Please read these books

If you glance over the first year forums so often it is soothing, and sleeping issues. Most twin moms on here that have had some success attribute it to two books.... Happiest baby on the block and their is a video too, likely good to watch with dh. (I read the book) it is great at helping you to sooth the baby and it makes you aware of why they get fussy.

Next the book HSHHC Healthy sleep habits happy child (I think there is a twin version now) read the book and then re-read your age group. This book will help you over the next years with their sleep.

Most common stuff:

Babies WAKE up on their DUE DATE. (mark it on the calendar)

BAbies gradually increase in fussiness from their DUE DATE (not birth date) and peak at 6 weeks. They gradually decrease after this.

Witching hour is often in the evenings most babies all over town are fussing during this time. Eat early.

The first 3 months are just survival mode. Do whatever it takes (carriers, hold them, bouncers, swings, stroller rides....) you will NOT spoil them. Even by holding them you are "teaching" them to sleep. Eventually they get so good at sleeping they start to do it on their own. I swear at 4.5 months or 5 months of age you will miss holding them all the time.



Trust us, you can have the prettiest babies' nursery and if you are pulling your hair out not knowing what is happening then what good was all that paint, and paper ??????

I hope at least one person benefits from this.

Heather

 

Thank you so much for this tip! I will definately check it out. We had sleeping issues with my son and I have been wondering how we were going to survive twins, hopefully this will help. :bow2:

 

I absolutely agree I have just finished reading the Happiest Baby on the Block and it was full of useful info I got it from library but thinking of buying it so I can refer back to it whenever I need to. The second book I read with my daughter it was very imformative as well. There is new Twin addition to this book I haven't read it yet and the reviews are not so great but it is on my reading list.

Happy reading everyone!

 

You can get both books second hand on Amazon.

 

I was given the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD and a book called Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentlge Guide to Helping your Child go to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Wake up Happy by Kim West and Joanne Kenen. So far I've read the first chapter or so and it seems to be a pretty good book. The mom who gave it to me said it saved her sanity and it does have a chapter on twins. My sister also loved the Happiest Baby stuff with her son. Do you all recommend that we watch it before the babies are born (thinking we won't have time after) or wait until after? If before, I don't have much time!

 

I too loved the Happiest Baby on the Block book. It was a godsend, I even started giving copies away at baby showers! Another good sleeping book that helped with my daughter was The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley and William Sears. I'm excited to hear that there is a twin version of HSHHC, I will have to check it out.
I was definitely not one to let my daughter "cry it out" although nearly everyone said I should. It seemed too cruel. And do you know what, she is a fantastic sleeper to this day! I just put her in her crib, she talks/sings herself to sleep and in the morning/after nap she just lays there/plays contently until I come in to get her. Admitedly, it took a little while, but it was totally worth it, and fairly guilt-free. I'm anxious to see how sleeping will be with twins though...

 

Someone asked if we recommend reading them ahead of time.... YES !! When they come you dont' have any time to read. Plus your head is just too full and hormones and lack of sleep. I found reading them ahead of time worked and then re-reading the areas based on my babies ages. I was always heading back to the book whenever they moved to a new stage and surprisingly each stage was in there. I found HSHHC offers a variety of options based on your parenting style. It isn't the type of book that says "you MUST do this or that" which I loved about it. It was very gentle with his advice. I'm not good with any book telling me what to do. Plus it talked alot of sleep studies and their results. So many things I never knew.

heather

 

Great post I wish someone would have told me to read these books when I was pg. I had know ideas about babies and their sleep habits or lack of .

 

I never did read these, although I had plenty of time. Luckily we never needed them - our boys have been the most laid-back, happy kids I could have imagined. STTN by 3 months and all.

 

I totally agree with the original poster!

I've only read Dr. Karp's book (Happiest Baby on the Block) and I can give some advice to all you expecting mommies out there. If there is one thing in your arsenal of soothing tricks let it be the SWADDLE!! Seriously! It calms my boys and they are able to settle down much faster. I would advise getting good at a tight swaddle with a blanket before you go out and buy the Swaddle Me wrap, which I LOVE by the way.

Right now we are in survival mode! We spent so much time and money on fixing up the nursery and decorating it and as of now the only time the twins are in there is when I take them there to change them. You figure out where they'll sleep best and let them go for it! Our boys love to sleep in their carseats. I felt bad about it for a while until I talked to other parents who went thru it with their children and it didn't leave them with any lasting scars. I am looking forward to the day when they are out of the 4th trimester and are able to self-soothe and interact with us more. But yes, when reality hits and you're trying to get them to just sleep *somewhere* all the paint and frills in the nursery don't seem to matter as much as it did when you were busy buzzing around in your nesting phase.

Good luck to all you expectant mommies out there! It is hard as hell but it is so worth it that you won't mind it all that much. :grouphug:

~Joanna

 

Joanna - for what it's worth, Jacob and Boden slept in their bouncy seats in their cribs for months due to their reflux. They sleep in their cribs like total champs now.