what is your typical day like?

Hello! I was just wondering what a typical day is like for 10 week old twins?? For example, how many feedings throughout the day, when specifically are your twins awake (before or after eating), and how long to stimulate them/play? I feel as though my girls are not on any specific schedule at all and maybe they should be by now. Also, when does the fussiness go away? I try reading all sorts of books, but they never relate to having twins girls at 33 1/2 weeks.

Thanks,
Jen

 

Our babies were born at 33 weeks, and I don't think we had much of a schedule at 10 weeks. I did however feed them every 3 hours, and during the night whenever they wanted. No matter what time they had their bottle during the night at 7:00 am I would feed them again, so that every day their feeding times would be the same. I still do the same thing. I guess it is a bit of a schedule. As for the stimulation, I let them do what they were interested in, and for however long they wanted. They loved the mobile at that age. But because they were early they would still be sleeping a lot. I hope this helps.

 

QUOTE(stanley @ May 30 2007, 08:28 AM) [snapback]272809[/snapback]
Hello! I was just wondering what a typical day is like for 10 week old twins?? For example, how many feedings throughout the day, when specifically are your twins awake (before or after eating), and how long to stimulate them/play? I feel as though my girls are not on any specific schedule at all and maybe they should be by now. Also, when does the fussiness go away? I try reading all sorts of books, but they never relate to having twins girls at 33 1/2 weeks.

Thanks,
Jen


My twins, who were born at 34 weeks, are now 11 weeks old and we have a feeding schedule (4oz bottle every 4 hours), but everything else (napping and playing) is dictated by them. During the day I keep them in the living room so they know its daytime and at night we feed them in our bedroom with only a nightlight on so they go right back to sleep after a bottle.

Until about 2-3 weeks ago they were only up when they were eating (or right before and after). Now they stay awake longer- they 'play' in their activity mat (they love to sit in the boppy in it so the dangling toys are at eye level), stare out the window at the trees, swing, or sit in their bouncy seats. Sometimes they are content just to sit in their boppies on the couch with me looking at the pictures hanging on the wall or out the window. We listen to music and dance around (one of my girls *loves* this when she is fussy!), and I try to read to them every day.

Sometimes I feel like I should be doing more to 'entertain' them, but they've really only just started connecting with their world (last week they started really *looking* at us and smiling), so I don't think they are 'bored.' I also read that if they are looking at you you should talk to them and engage them, but they will let you know they are done by looking away.

This is my very first post to this forum after lurking for a couple of weeks, so I hope this goes thru. I have no idea how to set up the neat tickers everyone has, but like I said I have twin girls (fraternal) who are 11 weeks 5 days, born at 34 weeks. They spent 2 weeks in the NICU as grower/feeders. -Leighann (I'll post a formal intro in another thread)

 

The only set "schedule" we had at that age was a feeding schedule. And it was every 3 hours during the day. Our naps didn't get regular until they were sleeping through, for Emma that was 4 months, Jake, 6 months. You are dong great! :hug99:

 

My guys weren't born too early but in the beginning it was like yours are, where basically they eat every 3 hours but the rest of the day is up for grabs. Mine were born at 37 weeks and an actual schedule started forming around 3.5 months or so and is still being worked out. My boys were terribly colicky and that started around 6-7 weeks and lasted until about 3 months. It was terrible, I feel for you if you have fussy babies. Mine would scream and cry at night for hours on end. One of my saving graces was Twinstuff, I would come on here and vent! I also got lots of ideas for calming down babies, and the one that worked the best was putting the radio on static, believe it or not, it would help immensely.

And Leighann, Welcome!!!!!!!!! :wavey: Glad you found TS, I don't know how I would still be sane without this site!!! Congrats on your twins!

 

[SIZE=10pt]Welcome to twinstuff!!

My boys were born at just under 37 weeks and are now 10 weeks old.

From the time we came home from the hospital, their feeding has been pretty scheduled. It was every 3 hours until about 8 weeks, then went to every 3.5-4 hours (5-6 hours during the night). They eat anywhere from 4-6 oz per feeding, usually around 5 oz. They are fed a total of 6 times per day, 5 from morning until bedtime and 1 middle of the night feeding.

Typically, we wake around 7 a.m. I feed them between 7:30-8 a.m. They usually fall asleep again by 9:00 a.m. and sleep until about 11:30 a.m. I feed them again around noon and they are awake for a little bit, but usually asleep again by 1:00 p.m. If we have to run errands, this is the time we go out to do that (to Target, grocery storre, etc. between the noon and 3ish feedings) They usually wake around 2:00 or so and we do some stimulation (see below) I feed them again around 3:30 p.m., then more stimulation and they may or may not take another nap at this time. I feed them again around 6:30, give them a bath and put them to bed by 7:30 p.m. I wake them around 10:30 for a "dream feed" and go to bed myself. For the past week or so, they have been waking around 4-4:30 a.m. to eat. We feed them and put them right back to sleep.

They are still asleep much of the time. They typically fall asleep pretty quickly after their 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. feedings, but are up quite a bit after the 3:30 ish feeding until they go to bed around 7 p.m. It's a difficult time as that is the time I am trying to get dinner going. I usually try to get things done before noon, if possible (laundry, cleaning, etc.) as I know that they like my attention in the afternoons.

For stimulation, they either sit in their bouncy seats that have rattles, music and the ocean wonders aquarium, lay on the activity mat, do tummy time or they sit on their boppies and I talk to them. Much of them time, I just lay them on the bed and talk to them, make them smile. It's so cute to see their little eyes get all wide with excitement and their little legs start pumping like they're riding a bike. :icon_biggrin: [/SIZE]

 

I remember posting something very similar when mine were about 8-12 weeks! I think it's pretty much a toss up, and just go with the flow. You are definitely not doing anything wrong! Mine are 4 months, and nights are getting better, they're only waking once now, sometimes twice (I'm BF, so that's normal), and the morning nap "routine" is starting to shape somewhat. Just have fun with them, and look for signs as to when they're tired.... I feed on demand mostly, but with FF, you might do as pp said and go every 3-4 hours, and a little less at night unless they want it. I'm reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child, and I think it says you can try scheduling naps when they're young, but they need to be around 4 months before it's starts really being effective - and that's 4 months AFTER their 40 week due date. So do not worry about a schedule too much! I know you're probably craving, but I promise the time will go so fast!