Stretching out Feedings

How in the world do you stretch every 3 hour feeding to 4 hour feedings with twins and when your home during the day by yourself?????

 

Mine did it by themselves when they were ready... I don't think you can really force it.

 

QUOTE(Brownie110 @ Dec 22 2008, 10:19 AM) [snapback]1119016[/snapback]
How in the world do you stretch every 3 hour feeding to 4 hour feedings with twins and when your home during the day by yourself?????



How old are your twins? Are they really hungry after 3 hours? I'd find often when I fed mine then they'd hardly eat so to get them to actually take an ok bottle i had to wait until 4 hours.. by playing with them, putting i swings, pacifier, ect. if they are starving though i'd just feed them..

 

We did it when they were three months. We were really strict about the 3 hr schedule. But it seemed they were only eating because we gave them the bottle - and they didn't always want it or want to finish it. So we upped the ounces from 5-6 every 3 hours to 7-8 every 4 hours and they didn't miss a beat. There may have been occasions where it was more like 3.5 hrs to 3.75 hrs, but then they stretched out others. In the end we got 4 bottles in in a day and it was about every 4 hours, give or take.

 

You can stretch it every 15 minutes when it seems like they're ready. GL.

 

my twins are 8 months some days I can stretch them.....for 15 mn or so....but other days they just scream cause there hungry but then they also dont finish there bottles either....I just dont know what to do...I read how everyone has there twins on a basically set schedule...and mine are 8 months and they are not......there schdeule depends on what time they wake up for the day...which everyday is different......It is much easier when there is someone there with me during the day to keep them occupied..




QUOTE(SweetGirl @ Dec 22 2008, 02:30 PM) [snapback]1119325[/snapback]
You can stretch it every 15 minutes when it seems like they're ready. GL.

 

How old are you twins? I would just let them lead you. You can try the every 15 minute adjustment and if it doesnt work, then you know they arent ready. FWIW, I really didnt see much difference in feeding them every 3 vs. every 4 hours unless it was affecting how much they are willing to eat at a given feeding.

 

A lot of babies are just going to be much happier eating smaller amounts more frequently, even at 8 months. Their stomachs are still so small. I think it's actually a good thing if they know when they're full and stop then, rather than trying to cram in more in order to make it through a long stretch to the next feeding. (I mean, if adults could eat that way, we'd have a lot less obesity!) It sounds like your babies are really hungry every 3 hrs. So it's probably going to be a lot easier on them AND on you to just go with that. It's no fun trying to keep two hungry babies happy.

Don't sweat the schedule stuff either. Just because some babies are on a strict, by-the-clock schedule doesn't mean yours have to be. If they get to eat when they're hungry and sleep when they're tired, that's terrific!

 

Mine are always hungry after 3 hours (formula) or even less when its breastmilk (2 hours max.). We do 5 (sometimes 6, depending on how well they eat) bottles a day. We are on a schedule, but it is flexible. Sometimes they wake at 6:30, sometimes not until 7:30...everyday is a little different. But being prepared with bottles helps a lot! My girls wont eat more than 5-6 ounces in a feeding, other than their first bottle of the day - sometimes they will eat 7oz. Seems like the 3 hour schedule just works for us.