while they hold a baby.
- Get out for walks; sunshine and outside are calming for everyone. If you're not confident at getting two out yet on your own, go for short stints around the block at first until you get confident.
 
Also, you mentioned in another thread that you identified as going through PPD. Tell your doctor about it. Depending on how severe it is, it might mean meds or not, but definitely make sure that a medical professional is keeping an eye on it. There might be resources available in your community to help. When my boys were born, I got recommended for the Children's Aid Society, which gave me an afternoon of FREE babysitting a week with the most wonderful, caring lady. You might be surprised what options are out there.
 
And always, come in here and talk.. all of us twin mommas have been there, done that.

 

I agree with Jen, it all sounds normal. Prem babies are generally noisier (grunts, etc) than term babies, although I'm not sure why.

In terms of how much to put in their bottles, your best bet is to follow their cues and feed on demand. Babies are very smart and know how much they need so watch them, not the clock.

I also agree about enlisting help. Your babies are behaving in a developmentally and physiologically appropriate way but that doesn't mean it isn't exhausting. Be creative in finding solutions for you and your partner to get adequate rest rather than trying to force babies to do something they aren't physiologically ready for yet.

And hang in there! The days are looooooong, but the years are short. :hug:

 

Thank you for your responses! My doctor knows about my PPD and he gave me a prescription just in case but he knows how well I am at overcoming emotions. It was difficult in the beginning but each day I feel better.

 

Welcome! I agree with the others. Keep them on the same schedule, that helps too.

 

:welcome: to TS!  Congratulations on your girls!
 
I agree with following their cues and feeding on demand, 4oz sounds about right to me at this point.
 
I also agree with going out for walks if you can, whether you do so outside or just walk through the mall.
 
Getting them on a schedule was important here and it took some time for us to do.  I do remember the nights of 3 hours feedings and I also agree with you and your husband taking turns with the feedings.  When my two were infants, my husband worked the night shift, so what he would do is take care of them as soon as he got home from work in the morning so I could sleep in.  And then on his night's off, we'd do shifts of feedings, he'd do the first half of the night and I'd do the second half.  I'd say our two started sleeping through the night around 10 weeks old (but all babies do this at different times and there was nothing we did to make them do that at that time)  and our daytime schedule with naps...it took us 6 months to get that down.  
Also when my two were born they had their days and nights mixed up, so we would have to keep the curtains wide open during the day with lots of noise going on,  so they'd learn it was day and then at night the curtains would be closed, lights would be low and our voices would be low so they could learn it was night.

 

Still sleepless and now the girls are getting really gassy. i think it could be the formula. They are on the Similac Neosure. Anyone also notice gassy babies on this formula?

 

I don't but have you tried gripe water or gas drops?

 

Welcome to twinstuff, I hope you like it.
You got great suggestions so I won't repeat what the others said already.
 
I just wanted to comment on the formula. My kids started with Similac, but it was making them really gassy and uncomfortable, we switched them to Enfamil and it was worse - then we switched them to Gerber Good Start and it made a huge difference. I think we were switching them gradually - to give them time to adjust but they were able to digest Good Start easier. It usually takes a few days to switch them completely and it takes a few days to notice the difference. I recommend you give it a try - I hope it makes a difference for your babies also. 
 
Good luck! As the others said - the days are long but the years are short. I remember how hard it was during those early months, but I can't believe how fast time flew either. So enjoy the baby stage - they grow faster than I imagined .