Whats the hardest period?

My boys are 3 weeks today and so far things have been going pretty well. Im just wondering when to anticipate the storm...What age in months do you think is the hardest? Right now they sleep alot so its been pretty easy but they are waking up more and more each day and require more attention. Im guessing when they are both wanting to crawl is going to be hard.

 

about 2 months old, they were fussier, still eating every 3 hours, not sleeping thru the night...this is when i did the math and figured that i spent 8 or 9 hours per DAY feeding them (not counting night feedings!)

 

mine are two weeks old now and I'm wondering the same thing

 

I personally think this is all up to intrepretation. I mean my twins are 14 weeks old on Friday and so far I haven't had too many problems I am worried about when they start walking though. I have run in to other mums who have told me that the age mine are was the age they considered the hardest. So I guess everybody is different.

 

I think I did pretty well overall, but 2-3 months is hard (things got easier at 4 months) and I found 12-15 months very hard. It's getting slightly better now.

 

I certainly did not sound so confident at 2 weeks! We didn't have everyone home from the hospital until about 3 weeks, but I remember a lot of stress from then until at least 2 months. That would have been when they started sleeping more soundly and I could actually get a few hours sleep between feedings. The sleep gives you the energy to handle everything else.
I found things got noticeably easier around 3 months when they were sleeping through feedings and I was better able to guess what their fussing was about. That went way downhill at 4 months (very bad month in this house) when the boys went on napping strike.
I was living for that magic 3 month mark that people told me about, but if I were you I wouldn't circle 3 months on the calendar. Your babies have their own timetable.

 

I honestly didn't find any of the stages too bad, yes you're tired but nothing major. Oh I know I found a bit awkard was when Jessica started walking at 10months but Jorja not until 13 months, that was a hard stage. You couldn't hold both hands, or figure out both carrying, kind of awkward, u would put them down one took off walking one crawling haha..

 

I think the early months are better - My girls will be 2 in May and I find this to be the hardest. They are walking - in different directions - and just learning to talk. Their favorite word is No - Communication is hard since they have such a limited vocabulary. Enjoy each phase, it goes by to quick.

 

Our hardest time was between 8-12 weeks. They would scream for no reason from 6-9pm every night. Nothing could console them. I was even with my family (4 of us total) and not one of us could calm them. Between 8:30 and 9 they would just stop crying and be happy again. Other than that, we've been fine. I'm still waiting for them to STTN and I know I'll be a happier mommy when they do.

 

I think each stage has a different challenge, and depending on what you find stressful (constant crying, not STTN, having to follow them around while they scurry in different directions, messy finger foods, teething, I could go on and on) you will find that period the hardest. For me, it was from about 4-6 months. This is when I thought it would get significantly easier, but they were so frustrated with being stationary that they didn't hang out very long without whining. When they could sit up they got much happier for a while.

Actually thinking back at all of the stages, none of them were that hard, and it gives me the perspective that however hard it is, this too will pass!!

 

Honestly I think with each stage there are challenges, but you just need to keep everything in perspective.

At about 6-12 weeks the girls were FUSSY! They were being treated for reflux, were gassy so we used mylicon drops in their bottles, but they still were fussy especially in the late afternoon/evening. After reading Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child and reading the posts here, I realized it was totally normal and wouldn't last forever. Those weeks were tough though and I learned to ask for and accept help.

For me things got to be FUN when they became more interactive (smiling, giggling), and mobile! And this was WAY before they were sleeping through the night so I was still tired, but happy.

Congrats on your kiddos!!!

 

Other then reflux before the meds, my babies were and still are great. However, this week the storm is brewing. They are teething. I figured before they were even born that teething would be hard if they went through it at the same time. Unfortunatley, I think I was right. Naps are shorter and DD is waking in the early morning a few times. Hopefully they will pop up soon!

 

The first 3 months are the hardest in terms of sheer exhaustion. There were days when I didn't eat, sleep, or shower. FTR - I didn't do a schedule and I didn't have any help in the beginning, so my experience might not be typical.
Another PP said 12-15 months, and I gotta agree with that too. That's a stage where they are physically able to do things, but don't quite have the cognitive understanding of "no", and cannot fully communicate their needs. It can be very frustrating.
I would say things got a lot better for me around 5 months. That's when they were pretty much sleeping through the night, and I finally got a schedule going.

 

QUOTE(spinhermie @ Mar 27 2008, 01:06 AM) [snapback]689557[/snapback]
about 2 months old, they were fussier, still eating every 3 hours, not sleeping thru the night...this is when i did the math and figured that i spent 8 or 9 hours per DAY feeding them (not counting night feedings!)


I'm finding the same thing. Mine are actually slightly more difficult now than they have been the last couple weeks. It's like they forgot how to take a bottle! But I think things are getting better. God had pity on me and gave me two very good babies, so so far I really can't complain.

 

I would say I am going through my hardest time thus far on this journey right now.

They are both very mobile and very clingy. They want 100% of me all the time.

Up until now, I have thought it wasnt too bad at all.

I have always had great sleepers and I think that helped make the early months easier!

 

The first few months were by far the hardest time for me. Ever since, it just keeps getting more and more fun!

 

so far, I'd say the hardest was the 6-9 week period (they were "awake" -- and fussy all day all night)-- however, at the same time, it all seems to ebb and flow....after the fussy 6-9 week period, things got better and better, by 11 weeks, things were humming along and went really well until about 4 months -- when all heck broke lose at our house (they had been sleeping great - up for just one night feeding, going to bed well -- and all that went out the window) -- until 5 months (when i was once again feeling like I was just hanging on 'til 6 months so we could do CIO) -- and all the sudden, they started STTN, and became joys durring the day again. So for me, it's been a cycle. However, its always good to know, no problem last forever, and atleast for me the "good" gets better everytime!

 

Weeks 6-13 were sheer and utter torture. I wanted to kill myself every single day. By 14 weeks adjusted, (they were 35 +2) they were GREAT! STTN etc.. That 14 adjusted mark was HUGE HUGE HUGE for us!!! I couldn't have gone on like it was.. NO WAY, NO HOW!! They are soo "not there" mentally that it's just soo frustrating trying to get time to pass!!

Once they "Know" stuff and can kind of "get it" life becomes MUCH MUCH easier.. Smiles, laughing.. and not to sound nuts, but you can sort of "reason" with them beginning at 4 mos.. It's just better..

They are 6 mos now, 5 adjusted.. and it just gets easier and easier every day.. They both (identical) got their 2 bottom teeth at 4 mos and that was a BREEZE compared to what I had been thru!! Not a big deal.

I'm not worried about crawling or walking or any of that stuff.. I am looking forward to it. I welcome it! I also do not think these guys will be clingy as I have tried very hard to avoid that w/ these guys.. They are used to having people here, not always just me, and I do get out of the house often.. Daddy is on duty as much as I am..

Anyway, weeks 6-13 (adjusted age) were sheer H*LL on a stick...

I stopped crying myself to sleep at 14 weeks adjusted and things just keep getting better!

 

My babes were awesome for the 1st three weeks... couldnt have asked for better babies! I would say my hardest time was 4-12 wks (reflux/colic) and it has all been easier since then. Oh of course somethings are trying and challenging but not HARD like those weeks were. HTH and doesnt scare you!

 

My baby babes are six months old and so freaking adorable and fun. I have loved every day/week/month with them and never have I asked, "When is this going to get easier???" I am reveling in the baby stage and I think that once they start walking and getting some 'tude then it will be a challenge. So far so good. I must admit that four months was a HUGE milestone. They were smiling, laughing, getting stronger, and feeding them (expressed breast milk) took half the time it did when they were first born.

 

Mine are only 5 months old, but so far the hardest part for me was the first couple of weeks, because I didn't know what I was doing and they were starving every 3 hours, around the clock. Now that I have a little bit of experience it's a lot more manageable. I have really easy babies though (in my opinion they are PERFECT!)

 

I didn't read the other responses so I may be repeating a lot of what has already been said....Personally I think it depends on the babies...
The first 12-14 weeks were a pretty big blurry storm for me as I was dealing with a toddler whose world had just been rocked with 2 new sisters, a husband that was traveling (left for a week the day I got out of the hospital, was home a week then gone for two, you get the picture), 2 babies with acid reflux, colic and milk protein allergies and one that was up all night long at least once every 5 days...oh and did I mention post partum depression???? Anyway, my Annalise was a challenge from the start in terms of feeding and sleeping and screaming while Evie was low key until a 4 or 6 weeks in. When the storm hit it hit hard but I can barely remember it...
Good luck! They become SOOO much fun and I really miss those nights holding my babies until the wee hours!

 

Im finding right now to be difficult. They are almost 2 weeks. But the difficulty is really not the twins - it is the breastfeeding then formula feeding then pumping that is killing me. If I only had t do ONE of those I would be fine. But I'm not getting sleep, then I find myself not wanting to pump and then feeling guilty if I don't pump. I just wish my supply would come in.

 

2 to 4 months was the hardest for us. Non stop eating, crying in the evenings, complete exhaustion! But it's so fun now and totally worth it!!

 

You know what, I'm still waiting for the hard part! My two are 17 months old - sleep has been challenging but I wouldn't say hard. Overall I know having twins are challenging but not much more difficult than having a high maintenance singleton, you just do everything times 2.