Hi Everyone, I just had my twins on October 2nd. I have a question for those moms whos husbands work. My husband will be going back to work soon and he won't be able to function if he gets up with me and the twins everytime they are up. I am going to try to put them on a schedule that is a 1/2 appart from each other so I can feed them both without waking him for help. So my question is how are you able to handle both babies by yourself in the middle of the night? I was able to take care of them in the hospital by myself and know to nap when they nap but I am worried about the middle of the night. Thanks
Congratulations on your twins and welcome to FY! My DH was only home a couple of days after the girls came home from the hospital so I totally understand what you are about to go thru. When they were on a 3 hour schedule we split up the night. I would go to bed after their 8 pm bottle and then he'd do 11pm himself and I'd wake up for 2am and do that myself. We'd usually both get up for 5am and 8am and do them together. That way we'd both get at least one long stretch of sleep. Its rough and we were all sleep deprived, but even though he had to work during the day he still helped out a little at night because I was 'working' all day too (recovering from a c-section, prepping bottles, taking care of two infants!). If that is not an option for you and your DH, try to get family or friends to come over during the day to help so you can sleep at least one long stretch. GL! -Leighann
First off, CONGRADULATIONS and welcome to the first year board! My husband went back to work pretty quickly. I got up with the kids(they ate every 3 hours) and feed them at the same time. They were such slow eaters that it would take over 30mins. I put them on their own boppies next to each other and feed them their bottles or I would put the boppy around me and feed them a bottle at the same time (they were small enough to fit on one boppy). I don't know if your breastfeeding or bottle feeding but feeding at the same time worked for me. I tried feeding them seperately at the beginning and it took an hour and 1/2 for both to eat and go back down which meant I was up in another hour and 1/2. DH got up at night too. He took one feeding and then I'd wake up and take the next feeding and so on through out the night. HTH! Good luck!!
Congratulations and welcome! You'll love TS!! I did the night feedings/schedule by myself and found it was easiest to keep them as close together as possible. Feeding them at the same time or right after each other worked best for me. We also split the night a little bit (I can't remember if we did this when I went back to work or before), but I'd be up all night with the boys, DH would get up at 4:00 a.m. and we'd split the 4:00 a.m. feeding. I'd go to bed until 8:00 a.m. and he'd go to work. The first few months are tough...hang in there!
I have a similar situation. We're bottle feeding b/c babies are premies and can't breastfeed now (but hoping they will eventually). So we have to feed and then I have to pump. Plus I "practice" bf-ing with them several times a day so they can get better. I have no idea how to handle it when my hubbie goes back to work next week. Here's the question--HOW do you feed both at once, keeping their heads supported, burping, etc. And if they are feeding half an hour apart, what do you do when the one who is not yet eating has a meltdown? THANKS!!
Congradulations!!! :sign0016: I think doing shifts is deffinately the way to go. The girls dad got up at 4am with them and did that shift and I slept til 8 am - most days - hind sight would have had me have him take the 8 pm shift - let me go to bed at 7pm and then I'd get up at midnight with them as he HATED being up in the middle of the night / early morning, and his patience level was nil' - so I'd end up UP with him half the time anyway. Let me tell you - it was exhausting. If I could do it again - I'd let him just do things his way and would have SLEPT when I could. When I was by myself, when one baby would wake up, I'd warm the bottle, change diaper, put baby in boppy and prop bottle. I know alot of people look down on the whole propping thing - but it worked for me and my sanity in the middle of the night. hen baby #1 was propped, I'd wake baby #2 and do the same thing. By the time I was done, baby #1 would need 1/2 way burping, and would usually doze off during the last of her bottle - hence me changing diapers first. I'd burp baby that would need it - baby #1 I'd put back down to sleep, and then finish with baby #2. This worked MOST of the time. of course there was the spitting up while I was burping the other one etc. - but I was a WRECK before I started waking one up with the other. I was not even getting 1 full hur of sleep at a time until I did this. Good Luck - and again welcome!!!
Congratulations and :sign0016: to FY! I did all of the night feedings alone from the beginning, feeding both babies at the same time. I got their bottles, got them situated, fed, burped, changed, finished feeding, and put them back down again(hopefully to go to sleep!). Feeding them both at the same time really saves a ton of time, which (usually)=more sleep for mommy!
Thanks for the welcome! It's great to find you guys. A question--logistically, how do you feed 2 at once if you don't prop? I'd love to, but can't quite figure it out. Also, an aside: just how much spitting up is normal? Even after a good burp or two, mine are the king and queen of spit up. THanks!
Welcome and CONGRATS!!!! To be honest, I just didn't get any sleep the first 8 months!! LOL!! My husband did the 11 pm feeding and I did the 3ish am feeding, so I went to bed very early every night. It is tough, no doubt about it, but you can do it!! My DH also got up sometimes when I just didn't want to, we were both tired, but it worked. You can do it! Welcome to the board! :sign0016:
You can always take turns with the night feedings, or do shifts (one parent responsible for everything before 2 am, the other responsible for everything after). That way both of you get some longer chunks of sleep.
Congrats, both of mine were small and i had to feed them every 3 hours so i had to set an alarm and wak them and feed them. Theytook to that schedule and besides night time now they are still like that. I got up alot in the middle of the night by myself and fed and chnged them both. Lucky for me i had a little boy who had patience of a saint. He would wait his turn asa i would always have to get her ready to feed first... and you learn real quickly. I mean i would set one on my legs, and one beside me and feed them like that. They always ate together till they were a little older or i was up for 2 hours waiting to get it all done. It worked for us and honstly it is a day by day or should i say night by night thing. Tell DH you might need help every now and then because you just might so you dont get burnt out. Night time was fairly easy for us and honestly i was blessed with great babies they ate were changed and back to sleep... it was not that ruff to me. Good Luck to you... Oh and i did prop the bottles soemtimes as they are beside me... some nights i woke with a bottle in an ear or in the side of their face but we all made it... you get tired and you just have to do what you can do. Seriously though i feel it all went pretty well, it is all i know...
QUOTE(Luluthewondercat @ Oct 9 2007, 04:26 AM) [snapback]441960[/snapback] Thanks for the welcome! It's great to find you guys. A question--logistically, how do you feed 2 at once if you don't prop? I'd love to, but can't quite figure it out. Also, an aside: just how much spitting up is normal? Even after a good burp or two, mine are the king and queen of spit up. THanks! I always propped - so I don't have any advice on how to do it any other way. sorry. as far as the spit up - my brother calls my girls the puke girls - all love intended mind you - they never suffered from reflux or colic - but they spit up ALOT - sometimes I'd worry if they were getting enough to eat! they say any more than 2 tablespoons of spit up can be of some concern - but 2 tablespoons of spit up coming out of a newborn sure looks like alot!! When I was still in the hospital - Natalie projectile vomitted so hard, it hit the side of the bassinet thing!! It freaked me out, but the nurses were not concerned - said it was pretty normal. follow their ques - if they seem hungry - feed them more. Not to be gross - but my dog was a big help with the spit up on the floor. . If you are really concerned - talk with your ped next check up.
