one twin STTN - up all day, how to adjust to other twin's nap schedule?

hello ladies,

I just read the entry about the STTN voting, really interesting and I'll vote once my 2nd twin will STTN as well

question:

my girl Liana starting STTN a couple weeks ago, well, she did it twice a week and by now, pretty much every other night, then, they day after STTN, sometimes she naps normal. but mostly, she's just up all day!
her brother Kaden still feeds once at night, around 2 or 3am, during the day, they have now one early am nap after early am feeding, then they go back down pretty quick and have another nap around 11ish.
in the afternoon they only take one long nap and then they are up around 6pm for the bedtime routine, we manage putting them down (after feeding a lot!) around 8 or 8:30pm.

long story, is Liana up all day because she starts to STTN and her body has to adjust? I just don't know and I am soooo exhausted because I try everything in soothing to put her down for naps like her brother and she won't do it, she used to be a great napper, I could put her down half awake and she would soothe herself to sleep.
just wondering if I will have to adjust to twins that are on different day schedules? I do not think so.

also, I think maybe she is ready for switching from 2 am naps to 1 ? she does not seem to need all that sleep that Kaden does, how do I do that transission? I do have to get 4 day feedings in, that includes the evening/bedtime routine feeding, but not the middle of the night (for Kaden). also, do I have to add a day feeding for her now that she's STTN? how do I add a day feeding if there is not the nap before?

I have to explain my feedings though as they make it all more difficult. babies wake up I feed, they only take about 2, max. 3 oz...then it's wake/play time ( and lots of burping/spit up - Kaden with reflux), they will not eat anything in that time ! only when I swaddle them and get them ready to go down again they will eat another 2 or 3 oz, also, I cannot feed them together, I have to bottle feed them separate, do to their positions they want to be in to be fed. they are very specific, Kaden likes to be fed by the window in the nursery, looking out at the tree and me bouncing him on a gym ball, Liana is a tad easier and I can feed her at different places.

I know it sounds like I am not the boss and I am not sure if I should be, I just want to respond to their needs.

any help appreciated,
alexa

PS: Kaden gets EBM and Liana formula, I am writing this during my night pumping session, no time for computer during the day

 

Lots of info there!
I just got mine out of the habit of 2 morning naps and into the habit of just one. But, this has been taking a week or two to develop. First what I have done is to leave them in their cribs until at least 7am - as they use to get up at 6am but then be so tired that I had to put them down for a nap within 45min of being awake. So now I just feed them when they wake up at around 5am and put them back to bed and don't let them out of their cribs until 7am (yes there is some fussing, but nothing major).
I also have a 90min napping rule, so I put them down to sleep and don't get them for 90min, they often wake up at 45min and fuss for awhile but generally they back asleep again before 90min are up, so they end up getting a nice morning nap that lasts anywhere from 1.5-2.5hrs long.
Everywhere I read says the more sleep they get the better. But having said that mine went through a difficult napping stage around 4mnths old, they use to go down for naps easily and then all of the sudden they would cry when I put them down, and cry, and cry. But, what I did was let them cry a bit, I would try shushing and patting bottoms for a bit, but often that would just make them madder, so I would leave them to fuss/cry a bit. If it went on longer than about 20min then I would sometimes go and rescue them, depending on if it sounded like they were giving up or were still really mad. I found 4mnths to be very hard for naps, but on the slip side 5mnths is now when I am starting to see more regular naps. So perhaps more scheduled naps are just around the corner and you just need to hang in there a bit longer.
I have mine on the same schedule, so when one goes down to sleep I put the other one down, and when one wakes up, I might let the other sleep an extra 15-20min but then I wake them up. I need my down time from the babies, so I need them to sleep at the same time.

Is there problems with either child's weight gain? If not, perhaps you don't need another feeding? I am not an expert here at all, maybe others have some suggestions.
GL

 

Have you read HSHHC? I think at 4 months she needs naps. Will she nap in a swing? At that age my girls did and only had a consistent morning nap. The rest of the day we followed eat-sleep-play. I hope others can weigh in on this since my girls didn't STTN until 8 months so I can't help you with the rest. GL!

 

I agree with Leighann in that she definitely needs to nap during the day. At 4 months the morning nap was just starting to take shape for us...meaning just after about 1.5 hours of wakefulness I would being the soothing process either before or after a bottle and then it was naptime. That nap was the only one that I was consistent about that must be in the crib. The rest of the day they slept wherever and whenever they wanted too.

Have you tried some white noise in the nursery for her, a binky or woobie (lovey), swaddling, anything that she might find soothing to help her drift off? And if all else fails and she will sleep in a swing, bouncy, or sling-go for it! :hug99:

FWIW my two were all over the place until about 6 months old with their schedules. Somedays they were on the same schedule and others days I just fed babies. They will eventually sync up.

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Jul 13 2008, 08:18 AM) [snapback]873943[/snapback]
I agree with Leighann in that she definitely needs to nap during the day. At 4 months the morning nap was just starting to take shape for us...meaning just after about 1.5 hours of wakefulness I would being the soothing process either before or after a bottle and then it was naptime. That nap was the only one that I was consistent about that must be in the crib. The rest of the day they slept wherever and whenever they wanted too.

Have you tried some white noise in the nursery for her, a binky or woobie (lovey), swaddling, anything that she might find soothing to help her drift off? And if all else fails and she will sleep in a swing, bouncy, or sling-go for it! :hug99:

FWIW my two were all over the place until about 6 months old with their schedules. Somedays they were on the same schedule and others days I just fed babies. They will eventually sync up.


I was going to say the same thing here. She does need to nap during the day. I dont have any advice though because my boys were not on a nap schedule or sttn until about 5 months. Prior to that is was a complete mess. I hope you get some helpful tips. :hug99:

 

thanks ladies for all your responses....here my feedbacks to each of you:

Isis,
no weight gain problems at all, they actually gain right on track, sometimes even a bit over. we do let them in their cribs as well until about 7am, they babble before but happy, no crying.
this am, Liana again would not sleep after that first early feeding, they get tired fast so are back down by latest 8 or 8:30am...she slept 30 min, that's it....then just up and complain, no crying...I let her for 20 min, they changed her into the swing, in the swing, she's quite but still not sleeping.
Kaden slept 2 1/2 hours at that nap.
now I put them down at 1pm for the 2nd nap, she woke up again after 20 min, I rocked her and tried the vacuum on the "happiest baby on the block", it says it's for light sleepers...we'll see...she's out for now.


Leighann,
yes I am reading the HSHHC since months, I do love it and I am working on getting them on his nap advice/schedule, Kaden is pretty much on it...I love that book yes.

Datjmom,
we do as well start soothing latest 1 1/2 hr after they are up, actually even a bit earlier and we are very consistent with our soothing process. I do know that she needs naps , if only she would know, ha!
the white noise helped when she was younger, as I said to Isis, I am trying out the vacuum noise right now....swaddling we do already and we know that already helps, we use miracle blankets and or the halo sack with the addtl. swaddle velcro system. she won't sleep in swing or bouncer, if she sleeps, she sleeps in her crib.

one thing, I feel bad for saying that, our babies love to sleep on their stomachs since they are 2 months old, I know it's bad.....but they won't stay on their sides, even with propping and sleep positioners, we tried them all, they would just roll over them onto their belly.

thanks again.
we'll just keep trying to get her to sleep, that's all we can do, I will definetely try to keep her on Kaden's schedule.

alexa

 

QUOTE(alexafaeh @ Jul 13 2008, 08:18 PM) [snapback]874346[/snapback]
thanks ladies for all your responses....here my feedbacks to each of you:

one thing, I feel bad for saying that, our babies love to sleep on their stomachs since they are 2 months old, I know it's bad.....but they won't stay on their sides, even with propping and sleep positioners, we tried them all, they would just roll over them onto their belly.

thanks again.
we'll just keep trying to get her to sleep, that's all we can do, I will definetely try to keep her on Kaden's schedule.

alexa


Ours loved their bellies too. They had nasty reflux and it seemed that they like the gentle pressure on their bellies to help them be more comfortable.

Keep trying and I am sure you will find something that works for you and the babes.

 

I would ride this out, at this age she probably needs 3 naps minimum. So put her down for 3 naps, in the crib/swing/pnp and leave her for 60mins minimum, if she doesn't sleep the whole time thats fine, she (and you!!) needs the downtime even if not sleeping.

 

QUOTE(kathyc @ Jul 14 2008, 12:14 PM) [snapback]875022[/snapback]
what is HSHHC

my girls are doing the same thing; one naps and one does not all of a sudden. they are almost 4 months so am guessing it is the dreaded 4 month sleep regression. curiously though the one who won't nap is also starting to STTN


It is a Sleep Training book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weisbluth. He is a Pediatrician in NY (I think) and he is still practicing today. It has been widely read by alot of MoMs on this board. It talks about watching for sleepyness cues to help get your baby or babies down for a nap or bed and into a routine. There is much more to the book, but that is the gist of it. HTH!